FIRDAUS AHMED

Narendra Modis campaign for prime-minister-

ship has had an inauspicious start. But his men-
tors walkout in huff, early desertion by a key ally
and the public relations disaster amidst a natural
disaster will not faze him. His stewardship of the
BJPs campaign ahead can be expected to be
energetic, innovative and less than mindful of
norms, ethics and the law. As legal pincers close
in on him in the Ishrat Jahan and the Gulberg
Society cases, he will likely pull out the stops.
Abandoning restraint, his campaign will get into
stride with its cunning and subterfuge aban-
doned in favour of barefaced communalism.
Electoral arithmetic, however, is built by the
common voter who has repeatedly proven wiser
than politicians believe him to be.
Modis campaign will, therefore, not have
enough propulsion to get him to 7 Race Course
Road. But then, NaMo is not in the race for being
a leader of the opposition and waiting a term for
the rulers to discredit themselves. This is his
moment. His manner of seizing of it could frame
the worst case scenario.
Par for the course will be the usual means
that gladden a Hindutvavadis heart. Among
these will figure a replay of the Sohrabuddin
episode in which jihadis will be projected as
gunning for his life. A few encounters will
embellish his case that his opposition is in
league with minority extremists to finish off his
challenge. These will be depicted as a fifth col-
umn, linking them with the proverbial external
hand, set to come to fore with the coincident
departure of the US from AfPak. A convenient
rise in unexplained bomb blasts across the
country will help push the minority onto the
ropes. Strategic commentary, forever in search
of a strong man to expel the soft state image
of India, will latch on to this externally abetted
internal enemy, to use a Chanakyan phrase.
Security in peril, India will be asked to vote for
the one answer: NaMo.
The foreignness of the young princeling,
the ruling partys contender, will be underlined to
suggest subversion of the rise of an authentic
India. The closing in of the law on Mr. Modi will
be depicted as misuse of the judiciary by the rul-
ing Congress to keep him from power and an
instance of minority appeasement. While dirty
tricks will harden Modis power base among tra-
ditionally right wing voters, these may deepen
scepticism among others. Yet, in the event, the
election may prove a close call. It is here that the
worst case scenario kicks in.
This could be a soft coup in the tradition of
George Bushs pipping of Al Gore at the post in
Florida. Or it could be more blatant. Extremist
political formations could take over the streets;
while Modi acolytes, including one on bail for
triple murder and restrained from entering
Gujarat, energise a putsch. The narrative will be
that the rightful winner is being deprived by a
conspiracy of anti-Hindu and by extension anti-
India forces; forcing them to act to save democ-
racy and India.
The penetration of rightist ideology in secu-
rity forces is well known. The Gujarat polices
showing in the 2002 carnage is an example of
levels of subversion of constitutional and profes-
sional norms. This was in the early days of Mr.
Modi at the helm. By 2004 the Gujarat police
was masterminding encounters designed to
build Modis image as Lauh Purush II with which
he could eventually make his bid for Delhi. Its
link to the questionable spate of blasts in metro-
politan cities in the run up to last elections is evi-
dent from the supposedly fortuitous manner of
recovery of bombs in Surat. The record of
Maharashtras ATS and Delhis Special Cell sug-
gests the Gujarat police not an exception.
Karnataka, AP and Rajasthan police have not
acquitted themselves with any credit in investi-
gating terror cases. Exceptions in khaki are
instead the likes of late Hemant Karkare.
Black propaganda, that such blasts are
instances of, has an intelligence imprint. This is
only now coming out into the open with the CBI
dragnet closing in on the IB head in Gujarat. It is
inconceivable that the then IB chief in Delhi, now
ensconced in a right-wing think tank in the
national capital, did not know of the game-plan
in Gujarat. It is clear that the objective was to
implicate the minority with terror seemingly orig-
inating in Pakistan. The narrative was that terror
was no longer confined to J&K but had spread
its tentacles to the heartland. This helped with
India attempting to corner Pakistan diplomatical-
ly, since post 9/11 Pakistan was supping with
the US. The internal political dividend was
intended to see continuation of NDA to power in
2004 and a return in 2008, which in the event
were belied.
The paramilitary, exposed to operations
against Kashmiri militants and to Maoists, are
primed for lending muscle. Bureaucrats, privileg-
ing self-preservation, can be expected to go into
a wait and watch mode. Strategic commenta-
tors, largely of conservative-realist persuasion,
will allow themselves to be manipulated into pro-
viding the narrative cover that ends justify the
means. Hindutva champions and closet commu-
nalists embedded in the media will pitch in to
help India recover from the shock.
That a scenario of a right-wing take over is
not far-fetched is evident from the inevitable
contention between the ruling party and opposi-
tion over the nominations list to head Indias
security forces and intelligence services. The
very fact that the professionalism or compe-
tence of the candidates is not enough suggests
that their political inclinations matter. The ruling
party pitches for agency heads that can contain
the ideological penetration of the opposition in
their forces. The opposition would favour those
who are willing to compromise on the apolitical
feature of their force. That security forces uni-
versally are conservative in orientation makes
the Congress more alert to dangers and ready to
act to prevent them through the selection
process. The recent bust ups over the Army, IB
and CBI chiefs, all of whom would be having
tenures that will see them through the elections,
indicates a wariness making for plausibility of
the worst case.
From the controversy last year over the
succession chain of the army it is clear that
the key player in the scenario playing out or
otherwise could well be the army chief. When
the government ruled against giving the for-
mer chief an extension till his claimed age of
retirement, it was par tially with an eye that the
current chief would likely thwar t any political
misadventure. The question is: Will the Indian
Army, known for keeping clear of politics, step
up? Such intrusion into politics is hardly use-
ful over the long term, even if it is necessary
to pre-empt a worse possibility. Given this,
prevention is better than cure.
The cure would be in the government reveal-
ing the extent of right wing conspiracy over the
past decade to malign the minority: a function of
the success of the project of bombings and
staged encounters. The current case in point,
Ishrat Jahans, is merely the tip of the iceberg. It
is also being progressed by the CBI with an eye
on keeping Mr. Modi off balance. However, be
that as it may, while further revelations may
embarrass India, it would work right wing con-
tamination out of the system once and for all and
ensure that the conservative nationalists play by
the rules in future: the first step being in dump-
ing their current vanguard.
The author blogs at
subcontinentalmusings.blogspot.in
24 pages ` 15 ISSN 0972-3366 Fortnightly Vol. 14 No. 14 Issue Serial # 324 facebook.com/milligazette www.milligazette.com 16-31 July 2013
Zafar Mahmood and Modi 5,7
Grey beard, black beard 8-9
Suicide of Muslim girls 20
J&K 10 | Analysis 11 | Special Reports 3,13 | Issues 2,11,13
Books 21 | Speaking Out 11 | Newsmakers 12
Community News 14-15 | Islamic Perspectives 20
Our Publications 19 | Classifieds 22 | Letters 23
Inside
MG
Elections 2014: The worst case scenario
THE
MILLI
GAZETTE
INDIAN MUSLIMS LEADING ENGLISH NEWSPAPER SINCE 2000
ECONOMIC GENIUS...12 STORM IN A TEA CUP...,5,7
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A few encounters will embellish his case
that his opposition is in league with
minority extremists to finish off his
challenge. These will be depicted as a
fifth column, linking them with the
proverbial external hand, set to come to
fore with the coincident departure of the
US from AfPak. A convenient rise in
unexplained bomb blasts across the
country will help push the minority onto
the ropes. Strategic commentary, forever
in search of a strong man to expel the
soft state image of India, will latch on to
this externally abetted internal enemy, to
use a Chanakyan phrase. Security in peril,
India will be asked to vote for the one answer: NaMo...
...the election may prove a close call. It is here that the worst case scenario
kicks in. This could be a soft coup in the tradition of George Bushs pipping of
Al Gore at the post in Florida. Or it could be more blatant. Extremist political
formations could take over the streets; while Modi acolytes, including one on
bail for triple murder and restrained from entering Gujarat, energise a putsch.
The narrative will be that the rightful winner is being deprived by a conspiracy
of anti-Hindu and by extension anti-India forces; forcing them to act to save
democracy and India.
2 The Milli Gazette, 16-31 July 2013 ISSUES / OPINION
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INDIAN MUSLIMS LEADING ENGLISH NEWSPAPER
THE MILLI GAZETTE
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KALEEM KAWAJA
There was a time prior to Independence in 1947
that the Court of Aligarh Muslim University
its top governing body comprised of the top
Muslim elite in the nation. The then British-
Indian government appointed select elite
Muslims from across the country to the AMU
Court largely as a recognition of their contribu-
tion to AMU and to the spread of education in
the Muslim community. But times have changed
and with changing times more and more cate-
gories of representation and number of mem-
bers have been aded to this select body. Today
there are nearly 200 members in the AMU Court
representing more than half a dozen categories.
In earlier years, the objective of the Court mem-
bers was to provide direct or indirect financial
support to AMU and to use their influence with
the British-Indian government to get resources
to AMU with a view to improving the education-
al status of the Muslim community. Many a
nawab and raja and other distinguished and
well-educated Muslims were members of the
AMU Court. But now a sizeable number of
Muslim politicians, wannabe leaders, some of
them even rabblerousers, and political maulanas
vie and campaign every year to become mem-
bers of the AMU Court.
Gone is the emphasis on noblese-oblige,
creed of devotion to AMUs welfare and desire
to contribute to maintaining AMU as a high qual-
ity educational institution, as the salient criteria
for becoming members of this august body.
Now it is the rough and tumble of political wran-
gling, canvassing, and influence peddling to get
elected to the Court. Now whenever a Muslim in
north India acquires some public recognition or
makes a certain amount of money, no matter
what his/her occupation, regardless of his/her
contribution to AMU or level of education, they
start aspiring to become a member of the AMU
Court.
Recently, on a visit to my hometown in U. P.
a well-to-do Muslim businessman who has
made good money in the leather trade, but
whose educational qualifications are dismal,
told me that he was campaigning to become a
member of AMU Court. When I asked him why
he wants to do that because he does not have
much interest in education or AMU, he told me
that now the AMU Court has become a sort of
parliament of Muslims, especially north Indian
Muslims. Interest in the education of the Muslim
community or AMU is not necessarily a factor.
Indeed many political parties with hardly
any interest in the educational welfare of the
Muslim community (e. g., BJP), use their influ-
ence to place some of their Muslim members
in the AMU Court. Also some other aspiring
Court members are busy in rabblerousing to
become popular in the community and use it as
a path. Quite a few are movie actors and TV per-
sonalities with hardly any interest in the educa-
tion of Muslims or AMU.
This is not a good trend since, while many
Court members are distinguished individuals
who are working to improve AMU and educa-
tion, many other Court members do nothing to
help AMU or the education of the Muslim com-
munity in any way. They only attend the twice
yearly Court meetings to further their social
contacts and to feel good that they have arrived
at a certain social ladder. In the bi-annual Court
meetings, they never say a word or make any
suggestions.
It is time that the leaders of the AMU and
Muslim community turn the clock back, reduce
the number of Court members, make the crite-
ria for selection stringent and objective to
ensure that only distinguished and dedicated
Muslims with real interest in furthering AMU and
education in the Muslim community are select-
ed to this august body. Also the functioning of
the AMU Court should be scrutinized to ensure
that it does not function as a social or political
club or parliament of Muslims, but as a con-
structive body working hard for the educational
uplift of AMU and the Muslim community at
large.
AMU Court or a Muslim Parliament?
www.milligazette.com
Uniform Civil Code
HASHIM KIDWAI
The question of a uniform civil code had sprung into prominence
because of a judgement of the Supreme Court delivered by
Justices Kuldip Singh and Sahni, and because of the demand of
BJP leaders that there should be a uniform civil code for all
Indians.
As pointed out by Justice H.M. Seervai, distinguished jurists
had gratuitously raised the question of a uniform civil code on the
specious ground that the absence of such a code induced Hindu
husbands to convert to Islam so that they could marry another
woman although their wives were alive and this was because
Muslim law permitted a Muslim to have four wives at a time.
Surely, it is a fraudulent practice but Muslim law should not be
blamed for this. It is also to be noted that a Muslim was not a party
in the case in which judgement had been delivered by the two
judges of the Supreme Court.
Since article 44 under which the State is to endeavour for a
uniform civil code is not justiciable, it cannot be enforced by the
judiciary. The enforcement will be violative of Article 250 of the
Constitution which guarantees religious freedom to all Indian citi-
zens.
This contention is totally false that only Muslims are opposed
to the uniform civil code. The fact is that the majority community
is also opposed to it, and this is evident from the fact that instead
of following the [civil] Special Marriage Act, it follows the Hindu
Marriage Act.
According to Justice Seervai, the order of Justice Kuldip
Singh concurred by Justice Sahani and his request to the
Government of India through the Prime Minister to take a fresh
look at Article 44 and endeavour to secure for Indian citizens a
uniform civil code throughout the territories of the country is null
and void and the Supreme Court cannot enforce the mandate of
Article 44.
He rightly observed that a common civil code for Hindus and
Muslims is an impossibility.
Justice Seervai rightly observed that Section 7(1&2) of the
Hindu Marriage Act clearly lays down that a Hindu marriage may
be solemnised in accordance with the customary rites, and cere-
monies of either party thereto, while Section 7(2) says that where
such rites and ceremonies include the Satapadi (i.e., the taking of
seven steps by the bridegroom and the bride jointly before the
sacred fire) the marriage becomes complete and binding when the
seventh step is taken. This clearly contradicts the observation of
Justice Singh that marriage has nothing to do with revisions while
Sections 5(IV&V) of the said act lays down conditions subject to
which marriage may be solemnised namely, the parties are not
within the degree of the prohibited relationship unless the custom
or usage governing each of them permits of a marriage between
the two. Justice Seervai concludes that there is no common civil
code governing marriage among Hindus.
The argument that the enactment of a uniform civil code will
promote a feeling of national unity among Indians loses its validi-
ty when the strong sentiments of minorities, especially of the
Muslims, are taken into account. They are passionately attached
to their personal law and are not prepared to change or replace it.
The enthusiasts for uniform civil code try to make capital out
of the fact that the Indian Constitution under the Directive
Principles of State Policy provides that the State shall endeavour
to secure to the citizens a uniform civil code throughout the terri-
tory of India. It is worth noting here that the Directive Principles
are not binding on Central or state Governments. They are merely
instructions for the governments as to what policies they ought to
follow in order to realise the ultimate goal of establishing a welfare
State. They have no legal force. On the other hand, the
Constitution guarantees freedom of religion by including this free-
dom in Fundamental Rights. These rights are sacrosanct and the
Parliament has no right to abridge or scrap them because this will
affect the basic structure of the Constitution.
Secular activity mentioned in Clause (2) of Article 25 does
not mean marriage, divorce and succession. Secular activity on
the contrary denotes strict impartiality to objectivity on the part of
the Govt. It implies fair and equal treatment to all Indian citizens
irrespective of caste, creed, religion and sex etc.
The very essence of Indian secularism is recognition of differ-
ent religions on equal footing. Thus it will be quite against the spir-
it of the Constitution if a uniform civil code is imposed upon the
people.
The champions of uniform civil code contend that Muslim
Personal Law has become outdated and needs to be modernised.
But this contention is totally false as Muslim Personal Law has for
centuries pioneered a number of progressive principles which
even today are accepted. For example:
1. The principle that marriage is a civil contract involving no
change in the legal status of the woman.
2. The wifes retention of her full legal personality with preliminary
capacity to contract and to acquire, hold and dispose of prop-
erty without reference to her husband.
3. The wifes continuance in her fathers as distinct from her hus-
bands family, after marriage as before and her right to inherit
from her parents.
4. The wifes right to demand from her husband, as an essential
precondition of marriage, a marriage settlement or mahar
(dower).
5. The wifes right to hizamat (custody of young children in case
of separation from her husband with the latter remaining liable
for maintenance of the children.
6. The womens right to re-marry after divorce or widowhood.
7. The womens right to stipulate conditions in the marriage con-
tract.
8. The womens preempatory right of divorce in case of unchasti-
ty imputed to her, aside from other cases of cruelty.
9. Divorce by mutual consent.
The Muslim Personal Law leaves the parties free to put in the
marriage contract appropriate terms to secure the wifes right.
Such terms may include a stipulation that the husband could not
take a second wife and that the wife shall have the right to divorce
herself if he did.
In view of this, any dispassionate observer will find that
Muslim Personal Law is quite modern, flexible and adequate
enough to suit any developing society. The words of George
Bernard Shaw are worth recalling: the laws of marriage and
divorce given by Islam are most suitable for our times.
If by a uniform civil code is meant a civil court for the purpos-
es of civil court, there is already the civil procedure code which
deals with this aspect.
When there are other important Directive Principles like
improvement of educational standards, the duty to provide ade-
quate means of livelihood, improvement of the level of nutrition
and the standards of living of the people and the introduction of
prohibition, it is meaningless to dwell solely upon article 44 with-
out fulfilling the above mentioned requirements. Article 44 is not
of such great importance that it should take precedence over other
Articles of the Directive Principles.
Advocates of the uniform civil code forget that all Indian com-
munities have personal laws and there are separate personal laws
for Hindus, Muslims, Christians and Parsees.
If the concept is to promote a uniform personal law, there was
no need after the promulgation of the Constitution to enact Hindu
Succession Act and the Hindu Marriage Act. No criticism was lev-
elled against the Hindu joint family system. There is nothing wrong
in the Hindus following what they see necessary for the preserva-
tion of their identity, customs and usages.
If a uniform personal law has to be introduced, it will be to
change the entire concept of various institutions, customs and
usages which have been held sacred by various communities. In
a pluralistic society which recognises equal rights for followers of
all religions, it will be a denial of social justice if under the guise of
introducing a uniform civil code, religious beliefs of other commu-
nities are thrown over board.
Articles 371 A and 371 C have special provisions with respect
to the states of Nagaland and Mizoram. The religious and social
practices of the Nagas and the people of Mizoram and their cus-
tomary laws and procedures will prevail over the laws of India
including the administration of civil and criminal justice through
these articles.
Uniform civil code is an attempt to destroy the religious and
cultural practices of minorities and this will set in motion a very
dangerous precedent. Article 44 is one of the Directive Principles
while Article 25, which gives the right to profess, practise and
propagate ones religion, is a Fundamental Right. The enforcement
of article 44 will be against the basic structure of the Constitution
and if this structure is destroyed, India will cease to be a State
established for the purposes of achieving social justice and
upholding the secular and democratic ideals which were so dear
to the hearts of the framers of the Constitution.
Dr. Hashim Kidwai is a former member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha)
NATIONAL The Milli Gazette, 16-31 July 2013 3
Respond now if you care
about your community
White Paper on
Terrorism
The issue of fake terrorism charges and the unjust arrests and
defamation of our community, especially since 2001, is the
biggest challenge facing the community ever since. A grand
conspiracy hatched by the powers that be, IB, Police and
media, has sullied and defamed our community. This campaign
has affected our lives, peace of mind and has thwarted our
efforts to progress and educate our children to join the nation-
al mainstream.
Our efforts so far to present our case, to bring out our inno-
cence and force the national and state governments to listen to
our grievances have mostly failed. All we have received are a
few words of solace which have no real meaning and have not
changed the situation on the ground. Our children by their thou-
sands are still languishing in jails on the basis of fake confes-
sions obtained through torture and blackmail.
As a long-term solution and a serious response to this
problem thrust upon us, AIMMM decided last year to bring out
a white paper on the Muslim-related terrorism in the country.
The work is going on with all seriousness and many
researchers, scholars and journalists are busy preparing write-
ups on various aspects of this issue, covering the history, gen-
esis, communalism, vested interests in various related fields,
analysis of various laws like TADA, POTA and UAPA, fake
encounters, narco tests, torture, acquittals, IB & Police role,
media attitude, case studies, statewise surveys, SIMI, Indian
Mujahidin, Hindutva terror, individual tragedies of victims,
Azamgarh, Bhatkal, Malegaon, Darbhanga modules, some
basic documents, etc., etc.
The target is to bring out this white paper during the next
seven months and to release it in a big convention at Delhi as
a combined effort of major Muslim and civil rights organisa-
tions, and thereafter present this huge document of over 600
large format pages to politicians, media, human rights organi-
sations, especially outside the country, in order to enlighten
public opinion at home and abroad as well as to build pressure
on our blind and deaf government.
The estimated cost of this white paper is Rs 35 lakh divid-
ed as follows: Rs 15 lakh cost of preparation and payments to
contributors plus six months salaries to researchers and
experts; Rs 15 lakh for designing and printing the document in
a world-class format; while the grand convention at Delhi will
cost at least 5 lakh. Effort will be made to release the White
Paper in some state and world capitals also.
You can help this effort in four ways,
1. To buy copies of the White Paper on Terrorism in
advance to help defray part of the huge cost of research, print-
ing, publication and distribution of at least one thousand com-
plimentary copies. The estimated price of the white paper is Rs
2000 per copy in India. You may place an advance order by
paying Rs 1000 only per copy in India including postal
charges). Payments for the copies may be made to The Milli
Gazette, D-84 Abul Fazal Enclave-I, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi
110025. Email: edit@milligazette.com. Individuals and organi-
sations ordering a minimum of 100 copies in advance will be
included as Sponsors of the White Paper.
2. Contribute to the cost of the grand convention to be held
at Delhi towards the end of 2013. This should be payable to the
All India Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat, D-250, Abul Fazal
Enclave, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi-110025. Tel.: 011-26946780
Fax: 011-26947346. Email: mushawarat@mushawarat.com.
3. Donate your time: If you are a scholar, researcher,
journalist: join our team for a few months working in our
Delhi office or from your own home to complete this project
- write to the Editor, MG now at edit@milligazette.com.
4. Contact us if you have vital information/documents
about this issue.
www.milligazette.com
AIMMMs Diamond Jubilee in August, 2014
All past and present associates
requested for participation
New Delhi: Syed Shahabuddin, Coordinator, AIMMMs Diamond
Jubilee Ceremony of All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat, issued
the following Press statement on 28 June:
As well-known, after Independence the major umbrella organi-
zation of a non-political character formed to serve the Muslim com-
munity was the All India Muslim Majlis-e- Mushawarat. The
Mushawarat has now a building of its own which has a library as
well as two auditoriums. Its current President is Dr. Zafarul-Islam
Khan, Editor, Milli Gazette, New Delhi.
The All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat (AIMMM) was
established in Lucknow on 7-8 August, 1964. Thus it would be
completing its Golden Jubilee on 7 August, 2014. The AIMMM has
decided in principle to celebrate the Golden Jubilee in a suitable
manner including holding a National Convention to review its role
and achievements with the participation of all living participants in
the Lucknow meeting as well as those who have been associated
with it either nationally or in various states since then.
Since the original founders of AIMMM have passed away
including the Founder-President Dr. Syed Mahmud, it is proposed
that the Convention will also commemorate the work of these pio-
neers by publishing a Memorial Volume which will contain interalia
brief biographies of the original Founder Members as well as text of
important Resolutions and Statements as well as documents
issued by the Mushawarat subsequently on various national and
international problems since 1964.
Through this release all past and present associates of the
Mushawarat who may have retired from public life are requested to
kindly let the undersigned know their present address as well as
telephone/mobile numbers so that they can be kept informed of the
progress made towards the celebration and invited. They are
requested to also collect all the Mushawarat papers and documents
they have and make them available to the AIMMM.
The Mushawarat has decided to form a Celebration Committee
with the undersigned as its coordinator who may be contacted at
the AIMMM Central Office as follows:
All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat
D-250, Abul Fazal Enclave,
Jamia Nagar,
New Delhi-110025
Tel. 01126946780, 26947346
Email: mushawarat@mushawarat.com
SYED SHAHABUDDIN
Coordinator
THE MILLI GAZETTE
requires EXECUTIVE EDITOR,
JUNIOR JOURNALISTS
write with details in the first
instance to the Editor at
edit@milligazette.com
Basic requirements: good command
over English, interest in and
knowledge of Muslim community
issues, knowledge of Urdu
Communalism a major
threat: Urdu Editors
ANDALIB AKHTER
New Delhi: Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari
said on 24 June that a committee has been set up to review the
existing DAVP norms for releasing government advertisements to
different newspapers and periodicals.
Tewari was addressing the All India Urdu Editors Conference
organized by the Lucknow-based Jadeed Markaz weekly. He urged
the editors present to place their views before the panel.
On the demand for capacity-building for staffers of Urdu news-
papers, the minister said that the Director of Indian Institute of Mass
Communication Sunit Tandon was formulating a scheme for lan-
guage-specific capacity building. He urged the editors to follow up
with Tandon.
On the issue of Urdu newspapers being discriminated in dis-
bursement of government advertisements, the General Secretary of
the Congress party Dijvijay Singh said, after 1977, people with a
different mindset have infiltrated the Information and Broadcasting
Ministry and these people are creating problems. He said that
communalism was the biggest threat to the country. There are
communal elements amongst both Hindus and Muslims, he said.
The Lok Janshakti Party leader and MP, Ram Vilas Paswan
urged that 25% of the government advertisements should be
reserved for Urdu and small newspapers. He said that most of the
Urdu newspapers cater to specific regions of the country and there-
fore there is an urgent need for a national Urdu daily. Paswan was
of the view that if Urdu develops, Hindi would also develop as both
the languages are interlinked.
The Conference condemned all acts of violence emanating
from communalism and terrorism. It lauded the National
Investigating Agency (NIA) for carrying out proper investigations in
Malegaon and Makkah Masjid blasts cases as a result of which
several innocent people were released from custody. NIA has also
proved its fairness and objectivity in the case of Liyaqat Shah of
Kashmir which resulted in his release, the resolution said.
The editors urged the government to set up a mechanism to
check irresponsible journalism and sensational reporting. The
Conference urged the government to reserve a quota for disburse-
ment of advertisements to Urdu newspapers. As the Urdu newspa-
pers in Kashmir are facing threats from the militants and harass-
ment by the police, the Conference urged the Government to pro-
vide security to journalists and allow newspapers to work in a free
and fair atmosphere.
The Government should encourage universities, major
madarsas, seminaries and other leading institutions to start cours-
es in Urdu journalism, page-making and designing. Several Urdu
editors addressed the conference and highlighted their problems.
The conference observed a two-minute silence in the memory of
those who died in the Uttarakhand natural calamity.
A possible reason for the Bodhgaya blasts?
Bihar moves to amend
Bodhgaya Temple Act
New Delhi: Sixty-four years after it was framed,
Bihar is set to change the controversial
Bodhgaya Temple Act, 1949 that provides for a
Hindu majority in the managing committee of the
Mahabodhi Mahavira, the most sacred Buddhist
place of worship.
In a letter last month to the National
Commission for Minorities, the state govern-
ment informed them it is planning to amend
the Act as it is against the secular fabric of the state.
Buddhists have been demanding full control over the shrine for
years. The managing committee consists of eight members, four
Buddhists and four Hindus. The Hindus are part of the committee
because there is a Shiva temple within the precincts of the first cen-
tury Buddhist structure.
The Gaya district magistrate is the ex officio chairman of the
panel while other members are nominated. What has been deemed
ultra vires of the Constitution by many legal experts is a provision
that empowers the state government to nominate a Hindu as the
chairman of the committee if the DM of Gaya is not a Hindu.
In his letter to the minority panel chief Wajahat Habibullah,
Kamal Narayan Singh, joint secretary, home department, wrote:
Bihar is a secular state. The post of DM doesnt relate to any
caste, religion or community. Therefore the amendment of the
Bodhgaya Temple Act is necessary for the sake of secularism by
deleting the proviso of sub-section (3) of Section 3 of the Act. This
amendment is under consideration before the state and counter
affidavits have been filed by the state of Bihar with respect to both
writ petitions in the Supreme Court.
This is a U-turn from the state governments 2010 stand that
there is no need to amend the Act. After discussions with legal
experts who believed the Government of India cannot intervene in
the case of a state Act even though the provision to nominate a
Hindu chairman if there is a non-Hindu DM is unconstitutional,
Buddhists had moved the SC.
Singhs letter refers to these cases. Buddhist monks have gone
on indefinite hunger strike demanding that the community be hand-
ed over control of the shrine. NCM had passed a unanimous reso-
lution in 2005 that the Act needs to be amended .
However the demand for full control has never cut much ice. At
one point senior advocate K Parasaran had opined that secular
administration can be vested in people belonging to any religion
and it does not have to be from that par ticular religion.
Subsequently Rajiv Dhawan pronounced Sub section 3(3) uncon-
stitutional. (Abantika Ghosh, m.indianexpress.com - 1 Jul 2013)
Digvijay Singh, Manish Tiwari, Kuldeep Nayar, Zafar Ali Naqvi, Raj
Babbar and Hisam Siddiqui at the conference
4 The Milli Gazette, 16-31 July 2013 NATIONAL www.milligazette.com
Malegaon: A Mumbai-based NGO has filed a
Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in Bombay High
Cour t demanding action against former
Maharashtra Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) chief and
now Commissioner of Police (Thane)
KP Raghuvanshi, Additional Commissioner of
Police, Economic offences Wing (Mumbai) and
Superintendent of Police Malegaon in 2006
Rajwardhan, Chairman of Nanded Sikh
Gurudwara Committee and Director General of
Police Maharashtra in 2006 PS Pasricha, and
other high ranking officers, it was disclosed by
Advocate Ejaz Naqvi in a press conference in
Mumbai on 24 June.
The announcement came on the eve of the
7th anniversary of the September 8, 2006 bomb-
ing outside Hamidiya Mosque which killed 32
people and left over 300 injured - a majority
being children. The day had coincided with
Shab-e-Barat - a Muslim festival when thou-
sands throng mosques and graveyards for spe-
cial prayers.
The petition has also demanded compensa-
tion for the Muslim youths who were arrested
and languished in jail for more than five years.
The petition was filed by Sayyed Ameen
Mustafa. It has cited Abrar Ahmeds affidavit filed
before the court as evidence.
Abrar in his affidavit recalled a September
2006 trip with his wife, allegedly under
Rajwardhans instructions, to Nashik, Jhavra,
Indore and some temples in Ujjain, during which
he claims policemen photographed and video-
graphed their meetings with a sadhu, a sadhvi
and others.
Abrar in his affidavit also says Rajwardhan
had given him a mobile phone and told him to get
people he trusted to call him on that number and
read out some written statements, which Abrar
was to record.
The affidavit also describes an October 2006
trip to Dhule, Indore, Nashik and Deolali, again
with his wife. Rajvardhan allegedly met them in
Nashik on October 25 and informed them that
Abrars brother had filed a case accusing the
officer of kidnapping the couple, and asked them
to deny this in court.
Abrar, later taken into custody in Mumbai,
alleges Rajvardhan then promised him money,
bribed his brother-in-law and father-in-law in
2007, and tried in 2009 to get him to sign some
papers.
The petition says that Abrar Ahmed has also
alleged in interviews to the media that when he
was taken from the Anti Terrorist Squad
Kalachowkie unit to its Nagpada headquarters,
he was offered Rs 5 lakh for helping the police.
In his affidavit, Abrar has alleged that
Raghuvanshi met him several times in jail and
threatened him in an attempt to get him to sign
some papers.
Abrar was an approver in the case but later
turned hostile. The petition also says that the
then ATS Chief KP Raghuvanshi has been named
by several of the nine arrested as having been
aware that his junior officers were torturing
them.
Raghuvanshi, given charge of the Maharashtra
Anti Terrorist Squad when it was formed on July 8,
2004, headed the probes into the 2006 Aurangabad
arms haul, serial train blasts and the September 8
Malegaon blasts that same year.
The petition has also named Sanjeev Dayal,
then Additional Director General (Law & Order)
Maharashtra and now Deputy Inspector General
of Police (Maharashtra), Raman Tyagi - then
Deputy Superintendent of Police, Central Bureau
of Investigation Special Task Force and now
retired, Naval Bajaj - then Deputy Commissioner
of Police, Anti Terrorist Squad and now
Additional Commissioner of Police, Special
Branch (Maharashtra) besides other officers.
The petitioner said The above officers role
and investigations were found to be full of pan-
dora box and lies, and filled with communal
flavour against a section of the society.
Terming the officers named in the petition as
anti-minority, the petitioner demanded their
suspension and initiating FIRs against them
under sections 177, 181, 330 of the IPC, for tak-
ing forcible confessional statements of the nine
accused, and giving false statements before the
court. (ummid.com)
Malegaon: petition seeks action against ATS
Assam tops 2012 list of
custodial deaths in India
Guwahati: In a major embarrassment for the
state, the National Crime Records
Bureau(NCRB) figures for last year have listed
Assam as having the highest number of police
custodial deaths. Last year, 11 persons who
were in police remand died in lock-ups in
Assam. Though autopsy, case registration and
magisterial enquiries were conducted in all the
cases, no policemen were chargesheeted or
convicted in these cases in 2012, said the
NCRB report.
Andhra Pradesh came second in the cate-
gory with five such cases, followed by
Maharashtra with four deaths, as recorded by
the national agency. A total of 38 such deaths
were recorded in the country last year.
Surprisingly, the NCRB did not record a
single case of police custodial death in Assam
in 2011. Andhra Pradesh was in first position
in 2011 with 11 cases and Madhya Pradesh
second. Maharastra stood in the third in 2011
as well. Assam Police, who are embarrassed
and under fire because of the report, have
demanded a rechecking of the figure published
in the NCRB report. We are concerned, but we
first need to go through the details of every
case thoroughly, said Assam Police chief
J N Choudhury.
Concerned about the matter, former police
chief Hare Krishna Deka said that Assam
Police should take the matter seriously and act
promptly. There should be a thorough study of
the cases by the CID, which should prepare a
detailed report citing reasons behind the inci-
dents and measures to prevent it. Besides, the
top brass of the state police should also make
surprise visits to police stations to check any
wrong action by police officers on lock-up
inmates, Deka said.
The former DGP added, Moreover, we need
to find out whether or not the magisterial inquiries
were completed. These probes and their follow-
up actions should be very prompt.
Earlier this month, the Assam Human
Rights Commission (AHRC) ordered a magis-
terial enquiry into the custodial death of one
Palash Baruah at Jorhat Medical College
Hospital while he was in judicial custody.
Palash was lodged in the Jorhat District Jail.
As per an Asian Centre for Human Rights
report, Torture in India 2011, stated that a
total of 14,231 persons, or an average of more
than four persons per day, died in police and
judicial custody in India between 2001 and
2010 (Pranjal Baruah, TNN, Jun 15, 2013)
Religious men held with
Rs 1 cr in stolen money
Kedarnath: Rescuers working to evacuate
stranded pilgrims claim to have recovered over
Rs 1 crore over the past two days from the last
few batches to be airlifted, money that had
apparently been looted from this devastated
town. The stolen jewellery and money, some of
it in muddied and wet bundles of cash, amounts
to Rs 1.25 crore and will be dispatched soon to
the district magistrate by the NDRF and ITBP.
Officials said many of those trying to make
away with the loot were religious men or
babas, and were only caught because of
some alert troopers. Given the offerings made at
temples in the holy town, cash to the tune of
crores changes hands on a regular basis.
The single bank that serviced the town has
been washed away, as is the case with the cash
registers and strong boxes in most shops and
establishments. While the presence of person-
nel at the main temple has kept it relatively safer,
donation boxes and treasure chests at other
temples have been forced open.
What got us suspicious was that some babas
lined up for evacuation had with them stacks of
fresh, unused notes. A quick search revealed that
the notes were all numbered and probably belonged
to a bank, a rescue personnel said.
One of the babas had Rs 62,000 in cash
hidden in a dholak (drum). Another had a pack-
et of prasad that revealed Rs 10,000 in
sequenced notes. One had sewn Rs 1.2 lakh
into his clothes, another rescuer said. People
are let off if the money appears to be their own
-Being of different denominations, and appear-
ing well used.
A veteran official almost broke down while
talking about one religious man who had an
unusually large number of rings and bangles on
his hands. A search revealed more such orna-
ments on his person. He confessed that he had
robbed pilgrims, even cutting off the fingers of a
few. (Manu Pubby, indianexpress.com, Jun 24
2013)
Ishrat case: which
truth is false?
A. G. Khan
Salim and Javed used to write stories for Bollywood. Now Salim has retired
while Javed Akhtar has turned full time poet. However, IB and CBI too are
equally proficient in writing crime stories in which there is always a lot of
suspense, thrill, twists and turns. All would have gone well had there been
no dispute between the duo. IB officer Rajendra Kumars alleged role in the
Ishrat encounter has brought to surface the obvious that either one or both
are lying.
In order to shield its officer, Rajendra Kumar, the Union home ministry
has come up with a new truth. The ministry admits that in order to impli-
cate Modi, a changed affidavit was filed in the court. Since the falsehood
boomeranged on the IB officer, it has now made a clean breast of the case.
Not merely to shield its officer but also to rescue Modi who is now in the
race for the premiers post. The ministry does not want to play foul with the
PM-in-waiting.
According to a confession from the ministry, Ishrat was a terrorist and
was in touch with Pakistans terror outfit Laskhar-e-Toiba. This explains why
she was shot along with two Pakistanis (for the so-called Pakistani identi-
ty of the two, read the article by Mustafa Khan in MG issue 322, page 8).
Javed Shaikh alias Pranesh Pillai was a double agent allegedly working
not only for the Pakistani outfit but also for the IB to whom he had been
passing information regularly. That is why IB passed Praneshs inputs to
Gujarat police.
CBI alleges that IBs special director in Gujarat, Rajendra Kumar, did not
stop at merely feeding the inputs to the state government but was also
involved in planning the strategy of the encounter. It is for this precise role
of connivance with the state police in the fake encounter that the CBI wants
to grill him.
Even if we accept the home ministrys version that Pranesh not only
lured Ishrat to expose her as a terrorist but also helped the IB by exposing
her plan. The question that remains unanswered is: why did the police not
arrest her alive and bust the gang. Her testimony would have helped the
security agencies immensely (as it did in Kasabs case). Another question,
a bit surprising one: why did Pranesh play the fool and endanger his own
life? Why did the encounter team not spare him? We should not be surprised
if we are told that he did not die in the encounter but in cross-firing or by a
Pakistani bullet. He might be even nominated for bravery award (posthu-
mously) for his inputs to IB.
However, there are versions that tell that Ishrat was arrested much ear-
lier at Mumbai and kept at a secret place. In that situation, there was no
necessity for Pranesh to travel in the same car with the three conspirators.
Why did Pillai risk his life? Probably he did not want Ishrat to suspect he had
betrayed her.
It appears inconsistent that while the ministry is doing every thing to
shield its officer Rajendra Kumar, it allowed the state police to kill its double
agent as a sacrificial goat.
The CBI, however, is likely to include Modi and Amit Shahs names in
the supplementary chargesheet it is going to file in the High Court.
According to CBI, some policemen have recorded their statements under
section 164 in which they have said that they overheard the conversation
between Vanzara and Rajendra Kumar who were discussing the would-be
encounter. Persons with black beard and white beard were mentioned
whose sanction had been obtained. Who should the layman believe? Salim
or Javed? Will there ever be a Satyamev Jayate?
Muslim orgs condemn the cowardly
attack on the Mahabodhi temple
N
ew Delhi: The All India Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat, the umbrella
body of Indian Muslim organisations, on 7 July condemned the ter-
ror attack on the Mahabodhi temple in Gaya in the morning of that
day. AIMMM President Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan described the attack
as cowardly and utterly inhuman. He sent his condolences to the
Mahabodhi temple priests and to the Buddhist community at home and
abroad and wished a quick recovery to the innocents injured in the terrorist
attack. He said we have all the goodwill for our Buddhist brothers and sis-
ters and want the best of relations with them all over the world.
Dr Khan condemned the Mayanmar angle which has been quickly
propped up by some politicians and mediamen, saying there is no indica-
tion that there is any call or urge that innocents in our country should be
attacked for the crime of a few misguided persons in another country.
Dr Khan asked the national media to desist from irresponsible, wild and
hasty speculation that the so-called Indian Mujahidin is behind the attack.
Media should behave in a responsible manner and allow the security and
intelligence experts do their work without pressure to come up with quick
results without proper investigations.
Dr Khan said the investigating agencies should probe with an open mind
as we have seen umpteen innocent Muslim youths framed up in previous
incidents which were later proved to be the doing of misguided Hindutva
ultras. He said investigating agencies should probe the beneficiaries from
such terror attack in the present political scenario in the country, especially
in the state of Bihar.
Maulana Qari Mohmammad Usman Mansoorpuri, national president
of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind (Mahmood Madani group) strongly condemned
the terror strike on the Mahabodhi Temple terming such attacks as
nefarious attempts to fan hatred among various communities in the
country. He fur ther said that terrorists and anti-social elements carry out
terror activities as they consider the peaceful atmosphere detrimental to
their very existence.
Jamiat president expressed apprehension over medias quick linking of
the blasts with ethnic violence in Myanmar and asked the national media to
avoid adding salt to the wounds of lakhs of persecuted Rohingya Muslims.
It is irresponsible behaviour to name any group without authentic sources,
he said. He added that the political dimension in this terror act can not be
overlooked. A terror attack on religious places for attaining political and
economic ends is a heinous crime that cannot be tolerated in a multi-cultur-
al country like India, he said.
While strongly condemning the serial bomb blasts at Bodh Gaya in
Bihar today, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind termed it as the failure of the administra-
tion particularly intelligence agencies. Nusrat Ali, General Secretary of
Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, expressed deep sorrow and surprise at the incident
of Bodh Gaya and said that both central and state governments are spend-
ing huge amount of money on intelligence agencies but they are not getting
success in checking terror blasts and protecting the loss of human life in
those attacks. JIH leader demanded the government to order a high-level
probe into these condemnable bomb blasts and bring the real culprits to
book. He also urged the government to keep in view the terror, political and
other aspects while probing the incident so that the plans of the forces who
are targeting religious places from Malegaon to Bodh Gaya can be crushed.
Mr. Mohammad Salim Engineer, National Secretary of Jamaat-e-Islami,
condemned political statements and media reports being made public with-
out any evidence and said that such reports can affect the fair probe of the
blasts and thus will save the real culprits. He said that blaming a communi-
ty for every terror blast even before probe will be dangerous for the coun-
try.
Dr. Mohammad Manzoor Alam, General Secretary, All India Milli Council
while condemning the serial blasts at Mahabodhi temple in Gaya demanded
a high-level probe to bring the culprits to book. He demanded the govern-
ment to minutely probe the role of antinational forces behind this blast. He
said antisocial and fascist forces could be behind such blasts which should
be probed as early as possible so that people with terror ambitions should
be given exemplary punishment.
NATIONAL The Milli Gazette, 16-31 July 2013 5 www.milligazette.com
N. A. ANSARI
New Delhi: Ahmedabad-based businessman
Zafar Sareshwala, who is close to Gujarats chief
minister Narendra Modi and is trying, though
unsuccessfully, to popularise Modi among
Muslims, arranged a seminar in Gandhinagar on
29 June on How to amend the Constitution to
provide opportunities for Indian youth in govern-
ment, commerce and industry. In this seminar
as many as 50 Muslim intellectuals, ulama and
leaders including former President APJ Abdul
Kalam were invited.
Chairman of Zakat Foundation of India (ZFI)
Dr Syed Zafar Mahmood was also among the
invitees. His decision to participate in this semi-
nar and meet Narendra Modi created uneasiness
among Muslims and gave rise to some misgiv-
ings about his decision. He, however, justified
his attendance in the seminar, reasoning that
when Prophet Moses had gone to the Pharoahs
court to convey to him Gods message (of sub-
mission to Gods will and His omnipotence etc),
why couldnt Zafar Mahmod meet todays tyrant
(Modi)? He said telling the truth in the face of a
tyrant is a great Jihad. He narrated his
encounter with Modi in a meeting held at New
Delhis India International Centre the next day
(30 June) on the campaign for granting of legal
and constitutional rights to Dalit Muslims and
Christians denied to them under the Presidential
Order of 1950 while these rights are granted to
Dalits and other deprived classes of Hindus,
Sikhs, Buddhists etc.
In this meeting at IIC, he said that in the
seminar held in Gandhinagar the previous day
when he shared the platform with Modi he had
plainly told him that he needs introspection and
soul searching with regard to his attitude
towards Muslims and their problems and diffi-
culties in Gujarat in particular and in the country
in general. He said that in the seminar at
Gandhinagar he had asked Modi: did he ever
raise his voice against the Presidential Order of
1950 incorporated in Art 341 of the Constitution
in consequence of which Dalit Muslims and Dalit
Christians were deprived of all facilities, privi-
leges, reservation and concessions while the
same were granted to Dalit Hindus and subse-
quently to Dalit Sikhs and Buddhists purely on
religious grounds in gross violation of the
Constitution; did he ever open his mouth in sup-
port of reservation being given to Muslims (and
Christians) as recommended by Sachar
Committee and Ranganath Commission which
the government has been denying to them? He
said that he also asked Modi if he had visited the
areas in Gujarat after the 2002 anti-Muslim riots
where poor, oppressed and homeless Muslims
are perforce living in dirty and foul smelling envi-
ronment which are inhabitable? Zafar Mahmood
then told Modi, You didnt do any of these.
Rather, your party demanded Muslims on its
website to adopt Hindu names and asked
Muslim women to apply sindoor.
About his meeting with Modi, Zafar
Mahmood said that he had gone to Gandhinagar
to participate in a programme on the rights of
Dalit Muslims and Christians in which the partic-
ipants, in addition to Zakat Foundation of India,
were All India Confederation of SC/ST
Association, National Council of Churches of
India, Catholic Bishop Conference of India, CBC
Tribal Affairs Office, Inter-Faith Coalition for
Peace, National Council of Dalit Christians etc.
Representatives of these bodies were Udit Raj,
Father Samuel, Mary John, Father Yushku etc.
In this programme Dr Zafar Mahmood had
spoken on One India (Ek Bharat). While asking
Modi to introspect and do some soul searching
vis--vis Muslims, Mahmood said that there is
great contradiction between BJP leaders say-
ings and doings. He said that on BJPs website
there are many articles in which Muslims
beliefs, culture and civilization, their way of life
etc have been attacked and ridiculed. He said
that in spite of the fact that Muslims are the
largest minority in India, that there are 58 Muslim
countries in the world and there are 130 coun-
tries in the world where Muslims are an effective
minority but in one of the articles on BJPs web-
site titled Hindutva: a great nationalist ideology,
hateful and provocative matters have been post-
ed. Also, articles frequently appear on this web-
site in which, in addition to asking Muslims to
adopt Hindu names, women are asked to wear
mangal sootra, apply sindoor etc. Referring to a
third article appearing on BJPs website, he said
that this article says that we should know that
we are face to face against a static, outmoded,
outdated and conservative Islamic society and
we need to finish this separatist Islamic identity
and safeguard Hindutva at the national level. He
said that no man in his normal senses can
approve of such an anti-Muslim approach. He
said that on one hand, BJP talks of bringing
Muslims into its fold but on the other hand it
talks of introducing uniform civil code.
Dr Zafar Mahmood said that he also asked
Modi to start implementing the central govern-
ments scheme of giving scholarships to stu-
dents belonging to minority, particularly Muslim,
communities, reminding him that this scheme
was being implemented in Chhattihsgarh and
Jharkhand where BJP governments are in power
but in spite of this, in Gujarat, minority, particu-
larly Muslim, students are being deprived of this
scholarship scheme. He told Modi that it has
been stated in a recent report that in regions in
the vicinity of Ahmedbad, Muslims have been
completely neglected. He asked Modi to do jus-
tice to all his people without any discrimination.
He also asked him to visit Ahmedabads Dhoroji
and Citizen Nagar areas where Muslims uproot-
ed and driven away in the 2002 riots are living
and see for himself what development work has
been done there, for which he takes pride in his
speeches. He said that these are not habitations
in the true sense but heaps of dirt and refuse
where the average monthly income of people
(Muslims) is Rs 3000.
Mahmood did not say what was Modis
response to his plain speaking and unpalatable
views. Media too did not report it.
ZFI chairmans plain speaking to
Narendra Modi
While asking Modi to introspect and do some soul searching vis--vis
Muslims, Mahmood said that there is great contradiction between BJP
leaders sayings and doings. He said that on BJPs website there are
many articles in which Muslims beliefs, culture and civilization, their
way of life etc have been attacked and ridiculed. He said that in spite
of the fact that Muslims are the largest minority in India, that there are
58 Muslim countries in the world and there are 130 countries in the
world where Muslims are an effective minority but in one of the
articles on BJPs website titled Hindutva: a great nationalist
ideology, hateful and provocative matters have been posted...
KALEEM KAWAJA
As the 2014 parliamentary elections approach,
I notice that a few Muslim activists are starting
to ask BJP to spell out what its programme for
the Muslims. They are saying that if BJP makes
corrections for the demolition of the Babri
mosque and the 2002 Gujarat genocide and
agrees to give space to Muslims in its reign,
Muslims may negotiate an arrangement with it.
This is a potentially very harmful and disturbing
strategy.
Muslim community activists should not
make the mistake of negotiating deals with BJP
people. Muslims must understand that from the
beginning and until now, BJP is continuing to be
controlled by RSS which is an 80 year old right
wing extremist Hindu supremacist organization.
The games that Vajpayee played with Muslims
and that Advani is playing with them now are
tactical deceptive traps. The core objective of
RSS and BJP is to discard the nations secular
fabric, polity and government and replace it with
a theocratic, Hindu-dominant one and make
India a Hindu theocratic nation. In that non-sec-
ular Hindu nation, they may give a limited place
on their terms to some Muslims; but the nation
and all of its institutions will be Hindu, not secu-
lar.
Then India may become a mirror image of
non-secular and theocratic polities. The Indian
nation and society may then become like Israel
or Afghanistan and may become ghettoized. In
that India a few namesake Muslims like BJPs
Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Shahnawaz Hussain, late
Sikandar Bakht or the other lesser known oppor-
tunist Muslims from BJPs Minority Morcha may
be given some places of honour on the condition
of them accepting the basic BJP/RSS philoso-
phy of India being a Hindu Rastra - the century-
old dream of RSS stalwarts like Guru Golwalkar.
BJP has never accepted that India is a compos-
ite nation.
BJPs concept of religious and ethnic
minorities in the nation is like the Nazi concept of
minorities in the Germany of 1930s-1940s,
where they did have a limited space for some
from the minority communities like Jews,
Slovaks, Gypsies at the cost of equal citizenship
for all belonging to the minority communities. As
we saw during the six-year BJP rule (1998-
2004) in New Delhi, once they are in power it is
not difficult for them to find Muslim collaborators
who are willing to accept and applaud that being
a Hindu Rashtra and claim that discarding secu-
larism is good both for India and Indian Muslims.
In those years of BJP rule in New Delhi, the
then Human Resources minister Murli Manohar
Joshi launched a massive nationwide campaign
to change the very nature of universities, col-
leges, schools, national television, radio and a
whole lot of cultural and educational organisa-
tions into theocratic Hindu-centric bodies. The
culture and traditions of Muslims and Christians
were systematically replaced with Hindu reli-
gious elements. In fact, BJP degraded the secu-
lar practices in the country by labelling them
pseudo-secular.
In its six-year rule, BJP did not succeed in
removing the secular structure of the nation
because of the resistance that they faced from
about two-thirds of the Hindus. These secular
(not irreligious) Hindus do not want India to
become a theocratic nation like Israel or
Afghanistan under Taliban, and believe in giving
minorities equal space in the nation. They
believe in a composite India and not a one-track
India.
In India, Muslims with 14% of the population
and Christians with 3%, total no more than 180
million Indians. This combined figure has very
limited weight in the Indian polity. It is only when
they are supported by two-thirds of the Hindus -
about 500 million Indians, that their collective
number approaches about 700 million. And that
is too big an opposition for BJP to surmount.
But if Muslims start negotiating a separate
deal for themselves with BJP, not only the total
strength of the non-theocratic, secular forces in
the country will diminish significantly but it may
cause many of the secular Hindus to get swayed
to support the Hindu Rashtra lobby. And that
may actually result in India becoming a theocrat-
ic Hindu Rashtra.
Once BJP is successful in making India a
Hindu Rashtra, they can easily discard all those
guarantees of protected rights that the
Constitution bestowed upon them. And then
Muslims in India will become like Arabs in Israel
- a helpless community with no way to resolve
their isolation and helplessness, despite
announcements of equal citizenship.
Indian Muslims should never negotiate like
the pre-independence Muslim League, who
were duped by the British into accepting a
non-viable and truncated Pakistan comprising
of two halves located 1,000 miles apar t.
Jinnah himself said that he had received a
moth-eaten Pakistan. That kind of country
with all the guarantees of sovereignty from
India had basic fatal flaws and was bound to
fail as it did in just 24 years.
Muslims should understand that half a
dozen major regional secular political parties rul-
ing half a dozen major states (Samajwadi Party
or Bahujan Samaj Party in UP; Nitish Kumars
JD-United and Lalu Prasads RJD in Bihar;
Mamta Bannerjis Trinamool Congress in Bengal;
Navin Patnaiks Janata Dal in Orrisa;
Jayalalithas AIADMK and Kurunanidhis DMK in
Tamil Nadu and the Forward Block coalition in
Kerala) who have no love lost for BJP are a very
formidable bulwark against the emergence of a
BJP-led government in New Delhi. These parties
have come to power with substantial Muslim
votes and thus they simply cannot act against
the best interests of Muslims.
Muslims should monitor and manage these
parties with tactical voting to ensure that com-
munal forces do not gain power either in the
states or at the Centre. Muslim Communitys
welfare lies in forming partnerships with these
secular (not irreligious) forces and working with
them, not negotiating deals with either sectarian
Hindus or sectarian Muslims.
Mumbai: Christian families have been chased
out of their villages; plans for church construc-
tion have been blocked; places of worship and
prayer assemblies have been attacked in some
parts of Maharashtra, one of Indias richest and
most advanced states, home to cosmopolitan
Mumbai, the countrys financial capital.
This is a growing and worrying trend, the
Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC) told
AsiaNews, especially in the past two months.
Over this period, more and more Christian
groups have called for help, especially in
Yavatmal district, which has become a target for
local Hindus. This is surprising because anti-
Christian and anti-Catholic attacks in the state
have been rare.
One of the most affected places is the vil-
lage of Pandahrewani. About two months ago,
Hindu residents forbade local Christians from
practicing their religion, stopped them from
building a small church, and told them to leave
the village. Witnesses told the GCIC that local
Hindu fundamentalists are stirring the flames of
religious hatred.
In one case, Hindu militants filed a com-
plaint with the local police against a Christian
man, Suresh Athram, who had tried several
times to build a home. They also assaulted his
wife.
Although police tried to settle the dispute by
bringing the parties together to find a compro-
mise, they failed.
On 25 April, during the Hindu festival of
Hanuman Jayanthi, a mob of hundreds of Hindus
stormed a local church. After devastating the
building, they filled it with Hindu idols and con-
ducted a ceremony out of contempt for the place.
On 6 June, a Hindu man, Bapurai
Dhadange, led a group of 20 people in order to
seize Christian-owned land. Christians reacted
by filing a complaint with police, which turned
them away.
However, when the attackers filed a count-
er-claim against the Christians, accusing them
of forced conversions, police told the Christians
to pay up to avoid arrest. (asianews)
Muslims Should Not Negotiate Deals With B.J.P.
Maharashtra: Rise in anti-Christian
fundamentalism
RAM PUNIYANI
ram.puniyani@gmail.com
The appointment of
Narendra Modi as the chief
of campaign committee of
BJP for 2014 elections last
month has created more
than a storm in the tea cup.
Incidentally, it is the first time
ever that such an appoint-
ment created 24x7 news and controversy. It has
a lot to do with the propaganda machinery which
Modi has created around him. The atmosphere
being created is that this appointment is like
being nominated as the Prime Ministerial candi-
date or a prelude to it, which may be true. Major
opposition to this move came from Modis own
mentor Lal Krishna Advani, who for quite some
time had been the one to promote and protect
Modi. It is due to Advanis politics that Modi
enjoys his present stature and power within BJP
and in Gujarat. Advani was the one to suggest
his name as the Chief Minister of Gujarat, when
Gujarats political fortunes were declining. Modi
revived those electoral fortunes, the linkage
between carnage 2002 and Modis rise to power
is a matter of conjecture.
With the discernible role of Modi in Gujarat
violence, the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari
Vajpayee had wanted Modi to be sacked but it
was Advani who saved Modis skin. Even earlier,
it was Advani who promoted Modi to the fore-
front. The reason was nothing personal. It was
the matching political agenda of both these
swayamsevaks, Modi and Advani, who were
working in tandem to enhance the creeping
communalism in the polity of the nation. They
are swayamsevaks of RSS and have been major
players in the RSS agenda of Hindu Rashtra.
Advani, having brought BJP to the forefront from
two seats in 1984 Lok Sabha elections to the
later 161 in the post Babri demolition elections
and to further peak of 182 in 1999, with further
polarization. Advanis communal actions cata-
pulted BJP and it became the major opposition
party and then came to the seat of power in the
Centre for close to six years. Advani, being a
shrewd politician, knew that though he is the one
responsible for the BJPs enhanced fortunes, he
also realized that his divisive actions will prevent
other political parties to enter into an alliance
with BJP. It is because of this that he pushed for-
ward the name of a fellow swayamsevak, Atal
Bihari Vajpayee, who managed to keep a moder-
ate image despite having the same agenda of
Hindu rashtra.
After Vajpayees innings as PM, Advanis
prime ministerial ambitions forced him to adopt
a moderate image. The demolisher-in-chief of
Babri mosque started making moderate noises
to the extent that he picked up Jinnahs speech
in Pakistan Constituent Assembly on 11 August,
1947, to call him a secular leader. This speech
alone cannot be the base of evaluating Jinnah as
it is the same Jinnah who was the Chief of
Muslim League and he was the one who gave
the muscles and teeth to the communal ideolo-
gy of Two Nation Theory, the ideology which
was shared by both Hindu and Muslim commu-
nalists. Calling Jinnah secular was probably
an overkill as by that time the RSS combine had
already consolidated the Hindus around hate
Muslims which obviously included hate
Jinnah. To swallow this statement from Advani
was a bit too much for the patriarch, RSS, and
so Advani was dumped. RSS also wanted a
change of guard keeping Advanis age factor in
mind. For the lack of any credible face, Advani
had to be resurrected again for 2009 general
elections.
RSS had also some reservations about giv-
ing the command to Modi as RSS wants the pri-
macy of organization over individuals. Modi
overshadows the organization to which he
belongs. But in case of Modi, RSS seems to
have made an exception as Modi has cultivated
his appeal through carefully constructed propa-
ganda and through the communal polarization
brought in by his role in the Gujarat carnage.
RSS politics is an Indian version of supra author-
itarian politics. Couched in the identity of reli-
gion, its a sort of fascist politics which requires
a charismatic mass leader, so in deference to the
political contingency, RSS has softened its
reservations about Modi and has succumbed to
his uncontrollable rise.
In the whole drama, still unfolding, the divi-
sive image of Modi is making NDA allies to shift
away from BJP. These allies have to nurture their
own constituencies amongst minorities, so they
cannot easily accept the leadership of Modi. So
the already deflated NDA will be further deflated
and barring the diehard Hindutva Shiv Sena and
communal Akali Dal all others may desert the
ship which is likely to be captained by Modi. In
this case what is noteworthy is the role of RSS.
While Advani raised the banner of revolt, it was
only a phone call from RSS supremo that Advani
did a climb down. For swayamsevaks trained by
RSS, there is no question of defying the dictates
from Nagpur. This is for a number of reasons.
One, these swaymasevaks are taught that their
primary loyalty is to RSS and the Hindu Rashtra.
One recalls that when the previous avatar of BJP,
Bhartiya Jansangh merged into Janata Party
after the lifting of Emergency in 1977, the other
constituents of Janata Party asked the Jansangh
members to sever their links with RSS. The
Jansangh component broke away from Janata
Party leading to a split while Jansangh members
retained their umbilical cord and their ideology
with the RSS. Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the suppos-
edly moderate face of BJP, in Staten Island, in
US, while talking to the NRIs reaffirmed that he
is primarily a swayamsevak and later a Prime
Minister.
Apart from ideological factors, there are
electoral factors too which are operative as well.
The main strength of BJP at the electoral level
comes from the RSS cadres who sweat it out to
make their nominees win. The organization of
BJP is tightly controlled by RSS through the
organizing secretaries of BJP, who are nominees
from RSS. RSS felt rewarded as Ram Temple
issue picked up, Advanis divisive Rath Yatra led
to a series of acts of violence and communal
polarization went to higher levels, which were
electorally profitable to the Hindutva politics.
Today the stage has come where on one hand
the BJP has been declining in the electoral arena
and on the other the regional parties are coming
up with big strength. These regional parties are
more focused on their local issues, so one does
not know which way they will turn after the elec-
tion results.
The whole episode has demonstrated two
major things. It has shown the polarizing impact
of Narendra Modi. People also perceive that he is
dictatorial in his attitude and when in power he is
capable of usurping all the power to himself.
This authoritarian character is being projected as
his being powerful. Other leaders in Gujarat
have perceived it and former BJP leaders have
been marginalized to the full. One cannot be very
hopeful about the attitude of the regional and
other parties out for grabbing power irrespective
of values. One recalls that when BJP emerged as
the largest single party in 1996, no other party
was willing to ally with it. But just a couple of
years later so many of these parties hovered
around BJP to share some power as part of
NDA. RSS-BJP-Modi may be banking on that
historical experience to woo other parties, still it
seems a difficult task as at that time the sober-
ing presence of Vajpayee was instrumental in
making the other parties fall into delusion and
have a little bit of the cake of power.
Today the challenge for secular movement
remains quite mammoth. The social common
sense is heavily biased against religious minori-
ties, their plight is becoming close to second
class citizens. The threat of Modi coming to
power does not seem imminent but one cannot
say what role BJP-RSS combine will play to
come to power at any cost. Earlier also one has
seen that after every communal violence, the
communal formations become stronger.
Communalists know it too well. It is a dangerous
portent for the country. The simmering acts of
religious violence are strengthening the commu-
nal forces at grassroots level. What about the
proposed Federal Front of regional parties? It will
be like a sack of potatoes, with so many prime
ministerial aspirants and diverse political agen-
das. What about third front? Can it come up as
a coalition of all and sundry? The third front can
be viable only on the ground of democratic, sec-
ular and pro-poor programmes. Who can take
the lead for that is the million rupee question.
While dumping Advani and selecting Modi, RSS
has given a clear signal that it is going to orches-
trate the aggressive Hinduta, authoritarian leader
with fascist agenda and to try to impose Hindu
rashtra on the secular democratic India. The
creeping fascism hidden behind the persona of
Modi and the organization called RSS needs to
be engaged with in right earnest on democratic
grounds. (pluralindia.com)
Modi, Advani and Sanghs Agenda
6 The Milli Gazette, 16-31 July 2013 NATIONAL www.milligazette.com
After Vajpayees innings as PM, Advanis prime ministerial
ambitions forced him to adopt a moderate image. The
demolisher-in-chief of Babri mosque started making moderate
noises to the extent that he picked up Jinnahs speech in Pakistan
Constituent Assembly on 11 August, 1947, to call him a secular
leader. This speech alone cannot be the base of evaluating Jinnah
as it is the same Jinnah who was the Chief of Muslim League and
he was the one who gave the muscles and teeth to the communal
ideology of Two Nation Theory, the ideology which was shared
by both Hindu and Muslim communalists. Calling Jinnah
secular was probably an overkill as by that time the RSS
combine had already consolidated the Hindus around hate
Muslims which obviously included hate Jinnah.
JAVED JAMIL
T
housands were waiting outside Supreme Court in antici-
pation of a historical decision. The decision came and
the crowd burst in jubilations. Men were kissing men and
women were lip-locked with women.
America is fast on the way to become Sodom of the End
Times. The mysterious Illuminati which is speculated as the hid-
den dark force behind all that is happening on the earth has start-
ed looking real. The New World Order is on way to becoming a
historical truth.
The Hadith literature is full of the prophesies about the End
Times:
The Holy Prophet (pbuh) said, Prayers will be neglected,
carnal desires will be pursued, transgressors will become lead-
ers, it will not be possible to distinguish the faithful from the false,
telling lies will become desirable, payment of Zakah will be taken
as a burden, the believer will be deemed the most disgraceful and
he will be pained at seeing evils all around and his heart will melt
as salt in water but he will not be able to say anything. Rain will
do no good; it will fall out of season. Males will commit adultery
with males, and females with females. Women will dominate. The
offspring will disobey their parents, friend will treat his friend
badly, sins will be taken lightly. Mosques will have external deco-
rations and beauty and there will be worshippers too but there will
be hypocrisy and mutual enmity in their hearts. Then will appear
a people from the West who will dominate the weak among my
people. People will produce copies of the Holy Quran in letters of
gold but will not act upon it. The Quran will be recited in a melo-
dious way. Usury will become rampant. Human blood will have
no value, religion will have no helpers. Singing women will be on
the increase. The rich will perform the Hajj as a pastime, the peo-
ple of the middle class will do so to conduct business and the
poor to beg for charity.
What can be a better description of the New World Order
than portrayed in the above hadith fifteen centuries ago? The pic-
ture is almost complete. With Syria in turmoil and on the verge of
war, the Believers of Armageddon and Mahdi are watching the
events unfold with anxiety.
Once the US has got all the major constitutional hurdles
removed in the institutionalization of homosexuality, its globaliza-
tion will begin with new vigour. When the Superpower of the world
feels something right, the whole world has to follow. United
Nations and Human Rights organizations will turn it into a major
global issue. They will increasingly use it as a stick to beat the
countries that do not toe their line. The merchants are already
reaping harvest. The new businesses - gay clubs, gay resorts,
gay travelling agencies, gay escorts, gay counsellors, gay mar-
riage and divorce bureaus, gay family centres -- will soon start
attracting an increasing number of customers. Gay pornography
is already there but will have new impetus.
It is not that the population of gays in America is large. It is
not more than three percent at the moment including the bisexu-
als. But what is alarming is the overwhelming support of
Americans for gay rights. With all the constitutional hurdles
removed, many will feel inclined to have at least the taste of the
new sin. Once exposed to the first puff, many would become
addicts soon. With children living in the company of gay par-
ents, they will of course ensure that the numbers continue to
grow.
The world that does not recognize these relationships is get-
ting smaller. And it is sleeping. It does not feel there is a need to
step up the campaign against the most unhygienic and most
lethal form of sexual relationship that endangers the very survival
of humankind. There is no one to tell the world that the life
expectancy of homosexuals is 20-30 years lower than others,
and that this has been one of the major factors in the genesis of
AIDS that has already consumed more than 40 million lives. They
are busy fighting one another. The Illuminati is in full swing. The
Devil of Economic Fundamentalism is having a great day. The
Heavens too are watching. The Heavens are the only hope. But
they may not even have to rain stones from above. If the institu-
tionalization and commercialization gets the expected accelera-
tion, the reproduction will automatically come to standstill. The
world may die much before the Trumpet is sounded.
Dr Javed Jamil is a Delhi-based thinker and writer with over a
dozen books including his latest, Muslims Most Civilised, Yet Not
Enough and Muslim Vision of Secular India: Destination & Road-map.
He may be contacted at doctorforu123@yahoo.com
The Holy Prophet (pbuh) said, Prayers will be neglected, carnal desires will be pursued, transgressors will
become leaders, it will not be possible to distinguish the faithful from the false, telling lies will become desirable,
payment of Zakah will be taken as a burden, the believer will be deemed the most disgraceful and he will be
pained at seeing evils all around and his heart will melt as salt in water but he will not be able to say anything.
Rain will do no good; it will fall out of season. Males will commit adultery with males, and females with females.
Women will dominate. The offspring will disobey their parents, friend will treat his friend badly, sins will be taken
lightly. Mosques will have external decorations and beauty and there will be worshippers too but there will be
hypocrisy and mutual enmity in their hearts. Then will appear a people from the West who will dominate the weak
among my people. People will produce copies of the Holy Quran in letters of gold but will not act upon it. The
Quran will be recited in a melodious way. Usury will become rampant. Human blood will have no value, religion
will have no helpers. Singing women will be on the increase. The rich will perform the Hajj as a pastime, the
people of the middle class will do so to conduct business and the poor to beg for charity.
America: the Emerging Sodom of the End Times
NATIONAL The Milli Gazette, 16-31 July 2013 7 www.milligazette.com
SYED ZAFAR MAHMOOD
Saffron approach: By the ninth decade of
the twentieth century the Hindu rightist polit-
ical grouping of India had decided that for
the purpose of quickly catapulting them-
selves to noticeable visibility in the
Parliament and assemblies it would use
some carefully selected patently anti-Muslim
planks and would converge the politically
un-informed Hindu masses on to the streets. For this purpose, to
the low-hanging fruit of the emotive Ayodhya issue, they added
the sauce of opposing Article 370 and demanding a uniform civil
code. The spectre of Bangladeshi intrusion was trumpeted,
LK Advani rode the Rath across states and Babri Masjid was
demolished. There was an air of celebration on 6 December 1992
in the Civil Services Academy at Mussoorie where hundreds of the
nations future administrators were being trained. On its website,
the BJP cherishes such phenomenon and calls it Cultural
Nationalism.
The party thus headed toward the success of its mission. Within
a decade thereafter Gujarat pogrom was staged and the process of
showing down the Muslims thickened. In early 21st century, another
anti-Muslim weapon came in handy in the form of terrorism. The
overall scheme paid off and the rightist group is now ensconced at the
national stage as an experienced claimant of political power.
Muslim inaction: But, during the last 2-3 decades, strong and
pinpointed Muslim challenge to such divisive saffron approach
has not been reported in the national media. Muslims have been
content with some political parties issuing some anti-Saffron
statements, Narendra Modis US and UK visa being scuttled and
carrying on intra-community drawing-room discussions or
Internet chats. This lack of action encouraged the saffronites who
happily thought that Muslims lack grit and they can continue to
rub them on the wrong side.
On the other hand, Muslims affected by Gujarat pogrom are
still hardly able to sustain themselves deep down the social abyss.
Mostly they pass life worse than animals while Muslims in rest of
India remain busy in their vocations oblivious of these hapless
Gujaratis. Those of us who do care and act are very few and far
between. I and my colleagues have been visiting Gujarat intermit-
tently, finding the state of affairs pathetic. Our reports have been
published all over the Urdu media as well as the periodicals pub-
lished and Internet news sites run by Muslims. We continued with
our Gujarat visits, selected academically brilliant Muslim gradu-
ates, brought them to Delhi, provided them Indias best coaching
for civil services. The products of such effort have begun working
in the state in executive and magisterial positions. For the riot-
affected children, we established in Delhi separate orphanages for
boys and girls where they are still being nicely brought up and edu-
cated. Other individual and institutional help is also in progress.
But, lo and behold, the political ice in the state has yet to melt.
UPAs non-performance: Alas, Muslim condition elsewhere in the
country is no better. For the last nine years we are under the intox-
ication of reports. But these reports have not been acted upon, as
aptly observed by Harsh Mander, because, in the process, the
UPA fears of losing out some of its Hindu votes. All said and done,
it is common knowledge that institutional measures for restoration
of justice to Muslims can be taken only by the Government, the
community can at most chip in here and there. Obviously, this
applies to Gujarat too. But during the last three elections in the
state, Muslims have remained on the periphery like in some other
states and in the Centre (1999-2004).
Yet, now some silver lining is visible. The hitherto politically
un-informed Hindu voters have begun realising that they have
been used not for a good human cause. Such thought process
needs to be properly channelized. On the other front, during the
first five years of the UPA Government, Sachar and Mishra reports
came in and, in return, Muslims happily helped the coalitions
return to power. But, during the first four years of its second
inning, the UPA did not implement the Sachar and Mishra reports.
Sachar & Mishra Reports not implemented: Mishra Commission
recommended that (a) out of the reservation for minorities, two-
third should be earmarked for Muslims as they constitute 73% of
the minorities. This was ignored by the UPA. The recommenda-
tions (b) to make the definition of Scheduled Caste religion-neu-
tral and (c) to de-reserve substantial-Muslim-presence con-
stituencies (even though SC percentage in these constituencies is
negligible) were consigned to the dustbin. (d) The Waqf
(Amendment) Bill 2010 was a cruel joke on Muslims. Twenty vital
recommendations of JPC and Sachar Committee on Waqfs were
over-ruled without giving any reasons in the Ministers introducto-
ry speech in the Lok Sabha. The strong Sachar recommendation
(e) to institute a separate cadre of Waqf officers (may be called as
Indian Waqf Service) was opposed by the Ministry of Minority
Affairs even though in about a dozen states officers are separate-
ly recruited by law to manage the affairs of Hindu temples and
endowments. The demand of (f) Special Component Plan for
Muslims in the budget (on the pattern of Scheduled Castes from
whose definition Muslims are excluded on the basis of religion)
was rejected. (g) For recruitment of 1400 additional IPS officers a
limited competitive examination was devised so that the eligibility
pool has less than one percent Muslims. This would have result-
ed in nil Muslim recruitment or thereabout. The Muslim communi-
tys agitation in the court was vehemently opposed by the UPA
Government. (h) Noor Masjid in Delhi was demolished on the pre-
text of court order which, however, said in the open court that it
never ordered the demolition. Later under RTI Act, it was found out
that the Delhi Governments so-called Religious Committee,
which had recommended the demolition, comprised only about a
dozen government officers none of whom was Muslim.
Now the UPA Government is in its tenth year. After 6-7
months, the parliamentary elections bugle will be sounded. During
the last many years I have drawn the attention of the Government
and the people toward these issues through about forty articles in
different languages, letters to the ministers, speeches delivered
and powerpoint presentations made in meetings and seminars.
Taking recourse to RTI we got anti-Muslim bottlenecks dissolved
in various offices. However, the political jam still remains unre-
solved.
Mosaic challenge: Against this backdrop, Narendra Modis polit-
ical managers needed some Muslim faces for an Ahmedabad
gathering and they invited me also. I told them that I will speak out
my mind and I would expect Mr Modi to sit and listen. His concur-
rence was communicated to me. I wrote email messages to about
35 community elders including many journalists and sought their
opinion and inputs. It was decided that I would perform the tradi-
tion of Prophet Moses (pbuh) who was divinely ordained to go to
the tyrant and speak out the truth. In my powerpoint presentation,
I included some of only those issues which I could prove with evi-
dence. These are: (i) Anti-Muslim philosophy enshrined on BJPs
website through articles and essays where Muslims have been
dubbed as a problem for India with the determination to assim-
ilate them in Hindutva and also wondering why Muslims do not
adopt Sanskrit names (obviously these are patently Hindu) and
why Muslim women do not wear mangal sutra, (ii) Undue empha-
sis on uniform civil code while ignoring other important Directive
Principles of State Policy, e.g., special care of the weaker sections
(while Sachar Committee has documented that Muslims are most
backward among all religious communities including scheduled
castes). (iii) BJPs silence on Justice Sachar and Justice Mishras
recommendation to delete the conditionality of religious affiliation
from the 1950 executive definition of Scheduled Castes. (iv) BJPs
silence on Sachar Committees recommendation to de-reserve
those parliamentary and assembly constituencies where Muslims
have influential presence and, instead, reserve those constituen-
cies where Scheduled Castes have high visibility. (v) BJPs dia-
metrically different treatment of refugees who recently came from
Pakistan and Myanmar (Burma) while both once belonged to undi-
vided India. (vi) Gujarats blockage of central scholarship scheme
for minorities even after Supreme Court ruled against the state.
(vii) On the outskirts of Ahmedabad, 50-feet high, one km-long
heap of citys trash surrounding the twin rehabilitation colonies of
Citizen Nagar and Dhoraji Nagar housing Gujarat pogrom victims
of 2002. I requested Mr Modi to visit these colonies. Later, during
the NDTV programme, The buck stops here the BJP representa-
tive said that this matter rested within the realm of the municipal
authorities, why should the chief minister go there. To that I
responded that Mr Modi should go to these and other similar
colonies using the same karuna (benevolence) in his heart
because of which he recently travelled to Uttarakhand. I apprised
Mr Modi of the Qur'anic injunction of Adl (justice) and Ihsan
(compassion). I said that if he feels that justice does not demand
that he should apologize for the 2002 riots, using his sanskar he
should shift to the higher orbit of compassion and still render an
apology. For details please see: www.zakatindia.org or
www.syedzafarmahmood.in
Muslim window: Had I not gone to attend the conclave, the media
would have still reported that some Muslims attended, sending
different signals to people across the country. But now the scene
is changed. The Muslim disenchantment with saffron approach is
now duly renewed, documented and has become well known. The
latter also are aware of the possible serious and ground-level
areas of fundamental change of its philosophy, policy, action and
manifesto promises that are likely to reduce its distance with
Muslims.
One immediate advantage of this exercise is that the UPA need no
longer be afraid that if it does anything for Muslims the Sangh Parivar
will negatively publicize it resulting in reduction of Hindu votes for
UPA. Now, it all depends upon the UPAs real willingness to restore
justice to Muslims. It can do a lot within the next six months at its dis-
posal. I am grateful that more than 100 newspapers, Internet sites,
agencies and TV channels carried forward my message to the peo-
ple. The messages of greetings received from all over the country and
abroad are my precious treasure. AMU Professor of Theology
Dr Saud Alam Qasmi narrated to me the Hadith: True jihad is speak-
ing out the truth in the presence of a tyrant ruler.
Dr Syed Zafar Mahmoods PPT presentaton may be seen here:
www.zakatindia.org
My Ahmedabad presentation: genesis and impact
By the ninth decade of the twentieth century the Hindu rightist political grouping of India had
decided that for the purpose of quickly catapulting themselves to noticeable visibility in the
Parliament and assemblies it would use some carefully selected patently anti-Muslim planks
and would converge the politically un-informed Hindu masses on to the streets. For this pur-
pose, to the low-hanging fruit of the emotive Ayodhya issue, they added the sauce of opposing
Article 370 and demanding a uniform civil code. The spectre of Bangladeshi intrusion was trum-
peted, LK Advani rode the Rath across states and Babri Masjid was demolished. There was an
air of celebration on 6 December 1992 in the Civil Services Academy at Mussoorie where hun-
dreds of the nations future administrators were being trained. On its website, the BJP cherish-
es such phenomenon and calls it Cultural Nationalism.
During the last 2-3 decades, strong and pinpointed Muslim challenge to such divisive saffron
approach has not been reported in the national media. Muslims have been content with some
political parties issuing some anti-Saffron statements, Narendra Modis US and UK visa being
scuttled and carrying on intra-community drawing-room discussions or Internet chats...
In early 21st century, another anti-Muslim weapon came in handy in the form of terrorism. The
overall scheme paid off and the rightist group is now ensconced at the national stage...
Phone tapping - 90,000
cases in Gujarat intrigue
intelligence agencies
Gujarat Police has obtained nearly 90,000 telephone call data
records (CDRs) of people and entities in three months beginning
January this year, raising eyebrows in central intelligence agen-
cies about what is going on in Chief Minister Narendra Modi-ruled
state to necessitate tapping.
The unusually high number of CDRs of individual and entities
were obtained by Gujarat Police citing various cases against them
and for investigation purposes, official sources said.
Obtaining CDRs by any enforcement agency to track move-
ment and activities of suspected persons and entities is a very
common practice in the country, but what has surprised many in
central agencies was the unusually high number of CDRs over a
very short period.
We are not sure how much information Gujarat Police got
from the CDRs but it was strange that such a large number of call
data records were obtained in a very short period of time, an offi-
cial said.
Meanwhile, the Centre will soon operationalise the Central
Monitoring System (CMS) which will put an end to all unautho-
rised tapping of telephones. The CMS, which enables security
agencies to monitor phones and internet communications of sus-
pected persons, will ensure that monitoring of phone calls, text
messages and internet use of citizens will be done only by gov-
ernment agencies after taking due permission from designated
authority. (indianexpress.com)
Release innocent Muslim
youths in jail: NCM
Expressing concern over innocent Muslim youths in jail in con-
nection with the 2006 Malegaon blast case and the 2010 Pune
German Bakery case, National Commission of Minorities
Chairman Wajahat Habibullah has written to Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh, Law Minister Kapil Sibal and UPA chairperson
Sonia Gandhi.
He urged them to withdraw the CBI chargesheets against the
accused in the Malegaon blast case whose names dont figure in
the latest NIA chargesheet. He has sought reopening of the probe
into the Mumbai train blasts and the German Bakery case and
urged the government to refrain from opposing the alleged
accused Himayat Begs appeal against his death sentence.
Attached with his letter is a copy of the petition of journalist
Ashish Khetan submitted in the Bombay High Court last month
where he has accused the Mumbai ATS of having deliberately
created bogus evidence, extracted false confessions, planted
explosives in the houses of the accused and thus implicated inno-
cent Muslim youths.
What is shocking is that although the report is based on all
its substantive conclusions on the police records themselves, it
would appear that the accused in all three cases who have suf-
fered years of
incarceration, have
been detained on
grounds that are
allegedly fabricat-
ed, Habibullah
has written in his
letter. (Abantika
Ghosh, Indian
Express, Jun 27
2013)
8 The Milli Gazette, 16-31 July 2013 NATIONAL www.milligazette.com
MUSTAFA KHAN
Having gorged on the fake encounter victims
cadavers it looks clear in the sky that the vultures
are returning to the city, proving the Indian adage
right that their end is near. Very soon the sky
would be clearer. But as of now, Narendra Modi,
Amit Shah and O P Mathur have run out of their
time. The national-in-charge of the BJP, the UP in-
charge and the city in-charge respectively of the
election 2014, have reached the end of their wit.
They will have to wind up their campaign for good
as the huddle they have gone in will lead them to
the abysmal depth of the evil they have commit-
ted. Along with them, others will not be far behind
to meet their end.
Ishrat Jahans mother always wondered why
her daughter went to Ahmadabad. It is now clear-
er that she had a call from Pranesh Pillai (or Javed
Shaikh) who was employed by the joint director of
IB Rajendra Kumar for snooping.
1
Pranesh must
have had the ID etc of Ishrat and must have told
Kumar of all these and more before he took her in
his car. The police failed to produce the car in
court. It was like the Arms Haul of Aurangabad
and the Malegaon case of May 2006 where the
car in which Zabiuddin carried the explosives was
never found and presented in the court.
Ishrat left her house in Mumbra and went to
Nasik from where the duo travelled together.
Pranesh had visited his family, wife and two kids
in the house of his sister-in-law and left for
Ahmadabad.
Kumar had his sleuths shadow the car and
report him back. Modis office was also informed
of the movement and the 37 calls to his office
from Kumar include detailing the movement of the
car leading to the fake encounter and what hap-
pened beyond. Neither Modi nor Amit Shah has
any ground to deny because a clerk could not be
handling the phone calls for his time pass if they
were out of office. The two mysterious phone
calls to Kumar and Pranesh were made by the
sleuths shadowing the car.
In fact, Pranesh was in Pune where Kumar
phoned him to come to Ahmadabad. This call of
10 June, 2004, had come from the IB office in
Gandhinager. This crucial talk, now exposed,
compelled Modi to abandon his campaigning in
Uttarkhand to tackle the legal implications that is
bound to recoil upon him and his close lieu-
tenants. It was this that Arun Jaitley must have
known when he accused the disgruntled and
undisciplined police officers to have been doing
behind the back of the CM and his office. But the
facts point in the direction of Modi. The BJP could
not shirk its responsibility. They raised Modi to the
national level to confront this evolving involve-
ment nationally to a show of rabble rousing that
would lead to an upheaval. Deny how much he
can but his own ministers like Pradeep Singh
Jadeja, the minister for legislative affairs, and
Bhupinder Chudasama, the education minister,
were also present in the meeting to cover up the
Ishrat Jahan case or sabotage the findings of SIT.
Kumar wanted his informer Pranesh killed to
remove the trace to him in the fake encounter
case. Kumar had generated three fake intelligence
inputs in the case and also fake reports in the
case of September 2002 attack on the
Akshardham attack and also the case of Godhra
fire accident of February 27, 2002. Not the least
important is the false input on the former Gujarat
Home Minister Haren Pandya who had become a
serious rival to Modi in Gujarat BJP.
Kumar went to the Gujarat state chief of intel-
ligence, Sreekumar and tried insidiously to cajole
him to buy the argument of the train accident as
an attack by ISI. That led to the genocide of
Muslims and a host of fake encounters.
It became Gujarat state policy to kill Muslims.
Sunil Joshi reconnoitred the house of Judge UC
Banerjee who investigated the fire on Sabarmati
Express and found it an accident. Thus state ter-
rorism borders on terrorism practiced by RSS and
Abhinav Bharat. Joshi was and Modi is and will
remain a pracharak of RSS deny how much he
would. Once a sinner always a sinner. Most of the
other cases like the murder of Sadiq Jamal Mahtar
and Sameer Khan lead to Kumar generating fake
intelligence inputs. This centrifugal and cen-
tripetal movement of state terrorism and group
terrorism has the centre located in Gandhinager
which housed IB special director Kumars office.
That so much of terror emanated from the
seat of power of a state where Modi also estab-
lished the first national police university would
sound music to the ears of foreigners. Indians are
used to gimmicks. But greater wonder is he could
pull wool over the eyes of the people of this great
democratic country in appointing Om Prakash
Mathur its first vice chancellor. He is one of those
who played a great role in covering up the mur-
ders of Sohrabuddin, his wife Kauserbi and oth-
ers. He is now in-charge of the election 2014 in
Ahmadabad city. What plum posts have fallen into
the hands of the guilty in the land of Mahatma
Gandhi!
Even seemingly rational people have been
taken in by the chant of development mantra.
Strangely enough the most safe place for
Muslims today is Gujarat, only because its Chief
Minister Mr Narendra Modi has banned entry to
the IB in Gujarat. After spending more than 40
years in the RSS , Mr Modi has now understood
the games the hardcore elements in the RSS have
been playing in the guise of the IB. After banning
IB, the Muslim atrocities in Gujarat have stopped.
That is what is required to be done if we want to
put a full stop to fake encounters, false terror
attacks, their fabricated investigations and arrests
of innocent Muslim boys, said a person who
should know more.
2
The moot question is: have the atrocities
stopped? Can the Muslims of Ode, Sardarpura
and numerous other places dare to return to their
hearth and heath and resume normal life in
Modis Gujarat?
Yes, Modi did stop grants to Sabridham hos-
pital because Asimanand had allowed the tribal
populace to drink wine and eat meat. But why did
then Modi not allow the scholarships to go to the
poor and needy Muslims? Why did he give half
compensation of one lakh to Muslims and two
lakh for every Hindu killed in 2002? The world
knows that he never felt any remorse over the
huge casualties of Muslims and he called the
relief camps as child producing factories and
called the Muslims doing servicing to vehicles as
dirty and obstacles to development.
Implications of Ishrat fake encounter
The increasing involvement in terrorism of the
police in Gujarat under Modi parallels terror
involvement of police under KP Raghuvanshi in
Maharashtra. Raghuvanshi is the ounterpart of DG
Vanzara. Gujarat fake encounter seems to evolve
into a much larger conspiracy that cuts across
several states. Did Kumar also use Malegaon ASP
Rajwardhan and Maharashtra ATS chief
Raghuvanshi through home department under RR
Patil to help the RSS module of Sunil Joshi to
cause bomb explosions using the Maharashtra
police? Though no court has even entertained
the thought of prosecuting the cases on a com-
prehensive national level but the common design
is clearly emerging nevertheless. The
International Criminal Court came into existence
in September 2002 and the terror against a com-
munity comes under is ambit. Hence the impera-
tive that just being delayed will deny justice to the
victims. If the government thinks that the CBI
should arrest Rajendra Kumar only after his retire-
ment on July 31, 2013 then the government must
also remember that police never waited for any
innocent Muslim to collect his salary of the end-
ing month as he was the only breadwinner of his
family and how would the family fend for itself
without him?
ATS informer Zabiuddin had called Dr Sharif
to receive the arms at Malegaon. After having
handed over the arms in boxes, Zabi went back to
Aurangabad and from there to Bangladesh and
ultimately to Saudi Arabia. The consignment of
explosives and arms were the bait to catch the
Muslim innocent doctor and others. In Modis
Gujarat even during the curfew hours, smuggling
of arms from states like UP, Bihar, Punjab, etc.
continues and is given to the marauders.
During the pogroms Bombs were useful in
close encounters, says Dhawal Jayanti Patel. Anil
Patel says that the police delivered arms safely to
the marauders in the pogroms of 2002. Why Police
and courts did not bother to take note of such find-
ings by Tehelka in November 2007? If he is selec-
tive in applying law of the land in favour of only
Hindus in teaching lessons to Muslims and show-
ing them their place, the university he has estab-
lished under OP Mathur would teach how to sup-
press truth and Hindus-first rather than secularism
as governing principle of the land. The India thus
envisage is the Gujarat of 2002 and thereafter.
Mathur, DG Vanzara, Amit Shah and their counter-
parts Raghuvanshi, Rakesh Maria and RR Patil and
you have Hindus-first rather than secularism first.
Zabiuddin trapped Dr Sharif and so did Kumar
trap Pranesh. The victims were police informers.
Zabiuddin was a police informer from Beed. The
police used him to trap an innocent doctor and
then trapped Zabiuddin next. The car that Pranesh
drove disappeared in thin air and so did the Indica
car that Zabi drove from Pimpalgaon to Malegaon.
Both the cars are missing! This way Hindus- first
would work to delay justice which is to deny jus-
tice. What is worse, once dubbed a terrorist
there is no chance of proving yourself innocent.
Himayat Baig was dubbed a terrorist originally
accused of plotting to attack the police academy
in Nasik but now he is sentenced to death in the
German bakery case of Pune. The miscarriage of
justice in one case rules out the possibility of jus-
tice in the other. Who generated this intelligence
input of Nasik attack?
It is the kind of atmosphere that the Hindutva
parties like BJP and Shiv Sena had created that is
making the justice and fair play out of the reach of
Muslims. This is evident in the editorial of Saamna
of June 22, 2013. Cancelling the minting of coin
commemorating Vaishnu Devi and minting coins
in memory of Ajmal Kasab, Afzal Guru, Ishrat
Jahans coins instead nobody has demanded. We
must consider this our good fortune, it said. Shiv
Sena took note of how some Muslims objected to
Vaishnu Devi image on the coin. This they feared
would erode secularism. But Shiv Sena and BJP
believe that Muslims opted for Pakistan in the
name of religion and hence they have forfeited
their right to be equal citizens of India. Saamna
added, The basic question here is that the
Muslim organizations have objected to the mint-
ing of the coin with the image of Vaishnu Devi,
why the secularists have taken salt pills in the
mouth and are keeping quiet. Can either the
Congress workers, or Mulayam Singh supporters
or supporters of Ishrat Jahan have the courage
and pride to have the coins with the image of
Vaishnavi Devi in their hands and ring/rattle
them?...The Muslims want to go to Mecca on
subsidy but feel stomachache to use the idol
coins. A month earlier on May 22, 2013,
Saamna had called the visit of Sharad Pawar to
Mumbra in Mumbai where Ishrat Jahan had lived
as his rape on her. If anything, this attitude of
the right wing Hindus of BJP and Shiv Sena leaves
no doubt in the mind that howsoever Ishrat Jahan
was innocent but because she was dubbed a ter-
rorist, she would remain so even in death and
even after her innocence is established.
3
Footnotes:
1.http://www.dnaindia.com/ahmedabad/1853368/repor
t-ishrat-jahan-case-did-rajendra-kumar-and-javed-
sheikh-know-each-other
2..Milli Gazette, 14:7, April 1-15,2013
3. Saamna, May 22, June 22, 2013.
The vultures return to the city:
The grey beard and the black beard
Zabiuddin trapped Dr Sharif and so
did Kumar trap Pranesh. The victims
were police informers. Zabiuddin
was a police informer from Beed.
The police used him to trap an
innocent doctor and then trapped
Zabiuddin next. The car that Pranesh
drove disappeared in thin air and so
did the Indica car that Zabi drove
from Pimpalgaon to Malegaon. Both
the cars are missing! This way
Hindus- first would work to delay
justice which is to deny
justice...Himayat Baig was dubbed a
terrorist originally accused of
plotting to attack the police academy
in Nasik but now he is sentenced to
death in the German bakery..
Reconsider changes in the
proposed Waqf Bill: Mushawarat
New Delhi: The All India Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat wrote to
Mr K Rahman Khan, Union Minority Minister, to desist from allow-
ing the sale of waqf properties in the proposed bill. AIMMM
President Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan said in his letter that such a
change will open the flood-gates for such transactions and what-
ever is left of the waqf properties will also be swallowed up by
unscrupulous elements and government agencies which are
ever-ready to acquire and usurp such properties which were
endowed for pious deeds and to benefit the Muslim community
forever.
Dr Khan also wrote to the minister that the move to abolish the
provision of leasing waqf properties in areas with thin Muslim
population like Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh will only
mean to let the current lessees take control of such properties as
they will never vacate them.
AIMMM President has also written to Maulana Rabey Hasani
Nadwi, President of the Muslim Personal Law Board, seeking his
urgent intervention in this regard.
Following is the text of the AIMMM Presidents letter to the Union
Minority Minister on 29 June 2013:
Respected Sir,
Reports in Urdu press say that the draft Waqf Bill slated to be
passed by the Rajya Sabha allows Waqf properties to be sold and
also disallows giving Waqf properties on lease. It is claimed that
a Note written by the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIM-
PLB) favours such an amendment in the waqf law.
We wish to say that, according to our knowledge, this is not the
official and agreed position of the AIMPLB. Instead, it is the opinion of
two persons in the board who are misusing their positions to press
for this change which is dictated by their narrow vested interests.
We wish to state that the All India Muslim Majlis-e
Mushawarat, the umbrella body of Indian Muslim organisations
and eminent personalities, is opposed to this opinion. We believe
that the provision to allow for the sale of waqf properties, whatev-
er the claimed safeguards, will open the flood-gates for such
transactions and whatever is left of the waqf properties will also
be swallowed up by unscrupulous elements and government
agencies which are ever-ready to acquire and usurp such proper-
ties which were endowed for pious deeds and to benefit the
Muslim community forever.
Likewise, the move to abolish the provision of leasing waqf
properties in areas with thin Muslim population like Punjab,
Haryana and Himachal Pradesh will only mean to let the current
lessees take control of such properties as they will never vacate
them.
We appeal to you to see that such provisions are not surrep-
titiously inserted into the proposed waqf bill so that whatever is
left of our waqf properties may be safeguarded. Our coming gen-
erations will not forgive us if we fail to safeguard these properties
which are for our coming generations until the end of time.
We also hope that you will interact with Muslim community
organisations on this and other issues in order to listen to them
and benefit from their inputs while formulating policies and initia-
tives.
With warm regards, yours sincerely
Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan, President
NATIONAL The Milli Gazette, 16-31 July 2013 9 www.milligazette.com
MUSTAFA KHAN
The innumerable crimes against humanity that extremists among
Hindus in Gujarat have committed have come home to roost. How
great it would have been if the chief minister would have discov-
ered them instead of hiding -- that would have made Narendra
Modi a statesman rather than what I have called him in the title of
my forthcoming book Decade of the demagogue and his dema-
goguery. He led the populace by appealing to their prejudices he
shared with them against the minority Muslim community. As the
chief executive of his state, he is like the mayor in Henrik Ibsens
play An enemy of the people.
1
As a demagogue, he is the true
enemy of the people. He is like the mayor Peter Stockmann and not
Dr Thomas Stockman who should have discovered that the source
of revenue of the town, the hot water baths, were infected with
germs. They were a threat to the life of the people. In hiding as did
the mayor, he truly became the enemy of the people. Dr Stockmann
tells his wife, You will see he wont like its having been I, and not
he, that made the discovery. Modi did not have Jashodaben in the
family confabulation or else he would have learnt more rather than
the hush up of celibacy that creates for the RSS pracharaks an aura
of awe and respectability among the right-wing Hindus.
Ishrat Jahan, Bilquees Bano, Kauser Bi, and the woebegone
anonymous women victims of pogroms could not have had the
hand of compassion on their heads in the hour of despair and grief
because of the conspiracy of Modi and Rajendra Kumar who made
Godhra train fire an act of terror rather than an accident. Many vic-
tims walked miles with iron rods and wooden sticks sticking into
their middle part in their utter nakedness after being raped and sur-
vived they could not get a glass of water or a piece of saree to
cover up the shame as they traversed Hindu areas to reach the
nearest relief camps. In contrast, Modi and his henchmen like
Vanzara moved heaven and hell with impunity to cover up what
their followers and men in uniform did to the Muslims. Such was
the flagrant violation of the law and order they felt no need to hide
and mistakenly believed all their works as ordained from above, not
only from the higher echelon of the ruling party and bureaucracy
but from god in heaven.
One such satrap of Modi was Prithvi Pal Pandey about whom
the Additional Advocate General Indira Jaising said, He is the mas-
termind behind the whole encounter. He was a conduit... he
received inputs, passed it to his subordinates and arranged every-
thing... in fact he was in total control of the operation. He actually
acted as Rambo.
2
Jaising also gave the logical and legal reason against Pandey:
A Division Bench of this High Court had in December 2011, upon
reading the final report of the SIT, directed the registration of a fresh
FIR in this case and ordered that CBI will be conducting investiga-
tion. Where is the reason to flaunt what Modi and his party is
doing all the time that CBI is the handy maid of the Congress party?
The fresh FIR is the inference one draws from the syllogism of how
the drama was unfolding before the court and the public. Much
before even this Pandey acted the same role in orchestrating the
faade of Babu Bajrangi surrendering to the police after Modi per-
suaded him to do so. Modi was under the pressure of the
Parliament criticizing the genocide and the role of Bajrangi. Lalu
Prasad Yadav was vociferously focusing on the issue.
There is no need to remind that Rajendra Kumar and Modi are
both public servants and everyone is equal in the eye of the law. If
it was the policy of the state government to kill Muslims who,
according to Vrinda Grover, stands to gain? It was Modi who
gained most because it helped him win elections by objectifying
Muslims as the other and terrorists. And, as Digvijay Singh,
remarked that encounters raised Modis profile as an intrepid
hero. Thus the carefully prepared fake input, that terrorists were
on the way to kill Modi, made headlines and affected the suscepti-
ble people of the state who not only identified with him vis--vis
Muslims but also indirectly supported him for what happened in
the genocide and subsequently in the fake encounters. 4
If the chief secretary of the government and the advocate gen-
eral of Gujarat under Modi were involved in the fake encounters and
the cover up, it means Modi was directly involved in the fake
encounters and the cover up. Therefore, his definition of secular-
ism as Indian first is the proverbial sophistry of the Hindutva
when confronted with the issue of the minority Muslims. It
amounts to: if India is a secular state then it is because the Hindus
are secular. But by this logic neither Modi nor the Hindutva groups
get away for why did Modi pay two lakh rupees for Hindus killed in
the Godhra fire while Muslims got only one lakh. So India first as
secularism translated into practical terms amounts to denying jus-
tice to Muslims. Either they live at the sufferance of the Hindu
majority or leave the country or get killed in a pogrom or encounter.
In the evening of the first day of the pogroms on February 28,
2002, Modi visited Naroda Patiya and told Babu Bajrangi that he
had come to visit them to encourage them to do the killings and
burning with the same zeal as they had done the first day! It was in
this context of permanently changing the equation between
Muslims and Hindus that Modi had in mind when during his visit to
Udhav Thackeray, he made the observation of his reactionary the-
ory: Democracy is not a contract between the ruled and the rulers,
as political parties think. Democracy is an excellent system to cor-
rect the wrongs and to strengthen the administration.5
Modis Hindutva is of the never-feel-remorse/ repentance type
and contrasts with what GL Singhal felt in the end: Singhal is said
to have decided to speak the truth after his only child, his 17-year-
old son, committed suicide this year. This is divine justice, Sir, he
told CBI officers during a conversation, breaking down. I have
been punished as I killed the innocent.6
Another side of Hindutva is that if an officer is caught and there
is no other way to save him then prevent other criminal cases being
slapped against him. This is seen in Malegaon cases, the ones
accused in 2006 were also involved in 2008 blasts. The Hindutva
way is that none of their activists should ever be accused of terror
crimes because a Hindu is not a terrorist by his gene and faith. But
if charges are brought against him, prevent other charges being
applied. In the case of Gujarat under Modi, this has gone on in hun-
dreds if not thousands cases. DG Vanzara et. al., were arrested in
2007 in the Sohrabuddin cases but none of them is charged in the
case of Prajapati case though Tulsirm Prajapati was killed in a fake
encounter on 28 December, 2005 by Vanzara and his assistants.
Even in mid-2013 the situation is left to fester in the same way
of wayward application of law and order and warped judicial
process. Amit Shah, as junior home minister, is allowed to contest
and win election and is now managing elections for the candidates
of his party in UP though he is neck deep in crimes, including
crimes against humanity. When Kauser bi resisted her husbands
abduction by the police, Shah told his cops to take her as well.
They were brought to private farm houses, one of which Shah
owned along with Jirawala family. They were tortured and Kauser
was raped. Tulsiram had known this and therefore he too was
framed in false charges and brought from Rajasthan to a court
hearing in Gujarat and was killed. If this is not crime against
humanity, what else is. Four Kashmiris were shot dead even though
they had not committed any crime. They had come out from their
madrasa in Surat in March 2006. They too were accused of being
on the way to kill Modi.
The irrepressible truth behind the 17 or more such fake
encounters, the murder of Haren Pandya, the genocide of Muslims
and many such crimes is that Modi was himself directly involved
in them. He was committed to Hindutva ideology which does not
want Muslims to be in India. They should either go to Pakistan or
be extinct. If Rajendra Kumar generated false input against Ishrat
Jahan and did not intend that the police should rush to kill her and
others, then it was the grey bearded Modi according to Vanzara
who gave the order to kill them. If Ahsan Jafri made the last call to
Modi and Modi cursed him that he was still alive, it is logical to
conclude that Jafri must wait for his fate in the hands of the encir-
cling Hindu extremist baying for his blood. And true to his boss,
Vanzara wrote a poem from prison that the Muslims should be
killed and along with their children and those who remain should be
pushed into Pakistan.
In the case of Tulsiram Prajapati, Modi was personally involved
for his own reasons in addition to the Hindutva philosophy of hate.
Haren Pandya was his bte noir and it was Prajapati who had killed
him through his testicles. It was Pandya who had met the peoples
tribunal making inquiry into the genocide of 2002 and told them
how Modi had asked the police to let Hindus take revenge on
Muslims for three days. Pandya had also made an audio record of
the meeting. Pandyas widow Jagruty went all the way to
Vishakapatnam to meet the mastermind who spent eight years in
jail on the false charge of killing her husband. He told her the real
truth of those behind the murder. She also believes that Rajndra
Kumar had generated the false intelligence input against her hus-
band. If Modi stood to gain so much from the fake encounters, he
is also involved directly in the murder of Prajapati by having
Vanzara transferred to Banaskantha. Congress leader Arjun
Modwadia told Tehelka:What more evidence does the CID need?
Not just Amit Shah, whose role is established in all the encounters
in Gujarat, but even Narendra Modi should be arrested. Why was
Vanzara transferred as DIG Border Range just days before the
encounter takes place in that area? I would ask on behalf of the
Gujarat Congress to hand over the Tulsi Prajapati encounter also to
the CBI.
It will take much longer to unravel the full extent of the involve-
ment of the chief minister of Gujarat but one thing is clear Sadiq
Jamal Mahtar, Ishrat Jahan etc. are clear murder cases different
from the pogroms in the sense that the police are the killers in the
fake encounters. Unless the principle of chain of command is fully
explored and investigated and established, justice would be
delayed though not ultimately denied. Even so, the killing of the vic-
tims on the pretext of threat to Modi is satiation of the thirst for
blood that the Hindutva Moloch of modern times has evinced all the
time.
What he had told Bajrangi as his car stopped at Naroda Patiya
that he was on round of visit to shore up their murderous instinct
at the end of the first day, February 28, 2002. According to his stip-
ulation, there were two other days remaining to finish off Muslims!
It was like the worship of the ancient deity, Moloch, who had pen-
chant for children sacrificed at his altar. His worshippers would
give child offering to him and to drown the wailing of the parents
the priests and worshippers would beat drums loudly.
Ishrat was a child almost at age 19 to her family. She was
dragged out of the car and seven officers of police opened their
guns to murder her. The presence of Kumar there was like the
priests of ancient times propitiating the sacrifice.
Footonotes
1. Henrik Ibsen, An enemy of the people, US Dover Thrift edition 1999, p.16
2. http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/now-cbi-says-top-cop-acted-like-
rambo-in-ishrat-jahan-encounter/1/285877.html
3. http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/home-
ministry-unhappy-with-cbis-move-to-chargesheet-ibs-rajendra-kumar-in-
ishrat-case/articleshow/20807315.cms
4. http://www.indianexpress.com/news/fake-encounters-carried-out-to-
raise-narendra-modi-s-profile-digvijay-singh/1136747/
For Grovers remark, see Youtube on Tehelka.
5. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Modi-sets-BJP-poll-
agenda-visits-Uddhav-Thackeray/articleshow/20807960.cms
6. http://tehelka.com/ishrat-jahan-encounter-accused-cop-says-modi-
knew-of-conspiracy/?singlepage=1
The enemy of the people: the grey beard
The irrepressible truth behind the
17 or more such fake encounters,
the murder of Haren Pandya, the
genocide of Muslims and many
such crimes is that Modi was
himself directly involved in them.
He was committed to Hindutva
ideology which does not want
Muslim to be in India. They
should either go to Pakistan or be
extinct. If Rajendra Kumar
generated false input against Ishrat Jahan and did not intend that the police should rush to kill her and
others, then it was the grey bearded Modi according to Vanzara who gave the order to kill them. If Ahsan
Jafri made the last call to Modi and Modi cursed him that he was still alive, it is logical to conclude that
Jafri must wait for his fate in the hands of the encircling Hindu extremist baying for his blood. And true to
his boss, Vanzara wrote a poem from prison that the Muslims should be killed and along with their children
and those who remain should be pushed into Pakistan.
The great Sufi mystic and poet Jami was discussing with his stu-
dents. Suddenly a student started arguing with the learned mas-
ter. He was a new student. But Jami didnt lose his temper and
kept replying to his foolish questions and arguments in the most
composed manner. Next day, he told his old students that since
the new student was full of old ideas and his mind was already
stuffed with them, he argued tirelessly.
Wisdom comes when minds empty, said Fariduddin Attar,
thought to be the master of redoubtable Jalaluddin Rumi. Its the
emptiness of mind that gives essence and eloquence. Have you
ever thought as to why all musical instruments are hollow from
inside? Its because of their
hollowness, they can cre-
ate musical notes and
pleasing sounds.
Emptiness or thoughtlessness is therefore essential to accommo-
dating and accepting greater knowledge. Honeybees mostly
make their beehives just after the autumn because branches are
free of old leaves and newness is on the cards! Even rivers
change their courses after every six years because water level
becomes shallow and superficial causing rivers to lose their
depth due to the deposition of garbage and unwanted stuff on the
river-banks.
Its the emptiness, the hollowness and nothingness that fills
itself with something worthwhile because nature itself looks for
emptiness to fill it with essence.
On Match Fixing
Selling their conscience
Lowering their self-respect
They indulge in business
And alas, call it cricket
They play with our trust
And fix the matches at blink
They can go to any extent
We cannot even think
Its how cricket is played
With money and female beauty
Once a gentlemans game
Has become a source of booty
SUMIT PAUL
Paving The Way For New
Ishrat Sadiq Jamal Pandiya
AFSANA RASHID, SRINAGAR
Minister for External Affairs, Salman Khurshid, during his recent
visit to Kashmir, tendered an apology for the mass-rape of sever-
al women at Kunan Poshpora in north Kashmirs Kupwara. The
incident allegedly took place during the intervening night of
February 23 and 24 in 1991 by Armys 4 Rajputana Rifles of 68
Brigade. Khurshid, during an interactive session with civil society
members here, June 28, said he feels ashamed over the fact that
such an incident has happened in his country.
Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS), local
human rights group and Support Group for Justice for Kunan
Poshpora rape victims, July 3, took strong exception to a decision
by Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kupwara, Abdul Jabbar,
the investigating officer in the case, to cancel recording state-
ments of victims.
In a statement issued here, JKCCS said following court order
for re-opening and further investigation of mass rape case, SSP
Kupwara had summoned rape survivors to Kupwara court to get
their statements recorded under section 164. The recording was
scheduled to begin from July 3-16, it added. A letter of protest
was later submitted by JKCCS to SSP Kupwaras office.
Meanwhile, New Delhi based Centre for Policy Analysis wrote
a letter to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, June 24, seeking
his intervention to provide justice to mass-rape victims of Kunan
Poshpora. It recommended to the government to make urgent
efforts to ensure Truth and Reconciliation, prosecute those found
responsible for the cover-up of the incident and provide adequate
compensation to all victims.
CBI asks transfer of Surankote to NIA
Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has pleaded before the High
Court to transfer Surankote massacre case of 1998 to National
Investigation Agency (NIA). Militancy related cases are general-
ly not dealt by CBI and Government of India has set up NIA as the
nodal agency that has a mandate to investigate such cases, says
CBI compliance report in response to direction of High Court,
June 30.
High court, November 21 last year, directed CBI to probe the
killing of 19 members of three families who were allegedly killed
at Surankote-Poonch in Jammu in 1998. The court had passed
directions on a petition filed by victim families, who had sought
directions for reinvestigation of the case.
Contrary to this, CBI has reportedly quoted FIR saying bar-
baric and inhumane acts were allegedly committed by Pak trained
militants. Therefore, NIA should investigate it.
Meanwhile, rejecting the plea of government gunman, Papa
Kishtwaris counsel to hold an in-camera trial, the Court June 29
rejected contention of his counsel to stop appearance of Zahoor
Ahmad, whose father was abducted and killed allegedly by
Kishtwari, before the court.
Police had started investigations into the murder of Ahmads
father, Ali Mohammad Mir in 2007, after he filed a petition in the
High Court complaining that police hadnt taken any action against
the accused since 1996. Mir was abducted and allegedly killed by
government gunmen in 1996. An FIR 16/2007 was lodged against
Kishtwari. Mirs family staged a novel protest to demand identifi-
cation of his grave, June 26. We dug up a grave and put an epi-
taph with his name engraved on it. The grave would be kept open
till his mortal remains are placed in it, said Ahmad.
DNA test demanded for mass graves
Welcoming DNA testing, which is being carried out for unidentified
bodies in the Uttarakhand tragedy, Association of Parents of
Disappeared Persons, a constituent of Jammu and Kashmir
Coalition of Civil Society, has demanded DNA testing of bodies
found in mass-graves. If it can be done in Uttarakhand, why not
in Jammu and Kashmir to help ascertain the identity of 7000 plus
buried in unmarked and mass graves? In April this year, it was
also reported that the Army was collecting and storing DNA sam-
ples of all its personnel?, said its spokesperson, Tahira Begum,
during a monthly sit-in here, June 28. The Association allegedly
claims Inspector General Inder Singh Negi of Into-Tibetan Border
Police (ITBP) to be responsible for disappearance of Kashmiri
youth, Mohammad Ashraf Koka, on October 27, 2001. Till date,
ITBP refuses to cooperate and Inspector General has managed to
get a stay on holding of an identification parade. Every effort is
made to scuttle the processes of justice and persuade the victims
family to compromise. Noted human rights activist and lawyer,
Parvez Imroz was arrested by police, while he was on way to the
High Court, July 2. Later, he was released. High Court Bar
Association said it would file a complaint for physical assault and
illegal arrest of Imroz.
Army kills two youths
Two youth were killed in Army firing at Markundal village in north
Kashmirs Bandipora district, June 30, triggering public outrage
and protests. Eye-witnesses say Irfan Ahmad Ganaie, 17, resident
of Markundal was killed after 13 Rashtriya Rifles allegedly resort-
ed to unprovoked firing during routine night patrolling. While Tariq
Ahmad Laharwal, 23, resident of Manasbal was killed after being
shot by army during demonstrations that erupted in the area in
protest of Ganaies killing.
Ganaie was a 12th standard student whereas Laharwal was
scheduled to get engaged to his widowed sister-in-law, July 2. He
had gone to Sumbal to attend the marriage ceremony of one of his
relatives in Markundal. Terming the incident sad the Army
assured that strict action would be taken against soldiers, if found
guilty. Weve ordered thorough investigation into the incident,
said Major General R R Nimbhorkar, GOC Victor Force, while
addressing media, June 30.
Armys Srinagar based spokesperson, however, in a state-
ment, June 30, said, On a tip-off about presence of militants,
Army and police launched joint search operation. A burst of fire
was heard and hearing about a youth being injured in fire, an
ambulance was called. The effort was interrupted by the mob and
had to be aborted. Later, the youth succumbed to his injuries.
Army, July 1, expressed ignorance about the incident stating
they were surprised, as to who fired upon Ganaie. Authorities, July
3, foiled Sumbal Chalo call given by Hurriyat (G) by imposing
restrictions in several parts of Bandipora and Ganderbal districts.
Police, July 2, arrested Manzoor Ahmad Sheikh, who claimed to
be an eyewitness. A candlelight protest was organized by JKLF on
July 2. Protests and clashes broke out in various parts of
Bandipora district, July 1. Protestors torched Army Goodwill
School in Hajin and attempted to burn municipality building in
Bandipora. State Human Rights Commission, July 3, directed its
office to file suo-moto complaint in this regard. Human rights
watchdog, Amnesty International, July 2, called upon authorities
to investigate, prosecute and ensure that those responsible
among the security forces be brought to book.
Asking people to observe a shutdown on July 1, Hurriyat (G)
chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani termed the incident as worst
instance of state terrorism. Geelani, July 3, alleged that police is
pressurizing a lone witness to change his statement.
Hurriyat (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said, State ter-
rorism against Kashmiris which is based on revenge can have
serious consequences. The amalgam has appointed fact-finding
mission to prepare a report.
JKLF chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik said that Kashmiris
arent safe in their own homes. Jammu and Kashmir High Court
Bar Association said government has failed to control Army. Till
date no action has been taken.
7 out of 10 subscriptions are through WORD OF MOUTH
You know we dont have the resources to advertise & promote ourselves, so
please ask your friends to get their copy now
THE MILLI GAZETTE
First English Newspaper of Indian Muslims. Telling the Muslim side of the story fortnight after fortnight since January 2000
Salman Khurshid apologises for Konan Poshpura
10 The Milli Gazette, 16-31 July 2013 NATIONAL www.milligazette.com
Dear Indians,
You should not be wondering who I am because
my name is Rehan Ansari similar to Ahmed or
Saeed or Mirza and I am not fictionalizing it. My
English may not be as good or I may not appear
as intelligent as many of my fellow Indians com-
ing from convent schools. Still I have a heart
which cries and eyes that flow/weep.
During elections all parties remember me,
some only to provoke my opposition whereas
most others as my benefactors. But in the last
sixty years I have been pushed to the brink in all
spheres of life -- courtesy our secular democratic
rulers. Then Im informed through high powered
committees that I am the most backward, illiter-
ate, poor and what not -- even worse than those
who have been deprived of respectable life for
centuries.
How could I reach such a pass in just 60
years is a riddle with which our sociologists/intel-
lectuals/historians will debate for a long time but
for me it is not difficult to imagine as I am made to
live my fate.
My history begins with our independence
when my beloved country was bifurcated (later
trifurcated) on communal lines. A great concerted
effort was made to make all believe that I shall be
made responsible for the path chosen by the stal-
warts of freedom struggle. Consequently started
large-scale communal riots in the early decades
causing innumerable economic damage to me.
My life, property and prospects became booty to
the rioters, most oftenly guided by those who
were supposed to protect me. In the ensued fren-
zy more rioters were mobilised, yatras organised
with the sole aim of demoralising me to lose my
self-esteem, self-confidence and self-respect.
Then the secular parties cap-walllas establish a
committee to hand over to me my report card. But
they never cared to empower me by political rep-
resentation.
On the other hand, non-cap wallas-once-
communal parties, whose existence depends on
our opposition, halt every step, however small it
is, in the name of Muslim Appeasement. They
organize yatras, to demolish mosque, supervise
our genocide, jail and encounter our youth in cold
blood or, should I say, in a well-planned way. They
deny our right to get justice that led the Supreme
Court to order a hearing in other states. First they
plan to encounter us and then plan how to sabo-
tage the case. They claim development but whats
the use of it without the security of life, free will
and equal opportunity if not a helping hand.
I know the fact: these lip services and
hypocricies of political parties are not limited to
the Muslims but our fellow Indians too are suffer-
ing from the same problems.
Despite all these hurdles, there are Muslim
achievers in almost every field because of our hard
work, entrepreneurship and support from the inher-
ent legacy of helping others in our community.
Opportunities created by the free economy and most
of all the unending support of my fellow Indians, their
sense of justice as human beings helped us grow.
I know that most of the Muslim political lead-
ers dont have a public base but are air-dropped in
our community by the high command. They sing
their partys song and expect us to dance on it.
Our social and religious leadership lacks knowl-
edge and vision. Scarcity of resources and lack of
faith among themselves added to our misery.
I am not frustrated but deeply saddened and
scared with the daily state of affairs in our coun-
try. I am scared of the biased nature of our intelli-
gence and security agencies. They work in tan-
dem to encounter us as can be seen from the
leaked CBI chargsheet in Ishrat Jahan case.
Despite the expos, of the involvement of right
wing forces belonging to the Non-Cap-Walla
Parviar, in terror cases, I am afraid of getting
arrested after every terrorist attack. I am scared to
use mobile, facebook, twitter or other social net-
working tools because I might get arrested when I
speak against some Thackerey. Freedom of
expression is only permitted when someone
abuses our beloved Prophet, sacred book or great
religion.
May be I am being too harsh but the truth is
mostly bitter. I have a wonderful religion and I
know many interpretations. I know our religious
leaderships come from madrasas of different
sects who are ill-educated to satisfy the educated
young minds. They need to learn that the differ-
ences among sects are the flexibility allowed in
Islam. There is a lot of scope for Ijtehad interpre-
tations according to the prevailing conditions that
make this religion universal. We like to be left
alone to settle these disputes of interpretation.
There can be different explanation of Constitution,
like many courts in our country construe our
Constitution or apply law differently. There is
always a chance for improvement.
I know Islam and Muslims are used by our
political parties to come into existence -- read
Non-Cap-Wallas or once-communal parties. I
also know that Islam is used globally by some
dominant and powerful countries for their energy
security. But history will expose their deception.
I know I am hanged to satisfy the collective
conscience whereas a terror-accused belonging
to the Parivar is paid by our government. My Haj
subsidies are to be phased out but bonus is dis-
tributed on Diwali. Many other religious melas,
fares, yatras get government
support. My mosques are first
demolished and then get divid-
ed but no punishment is meted
out to the conspirators. I am
also affected by corruption,
poverty, hunger, female foeticide. But my voice
against all these evils did not create sensation,
hence not covered by our national media.
Yes I require all types of affirmative action to
uplift my community. I need reservations in edu-
cation and employment because I am left behind
or in other words to become competent. I need
scholarships because I dont have the resources
to earn even my livelihood. I need to be kept in the
Priority Lending Sector by the banks to venture
into small-scale businesses so that I can add up
something in the national GDP.
Affirmative action is not appeasement but jus-
tice for the weaker section of the society. Justice
is more important to ensure equality and prosper-
ity for all in the society. Above all, I need respect,
love and security for my life and my family.
My hope lies in my belief in Allah, creator of
not only me but the whole universe including Cap-
Wallas, Non-Cap-Wallas and their Parivar. I also
believe that the intrinsically just and secular cre-
dentials not of any politician but my fellow coun-
trymen will prevail. They will provide security to
my life, will fight with me for justice, and will help
us grow with them if not polarized by the politi-
cians on communal line.
A fellow Indian wants to save me from the
clutches of religious (Islamic) fundamentalism but
advocates for Positive Hindutva. He might gather
some Vastanvis, Sareshwalas, and Siddiquis
around Modi but for general Muslims, BJP and
Modi are like a saying in Hindi: Karela upar se
Neem chadha which means Neem-coated Bitter
Melon. How can one have it?
May Allah bring Peace, Harmony and
Prosperity to our country. Amen!
REHAN ANSARI
A Muslim Youth (twocircles.net)
Letter from Muslim youth no fiction, only facts
BJP and Modi are like a saying in Hindi: Karela upar se Neem chadha which means Neem-coated Bitter Melon.
How can one have it?
Fake encounters, with innocent Muslims usu-
ally being victims, prompts deliberation on
the degree to which India can be viewed as a
truly democratic country. Constitutionally, as
per democratic norms, each Indian citizen is
regarded as equal. The elected government
is expected to be guided by the theory,
democracy for the people, by the people and
of the people. Certainly, these appear as golden words on paper,
a far cry from reality in Indian politics.
The situation would be different if political responsibility of
democratically elected leaders was lived up to in serving the
people. True, the respected leaders and parties attach consid-
erable importance to vote of Indian citizens. Yet, even votes of
all Indians are not viewed from the same political lens. This is
marked by vote-banks being weighed by regional, religious,
caste, wealth and other factors.
While campaigning for votes, leaders dont hesitate in
addressing Muslims with folded hands, concerned expressions,
assuring them of doing their best for their progress. The lead-
ers tap on the democratic potential of electorates votes to sat-
isfy their own political interests. Now, shouldnt this be viewed
as a one-sided democratic process?
In India, if any democratic right, including that of Muslims,
is given the most importance, it is the citizens right to vote.
Sadly, the same importance is not given to democratic respon-
sibilities and duties, the leaders are expected to follow. Votes
are important to ensure leaders an entry onto the political stage
and thus establish their political identity. Votes can make as
well as shatter political images of various parties and leaders.
Once the electoral phase is over, the democratic value of Indian
votes and voters is almost sidelined. And this raises the ques-
tion on whether democratic role of Indian citizens, particularly
Muslims, is confined to their votes? Is the democratic respon-
sibility of leaders limited to acquiring their votes?
Please note, during the electoral phase, increasing impor-
tance is given to reminding Indian voters of their democratic
duty and responsibility to exercise their right to vote. Sadly,
ordinary citizens are viewed as an important part of Indian
democracy but only during the electoral season. Legally, each
Indian citizen after a certain age can contest elections too. But
in practice, this norm is hardly followed. The manner in which
most political parties use (and abuse) this democratic right is
hardly democratic. Recent political history is witness to parties
indirectly supporting numerous persons as independent candi-
dates primarily to cut into vote-banks of their rivals. Citizens
right to contest is exploited by their being fielded literally as
puppets. Division of votes among numerous candidates leads
to the winner securing less than 50 percent of votes. It is
feared that such abuse of Indian democracy can weaken it.
Several other undemocratic practices are linked with
democratic right to contest. One is the monetary value
attached with acquiring (buying) tickets to contest elections
and buying votes to win elections. Democratic importance of
tickets is literally ignored when the same is made to bend by
being valued monetarily. Genuine democracy is also sidelined
when little importance is accorded to the democratic record
of persons, with criminal background, being selected as party-
candidates or being assured support as independent contest-
ants. How can an economically-stricken Indian ever be expect-
ed to visualize the importance of his democratic role as a con-
testant and not just a voter? Similarly, increasing Muslims rep-
resentation in Parliament and assemblies is not given the same
importance as is accorded to appealing for their votes.
Yes, Indian democracy is also witness to democratic norms
weakening against the importance given to money.
Paradoxically, a rich Indians vote has the same electoral value
as that of a poor Indian. Yet, the rich hold sway over the politi-
cal stage with their money being given greater importance in
selecting candidates. The poor are given greater importance
primarily where their votes are concerned. In this context, the
rich can complain that leaders do not appeal to them for their
votes as passionately as they address poor voters. Statistically,
the larger population of the poor accords their votes greater
importance than that of the rich.
Democratically, what can be said about the emergence of
numerous parties in India? Should they be viewed as a strength
of Indian democracy or its weakness? From one angle, they
symbolize strength. If the people of any Indian community or
segment feel that their importance is being sidelined by major
parties, they can assert their democratic identity by forming a
party of their own. At the same time, it cannot be missed that
most of these small parties reach is limited to either their
region, religion, caste or groups. There is no doubt that emer-
gence of such parties is responsible for enhancing the demo-
cratic importance of the group they represent. Though they hold
little importance on the national stage, they must be credited for
succeeding in at least establishing their democratic identity.
Tragically, cracks in the countrys democracy suggest that
the voter continues to be perpetually ignored except during the
election period. The Indian democratic process remains large-
ly a one-sided affair for practically all ordinary citizens, with
Muslims being major sufferers!
Speaki ng Out
Indian Democracy:
A One-Sided Process!
NI LOFAR SUHRAWARDY
Following is a statement by a group of concerned intellectuals
about the way authorities treat persons with militant past who
wish to join the mainstream politics and the electoralroute to
change:
We, the undersigned, wish to bring to the publics notice a
curious case of doublespeak by the state. The central and state
governments constantly advise Maoists to give up arms and join
the mainstream. But, in Tamil Nadu, the government in collusion
with the police is torturing a group of former Maoists who have
joined the mainstream. These comrades have given up armed
struggle and have come out to function in the open under a party
named Peoples Democratic Republic Party (PDRP). They have
also accepted the electoral path to pursue their mass line. It is
clear from their case that the intention of the state is not to main-
stream the armed fighters but to incapacitate anyone who dares
to criticize the states policies, without any compromise.
Background: Earlier, many PDRP members were part of CPI
(Maoist). Some of them were arrested and imprisoned under
POTA in 2002, on charges of undergoing arms training in
Uthangarai, Tamil Nadu. They eventually came out of the prison
with women getting bail in 2005 and men in 2007. Many of the
comrades who came out criticized the armed struggle line of CPI
(Maoist) and stressed a mass line. The CPI (Maoist) reacted to
this by dismissing them from the party towards the end of 2007.
Some of the dismissed cadre started working under the name
Puthiya Porali. Later, they started PDRP. Com. Duraisingavel (aged
52) started working as its president and his partner Ragini (aged
44) worked as the leader of the womens wing. They started a
political magazine named Puthiya Porali, which was circulated
widely. So far, three issues have been released. Its available even
online. They have stressed on returning to the mass line in their
pamphlets too. They have also taken part in public meetings.
Here are some examples of their participation in open
forums/meetings. Com. Duraisingavel took part in the book
release function of Prof. A. Marxs Tamil book named Arabu
Puratchi. He spoke on the occasion along with other speakers,
including professors from the Madras University. He also spoke
on the review meeting of Maos compilations, organized by the
Communist Party of India (Marxist), in Chennai on May 5, 2013.
He stressed the need for a mass line even in his TV interview to
Puthiya Thalaimurai, a Tamil news channel, which aired a pro-
gramme related to the Chhattisgarh killings by Maoists few weeks
ago.
However, the events that happened at Kundrathur, a suburb of
Chennai, in October 2012, show how the Tamil Nadu police and
the clandestine organization Q branch, cant deal with or welcome
these changes among the PDRP comrades. On that fateful day,
the PDRP members, along with their supporters and some educa-
tionists, were discussing their participation in elections in a meet-
ing organized in a school. The police surrounded them suddenly,
arrested and imprisoned them. Till this day, the police have main-
tained a stoic silence about why they arrested people who were
discussing about returning to electoral politics! Com.Duraisingavel
and Ragini were among those arrested.
Another important fact: Com. Duraisingavel and Com. Ragini
started their life together after he got his bail in 2007. However, the
peace was not to last too long because the Tamil Nadu police con-
tinued to harass them. The police claimed to search for a woman
named Bharathi, who wasnt arrested at Uthangarai in 2002; she
was, however, charge-sheeted. Police didnt even know whether
Bharathi was male or female. They continued to torture the cou-
ple by claiming that Ragini was Bharathi. Due to continuous
harassment (the Q branch visited their house every day), Ragini
sought the High Courts help.
Com. Raginis appeal (CrL. OP No.9141 of 2012 dated
16.04.2012) was heard by Justice Nagamuthu. The public prose-
cutor and the police responded that Ragini wasnt required for
arrest or for enquiry as of now. Then, the court ordered that if the
police wanted to enquire Com. Ragini, they should follow proper
criminal law procedure. It also cautioned them against harassing
her under the hood of enquiry.
What happened now?: We were shocked to read reports of the
couples arrest on 14 June 2013 from the Kadambathur railway
station in the Dharmapuri district, where they were caught dis-
tributing pamphlets. On enquiry, the actual sequence of events is
as follows:
1. The couple were arrested in their house at Kundrathur,
Chennai on 13 June 2013 at 11 PM, when they were having din-
ner. Com. Ragini tried to call a comrade as soon as some men
barged into their house and dragged them out violently. The com-
rade who received the call realized that they were in trouble
because she couldnt speak properly, and the call was cut abrupt-
ly. He informed other comrades, who also tried calling both their
mobile numbers. But nobody could reach them. When they
enquired with the neighbours next morning, it was confirmed that
the couple was dragged out of the house violently. When the com-
rades entered the house, they saw half-eaten food, which con-
firmed that there had been quite a scuffle.
2. The next day afternoon, High Court advocate, Sengodi con-
tacted Mr.Sampath, the Commissioner of Q branch, and asked
him. He replied that they have taken the couple to Dharmapuri for
enquiry. Therefore, the police version of arresting them in
Dharmapuri is an outright lie.
3. The police have continuously harassed Com. Ragini and
forced her to accept that she is Bharathi. This is brazenly against
the prior mentioned court order. She is being harassed even in the
prison on this issue. It has been exposed that the Tamil Nadu
police is intent on arresting her under POTA in the Uthangarai
case. Now, it has charged the couple under sections of CrPC 353,
124, 17(1) CLA.
One more important fact: Another oft-repeated blatant lie of the
police is that the couple has missed attending the court proceed-
ings. Actually, there are two cases pending on Com.
Duraisingavel. One is the 2002 POTA case and the other is the
2012 Kundrathur case. The latter is yet to come for hearing, and
Com. Duraisingavel has appeared without fail for each hearing of
the POTA case. He appeared even on June 3, 2013 for the same
case in the Poonamallee court, Chennai. Com. Ragini has only the
Kundrathur case pending, and thats yet to come for hearing.
Hence, its an utter lie that the couple doesnt appear for the court
proceedings.
Our questions and demands
1. J. Jayalalitha, the Chief minister of Tamil Nadu, always says
that she has wiped out the Naxal movement from the state.
Everyone knows that PDRP comrades turned to mass line, includ-
ing elections after being dismissed from CPI (Maoist), owing to
their criticisms. So, how does one account for the harassment
meted out to these comrades? Is it a message to those who
belong to such organizations that they wont be allowed to enter
the mainstream even if they give up armed struggle?
2. Naxal Special wing, which has no work but to harass, and
the Q branch, an organ above law, which was formed as an intel-
ligence wing and later endowed with policing authority, should be
abolished.
3. The sedition act, called as 124-A, was originally enacted by
the British to harass freedom fighters during the Raj. Its com-
pletely against citizen rights (Section 19) granted by our constitu-
tion. Our constitution grants rights to support or oppose the poli-
cies of the government. Moreover, it has granted unconditional
rights to anyone to propagate his ideas, to build movements
based on them and to collect funds for the organization. Hence,
we strongly condemn applying 124-A, which is opposed to the
above-mentioned rights, to harass various activists, from Binayak
Sen to Com. Duraisingavael and Com. Ragini. The Tamil Nadu
government should immediately stop harassing activists using
this law. This anti-constitutional law should be scrapped.
4. The couple, who were functioning openly, was arrested in
midnight in their home in Kundrathur, Chennai. They were violent-
ly dragged out of the house without even giving them an opportu-
nity to inform their relatives or friends. The next day afternoon, a
higher official of the Q branch tells their lawyer that they have been
taken to Dharmapuri. Yet, a false case has been registered against
them. Actually, they have been violently kidnapped. No procedures
mentioned by the Supreme Court in T.K.Basu case have been fol-
lowed in this arrest. Hence, we demand the government to sus-
pend the concerned police men, start an enquiry and punish them
appropriately for committing such violations and spreading such
lies.
5. The public prosecutor has admitted in the High Court that
Com. Ragini is not Bharathi. The court has also ordered that Com.
Ragini must be duly summoned if theres a need for an enquiry.
But, what we see now is that she has been violently kidnapped
and threatened to accept that she is Bharathi. The police is trying
to implicate her in the 2002 POTA case through these desperate
measures. This is a clear case for contempt of court. A contempt
of court case should be filed against the concerned police men
and the police should abstain from harassing and trying to convict
Com. Ragini under POTA.
6. Two people who were functioning openly have been arrest-
ed secretly. This kind of harassment meted out to those who have
turned to electoral politics after giving up armed struggle goes
completely against the governments assurances or policies.
Com. Duraisingavel and Com. Ragini should not only be released
immediately, they should also be duly compensated for the
harassment they have faced.
Prof.A.Marx, Peoples Union for Human Rights;
Ko.Sugumaran, Peoples Rights Forum; Dr.P. Sivakumar and
Prof.M.Thirumavalavan, Ex-Principals of Government colleges;
V.Srinivasan, Environmentalist; Advocate Manoharan, Peoples
Lawyers Association; Advocate Sengodi; Advocate K.Natarajan;
Advocate Rajini (Madurai)
(Translated from the press note released by the above on
20.06.2013, in Chennai)
Issued by Prof.A.Marx, 3/5, First Cross Street, Shastri
Nagar, Chennai - 600020, Mob: 94441 20582
P.S: According to latest information, Tamil Nadu police has
filed a case on Com.Ragini under POTA today (24 June 2013).
ANALYSIS The Milli Gazette, 16-31 July 2013 11 www.milligazette.com
Curious case of TN police preventing ex-Maoists return to electoral path
The sedition act, called as 124-A, was originally enacted by the British to harass
freedom fighters during the Raj. Its completely against citizen rights (Section 19)
granted by our constitution. Our constitution grants rights to support or oppose the
policies of the government. Moreover, it has granted unconditional rights to anyone to
propagate his ideas, to build movements based on them and to collect funds for the
organization.
Prof FAZLUR RAHMAN GINNAURI, a great Islamic
scholar and former Dean of AMUs Faculty of Theocracy
died in Karachi during his recent visit to Pakistan. A con-
dolence meeting was held in AMU on 27 June when
speakers paid rich tributes to him. He wrote books on
jurisprudence and comparative study of worlds religions
because of which he is held in great respect in Arab
countries in addition to India and Pakistan.
Dr FARID SIDDIQI, ghazal poet of Rampur died in this
city on 3 July after a prolonged illness at the age of 90
years. His three anthologies of poems Aaeena-e
Rampur, Shaqqul Qamar and Jaagtay Khwaab have
been published while two anthologies are under publi-
cation. He was also honoured with many awards by
different organizations. He was also associated with
many literary organizations.
Dr MAHFOOZ AHMAD, economist and former treasur-
er of AMU died in Aligarh on 23 June at the age of 78
years. A product and Gold Medalist of AMU itself from
where he did his doctorate, he was born in Kota
(Rajasthan). In addition to being AMUs treasurer, he
was also the treasurer of Hamdard Education Society,
Member of Hamdard Universitys Finance Committee
and Hamdard National Foundation. He also worked as
Chief Adviser of Bank of Zambia. He held many impor-
tant posts in Government of India including adviser in
the Depar tment of Economics and worked under 7
union finance ministers including Pranab Mukherjee,
Venkata Raman, V. P. Singh, Manmohan Singh.
SHAMSUL HODA, social worker
and editor of Makhzan, a literary
magazine and earlier, editor of the
Urdu weekly Al Quds was found
murdered in his office in Bangalore
on 4 July. He leaves behind his
wife.
MRS. SHAHIDA SUHRAWARDY
(76), wife of prominent writer Syed
Saeedul Haq Suhrawardy, passed
away in her sleep at dawn on 8 July.
A graduate from Allahabad
University, she was an active and
working woman during greater part
of her life. She completed her grad-
uation after her marriage. While
studying at Allahabad University, she played an active
role in organizing Urdu cultural programmes, including
Mushairas. As a working lady, she cooperated with her
husband in ensuring a good education and career for
their children. Her hobbies included cooking, gardening,
coin-collection and remaining engaged in some work or
the other. Being very closely attached with her family
members, it was not easy for her to face the death of her
eldest son, Anis Suhrawardy (a well known lawyer) who
passed away due to a massive cardiac arrest on 24
January last year. She is survived by her husband,
daughter-in-law, Shamama Anis (lawyer), daughters
Nilofar (journalist) and Tasneem (academician), grand-
son Atif (lawyer) and granddaughter Nauras (student).
She was laid to rest on 8 July after Zohar prayers at
Mehindyan, New Delhi. May her soul rest in peace,
Ameen.
NAJEEB JUNG, an IAS offi-
cer of 1973 batch of
Madhya Pradesh Cadre and
Vice Chancellor of Jamia
Millia Islamia University has
been appointed by the
President of India as 20th Lt
Governor of Delhi. A native of Delhi whose
family, according to him, has been living in
Delhi since 1842 he is the first Muslim LG of
Delhi after Independence. Educated at
Delhis St Stephens College and London
School of Economics, he served in MP and
central governments in different capacities
and while working as Joint Secretary in Govt
of India he was appointed JMIs VC in Sept
2009 and was to hold this post till 2014. He
took voluntary retirement from govt service
in 1993 after which he joined Asian
Development Bank as senior advisor. His
field of speialization is in energy sector. He
will formally take over as LG on 9 July.
AFZAL AMANULLAH, an
IAS officer of 1979 batch of
Bihar cadre, former special
secretary in the ministry of
consumers affairs, food and
distribution system has
been appointed, and taken
over as secretary in the ministry of
Parliamentary affais, Govt of India in place of
Deepak Varma who has retired. Educated at
Delhis St Stephens College and Delhi
School of Economics, he got Masters
Degree in Public Administration from
Harvard University. He held many important
posts in Bihar (home secretary and Principal
secretary) and central governments as joint
secretary in I&B ministry etc. His wife Mrs
Parveen Amanullah is presently a minister in
Bihar government. Prof Amanullah is the
son-in-law of former IFS officer and former
MP Syed Sahabuddin.
ATAUR RAHMAN, an IAS
officer of 1995 batch and
former Additional
Commissioner in the
Directorate of Vigilance has
been appointed, and taken
over as Chief Executive
Officer of Haj Committee of India, Mumbai in
place of the outgoing CEO Shakir Husain
who has been transferred to Hyderabad after
working for 3 years as CEO. He comes from
Uttarakhand state.
MIRZA QAMRUL HASAN BAIG, Director of
Jamia Cooperative Bank has been elected
Chairman of this Bank. He defeated his rival
Shamshad Ahmad by a margin of 876 votes.
He secured 992 votes as compared to 116
votes cast in Shamshad Ahmads favour.
Dr (Mrs) NEELAM QUD-
DOOSI, a research officer in
CCRUM of AYUSH
Department, Union ministry
of health has been appointed
Convener of All India Unani
Tibbi Congress (Ladies
Wing).
After reconstitution of Delhi Pradesh
Congress Committee (DPCC) Mrs Muzammil
Siddiqi of Bara Hindu Rao has been appoint-
ed Vice President and Ms Ishrat Jahan, a
lawyer by profession, has been appointed
general secretary in DPCC. Hasan Ahmad,
MLA who was vice president in the earlier
DPCC, has been discharged.
MAULANA TAUQEER RAZA KHAN, President
of Ittehad-e Millat Council, Bareilli has been
appointed Chairman of Riots Investigation
Committee by Mulayam Singh Yadav to
enquire into the communal riots that had
taken place in UP after the formation of SP
government. It is hoped that with new post of
Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan innocent people
(mostly Muslims) falsely arrested for rioting
will get justice.
NAILA KAUSAR of a village in Muzaffarpur
district of Bihar and the only daughter of
her parents, secured first position in the
entire state in Molvi (Inter) examination.
She had appeared in this examination from
Madrasa Islamia Arabia, Domri. She
aspires to be a doctor and treat poor peo-
ple.
INAMUR RAHMAN RAFIQI, a research
scholar in Jamia Millia Islamias Department
of Islamic Studies has been conferred PhD
Degree for his research treatise on Role of
Dawat newspaper in preaching and Tabligh
of Islam running into 450 odd pages which
he completed under the supervision of
Jamias Professor Iqtedar Muhammad Khan
and with the guidance of Prof Akhtarul
Wasey. This is a unique research work on
this topic. The newspaper Dawat is the
newspaper of Jamat-e Islami Hind and is
published twice a week from Delhi.
MEN & WOMEN IN NEWS
OBITUARIES
12 The Milli Gazette, 16-31 July 2013 NEWSMAKERS www.milligazette.com
WASEEM BARELVI, noted Urdu poet and of
NCPUL was honoured with Lifetime
Achievement Award at a function held at
Doha (Qatar) on 24 June. The Award, con-
sisting of a cheque for Rs 1 lakh, a shawl
and a souvenir and arranged by India Urdu
Society, Doha, was presented to him by
Qatars minister for culture, Moosa Zain Al
Moosa. A mushaira was also held on this
occasion in which poets from India and
those living in Doha recited their poems
before a large gathering.
Prof KABIRUDDIN, teacher in AMUs
Department of Chemistry has been hon-
oured with Lifetime Achievement Award in
recognition of his invaluable services in the
field of Chemistry. He is also a Faculty Fellow
of University Grants Commisisons Basic
Science Research and earlier was an
Emeritus Fellow of UGC.
UPs minister for urban development and
minorities affairs, Azam Khan was honoured
with Weqar-e Millat Award in recognition of
his untiring and relentless efforts in seting up
Muhammad Ali Jauhar University in the face
of innumerable difficulties created by some
persons at individual levels as well as by
Congress and BSP governments. The Award
was jointly presented to him by Pari Peeths
Shankaracharya Jagadguru Adhokshanandji
Maharaj and Mufti Mukarram Ahmad, Imam
of Fatehpuri Masjid at a function organised
by Urdu Press Club International at Delhis
Constitution Club on 2 July. Shankaracharya
Adhokshanandji Maharaj while speaking on
this occasion also praised Azam Khan for the
good work and arrangements made under
Azam Khans supervision on the occasion of
Mahakhumbh Mela in March-April this year.
(Ms) NASEEMA MUHAMMAD AMEEN
HURZUK, who
founded an organi-
sation, an NGO in
K o l h a p u r
(Maharashtra) for
helping and
empowering dis-
abled persons and
giving them a
respectable place
in society, was
honoured with Woman of the Year Award
by Indian Merchants Chamber (IMC)s
Ladies Wing at a function held at Mumbais
Trident Hotel on 26 June. This Award is
given by IMC every year to a woman who
works for helping and empowering disabled
persons by providing education, vocational
training, creating self confidence in them
etc.
AWARDS
NAVA J. THAKURIA
Bangladeshi Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus was ousted as
the managing director of Grameen Bank years back, but the cre-
ator of micro-finance banking remains the policy-maker of many
Grameen sister concerns devoted to various initiatives like drink-
ing water, yogurt for malnourished children,
cell phones, solar power for rural homes, etc.
The international media started pouring
all disappointing news from the Bangladeshi
capital city Dhaka since the end of 2010. The
bad news related to the economist-turned-
revolutionary banker to the poor had finally
compelled Prof. Yunus to leave the Grameen
Bank of Bangladesh, the institution he formed
in 1983 and shared the Nobel Peace Prize in
2006.
But his spirit was not diminished with the
attitude of the Bangladeshi authorities (read
the Bangla Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina) and
he continues working for his mission to make
the world poverty-free. And the futurist social
scientist is now preaching for a different kind
of economic enterprise that emphasizes social development and
not profit for investors. Prof. Yunus terms it social business, a
form of business that seeks to solve social problems. His latest
book titled Building Social Business describes everything about
the new kind of capitalism that serves humanitys most pressing
needs. The book talks about a new kind of capitalism and enter-
prise based on the selflessness of people, which the visionary
banker calls social business. Its a kind of business dedicated to
solving social, economic and environmental problems that have
long plagued humankind - hunger, homelessness, disease, pollu-
tion and ignorance, argues Prof. Yunus.
Actually, social business is a new category of cause-driven
business. In a social business, the investors or owners can grad-
ually recoup the money invested, but cannot take any dividend
(profit) beyond that point. The purpose of the investment is pure-
ly to achieve one or more social objectives through the operation
of the company, and no personal gain is desired by the investors.
The company must cover all costs and make a profit, and at the
same time achieve the social objective, such as, healthcare for
the poor, housing for the poor, financial serv-
ices for the poor, nutrition for malnourished
children, providing safe drinking water, intro-
ducing renewable energy, etc. in a business
way, elaborated Prof. Yunus.
The man, who has shown the way
towards dignified life for millions of poor
Bangladeshi women through micro-finance,
argues that the present concept of entrepre-
neurship is one-dimensional-to maximize
profits. By defining entrepreneur in a broader
way, one can change the character of capital-
ism radically and solve many of the unre-
solved social and economic problems within
the scope of the free market. He, at the same
time, pointed out, if profit and greed are the
sole driving forces in modern society, then
why should we have churches, mosques, temples, schools, art
museums, public parks or community healthcare centres and
why would there be any charities, foundations or non-profit
organizations?
Fortunately for us, there is a keen desire among many to lend
a hand through charity, for addressing the problems of poverty
and other social problems. Charity is rooted in basic human con-
cern for other humans. These days, concern is usually expressed
in the shape of non-profits and NGOs which may take various
names and forms. Then there are aid organisations sponsored by
rich governments: bilateral and multilateral.
Of course, he believes that charity is essential in some cases
when people have to depend on charity, because it is virtually
impossible for them to support themselves. I am thinking of peo-
ple who suffer from extreme physical or mental disabilities, as
well as the very old and the very young. As a society, we simply
owe these people our help, and it would be cruel to insist that
they should support themselves. So there is room in our world for
charity, just as there is room for social business, Prof. Yunus
analyzed in his latest book. Otherwise, he has some reservation
on charity and typical corporate social responsibility initiatives.
Arguing that there is nothing wrong with donation, charity and tra-
ditional CSR, Prof. Yunus says these have a one-time effect only.
The society or the poor would have to wait to get the same ben-
efit until the donors do the same again, which completely
depends on their intention.
On the other hand, he reasons that if people get everything
free because donations pour in from the international community,
we would not be building the economy in under-developed coun-
tries. Moreover, life cannot go on in charity mode all the time.
Explaining the prediction of a future world, Prof. Yunus point-
ed out that there may be two ways to go about it. One would be
to invite the best scientific, technical and economic analysts in
the world to make their most accurate twenty-year projections.
Another would be to ask the worlds most brilliant science-fiction
writers to imagine the world of 2030.
If you ask me who has the best chance of coming closer to
the reality of 2030, without pausing for a second, I would say that
the science-fiction writers would be far closer than the expert
analysts. The reason is very simple. Experts are trained to make
forecasts on the basis of the past and the present, but events in
the real world are driven by the dreams of people, Prof. Yunus
narrates adding, Do our dreams sound impossible? If they do,
that means they are likely to come true if we believe in them and
work for them If you are willing to share these dreams with me-
and to join the people around the world who are already beginning
to transform their dreams into reality through social business-
lets undertake this exciting journey together.
The author is a journalist based in Guwahati
Social Business of Muhammd Yunus
Lecture on the counter-revolution in Egypt
SPECIAL REPORT The Milli Gazette, 16-31 July 2013 13 www.milligazette.com
New Delhi: The inclusion of a proposal to allow
the sale of waqf properties in the proposed Waqf
Bill will be detrimental to the future of waqfs in
India, said Mufti Ataur Rahman Qasmi, Chairman
of the Shah Waliullah Institute, while delivering a
lecture on Waqf Amendmend Bill: scope and
apprehensions at the headquarters of the All
India Muslim Majlis-e Mushawrat here on 28
June. He discussed the implications of sale,
exchange, lease and rent of waqf properties. He
said that the provision of sale and exchange of
waqf properties must not be included in the pro-
posed Act. Provisions of sale will result in per-
manent loss of waqf properties, he said adding
that though the Act will permit sale of properties
under adverse occupation which are not retriev-
able but the same will be used to sell even other
properties by the unscrupulous mutawallis and
waqf boards. Such sales will only result in per-
sonal benefits to some corrupt members of waqf
boards and trustees. He warned that there are
many land-sharks ready to grab the opportunity.
As of abolishing the provision of lease of waqf
properties, it would lead to a deluge of court
cases and permanent loss of properties in areas
where there are no Muslim populations like
Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. Renting
properties on short-term lease saves these
properties and allows local waqf boards to auc-
tion the lease every few years. It is important to
note that many of the waqf properties particular-
ly in the states of United Punjab (Punjab,
Haryana, Himachal and Chandigarh) do not have
proper waqf deeds, he said. Maulana Qasmi
suggested that renting of waqf properties should
continue and should be done by auction. He
appealed to the scholars and leaders of the
Muslim community to come together shedding
their personal and sectarian differences to save
the waqfs and stop the dangerous provision of
sale of waqf properties. They should also sug-
gest beneficial measures for the bigger and long-
time interest and to safeguard the waqf proper-
ties in India.(Nadim Ahmad)
MG/Yusuf
Make CBI
autonomous
New Delhi: Dr. Mohammad Morsi and his team
were unable to apprehend the dangers in
advance as they were new to the art of adminis-
tration and political manipulations, said
Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan, editor of The Milli Gazette
while delivering a lecture on Egypt post-counter-
revolution at the conference hall of the Jamaat-e
Islami Hind headquarters here on 6 July. Dr Khan
mentioned many other factors leading to the mil-
itary coup. On of the main reasons was, accord-
ing to Dr. Khan, Dr Morsis failure to purge the
establishment left behind by the previous
Mubarak regime, in a very short period of only
11 months in power. Dr Morsi was in fact not
allowed to function politically and not permitted
to take the required economic measures.
Dr Khan added that libralising the media which
was still owned largely by the capitalists and
pro-Mubarak people went against Morsis
administration. He said that media took undue
advantage of this liberal attitude of Dr. Morsis
administration and created an atmosphere where
Morsi seemed without ideas and initiatives and
this helped the military coup with the support of
capitalists, remnants of the Mubarak regime, the
Coptic minority and the political forces which
were defeated during the parliamentary and
presidential elections. Dr Khan hoped that
change will come although not immediately.
People are protesting against the coup in large
numbers though they are blacked out by the
media as the pro-Mursi media has been either
closed or put under censor. Dr Khan was not
surprised by the attitude of the western world as
the West has two norms of democracy, one for
Western Europe and North America and the
other for the rest of the world. While coups are
not tolerated at any cost in the WE/NA, the same
is frequently planned and encouraged so that the
Third World countries could be exploited with the
help of puppet regimes. (Nadim Ahmad)
No culture or civilisation without tolerance
New Delhi: We need tolerance today more than any time in the past. There will be no civilzaion and
culture in the world without tolerance. It is important to note that all religions have taught tolerance,
said Vice President of India Hamid Ansari while releasing Healing memories - civlisation in dialogue
a book by Dr Zeenat Shaulat Ali of Bombay University, here on 24 June. Dr Ali has emphasised in this
book that civilisations survive with tolerance only. The function was attended by many including PA
Inamdar, NCM chairman Wajahat Habibullah, Hamrdad Uni VC GN Qazi, secretary of Maulana Azad
Foundation Wazir Ahmad Ansari.
Support to Ishrat family
Encounter victim Ishrat Jahans mother Shamima Jahan and sister Musarrat Jahan visited
Delhi in early July where a number of programmes were held in their honour and to show
support to their cause. This included a media interaction at the Constitution Club on 6 July
which Hindutva goons tried to disrupt but it went ahead nonetheless. A candle light vigil
(below) was also held.
Permission to sell waqf properties will destroy waqfs
JIH Press Meet
New Delhi: Jamaat-e-Islami Hind held its
monthly press meet on 6 July in which it
said the sacking of the elected democrat-
ic government of Dr Mursi in Egypt is a
murder of democracy and conspiracy of
anti-Islam internal and external forces.
Fur ther, JIH demanded that all those
involved in Ishrat Jahan fake encounter be
exposed and punished. It said the 1991
economic policy has failed and India
should adopt Interest-free ethical eco-
nomic system to save the Indian curren-
cy from further devaluation. JIH also
urged India Govt to oppose tooth and nail US sur-
veillance plans. Jamaat demanded the inclusion
of some important provisions in the Waqf Bill in
order to protect Waqf properties. It said, live-in
relationships will increase crimes against women,
suicides, abortion, psychiatric illness in next gen-
erations. JIH demanded to find out the human
errors responsible for the Uttarakhand floods.
Mufti Ataur Rahman Qasmi speaking
Dr Khan showing how Egyptian newspapers ridiculed Mursi
Photo: Mukul Dube
Charity begins at home
Husain Momin, a car mechanic of Ahmedabad, donated his ances-
tral property worth ten crores to establish a charity hospital for poor.
48 year old Husain with Dr Kartik Shukla established Adarsh
Hospital where any needy person can get treatment irrespective of
his financial capacity. One will be asked to pay as much as one can.
Treatment shall neither be denied nor stopped for failure to pay.
Husain began his career as a mechanic when he was just twenty.
Having earned enough as a mechanic at Gandhinagar he returned to
his village and continued his career. He nursed a firm resolve to help
the poor. The hospital will provide services of gynaecologist, dentist,
orthopaedic and ENT specialists. (A. G. Khan)
4070 madrasas, schools, colleges get minority status
New Delhi: According to the data provided by NCMEI (National
Commission for Minorities Educational Institutions)s official
sources this Commission has granted minority status or Minority
Status Certificates (MSC) to 4070 religious madrasas, schools
and colleges (and even universities) during the years 2011, 2012
and till March 2013. Most of these educational institutions were
those which were facing difficulties in being granted minority sta-
tus from their district administration. In 2011 the number of edu-
cational institutions which were granted minority status was 1656
whereas in 2012 this number was 1964 and during the first 3
months of 2013 i.e. till March 2013, 1656 schools, colleges,
madrasas and universities were given minority status.
Among the educational institutions which were granted minor-
ity status there are 123 religious madrasas which is a matter of
satisfaction because thereby it will be easier for these madrasas
to get their due rights. These institutions are spread in many states
including UP, AP, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu,
West Bengal, Haryana, Punjab, Delhi, M P and others. Orissa (now
called Odisha) is the state where the number of educational insti-
tutions which have been granted minority status is minimum, fol-
lowed by W. Bengal, Haryana, Chhattisgarh and Delhi. In 2011
among the institutions which were given minority status in Delhi
were Abul Kalam Azad Boys Public School, Khadijatul Kubra Girls
Public School, Faizanul Quran Religio-Academy School, Madrasa
Al Banat Islamia (Noor Nagar), Zeenatul Masajid School. In 2012
it was Al Hira Public School and in 2013 minority status was
granted to Ahle Bait Public School and many other educational
institutions run by Christian, Jain and Punjabi welfare NGOs. It
may be noted that as compared to Muslim educational institutions
run by Muslim welfare institutions / societies etc, the number of
those run by Christian, Jain and Punjabi welfare organisations or
associations etc during the past three years (till March 2013) is
much larger as far as granting of minority status is concerned.
According to Justice MSA Siddiqi, Chairman of NCMEI, from
the year of its creation this Commission has taken many important
decisions including granting of minority status to Jamia Millia
Islamia University, Bal Chandra Institute of Education &
Management, Bronze Hills College of Engineering & Technology,
Minority Pharmacy College, Maharashtra and recently Maulana
Muhammad Ali Jauhar University at Rampur.
Hilaluddin Shah topper in Nagaland Board Exam
Imphal: Muhammad Hilaluddin Shah topped the merit list of
Nagaland Boards High School Leaving Certificate examination by
securing 577 out 600 marks scoring 96.19%. The Manipur boy,
son of a school teacher Islahuddin Shah, belongs to Manipur. He
preferred Nagaland as it is more peaceful than his home state
which is frequently disturbed by strikes / bandhs and other kinds
of agitations. He intends to study in Delhi so as to compete for
I.I.T. examination. He aspires to be an IAS and serve the nation.
Jamiats scholarship for Hindus also
Mumbai: Jamiatul Ulama-e Hind (JUH) which has been doing
Yeoman service by providing legal assistance to Muslim youths
falsely implicated and arrested by police on terrorism charges to
prove their innocence and secure their release it has so far helped
more than 300 terror accused in different parts of the country and
also works for the promotion of education among Muslims by giv-
ing scholarships, has now decided to grant such scholarships to
about 350 students which include 29 non-Muslim (Hindu) stu-
dents. Before distributing these scholarships it had brought out
advertisements in Urdu, Hindi and Marathi newspapers announc-
ing the distribution of such scholarships because, as it claimed, it
has been working ever since its creation in 1919 to build a strong
nation by working for the poor and needy people without any dis-
crimination for progress and development of the country.
Secretary of Jamiats legal cell in Mumbai, Gulzar Azmi said in
this connection that many trusts and NGOs were being run by
non-Muslims which provide financial assistance to promote edu-
cation among Muslims, he said. Therefore, why, we cant do the
same thing for non-Muslims also and give scholarships to deserv-
ing students irrespective of caste and community?, He said that
they had distributed Rs 20 lakh towards scholarships and are
planning to increase the budget next time. The scholarship
amounts, in the form of cheques, were distributed by Congress
MLA and Chairman of Maulana Azad Financial Corporation,
Mumbai to students. It may not be out of place to mention here
that one Dr Waseemur Rahman of UP who had secured a very
good position in 2009 UPSC civil services examination had taken
coaching at Sankalp, a study circle run by the RSS.
Three dozen courses approved for Khwaja University
Lucknow: Third meeting of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti Urdu, Arabic
and Persian Universitys Academic Council chaired by its Vice
Chancellor Dr Anees Ansari was held in Dr Ram Manohar Lohia
Law Universitys Meeting Hall on 27 June in which courses for dif-
ferent classes for the academic year 2013-14 were approved.
After the meeting Vice Chancellor Dr Anees Ansari said that for
this year in addition to BA (Pass) and BA (Hons) courses in sub-
jects like Urdu, Arabic, Persian, English, Physical Education,
Computer application, management and other courses also like B.
Com, B. Sc (Home Science), BJMC, MJMC, BCA, MCA, MA
(Education), MA (Urdu), BBA, MBA and PhD also have been
approved for being taught and classes in these courses would be
held. He further said that in vocational courses subjects like Data
Collection, Investigation, Urdu journalism, Hindi journalism,
Copyright, Archaeology, Tourism and Persian Archaeology,
Persian journalism and monitoring, Manuscriptology, Bibliography,
Embriodery, Apparel designing and construction, Translation and
interpretation (Arabic), Diploma in Elementary Teachers
Education, Nursery Teachers Training (Hindi), Computer
Accounting, ERP, Cyber Security, Multi-media and animation,
sports journalism, Sports Photography, Sports Infrastructure,
Fitness Centre Management, Adventurous Sports and Recreation
Centre Management also have been approved.
Tahura Shaikh scores 99.83% as external candidate
Ahmedabad: Tahura Sheikh, resident of Kalupur locality of
Ahmedabad, scored 99.83% marks in the class 12th board exam-
ination. Denied the benefit of regular class room teaching she took
the exam, as an external candidate in Commerce Stream. Her suc-
cess makes people who attend regular classes and then take
intensive coaching envious. Tahura gives the credit of her suc-
cess to her parents, specially her mother. She intends to opt for
MBA after her graduation. She recites the Quran and say her daily
prayers.
Clerk in Lokayukta net: bribe from Madrasa
Indore: An upper division clerk was arrested while accepting a
bribe of Rs 24,500 from a madrasa manager by the Lokayukta
police. Sudhir Sharma had demanded a bribe for forwarding the
application to central government for installation of computers at
the madrasa. Dr H N Khan manager, apprised that the clerk had
demanded money earlier too for releasing a cheque for Rs 1.50
lakh which he managed to get issued without paying bribe.
However, this time the clerk pressurized him for forwarding the
application. Dr Khan reported the matter to Lokayukta police which
laid a trap to nab the clerk at the office.
Muslim teenager rescues ten persons
Bhopal: Muhammad Sharib (15) who runs a tea Kisok rescued ten
persons when a fire broke out at a lodge. His own clothes also
caught fire yet he managed to bring people to safety Sharib recalls
that it was 5 A M in the morning and he was preparing tea for cus-
tomers when he noticed smoke emitting from the lodge. He
knocked at the steel shutter to warn people but in vain. Then he
threw a stone on a glass window. Meanwhile, a few customers
also joined him when he apprised them of the fire. One person
jumped from the second storey and injured his leg. Then he
entered the roof of Raj Kumar Hotel crossing over the roof of adja-
cent Rajhans Hotel and broke open the door where 8-10 persons
were trapped whom he rescued one by one. Later on he was felic-
itated in a programme Jashn-e-Sheri for his courage.
Settlement of Ayodhya dispute through mutual talks
Ayodhya: Mahant Janmeje Sharan Maharaj of Bada Asthaan Janki
Ghat who has started a signature campaign by sadhus and sants
to settle the Ayodhya dispute by mutual talks, says that we are
worshippers of Ram, not traders or businessmen who want to sell
Ram. He said that all of us aim at building a grand temple of Ram
Chandraji in Ayodhya. We neither want to play politics nor do busi-
ness in the name of Ram. Our mission is to build a Ram Mandir
through mutual talks and cooperation, without bloodshed. He said
that the campaign of talks which Allahabads retired justice Palok
Basu had started has now reached the stage where we have suc-
ceeded in the proposal that Ram Mandir as well as a mosque also
may be built in Ayodhya. Muslims should cooperate in the build-
ing of Ram Mandir and Hindus should participate in the construc-
tion of the mosque. He (Mahant Janmeje) said that we dont care
who is opposing us because with the opposition of some people
the important task of maintaining and promoting peace and har-
mony will not be stopped.
Mahant Kaushal Kishore Sharan Phulhari Baba of Raj Gopal
Mandir, Dev Murari Bapu, famous katha wachak (preacher),
Mahant Bhavnath Das, Ram Lakhan Das, Uttam Sharma, President
of Qaumi Pragati-sheel Morcha; Bal Krishn Goswamy Mahant
Purushottam Chari, Narain Mishra Nand Kishore Mishra, Mahant
Ram Tahal Sharan, Gyan Prakash (advocate), Anjani Sharan etc
took part in the signature campaign to settle the Ayodhya dispute.
Raj Gopal Mandirs popular Mahant Kaushal Kishore Sharan alias
Phulhari Baba said that Ayodhya dispute is an open sore which is
harmful not only for the health of the people of Ayodhya but a
clamity for the whole country. If a solution to this dispute is being
found through peaceful means, nothing could be better, and those
who perform this feat deserve all praise and congratulations.
(Manzar Mehdi)
SIMI activists protest against harassment
Bhopal: SIMI activists brought to be produced in court are report-
ed to have threatened CSP and three SIS. Police harassment
seems to have provoked them to protest against the treatment
being meted out to them. The incident occurred when the relatives
of these accused were trying to hand over food packets to them
to which the police objected again and again.
Jamia Legal & Intellectual Council constituted
New Delhi: Lawyers of Jamia Nagar have set up Jamia Legal &
Intellectual Council for strengthening and empowering the people of
this area socially, educationally and culturally through which sincere
efforts have been started for solving the problems of people of this
area. This organisation will concentrate its efforts and activities par-
ticularly for the problems of Jamia Nagar. Founder-Patron of this
Council Asrar Ahmad, Supreme Court advocate said while speaking
about its aims and objectives in the Councils meeting on 9 June that
we have decided to associate Muslim society with a transparent, cul-
tural and civilizational heritage of Muslims, to make Muslims equal
partners, together with our countrymen, in the all-round progress of
the country and to project Jamia Nagar as a welfare society. He said
that for this would purpose they would form a sub-committee in
which people of different localities of Jamia Nagar will be included
who will supervise their respective localities. If the people of a partic-
ular locality face some problems or difficulties or if some people delib-
erately create difficulties for others on the basis of muscle power we
will try to solve the problem with mutual understanding but even then
if he persists, they would file a case against such a person in court,
they would not charge any money for this from any body, he said.
Councils secretary, Athar Alam, Supreme Court advocate said our
priorities are legal solution to the problems and difficulties of this area,
encroachment, traffic jams, opening of more schools, hospital,
arrangements for parking places and other basic facilities.
Sunil Joshi wanted to kill justice Bannerjee
Mumbai: Angry over the clean chit given by justice Bannerjee to
Godhra Muslims in their alleged conspiracy of setting Sabarmati
Express ablaze, Sunil Joshi had decided to kill Justice Bannerjee.
The then railway minister Lalu Prasad Yadav had appointed an
enquiry commission which, in its report, described the fire as
accidental. According to a witness, whose identity the CBI has not
disclosed, he along with Joshi had travelled to Calcutta where
Joshi divulged his intention. Joshi had undertaken a recce of his
residence. The witness, after knowing the intention, parted com-
pany.
Jamaat-e-Islami Hind doing relief work in Uttarakhand
New Delhi: Jamaat-e-Islami Hinds UP West & Uttarakhand units
are holding a relief camp at Haridwar railway station for victims of
devastating flood in the Uttarakhand. Local administration and
Indian Railways have cooperated with the JIH team to set up the
relief camp at the railway station. They have also provided residen-
tial facilities to the Jamaat team. The relief camp of the Jamaat
was inaugurated by Railway Superintendent Mr. GK Das, accord-
ing to a press statement by the Jamaat on 27 July, 2003. The
Jamaat relief camp consists of a team of five medical specialists
and a mobile hospital equipped with all necessary machinery and
facilities for treatment. Crowds of survivors were seen lining up at
the camp. They were being attended properly.
New Delhi: Union minister for minorities affairs K. Rahman Khan
in a meeting held on 11 June made a proposal to constitute a
committee consisting of representatives of union ministry of
labour and employment, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII),
Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FICCI)
and Punjab, Haryana & Delhi Chamber of Commerce & Industry
(PHDCCI) in order to create better opportunities of employment
and skill development for minorities in private and public sector
undertakings. He made an appeal, particularly to the representa-
tives of CII, PHDCCI and FICCI which represent private sector
industries, to give their maximum cooperation for the progress
and development of minorities and under their social responsibil-
ities make skill development and providing employment to them
as part of their planning and programmes.
Referring to MSDP (multi-sectoral development programme)
he said that all the three chambers of industries should also join
hands with the government in setting up ITIs, polytechnics and
other developmental projects in minority concentrated blocks and
cities. Speaking about Maulana Azad Education Foundation
(MAEF) he said that this institution is playing an important role in
the educational progress of minorities, particularly Muslims but
private sector should also use their financial and human
resources for greater success of MAEFs programmes which
also include, in addition to spread of education, giving scholar-
ships, development of arts and skill through training and helping
them (minorities) in self employment by promoting entrepreneur-
ship in business and industry. He also appealed to those present
in this meeting to offer their own suggestions for the progress
and empowerment of minorities in addition to what the govern-
ment was doing or plans to do.
He said that earlier his ministry had issued directions to the
Department of Personnel & Training (DoP&T) that in all selection
committees and boards at every level, whether purely govern-
ment institutions or semi-government and public sector under-
takings there must be at least one Muslim member.
In this meeting there were representatives of, as stated
above, the ministry of labour and employment, Department of
Personnel & Training, Department of Public Enterprises, all the
three chambers of Commerce of industry and senior officers of
the ministry of minorities affairs. (N. A. Ansari)
Proposal to provide employment opportunities
for minorities by corporate sector
14 The Milli Gazette, 16-31 July 2013 COMMUNITY NEWS www.milligazette.com
Communal riot in Jalgaon
Jalgaon: Communal riot broke out at Sauda village of Jalgaon dis-
trict of Maharashtra on the night of 12 June because of a clash
between two groups of people belonging to different communi-
ties. In this clash about 12 shops of Muslims and some vehicles
were set on fire after which curfew was clamped. According to
police 7 persons were seriously injured but according to Jalgaon
districts Jamiatul Ulama authorities more than 10 persons were
injured all of whom were admitted in government hospital where
they are under treatment. There are however discrepancies in the
statements of police and those of Jamiatul Ulama. According to
police some persons sitting in a small restaurant were discussing
something but during the discussion some differences arose
among themselves which took a serious turn and in no time the
differences developed into clashes when sharp edged weapons
were used and also stonings took place as a result of which many
persons were injured and shops and vehicles were set on fire.
According to Jalgaons Jamiatul Ulama authorities, some
arguments started between two rickshaw drivers who belonged to
two difference communities which developed into a severe clash.
The rickshaw driver belonging to the majority community was
drunk, he thrashed Irfan, the other rickshaw puller. This developed
into a communal clash between the members of the two commu-
nities resulting in injuries and setting fire to shops and vehicles.
Police took 20 persons of both groups into custody for ques-
tioning and posted additional police force. According to police
authorities situation was brought under control shortly.
Residential schools to be opened in Okhla
New Delhi: In view of educational backwardness of Muslims cen-
tral government has decided to open modern residential schools
in Okhla Jamia Nagar area which is a Muslim-populated area. In
these schools there will also be hostels, play grounds and other
facilities. Because of strong pressure by milli organisations on
government, it has constituted many committees and the union
ministry of minorities affairs has been given the responsibility of
implementing this scheme. The union minister for minorities
affairs has initiated many steps in this direction. It is now to be
seen how far and how soon this scheme is implemented.
The minister said that all kinds of facilities will be provided to
these schools and hostel facility in these schools will be of high
standard so that residential students do not face any difficulty and
standard of education also will be high. The minister further said
that, facilities available in DPS will be made available in these
schools also so that Muslim students get good opportunities for
moving ahead. He also said that such modern residential schools
will be set up in Muslim concentrated districts all over the coun-
try.
Ishrat Encounter Enquiry stirs a hornets nest
Ahmedabad: CBIs investigation in the Ishrat Jehans fake
encounter case has stirred a hornets nest which is likely to
embarrass not only policemen but also politicians.
CBI magistrate sent DG Vanzaara into judicial custody upto
June at the expiry of his five day police remand. He is lodged in
Sabarmatis Central jail. During his interrogation he did not coop-
erate with the agency and preferred to remain silent. While the CBI
wanted to send him back to Mumbai after the expiry of remand
period the court sent him into judicial custody.
During interrogation the CBI made G. L Singhal, the then ACP,
and D G Vanzaara the then DCP Crime branch, face each other to
ascertain the fact. It is believed that Singhal has spilled the beans.
Telephonic conversations between Amit Shah and Vanzaara
before and after the encounter are being probed to find out the
facts. Mobile call details have been obtained.
Former Police Commissioner K R Kaushik has also been
interrogated to pinpoint the role of IB officer Rajendra Kumar who
is accused of providing false inputs in the Sadiq Jamal and Ishrat
encounter cases. He is likely to be nabbed to establish under
whose directions he was supplying bogus inputs.
Amit Shahs appointment as U P poll manager is likely to
boomerang on him. Though there are positive evidence against
Modi too but a lobby among Congress leaders does not want to
give Modi the benefit of becoming a hero. Hence, for the time
being only Amit Shah will face the music. (A. G. Khan)
Graveyard land for aganwadi
Mehsana: Survey No 1550 on Visnagar Road in Vijapur city has
been in use as a graveyard where, local people buried their rela-
tives in the past. In addition, persons whose bodies remain
unclaimed / unidentified have been buried in the land.
When the municipality was under a BJP dominated board a
resolution was passed. It decided to build the offices of the
municipality on the land. However, because of public protest and
a case pending in the court the plan was abandoned
After February 2013 election a Congress dominated board
has assumed office. This board secretly resolved to construct an
anganwadi in the backyard of the land. Non stop construction has
already begun. This has led to protest over the matter.
More than 250 Bihar madrasas to get computers
Kishan Ganj: Master Mujahid, a member of Bihar State Madrasa
Board said here that Bihar governments Depar tment of
Information Technology has sanctioned Rs 30 crores for equip-
ping the states 263 madrasas with computers and that education
to madrasa students will be imparted through modern technology
so as to enable them keep abreast of modern times and move for-
ward confidently in todays competitive world. He said that edu-
cation now will be imparted to them with the help of projectors
and with the help of photos and pictures and hence it will become
easier for them to understand the complexities and difficult prob-
lems of subjects. He said that work on these projects is going on
and is now in the final stages of completion.
President of Bihar State Madrasa Board, Muhammad
Mumtaz Alam said that before the Independence of the coun-
try i.e. during the period of British rule, in 1922 keeping the
culture and tradition of Muslims and their religious education
in mind British government had given permission for madrasa
education and teachers were also appointed for impar ting reli-
gious education. The present government is now spending
croes of rupees for running madrasas on modern lines, with
the result that in a backward region like Kishan Ganj, religious
as well as modern education is being impar ted in madrasas,
where Muslim as well as non-Muslim students receive educa-
tion. Giving two examples he said that a non-Muslim girl,
Seema Kumari from a backward region like Kishan Ganj who
appeared for Molvi examination from Madrasa Faizul Ghurba of
Sehangaon, a village in Kishan Ganj district, secured second
position in the entire state. Similarly, another girl, Roohani
Khatoon of the same madrasa and village, secured third posi-
tion in the state. He said that securing second and third posi-
tion in the whole state from an economically and educational-
ly very backward place like Kishan Ganj shows that education-
al awareness is growing among the people of such backward
and poor places and if more facilities on modern lines are pro-
vided, people of these backward places will make more
progress and parents also will be motivated to sent their chil-
dren, both boys and girls to schools or madrasas for educa-
tion.
Accused in the bomb blasts that killed and injured hundreds,
gets bail after 3 years
Guwahati: Ranjan Daimary, chief of the National Democratic Front
of Bodoland (NDFB) who was the prime accused in as many as 9
serial bomb blasts, that took place in 4 districts of Assam, viz.
Guwahati, Kokrajhar, Bangaigaon and Barpeta on 30 October,
2008 in which a hundred persons were killed and as many as
about 500 were injured, was ordered to be released on bail by a
TADA court and a sessions court on 18 June 2013 and finally
freed from jail on 23 June. It appears that for two years after the
blasts police could not arrest him and he was arrested two years
later i.e. in mid-2010 in Bangladesh and subsequently handed
over to Indian authorities at the same time and was lodged in dif-
ferent jails of Assam. This verdict of the TADA court and sessions
court (release on bail) in case of a terrorist, a bomb blast accused
and killer of hundreds, is in sharp contrast to the dozens, nay hun-
dreds of innocent Muslims falsely accused and arrested on mere
suspicion on fabricated charges of terrorism, made to languish in
jails for many years without being charge sheeted and after being
brutally treated in jails, if lucky, being honourably freed by courts
after five, seven, ten or more years.
Daimerys advocate Manas Sarania said that the courts had
imposed certain conditions against his release on bail that is, he
should not leave Assam without prior permission, he should reg-
ularly attend court at the time of hearing of his case, he should
surrender his passport etc. It may be stated here that these con-
ditions are not specific to him only because such conditions are
imposed on all those who are released on bail.
Another thing to be noted is that after being arrested for such
a heinous crime and terrorist act at 4 places in which hundreds
were killed, he was released on bail after only 3 years, whereas
many others who are falsely arrested and meted out inhuman
treatment in jails are not granted bail even after 5, 6 or more years
but this terrorist who was involved not in one but as many as in 5
cases was granted bail in all the 5 cases! This is a matter of seri-
ous thought for those who are leading a campaign for the release
of innocent persons falsely implicated in terrorist or other true or
imaginary cases.
Urdu department set up in IGNOU
New Delhi: A new Department of Urdu has been opened in Indira
Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), New Delhi. Prof Anwar
Pasha, President of Hamdam, an NGO, while welcoming this step
of IGNOU said that his organisation had been trying and impress-
ing upon the government the need for opening such a department
from the time when (late) Arjun Singh was HRD minister. He said
that it was his old demand to set up Urdu department in IGNOU
like the departments of other languages in this University for
imparting Urdu education. For this he had submitted written
demands not only to Arjun Singh but after him to UPA Chairperson
Sonia Gandhi, also and prime minister Manmohan Singh, former
HRD minister Kapil Sibal and the present HRD minister Pallam
Raju many times. He said that Kapil Sibal and Pallam Raju had
given him written assurances that Urdu department would soon
be opened in IGNOU. Welcoming this step he said that IGNOU
being an important educational institution for the promotion of
distance education, it was essential that it should have Urdu
department also so that Urdu students or those desirous of learn-
ing Urdu in different parts of the country should also benefit from
this.
A new record in the production of tomato
Bahraich (UP): Ghulam Muhammad, a 45-year old farmer of Jarol
town of Bahraich district of UP created a record in the production
ot tomatoes when he produced a record 45 quintals of tomatoes
in a field measuring 20 bighas. He irrigated his tomato crop
through drip irrigation system and the crop was ready in three
months. Farmers and people from far off places had been coming
to see his tomato crop. Before the production of tomatoes he had
created a record in the production of bananas for which he was
honoured with Governors Award.
Distribution of certificates in Arabic Centre
Kishan Ganj: An Arabic Centre was set up in Tauheed Educational
Trust at Kishan Ganj seven weeks ago where a training camp was
organised in cooperation with Madina University, Saudi Arabia.
After 7 weeks training certificates were awarded to the success-
ful candidates on 19/06/13. Chairman of Tauheed Educational
Trust, Maulana Sheikh Matiur Rahman while speaking on this
occasion thanked Madinah University teachers for imparting edu-
cation and training to Arabic students. He said that the need for an
Arabic Centre in this Trust was being felt since long so that boy
and girl students passing out from this Centre would be able to get
good jobs in foreign countries and by the grace of God this dream
has been fulfilled now. He said that Tauheed Educational Trust will
continue to fulfill its responsibility so that boys and girls may con-
tinue to benefit from this Trust. He also lauded the efforts of
teachers of Madinah University with whose efforts students
acquired a working knowledge of Arabic language.
Indore mourns Asghar Ali Engineer
Indore: Glowing tributes were paid to Asghar Ali Engineer by
speakers at a condolence meeting organised by MP Progressive
Writers Association at the Press Club Indore. Among prominent
speakers were Irfan Engineer, son of the deceased activist, Ram
Puniyani and Zakiya Sonan.
Speakers recalled Indores association with the renowned schol-
ars which was not only his alma mater but also gave him a platform
for carrying out his campaign. While his room partner in the SGITS
hostel, Saifuddin Tinwala, indoctrinated him with Marxism the Bohra
reform movement found quite a good number of supporters here. At
the Dawoodi Bohra conference at Chhota Nehru Stadium (1987) he
was hailed by persons like Khwaja Ahmad Abbas, prominent novel-
ist and film maker, and Krishna Kant (who later became the Vice
President of India). Irfan Engineer pointed out that his father had pub-
licly declared that Karl Marx, the atheist, was the most spiritual per-
son because of his belief in equality. Readings of Marxism gave him
fresh insights into The Holy Quran. There are two aspects of religion,
one identity based exclusivist (deen) and the other morality based
inclusive (Shariat). Elaborating Irfans statement Ram Puniyani said
that while the identity based religion relies heavily on symbols such
as Ram temple or the cow; morality based religion is used to bring
people together.
Jasbir Chawla, the man behind the 1987 conference at Indore
and also the activist who induced for and organised the condo-
lence meeting on 10 June, used to be his host during his Indore
visit. (A. G. Khan)
New Delhi: Boarding schools for students of Dalit, OBC and
minorities class on the pattern of Orissas Kalinga Institute of
Social Sciences (KISS) for students belonging to scheduled
castes will be opened in Delhis Isapur locality near Najafgarh. An
agreement to this effect was signed in Delhi on 27 June by the
secretaries of Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences and the con-
cerned department of Delhi government in the presence of Delhi
states chief minister Shiela Dikshit and head of Kalinga Institute,
Dr Samant. Delhis chief minister said that in the Kalinga Institute
about 20,000 students belonging to 62 backward communities
and classes were receiving education. Lauding the efforts of
Kalinga Institutes chief, Dr Samant, she said that he has been
successfully imparting higher education to poor children without
any financial help and this is the biggest school in South Asia run
by KISS where education from KG to post graduation level is
imparted to ten thousand children / students belonging to sched-
uled castes. Moreover, there are also hostel facilities for these
students and no student drops out.
She said that in the proposed school in Isapur, in the first
instance 300 children belonging to these communities will be
admitted and the number of such children / students will go
on increasing every year. She said that children whose par-
ents annual income is Rs 2 lakh or less will be admitted in
this school and no fee will be charged for the students board-
ing, lodging, education, books and stationery, medical facili-
ties etc. She fur ther said that the responsibility for running
this school will be entrusted to KISS which is running its
above mentioned school in Bhubaneshwar. She said that the
Kalinga Institute will run and manage this school from the
current year (2013) for 15 years and, as stated above, edu-
cation to students belonging to SC, ST, OBC, minority com-
munities and other poor and helpless students will be impar t-
ed. It is learnt that chief minister had herself visited and seen
the Orissa school and being very much impressed, decided to
open such a school in Delhi also for students belonging to
these categories. (N. A. Ansari)
Boarding school on the pattern of Kalinga
Institute to be opened in Delhi for
minorities and backward class people
COMMUNITY NEWS The Milli Gazette, 16-31 July 2013 15 www.milligazette.com
ERIC MARGOLIS
The real story behind the military coup in Cairo led by General al-
Sissi is much more complex than the western media is reporting.
Far from a spontaneous uprising by Egyptians, - aka "a people's
revolution" - what really happened was a putsch orchestrated by
Egypt's "deep government" and outside powers - the latest phase
of the counter-revolution against the so-called Arab Spring.
A year ago, Egyptians elected Mohammed Morsi president in
their first fair democratic election. Morsi came from the ranks of the
Muslim Brotherhood, an eight-decade old conservative movement
of professionals dedicated to bringing Islamic principals of public
welfare, politics, education, justice, piety and fighting corruption.
But the deck was stacked against Morsi and the Brotherhood from
day one. The brutal US-backed Mubarak had fallen, but the organs
of his 30-year dictatorship, Egypt's pampered 440,000-man mili-
tary, judiciary, academia, media, police, intelligence services and
bureaucrats, remained in place. Even Morsi's presidential guard
remained under control of the Mubarak forces.
The dictatorship's old guard - better known as the "deep gov-
ernment" - sought to thwart every move of the Brotherhood. In
fact, the stolid, plodding Morsi only became president after more
capable colleagues were vetoed by the hard-line Mubarakist
courts. Morsi should have purged the "deep government", notably
the police, secret police, judges, and media who were sabotaging
the democratic government. But Morsi was too soft, and the
entrenched powers arrayed against him too strong. He never
managed to grasp the levers of state. Ironically, after all the media
hysteria in North America over the alleged dangers of the Muslim
Brotherhood, it turned out to be a dud.
The Brotherhood stumbled from one crisis to the next as
Egypt's economy, already in terrible shape before the 2011 revo-
lution, sank like a rock. Tourism, that provided 17% of national
income, evaporated. Unemployment soared over 13%, and over
50% among angry urban young. We have recently seen this same
phenomena in Turkey, Tunisia, Algeria, Pakistan, and Western
Europe. Severe shortages of fuel and electricity sparked outrage.
Egypt's curse is that it cannot feed its surging population of
over 90 million. So Cairo imports huge quantities of wheat and
subsidizes retail prices for bread. The US sustained the Sadat and
Mubarak regimes with boatloads of wheat discounted 50%. This
vital aid tapered off when Morsi took power. Food prices in Egypt
rose 10%. Equally important, ever since Anwar Sadat invited in
the US to rearm his outdated military, Egypt's armed forces have
become joined at the hip with the Pentagon. Just as Turkey's
500,000-man armed forces were, until eleven years ago, and
Pakistan's so remain today.
Armies of many Muslim states are designed to control their
populations, not defeat foreign enemies. The only Arab military
force in recent memory to beat an invader has been the guerilla
forces of Lebanon's Hezbollah. The US provides Egypt's military
$1.5 billion annually, not counting tens of millions of "black" pay-
ments from CIA to leading generals, police chiefs, commentators
and bureaucrats. Egypt's military has been totally re-equipped with
US F-16 fighter-bombers, M-1 heavy tanks, armored vehicles,
radars, electronic systems, and artillery.
Washington has supplied
Egypt with just enough arms
to control its population and
intimidate small neighbors, but
not enough to wage war
against Israel. Fur ther, the
Pentagon sharply limits Egypt
supplies of munitions, mis-
siles and vital spare parts. Many of Egypt's generals have been
trained in US military colleges, where they formed close links with
US intelligence and the Pentagon. CIA, DIA, and NSA have large
stations in Egypt that watch its military and population.
Under Mubarak, the US controlled Egypt's military and key
parts of its economy. When Morsi and the Brotherhood came to
power, Washington backed off for a while but in recent months
apparently decided to back the overthrow of Egypt's first demo-
cratic government. This fact became perfectly clear when the
White House refused to call the military coup in Cairo a "coup".
Had it done so, US law would have mandated the cutoff of US aid
to Egypt.
US politicians and media, with shameless hypocrisy, are hailing
the overthrow of Morsi as a democratic achievement. In North
America, anything labeled "Muslim" has become ipso facto menac-
ing. The counter-revolution of Egypt's "deep government" was
financed and aided by the US and Saudi Arabia, cheered on by Israel,
the UAE, Britain and France. Tiny Qatar, that backed Morsi with $8 bil-
lion, lost its influence in Cairo. The Saudis will now call many shots
in Egypt.
In recent weeks, mass street demonstrations in major
Egyptian cities against Morsi were organized by the police, secret
police and the Mubarakist structure. Fears of the Brotherhood
were whipped up among Egypt's nervous Coptic Christians, 10%
of the population, who form much of the urban elite. Then there
were tens of thousands of unemployed, highly volatile young
street people, as we recently saw in Istanbul, ready to explode at
any excuse. Large numbers of Egyptians were fed up with stum-
bles of Morsi's government - even some of his former Salafist
allies. - and the threat of economic collapse. Liberals, Nasserites,
Marxists joined them. There may be some armed resistance
against the coup, but it will likely be crushed by Egypt's military
and attack-dog security forces. Senior Brotherhood officials are
already being arrested, and pro-Brotherhood media gagged, while
Washington turns a blind eye. As of now, the threat of a real civil
war such as Algeria suffered in the 1990's after a US and French-
backed military coup seems unlikely, but not impossible.
Meanwhile, the military has installed a puppet president for the
time being. The old US "asset" Mohammed el-Baradei may take
over as civilian frontman for the generals, who prefer civilian sock
puppets get blamed for Egypt's economic and social crises.
So much for democracy in the Mideast. The overthrow of a
moderate Islamist government will send a message to the Muslim
world that compromise with the Western powers is impossible
and only violent resistance can shake the status quo. (ericmargo-
lis.com)
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16 The Milli Gazette, 16-31 July 2013 INTERNATIONAL www.milligazette.com
So Much For Mideast Democracy
Arab Shaikhs
learn to behave
DR JAVED JAMIL
If I have ever talked least of any rulers, it is the ones that control
the main Arab Lands of Saudi Arab, UAE, Kuwait and Qatar. This
is because I find nothing fascinating about them. They are toler-
able because they have kept their people in peace and comfort.
The per capita income, life expectancy, infrastructure, security
risk, social vices - all are on the positive side in these countries.
They prefer to remain away from wars. They have not witnessed
any notable violence in last several decades. If they are no
Islamic revolutionaries or enthusiasts, they are no atheists either.
They are conservative and have been able to keep hold on power
because the people have no big reasons to revolt against them.
For several decades, their tilt towards West in foreign policy
is well known. They supply West the Oil it needs and West in turn
supplies them goods and gives them guarantees against external
attacks. They have not enough brains to understand that West's
dependence on them is bigger than theirs on West. What they
need from West, they can have from many other countries -
Russia, China, India, even countries like Iran, Turkey and
Malaysia. What West needs from them, it cannot have from any
other source. But if their equations keep the area peaceful and
comfortable, why should anybody complain?
But what they have been doing in recent months defies all
logic. It is true that they had supported America in its two wars
against Iraq and against Afghanistan. Their role even in those
wars, particularly the second one against Iraq was not com-
mendable. But what they have been doing now in their neighbour-
hood is deplorable, to say the least. They have been the main
supplier of arms and finances to rebels in Syria because the West
does not like Syrian regime. When the rebels started losing
ground, they again used sectarian sentiments (like they had done
during the later phase of Iran-Iraq war when the scales had tilted
in favour of Iran) to earn support from the larger Muslim world.
Fortunately, not many have jumped to the bandwagon of Sunni-
Shia rivalry. And the most unfortunate display of their shameful
behaviour has come in the on-going events in Egypt. How the
Khadimul Harmain can support the forces hostile to Islam against
a President belonging to an Islamic party only they can explain.
And the bigger tragedy is that they have chosen to do it openly.
They have expressed pleasure at Morsi's removal and have
pledged huge aid to the military. Maybe, they fear a type of Spring
arriving in their own lands and feel that Egyptian army would
come to their rescue if that happens. Maybe, American masters
have instigated them to take an openly anti-MB stand so that
"Islamist" elements do not spread their net in the rest of the Arab
world.
How sad! It is high time Saudi Arabia played the Guardian's
role in the Islamic world. Despite a lot of unhappiness about their
way of functioning, the people in the Islamic World look with
respect towards them because they are the custodians of the two
holiest places of Islam. People are extremely careful in talking ill
of them. But they should also have realized what their status
demands from them. The must try to diffuse tensions, strife and
civil wars in Muslim lands rather than fomenting them. Alas! They
have failed themselves and their 1.6 billion fellow religionists.
Far from a spontaneous uprising by Egyptians, - aka "a people's revolution" - what really hap-
pened was a putsch orchestrated by Egypt's "deep government" and outside powers - the latest
phase of the counter-revolution against the so-called Arab Spring.
The dictatorship's old guard - better known as the "deep government" - sought to thwart every
move of the Brotherhood. In fact, the stolid, plodding Morsi only became president after more
capable colleagues were vetoed by the hard-line Mubarakist courts. Morsi should have purged
the "deep government", notably the police, secret police, judges, and media who were sabotag-
ing the democratic government. But Morsi was too soft, and the entrenched powers arrayed
against him too strong. He never managed to grasp the levers of state.
The US sustained the Sadat and Mubarak regimes with boatloads of wheat discounted 50%.
This vital aid tapered off when Morsi took power. Food prices in Egypt rose 10%. Equally impor-
tant, ever since Anwar Sadat invited in the US to rearm his outdated military, Egypt's armed
forces have become joined at the hip with the Pentagon. Just as Turkey's 500,000-man armed
forces were, until eleven years ago, and Pakistan's so remain today.
Yusuf/MG
Some bodies of Mursi supporters
murderered by the Army while they
offered dawn prayers on 8 July
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INTERNATIONAL The Milli Gazette, 16-31 July 2013 17 www.milligazette.com
KHALID AMAYREH
Ocupied Jerusalem: The PA regime in Ramallah proves everyday
that it is absolutely worthy of a prominent place in the dustbin of
history. The matter here goes far beyond the scandalous groveling
of that regime at Israel's and America's feet despite the latter's bla-
tant hostility to Palestinian rights.
In fact, the Ramallah regime has effectively lost whatever
moral compass it may claim to have. Its ignominious behavior at
various levels leaves no doubt as to its moral bankruptcy.
Last week, the PA regime allowed the organization of a per-
missive concert in Ramallah. During the concert, drunken young
men and women mingled rather promiscuously. Some of the
scenes at the concerts were so offensive to the Palestinian culture
that the organizers had to abruptly end it, ostensibly to prevent fur-
ther chaos.
Unrepentant, the organizers sought to take the show to al-
Khalil, the largest and most conservative town in the West Bank.
However, community leaders in al-Khalil warned the local governor
that permissive concerts were a red line.
"We are not in Las Vegas or Frankfurt ; we are Muslims living
in al-Khalil, in the vicinity of the Patriarch Ibrahim and not far from
the Aqsa Mosque. Such promiscuity and permissiveness are
unacceptable to our community since they contribute to corrupt-
ing our young generations," said a statement read by the local
community and civic leaders.
Eventually, the governor, Kamel Humeid, heeded the local
community's call, and decided to ban the organization of the con-
cert in the city.
The decision was widely viewed as a victory by the Islamist
camp over Fatah, the political backbone of the PA.
Another indelible badge of dishonor for the PA took the form
of granting a non-Palestinian Arab singer a special Palestinian
passport. The symbolic measure contradicts the vociferous objec-
tions voiced by Fatah and the Ramallah leadership to the granting
by Prime Minister Ismael Haniya earlier this year of a diplomatic
passport to Dr. Yousuf al-Qaradaw, the prominent Muslim scholar
and thinker.
Al-Qaradawi is the author of more than sixty books and is
widely considered one of the prominent living Muslim scholars.
The 85-year old scholar spent the bulk of his life defending
Palestine so much that Europe and North America declared him
persona non grata under Zionist pressure.
The PA went as far as asking Interpol to arrest al-Qaradawi for
carrying "a false passport." The measure was largely symbolic
and intended to harass the prominent scholar and embarrass the
Islamist government in the Gaza Strip, but it showed the extent to
which the depraved regime was willing to go in defying Muslim
sensibilities.
The fact that the PA leadership sees that an insignificant singer
is more deserving of Palestinian honor than a great Muslim schol-
ar underscores the depravity and moral bankruptcy of the entire
PA apparatus.
Of course, the moral downfall of the PA is not a recent phe-
nomenon. When the PA was established following the scandalous
Oslo Accords in the early 1990s, the first thing it did was building
a large casino for gambling in the town of Jericho. This,
too, will be an indelible mark of shame on the Ramallah
group.
It is really difficult to pinpoint an achievement or hon-
orable behavior that would vindicate the PA.
A few days ago, PA media displayed a euphoric jubi-
lation over the military coup against the elected Egyptian president
Muhammed Mursi. Gleeful gloating over the overthrow of the legit-
imate Egyptian head of state was conspicuous on PA-run TV as if
the new military dictatorship in Cairo would liberate Jerusalem and
free al-Masjidul Aqsa (the Aqsa Mosque) from Zionist bondage.
It obviously didn't occur to the Palestinian leadership that mil-
itary coups can only bring disaster to their countries and people
and can never be a genuine asset for Palestine and its struggling
people.
We in the Arab world have been living under military dictator-
ships or military-backed tyrannies for ages. And the result has
been indisputably disastrous to put it mildly. Just look at what is
happening in Iraq , Syria , Yemen and Egypt . Fifty years ago, the
latter was at the same socio-economic level of countries such as
South Korea . Now, South Korea is an economic superpower
whereas Egypt is having trouble feeding its own people.
This is the direct result of the inherent impotence of military
dictatorships.
Unfortunately, military dictators obviously have their fans,
mostly ignorant people who are duped and beguiled to believe
almost anything. To my chagrin, there are a lot of such people in
Palestine and elsewhere in the Arab world.
Well, who says that only dynastic tyrannies in the Arab world
have imbecile citizens who content themselves with following the
adage "feed me today, kill me tomorrow."?
The stark realties in the Arab world, including occupied
Palestine, remind us of another adage: "If knowledge is a sea, igno-
rance is an ocean."
The bankrupt Ramallah regime
Egypt: It is a coup d'tat!
IRFAN AHMAD
Let's call a spade a spade: despite military's denial that it didn't plan
to stage a coup d'tat, what it did on July 3 was precisely a coup.
The arresting visual of the announcement of the coup on the state
television had elements of exactly that postmodern spectacle.
Unlike the 1999 coup by Pakistan's General Pervez Musharraf,
General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's was almost surreal. As he announced
in his shrill voice the unconstitutional deposition of the elected
President Mohammad Morsi, on his right were seated heads of
other wings of armed forces, including the liberal poster-man,
Mohamed ElBaradei.
On General al-Sisi's left were, inter alia, Grand Sheikh of Al-
Azhar, Pope Tawadros of the Coptic Church, a member of the al-
Nour party as well as a representative of the youth. There were no
women. One by one all these figures spoke to back the coup and
thereby subverted Egypt's fragile democracy.
To General al-Sisi, this coordinated and well-thought-out coup
was a 'patriotic', not a 'political' act. Think of George Orwell and the
masterful twist of language!
The subversion of Egypt's democracy was implicitly hailed by
democracy's custodians, the Western states, for none of them -
not the USA, the EU, France or the UK - named the overthrow of the
Freedom and Justice Party (FJP)-led government as a 'coup d'tat',
leave alone condemned it.
By failing to do so, these Western democracies found them-
selves as unlikely bedfellows with Saudi Arabia and the UAE, two
states that also welcomed the coup. Does not the statement of
British Foreign Secretary, William Haguethat 'only democratic
processes and government by consent will bring the stability and
prosperity that the people of Egypt seek' mislead people to think that
the Morsi's government was not based on consent?
If the mere number of people taking to the streets is a sufficient
condition for a government to be overthrown, then, did the govern-
ments of Tony Blair and George W. Bush met this condition as mil-
lions had marched against their unethical war in 2003?
My point is not to justify whatever Morsi did or to discredit the
anti-Morsi protests. Clearly, such protests are integral to a thriving
democracy. The question, however, is: how such protests in the
name of democracy end up befriending its current adversary, the
unelected military?
How is it that the 'liberal-secular' opposition, that so detests the
Islamism of the FJP, includes the al-Nour party of Salafis who are
no less religious than their Brotherhood counterparts? Does not
ElBaradei's liberalism wedded to unbridled military might prove
Uday Mehta's contention that liberalism has historically served
empire?
You are a democrat, but are you a friend? The July 3 coup d'-
tat is a classic example of de-democratisation engineered by the
powerful states, invariably the Western ones...
In the case of Egypt, it is not yet clear to what extent the inter-
nal and external actors converged to enact her de-democratisation.
However, this much is clear that if a less powerful democratic state
does not serve the interests and identity of the powerful - within and
without - democracy is easily sacrificed to ensure the hegemony of
the powerful. What ultimately matters is not being a democrat but
being a friend. In some ways, Egypt of 2013 resembles Haiti of
2004 and Ireland of 2008.
In 2004 France and the US organised a coup against the elect-
ed President of Haiti, Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Aristide was put on a
20-hour flight to the Central African Republic. Even the Haitian offi-
cials didn't know about his destination. As I write, we don't know
where Morsi is. Aristide maintains that he was abducted...
Unable to deal with him politically, Senator Jesse Helms, a
Republican from North Carolina, called Aristide a 'psychopath'. The
day Morsi was ousted BBC interviewed a woman named Suraiyya,
who dubbed formations like FJP and Morsi as "Islamofascist". The
BBC journalist didn't bother to ask her how she applied such a label.
The synergy between the interviewee and interviewer was just per-
fect and subverted any legitimacy Morsi may have possessed.
In June 2008 Ireland held a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty on
European Union reform. Over 53 percent rejected the Lisbon Treaty.
This rejection, however, went against the wishes of Europe's elites.
Instead of accepting what the Irish people sovereignly decided,
The Guardian delegitimized the Ireland's popular will as follows:
Less than 1 percent of the EU's 490m citizens appear to have
scuppered the deal mapped out in Lisbon that was meant to shape
Europe in the 21st century. A similar logic was/is at work in the
case of Egypt...
The problem with Morsi and FJP was precisely this; they didn't
say exactly what the powerful wanted to hear, and their ideological
adversaries were happy for popular revolt to subvert democratic
processes until their ideal outcome may arise.
Future of democracy and Egypt
Now that Egypt stands de-democratised and the Army has issued
a road map, what is to be done? Let's hope that General al-Sisi's
model is neither Pakistan's General Musharraf nor General Zia-ul-
Haq. Furthermore, to responsibly answer this question is to tran-
scend narrow, exclusive interests of any group and build a plural,
dialogic political community acknowledging, not negating, differ-
ences.
This entails redefining democracy democratically so that it
flowers into value in its own right, not simply as a bare tool that
serves one's partisan interests. It must alter, even abolish, rather
than reproduce the dominant dualism between 'friends' and 'foes'.
If the goal is to nurture as well as redefine democracy in its
nascent stage, none of the political formations, including the FJP,
should resort to violence. That will deprive Egyptians of an
immense possibility of imagining politics anew.
To build a truly democratic Egypt is to follow the path and ideals
of Abdul Ghaffar Khan, a great 20th century icon of non-violence
and democracy. In short, to recreate democracy Egypt ought to
courageously resist any act of de-democratisation, from within as
well as without. (Abridged from aljazeera.com)
KARAMATULLAH K. GHORI
Future historians will be entitled to
describe it the heist of the century what
Egypt's besotted generals have done to
their people. Egyptians have been
robbed, in broad daylight, of the revolu-
tion they had sacrificed so much to bring
about.
But the power-addicted generals
couldn't think of a better 4th of July pres-
ent for their American mentors. That
president Obama liked the gift could be
read between the lines of his muted and muffled reaction to his
Egyptian hirelings' outrageous behaviour in toppling a popularly-
elected head of state with brazen temerity.
Regretting-but only pro-forma-the military coup d'etat by the
Egyptian military high command, Obama judiciously refrained
from calling it as such: a coup d'etat.
In similar spirit, while pro-forma reminding the Egyptian mili-
tary thugs of the necessity of returning their country to civilian
rule, he sufficed to demand the return of "an elected democratic
government" but not of the democratic and elected government
they had just toppled.
Not to be left behind their bosom US allies and mentors-and
in fact stealing a march over them-the Saudi monarch, King
Abdullah, welcomed the undemocratic move of the Egyptian gen-
erals and eloquently thanked them for their "wisdom and modera-
tion." Even Qatar, which has been generously bank-rolling the peo-
ple's uprising in Syria, chimed in tandem with the Saudis and con-
gratulated the Egyptian Bonaparte for relieving the agony of the
rabble that had taken to the street and spawned a convenient alibi
for the power-hungry generals to get rid of President Morsi.
That Morsi has fallen a victim to the irony of his stars is
beyond any doubt. He has been betrayed by the man he'd careful-
ly chosen to lead the Egyptian armed forces after removing the
long-serving Fi, 78 year-old, Field Marshall Hussein Tantawi-a
trusted crony of Hosni Mubarak.
General Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi-Egypt's latest strong-man and
man-of-the-moment-had been named as chief of army staff
because Morsi was impressed with his pious credentials. Al-Sisi
was said to be a devout Muslim whose wife wore Hijab. He
seemed to come to scratch to the basic standards of a good
Muslim set by Ikhwan-ul-Muslimeen (Muslim Brotherhood) the
party of Morsi.
However, little could the Ikhwan or Morsi have known was the
warning from history: The Pakistanis could have fore-warned
Morsi with their own hands-on experience.Morsi has been dealt
with exactly the way Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto met his Waterloo at the
hands of GneralZiaulHaq, or Mian Nawaz Sharif at the hands of
General Pervez Musharraf.
But what Morsi may not have fully appreciated, or deeply
looked into, were other 'attachments' to General Sisis's career. He
had served, earlier, at the Egyptian Embassy in Riyadh as military
attach. Later, in 2005- 06, he went to the American War College
in Pennsylvania for higher training. It's at training stints like these
that 'friends' are usually won over to the sponsor's side. In the light
of this it should be easier to understand why both Riyadh and
Washington have so effusively welcomed his unconstitutional
move against an elected President Morsi.
Morsi is a victim of both the Egyptian history and circum-
stances spawned by the people's revolution against Hosni
Mubarak's despotism.
Egypt was taken over by the army when it overthrew King
Farooq in 1952 and established itself as its ruling power. It has
held sway ever since and grown in strength and clout. The half-a-
million strong armed forces have also been the principal benefici-
ary of US aid. Since Anwar Sadat's time when Egypt slipped under
the American sway, the army has been given the lion's share of aid
funneled as a reward for suing for peace with Israel. Out of 1.5 bil-
lion dollars given to Egypt in American dole, each year, 1.3 billion
goes to the army, directly, bypassing the Egyptian government and
depriving the civilians of any oversight on how the American
assistance is spent by the army.
Along with a huge police setup of 800,000 men in police serv-
ice, the army underpinned the despotic Mubarak regime and sus-
tained it for three decades. Together they made up what was
known as the 'deep state.' It was a symbiotic relationship between
the despot and his apparatus of power. A privileged class of
cronies and sycophants-who grew rich and powerful under the
wings of the autocrat-also appended the 'deep state' at the
expense of teeming millions of poor and under-privileged
Egyptians.
The people's uprising against Mubarak was as much a chal-
lenge to the deep state as to Mubarak himself. However, the army
thought it wise to sacrifice Mubarak as soon as he became an
obvious liability. In the process it earned the people's goodwill,
too, for apparently catering to their wishes. With the benefit of
hind-sight the deep state was only feigning commitment to the
people's cause.
But there was never a genuine intent on the army's part to
cede its overarching power to anybody, least of all to a president
who belonged to the party that had been continually haunted and
persecuted by every autocrat, from Nasser down to Hosni
Mubarak. The army dragged its feet on the transfer of power to the
elected president and agreed to it only after ensuring that its priv-
ileged turf will not be poached on.
Other components of the 'deep state' felt angry, too, at the
hated and deeply loathed Ikhwan for having upstaged them.
But the unhappiest were the so-called liberals-or 'moderates'
in the western lexicon-who regarded themselves as the trail-blaz-
ers of the revolution. Morsi's rise to the top of Egypt was seen by
them as a theft of their 'right' to have a government of their choice.
Morsi's election-though fair, democratic and fully transparent-was
a step backward in the eyes of these western-pampered liberals
or secularists.
The anti-Ikhwan factions-who became enemies of Morsi from
day-one of his presidency-had the moral and material support of
the western world, which had unleashed them on the Egyptian
scene through well-funded NGOs that wanted to see Egypt work-
ing to the last dot on their agenda. Morsi's election was like some-
one pulling the rug from under their feet.
All these anti-Ikhwan forces, with the full backing of the west,
coalesced to ensure that Morsi wouldn't have a moment of peace
to focus on the enormous task of rebuilding a progressive and
democratic Egypt.
Here was, in Egypt, a replay of the western-sponsored con-
spiracy that had successfully sabotaged and thwarted the peace-
ful and democratic movement of Algeria, twenty years ago and set
back the early sprouting of an 'Arab Spring' in that country. FIS (
Front for Islamic Salvation) was destined to sweep the parliamen-
tary elections of Algeria, in January 1992. But it was cheated out
of it by a western back military junta. What followed that brazen
theft of the Algerian people's right to have a government of their
choice is history. More than a 100,000 people were killed in the
civil war that quickly ensued there.
The same paradigm was applied to the Palestinians when they
elected Hamas to lead them in 2006. The will of the Palestinian
majority was flouted, Hamas was declared a 'terrorist' party and
its followers left to the mercy of Israeli marauders who have since
turned Gaza into the largest open-air prison in the world for its 1.5
million inhabitants, with the tacit endorsement of the western
world.
The west apparently suffers from no pangs of conscience in
turning its own sense of democracy on its head when it comes to
Muslims and Arabs, in general. Rule by an elected majority may
be the norm for democracies in the west but it becomes abnor-
mal, instantly, if a majority government in an Arab or Muslim state
is not to the liking of the west. Morsi's Egypt was no exception to
this cynical and hypocritical philosophy.
Egypt's corrupt judiciary-a legacy of the Mubarak era and an
active accomplice of the invisible 'deep state'---got actively
engaged on the side of a vocal, western-pampered and anti-
Islamic minority to sabotage the Morsi government by any and all
means.
The highest constitutional court dismissed the elected parlia-
ment-with its clear Muslim Brotherhood majority-as being flawed,
leaving only the upper house of the parliament intact. In May,
hardly a month before Morsi was unceremoniously over-thrown,
the constitutional court also disbanded the upper house. It also
declared the constitution, earlier drafted by a parliamentary panel,
as frivolous and flawed.
Leaving no doubt of deep collusion between the army and the
judiciary is the appointment of Chief Justice Adly Mansour, head
of the supreme Constitutional Court, as interim president to
replace Morsi. Egypt's ancient regime as powerful, treacherous
and devious as it was under Mubarak's watch, is not only alive but
also determined to foist itself on the people of Egypt, their dreams
and ambitions, for as long as possible.
Morsi had also become a marked man for Egypt's endemical-
ly corrupt but privileged minority-nestling under tacit western
endorsement-because he espoused good relations with both Iraq
and Iran. That initiative was an instant anathema to not only the
west but also to Arab autocrats who have been thriving by raising
the banner of 'resistance' to a Shiite Iran; their animus to a Shiite-
led Iraq belongs to the same genre.
To a certain extent Morsi may be faulted for not being fully
alive or alert to the sinister campaign mounted by his enemies to
topple him.
Apparently, Morsi failed to come up with a coherent plan to
arrest the slide of a badly mangled economy that had been left
bereft in the process of getting rid of Mubarak's despotic rule. The
Brotherhood's popularity with the people had largely rested on its
social work; that image too suffered when Morsi failed to combat
the haemorrhaging of the economy, which in turn added to the
woes of the common Egyptian.
Admittedly, Morsi wasn't a Mandela to stanch the bleeding of
a deeply-divided Egyptian society in which distance between the
rich and the poor had been constantly exacerbating. But, in all fair-
ness to him, he was never given a chance by a vocal and nihilis-
tic minority to rise to the occasion. It was a strange situation
where a popularly elected president, who was a man of the mass-
es, was set upon by a demagogic minority and hounded out of
office with the active abetment of a power-addicted army.
But when euphoria dies down-and it will, sooner than later-
Egyptians now celebrating the downfall of Morsi will come to rue
their anti-democratic thrust. They have opened a dangerous fis-
sure in the Egyptian society which will only grow with the passage
of time. It would, in the end, prove to be a pyrrhic victory for the
enemies of democracy.
A fatal blow has been dealt to the Arab Spring, the future blos-
soming of which rested in large measure on its success in Egypt,
the largest and most influential Arab state. Reactionary forces-
with open or tacit endorsement of their autocratic moves in the
west-are obviously out to roll back whatever little gains had been
made, thus far, by an oppressed and persecuted people longing
to jettison the yoke of oligarchic rule. The future looks blank-at
least in the short run---for the democratic aspirations of the peo-
ple, not only in Egypt but in other countries too where forces of
reaction must draw inspiration from the Egyptian example and
mount a stiff backlash against nascent agents of democracy.
In Egypt's case early portents are dismaying as far as the
country's harmony and its social equanimity is concerned. The
Brotherhood is a model of organised discipline. The army brass
may have arrested Morsi and a least 300 of senior cadres to heap
insult over injury. But the rank and file of Brotherhood, charged by
the viciousness of what has been done to their party and its
leader, is unlikely to let it go unchallenged. An Algerian type of
resistance is a high probability. Because Egypt is so much larger
than Algeria casts an even darker shadow over its future.
Egyptians robbed of their Revolution
Little could the Ikhwan or Morsi have known was the
warning from history: The Pakistanis could have fore-warned
Morsi with their own hands-on experience.Morsi has been
dealt with exactly the way Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto met his
Waterloo at the hands of GneralZiaulHaq, or Mian Nawaz
Sharif at the hands of General Pervez Musharraf.
But what Morsi may not have fully appreciated, or deeply
looked into, were other 'attachments' to General Sisis's
career. He had served, earlier, at the Egyptian Embassy in
Riyadh as military attach. Later, in 2005- 06, he went to the
American War College in Pennsylvania for higher training.
It's at training stints like these that 'friends' are usually won
over to the sponsor's side. In the light of this it should be
easier to understand why both Riyadh and Washington have
so effusively welcomed his unconstitutional move against an
elected President Morsi.
18 The Milli Gazette, 16-31 July 2013 INTERNATIONAL www.milligazette.com
An Open Letter to President Obama
Roadmap for Obama in
Egypt: help restore status-
quo ante
Though the world is aghast at how in these seasons of democ-
ratization epidemic world over, a army could give an elected
President an ultimatum of 48 hours to clear the Tahrir Square of
a million protestors and arrest and depose him and his govern-
ment, suspending the constitution of the nation, while army's bil-
lion dollar paymaster sits like a sphinx in the White House; after
plotting and abetting the mass protest in the first place. The out-
rage felt around the world in Obama's complicity in the events
unfolding in Egypt is barely hidden.
However, give devil its due, one would think, the task of
sending out a million protestors back to their homes and offices,
there was hardly any other way, than the heavy dose of drama
that army coup entailed. The protestors went home, without
bloodshed, which would have been a certainty, if President
Morsi would have tried to meet Army's ultimatum and tried to
clear Tahrir Square through use of force and bloodshed. One
would think, at least one byproduct of the Army coup will get
acknowledged, if Obama moves fast and demands Egyptian
Army to restore Egyptian Constitution, release Mursi and restore
his Presidency. After all he has been known for demanding other
leaders of the nations to step down. So he should not feel chas-
tened, if he now gathers courage and demands that Mursi
should be put back on his elected post in a complete restitution
of the legitimacy that Mursi government had enjoyed. There
could be a period of peace before negotiations could restart to
give what the opposition's genuine demands could be. Tahrir
Square should be declared a no-go area for any demonstration
on pain of death. Shoot at sight orders should be declared by the
government and backed by police and army.
The Egyptian uprising is Obama's genie and he should be
responsible to put it back in to the bottle.
GHULAM MUHAMMED, Mumbai
ghulammuhammed3@gmail.com
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20 The Milli Gazette, 16-31 July 2013 ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVES www.milligazette.com
A. G. KHAN
There has been a spurt in suicide cases in the state of Madhya
Pradesh. What is surprising is that Muslim girls lead in this mad
race. Till now because of their strong faith in Allah, Muslims used
to desist from this extreme step. However, within two months,
more than six cases have been reported in which Muslim girls
either hanged themselves or opted for poison. A backward state
like M.P. is leading in this craze and this should be a matter of
grave concern.
In the past, suicides were reported from Kashmir where
young girls resorted to suicide following atrocities at the hands of
armed forces or loss of family members in fake encounters or
through forced disappearances of male members of the family.
Driven by anxiety, poverty and unemployment, they took such an
extreme step.
It may be recalled that women in Gujarat demonstrated exem-
plary courage and will-power by refusing to be daunted by the
tragedies of the pogrom in which they had to undergo a lot of trau-
ma following arson, murder and rapes.
However, the incidents in M P are not because of any tragedy
of such kind. In most cases it was a failed love affair which drove
them to desperation. In one case, the girl wanted to marry a boy
of a different faith which the family did not approve of. Both of
them jumped in front of a running train and ended their lives. In
another case, refusal of the boys family prompted the girl to hang
herself with the hope that they would ultimately be united at Allahs
Abode in the Hereafter.
Thanks to hundreds of entertainment channels, girls are glued
to the idiot box, living in a dream world of their own where they
hope to meet their prince charming. Boys as well as girls live in a
fantasy world unaware of the harsh realities the community is
engulfed in. They do not take cognisance of what happened to
Ishrat or to hundreds of young men undergoing torture in various
prisons all over the country. They live in an absolutely cocooned
world where man of the match or winner of the reality show /
idol is their only concern. A girl fasted and pledged niyaz (offering)
to a peer should a competitor in a reality show get chosen as the
Indian Idol.
Teenagers look at the success stories of people of their com-
munity. The present day scenario of three Khans dominating tinsel
town; the love affairs of the Nawabs family; the acceptance
accorded to inter-religious marriages of a ruling family convinces
them that this is the right course to follow - the life style adopted
by so many elites. Add to this, the adventures of Pakistani girls
who demean themselves and their faith for a moment of fame at
Bollywooed also prompt the teen-agers to emulate them and live
in eternal bliss.
With the government going soft on homo-sexual and live-in
relationships, Muslim girls have started showing lesbian tenden-
cies. A few months ago, a married Muslim girl eloped with her
girl friend causing not only a lot of humiliation to both families but
also a law and order problem as the lesbian friends belonged to
two different faiths. Recently, a small town in M.P. witnessed a lot
of communal tension when two girls eloped and later on surfaced
as married husband and wife Despite the tragedies that swal-
lowed Parveen Babi, a glamorous star of yesteryears, girls refuse
to learn lessons. Jiah Khans suicide is an example of the west-
ernized life style in which not only live-in relationships but also
rapes and abortions are acceptable norms.
What does this trend reflect? Obviously it shows that people
are blissfully ignorant about Islamic values - the prohibitions and
restraints that their faith imposes on both the sexes - maharam
and ghair maharam. The Shehla Masood murder exposes the utter
neglect of Islamic values which an unmarried (and also married)
woman has to abide by. In our mad race to appear liberal, modern
and enlightend, we have begun pursuing goals that are not only
detrimental to our personal happiness but also harmful to family
and community life.
When people were enlightened by the commandments that
faith enjoined on them, nobody ever solved ones problems by
resorting to suicides.
Suicide is rebelling against Allah and the very intention drives
one away from Allahs mercy. It is a kind of surrender to Satan,
implying that Allah is neither Compassionate nor Merciful. Burial
and Namaz-e-Janaza of such persons is not allowed by orthodox
people. Allah, with His immense mercy, may forgive any sinner
whatever be the magnitude of his/her sin if one has faith in Him.
But, Allah shall not forgive one who refuses to believe in Him and
His divine Attributes. Let us not get entangled in the religious
nuances of the debate leaving the final decision to Him.
What we have to drive home to our young men and women
the fact that one should never be so pessimistic as to expect no
sign/prospect of any kind of help, relief or guidance. Firm faith in
Allah guides one through all kinds of crises. People have survived
the onslaughts of atrocious rulers, pangs of hunger, and deaths of
dear ones by the strength of their faith. Ditched by a lover should
not make one feel that the world is without a person of nobler kind.
Why should one be so myopic as to believe that none else
deserves any kind of consideration?
There has been a lot of hue and cry when khap panchayats or
a politician recommended ban on use of mobiles. This gadget has
contributed immensely to the menace of elopement, chatting and
finally succumbing to designs of a vile stranger. Jiah Khan had a
29 minute conversation on the mobile before taking the extreme
step. Add to this the social interaction on Internet with unknown
people and thus prospects of seduction and succumbing are
imminent and immense.
To a great extent all these events indicate poor parenting. With
religious education thrown out of the window and parental atten-
tion reduced to the zero level, such tragedies are bound to occur.
The young generation does not want to be dictated by parents
who have neither the time nor energy to attend to their children.
Grandparents prefer to remain aloof. For them after their Haj and
devotional prayers, they have nothing to do with family concerns.
It is, at this juncture, that they can lend a helping hand to
teenagers who refuse to listen to parents.
Solutions could be many. What is necessary is the urgency to
take cognisance of events happening around us. If Muslim girls
are turning to non-Muslim boys, the fault, to some extent, rests
with Muslim boys who waste their time and energy in pursuits
which are neither noble nor worthwhile. There is a dearth of eligi-
ble boys. Where have they gone? Chasing non-Muslim girls?
Participating in reality shows? Indulging in intoxications?
It is time that religious scholars, instead of taking Jamaats to
distant destinations, pay attention to their own mohallas. This too
would be a service to Islam. Bringing persons gone astray back to
the faith is also a religious obligation which our chilla-driven elites
refuse to undertake.
Suicides by Muslim girls
We have to drive home to our young men and women the fact that one should never be
so pessimistic as to expect no sign/prospect of any kind of help, relief or guidance. Firm
faith in Allah guides one through all kinds of crises. People have survived the onslaughts
of atrocious rulers, pangs of hunger, and deaths of dear ones by the strength of their
faith. Ditched by a lover should not make one feel that the world is without a person of
nobler kind. Why should one be so myopic as to believe that none else deserves any
kind of consideration?
Muslim Agenda
for Unity
Ramadan, the blessed month, has begun. By all indications,
it is going to be an extremely eventful month, perhaps more
eventful than any in the recent past. Not only the forces of
New World Order are busy planning their role in the turn of
events, the Muslim world suddenly seems to be more divid-
ed than any time in the near past. Though previously too,
there have been continuing political divisions within the
Islamic world, and a few wars between Muslim countries too
have occurred, the danger now is of these divisions breaking
into wars involving several countries. Even if the armies do
not clash face to face, people in several countries are on the
verge of fighting among themselves.
Americas disengagement from Afghanistan and Iraq now
means that they would be running the wars from behind, till
they find it feasible to openly intervene. Syria, Turkey, Egypt,
Lebanon and by implication Iran - all are involved. Saudi
Arabia, Qatar and their Western friends are busy supplying
arms to the rebels in Syria.
This is high time every possible effort was made to stall
what seems to be looming over our heads. The Islamic World
can surely do it if they recognize their real enemies, bury their
differences, and unite for the sake of the Ummah as well as
mankind. This may look an onerous task, but if the will is
there, it can be achieved swiftly. The immediate need is a
summit of at least five countries - Egypt, Syria, Turkey, Iran
and Saudi Arabia. They are the key players in the region and
hold influence on other players. They must set up an agenda
without delay. They have to agree on a few basic premises:
First, no outside intervention or mediation will be entertained;
Second, no sectarian differences will be allowed to affect the
talks;
Third, no arms to any country will be allowed to fall into the
hands of rebels;
Fourth, they will cooperate with one another to bring an end
to strife within different countries: Morsi should be restored in
Egypt (followed if need be by a referendum) and a referendum
should be conducted in Syria in order to diffuse the crisis.
Fifth, Iran and Saudi Arabia must vow to the Ummah to pro-
vide a strong united leadership.
Sixth, a new union of Islamic countries must be announced,
which will make sure that disputes within the Islamic world
are solved without any outside intervention.
JAVED JAMIL
BOOKS The Milli Gazette, 16-31 July 2013 21 www.milligazette.com
Book: Issues of Communal Violence:
Causes and Responses
Author: Irfan Engineer
Publishers: Institute for Peace Studies
and Conflict Resolution, Mumbai
PB, Pages: 52
ARIA THAKER
In his Issues of Communal Violence:
Causes and Responses, Irfan
Engineer discusses the societal con-
ditions that bring about and perpetu-
ate communal riots in modern India. Most of the time, Engineers
analysis strikes an effective balance between theoretical and
empirical explanations. He discusses the nature of communalism,
but also provides ample proof of his reasoning by citing both
scholarly studies as well as documented incidents from the 2002
Godhra riots, 1992 Mumbai riots, and many other instances of
communal violence. In a few parts, however, Engineers explica-
tion of particulars regarding the formation of riots seems to be a
bit simplistic or difficult to apply. Overall, however, Issues of
Communal Violence is a persuasive text, one that disentangles
many issues that are often confused in media and popular dis-
course surrounding riots today.
Engineer begins the book with a broad, theoretical exploration
of the nature of communalism. The first chapter quotes liberally
from different scholarly texts, so much so that it is a challenge to
discern which beliefs Engineer agrees with and which he is sim-
ply offering as counterpoint. His heavy engagement with other
works, however, ends up providing a thoughtful portrayal of the
complexity-and controversy-surrounding the idea of what com-
munalism is and how it happens. He describes scholars varied
explanations for the causes of communal violence; some describe
it as resultant of mounting religious tensions, some state that it is
caused by political and economic factors instead, and some
describe it as being caused by a confluence of factors, both ide-
ological, religious, political and material.
The second chapter takes a distinct departure from the con-
tinually referential style of the first. In the chapter introduction,
Engineer makes powerful, assertive statements that dispel much
of the propaganda surrounding riots, such as the idea that com-
munal organizations exist to protect people of their faith against
violence from other communities. There is not a single instance,
Engineer writes, where Shiv Sainiks marched to the largest
Muslim ghetto in Mumbai--Bhindi Bazaar--to secure Hindu minori-
ties in the area when some of them were attacked as a revenge to
Muslim casualties in other areas, nor did Muslim armed groups
that were attacking Hindus in the Bhindi Bazaar area ever try to
protect Muslims in the areas where they were vulnerable and in
the minority (p. 11).
Engineer makes a persuasive argument to explain the flawed
logic behind communal violence; aggressors think that in attack-
ing members of another religion, they are imputing guilt to mem-
bers of faith in a primitive and barbarous way to avenge previ-
ous wrongs done by members of that same, targeted faith. A col-
lective punishment, Engineer states, is handed down in order to
deepen and polarize communal identities within members of both
communities (p. 12). This explanation of communal reasoning
powerfully illustrates the vicious cycle of bloodshed that is perpet-
uated when violence is attempted to avenge previous acts of vio-
lence.
In his discussion of the constituents of communal riots,
Engineer delineates four categories of people who participate in
communal violence. These categories, in order, are the organizers,
the trained fighters, the people who spread rumours to inflame
communal sentiment, and the people who have motivations other
than communal hatred. Engineers categorization does effectively
convey the diversity of efforts that go into the planning and exe-
cution of what is often incorrectly perceived as spontaneous vio-
lence. It may be true that the four listed roles form the backbone
of most communal riots and wanton violence. However, it is sim-
plistic to conclude that therefore there must be only four distinct
categories of people who contribute to the violence. The distilla-
tion of communal elements into four distinct categories discounts
the possibility that some people occupy two, or multiple of the
niches Engineer presents. The first and fourth categories, in par-
ticular, seem to have a great deal of overlap, as do the first and
third.
Not only do the four main categories of participants fail to
include lax (and therefore complicit) law enforcement and political
officials, they consciously omit the inclusion of people who are
swept up in mobs and become participants of communal rioting.
Their involvement, Engineer asserts, was not on large scale
(p. 13). It is unclear what Engineers source is for this fact. He
cites two examples of interviewed Hindus who have, out of con-
fusion and curiosity, engaged in throwing bombs and rocks at
Muslim buildings, but he dismisses such involvement, saying that
the same people later helped shelter and aid Muslims. What were
the circumstances that allowed the interviewed people to be
receptive to the ideas of throwing petrol bombs and rocks? While
moral culpability might be a tricky issue when it comes to mob
mentality, and no one will dispute that a riot planner is much more
at fault than someone caught up in the moment, participation in
communal violence at all levels must be acknowledged and exam-
ined if we are to fully investigate the manner in which communal-
ism and religious bigotry become entrenched in society. After all,
many of the same social forces that caused the two interviewed
subjects to throw weapons at mosques may have caused riot
planners to become as prejudiced and vengeful as they are now.
The third chapter--the strongest one in the book--addresses
police complicity in communal riots and makes a nearly indis-
putable case for the need for more impartiality in the world of law
enforcement. In Role of Police in Communal Violence, Engineer
strikes the ideal balance between referring to other scholarly data
as well as making original, compelling arguments of his own. He
liberally cites a paper written by IPS officer Rai, who argues that
because Indian society is not torn apart with civil war and exis-
tence of armed militias as other nations are, if the police and
administration is unable to control a riot within 24 hours, it only
means that their actions, conduct and behaviour need proper
examination (p. 19). Rais research concludes that the Indian
police operate under dangerously extreme communal biases,
which results in communal bloodshed continuing and escalating
for far longer than it should. Engineer states chilling statistics; for
example, during the first phase of the communal rioting in 1992
Bombay, 192 of the 250 Muslims killed were shot by police. Out
of those killed, over 90% died of injuries above the abdomen,
proving that police had fired to kill and not to disperse a rioting
mob. (p. 23) After the 1992 riots, 97% of riot victims from the
Muslim community saw the police as their enemies. Meanwhile,
93% of Hindu victims stated they would approach the police for
help during riots. These are only a small fraction of the frightening
statistics, not to mention the numerous, appalling anecdotes,
which Engineer provides to support his case.
Engineers barrage of evidence conveys the dire need for bet-
ter, more responsible law enforcement and administration. The
various solutions he proposes the police should attempt-to main-
tain greater vigilance in the formative stages of riots, provide more
impartial and immediate assistance to all victims of violence,
facilitate dialogue and reconciliation between community leaders,
and counter rumours through the dissemination of truth--are
almost all excellent. However, he comes close to suggesting a
measure that would only result in further abuse of power: the cur-
tailment of freedom of speech. In addition to the above activities,
Engineer suggests that pro-active police intervention should con-
sist of police arresting those making provocative speeches (p.
20). Freedom of speech is a cornerstone of democracy, and
whenever possible, it should be upheld regardless of how abhor-
rent a speechs content may be. Having communal leaders pun-
ished for merely making speeches would likely make martyrs of
them among their respective communities, further inflaming com-
munal sentiment. In addition to that, encouraging an already-
biased law enforcement system to arrest people based on inflam-
matory speech would result in leaders of marginalized communi-
ties being arrested at a far more frequent rate than leaders of the
majority community. Detaining people for acts of speech, of
course, requires that police pass subjective judgment in order to
deem certain speech inflammatory or not. And as Engineer very
correctly states, police believe that to be communal is only pre-
rogative of Muslims; therefore, encouraging police to arrest more
people based on violence-inciting speeches would simply result in
the disproportionate and unjust arrest of Muslims and the turning
of many a blind eye to any inflammatory speech made by Hindus.
Law enforcement in India should instead concentrate on consis-
tently halting instances of violence, because no police force alone
is capable of changing ideological currents that shape the motiva-
tions for such violence. It is possible for police to vigilantly
respond to hatred-fueled speech acts-with increased security,
countering of false rumours, surveillance of the speakers other
activities, crowd control, etc.-without arresting people for simply
making speeches. Encouraging the arrests of people based on
their speech acts only further justifies and allows for acts like the
Gujarat Congress Partys shutdown of an entire television channel
during the 2002 Godhra carnage, or the Mumbai polices arrest of
a young woman who posted a facebook status that was perceived
to be anti-Shiv Sena.
In another extremely rhetorically powerful chapter, Engineer
discusses the impact of a communal social climate on minority
communities themselves, describing how groups respond to vio-
lence by isolating themselves from diversity, thus leading to more
strife and distance between communities and thereby causing
more violence and tension. This chapter should be required read-
ing for anyone who makes the extremely common, victim-blam-
ing argument that people, particularly minorities, who suffer com-
munal violence should have known better than to openly flaunt
their religion through their clothing and other orthodox practices.
According to Engineer, it is the fear of violence that causes reli-
gious identity to suddenly become the most important aspect of
[peoples] existence--that can save or endanger [peoples lives.]
(p. 33). A communitys turning inward is caused by develop-
ment of perception of self and other binary in ethno-religious
or religious-nationalist terms (p. 33). Engineer shows how this
polarization is manifested outwardly in many practices-more
men start wearing skull caps or growing beards increases after
riots, men pray in mosques more often as identity markers.
Muslim women start wearing burqa and conform to the expected
norms of behaviour to identify with the community or as a meas-
ure for security. (p. 33) In an extremely disturbing footnote,
Engineer cites Sophia Khan, director of SAFAR, Ahmedabad, who
reported a significant decrease in the amount of Muslim women
filing domestic violence cases, despite the fact that domestic vio-
lence was on the rise.
In the fifth chapter, Engineer explores the impacts of commu-
nal profiling, especially when it comes to accusations of terrorism.
He alludes to a global, not just an Indian, issue when describing
how Muslims are often subjected to stricter security checks at
airport and other check points, more likely to be suspected for
offences, including those linked with the underworld, organized
crime and terrorism, subjected to more severe tortures, and more
likely to be subjected to third degree methods... (p. 42) The
humiliation and ostracism that come along with these accusations
result in the communitys further social marginalization and
impoverishment, only sharpening communal tensions.
In the final chapter of Issues of Communal Violence, Engineer
briefly explores possible avenues for ameliorating communal vio-
lence in todays society. He correctly asserts that building peace
has to exist both at the State level as well as within society. The
State, he argues, will have to perceive the threat posed by com-
munal violence and terrorism as a threat to democracy. One can-
not be fought in isolation from the other (p. 45). He is correct; in
order for a democracy to function, all constituents must be able to
participate in a society without fear for their lives and livelihoods.
At only two pages, Engineer does not leave much room in this
chapter for the elaboration of actual schemes that might start
solving endemic problems of communalism, but that, of course,
can be a topic for another book.
As it currently reads, Issues of Communal Violence is an
extremely well-crafted primer on the basic issues and causes
behind communalism and its violent iterations.
The Origins of Communalism
IPS officer Rai argues that because Indian
society is not torn apart with civil war and
existence of armed militias as other nations
are, if the police and administration is unable
to control a riot within 24 hours, it only means
that their actions, conduct and behaviour need
proper examination (p. 19). Rais research
concludes that the Indian police operate under
dangerously extreme communal biases, which
results in communal bloodshed continuing and
escalating for far longer than it should.
MY REFLECTIONS
RIZWAN ULLAH
A huge amount of literature in various lan-
guages, European, Asian and Indian, has
been translated into Urdu during the course of
the past decades and centuries, but the mas-
terpieces of Urdu have not been translated
into other languages to that extent, nowhere
in comparison to that. This realization was
pricking my mind for some time. Individual
efforts have been made by scholars here and there to translate
Urdu works into other languages, but to my knowledge no con-
certed or institutionalized and organized effort has been made so
far in that direction.
This prompted me to think about doing something whatever
was possible within my limited capacity and capability. The obvi-
ous next step was to pick my own small and simple poems and
translate them into English. In due course it became what the
Persian poet has said:
Dameed dana-o-baleed-o- ashian gah gasht..
(The grain grew and continued to grow and became a nesting
place.)
Thus the accumulated trans-
lations took a book form. But there
lies much beyond this book which
must be done. Our Urdu acade-
mies, Urdu departments in univer-
sities and other organizations
have been doing good work in
teaching and propagating Urdu but
not much has been done in the
area I have visualised. We, all con-
cerned should start some organ-
ized and institutionalized efforts in
the required direction without los-
ing any more time. I hope and
wish that The Milli Gazette would prove and provide a forum for
such efforts and ideas would get wings at this nesting place.
As for the book My Reflections, it is a collection of a little
over 50 selected poems and ghazals reflecting personal ethos of
the poet and his views on various manifestations in personal and
social life. The translation in English makes it possible to share all
that with a cross section of people speaking languages other than
Urdu and at the same time to encourage all to dig into the treas-
ures Urdu language has been hoarding and hiding for ages. This
book is a sort of exhortation to others to break the inertia and
come out with whatever presentable they possess. This will be a
service to the language and the colourful culture it represents.
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Bodh Gaya blast
The purpose of the blast is to create hatred among Muslims and
Buddhists. It is the the contribution of divisive forces working since
number of years. There is a powerful lobby in congress and BJP who
hate Muslims specially practicing Muslims. These Muslims spread the
belief of Monotheism and equality which is counterproductive and
antagonize their belief of Varna and Polytheism, These persons want
that Jains and Buddhist should oppose the Muslims and remain hos-
tile to Muslims. There were anti-Muslim riots occurred in Myanmar. All
the security agencies have declared collectively that it was the per-
formance of Indian Mujahedeen. The message spread throughout the
world the purpose was served. Now there is no importance of further
enquiry. The masterminds did not make any bloodshed it is the safe
method technique. they wanted that the object received in very less
expenditure. they have spare the Buddhists and got good result. Our
politicians must have learn lesson from the catastrophe of Utterakand.
they may want probably such more lessons to come to right path
Maqdoomi, Hyderabad
II
The leaders of the Congress and BJP are leaving no stone unturned to
speculate over the terrorists of Bodh Gaya blasts. That they are doing
so, keeping an eye over the upcoming elections is understandable.
Some TV news channels too were seen back in the business to
spread conjectures of the possible backlash to Myanmar incidents.
We have seen how dozens of innocent Muslims were arrested in con-
nection with Malegoan and Mecca Masjid blasts and they were
released after a prime period of their lives was lost in jails. Isnt this
the time, we reposed faith in our investigation agencies and give them
sufficient time to probe the terror strikes to wipe out the terror mod-
ules operating in the country?
Syed Sultan Mohiddin, Kadapa (Andhra Pradesh)
sultan_awaz@yahoo.co.in
The problem in Bodh Gaya
Majority of non-Buddhist are in the Bodh Gaya Temple management
committee while there is no Buddhist in the staff of the Mahabodhi
Vihara, Buddha Gaya. Bodh Gaya Temple Act 1949 is anti-Indian
Constitution and it is the root cause of all problems. Muslims are not
responsibles for the bomb blasts in Mahabodhi Vihara. Corruption of
millions of rupees in the management during the last many years and
politics are responsible for the attack. Bodh Gaya Temple
Management Act 1949 of Bihar Govt. is anti-Indian Constitution. This
old act creates many problems in between Hindus and Buddhists.
There is no Buddhist staff in Mahabodhi Vihara and there is small and
weak representation of Buddhists in the temple committee. Maha
Bodhi Vihar Bodh Gaya management must be in Buddhist hands. The
present Bodh Gaya Temple Management Committee must be immedi-
atly desolved. Hindu members of the committe are involved with mafia
in this attack. The total management must be handed over to the
Buddhist community of India. Ninety nine percent staff in Maha Bodhi
Bodh Gaya are anti-Buddhist; they have no faith in Buddhism. Bodh
Gaya Mahant of Hindu Monstery is a life-member while the District
Magistrate of Gaya District is always a Hindu according to Bodh Gaya
Temple Act 17 of 1949 of Bihar Government. This old act is against
Indian Constitution. Bhadant Prajnasheel
bprajnasheel@gmail.com
Terror tactics of media
A Hindi daily published: Capital at the terrorist target on page 1 (23
June 2013) with information of high alert and IB tips etc. But another
newspaper publishes the same news of police drill, dog squad move-
ments etc at Patna railway station on page 7 as: cops conduct mock
drill to tackle terror. Both newspapers are published from Patna but
totally 360 angle news perspective means some media houses play
mischief with news. PCI/Government and media organisations must
take cognizance that media aired the name and motive of terrorist
even recce information for few days. Sudently media on the basis IB
information published that terrorist Rahman Brothers left capital
(Hindi daily on 26 June 13). How media gets secret IB information?
S. Haque, Patna
Overthrow of President Mursi
The chaos in Egypt is nothing but foreign intervention of American and
European agents. Democratically elected president Dr. Morsi should
not have been dismissed. India being the largest democracy in the
world must have condemned the military intervention. The United
states which poses as lover of democracy must not had played a
double game in the world affairs ,The super powers are playing a role
hypocrites. The policy of India and America is going hand in hand .It
was the proper time that both the countries should have supported
Morsi and laid a good example to give morality a boost in the interna-
tional political arena..In Egypt two types of forces are at loggerheads
one Anti Islamic or anti religious forces backed by Modern Muslims
and Americans and Europeans. The true Muslims which are in major-
ity are prevailing the Egyptian society They have voted Brotherhood
party and elected Dr Morsi as the president of Egypt. The opposers
are anti Islamic elements who are backing the Ex dictator Hosni
Mubarak, United States was in full support. These people do not want
any restrictions in the life. They want freedom of all types. Like in
Europe and America. They dont want to abide by the religious rules
and practices These people think that this worldly life is given for
enjoyment, Man is not accountable before God. As a result we see
homosexuality, lesbianism,insest eating each others feces, permis-
sive social mode. Debauchery ,extramarital and premarital sexual rela-
tions are common ,All kinds of hot drinks can be freely used.
Intermixing of sexes naked dances strip teasing is allowed. In a
Islamic state which Dr Morsi wanted to establish in Egypt a true
Islamic state. Where in no free sex can be imagined. One can marry
up to 4 wives but cannot indulge in rape or sodomy. Alcohol drinks are
banned. The defaulter would be whipped 80 lashes. Collection of sim-
ple and compound interest is curbed. Ladies can come out of their
houses with veil. No acting and dancing is permitted. Rapist are
stoned to death after the proof of guilt. The hands of thieves are
amputated. This system of government was liked by Mahatma
Gandhi. The Hindu culture is more close to Islamic culture. No Hindu
wants debauchery. They do not like rape of their women.
Dr AH Maqdoomi, Hyderabad.
II
America is yet again on its mission of destroying another Muslim
country, which is not subservient to it. Clearly it is financing and back-
ing the military and opposition to overthrow a revolutionary govern-
ment based on Islam Mr. Morsi was elected in a democratic and
peaceful elections. But the liberal and westernised Opposition who
have lost the elections could not digest the peaceful Islamic revolution
and are up to overthrow the government to assume power to enforce
a govt. which will be a puppet in the hands of America, as in the case
of Iraq, Afghanistan etc. The State Department has said that the
democracy is not just getting elected but responding to the needs of
the people. But in case of Morsy, just one year is not sufficient to ver-
ify the credentials of any govt. particularly when the country had been
under corrupt governments for more than thirty years. Secondly, how
many countries under Americas clout are functioning with respond-
ing to the needs of their subjects. K. Malikul Azeez, Chennai-12
kmalikulazeez@yahoo.com
Israeli interference in Indian affairs
I advise the readers to send written letters to the secretary general of
UNO complaining about the Israeli president and his illegitimate inter-
ference in the affairs of Indian Muslims.
Arshad Mohsin (Comment on MG website)
These are Americans
I was in America for one month. I found that Americans are quite
friendly people. Let us do not talk about the politicians. I asked a
learned American, what is Islamophobia ? Does it really exist ? He
said, yes, it is there. Some people come from very small area and
they do not understand American culture. Muslims think that we are
Homosexuals. Yes, we are. So what ? We absorb all the cultures. We
welcome every one here. I was surprised by this answer. One thing
is clear, Americans do have system and rules. We must learn from
them even if we think that they are our enemies. There are good peo-
ple and bad people everywhere. Our Muslims are also not good
enough. We fight among ourselves and make our own graveyards. In
my opinion, love and compassion are the only answers to our prob-
lems. Let us spread the message of Islam in the most humble man-
ner. We too have many faults. Let us be educated in the first place to
become successful. Nazneen O. Saherwala, Surat, Gujarat
nazsita@yahoo.co.in
No safe exit to Modi
In recent weeks some activists have made statements requesting
Narendra Modi to consider the plight and backwardness of Indian
Muslims and do something about it. That is very insulting to the 150
million Indian Muslims who have faced continual brutalities for 30 +
years at the hands of BJP. It is insulting for the entire Muslim commu-
nity of Gujarat that has faced brutal deaths of 2000 Muslims, police
and govt brutalities for 11 years in various aspects of life. Some other
activists are saying that if Modi apologizes to Muslims and retires
from public life Muslims will pardon him and let him rehabilitate him-
self in society. Why are these Muslim activists making such state-
ments and on whose behalf are they speaking? Modi has committed
horrible crimes against humanity; he must be brought to trial before a
court in India and given appropriate punishment according to the laws
of India. Why should Modi not be tried and punished like his hench-
men Maya Kodani and Babu Bajrangi? His crimes are more severe
than those of these two criminals. All over the world many oppressor
rulers when they fell out of power have been tried and punished. Hitler,
Mussolini, top Nazi generals and leaders were tried in Nurenberg at the
end of WW II and punished. Saddam Hussain was tried and punished.
President Gen Pinochet of Chile was tried and punished. Why should
Modi be given a safe exit and pardon, why not tried and punished like
other murderers like him. The people of India did not give safe exit to
Afzal Guru or Dawood Ibrahim or Tiger Memon. Sikhs did not give
safe exit to those who masterminded the murderers of the 1984 geno-
cide of Sikhs. Why should we give safe exit to Modi? The answer is
that Indian Muslims and the large number of secular Hindus and
Indians will not give safe exit to Modi. We will wait and keep on bang-
ing on the doors of Indias justice system until Modi is tried in an
Indian court and punished appropriately.
Kaleem Kawaja, Washington, USA
Decayed image of the Indian judiciary
Gujarat HC justice S.R. Brahm Bhutt withdrew himself from the IPS P.
P. Pandey petition who is the main culprit in Ishrat Jahan fake
encounter. Lalu Yadav seeks transfer of fodder scam case from Spl
CBI judge P. K. Singh court to another court as the judge was alleged-
ly a relative of a JD (U) minister. A bench of Bombay HC had refused
to hear the case against BJP former president Nitin Gadkari and the
case shifted to another bench. Patna HC Justice A.K. Trivedi refused
to hear Laxampur Bathe dalits killing case. But the court executed
Afzal Guru to satisfy collective conscience while the challengers of
judiciary, demolishers of the historical Babri Masjid and planners and
rioteers are roaming free. An Italian court has awarded seven year
imprisonment to its former prime minister who is accused of paying
for sex with under-age sex worker and in Pakistan, former Pak ruler
Parvez Musharaf is facing trial under tough charges.
S. Haque, Patna
Who forbids Nitish Kumar to open his mouth?
The only reason for the looming ghost of communalism in India is the
ruling class which never agrees to fight directly. The leaders just issue
veiled threats as Bihar CM Nitish Kumar said If I open my mouth BJP
will be in trouble(24 June). S. Haque, Patna
Muslim Educational Inst. at target
Bihar has only one Muslim minority medical college situated in
Katihar. Police raided KMCH chairman-cum MD house at Patna creat-
ing a seene as if a den was pounced with 12 thana police gheroed and
jumped into premises and news of two crorem some arms, bank
passbooks, account in Gulf countries and other incriminating docu-
ments were recovered as if two crore, arms, passbooks etc are very
big issues. These things can be recovered from big school owners.
So what is special there? They cannt digest 65% seats reserved for
Muslims in this institution. National dalies printed the news about
KMCH. Who supplied the news in advance to media that DSP would
raid KMCH. Media trial began to tarnish the image of the Muslim insti-
tution as saffron brigade drums that madrasas and AMU cente are
Atankwadion ki path-shala (school of terrorists). KMCH was estab-
lished by the SC order but the saffron brigade could not digest KMCH.
S. Haque, Patna
Modi, the Nero of Gujarat
We are proud of our supreme court. The order of the apex court on
the Best Bakery case was commendable. The court had remarked
Justice for the victims in the case can not be assured in Gujarat - a
state where the modern day Neros were looking elsewhere when inno-
cent children and helpless woman were burning and were probably
deliberating how the perpetrators of the crimes could be protected.
This very harsh indictment is a slap on the face of Modi regime and
his protectors and supporters. The supreme court had also said that
the justice delivery system was abused, misused and mutilated by
subterfuge. It means that Gujarats entire administration and judiciary
had been saffronised and communalized. The Modi Govt and the saf-
fronites had committed heinous crimes against humanity. Veteran
journalist Kuldip Nayar had written Modi converted Gujarat into killing
fields and blackened the face of every hindu. Shri A. B. Vajpayee,
prime minister wanted to dismiss Modi Govt but Moids Guru L. K.
Advani opposed Vajpayee tooth and mail.
G. Hasnain Kaif, Bhandara (Maharashtra) - 441904
BJP overtures to Muslims
BJP big joke: Delhi BJP under the leadership of Vijay Goel organised
MUSLIMS FOR DEVELOPEMENT CONVENTION. While addressing
the gathering Vijay Goel gave an assurance that BJP shall bring down
the Power Tariff by 30% if voted to power as if it will benefit the
Muslims only. Some of BJP Leaders are appealing to Muslims to for-
get happenings of 2002 Gujrat Genocide and support BJP which
would provide secular governance.. Certainly Muslims can forget it if
BJP agrees and promise to put Modi and all his associate and con-
cerned Officers responsible for 2002 Gujrat Genocide on Trial and give
them exemplary punishment and justice to Muslim victims. On one
side BJP is projecting Modi as future PM , the killer of Humanity and
responsible for butchering thousands of innocent Muslims while on
other side they want Muslims support to capture Delhi to fulfill their
ambition of Bharat as Hindu State and eliminate Muslims from the
scene. India could survive as a Nation only if it continues to follow
Secular Democracy , not the Fascist Democracy.
Prof. Shamim Ahmad, AMU
profshamim@gmail.com
II
Newspapers have reported BJPs plan to woo Muslims by bringing a
Vision document for socioeconomic and political empowerment of
Muslims, which go much beyond the stereotyped demands. I found
the statement intriguing as it almost recaptures the title on my vision
document, Muslim Vision of Secular India: Destination and
Roadmap aimed at socioeconomic and political empowerment of
Muslims. I had sent copies of the document to many Muslim MPs
including those of BJP. While if BJP shows any desire to help the
Muslim community coming out of its backwardness will be welcome,
BJP should know that Muslims are not ready to condone its role in the
demolition of Babri Masjid and Gujarat Riots. BJP will first have to tell
the community what it proposes to undo the damage caused by those
two tragedies, which were largely BJP-made. Any attempt to woo
them on the eve of elections will only be taken as gimmick.
Dr Javed Jamil
doctorforu123@yahoo.com
Late-night mayhem by bikers on Delhi roads
It refers to late-night mayhem on night of 24-25 June 2013 by thou-
sands of bikers on roads of Delhi out of which Delhi Police could
detain just 11 bikers. Celebrating and enjoying festive-night by dis-
rupting road-traffic, damaging cars and creating panic amongst road-
users is an annual feature now, and Delhi Police must have taken suf-
ficient preventive steps to stop such nuisance which even proved fatal
for one of the stunt-bikers. It is definitely a complete failure of Delhi
police who could not prevent such annual feature of stunt bikers on a
festive-night. Delhi Police should thoroughly interrogate the detained
eleven bikers and owners of ninety seized motor-bikes to reach to
other miscreants causing large-scale traffic-violation, stunt on roads
and causing panic and disturbance to road-users that night. Short and
long term measures may be designed to prevent such nuisance in
years to come. Madhu Agrawal Dariba Delhi 110006
subhashmadhu@sify.com
ASI to restore Kedarnath mandir
Kedarnath temple is one of the main temples in Char Dham yatra cir-
cuit situated in Uttrakhand where heavy floods, mountain and land
slides cause the death of thousands of tirth yatris and many villages
were completely destroyed in the beginning of monsoon. Union cul-
ture minister Chandresh Kumari Kotach said, the ASI has the expert-
ise and experience not only in India but in Cambodia to restore and
maintain archaeological and monumental structures. The ASI will
restore the Kedarnath temple. This very ASI, in the name to maintain-
ing the architectural and monumental glory of historical mosques,
prohibits namaz. After independence, the so-called secular govern-
ment of Congress party played Brahaminical trick to lure Hindu votes.
India has to pay for injustice. S. Haque, Patna
Ishrat encounter: political goals via murders
A magisterial enquiry ordered by the upper judiciary has found prima
facie that Ishrat and her companions were killed while in police cus-
tody. This fact came out in spite of all the obstacles from Gujarat govt
and without the benevolence of Central govt, Congress and CBI. The
credit must really go to the rights activists, media and the judiciary.
There is no act which indemnifies the police, politicians or Central
intelligence officials from killing alleged terrorists who were in their
custody without due judicial process. Whether or not Ishrat and her
group were terrorists is not the issue. What the Gujarat police & IB
officials are being charged with is extra-judicial killing. There are no
exemptions in the law for carrying out fake encounters even if the tar-
gets are terrorists. The IB is not exempt from the operation of the law
of the land either. The accusation that Gujarat govt alone is targeted
for human rights abuse and fake encounter killing carries little mean-
ing. A Supreme Court mandated STF headed by a retired Justice H.S.
Bedi is investigating 16 encounters that took place between 2003-
2006 in Gujarat. Will the reader accuse SC of targeting Modi alone?
The ugly truth is that the Gujarat govt cynically used the instrument of
extra-judicial executions to burnish their own anti-Muslim credentials.
In the process, their police officials and ministers have broken the law.
The behaviour of a few Gujarat police officers was perhaps most
brazen because of the protection they had from Amit Shah and Modi.
Murder is a very grave charge and it is far more serious when those
accused of it are officials or ministers of the government sworn to
uphold the law of the land.
Sankara Narayanan, Bhubaneswar
psn.1946@gmail.com
Babri Issue
The Indian government should take positive steps without hurting the
sentiments of Muslims and Hindu brothers. They must resolve and
start the construction of both the Babri masjid and Ram mandir at
some distance. Our government shall maintain communal harmony
and peace. Government shall strictly prohibit communal fighting
between two groups. The leaders of communal organisation like BJP,
RSS and Bajrang Dal should be taken into custody to stop communal
riots.
Abdul Khadeer (Comment on MG website)
REJOINDERS/OPINION/LETTERS The Milli Gazette, 16-31 July 2013 23 www.milligazette.com
The Milli Gazette, P.O. Box 9701, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi 110025 Email: letters@milligazette.com Read more letters on MG website
RNI No. DELENG/2000/930 REGISTERED DL(S)-01/3215/2012-14
LICENCED TO POST WITHOUT PREPAYMENT U (SE)-57/2012-14
PUBLISHED ON 11 JULY 2013 POSTED ON 11-12 JULY 2013
ADV. FORTNIGHTLY AT NDPSO-110002
The Milli Gazette
D-84 Abul Fazl Enclave-I, Jamia Nagar,
New Delhi 110025 India Tel.: 011-26947483 Email: edit@milligazette.com
24 The Milli Gazette, 16-31 July 2013
Printed, published and owned by Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan and printed at Vibha Publication Pvt Ltd., D-160B, Sector-7, Noida, U.P. and published at D-84 Abul Fazal Enclave-I, New Delhi 110025.
Editor: Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan
With best compliments from
Kaleem Kawaja , Washington DC
LETS FIGHT
TERRORISM
TURN TO PAGE 3 INSIDE
Zakat Appeal 2013
Before After
T
he genesis of Charity Alliance in early
2005 was out of the necessity to do
something urgently about the starvation
deaths in the Jalangi area of Murshidabad,
West Bengal. Since then our work in that partic-
ular area of Murshidabad continues without any
break with the support of people like you,
alhamdulillah. After having distributed ration
every week for years in the area and offering
medical aid to them as well now alhamdulillah
the people there are in a must better situation.
We continue to run a Vocational Training
Centre there teaching tailoring and zari embroi-
dery. And Alliance School near Jalangi in
Murshidabad was started in 2009. The school
currently has bamboo rooms and needs
pucca classrooms to pass recognition
requirements. Donations to building fund are
most welcome.
Apart from Murshidabad, which remains
our main focus, we also offer financial help on
a smaller scale to poor students and individuals
for education and medical help in Delhi.
Visit www.charityalliance.in for more details
or call 0-9818120669
In April 2013 when two Murshidabad villages (West Bengal) were gutted by fire, 214 families homeless,
we sought your help and asked for donations for distributing corrugated sheets to them.
And this is what your donations can achieve, alhamdulillah
To help
CHARITY ALLIANCE
please go to page 17 inside.
Donations, Zakat, Sadaqat, Charity and bank interest.
accepted by cheque / online Internet Banking transfers
or credit card payments / Money Order / By Cash*.
Food Aid
Vocational Centre
Alliance School Murshidabad