24 pages ` 15 ISSN 0972-3366 FORTNIGHTLY Vol. 15 No.16 Issue Serial # 350 facebook.com/milligazette www.milligazette.

com 16-31 August 2014

Terrorism 4,8,9,10
Modi/BJP 4,6,8,11
Riots 7,15
J&K 10 Analysis 11 Special Reports 3,13 Issues 2,11,13
Speaking Out 11 Books 21 Newsmakers 12 International 16-20
Community News 14-15 Islamic Perspectives 20
Our Publications 19 Classifieds 22 Letters 23
Inside
MG
MG/Yusuf
I
t is my unfor tunate and tough duty to
inform you, our dear readers, that a
decision to stop the print edition of this
publication has now been finally taken after
a very long deliberation over years. Our 1-
15 October issue will be our last unless our
readers and well-wishers step in to stop
this.
This idea was being discussed within my
close circle and kept nagging my mind for at
least a decade now and was made known
time and again to our readers and well-wish-
ers in this publication as well as through oth-
ers.
When MG was started in January 2000,
we had hoped that it will stand on its feet with-
in 2-3 years, and that once self-sufficiency is
achieved, it will be turned into a weekly and
entrusted to a capable team while my own
role would be limited to that of a supervisor.
During the initial 2-3 years period, I was
ready to finance it and offer my free services
as the editor.
But despite all sacrifices, the great suc-
cess, reputation and respect MG earned dur-
ing these years nationally and internationally,
it could never become self-sufficient. Our
community, which we thought would support it
by buying enough copies and advertising in
the paper, failed miserably to do so. As a
result, we could never employ first-grade jour-
nalists and correspondents and I had to do
the bulk of editing as well as sometimes writ-
ing many stories and even designing the
pages. This was a continuous drain on my
time since, being initially a scholar, I had
many pending academic projects which have
disastrously suffered due to my almost total
involvement with the MG. At least two mem-
bers of my family also kept serving the publi-
cation free of cost. Moreover, most of my
house slowly housed MG staff and stored its
old copies and filing cabinets.
My own earnings as a journalist writing for
some foreign publications and websites and
offering services as a commentator and ana-
lyst to various television and radio stations as
well as exports done by our company, kept
supporting the paper while costs kept spiral-
ing due to rising costs of staff, production and
newsprint.
Obviously this could not go on endlessly.
A decision had to be taken to check the ever-
rising deficit. With increasing age (I am 66
now) and declining health, I am also anxious
to finish a number of unfinished projects
before it is too late as has happened with so
many scholars in the past. The most impor-
tant of these is a revision of the English trans-
lation of the Holy Quran by Abdullah Yusuf
Ali.
I am sure the appeals for an English
newspaper of the community appearing in
our Urdu press, will continue. I started to hear
and read this since early 1960s when I first
became conscious about milli issues. No
doubt some crazy person(s) will stand up
again to start an English-language publication
like MG. I wish him/her good luck.
I take this opportunity to offer my sincere
thanks to all our readers and sympathisers
who stood by us and supported us in many
ways all these years but somehow that was
simply not enough to keep us afloat.
All these years I have consciously tried to
offer a truthful and sincere picture of the com-
munity and never allowed it to become a
mouthpiece of some people or a commercial
venture controlled by advertisers or vested
interests. In one instance, we instantly
refused an offer which came to us about a
decade ago from the army in J&K to publish
good news they would provide us and for
this paid news we were offered a substantial
monthly payment which at that time was
enough to see us through.
It is also a regrettable fact that we failed
to report many events due to paucity of staff,
writers and correspondents as well as due to
constraints of space. We also did commit
some mistakes during this long journey - one
was to publish a report on Dr Hamidullah Bhat
and another on Dr Najma Heptullah - both
were supplied by interested persons and had
mixed facts with fiction. As soon as we
realised this, we removed those reports from
our website but the damage was done. I pub-
licly apologise to both of them and seek their
forgiveness.
During these long years we have fought
many battles and successfully focused on
many issues - the most important being the
fake terror campaign against our youth, espe-
cially since LK Advani became the home min-
ister in 1999. We have followed this up by
publishing a number of researched books
which exposed this sinister plan to malign our
community mainly on the basis of IB, ATS and
Special Cell fairy tales. We will continue to do
so until this charade is stopped by the powers
that be in Delhi.
Our publishing wing as well as the MG
portal will continue to be active. Our portal is
huge and offers a treasure of information on
the Indian Muslim community issues and
hosts most of our previous issues.
We are publishing this advanced
notice to give our readers a chance to
come forward and save this publication.
The print edition may still remain afloat if
our readers and well-wishers commit
themselves and mobilize one lakh sub-
scribers for at least three years (please
see page 20,24). If you strongly feel that
this publication must continue, please
take the initiative to renew your subscrip-
tion for three years at the normal rate, con-
vince your relatives, friends and institu-
tions to take subscriptions. You too can
pay for others as well as for institutions,
libraries and public figures who you think
should read MG. We also expect you to
advertise in the MG and also to motivate
others to do so. You may send your sub-
scriptions by cheques which will not be
cashed if we do not reach our target and
decide to close the print edition after the
1st October issue. I am giving you this
advance notice and suggesting a way out
to save MG so that no one should say later
that we were not warned.
ZAFARUL-ISLAM KHAN
MG may soon cease publication
but you can keep it alive
THE
MILLI
GAZETTE
INDIAN MUSLIMS LEADING ENGLISH NEWSPAPER SINCE 2000
PEOPLES PRESIDENT...13 SYED ALI...12
THE MILLI GAZETTE
A
new millennium, or a new century, is
an appropriate time for us as a group
or community of people to take stock
of our achievements and failures, deeds and
misdeeds. Above all it is a time to resolve to
achieve what we failed to achieve during the
wasted half a century since Independence. We
failed to build a powerful, proud and prosper-
ous community excelling in every field of
human endeavour. If the trauma of Partition,
en masse exodus of the elite and economic
pressures, were reasons enough to justify our
poor record, there will be no excuse now for a
similar dismal performance in the next centu-
ry. Our new generation has no memories of
Partition, a new elite is coming up, slowly a
new and effective leadership is emerging and
demanding the fossilized leadership to zoom
out gracefully. The new economic opportuni-
ties under liberalization and globalization have
only the sky as the limit for our endeavours and
achievements. If we fail to grasp and grab the
new opportunities today our coming genera-
tions will blame us alone. A brave new world
is beckoning us. Will we resume our march for
progress and dignity or prefer the abyss star-
ing us as the only other alternative.. This is the
big question of the new millennium. Let us
prove ourselves worthy of our great faith and
forefathers. Let us turn a new leaf and get
down to solve our real problems and issues.
We have already wasted five decades on non-
issues thrust upon us by others. Let us decide
our agenda ourselves. This life and the
Hereafter belong to those who are in charge of
their destinies:
Khudi ko kar buland itna ke har taqdeer se pahle
khuda banday se yehpuche bata teri raza kya hai
Brave new world, welcome!
FIVE-STAR
RECOGNITION
FOR CHENNAI
COLLEGE
J
ustice Basheer Ahmed
Sayeed Women's College
(JBASWC) in Chennai
(Madras) has just been
awarded the coveted five-star
status by the National
Assessment & Accreditation
Council (NAAC), an
autonomous institution of the
University Grants Commission
(UGC), Delhi. The five-star
status is given for an institu-
tional score of 75 percent and
above. This is considered an
extraordinary recognition of
an educational institution by
the NAAC.
This status was conferred
on the Muslim college after a
team of the NAAC experts,
consisting of eminent educa-
tionists, visited the institution
and made a first-hand study of
i ts various faculties, facilities,
the standard of teaching,
infrastructure available in the
institution, environmental
maintenance of the institution
and discipline etc.
T
he JBASWC (formerly
SIET Womens College) is
the only non-autonomous
institution that has won such
recognition in the south Indian
state of Tamilnadu. It is a matter
of pride for the whole communi-
ty that a Muslimcollege has been
given this award. The JBASWCis
reckoned as the biggest Muslim
women's college in India. A lot of
credit goes to Dr Salma Salahuddin,
theJBASWCprincipal. Established
by south Indias Sir Syed,
Justice Basheer Ahmad Sayeed in
BY ZAFARUL-ISLAM KHAN
BABRI:
dont be surprised
if Muslim lose
the court cases 8
Freedom to
East Timor,
death to
Chechenya 7
Know
your faith 13
Dateline
New York 10
Rs 10
PRADEEPCHANDRA/TOI
K
amala Das, celebrated writer
and poetess, announced her
decision to convert to Islam
on 11 December and adopt the
name Surayya. Her announcement
came as a surprise while she was
inaugurating a meeting of the State
Library Council at Ernakulam in
Kerala. Her bold prose and poetry
are reckoned to have pushed the
frontiers of women literature in the
country. I do not want to be cre-
mated like a Hindu. Thats why I
have converted to Islamnow I ama
loved. Ramadan is the
month of conversions,
so I have converted. I
have made a discov-
ery. Islam is the reli-
gion of love. It gives
protection to women
and I need protection. I
am an orphan. I have
no one. Hindu gods
punish, Allah forgives
sins. I want a forgiving God, she
announced.
Later the writer said that she
had been thinking about this for a
long time and the change of reli-
gion did not come about as a
result of any immediate provoca-
tion. I do not want my successors
to offer pindam and believe that
after death I will appear in the
form of a crow. I think this is the
right time with the Ramadan sea-
son setting in. She said that for
long she had no religion How
on me. There should be someone
to claim me, she said. The 65-
year-old writer said she was very
happy with her decision and that
there will be no religious rites in
connection with her change of
religion. She announced that she
would continue to write in
Malayalamunder the pen name of
Madhavikutty, but for her
English writings she would use
the name Surayya which in
Arabic means the star Pleiades.
She is the daughter of distin-
guished parents, late VMNair, the
former managing editor of the
Malayalam daily, Mathrubhumi,
and Nalappat Balamani Amma, a
celebrated Malayalam writer.
Asked about the possible criti-
cism of her decision, Kamala
said: I do not care about anyones
reaction. It is my own decision. I
have shifted all the idols and pic-
t f Hi d d i
me. She added that she had
already learnt certain parts of the
Quran and had written three
poems about it and was exploring
Islam with the help of Islamic
scholars.
When we think of Nalappat (her
ancestral home) a different image
comes to mind, a reporter told her.
Pat came her reply: I will build a
mosque at Nalappat. You will hear
the call of the muezzin fromthere.
Will your image change then?
Kamala Das said that she was
deeply impressed by her associa-
tion with Muslim families in
Calcutta where she has lived for
27 years. She has also adopted
two Muslimboys in Mumbai. She
disclosed that she has been visiting
mosques in Kerala for the past few
weeks. She will formally embrace
Islam on 23 December at a ceremo-
ny at the Palayam Mosque in
NOTED
AUTHOR
EMBRACES
ISLAM
JBASWC principal Dr Salma Salahuddin
1 Vol.1 No. 1 www.milligazette.com 1-15 JANUARY 2000
MG first edition which came out on
1 January 2000
THE
MILLI
GAZETTE
INDIAN MUSLIMS LEADING ENGLISH NEWSPAPER SINCE 2000
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2 The Milli Gazette, 16-31 August 2014 ISSUES / OPINION
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DR JAVED JAMIL
Forces of Hindu Dharma, the
theology, and Hindutva, the
extremist communal ideology,
seem to be in an utter state of
confused excitement. The rise of
the BJP under Modi seems to
have disbalanced their senses.
The calls for domination of Hinduism are hitting
the nation in different decibels. There have been
communally tinged calls for the abrogation of
Ar ticle 370, for the modernization of
Madrasas, and introduction of uniform civil
code; there have been rabid anti-Muslim state-
ments from the likes of Ashok Singhal and
Praveen Togadia; there has been forced feeding
to a fasting Muslim employee of Maharashtra
Bhawan by Shiv Sena MPs; and there have been
objections on Sania Mirza having been appoint-
ed the brand ambassador of Telangana in addi-
tion to hundreds of low key incidents of violence
across the country. The list is pretty long. In
addition, there have been numerous other inci-
dents of various kinds that speak of the rising
intolerance towards Muslims and Christians.
More importantly, a Dharmayudh, religious
war, is getting intensified within the Hindu com-
munity on the question of the worship of Sai
Baba whose Muslim identity has irked the
Shanakaracharya of Dwarika so much that he
wants Sais idols to be removed from all Sanatan
Dharma mandirs and special rituals to be per-
formed by Sai Bhaktas to get purified to return
back to Sanatan fold. Instead of listening to the
diktats of the Shanakaracharya, Sai bhakts have
hit back by pouring in huge numbers to the Sai
Temple at Shirdi and holding big protests against
the Dharamguru.
The internal war within Hindu community is
threatening a vertical split, with many akharas
and Hindu priests openly condemning the
Shanakaracharya and siding with Sai. Almost
everyday, national TV channels are airing
debates on the confrontation, and priests can be
seen using extremely offensive language against
each other.
While all these happenings have some-
thing to do with the rise of Modi, people
behind these events are not necessarily Modi
suppor ters. Some of them are in fact open
Modi-bashers who believe that they can bene-
fit from the current situation. These include
Togadia and the Shanakaracharya. The former
has an old animosity towards Modi and the
latter openly hates him and is largely per-
ceived as a Congress suppor ter. Then there
are elements within the BJP that want to keep
pressure mounting on Modi.
The BJP itself is divided. There is a strong
contingent within the party which wants to push
the Hindutva agenda not only because this is in
their blood but also because they think that BJP
cannot survive for long as a political party with-
out its communal and polarization politics.
There is another, fast growing group, which
feels that Hindutva agenda should not be pur-
sued beyond a limit at least for some years.
Many in this group think that if Muslims can be
wooed, this will be a better way to ensure a long-
term BJP rule.
It can be seen that ultimately, it is all a
power struggle within the country and within the
Hindu community. After all, they all are after
power and would use it for the people who mat-
ter most to them.
Ideally, the power struggle within the Hindu
forces should have had nothing to do with
Muslims. Muslims are least concerned about
what is happening within the Hindu religious
fold. But unfortunately, they cannot remain unaf-
fected by the drama. What to speak of the forces
of Hindutva like BJP, RSS, Shiv Sena and Hindu
Vishwa Parishad, even the Dharmacharyas who
seem to cash on the anti-Muslim undercurrent in
the Hindu community. In order to gain mileage,
they do not mind using the Muslim card. Even
the Shankaracharya of Tirupati has made it
known to the whole nation that his hatred for Sai
Baba emanates primarily from his Muslim back-
ground. Had it been not so, they would have per-
haps declared him the Kalki avatar the way they
declared Buddha the penultimate avatar of
Hinduism.
Irrespective of who emerges winner in the
latest Dharmayudh between the different sects
of Hinduism, what Muslims are worried about is
the impact of all these happenings on the com-
munal amity in the country. Muslims were wor-
ried about the rise of Modi but they have taken it
bravely and positively, and are looking to devel-
op stronger relations with the fellow Indians. If
BJP government moves a step towards them,
they are ready to move two steps towards it. On
the other hand, if the government exhibits disre-
gard to Muslim sentiments and needs, they will
use their democratic rights to protest. Some of
the initial statements from Prime Minister Modi
looked encouraging. But with so many lobbies
and pressure groups at work, there is an uneasy
ambience, which needs to be urgently corrected.
The forces of Hindutva need to recognize
that in almost all the matters related to cultural
and social values, majorities of Hindus and
Muslims tend to think alike. They think similarly
on the sanctity of family system, social vices like
alcohol, gambling, and Western cultural
onslaught in the form of the culture of naked-
ness, live-in relationships, homosexuality and
promiscuity. Even on the economic front, many
of our concerns are common including poverty,
corruption and economic disparity. If the forces
of Hindutva give up their communal agenda and
instead concentrate on moral and religious val-
ues, they and Muslims will find themselves
standing on the same side of the line. This is the
line of thinking in which lie the biggest opportu-
nities of the integration of all religious communi-
ties in the country. If Muslims and Hindus do
understand the true face of the so-called mod-
ernism, and regard it as their common foe rather
than fighting each other on non-issues, they can
make the nation cleaner, purer, healthier and
more peaceful.
The author is a thinker and writer with over a
dozen books including his latest, Muslims Most
Civilised, Yet Not Enough and Muslim Vision of
Secular India: Destination & Road-map.
He may be contacted at:
doctorforu123@yahoo.com
Points to ponder
A premeditated game-plan
The communal violence in Saharanpur should be halted at once before
it spreads and becomes uncontrollable, said the Pakistani Daily Times
in an editorial on 28 July, 2014. The violence was a result of a land dis-
pute between the Muslim and Sikh communities and so far has
claimed three lives. The Daily Times in its editorial said, Saharanpur is
a place under direct influence and control of Prime Minister Narendra
Modi and is suffering intolerance and aggression in the form of reli-
gious discrimination. It is a matter that needs to be sorted out before a
large-scale eruption of communal riots breaks out, the potential is
there and it must be curbed. The editorial further said that the Muslims
in India were extremely wary of what would be of their lot once
Narendra Modi came to power after controversies surrounding his role
in the 2002 Gujarat riotsIf the above-mentioned two incidents are
anything to go by, the forecast looks grim for the many Muslims in
India, especially in Uttar Pradesh, the editorial said.
The editorial also mentions another incident which has caused
immense insult to the Muslim community. A Shiv Sena MP, Rajan
Vichare, was videotaped last week, force-feeding a Muslim catering
supervisor in New Delhis Maharashtra Sadan.This is a despicable act
because Muslims were observing the holy month of Ramzan and forc-
ing food down a fasting Muslim is a grave insult to his religious senti-
ments. Now the question is: Does Modi have a tacit game-plan on his
agenda to completely alienate and destroy the minority community and
finally decimate it from the Hindu land? Yes, he has. All the communal
events and episodes following BJPs rule are indicative of this nefari-
ous design. Modi is modern Nero, whos fiddling while homes of
Muslims are burning.
To a non-communal discerning mind, everything seems to be
happening according to a premeditated strategy. This is called prun-
ing of a group. Muslims are being pruned down to insignificance in a
bid to purge Hindu India of Yavanis and Maleccha (two derogatory
terms bestowed upon Muslims by medieval Brahmins of the sub-con-
tinent) -- Aage-aage dekhiye hota hai kya (Lets see what happens
next). Muslims must brace themselves for a bleak future in Hindu India.
Yah peshangoi nahin, maujooda haqeeqat hai (This is not a prophecy.
This is the ongoing reality).
Indian History From Dinanath Batras Perspective
Im really exasperated by this Dinanath Batras tirades against anything
he perceives as anti-Hindu Sanskriti and OUR history. This saffronised
BJP backed-up nonentity got Penguin pulp the copies of Wendy
Donigers Hinduism.
Emboldened by the success of his audacious act, he is now dic-
tating terms and interfering with long-standing historical facts. He
wants students to read books that eulogise Indias Sanatan (literal
meaning: continuously new and ever evolving) Hindu past with an
accent on the study of Vedas. Does he know whats there in the
Vedas? Does he know even a smattering of Sanskrit? Vedas are hoary-
old scriptures containing ridiculous hymns to appease the departmen-
tal gods and goddesses of that period. Upanishads can at least be con-
sidered as somewhat profound sources of universal wisdom but
Vedas are mere appeasements. Now he wants the children to read in
schools that Taj Mahal was not built by the Mughal emperor
Shahjahan, that its real name was Tejo Mahlaya and the Rajput chief-
tain Man Singh built it! And that Shahjahan had the hands of all the arti-
sans amputated who built Taj Mahal. This last erroneous belief is still
engrained in the minds of ignorant Indians, especially Hindus.
Shahjahan never ordered to chop off the hands of artisans because
113 of them went to Khorasan in Central Asia to build a grand mosque
(read Sir Jadunath Sarkar and Roychaudhurys The Mughals). This
brand of lopsided history (propounded by Poona-based semi-educat-
ed P N Oak) was pooh-poohed by the National Congress of Historians
in the early sixties. Historians Dr Sacchidanand Sinha and Dr
Muhammad Habib (father of even a greater historian Dr Irfan Habib)
called Oak, a blot on historical integrity while Romila Thapar ques-
tioned Oaks credentials as a historian. The same preposterous histor-
ical facts are being bandied about by Batra and his equally zealot ilk.
An intellectual like Arun Shourie lends credence to them. This is
unthinkably bad. Distortion of historical facts to suit the nefarious
designs of a handful of fanatics is indeed condemnable. But so long as
this BJP government is at the helm, further deterioration can only be
expected and foreseen.
Hindu judges biased statement
Supreme Court judge Justice A R Dave said on 2 August that Indians
should revert to their ancient traditions, and texts such as Mahabharata
and Bhagwad Gita should be introduced to children at an early age.
He further said that had he been a dictator, hed have introduced
these texts right from the beginning so that students could imbibe the
spirit of these texts from a very early age. The very surname Dave
suggests that this gentleman is a Gujarati Hindu. Whats all the more
disturbing, nay disgusting, is the fact that hes a senior Supreme Court
justice. How can a judge be so openly biased?
I wrote in a Bengali newspaper just prior to Modi becoming the PM
that once he would become the PM, the level of already slavish judici-
ary would further worsen. In fact, anyone could say that.
One doesnt have to be a soothsayer to foretell Modi sarkars pre-
dictable moves and measures in favour of the majority (read, Hindus).
Female Circumcision: Alien To Islam
Recently TOI carried a front page news item that ISIS (Islamic State of
Iraq & Syria), a militant organization now occupying parts of Syria and
Iraq, was hellbent on perpetuating the old tradition of female circumci-
sion (FGM: Female Genital Mutilation) among Muslim girls and
women. Islam never approved of female circumcision, though male
circumcision is integral to Islamic belief system, which is Semitic in
nature and practice. Male circumcision was prevalent in Judaism right
from its inception and the same was adopted by Islam, the youngest
among the three Semitic faiths, viz, Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
Male circumcision is optional among Christians (Coptic Christians of
Egypt underwent circumcision and many of them later embraced
Islam). Jesus himself was circumcised as a Jew.
Nowhere in the Quran and Hadith (compilation of Muhammads
sayings and deeds) does one come across any reference to female
circumcision, as such its completely un-Islamic. It must be mentioned
here that this abominable un-Islamic practice is still sporadically preva-
lent among some North African Muslims of Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria,
Morocco, Sudan, among others. But then, this came from an old
African tribal custom that predated Islam. Many non-religious (they fol-
low animism, totemism and primitive magic) aboriginal groups of
Africa and also of Australia still practise female circumcision which is
said to inhibit female sexual desire. The idea was that women should-
nt go astray and stay loyal to their men. In female circumcision, cli-
toris (also known as mock-cock) is removed, lessening a womans
ability to enjoy physical intimacy and climaxing. No sect of Islam
(except for Dawoodi Bohras, a sub-sect of Shia Islam dating back to
the Fatimids of Egypt) approves of female circumcision.
Here I must add that I chanced upon a very old paper in India
House, London in 2004. Written in classical Persian (Pahalavi), it
belonged to an obscure sect of the fire worshipers (Zoroastrians). In
that screed, I found that female circumcision was prevalent among
three sects of Zoroastrians till the 4th century. After that and even
before the advent of Islam a little over 1400 years ago, Zoroastrians did
away with female circumcision.
Simpson and Murray wrote in their treatise A long journey of reli-
gious customs and religions (Oxford, 1974) that A few stray rituals
of one faith seeped into other contemporary faiths and disappeared
with the passage of time. If ISIS activists are insisting on female cir-
cumcision of all Muslim women and girls, then theyre absolutely igno-
rant about the faith they claim to be the true votaries of.
SUMIT PAUL
sumitmaclean@hotmail.com
Hindutva and Muslims
NATIONAL The Milli Gazette, 16-31 August 2014 3 www.milligazette.com
Babri demolition case 22 years later
51 witnesses, 600 dates,
nil results
Rai Bareily: The criminal case of the demolition of Ayodhya's Babri Masjid on 6
December 1992 which shook the entire country is pending in Rai Bareily's spe-
cial court. Twenty-two years have elapsed since this mosque was demolished.
During the pendency of this case in Rai Bareily's special CBI court as many as
600 different dates were fixed for hearing of this case but only 51 witnesses have
so far deposed before this court but still the result is nil. In this case, in which
there is provision of a maximum punishment of five years such delay has raised
many questions. People like former deputy prime minister Lal Krishn Advani, Dr
Murli Manohar Joshi, VHP leader Ashok Singhal, Acharya Giri Raj Kishore,
Vishnu Hari Dalmia and Sadhvi Rithambra are facing trial in this court. The
process of deposition of witnesses has been going on in this court for the past
about a decade. Depositions of CBI's witnesses Hanuman Prasad, the police
constable who registered the FIR, CRPF's then commandant R. K. Swamy,
Ayodhya's resident Muhammad Aslam, Purohit Avdhesh Kumar Upadhyay and
press pnotographer Sanjay have been completed. In addition to these people,
depositions of 51 witnesses including the police officer R. B. Mishra who wrote
this incident in shorthand, Darogha Jitendra Kumar Mishra, video recorder;
Chander Kumar Mishra, journalist; IPS officer Anju Gupta who was posted on
duty at Ayodhya; Haji Mahboob, Ashok Kumar, Special Officer in the home min-
istry; Ritu Mittal, Sharad Chandera Pradhan, journalist and Ajay Kumar also have
been completed. Deposiiton of the then investigater Akhil Anand Mishra is going
on.
Supreme Court has ordered the hearing of this case on a daily basis. File of Babri
Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi case NO. 92198 was sent to Special Judicial Magistrate
of Lalitpur on 1 March 1993. Allahabad High Court directed on 9 Sept 1993 this file
to be sent from Lalitpur to Rai Bareily. The file reached Rai Bareily the very next day
but on 24 January 1994 it was transferred to Lucknow's Special Judge for Ayodhya
affairs. After 9 years when the files again came here (Rai Bareily) on 21 March 2003,
for hearing, but referring to an order of Supreme Court, depositon has been stopped
for the past 4 months. According to realiable and informed sources, under different
sections registered in connection with Ayodhya / Babri demolition case, a maximum
imprisonment of 5 years only can be pronounced.
Azamgarh again targeted by secret agencies:
raids on the excuse of 'Iraq connection'
Azamgarh: These days secret agencies are out to find out Azamgarh's 'Iraq con-
nection'. After the recent news of 4 (Muslim) youths living in Mumbai's Kalyan
joining the onging war in Iraq secret agencies are trying to find out if Azamgarh
is in any way connected with the alleged terrorists who are on the run and who
are wanted in connection with cases like Batla House encounter. These secret
agencies are keeping a strict vigil on the close relatives and others of these
youths. It may be stated here that a reward of Rs 10 lakh has been announced
for these wanted persons. According to IB, many persons of Azamgarh and its
neighbouring districts have been living in Gulf countries for employment and edu-
cation of whom hundreds of people are in Iraq alone. Under such circumstances
it is quite possible that in the list of alleged terrorists who are on the run,
Saifuddin, Abu Rashid, Aariz Khan, Mirza Shadab Baig, Dr Shahnawaz,
Muhammad Khalid, Bada Sajid etc may have some contacts with the four youths
of Mumbai (Kalyan). According to one official IB is sure that the four youths of
Kalyan Bazar who were found missing recently and who have allegedly joined
ISIS, the terrorist organisation responsible for the murder of innocent persons,
may be in contact with the alleged terrorists of Azamgarh who are absconding.
After coming to know about this, many places in the district (Azamgarh) were
raided but so far police has not achieved any worthwhile success.
Anandpur's historical mosque awaits Muslims,
Hindus illuminate it on festivals
Lakhi Sarai: The old and historical mosque of Anandpur village (Bihar), like dozens of
other historical and ancient monuments is deserted and is becoming a victim of the
ravages of time because of neglect and absence of maintenance. There was a time
when about 30 Muslim families of the weaver fraternity used to live in this village who
had about 50 acres of land. They had built a mosque with tiled roof which was con-
verted into a pakki Masjid in 1993, but because of deteriorating financial condition
and bleak future in the village they had per force moved to other places to earn a liveli-
hood. Fierce 1989 communal riots of Bhagalpur had created such a devastating
effect that they migrated to places like Lakhi Sarai, Jharia, Dhanbad, Jamoee etc,
abandoned their traditional business and adopted other professions. Senior resident
of the village, 80-year old Ram Saroop said that after the Bhagalpur riots security
forces had assured them of safety but even then they left the village and went to other
places, leaving the 'house of God at the mercy of God'. Because of the traditional
Hindu-Muslim unity of the village, though no Muslims were left in the village and the
mosque was in a bad shape, Hindus, with mutual subscriptions carried out some
repairs in the mosque and used to illuminate the mosque on the occasions of Eid,
Baqra' Eid, Muharram, Shab-e Barat etc, by lighting candles, aloe sticks etc thus
maintaining the old Hindu-Muslim ties of mutual friendship and peace. They wish
even today that their old Muslim neighbours should come, settle down here and reha-
bilitate the mosque.
Large quantity of dynamite and detonaters
seized in UP town
Lucknow: Large quantities of explosives including dynamite, wires and deto-
naters were recovered by police in Mahoba (UP)'s Kalpahad area on 11 July.
According to information received from Police Directorate, Lucknow, Kalpahad
police during checking at Madari Road railway crossing recoverd 2018 dyna-
mites and about 3000 detonaters including wires form a car. On receipt of secret
information about explosive materials being taken for illegal mining, police
swung into action but the car driver fled, leaving the car there. Investigation into
this matter and search for the driver is going on. Police and administration should
take quick action in this matter but ensure that no innocent person, particularly
Muslim youth should be held wrongfully.
It would not be out of place to mention here that BJP's hard core MPs and
Muzaffarnagar's notorious MLA who was complicit in this city's communal riots of
last year, Sangeet Som had done his level best to instigate riots in Kanth but
Samajwadi government of UP with timely action foiled his attempt and prevented the
Respond 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 national mainstream.
Our efforts so far to present our case, to bring out our innocence and force the national and state governments to
listen to our grievances have mostly failed. All we have received are a few words of solace which have no real meaning
and have not changed the situation on the ground. Our children by their thousands are still languishing in jails on the
basis of fake confessions obtained through torture and blackmail.
As a long-term solution and a serious response to this problem thrust upon us, AIMMM decided last year to bring
out a white paper on the Muslim-related terrorism in the country. The work is going on with all seriousness and many
researchers, scholars and journalists are busy preparing writeups on various aspects of this issue, covering the histo-
ry, genesis, 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 few months and to release it in a big convention at Delhi
as a combined effort of major Muslim and civil rights organisations, and thereafter present this huge document of over
600 large format pages to politicians, media, human rights organisations, especially outside the country, in order to
enlighten public opinion at home and abroad as well as to build pressure on our blind and deaf government.
The estimated cost of this white paper is Rs 35 lakh divided as follows: Rs 15 lakh cost of preparation and pay-
ments 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, printing,
publication and distribution of at least one thousand complimentary copies. The estimated price of the white paper is
Rs 2000 per copy in India. You may place an advance order by paying Rs 1000 only per copy in India including postal
charges). Payments for the copies may be made to The Milli Gazette, D-84 Abul Fazal Enclave-I, Jamia Nagar, New
Delhi 110025. Email: edit@milligazette.com. Individuals and organisations 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 in Delhi. This should be payable to the All India Muslim Majlis-
e Mushawarat, D-250, Abul Fazal Enclave, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi-110025. Tel.: 011-26946780 Fax: 011-26947346.
Email: mushawarat@mushawarat.com.
3. Donate your time: If you are a scholar, researcher, journalist: join our team for a few months working in our Delhi
office or from your own home to complete this project - write to the Editor, MG now at edit@milligazette.com.
4. Contact us if you have vital information/documents about this issue.
impending riots in Kanth (Moradabad). The explosive materi-
als i.e. dynamites detonaters and wires seized in Kalpahad
should be seen in this light. They wanted to instigate riots in
Kanth (Moradabad) because the BJP governemnt at the cen-
tre can do any thing to blame and defame UP's Samajwadi
government. It is worth mentioning here that BJP's new pres-
ident Amit Shah had stated only a couple of days ago that UP
must be obtained by any means. Hence if UP government
does not act tactfully and strongly in time, communal riots can
erupt any time and at any place in UP.
Misleading news about youths phone
calls and joining ISIS angers parents
Kalyan: The news published in newspapers that of the four
Muslim youths missing from Kalyan, two have informed their
family members on phone that they have joined ISIS ((Islamic
State of Iraq and Syria) has made the parents worried and agi-
tated. They not only strongly denied this alleged claim but have
also complained about media publishing and propagating this
baseless news in an irresponsible way. It may be stated that
after a week's silence an English daily again published the
news on Saturday 26 July on its front page that of the four
missing Muslim youths, two namely Arif Majeed and Saaem
Taanki have joined Iraq's terrorist organisation ISIS and are also
working for this organisation. The said newspaper without
naming any official investigating agency, has written only this
much that according to available news Arif Majeed and Saaem
Taanki have informed their family members by phone that they
are safe and sound and are busy with their work and that
through their work they are trying for the entire family to go to
Heaven.
In this connection when the correspondent of an Urdu
daily (Inqilab) talked to Arif Majeed's father Dr Ejaz Majeed, he
said that on an earlier occasion also (on 14 July) electronic
media, without any confirmation by any official agency, con-
tinued telecasting throughout the day the news of our children
being in contact with fundamentalists merely on guess work,
in spite of the fact that ATS chief Himanshu Roy in a press con-
ference in Mumbai had denied any information about the four
Muslim youth joining Daaish (ISIS). He (Arif's father) said that
in spite of the denial by the ATS chief, publishing so serious a
news without naming any reliable agency and without any
solid proof is a negation of journalistic ethics. He said that by
publishing such news the matter will become all the more
complicated and serious. Accusing the media, particularly the
print media, Dr Ejaz said that the letter which is being ascribed
to my son has never been written by him at all. He further said
that he denied many times the news of having received such
a letter but every time only his name is being highlighted.
Saaem Taanki's father said that police or the investigat-
ing agency has not so far got any proof of my son's con-
nection with any terrorist or militant organisation but media
people by publishing wrong and baseless news without any
reliable source are mentally torturing our family members.
Indian scholar is
revising Yusuf Ali's
English translation
of the Quran
New Delhi: An Indian scholar is quietly revising the popular
English translation of the Qur'an by Abdullah Yusuf Ali
which was first published in early 1934 and later gained
international popularity and acceptance when Saudi Arabia
started publishing and distributing it on a widescale since
mid-1940s when an official Saudi delegation visited the
United States. The Madinah-based King Fahd Complex for
the Printing of the Holy Qur'an started publishing and dis-
tributing this translation for worldwide distribution since
mid-1980s. Two committees of scholars did revisions of
this translation at the behest of Darul Ifta and King Fahd
Complex some three decades ago.
The "revised" translation still abounds with inaccuracies
and mistakes. This led the Indian Muslim scholar Dr. Zafarul-
Islam Khan think of revising this translation since early 1980s
as he routinely found mistakes whenever he consulted this
translation. Dr. Khan, an alumnus of Al-Azhar and Cairo uni-
versities who did his PhD in Islamic Studies at Manchester
University, is unparalleled in his knowledge of Arabic. He has
written scores of books in English, Arabic and Urdu and was
a senior fellow at The Muslim Institute, London, for around 14
years. He writes and speaks Arabic like a native Arab which
placed him in a unique position to do such a revision. He final-
ly started this work after he performed Haj three years ago.
Within the next year he was
able to complete the first revi-
sion. He hopes and prays to
Allah ta'ala to grant him some
respite from his hectic sched-
ule to be able to complete the
second revision which
requires at least one more
year. He will also publish a
separate book to explain the
work he has done and the
errors or mistakes corrected
by him and why.
Dr Khan
is depending
only on orig-
inal Arabic
works and
o l d e s t
tafsirs and
dictionaries
of the Quran
and Arabic
language to
det er mi ne
the meanings of problematic words, expressions and
terms.
Dr. Khan says that he is trying to present a translation
reflecting as accurately as possible the way our early gen-
erations understood the holy text. He is particularly per-
turbed by various dubious "translations" appearing in
recent years which try to present the holy text in ways suit-
ed to the thoughts of their translators who some times
Abdullah Yusuf Ali Zafarul-Islam Khan
4 The Milli Gazette, 16-31 August 2014 NATIONAL www.milligazette.com
Modi govt bans film
on Muzaffarnagar riots
Two hours and 27 minutes long En
Dino Muzaffarnagar by Shubhradeep
Chakravorty & Meera Chaudhary is
going to be recorded in the history as
the first documentary film banned under
Prime Minister Modi. The gag order
came on 30 June. The film makers have
now applied in Film Cer tification
Appellate Tribunal (FCAT) for redressal.
En Dino Muzaffarnagar is about
Muzaffarnagar faced riots first time in its
history last September. Interestingly, the
phenomenon of riots in villages is com-
pletely new for the whole region. The
film is an investigative documentation of
the riots of Muzaffarnagar and its socio-
political outfall. It is a tale of what led to
the riots at first and what happened in its
aftermath. In this anti-Muslim riot more
than 60 people died and close to one
lakh people were displaced in the
process. This documentary is a story of
grief, hate and fear that shows how local
power politics turns the pages of the
history to rewrite it. Why riots happened
in the villages for the first time, how
riots affected the symbiosis of brother-
hood in the villages between two com-
munities and how the loss of the grief
stricken farmers cant be justified with
few vested interest playing the power
games.
For more info, contact Shubhradeep
Chakravorty at 0-9868226579 /
shubhradeep@gmail.com
Threefold surge in male
teenage drinking in
India: Study
New York: Revealing an alarming trend,
a team led by an Indian-origin
researcher has reported a threefold
surge in the number of male teenagers
drinking alcohol in India, especially in
urban cities and poorer households.
The proportion of men who started
drinking in their teenage rose from 19.5
percent for those born between 1956
and 1960 to 74.3 percent for those born
between 1981-85 - a more than three-
fold rise, said lead researcher Aravind
Pillai from Mailman School of Public
Health, Columbia University. Those liv-
ing in urban areas and poorer house-
holds are more likely to start drinking at
an early age, the findings showed. To
reach this conclusion, the team ques-
tioned 2,000 randomly selected 20-49
year old men from rural and urban areas
in northern Goa. They were asked to
reveal the age at which they first started
to drink alcohol, how much they drank,
and whether they had sustained any
injuries as a result of their drinking.
Levels of psychological distress were
also assessed using a validated ques-
tionnaire (GHQ). Teenage drinkers were
more than twice as likely to be dis-
tressed and alcohol dependent as those
who did not start drinking early in life,
researchers added. They were three
times as likely to have sustained injuries
as a result of their drinking. Studies
from high-income countries have
shown that starting drinking early in life
is a consistent predictor of alcohol-
related harm across the life course. But
whether this association also exists in
low and middle-income countries, such
as India, was not clear, they said.
Consistent with studies from high-
income countries, this study found that
starting to drink alcohol during the
teenage years was associated with a
greater likelihood of developing lifetime
alcohol dependence, hazardous or
harmful drinking, alcohol related
injuries, and psychological distress in
adulthood. Alcohol consumption and
its harmful effects are emerging as a
major public health problem in India and
the trend is alarming, Pillai added. The
findings highlight the importance of
generating public awareness about the
hazards of starting to drink early in life,
and of enforcing regulations designed to
limit underage drinking.
Apex Court Acquits
TADA Convicts
WASI AHMAD NOMANI
In a historical judgment, Supreme Court of India has held that
the statutory power given to a statutory authority can be exer-
cised only by that authority, even a superior authority cannot
exercise that power. Supreme Courts Division Bench headed
by Justice T. S. Thakur had acquitted on 18 July 2014 all the
11 persons accused of involvement in two bomb blasts in
Surat (Gujarat) on 28 January and 22 April, 1993, rejecting
TADA courts 2008 verdict under which former Congress minister Muhammad
Surti and 5 others (all Muslims) were sentenced to 20 years imprisonment and
6 others (all Muslims) were sentenced to 10 years imprisonment.
A division bench consisting of Justices T.S. Thakur and C. Nagappan has
ruled in Hussein Ghadially alias M.H.G.A. Shaikh & Ors vs. State of Gujarat
that the appellants in this case were illegally convicted and therefore a sen-
tence ranging from 10-12 years cannot be upheld, hence appellants are
acquitted. In this case the whole story rotates around the contents of Section
20-A of TADA which reads as follows:
20-ACognizance of offence (1) Notwithstanding anything contained in the
Code, no information about the commission of an offence under this Act shall
be recorded by the police without the prior approval of the District
Superintendent of Police; (2) No court shall take cognizance of any offence
under this Act without the previous sanction of the Inspector-General of Police,
or as the case may be the Commissioner of Police.
A careful reading of the above section leaves no doubt that the provision
starts with a non-obstante clause and is couched in negative phraseology, the
Court held. It forbids the recording of information about the commission of an
offence under TADA by the Police. The power of approval vested in the District
Superintendent of Police could not be exercised by either the Government or
the Additional Police Commissioner Surat in this case. The reason for that is
that the statute vests the power of approval in an authority specifically desig-
nated for the purpose. It is obvious that Section 20-A (1) is a mandatory
requirement of law. Firstly, it starts with an overriding clause and, thereafter, to
emphasise its mandatory nature, it uses the expression No after the overrid-
ing clause. Whenever the intent of a statute is mandatory, it is clothed with a
negative command. Reference in this connection can be made to G.P. Singhs
Principles of Statutory Interpretation, 12th Edn.
If a statutory authority has been vested with jurisdiction he has to exercise
this according to his own discretion. If the discretion is exercised under the
direction or in compliance with some higher authorities instructions, then it
would be a case of failure to exercise discretion altogether. In other words, the
discretion vested in the DSP (District Superintendent of Police) in this case by
Section 20-A (1) was not exercised by the DSP at all. Here in this case permis-
sion for recording of the commission of offence was not by the DSP but by the
Additional Commissioner of Police and also the approval was granted by the
Additional Chief Secretary Home Department and conveyed to the designated
Court by the Asstt. Police Commissioner, G Division Surat City, which violates
Section 20-A of TADA.
The reason for the strict compliance of Section 20-A is that the officer so
designated alone is empowered to grant the permission or reject for the regis-
tration of the commission of offences. For this, the DSP or the statutory
Authority has to apply his mind on the basis of the material and evidence avail-
able before the said authority. Another authority is not entitled under the law to
grant or reject the permission.
Thus breach of the mandatory provision of Section 20-A (1) TADA is a vio-
lation of the statutory provision.
Thus no one except the authority so designated, i.e., DSP, can exercise
the power under Section 20-A of the Act granting or refusing approval.
The designated court convicted the appellants for offences under TADA,
Indian Panel Code and Explosive Substances Act. Whether the conviction of
the appellants as recorded by the designated court was sustainable, the Court
said no and thus acquitted the appellants. The Court further observed that no
one except the authority so designated can exercise that power. Permitting
exercise of the power by any other authority weather superior or inferior to the
authority designated by the Statute will have the effect of re-writing the provi-
sion and defeating the legislature purpose behind the same.
It is also because the statute provides for authority to be exercised in a
particular manner, then it must be done in that manner alone. All other modes
or methods of doing it must be deemed to be prohibited.
The Section 20-A(1) being mandatory and res integra [one thing] has been
settled by this verdict. Therefore the outcome of this decision is that the
requirement of the mandatory statutory provision having been violated, the trial
and conviction of the petitioners for an offence under the TADA must be held
to have been vitiated on that account.
The Court further observed that prosecutors advocate Mr. Yashank
Adhayru, next argued that if the provision of TADA were not available against
the appellants, the punishment could still succeed in sustaining the conviction
under IPC and Explosives Substances Act. The Court observed that it would
indeed be so, provided there is enough evidence on record to support that
course of action. The Court asked the prosecution to show evidence that could
warrant conviction of the appellants independent of the provisions of TADAand
the confessional statements of the accused but this was not available.
The Story set out by the prosecution is as follows in brief: In the incident
that took place at Surats Mini Hira Bazar, Varccha Road, a minor girl, barely
eight years old, lost her life while as many as 11 others were injured. The sec-
ond incident at the Surat Railway Station, relevant to ICR No. 70 of 1993 left
as many as 38 persons injured, some of them grievously. The prosecution
case is that the genesis of the two incidents mentioned above lay in the dem-
olition of the Babri Masjid on 6 December, 1992, at Ayodhya which had led to
wide-spread communal riots in several parts of the country. These riots took
place even in the city of Surat causing damage to the life and property of the
Muslim community. With a view to giving relief to those affected by such riots
a relief camp at Ranitalao area in the city of Surat was set up mainly by the
accused persons including Hussein Ghadially, Iqbal Wadiwala, Mohammad
Surti, Hanif Tiger and others. Amakeshift office adjacent to the relief camp pro-
vided to the accused persons space to hold their meetings.
The prosecution alleged that on account of riots and damage suffered by
the Muslims, the accused persons nurtured a feeling that the Government and
the Police will not be able to protect their community. The prosecutions case
was that in order to protect the members of the Muslim community and also to
retaliate against the majority community, the accused initially decided to collect
firearms, swords, spears, iron rods, country-made bombs and gelatin bombs
etc. and decided to distribute the same among those who had taken shelter in
the relief camp. It was also decided to get firearms, bombs etc. from Abdul
Latif, a notorious gangster of Ahmedabad who was known to the accused No.
1 (Hussain Ghadially). Abdul Latif was then in Dubai but was later arrested and
produced before the Designated Court. He was killed in 1997 in a police
encounter during the trial.
According to prosecution, appellant Hussein Ghadially and his wife along-
with Iqbal Wadiwala (A-2) went to Ahemadad in the Maruti van no. GJ 5A 5178
driven by one Bhupat Makwana. In order to carry arms and ammunition includ-
ing Ak47 rifles, cartridges and bomb etc., a concealed compartment was cre-
ated in the Maruti Van that was owned by the appellant Iqbal Wadiwala. The
arms and ammunition supplied by Abdul Latif were then placed in the secret
chamber of the vehicle and transported to Surat. The prosecution alleges that
the arms and ammunition were kept at different places for use to wreak
vengeance against the majority community. The blasts that took place on
28 January, 1993 at Mini Hira Bazar, Varccha Road, Surat, and at Surat
Railway Station on 22 April, 1993, were, according to the prosecution, the cul-
mination of the conspiracy hatched by the accused and the efforts made by
them including their active participation in the sordid sequence leading up to
grievous injuries to several persons including the killing of an innocent child.
At the trial, the prosecution examined as many as 120 witnesses in the
TADAcase no. 41 of 1995 and 105 witnesses in the TADAcase No. 59 of 1995
while the defense did not prefer to produce any witness on its part, the Court
observed.
In its verdict, the Court observed and ordered as follows:
the requirement of a mandatory statutory provision having been violat-
ed, the trial and conviction of the petitioners for offences under the TADA must
be held to have been vitiated on that account. The argument that the first infor-
mation report regarding the two incidents had been registered before the intro-
duction of Section 20-A(1) in the statute of book making approval of the com-
petent authority unnecessary has not impressed us. It is true that the two inci-
dents had taken place and cases registered regarding the same under TADA
before Section 20-A(1) came on the statute book, but the fact remains that the
provisions of TADA were removed from the reports pursuant to the recommen-
dations of the Review Committee. By the time fresh evidence came to light
requiring re-introduction of the provisions of the Act, approval for recording
information regarding commission of offences under TADA, had become nec-
essary. The fact that such approval was considered necessary even by the
investigating agency and was prayed for, only shows that the authorities were
aware of the requirement of law and had consciously attempted to comply with
the said requirement no matter by applying for such approval to an authority
not competent to grant the same.
Mr. Yashnak Adhyaru next argued that even if the provision of TADA were
not available against the appellants the prosecution could still succeed in sus-
taining the conviction of the appellants under IPC and the Explosive
Substances Act. That would indeed be so, provided there is enough evidence
on record to support that course of action. When called upon to show evidence
that could warrant conviction of the appellants independent of provision of
TADA and the confessional statements of the accused allegedly recorded
under the said provisions, Mr. Yashnak Adhyaru fairly conceded that while
there may be evidence regarding recovery of some of the weapons, the same
would not by itself be sufficient to justify the conviction of the appellants. Even
otherwise the recovery of the weapons is also not satisfactorily proved by
cogent and reliable evidence. Such being the position, we have no manner of
doubt left that the conviction of the appellants cannot be sustained.
Observing the above and saying that the then home minister of Gujarat
[Narendra Modi] had not applied his mind while granting permission for prose-
cution, the Court ordered,
We accordingly allow Criminal Appeals No. 92 of 2009, 110 of 2009 and
658-659 of 2009 and set aside the orders of conviction passed against the
appellants who shall be released from custody unless required in any other
case. Criminal Appeals No. 303-304 of 2009, 305 of 2009 and 432-433 of 2009
filed by the State of Gujrat shall, however, stand dismissed.
Thus came the end of a famous case in which the State flagrantly misused
law to frame and prosecute innocent Muslims by communalized government
and police officials.
The author is advocate, Supreme Court of India
Even the recovery of the weapons was not satisfactorily
proved by cogent and reliable evidence. Hence court said we
have no manner of doubt left that the conviction of the appel-
lants cannot be sustained.
Modis inequality against non-Hindus
questioned in European Parliament
Member of the European Parliament Izaskun Bilbao Barandica on 23 July
raised question in the European Parliament on Prime Minister Modis remarks
against Non-Hindus in India. The question has been directed to the European
Commission to take action. The question raised is:
In May 2014, Narendra Modi of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was elected
Prime Minister of India. Modi has a highly problematic history of racism, and
has been accused of involvement in the deadly Gujarat Hindu-Muslim riots of
2002 that left over 1 000 members of the Muslim community dead.
Modi was chief minister of the state at the time. In an interview with the
New York Times in 2002, Modi said that his only regret was that he didnt man-
age the media better. Following this interview, the US imposed a visa ban on
Modi and the United Kingdom announced a 10-year boycott. During his elec-
toral campaign, Modi reiterated his rhetoric on immigration, calling for all non-
Hindus to leave India and go back to their own countries. Indias population
includes a large number of minority groups who typically live in extremely poor
conditions.
What steps will the EU take, in cooperation with the Indian Government, to
address the issue of inequality in India?
Is this issue of social, racial and religious discrimination part of the ongo-
ing EU-India Free Trade Agreement negotiations?
Considering the fact that national policies on minorities could potentially
pose a threat to peace and security in South Asia, is the EU pursuing a collec-
tive agreement with countries in the region to address such concerns.?
NATIONAL The Milli Gazette, 16-31 August 2014 5 www.milligazette.com
FIRDAUS AHMED
Shri NN Vohra delivered the first Jasjit Singh memorial lecture last
month. Listing non-state groups that threaten internal security, he
said,
Another phenomenon, relatively more recent, relates to the emer-
gence of certain radical counter-groups which have been organ-
ised with the primary objective of countering the Jihadi terror net-
works. It needs being noted that the activities of such counter
groups have the potential of spreading disharmony and divisive-
ness which could generate wide-spread communal violence and
result in irreparably damaging the secular fabric of our democracy
(idsa.in/resources/speech/FirstJasjitSinghMemorialLecture.html).
Among the groups he lists are proxy war groups in J&K, the Indian
Mujahedeen, Left Wing extremists, North East insurgents and
Sikh militants. Since these are spelt out, it is curious that the
honble Governor of J&K leaves out mentioning who is the one he
is referring to in the extract above.
The groups with no name are majoritarian supremacists.
Terming them in this way one can get round the use of Hindu
such as enters into Hindutva group or Hindu extremists.
Dragging the word Hindu into describing them is injustice to the
religion they answer to. (Appending Islamic and Muslim to
counterpart groups is, however, now par for the course.) A value-
neutral term is better than one that defiles one of the great world
religions, Hinduism. It is hoped that analysts would reciprocate in
not using jihad and Islamic in describing extremist Muslims
groups.
Mr. Vohra says the unnamed extremists are a recent phe-
nomenon. As Union home secretary in the early 1990s, he
should be well aware that their existence is not recent. He says
their primary objective is to counter jihadi terror networks. The
presence of the majoritarian extremists who date to the first quar-
ter of last century with the formation of squads of khaki chaddis
aping the brown shirts of the Nazis and Mussolinis storm troop-
ers, are a phenomenon that outdates minority extremists by at
least three quarters of a century. Further, it is arguable if at all
there is this network given the evidence that the hype surround-
ing minority extremists is just that - hype -- some of which is
through ignorance, some through peer pressure, but much more
due to motivated commentary. At best, the so-called sleeper
cells that form this jihadi network can be dated to the Gujarat
carnage of 2002. After all, if the state abandoned its responsibili-
ty of protection of certain communities with such impunity as to
send a tainted chief minister to become prime minister, it would
be very foolish indeed for many communities to trust such a state
without reservations. Self-defence is part of human life, and if
mohallas have acquired a local body of youth to defend them in
such extreme emergencies, they cannot be called sleeper cells.
Quite clearly such groups must not substitute the state nor be vig-
ilantes. But they are liable to be called up to serve the communi-
ty in case the state is subverted and does not do its duty. There
has to be some other term for such groups, formed in face of an
emergency and for defensive purpose only. Therefore, this net-
work is a recent anti-supremacist phenomenon such as it is,
rather than the other way round.
Mr. Vohra clear-sightedly spells out that the threat from the
unnamed groups thus:
(they) have the potential of spreading disharmony and divisiveness
which could generate wide-spread communal violence and result in
irreparably damaging the secular fabric of our democracy.
This echoes the Wikileaks revealed take of Rahul Gandhi on these
groups. Now that Mr. Gandhi is in the political doghouse, he is no
longer fashionable to quote. However, if the princeling has one
reasonable quote to his credit then it is this one. But Mr. Vohras
silence can be taken of a piece with the otherwise resounding
silence surrounding triumphalism of militant Hindutva groups in
the wake of elections.
The prime minister is under question for his silence, almost
reminiscent of the Manmohan era. It is true that Mr. Modis silence
is across the board and seemingly to do with his marshaling of his
time for his developmentalist governance tasks. However, the fact
is that since the right wing, believing that they own the space now
that he is in power, require to be disabused of this notion. This is
something only the PM can do. But then, non-recognition that a
problem stares India in the face is what this article has been
about. Its about a problem that dare not speak its name.
The expectation is that the prime minister may with a diktat
bring majoritarian extremists to heel. The expectation is that now
that he has promised an inclusive developmentalist state, he
would use the opportunity to tune down his support base and
demonstrate he is PM of all India. This would be good. However,
there are drawbacks. Firstly, it would be authoritarian and rein-
force a wrong tendency in government. Secondly, it may lead to
the government saying something and doing something else less
overtly. So the majoritarian agenda may be progressed without
the noise that is currently attending it and drawing it into question.
This will then proceed surreptitiously, but surely, and, therefore,
more dangerously.
Clearly, there is a case for giving Mr. Modi his honey-moon
period, a period he claims he has been denied. He can yet be
taken seriously on his development agenda. However, his
resounding silence that now echoes in the words of the likes of no
less than Mr. Vohra recounted above is not helping his agenda
any.
Finally, a word on Mr. Vohras recommendation, that has
found mention in the many reports that he is credited with, name-
ly of a core national security cadre in the bureaucracy. This is to
control the home and defence ministries with bureaucrats who
would know something about national security. As with any good
idea, this too has an underside. If such a core cadre was to be
captured by an ideology or a political formation, then it would be
capable of controlling the State. For instance, the right-wing has
had a problem taking over the Indian state owing to Indias diver-
sity. However, it may try to gain control over such a core bureau-
cracy and thereby achieve what is denied to it democratically.
Take for instance the manner certain elements in Indias intelli-
gence apparatus have been suborned by right-wing ideology.
Consider the manner the Gujarat police and its home ministry
have been subverted. This means that it is better to have Indias
diversity inform its administrative system rather than create con-
ditions for short-sighted reasons for a takeover of the system
from within by extremist forces.
Therefore, Mr. Vohras speech has unintendedly served a use-
ful purpose of enabling the discussion here. It was a speech befit-
ting the first memorial lecture in memory of an eminent security
analyst though not in the manner Mr. Vohra imagined.
The author is a security analyst who blogs at www.subcontinental-
musings.blogspot.in
Majoritarian Terror: a resounding silence
Lucknow: Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulamas Hadees teacher and head
of Jamiat Shababul Islam, Maulana Syed Salman Husaini Nadwi
said, while describing the movement of Abu Bakr Baghdadi which
claims to aim setting up of an Islamic state in Iraq and Syria, is
based on narrow-mindedness and violenc. He said this so-called
Islamic State offers Islams fake Salafi representation which is harm-
ful to Islam and the Muslim world. Appealing to Muslims, Maulana
Nadwi said they should not get cheated by the slogans of this move-
ment named Daish or ISIS and should not be influenced until it
gives proof of justice and fairplay and adherence to Islams broad-
mindedness.
It may be recalled that earlier Maulana Salman Husaini Nadwi in
an open letter to Baghdadi had reminded him of the requirements for
the establishment of Caliphate. Regretting this, he stated that under
Baghdadis leadership murder and mayhems are taking place in the
name of Islam in spite of the fact that there is no room for murder and
mayhem of innocent people under Islam. Making an appeal to bring
Shia-Sunni sectarianism to an end, Maulana Nadwi asked Muslims to
stand by Hamas, Al Qassam and Muslim Brotherhood against the
Israeli tyranny and occupation and help them in all possible ways and
express hate and contempt at the policies of Egypts present pro-Israeli
government and its friendly Gulf states allies. Maulana Nadwi further
said that leaders of the so-called Islamic State have taken a violent
stand and their views about other Islamic organisations and move-
ments speak about their violent and fanatic stands. Its views are par-
ticularly harsh about Muslim Brotherhood and Jabatun Nusrah.
Moreover, ISIS people have adopted a cruel attitude towards the
Christians of Mosul in Iraq whereas the second Caliph Hadrat Umar at
the time of the conquest of Jerusalem not only allowed Christians and
their churches to stay as before but even insisted not to offer prayers
in a church when asked by the Patriarch to do so, saying that Muslims
would later demand to convert it into a mosque. Similarly, when Hadrat
Umar ibn Al-Aas conquered Egypt, he did not destroy either the pyra-
mids which contained the graves of the Pharohs nor the idols or
churches of the area. When the Prophets (pbuh) companions con-
quered Afghanistan they did not demolish the statues of Buddha and
adopted a friendly attitude towards minorities because of which the
entire country later embraced Islam. Therefore the activities of ISIS are
wrong from the Islamic point of view and are a cause for defaming
Islam, Maulana said.
Maulana Nadwi further said that what is more dangerous is
that instead of reforming innovative practices at mosques and
tombs, ISIS people are demolishing them claiming it is enjoined by
Islam. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) had spoken of Umiratu an
uqaqtilan nas (I am ordered to fight (unbelieving) people) about
the non-believers of the Arabian peninsula. This was revealed in
Surah Baraat of the Quran. Hence, whatever he had said then,
was specific to that particular place because the Arabian peninsu-
la was given a special status but during the conquests of other
countries, the Prophets companions had not followed this prac-
tice. These activities of ISIS leaders show their narrow-minded-
ness, violent behaviour and Islams fake Salafi representation,
which is harmful for Islam as well as the Muslim world. Maulana
Nadwi warned the people not to be misled by the slogans of ISIS
and until and unless they prove their sense of justice and fairplay
and Islams broad and liberal-mindedness, Muslims should not be
influenced by ISIS. Making an appeal to the people of the Shia
sect to promote sectarian brotherhood, Maulana Nadwi asked
them not to hurt the feelings and sentiments of Sunnis, consider
them as an integral part of Islam, follow the Quran and do not dif-
ferentiate between the Companions and members of the Prophets
(SAW) revered family and this has been the way of our forefathers
and all members of the Prophets family.
Baghdadis movement is based on violence and narrow-
mindedness; dont get cheated by it: Maulana Salman
Muslims need not fear anybody;
Azaan to be on loudspeaker as usual:
BJP leader in Mumbai
Mumbai: Maharashtras BJP leader and also leader of the opposi-
tion in Maharashtra state assembly, Eknath Khadse assured a high
level delegation of Bihar Residents Anjuman led by the Anjumans
spokesperson Mahmoodul Hasan Hakeemi that Muslims need not
fear any body now because those people who used to frithgen and
threaten Muslims and were in the habit of exploiting and using
them as vote banks have now been taught a lesson and isolated
jointly by the Hindus and Muslims of this country and whatever
remains undone or incomplete will be completed in the forthcom-
ing assembly elections. He said that call of Azaan will be made on
a loud speaker only as has always been done in the past and we
have no problem or inconvenience with it. In addition to the leader
Mahmoodul Hasan Hakeemi, other members of this delegation
were Arif Sardar (president of Rahmani group), Dr Haroon Ansari
(president of Sunni Doctors Foundation), Salman Qazi (president
of Pride Foundation) and some others.
This meeting (of the delegation with Khadse) was arranged
after some mischievous and unsocial elements had been carrying
on a mischievous campaign for the past many days on social
media and networking site. Opposition leader Eknath Khadse said
that this matter was raised in the assembly but they had made it
clear that they are not in any way troubled or disturbed with Fajr
Azaan and do not want to interfere in any bodys religious matters.
This meeting was held at Khadses residence and went on for a
long time in which Mahmoodul Hasan Hakeemi apprised him of
the fear and doubts of Muslims. The opposition leader said in
response that they do not consider Muslims as vote banks and
that the parties which used and exploited Muslims for 55 years
have brought them to such a pitiable condition. He said that in the
recent Lok Sabha elections Muslims extended their hand of friend-
ship towards us and we could have never achieved such grand
success without the help and support of Muslims. They would
fully reciprocate their help and support, adding that in all their
problems and difficulties they would help in removing them and
not only Muslims but they would help and work for all, as they had
always been doing,
One thousand Muslims killed daily in the
world; 90% killers are Muslims themselves
Istamboul: According to Hurriyat Daily News, a Turkish newspaper,
Prof (Dr) Mohmet , Head of Religious Affairs Directorate while
addressing a conference of World Islamic Scholars held in Istamboul
said that about one thousand Muslims are killed in the world daily and
90 percent killers of Muslims are Muslims themselves. He said that
not only in Syria and Iraq but in Libiya, Pakistan, Africa and Myanmar
also Muslims are being killed by their coreligionists themselves.
Giving statistics he said that joint efforts are badly needed for the
restoration of the lofty values of Islamic civilization in Islamic world.
He further said that in many regions of the Islamic world including Iraq
and Syria violence, disputes and calamities are inflicting deep wounds
in the hearts of Muslims.
Referring to the (so-called) religious organisations like Boko
Haram and ISIS he said that these organisations of the modern world
and their activities are making Islamic civilization rusty and hence
there is great need to restore the lofty values of Islamic World and
Islamic civilization which have now become dim and rusty. He
announced a team of ten members for the promotion of peace and
goodwill in Islamic World. This contact group or team will visit the
countries and regions which are at war with each other and meet gov-
ernment authorities, Parliament leaders, religious groups, world insti-
tutions and intellectuals in educational and scientific fields and
impress upon them the urgent and important need to renounce vio-
lence and maintain and promote mutual peace. This conference was
held in Istamboul from 17 to 19 July in which Islamic personalities
from 32 countries took part.
The expectation is that the prime minister may
with a diktat bring majoritarian extremists to
heel. The expectation is that now that he has
promised an inclusive developmentalist state, he
would use the opportunity to tune down his
support base and demonstrate he is PM of all
India. This would be good. However, there are
drawbacks....the majoritarian agenda may be
progressed without the noise that is currently
attending it and drawing it into question. This will
then proceed surreptitiously, but surely, and,
therefore, more dangerously.
RAM PUNIYANI
ram.puniyani@gmail.com
It is already over two
months that Narendra Modi
has taken over as the prime
minister of the country.
While some, including him-
self, may call it a honey-
moon period, others will
say that its actions during
past few weeks are an indication enough of the
shape of things to come.
It goes without saying that Modi is the
Pracharak of the RSS, which is aiming at con-
verting the secular democratic India into a Hindu
Rashtra.
Modi came to power with many planks,
many factors went into his victory. One of them
was the catchy phrase Acche Din Aane Wale
hain. For the people, who have been restless
due to rising prices and inflation, there has been
no respite and many of them have started feel-
ing the regret of being taken in by the propagan-
da of acche din As such this was a major
propaganda point so a large section of people
are already disgruntled.
This government did begin with a major ini-
tiative in the area of relationship with the South
Asian neighbors. It invited all the heads of South
Asian countries for the swearing in ceremony.
People had their eyes on the invitation for the
Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif as the
BJPs longest ally Shiv Sena was opposed to it.
Overruling objections from Shiv Sena, Modi
went ahead in getting Sharif to visit India. This
may open the path of peaceful relations with the
neighbours, Pakistan in particular. One knows
that a peaceful neighborhood is an important
factor helping growth and development and India
has to gain a lot in terms of trade, education and
medical facilities being opened up for these
countries and making a good deal of revenue.
At another level the Government showed its
shift away from Indias West Asia policy as
Sushma Swaraj, the foreign minister went on to
equate Palestine, the victim, with the oppressor
Israel which has violated most of the UN resolu-
tions. The vote on this matter did follow the
Indian policy so far, and that is a matter of great
relief.
Modi as prime minister is wearing his reli-
gion on his sleeve. Be it participation in Ganga
Aarti in Varanasi soon after the election results
were out or participating in Puja in Pashupatinath
Temple in Nepal, he has no qualms about doing
the same openly as the head of a theoretically
secular state.
The formation of the Government gave a sig-
nal that doubtful elements like Sanjeev Balyaan,
who is widely seen as having a major hand in
Muzaffarnagar violence, as a reward for his role
in the communalisation of the polity and polar-
ization of the voters; and this is something which
needs discouragement if we want to preserve
the integrity of the nation.
The case of Gopal Subramaniam, an out-
standing advocate of the Supreme Court, came
as a shock to many as he is known to be com-
petent and upright. He was denied the nomina-
tion as a Supreme Court judge. One recalls that
as amicus curiae of the Supreme Court, Mr.
Subramaiam had brought forth the links of
Sohrabuddin fake encounter and the present BJP
President Amit Shah. It is suspected that this
was the reason for the denial of the Supreme
Court judgeship to him. Subramaniam Swamy,
the top leader of BJP, showed his discomfort
with Gopal Subramaniam. According to Mr.
Swamy, Gopal had hurt the feelings of Hindus in
the case of Ram Setu issue.
On other fronts, there are symptoms which
are ominous so to say. Right in the beginning, a
confidential report was deliberately leaked that
major foreign-funded NGOs like Green Peace are
retarding the countrys growth. We know that
this foreign funding is regulated by the home
ministry and there are enough checks and bal-
ances to prevent adverse use of funds. This
leaking of the report and the utterances of top
government officials sent the message down the
line whereby harassment of these NGOs started
resulting in retarding their work. Surely, these
NGOs are also the ones which have been fight-
ing for the cause of environment, problems relat-
ed to poverty and other issues related to peo-
ples empowerment. As such, these dissenting
voices should be an integral part of a caring
democracy.
While HRD minister has not stated clearly
but Mr. Dinanath Batra of Shiksha Bachao
Abhiyan Samiti has stated that he met the minis-
ter who has promised him to change the school
syllabus to make it in tune with the ideology of
RSS, which is parochial and sectarian. Similar
changes were brought in during the NDA regime
during 1999-2004. A sample of this was to
introduce courses like Jyotish Shastra
(Astrology) and Paurohitya (Performance of reli-
gious rituals) in our universities. The Union gov-
ernment instruction to celebrate the Sanskrit
week was seriously opposed by many states,
Tamil Nadu in particular. The appointment of Prof
Y. Sudrashan Rao as the new head of the Indian
Council of Historical Research tells the tale as to
which direction our research is going to be
directed. Prof Rao has been working on a project
to prove the historicity of Mahabharata. He has
also come forward in defence of the caste sys-
tem on the grounds that it worked in the past and
that nobody had complained about it.
During this period the affiliated wings of
RSS have become bolder. In particular Vishwa
Hindu Parishad leaders like Ashok Singhal and
Praveen Togadia have made speeches which are
very frightening to the religious minorities. In a
way such elements are openly threatening the
Muslims. Singhal claimed that Modis victory
was a blow to Muslim politics because it
showed elections could be won without Muslim
support. He also claimed that Modi is an ideal
RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) volunteer
who would implement the Hindutva agenda.
It is no coincidence that the Goas deputy
chief minister, a BJP man, went on to say that he
is a Hindu Christian. This creates a deliberate
confusion between the earlier use of Hindu as
a geographical category and its present use as a
religious category. And this is a violation of the
religious freedom ensured to the minorities in
India.
Another BJP MLA opposed Sania Mirza
being appointed as the brand ambassador of
Telangana on the ground that she is daughter-
in-law of Pakistan. This statement goes against
our Constitution and has not been strongly
opposed by the BJPs top leadership which has
soft-peddled the issue, giving a wrong signal.
The so-called Hindutva agenda is being
brought into operation slowly.
The minorities affairs minister Najma
Heptulla stated that Muslims are not a minori-
ty, while Parsis are. Parsis are a comparative-
ly better off community while Sachar
Committee tells us the plight of the Muslim
community and the need to initiate affirmative
action for them.
Article 370 of the Constitution, which was
brought in due to peculiar circumstances and is
a bridge between Indian and Kashmir, is being
questioned.
The Uniform Civil Code is being bandied
without going into the subtle nuances of social
reform and the need for grounding of such a law
in the concept of gender justice. These topics
have been debated endlessly and need to be
handled taking along the opinions of people of
Kashmir on one hand and women from minority
community on the other.
The need is to ensure that interests of the
countrys people are kept uppermost, the way
invitation to Nawaz Sharif shows, should be
appreciated. Other measures show that there is
an attempt to undermine the diverse nature of
our polity/ There is an attempt to bring in RSS
agenda through education and culture, which are
dangerous and need to be opposed. (pluralin-
dia.com)
The Modi Sarkar: Initial Symptoms
6 The Milli Gazette, 16-31 August 2014 NATIONAL www.milligazette.com
JOHN DAYAL
Indias several religious minorities weep alone
when they are in pain. So do the Dalits and the
indigenous people, called Tribals or Adivasis.
There are a few vibrant human rights
groups, who organize fact-finding missions, go
to the media and demonstrate before parlia-
ment. But there has seldom been a national out-
rage, cutting across ethnicities, languages and
caste barriers, which would force policy and
judicial reforms, or change the mindset that has
fueled so much violence since independence.
The most terrible single episode in this tor-
tured history was the massacre of almost 5,000
Sikhs, 3,500 of them in the national capital
Delhi, in October 1984.
The chain of events began when then
Prime Minister Indira Gandhi sent the Army into
the Golden Temple, holy to the Sikhs, to neutral-
ize a group of armed extremists. The Army
killed the leader of the group, Bhindranwale
and, in the process, destroyed the Akal Takht,
the seat of supreme command of the faith.
Two of Gandhis Sikh bodyguards shot her
dead in retaliation. Subsequently Hindu mobs,
and a few others, armed with weapons and
cans of gasoline, caught and burned alive any
man they could see on the road who had a
beard and wore a turban. The city continued to
burn for three days.
A few newspapers recorded the tragedy for
posterity, but there was no protest worth the
name. In fact, there was an undercurrent of con-
doning the violence as a reaction to Gandhis
murder. Her son and successor as prime minis-
ter, Rajiv Gandhi, said: When a big tree falls,
the earth shakes a little.
Three decades later, the victims live with
their memories. The widows and their families
fight lonely legal battles in the courts. But the
media barely covers recent developments. The
country has moved on, fleetingly referring to the
carnage when there are elections in the Punjab,
which has a Sikh majority.
Indias Muslims, estimated at around 200
million in a population of 1.25 billion, have suf-
fered several such massacres in the tens of
thousands of communal riots of mass violence
involving them and Hindus since independence.
Some of the major ones have been in
Ahmedabad in 1969, Bhagalpur in 1989,
Mumbai in 1992-3, and the infamous Gujarat
pogroms of 2002. Barring a few social activists
who made a noise, it was left to Muslims to
bandage their own wounds and rebuild their
lives. There was very little justice, no closure
and no apology. And, as with the massacre of
Sikhs in 1984, there has been that underlying
murmur that justifies the killings and arson.
In 2008, Christians in Kandhamal in Orissa
and Mangalore in Karnataka suffered violence
at the hands of Hindu nationalist groups. In the
aftermath they, too, were left to fend for them-
selves in terms of relief, rehabilitation, and the
long and expensive struggle for justice.
An effort to mobilize national support for
justice on the sixth anniversary of the violence
has elicited almost no response. For the Dalits,
the former Untouchables, this is something
they have long understood: they will have to
fight their own battles, expecting and demand-
ing nothing from the upper and middle castes of
the social hierarchy.
In recent years, cities such as Delhi,
Mumbai and Bangalore have seen major
protests against the rape of women, but there
has been no such mobilization when the victim
has been a Dalit or Muslim. It is for sociologists
and social psychologists to explain such large-
scale apathy. It will not do to blame just the
lunatic fringe that is visible and voluble on social
media, or the so-called cultural groups, which
have been responsible for the rise to power of
the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party.
They have played a role, but they have fed
on something deeper, and nurtured the religious
and cultural divides that today polarize the
national polity.
The impact on the minority communities
has been the consolidation of a dangerous insu-
larity. It is not that they actually want to live in
ghettoes for a sense of security. There seem to
be other reasons. Perhaps it is fatalism.
Despite frequent attacks on house-church-
es and pastors in rural and tribal areas,
Christians are not as stressed as Muslims, who
have developed a deep distrust of the police
and criminal justice systems. But they are no
different in their collective responses to the pain
of others.
In a situation so emotionally and psycholog-
ically fragile, the communities have turned
inwards, closing their eyes and ears to happen-
ings in their neighborhood to other minorities.
The Church has not been seen as a
defender of the human rights of Muslims. And it
is only recently that it has aligned itself with the
Dalits and tribals. The governments recent use
of its intelligence agencies to monitor church
and other voluntary groups has for now effec-
tively silenced even these protests.
One would think this insularity is the reason
why the Church in India has been so quiet
regarding the aggression shown by Israel to
eliminate Hamas from Gaza, with its collateral
damage in the deaths of civilian men, women
and children. In fact, a large section of the
Christian community has been openly support-
ive of Israel, upholding it as the Chosen People
of God.
The Muslim community organized protests
in support of the people of Gaza, but the aver-
age Indian has followed the governments lead
of supporting Israels right of self defence.
Christians have not organized a single demon-
stration, or even issued a statement from the
leadership.
A section of concerned Christian intellectu-
als have expressed anxiety at the communitys
insularity, and the perceived failure of the
Church to come out of its shell and speak out
against violence, and for human rights and jus-
tice, especially in the Middle East.
It will not do for the community to wake up
only when some of its own people are affected.
Compassion cannot be sectarian, and concern
for human rights and justice has to transcend
self interest. (johndayal.com)
Senior journalist John Dayal is the
general secretary of the All India Christian Council
and a member of the Indian governments
National Integration Council.
The affiliated wings of RSS have become bolder. In particular Vishwa Hindu
Parishad leaders like Ashok Singhal and Praveen Togadia have made
speeches which are very frightening to the religious minorities. In a way such
elements are openly threatening the Muslims. Singhal claimed that Modis
victory was a blow to Muslim politics because it showed elections could be
won without Muslim support. He also claimed that Modi is an ideal RSS
(Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) volunteer who would implement the
Hindutva agenda.
Indias Religious Minorities and Dalits Weep Alone
The impact on the
minority communities
has been the
consolidation of a
dangerous insularity.
It is not that they
actually want to live in
ghettoes for a sense of
security. There seem
to be other reasons.
Perhaps it is fatalism.
NATIONAL The Milli Gazette, 16-31 August 2014 7 www.milligazette.com
Saharanpur hit by major communal riot
Increasing trend of
divorce in Kashmir
Srinagar: Islamic Relief and Research Trust (IRRT), while express-
ing great concern over the trend of growing number of divorce in
Kashmir Valley said that in future this problem will become a mat-
ter of great danger. According to IRRTs chairman Abdur Rashid
Hanjoora the number of widows in the Valley has reached 50,000
and in addition to this, about 2,14000 children are leading a life of
orphans. He further said while talking to UNI that during the past
one or two years an extraordinary increase in the rate of divorce
has been seen which can become a matter of serious danger for
the entire society. Expressing surprise he said that divorce takes
place on minor matters. He said that though people are coming
forward for helping the widows and half-widows, the same senti-
ment and sympathy is not being seen to help divorced women. He
made an appeal to civil society and Muslim intellectuals and reli-
gious leaders to take steps to prevent and discourage this scourge
in society. Regarding the extraordinary increase in the number of
widows and orphans he said that this is because of the tumul-
tuous and disturbed conditions during the last two decades. He
said that though many trusts are working at governmental and
non-governmental level to help the needy people but in spite of all
this, a large number of widows and orphaned children are devoid
of any kind of help and assistance. He said that they need billions
of rupees to help these widows and orphaned children but it is a
matter of great misfortune that of the total population of the Valley
only 5 percent people give Zakat, payment of which has been
described as compulsory by Islam. Abur Rashid Hanjoora said
that according to a survey, most of the 2,14,000 orphaned chil-
dren have no other means of income. He said that though there
were trusts in the Valley to help the widows and orphans before
1990 which satisfied their needs to some extent, because of their
extraordinary increase from that time till now, acute necessity is
being felt for more and greater number of such trusts. He said that
IRRT was set up in 2000 to help the needy only, adding that they
provide financial help not only to widows and orphans but also
encourage and motivate their relatives so that better help and care
could be provided to them. He said that the Trust at present is run-
ning two Centers for orphaned boys and girls where all kinds of
facilities are provided to these helpless boys and girls. In addition
to this, some poor youth are doing MCA and MBA courses in
Pune with their financial help. In addition to them, many youth are
also doing engineering and other professional courses with their
help. Also, we provide financial help in the marriage of poor girls,
he said.
Under BJP-led NDA government schemes
named after BJP icons launched
New Delhi: In the first budget of BJP-led NDA government finance
minister Arun Jetley has named two government schemes after
BJP icons, late Deen Dayal Upadhyay and Shyama Prasad
Mukherji, one scheme named after BJP icon Pundit Madan Mohan
Malviya and one scheme named after Jay Prakash Narayan, not
connected to BJP but an opponent of Indira Gandhis Emergency
and her government. During the Congress-led UPA governments
naming spree of central or state governments schemes after
Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi was quite common. In tributes to
BJP and RSS ideologues and icons NDA government (finance
minister) has named two national schemes after them. One
scheme is Deen Dayal Upadhyay Rural Electrification Programme
(Gram Jyoti Yojna) for which Rs 500 crores have been allocated.
It may be noted that DDU was an important leader and probably
the pioneer of Bhartiya Jan Sangh, the predecessor of the present
day BJP. This scheme named after him is proposed to supply
24X7 uninterrupted electricity and power supply in rural areas.
Another proposal in the budget named after another icon i.e.
S. P. Mukerjee, founder and first president of Bhartiya Jan Sangh
is Rurban (i.e. Rural-Urban) Mission i.e. Rozgar Mission to boost
the development of rural India. This scheme is based on Gujarats
Rurban development model of urbanisation of rural areas. The
third scheme has been named after Pundit Madan Mohan Malviya
who, though a Congress leader, was formerly associated with the
Hindu Mahasabha, another outfit (now defunct) of RSS / BJP. He
was also the founder of Banaras Hindu University. This scheme of
the present government named after him is concerned with
schools assessment programme and is named Pundit Madan
Mohan Malviya New Teachers Training Programme for which Rs
30 crores have been allocated. The fourth scheme is named after
socialist leader Jay Prakash Narayan who gave a call for total rev-
olution during 1970s aimed at overthrowing Congress (Indira
Gandhi) government. The scheme named after him is J P Narayan
National Centre for Excellence in Humanities which will be set up
in Mdahya Pradesh.
As stated above, during the 10 years rule of UPA I and II most
of the central and Congress-ruled state government schemes
were named after Nehru-Gandhi family personalities, particularly
Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. An idea of these schemes named
after Nehru Gandhi family members can be had from the follow-
ing chart:
No. of schemes
Central government schemes : 12
State governments schemes : 52
Tournament and Trophies etc : 28
Sports, Stadia etc : 19
Airports & ports / harbours : 05
Universities, Institutes etc : 98
Awards : 51
Museums, Parks etc : 15
Scholarships : 15
Hospitals : 39
Institutes, centres : 37
Highways, buildings etc : 74
The new government at the centre has obviously not named any
government scheme after Nehru-Gandhi / Congress icons.
Moreover, Congress-led UPA government used to allocate at least
some funds or schemes in its budgets for Amethi and Rae Bareily
Parliamentary constituencies of Rahul Gandhi and Mrs Sonia
Gandhi respectively. The new government did not allocate any
fund or any new scheme for these places.
MG NEWS DESK
SHAHID ZUBERI
Saharanpur: Communal riots, this time not between Hindus and
Muslims but between Muslims and Sikhs erupted in Saharanpur
city on 26-27 July in which three persons (Sarfaraz, Arif and
Harish Goojar) were killed and dozens injured. According to unof-
ficial sources, more than 200 shops, dozens of fruit and vegeta-
bles push-carts were consigned to flames, many other shops
were looted and businesses worth billions of rupees were
destroyed. This happened days before the Eid which fell this year
on 29 July. The city was immediately put under the charge of
paramilitary forces in view of the ferocity of the clashes. Seeing
the seriousness of the situation, curfew too was imposed shortly
after the outbreak of the riots. Day curfew was lifted after more
than a week while night curfew still continues. During the day cur-
few some relaxations was given in order to enable people to pur-
chase commodities of daily requirements. Eid was celebrated on
29 July under strong security and people were not allowed to go
to the Eidgah; instead, they were ordered to pray in their local
mosques. Though curfew was relaxed for the Eid but the normal
warmth and gaiety were missing. At Eidgah, where normally
around one lakh people assemble for the Namaz, only about five-
housand could be seen. A two-member delegation of the National
Minorities Commission, consisting of Sardar Ajab Singh and Ms
Farida Abdullah Khan, visited the affected places and met people
on 31 July. It said later that the riots were a conspiracy against
minorities (both Muslims and Sikhs are minorities) which was
hatched somewhere else.
Though a dispute for a piece of land had been going on
between Muslims and Guru Singh Sabha, a Sikh organisation in
the city, for over a decade, the immediate cause of the riots was
a news spread among Muslims at the time of sehri (pre-dawn
food during Ramadan) in the early hours of 27 July, a Sunday, that
Guru Singh Sabha people are putting linter (roof) on the site of a
mosque and that columns etc were already erected. A false
rumour spread among Muslims said that Qutub Sher mosque near
a gurudwara has been demolished. The small, private mosque on
the disputed plot was already demolished secretly many years
ago but Muslims were not aware of it because Muslims do not live
in that locality. The concerned Masjid Committee came to know
about it much later and started litigation. The news of linter being
put at the site of the mosque created furore among Muslims and
soon hundreds of Muslims assembled at Thana Qutub Sher as
they had already awoken for sehri. The crowd went on swelling.
Muslim leaders, including one Muhrram Ali Pappu (a former
municipal commissioner of the city) and president of the Masjid
Committee Haji Irfan requested ADM (E) Dinesh Chandra and SP
(City) Vaibhav Krishn, who rushed to the spot, to reregister a
complaint against Guru Singh Sabha and get the work stopped.
After some hesitation and discussion, the officers agreed to reg-
ister the complaint, and an SDA engineer was called in to get the
linter work stopped. City Magistrate and other officers also came
to the spot and sought time till 11 am to get the work stopped but
Muslims were in no mood to wait till 11 oclock.
On the other side, a big crowd of Sikhs also assembled in
which there were many BJP leaders who wanted to take advan-
tage of the trouble and were inciting Sikhs. Shortly after 8 am riots
broke out. Stoning and firing from both sides started. Slogans
were being raised and lethal weapons were used. Police firing
injured Sarfaraz son of Nafees and Arif son of Naeem who later
succumbed to their injuries. Harish Goojar, a trader was shot dead
by some people at the Municipal Colony.
When the condition began to deteriorate, DM Sandhya Tiwari
declared curfew. But even during curfew, shops of Muslims in
majority areas were looted and set on fire while shops of non-
Muslims in Muslim areas were safe. Muslims were attacked at
many places. Police and PAC, as happens in most cases, let loose
a reign of terror against Muslims along with rioters and looted and
burned their shops and home. Cars and other vehicles in Muslim
localities too were set on fire.
BJP-MP Raghav Lakhanpal was accused of inciting Sikhs
against Muslims even during curfew. BJP
made full use of these riots and actively
participated on the side of Sikhs which
later converted this Muslim-Sikh riot into
Hindu-Muslim riot.
UP minister Azam Khan alleged that
the conspiracy to instigate riots in
Saharanpur was hatched in Nagpur (the
headquarters of RSS). He added that the
planning to push Saharanpur into flames
of communal riots was done in Nagpur.
This is a plan of BJP and other RSS out-
fits to polarise the voters for the assem-
bly bye-elections that are to take place
soon in 12 assembly constituencies.
Normalcy has started to return to the
city after a week of tension and condi-
tions in Saharanpur are almost normal
now though night curfew still continues
and arrests, mainly of Muslims, are still
going on. The total number of arrests is
believed to haved crossed a hundred.
As regards the disputed piece of
land, Muslims claim it is their land while
Guru Singh Sabha (GSS), representing
Sikhs, lays its claim on the land. It is said
that long ago there was a private mosque
known as Hasan Askari Masjid within
the compound of one Hasan Askaris
kothi which was known as Peeli Kothi.
Hasan Askari went to Pakistan in 1965
after selling the kothi minus the Hasan
Askari Masjid, to someone. Before his
departure, he had got the Masjid regis-
tered with the Sunni Central Waqf Board
(Lucknow) where its number in the Waqf
Board records is 1858. In the Survey of
Indias 1984 record, this Masjid is men-
tioned under number 1102. The mosque
is also mentioned as masjid pukhta in
the Saharanpur municipal records of
1940.
The said Peeli Kothi in whose compound this Masjid stood
was registered in the name of one Abdul Qayyoom in 1923. After
sale and re-sale from one person to another, this kothi ultimately
came under the ownership of Guru Singh Sabha about 16 years
ago which claims ownership of the plot although subsequent sale
deeds exclude the mosque from the sale of the plot. There is a
gurudwara adjacent to the plot and Sikhs want to extend it by
including in it the disputed tract of land. GSS says that when it had
planned to expand this Gurudwara in 2010, Muslims failed to
make any objection so why an objection is being raised now? Its
authorities say that some people want to blackmail GSS and grab
some money and these are the people who incited the Muslims
which led to the riots of 27 July. (Translated from Urdu by MG
Staff)
Saharanpur riot on the first day
Burnt shops as seen on the second day of the riots
Arrested Muslim youth cannot
be handcuffed: judge
A request (by police) to handcuff the four Muslim accused per-
sons who were arrested from Maharashtras Nanded district on
charge of terrorism was rejected by the special NIA court judge
Y. D. Shinde by saying that according to Supreme Courts instruc-
tions, accused persons in judicial custody cannot be handcuffed
and that policemen posted on the security of accused persons did
not give any logical reason for handcuffing the accused persons.
This verdict of the special NIA courts judge has given a strong
rebuff to police personnel because they had demanded that per-
sons particularly Muslim youth, accused of terrorism should be
handcuffed while being taken to court. Policemen, while justifying
the case for handcuffing persons accused under terrorism
because of the possibility of their escape, had filed a request for
handcuffing them while bringing them to court. This application
was made by head of the police personnel to the special court
wherein it was also stated that since the accused persons are
arrested under very dangerous and serious charges and they can
escape while being presented in court, they (police personnel)
may be permitted to handcuff them while presenting them in the
court.
Jamiatul Ulama, Maharashtra (Arshad Madni)s lawyer Sharif
Sheikh while strongly opposing police request for handcuffing the
accused persons told the special NIA court judge Y. D. Shinde that
Supreme Court does not allow accused persons in judicial cus-
tody to be handcuffed and that the accused persons are now
imprisoned in Taloja Jail and to bring them from Taloja Jail to
Mumbai session court more than a dozen armed policemen
escort them. Under such conditions the request that is being
made to handcuff them on the excuse that they may escape, is
violation of their (accused persons) legal rights. He also told the
special NIA court that if police honestly performs its duties it is not
possible for the accused persons to escape from police custody.
It may be stated that these accused persons viz Muhammad
Muzammil Abdul Ghafoor, Muhammad Sadiq Muhammad Farooq,
Muhammad Ilyas Muhammad Akbar, Muhammad Irfan and
Muhammad Ghaus are accused of having connections with banned
terrorist organisations Lashkar-e Taiyyaba and Harkatul Jehad and
MPs, MLAs and journalists were their targets. The state
(Maharashtra) ATS had arrested these people in different cities of
Nanded district and as per their claim, had recovered 4 revolvers and
other arms from their possession. The arrest of these persons was
suspect and when subsequently protests were made on the arrest of
these youngmen, investigation of this case was entrusted to NIA on
the pattern of investigation into the 2006 bomb blasts in Malegaon. At
present NIA is investigating into this case and it is hoped that an addi-
tional chargesheet will be filed against them soon.
All of them were presented in the court under strong security
arrangements. During the judicial process, advocates Shahid
Nadeem Ansari, Abhishek Pandey, Chiragh Shah from Jamiatul
Ulama side and from NIA side advocate Sukhdev and other inves-
tigating officers were present in court.
Modi-Amit Shah effect:
Riots in Rampur, Meert and many other places
After Saharanpurs Muslim-Sikh riots of 27 July in which three per-
sons were killed and many injured, it was the turn of Rampur, Meerut,
Bareily, Ranchi. In Rampur because of a minor incident of collision
between two motor cyclists in Mehndipur village on 28 July tension
spread when two groups of people came face to face when stoning
took place and thereafter arms were used in which three persons
were killed and many were seriously injured. On receipt of information
about this, riot police arrived there in large numbers but it could not
be known how and from whose side firing had started.
In this case police is also trying to find out how people had
acquired so many arms. No official statement was however made
about this riot.
In Meerut, violence took place in Mohiuddinpur locality in con-
nection with the burial of a dead body in a graveyard which was dis-
puted by some people, saying that this is the land of a shamshan ghat
and stopped the other party form digging the grave. This led to a dis-
pute. When police, after hearing the news about tension between the
people of the two communities arrived there it described the land as
government land and stopped the digging of the grave and burial of
the body. The crowd became unruly over this and in the fight between
the people and police, the latter being outnumbered had to flee. When
other top officials of police arrived there and asked Muslims to bury
the body behind the bijli ghar near old Mohiuddinpur but some
Bajrang Dal leaders opposed this as well which again enraged
Muslims who put the body at the railway gate and enforced a jam.
Fearing the situation was taking a serious turn, police allowed
Muslims to bury the body in the old government land.
In Khandwa (Madhya Pradesh), according to police some
objectionable matter on facebook / internet led to a dispute
between two groups of people which took a communal turn in
which stoning etc on a large scale took place resulting in the death
of one person and injuries to many in Imlipur locality. Police
resorted to lathi-charge and lobbed tear gas shells. Finding the sit-
uation out of control, curfew was imposed. Police Officer Manoj
Sharma said that curfew has been imposed from 5 in the morn-
ing, many people have been arrested and a large police force has
been posted in the affected and neighbouring areas.
In Kashmirs Kathua district at Basohil clashes broke out
between the people of two communities on 28 July, one day
before Eid, after the news of animal slaughter spread. Hundreds of
people took to the street in the morning and many vehicles were
damaged. Army was deployed in Kathua and paramilitary forces
were deployed at sensitive places in Jammu to prevent any unto-
ward incident on Eid. Deputy Commissioner of Kathua Shahid
Chowdhary said that after talking to people of both communities,
the situation was brought under control.
In Bareily tension started brewing in the old part of the city on 31
July when an objectionable matter about Prophet (SAW) of Islam was
uploaded by a youth belonging to the majority country on the social
networking sites facebook. In order to prevent any untoward incident
the entire area was alerted and ITBP and RAF personnel were posted.
The youth, Ankit Gupta who had uploaded the objectionable matter
has been arrested. Subsequently, Ankit Guptas father also was
arrested and somehow the situation was brought under control. It
was reported that some mischievous elements had set a shop on fire
and had indulged in stoning near a religious place. Police however had
foiled further attempts at mischief.
In Jharkhand a clash between some tribals and Muslims had
taken place ahead of Eid in rural Ranchis Chanho area over a piece
of land (about 4 acres) the ownership of which is a matter of dispute.
When the tribals denied access to Muslims to this place where they
wanted to pray next day on Eid about 10 thosand Muslims assembled
there and stone pelting and violence started resulting in the death of
one person and injuries to at least 15 persons, including some police-
men.
N. A. ANSARI
8 The Milli Gazette, 16-31 August 2014 NATIONAL www.milligazette.com
Achche Vichaar
Wisdom In Gujarat
Golwalkar To AR Dave
SHAMSUL ISLAM
There must be something special and fanciful in the land of
Gujarat to attract Hindutva intellectuals to come out with their
bizarre theories once they land there. The latest being Supreme
Court judge A.R. Dave. While addressing a distinguished gather-
ing which included Chief Justice of Bombay High Court, Mohit
Shah at Gujarat University, Ahmedabad on August 2, 2014,
Justice Dave said that the Bhagwad Gita and the Mahabharata
should be introduced to students from Class I. To quote him,
"Somebody who is very secularso-called secular will not
agreeHad I been the dictator of India, I would have introduced
the Gita and the Mahabharata in Class I. That is the way you learn
how to live life. I am sorry if somebody says I am secular or I am
not secular. But if there is something good, we have to get it from
anywhere".
These utterances of a serving judge of the Supreme Court are
in direct violation to the oath which he must have taken as judge
for upholding a democratic-secular Constitution of India. How
could a member of the highest court of justice express a wish to
be a dictator, denigrate secularism? Should the President of India
remain a mute spectator to these totalitarian ideas of a sitting
judge of the Supreme Court?
So far as Justice Daves love for Mahabharata is concerned,
he needs to know that there are serious issues about its historic-
ity within the Hindu discourse. Not going into the debate whether
these epics preach Untouchability, Casteism, violence and
Racism (which they do), the questions about the historicity of
these epics have been raised not by secular historians but by his-
torians and scholars contributing to The Cultural Heritage of India
series brought out by Rama Krishna Mission founded by
Vivekananda (whose faith in Sanatan Hinduism should be beyond
doubt).
According to A. D. Pusalker, an authority on Sanskrit epics
and a contributor to the above series, "Bhargavas who were
responsible for incorporating dharma, niti, and other material in
the Mahabharata added many episodes to Ramayana. There is a
close resemblance not only in style, expression, and description,
as exemplified by parallel passages and identical similes, but also
in the mythology and philosophy of the two epics. Neither the
Ramayana nor Mahabharata was recognized as an "epic" before
the late Grhya-Sutra period [around 500 BCE], and neither was
developed quite independently of the other. The Utarakanda (of
Mahabharata) contains many tales of the Gangetic plains, and
later didactic portions of the Mahabharata are generally laid in
Kosala and Magadha; so on their later development the two epics
grew in the same locality." (D. Pusalker, "Ramayana: Its history
and character," The Cultural Heritage of India, Rama Krishna
Mission, Calcutta, 1993, 2/29.)
It is generally believed that the Ramayana preceded the
Mahabharata. However, Pusalker goes on to emphasize that the
peculiar character and development of "the Ramayana and the
Mahabharata preclude any categorical answer to the question
whether the Ramayana is the source, or the Mahabharata or
whether both the epics independently borrowed from a third
source." (Ibid., p. 30)
Another authority on Pali and Sanskrit literature, P. L. Vaidya,
while throwing light on the origins of the Mahabharata, admits in
the same series that "the bulk of the present text is a work of cen-
turies, and additions were being made even after the fourth cen-
tury AD." (Ibid., p. 53). While agreeing with Winternitz, an author-
ity on ancient Indian literature, that one date of the composition of
Mahabharata did not exist at all, he went on to underline that "the
form of epic, referred to as the Bharata or the Mahabharata, did
not exist in the Vedic period, and it was little known in the land of
Buddhism. It therefore must have been composed during the peri-
od, say, from the fourth century B. C. to fourth century A. D. The
larger bulk found in the later stages of the development of the epic
must have been due to the additions of narratives about some
prominent members of the race with a view to magnify their great-
ness." (Ibid., pp. 53f).
R. N. Dandekar, another prominent Indologist, corroborat-
ed the fact that the transmission of Mahabharata was character-
ized by a truly bewildering mass of versions and sub-versions.
The luxuriant growth and indiscriminate fusion of Mahabharata
could only be explained by the fact that after its composition, in
the course of all these centuries, it had been handed down in dif-
ferent forms and sizes from bard to bard through oral tradition,
and that, therefore, no special care had been taken to guard its
text against partial corruption and elaboration or against arbitrary
emendation and normalisation. Even in its early phases, the
Mahabharata text-tradition seems to have been not uniform and
singular but multiple and polygenous." (RN Dandekar in the
Foreword to MR Yardi, The Mahabharata: Its Genesis and Growth,
Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Poona, 1986, p. v].
Hindutva intellectuals like Yellapragada Sudershan Rao, chair-
person of ICHR and Justice AR Dave need to do some basic read-
ing on Indian epics. Hindutva intellectuals should not be allowed
to bulldoze the discourse over the historicity of these epics in the
name of fighting secularism.
Justice AR Dave is not the first person to lay down a fan-
tastic scheme while present on the lands of Gujarat. It was in
Gujarat that M. S. Golwalkar, the second Sarsanghchalak of the
RSS and its most prominent ideologue till date, laid down his
shameful theory of cross-breeding among Keralite Hindus. He
was invited to address the students of the School of Social
Science of Gujarat University on December 17, 1960. In this
address, while underlying his firm belief in the Race Theory, he
touched upon the issue of cross-breeding in Kerala. He said:
Today experiments in cross-breeding are made only on ani-
mals. But the courage to make such experiments on human
beings is not shown even by the so-called modern scientist of
today. If some human cross-breeding is seen today it is the result
not of scientific experiments but of carnal lust. Now let us see the
experiments our ancestors made in this sphere. In an effort to bet-
ter the human species through cross-breeding, the Namboodri
Brahamanas of the North were settled in Kerala and a rule was
laid down that the eldest son of a Namboodri family could marry
only the daughter of Vaishya, Kashtriya or Shudra communities of
Kerala. Another still more courageous rule was that the first off-
spring of a married woman of any class must be fathered by a
Namboodri Brahman and then she could beget children by her
husband. Today this experiment will be called adultery but it was
not so, as it was limited to the first child."
(M. S. Golwalkar cited in Organiser, January 2, 1961, p. 5).
The above statement of Golwalkar is highly worrying in many
respects. Firstly, it proves that Golwalkar believed that India had a
superior race or breed and also an inferior race which needed to
be improved through cross-breeding. Secondly, a more worrying
aspect was his belief that Brahmans of North India, especially
Namboodri Brahamnas, belonged to a superior Race. Due to this
quality, Namboodri Brahamanas were sent from the North to
Kerala to improve the breed of inferior Hindus there. Interestingly,
this was being argued by a person who claimed to uphold the
unity of Hindus world over. Thirdly, Golwalkar as a male chauvin-
ist believed that only a Namboodri Brahman male belonging to a
superior Race from North India could improve the inferior human
Race from South India. For him wombs of Keralas Hindu women
enjoyed no sanctity and were simply objects of improving breed
through intercourse with Namboodri Brahamanas who in no way
were related to them. Thus, Golwalkar was, in fact, confirming the
allegation that in the past male-dominated high caste society
forced newly-wedded women of other castes to pass their first
nights by sleeping with superior caste males.
Astonishingly, Golwalkar expressed these racist, anti-women
and anti-egalitarian views not in the presence of some uneducat-
ed or lumpenized crowd but before a noble gathering consisting
of the faculty and students of a prime university in Gujarat. In fact,
Golwalkar was welcomed by Dr. B. R. Shenoy, Director of the
School when the former arrived at the auditorium. The press
report makes it clear that there was no murmur of protest against
such fascist and ridiculous ideas. It shows the degree of
respectability which high caste oratory enjoyed in Gujarat even in
those days and explains why Hindutva could make big inroads in
that region.
It is surprising that despite holding such ideas which openly
denigrated women and society of Kerala, RSS has been able to
create pockets of influence in Kerala. There is no denying the fact
that after Gujarat and Orissa, it is Kerala where RSS finds itself
well-entrenched. It is due to the RSS old habit of lying and expert-
ise in hiding its evil designs. How the RSS attempts to do it can
be understood by the way it tried to hide the above views of
Golwalkar. When it published the collected works of Golwalkar in
Hindi in 2004 under the title-Shri Guruji Samagr (in 12 volumes)
it simply omitted the above degenerated ideas. Volume 5 in the
above series carries (as item number 10) the above speech of
Golwalkar (pages 28-32), minus two paragraphs which contained
the above thesis of Golwalkar. It is their bad luck that they have
not been able to remove old copies of the Organiser from the
libraries. It seems that RSS continues to believe that it can fool all
the people all the times!
It is high time that voters in Kerala should seek answers from
RSS leaders about these obnoxious ideas not about Muslims and
Christians but about Hindus themselves.
Gujarat, which played a great role in the Indian freedom strug-
gle and developing trade union movement in the country, must
challenge with rest of the country these fascist and anti-national
ideas. (hastakshep.com)
NATIONAL The Milli Gazette, 16-31 August 2014 9 www.milligazette.com
MUSTAFA KHAN
Ajit Kumar Doval is now the national security advisor
to the prime minister of India. During 2004-5, he was
chief of Intelligence Bureau which works under CBI. It
was in his period in office that Rajendra Kumar, spe-
cial director of IB posted in Gujarat, generated bogus
inputs including the one which declared Ishrat Jahan
as a LeT operative, nay indeed a woman fidayeen
out to kill Modi. He supplied the AK57 machinegun
which the ATS under PP Pandey, DG Vanzara and GL
Singhal used in killing her and three others. The order
to kill them came from the grey beard, a euphemism for Modi
and the black beard, i.e., Amit Shah who was then Gujarats
minister of state for home working directly under Modi.
Four months after Kumar was chargesheeted by CBI, as an
investigating and prosecuting agency, for murder and conspiracy,
Kumar and CBIs present chief Ranjit Sinha were partying in a
wedding ceremony of Kumars son, on 7 June in a staffs mess
near the Delhi airport. Referring to this collusion, the defence
counsel in the case of Ishrat Jahan, Vrinda Grover remarked:
Ranjit Sinha by socialising with Kumar, whom the probe agency
has charged in the Ishrat case with his [Sinhas] apparent
approval, has compromised the office of the CBI directorHe
should be immediately removed.[1]
When the prosecution and the accused are hobnobbing with
such intimacy it verifies truth being stranger than fiction. Gujarat
has plenty of examples of it, as in the advocate general of the state
Tushar Mehta passing secret information regarding the cases of
Muslim victims to S Gurmurthy and others to ferret
out points against the defendants. The obvious pur-
pose was to sabotage the 2002 pogrom cases from
within.
The fiction in the 2004 case was that Isrhat and
the three others killed with her were LeT operatives
out to kill Modi. The AK57 and the cars used in the
killing, etc are as true as the CBI chief Ranjit Sinha
and retired IB officer Kumar partying. And the final
nod came from chief minister Modi to carry out the
extra-judicial killing.
These are the very officials, including Doval, who were behind
the incident and now they are dilly-dallying the judicial course. The
CBI is keeping the police investigation diaries and the Union home
department under Congress and now under BJP rule has sought
for them. The Union home minister using the pretext has let time
pass. That is how the delay is engineered by a set up. That over-
all scheme cannot be broken unless International Criminal Court
or UN Security Council is approached through Optional Protocol
Second.
In the case of Gujarat pogroms of 2002, it was technically not
possible to approach ICC which had come into existence a couple
of months later. But the faked encounter of Ishrat and others took
place on 15 June, 2004 with many more later, hence the option is
open. The partying is nothing short of cocking a snook at the judi-
ciary.
It is all the more urgent to resolve the case because Doval is
the national security advisor to the prime minister and hence
should have greater concern for security. Doval had initiated a
doctrine shoot first, investigate later. This was carried out in the
case of Ishrat in line with other such fake encounter cases of the
so-called terrorists out to kill Modi or attack temples. He had
planned the Punjab election in 1992 when Rajendra Kumar and
Modi too were around. Modis friendship with Kumar goes back to
that period. When Modi became chief minister of Gujarat, he had
Kumar shifted to Ahmadabad. Doval had vehemently defended
Modi when the Congress party accused the chief minister for his
involvement in the encounter and the issue came up again in
2013.[2]
This is the service Doval rendered to Modi, a reason why he
is a close advisor today to the PM. Which court in India can deliv-
er justice when such powerful bureaucrats and the PM himself are
ganged up against ordinary citizens framed and killed in bogus ter-
ror charges, or languishing in jails for decades together or being
acquitted now after having spent decades in jails as especially in
the home state of the prime minister?
Even more astounding is that the court has not taken note of
the charges against Kumar and three of his colleagues who all
worked together when Doval was their boss.
Notes
[1] Rajesh Ahuja, CBI chief partied with former IB boss he charged,
Hindustan Times, 25 July, 2014.
[2] http://www.tehelka.com/vivekananda-international-foundation-the-
brains-behind-modi-sarkar/
Ajit Kumar Doval and Rajendra Kumar: Archetypal
protagonists in framing innocent Muslims in terror cases
Prof.Saifuddin Sozs
Speech In The Rajya
Sabha Last Night On
The Bjp Govts
Budget Proposals
Prof. Soz com-
plained discrimina-
tion against J&K
state and Indian
Muslims
Following is the
full text as recorded:
PROF. SIAF-UD-DIN SOZ (Jammu &
Kashmir): I dont mind being the last speaker
today only to offer a couplet to this august
house, but that will happen when I will conclude
my brief speech.
Mr. Jaitley is an enlightened mind and an
enlightened person. I had expected a better
Budget from him. When he had this kind of
majority, he could have afforded to go in history
as a great reformist.
The Press described his speech as the
longest Budget Speech by any Finance Minister.
The Press also described it as long on words
but short on reforms. Unfortunately, I dont
have the time I will only say a couple of
things. I will not repeat any point.
I was amazed to hear my colleagues from
both sides as to how intelligent and knowledge-
able my colleagues in this House are. They
made really good suggestions. Finance
Ministers agreement or disagreement to these
suggestions is his choice, but valuable sugges-
tions have been made. I will not repeat even
one. I will say something about Kashmir and
something about the largest minority of India
because nobody talked about it.
I welcome Mr. Jaitleys assertions. His
assertions are very good. His assertions on
Defence, Insurance, Real Estate, Investment
Trust, and simplification of tax administration are
alright
His assertion that he would peg the fiscal
deficit at four percent is a welcome assertion,
and, I wish him to succeed in that. It will be
good for the entire country He banks on
small savings which is also a welcome meas-
ure. His assertion that he would focus on edu-
cation and skill development is also alright. Let
us wait and see whether his assertions become
his achievements.
As I said, he is an enlightened mind, and, so,
better ideas were expected from him. Mr. Jaitley
was one of those who criticized the earlier
Government for a fall in growth. I would have
welcomed his assertion that he would take the
growth to 7.5 percent by the end of the financial
year. If he were confident, he would have said
so. Since he is not confident, he has not said
so. So, his earlier criticism was misplaced.
In place of Gandhi and Nehru nomencla-
tures, he brought nomenclatures of other nation-
alists like Deendayal Upadhyay and Shyama
Prasad Mukherjee. I do not quarrel with him.
This approach, I am sure, will not give the
Budget a qualitatively different shift to reforms.
I am on a broader disagreement with the
approach of the BJP Government. All these
nationalists are welcome, and, remembering
them is alright. But, here we wanted a qualita-
tively different Budget. The BJP is welcome to
enlarge its constituency. I will not quarrel on that
question.
Now, see the gesture of BJP
Government. They showed, correctly, concern
for Kashmiri Pandits. I welcome that. The J&K
Government had submitted a proposal to the
previous Government, and it was going to hap-
pen in any way because the UPA Government
was also committed. But, I want to put a ques-
tion to the honble Finance Minister. What about
refugees in Jammu? The Presidents Address
did not mention the refugees. This Budget did
not say anything about the refugees. It is a great
lapse on the part of this Government.
Now, I come to the design of the BJPs
development. Honble Finance Minister allo-
cated funds for a statue, and, I am not going to
quarrel on the question of raising a statue of a
very famous freedom fighter and a leader of this
nation, but allotting Rs. 200 crores for that stat-
ue is totally unjustified. Then, simultaneously,
he suggested 28 schemes for which he allocat-
ed Rs. 100 crore each. Among those 28
schemes is the scheme for Madrasa moderniza-
tion. Let me tell Mr. Jaitley that it is an insult to
the genius of Muslims in this country. Rs.
100 crore for modernization of Madrasas! As
expected, from both sides, some members
raised this question. It is no panacea for
Muslims. I reject the idea.
Madarsas will be required where there is no
Government school. It is not a compulsion for
the Muslim community in India. So, you
[should] provide Government schools. You
[should] provide engineering colleges for every-
body, medical colleges for everybody, second-
ary education for everybody.
You modernize education. You become truly
secular. But, understand, Madrasa [moderniza-
tion] is no panacea for Muslim Communitys ail-
ments. I reject this idea. Why? It is because
this Government has failed on tow counts. That
is what I wanted to share with this august house.
The BJP is mortally afraid of the expression
inclusive. The Presidents Address did not
mention anything about inclusive growth. The
Budget did not mention this expression. It is a
dangerous alarm for this country. And, then the
Madrasa modernization is the only thing offered
for the Muslims of this country, who constitute
the largest minority in this country, and who also
constitute the second largest majority and you
offered them 100 crore of rupees as a panacea!
I am a representative of whole of India. I
reject that proposition. Our enlightened Finance
Minister must raise a question in his mind: Do
Muslims really require only modernization of
madrasas? This scheme was initiated by
Shrimati Indira Gandhi. It is a running scheme.
Even Mr. Murli Manohar Joshi tried his hand,
marginally and successfully. I rose in this
house in 2003, perhaps, to congratulate him that
day, and now you present it as a new scheme!
It does not do you any credit in the eyes of the
countrymen. Now, I raise a question... What do
Muslims require?
There was a Sachar Committee. Its rec-
ommendations have been accepted by the
Government of India. This time the Government
cannot drag its feet because Government of
India is a running institution. The previous
Government had accepted the report. You can-
not take it as a liability. Sachar Committee made
a wide-ranging recommendation. I want to tell
something to this House I want to give you
information because there are so many things in
his Report which many people do not know. Do
you know that this Committee consisted of nine
members and Rajinder Sachar was not the only
one from the Hindu community? There were
nine members and only one member was
Muslim. I give credit to the UPA Government led
by Dr. Manmohan Singh and Shrimati Sonia
Gnadhi to select people for the committee. You
see the list. Most eminent people of this coun-
try sat through months and months and then
produced a Report called Rajinder Sachar
Report
That Report says that Muslims are more
backward -- socially, educationally and political-
ly. You see the representation in the Parliament
today and you can realize what they have got.
They are weaker than the Dalits. It is not just a
hearsay. It is not just what Muslim community
says. There is a scientific analysis available.
They have a reliable data to prove that they are
more backward than even Dalits. Here is the
Report (The Sachar Report) and you (the BJP)
dont say a word about it. We shall wait. It is a
compulsion for this Government. You are
duty-bound to do it. India is a secular country.
You can afford to be parochial on situations, but
India will not accept that. Indias institutions
have become very strong. You will see a com-
motion if you dont agree to implement the rec-
ommendations of Sachar Committee
So, therefore, when it is proved before you
against a reliable data that this community is
very weak ---- economically, socially, politically
and educationally -- you have to do justice.
You cannot drag your feet. You be ready and
come forward in both Houses of Parliament with
a proposition called Equal Oppor tunity
Commission recommended by the Sachar
Committee. That day I can rise to thank you.
But, today, I reject your idea on madrasa mod-
ernization because that is not a panacea for
Muslims. That is a running scheme
I lament the fact that for Jammu & Kashmir,
this Budget does not offer anything. That state
suffered a great loss of life, property and
resources during the militancy and you have
nothing to offer. You offered one IIT for Jammu.
I deplore this sectarianism as I see you are keep-
ing an eye on the votebank in Jammu. It is
alright for Jammu, but Kashmiris ask you a
question. It has no public sector. You could not
offer anything by way of promotion of even the
small-scale sector. You just closed your eyes.
Is it correct? Has not Kashmir suffered a great
deal?
On the question of Muslims, including
Muslim majority state of J&K, you have closed
your eyes! The Treasury Benches should not
forget the sacrifices of the Muslim community.
Along with Shahid Bhagat Singh, there was an
Ashfaquallah Khan [too]. You cannot forget it.
Go to the Port Blair and see the scroll and see
along side the kothri (the Cell) where Vir
Savarkar was, there were other sons of India,
Muslim leaders, freedom fighters! Can you for-
get them? This is our secular history. Didnt
Deoband School and Maulana Azad fight against
Muslim League? Did not they reject the two-
nation theory of Jinnah? Didnt Maulana Azad
say that the Quran addresses entire Mankind? It
contains a message for the whole humanity.
Deoband School fought against Jinnahs two-
nation theory. Muslims cannot be treated as a
second class citizenry in India!
There are truly secular institutions to fight
you. I lament the fact that you did not remember
Kashmir and you did not like to do anything for
Kashmir. And I lament the fact that your Budget
does not include a word on inclusive growth.
This is an alarm bell for secular India!
It seems that people like you cannot build an
inclusive India. I remember a great world class
poet, Faiz Ahmad Faiz. With all love and rever-
ence, I offer his couplet to Jailey sahib which
seems to be apt for the current situation:
Nisaar mein teri galyon pe ai watan ke jahaan
Chalee haiy rasm ke koee na sar uthaa ke chaley.
Banay hein ahl-e hawas muddaee bhee munsif bhee
Kisay wakeel karein, kis say munsifee chaahein
(My life may be ransom to your alleys and
lanes o my homeland / where a new tradition
has started -- that none should be able to walk
with heads raised / The lust-stricken are both
complainant and judge / Whom may I engage
as mylawyer and from whom may I seek jus-
tice?)
Prof. Soz on minorities, J&K in Union budget
AFSANA RASHID, SRINAGAR
Anti-Israel protests rocked the Kashmir Valley, immediately after
Eid-ul-Fitr prayers here. Hurriyat (G) chairman Syed Ali Shah
Geelani had called for peaceful anti-Israel protests after Eid
prayers.
As soon as the Eid prayers were over, July 29, youth assem-
bled in various parts of the old city and pelted stones on security
forces. In retaliation, security forces fired smoke shells to quell the
protests. This led to clashes between the two.
Several anti-Israeli protests were also reported from various
other parts of the Valley. Carrying pro-Gaza banners and placards;
youth demanded an end to the killings in Gaza. In south Kashmir,
the protesters wore black arm bands to mark their protest.
Sensing trouble, authorities here had placed several sepa-
ratists including Hurriyat (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq
under house arrest. Mirwaiz, who was supposed to lead a congre-
gation at Eidgah was barred from moving out of his residence,
said the spokesperson of the amalgam, adding, Mirwaiz later
addressed the gathering over phone. He called for the resolution
of Kashmir and Palestine issues; added the spokesperson.
Earlier, questioning the silence of the Muslim world especially
Organization of Islamic Countries and the Arab League over the
aggression of Israel on Gaza that claimed more than 1800 lives,
Mirwaiz, July 25, termed it unfortunate and urged Muslim coun-
tries across the globe to play their role in stopping the killings in
the region.
The Muslim world is watching like a mute spectator and they
arent able to utter a word against Israel, said Mirwaiz, while
addressing Friday congregational prayers at the historic Jamia
Masjid here, July 25, on the eve of Jumat-ul-Vida, the last Friday
of the holy month of Ramadhan.
Doctors and paramedics wore black bands in response to a
call given by Doctors Association of Kashmir to observe the day
(July 25) as black day against Israeli action on Gaza. Dr Nisar-ul-
Hassan, president of the Association, in a statement here, said
that Israel is incessantly bombing Gaza from all sides slaughtering
civilians and showing wanton disregard for humanity.
Israel is an evil machine with killing strategy, he said,
adding that theyve a responsibility to protest against this heinous
crime on humanity and show solidarity with Palestinians.
Several Hurriyat (G) leaders were placed under house arrest
to prevent them from leading anti-Israel protest rallies. Geelani had
asked people to observe Jumat-ul-Vida as Youm-i-Quds - an
annual event initiated by Iran in 1979 to express solidarity with
Palestinians and oppose Zionism and Israels occupation of
Jerusalem. He had also called for hour-long peaceful protests
after the Friday (July, 25) congregational prayers.
New yatra route opposed
Controversy revolved round the proposed plan by the state gov-
ernment to start an annual yatra in Kousar Nag, a glacial Lake in
south Kashmirs Kulgam district. Several civil society groups and
separatists opposed the move on the pretext that it would disrupt
the ecological balance of the Valley.
Streets presented a deserted look and shops and business
establishment remained closed, August 2, in view of a shutdown
called by Hurriyat (G) led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani. Youth fought
pitched battles with security forces in several areas across the
Valley. Restrictions were imposed in several areas of the old city.
Several separatist leaders were detained or placed under house
arrest to prevent them from leading any protest rally.
Geelani also asked people to carry out peaceful protests after
the Friday congregational prayers, August 1, against any such
move. Clashes erupted in several parts of the Valley. Hurriyat
Conference Jammu and Kashmir led by Shabir Ahmad Shah,
August 2, warned that any plan will not only have an adverse
impact on the ecology but would affect the social life and have
serious repercussions.
Save Kousarnag Front, July 26, alleged that India is trying to
convert Kashmir into Palestine by commencing various types of
yatras in the Valley. They threatened, that if the government will go
ahead with its proposal, theyll be left with no option but to take to
the streets.
In view of the shutdown and protests, district authorities,
Kulgam reportedly conveyed to All Parties Migrants Co-ordination
Committee (APMCC) that the pilgrimage would be permitted only
through Chasana in Jammus Reasi district. Deputy
Commissioner Kulgam, Nisar Ahmed Wani, had reportedly given
permission to a group of Kashmir Pandits intending to carry out
the pilgrimage from July 31 to August 3.
Condemning the attitude of the state government for buckling
under pressure from some elements by stopping the yatra after
clearing it earlier, National Spokesperson of APMCC, King Bharati,
July 31, said that certain groups created a misconception around
Kousar Nag yatra known as Kramsaras Tirtha (VishnuPaad) yatra
among Kashmiri Pandits relating it to the yatra being conducted by
people of Jammu from Reasi side, adding, a communal colour is
being given to the yatra to create fear psychosis among the
Pandits that they wont be allowed to worship, according to their
will.
Its chairman, Vinod Pandit said that Kashmiri Pandits have
been going there since Nilmata times as recorded in Raj Tarangni
and books of Aurel Stein. Addressing media at Jammu, August 4,
the Committee members, blamed the state government, sepa-
ratists, mainstream political parties, media and intelligentsia for
creating communal disturbances and a wedge between the two
communities.
They added the number was mischievously
increased from 40 to 4000. Questioning those
stating that the Committee was going to build a
temple, the Committee asked whether theyve
seen any temple on a glacier.
Tourism Minister, G A Mir, August 1, reportedly said that no
permission was given to any yatra in Kousar Nag, so the question
of suspending it under separatists pressure doesnt arise.
Anatomy of massacre released
A report The Anatomy of a Massacre: The Mass killings at Sailan,
August 3-4, 1998 was released by the survivors in collaboration
with Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS), a local
human rights group, here, on its 16th anniversary, August 3.
Compiled by human rights lawyer and activist, Shrimoyee
Nandanini Ghosh, the 54-page report documents the whole mas-
sacre that took place during the intervening night of 3-4 August,
1998 in Sailan in Surankote tehsil of Poonch district in Jammu
region.
Narrating the whole episode, the survivors, addressing media
here, pledged to fight for justice till their last breath. With moist
eyes, Mohammad Latief, one of the survivors, reiterated that the
motto in his life is to get justice for his six family members who
were killed in the incident.
Nineteen people, including 11 children ranging in age from
about 4 to 15 years and five women, including a pregnant woman,
were shot to death at point blank range in their homes in Sailan-
Surankote, said the report.
A total of 13 females and 6 male members of three closely
related families were allegedly killed by four Special Police
Officers (SPOs) and personnel from 9 Paratroopers, a statement
issued by JKCCS said, adding that the report provides an
account of the silenced history of the Sailan massacre and the
continuing legal battle of the survivors. It relies on field visits,
human rights documentation, first person accounts and inter-
views with survivors, local residents, lawyers, human right
activists and RTI responses and others.
The survivors said day before the massacre, unidentified
gunmen had killed an SPO Zakir Ahmad and the personnel from
9 Paratroopers accused their relative, Imtiaz Ahmad, who was a
militant for the killing. Zakir worked as an informer for the Army.
The Army personnel had threatened Imtiazs family to face the
consequences for Zakirs killing. As such they took refuge in three
houses.
Recounting the incident, Shabir Ahmad, another witness,
said on the night of August 3, SPOs, Mohammad Younis alias
Tiger and Mohammad Rafiq alias Pathan, Zakirs close associate
together with army personnel barged into his house.
Tiger fired upon Imtiazs father, his family rushed to save him
and Ahmad managed to escape and remained in a maize field for
the whole night, as narrated by Ahmad. He said the next morning
he was shocked to see piles of bodies inside the house, hacked
and mutilated. His brother, Latief added that the irony of the mat-
ter is that the accused are roaming scot free.
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THE MILLI GAZETTE
First English Newspaper of Indian Muslims. Telling the Muslim side of the story fortnight after fortnight since January 2000
10 The Milli Gazette, 16-31 August 2014 NATIONAL www.milligazette.com
DR MOHAMMAD MANZOOR ALAM
One often wonders why it takes so much time
for the State to notice what is common knowl-
edge among Muslims. An example is the Sachar
Committee Report, which finally, formally and
officially established the fact that Muslims hap-
pened to be economically and educationally the
most backward segment of the Indian society.
This fact had been known to the suffering
Muslims for decades.
The latest example is the Bombay High
Courts observation that almost all custodial
deaths seemed to be those of persons from the
minority community. Justices VM Kanade and
PD Kode made this remark while appointing
advocate Yug Chaudhary as amicus curiae in a
case of custodial death.
On his part, Chaudhary said that most of
such deaths were of Muslims and Dalits. We all
know that deaths in custody represent the worst
form of murder by the State. This is not merely
the lawlessness of the State, but a breach of the
States solemn commitment to protect citizens.
We welcome and laud the courts moral
clarity and courage and hope that it will be
counted as a giant step towards protection of
basic human rights.
The next step will be to bring (in the present
case) jail officials to book and also proceed
against their collaborators like jail wardens and
criminal inmates involved in this act.
The same applies to deaths in police lock-
ups and in other cases of police custody.
Maharashtra has been particularly notorious
for such murders, accounting for nearly a quar-
ter of such cases since 1999. Another particu-
larly galling factor is the fact that this problem
has a clear, sharp anti-Muslim and anti-Dalit
dimension.
More sorrowfully, such officially-sanctioned
atrocities against Muslims and Dalits have gone
on under the governments of Congress party
which claims to be secular and also pro-Dalit
and pro-Muslim. This is also an example of this
partys treacherous duplicity.
Finally, let us hope that society will move
ahead towards a just order with such steps. (ios-
world.org)
Exonerating Bhagat Singh
The tenacity of Mr
Imtiaz Qureshi,
Chairman of the
Bhagat Singh
Memorial Foundation
in Lahore, has paid
rich dividends. He
sought to know
whether Bhagat
Singhs name was
mentioned in the FIR in the case of the despotic
police superintendent John Saunders murder.
The Lahore Police have found that Bhagat
Singhs name was not mentioned in the FIR. Yet
he was executed for the crime. It was a dubious
case right from the beginning because Brits
defied all rules and principles of fair justice.
Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev were
framed and they got no opportunity to defend
themselves in the court. English justice Sir Mark
Shillingford wrote in The Guardian, June 7, 1931
that Rajguru and Sukhdev got only two very brief
hearings and they were not provided any trans-
lator from the court as both didnt know English.
It was an arbitrary verdict on the part of British
judiciary in India and other colonies. Here it must
be mentioned that while English legal system in
England has always been above reproach, the
same judiciary acted with vindictiveness and
prejudice in the colonies. Many revolutionaries
were hanged by the English without giving them
any opportunity to present their side of the case.
British writer, thinker and humanist Sir Bertrand
Russell called this approach of the British judici-
ary in India and other colonies as galloping to
gallows spirit. Lastly, Bhagat Singh, Rajguru
and Sukhdevs hangings were not in sync with
the universal jail manual of hanging hrs (3.30 am
to 9.15 am). They were hanged at 7.30 pm, 11
hrs before their scheduled execution that was to
be taken place on March 24, 1931. The rule of
no official execution after sunset has existed
since the time of Romans in the first century.
They were furtively executed on March 23, at
Lahore jail. Its good if Bhagat Singh gets offi-
cial exoneration along with his two comrades.
But the question remains, who killed John
Saunders?
Whats Sania Mirzas Fault?
Whats poor Sania Mirzas fault if
shes been appointed as the brand
ambassador for Telangana? Is there
anyone better than her to be appoint-
ed as the brand ambassador of this
newly formed state? Moreover, she hails from
that region (shes a Hyderabadi, whose family
has been living there for over a century).
We seem to have become too prejudiced
against Muslims. Just because shes married to
a Pakistani cricketer doesnt make her full or
even half-Pakistani. Loyalties dont change or
shift overnight.
In Modified India, weve become all the
more sick when it comes to religion and reli-
gious discrimination. This is not just bad, this is
a potential sign of whats going to happen in the
days and months to come. Mark my (prophetic)
words, every Muslim will be viewed as an ISI
agent in Hindu India.
SUMIT PAUL
sumitmaclean@hotmail.com
Anti-Israel protests rock the Valley
Bombay court observation on Muslim detainees deaths
On one hand, Indian Muslims and those con-
cerned about them are duly justified to feel
disturbed about a recent surge of communal
incidents targeting the former. These inci-
dents certainly suggest that several anti-
Muslim extremist, communal elements
appear to be under the impression that with
their associate party heading the central
government, they can practically take law in their hands
and target Muslims, hurting their religious sentiments and
causing them loss of lives and properties with impunity. Yes,
this also refers to an attempt made recently by several Shiv
Sena legislators to forcefully feed a fasting Muslim and ques-
tions raised by a BJP member about patriotic inclinations of
the Indian tennis star Sania Mirza.
Irrespective of whether BJP leaders remain silent on crit-
icizing these communal activities or not, there are several
linked aspects which cannot be ignored. Statistically, though
Muslims are a minority in India, constituting less than 14 per-
cent of this countrys population, in both these incidents, the
targeted Muslims have not been isolated. Rather, it is because
of the support that targeted Muslims have received from non-
Muslims, secular Hindus, media, several political parties and
other sections, that these communal arrows have literally
backfired.
Questions are still being raised as to how did the Shiv
Sena legislators have the audacity to so flagrantly violate the
religious sentiments of a fasting Muslim? Why has Sanias
nationalism been questioned? The media and secular Indians,
with support of other political and social sections, have
pushed these communal elements into the dock. Thanks to the
pressure exercised by those upholding and valuing Indian
secularism, the anti-Muslim behaviour of these communal
elements is being questioned throughout the country and
most parts of the world. True, legally perhaps these commu-
nal elements may escape the needed punishment. But their
personal and party political image already stands consider-
ably damaged as the dark side of their communal character-
istics stands exposed before the country and rest of the world.
The last point may be countered by saying that there is
nothing surprising about this. Members of Shiv Sena and
many of the BJP have been infamous for long for their anti-
Muslim, extremely communal tendencies.
True, but it cannot be ignored that ahead of parliamentary
elections, BJPs chief campaigner, the present Prime Minister
Narendra Modi, went overboard in convincing the electorate
about his secular credentials and that he believes in an
inclusive India. Besides, he and his party did not assume
power by making noise about their communal and/or anti-
Muslim religious intentions. They paid primary attention to
their development agenda, without adding in public any overt-
ly religious and/or communal colour to it.
Indias political history stands witness to the fact that
playing the communal card against secularism never helped
any party gain power at the Centre. It has taken BJP a long
time to accept this socio-political reality. It was not without
reason that during his campaign, Modi made sure that cam-
era also focused on members of his audience dressed as
Muslims. Political compulsion apparently made Modi leave
his earlier communal image aside, put on the secular mask
and thus succeed in heading the present government.
Now that Modi has completed two months in office, his
actual secularism remains under constant scrutiny of the
public and media.
It is not without reason that questions are being raised on
why has he remained silent on communal incidents targeting
Muslims? For a change, Modis silence is not helping him
improve his political image. It is not adding to the secular
image he tried so hard in promoting to win the parliamentary
elections. In other words, by promoting his own secular
image during his electoral campaign, Modi has also indirect-
ly raised secular expectations from his role as the prime
minister of all Indians.
There is a view that Modi cannot be blamed for commu-
nalism displayed by others linked with his party. This view
would have carried some credence if Modi was not heading
the present Indian government. As the prime minister, he is
held responsible for communal activities, targeting secular-
ism, by those associated with his party and government.
In view of editorials and opinion pieces of reputed Indian
dailies questioning Modis silence over such communal inci-
dents, it is clear that true Indian secularism has not allowed
itself to be bowed before communalism displayed by his polit-
ical associates. Rather, by loudly raising questions about their
communal behaviour as well as Modis silence, Indian secu-
larism has held its ground safely and strongly. And this is like-
ly to hold control in coming days in preventing similar com-
munal behaviour targeting Muslims being repeated by politi-
cians linked with Modis government. Thus, while deliberating
over several Shiv Sena legislators communal behaviour, that
of a BJP leader questioning Sanias patriotism and similar
incidents, it is equally important to pay due note to the same
having been virtually cornered by Indian secularism.
During his electoral campaign, Modi may have donned on
the secular mask because of political expediency with a view
to win some Muslim votes. Whether he still cares about
Muslim-vote or not, he probably was not prepared for his own
silence raising doubts about the legitimacy of his secular
mask. Sounds of his silence and that of communalism have
literally fallen flat against Indian secularism!
Speaki ng Out
Modis Silence
NI LOFAR SUHRAWARDY
ANALYSIS The Milli Gazette, 16-31 August 2014 11 www.milligazette.com
RAM PUNIYANI
Electoral and political arena is only one of the grounds through
which political agenda of vested interests is advanced. Capturing
of peoples mind, ideological propagation is the foundation on
which political agenda stands and perpetuates itself. Thats how
the change in history textbooks or teaching a communal version of
history is a necessary part of sectarian nationalism in many South
Asian countries. In Pakistan, communal elements teach that foun-
dation of Pakistan begins with the victory of Mohammad bin
Qasim in Sindh in the eighth century! One knows that the basic dif-
ference in the kingdoms and nation-states is too gross to be
glossed over like this but if communalists grab the levers of power
like education in their hands, anything can be manipulated and pre-
sented in a form which indoctrinates a large section of the popu-
lation. Thats how when the NDA Government came to power last
time (1999), one of its actions was to change history books to
introduce a communal version of the past. This time around with
BJP-led NDA coming to power with a bigger majority, matters are
going to be worse off if one looks at what is being planned in the
arena of education in particular.
Prof. Y. Sudarshan Rao, not much known for his academic accom-
plishments in the discipline of history, has been appointed as the
chief of Indian Council for Historical Research (ICHR). Prof. Rao
has been working on proving the historicity of mythological epics
like Ramayana and Mahabharata. Rather than publishing peer-
reviewed research papers, he has been speaking his mind through
blogs which are reflective of his ideological leanings. Though he
claims not to be part of the RSS, his outpourings do show the
inklings of the agenda of the Hindu Rashra inherent in the Parivar
ideology, the glorification of caste system and the Hindu past and
its being tarnished by alien Muslim rule. As per him Most of the
questionable social customs in the Indian society, as pointed out
by the English-educated Indian intellectuals and the Western
scholars, could be traced to this period of the Muslim rule in north
India spanning over seven centuries. He argues that The (caste)
system was working well in ancient times and we do not find any
complaint from any quarters against it.
Had Prof Rao done some rational study into untouchability, caste
system and other practices, which were criticized by many during
the rising Indian national movement, he would have known that
caste systems adverse effects were not due to the rule of Muslim
kings, but were inherent in scriptures which reflected the social
system of that time. As such the social arrangement of that time
gradually got transformed into hereditary system. With this puri-
ty, the idea of pollution crept in and this was an accompaniment
which took place much before the advent of the rule of Muslim
kings.
Muslim kings as such did not change the social system of caste
in any way. That was not their goal in any case. On the contrary,
the Muslim community itself came to adopt the caste system at
social level. While in Pakistan, the communal historiography refus-
es to recognize the existence of Hinduism, communal thinking
Hindus in India put all the blame of abominable social customs to
outside influence. In tune with this, the attempt of the new Chief
of ICHR is to put the blame of the adverse practices of caste sys-
tem to external factors, the Muslim rule.
In Prof. Raos fictional history, the inconvenient portions are omit-
ted and the picture is created where all the evils are placed at the
doors of the external factor of Muslim kings. At basic level, he for-
gets that Muslim kings retained the social system prevalent here
and their administration was a mixed one -- Hindu-Muslim, e.g.,
34 percent of the court officials of Aurangzeb were Hindus. This
ideologically-indoctrinated professor wants to erase from his and
our memory the fact that the caste system and the oppressive
gender hierarchy do get well articulated in Manu Smriti, which
reflects the social norms which came to be rooted by the first and
second centuries CE.
There are texts in the Rig Veda and Manusmriti which show that
low castes were prohibited from coming close to the high castes
and they were made to live outside the village. While this does not
imply that a full-fledged caste system had come into being in the
Rig Vedic times, the four-fold division of society into varnas did
exist. It became a fairly rigid caste system by the time of the Manu
Smriti.
In Vajasaneyi Samhita (composed around tenth century BC), the
words chandal and paulkasa occur. In Chhandogya Upanishad
(composed around the eighth century BC), it is clearly said that
those persons whose acts were low will quickly attain an evil
birth of a dog or a hog or a Chandala (Chhandogya Upanishad,
10/7).
The first major incursion of the Muslim invaders into India began
around the eleventh century CE, and the European conquests of
India began in the seventeenth-eighteenth centuries. The shudras
began to be excluded from caste society, and upper castes were
barred from inter-dining or inter-marrying with them. Notions of
purity and pollution were enforced strictly to maintain caste
boundaries much before the advent of the Muslim era. Shudras
became untouchables and this is the rigid social division that
Manus Manav Dharmashastra (Human Law Code) codified.
M.S. Golwalkar, the late Sarsanghchalak (Supremo) of the RSS,
upholds the Varna system saying It is none of the so-called draw-
backs of Hindu social order, which prevents us from regaining our
ancient glory (M.S. Golwalkar, We or Our Nationhood Defined,
Bharat Publications, Nagpur, 1939, p. 63). Later, he defended it in
a different way: If a developed society realizes that the existing
differences are due to the scientific social structure and that they
indicate the different limbs of body social, the diversity would not
be construed as a blemish (Organiser, 1 December 1952, p. 7).
Deendayal Upadhyaya, another major ideologue of the Sangh
Parivar stated, In our concept of four castes (varnas), they are
thought of as different limbs of virat purush (the primeval
man)These limbs are not only complementary to one another
but even further there is individuality, unity. There is a complete
identity of interests, identity, belongingIf this idea is not kept
alive, the caste instead of being complementary can produce con-
flict. But then that is a distortion (D. Upadhyaya, Integral
Humanism, New Delhi, Bharatiya Jansangh, 1965, p. 43).
The best contrast in the approach to abolition of the caste system
and untouchability can be seen in the approaches of Ambedkar
and Golwalkar. The former, holding Manusmriti as the upholder of
the caste system, initiated a social movement which led to burn-
ing of this holy tome, while the latter wrote eulogies of Manu and
the system of law provided by him.
The argument that the system served well and there were no
complaints, is half-true and half-false. Yes, it worked well for the
upper castes who were the beneficiaries. But it was oppressive
and inhuman to the lower castes. Yes, there are no complaints
recorded, very true. The low castes were excluded from the arena
of learning, so there is no question of dissatisfaction being record-
ed. While, as a matter of fact right from the time of Lord Buddha,
the protests against the caste system came up. Buddhism itself
was a movement against the system of caste hierarchy. Medieval
saints like Kabir and his likes powerfully expressed sigh of oppres-
sion of the lower castes, their suffering at the hands of the benefi-
ciaries of the caste system, whose cause Prof Rao is now espous-
ing and upholding.
What direction our scholarship of the past and caste-gender hier-
archy will take is becoming clear with the changes which have
been brought in ICHR. Sign of times to come! (pluralindia.com)
Ideology as a cover for political agenda: New ICHR Chief
Bitter harvest of a
poisonous campaign
In parts of Bihar, some sections of deprived
people were told before the elections that if they
voted for a certain party they would be allowed to
stage anti-Muslim riots, drive out Muslims and
thereby take over their lands and properties as
happened in Muzaffarnagar, Shamli and Baghpat
districts last September. Thus these deprived people
would be allowed to capture Muslim properties. This
diabolical idea is too tantalising for them to resist.
The last few weeks have witnessed a steady rise in different kinds
of violence: rape and murder of women (Dalit, Muslim, OBC),
attacks on and murder of Muslim youth and others suspected to
be Muslims, intermittent low-key violence in Bihar, UP and
Maharashtra. An exasperated Sharad Pawar said earlier this
week that the spurt in hooliganism and murderous behaviour of
some youth groups was a direct result of BJPs win in the parlia-
mentary elections.
To be fair to the BJP, the violence is going on in states ruled
by non-BJP parties: Congress in Maharashtra, SP in UP and
JDU in Bihar. However, all this is going on in the poisoned envi-
ronment created by the highly polarizing BJP election campaign.
The society is still charged and vulnerable to eruptions of vio-
lence.
However, the states where these violent eruptions are taking
place are not working hard to contain them. Possibly the best
managed state in this regard is Bihar where things have not been
allowed to go beyond scuffles. In parts of Bihar, some sections
of deprived people were told before the elections that if they
voted for a certain party they would be allowed to stage anti-
Muslim riots, drive out Muslims and thereby take over their lands
and properties as happened in Muzaffarnagar, Shamli and
Baghpat districts last September. Thus these deprived people
would be allowed to capture Muslim properties. This diabolical
idea is too tantalising for them to resist.
The less said about UP the better. The administration is
doing everything possible to dilute the case of rape and murder
of two teen age Maurya girls in Badaun district. Two Yadav
young men accused of the crime, against whom there is an eye-
witness, are sought to be protected by the police with newfan-
gled theories. Here out of 21 police stations, 11 are being head-
ed by Yadav officers and the constabulary is also significantly
Yadav. The Yadav station head and the Yadav head constable
were suspended for refusing to lodge an FIR on the rape-murder
case. Yet in UP the Yadav hand is too long and every effort is
being made to sabotage the case.
The most worrisome is the current status of Maharashtra
where Muslims are being attacked without rhyme or reason.
Miscreants are posting mischievous comments on Facebook.
Some Hindu groups are professing to be hurt by them and
attacking innocent Muslims thinking, erroneously, that it must
have been done by some Muslim. The administration, as usual,
is a mute spectator. This is the bitter harvest of a poisonous elec-
tion campaign.
12 The Milli Gazette, 16-31 August 2014 NEWSMAKERS www.milligazette.com
LAAIBA SYEEDUZZAMAN ANSARI, an intelligent stu-
dent of Rafiuddin Faqih Urdu Girls High School,
Bhiwandi (Maharashtra) by securing 96 percent marks
in SSC examination topped not only in her class and
school but also in the whole of Bhiwandi and secured
first position among Muslim students in Mumbai
Division. But behind this great success and natural gift
of intelligence lies the sad story of many handicaps
like ill health, being a patient of diabetes in school
going age and cataract in both eyes which made it
very difficult for her to read. In spite of all these hand-
icaps, her intelligence, strong will power, ambition to fulfil the dream of her par-
ents and help and encouragement from all her teachers particularly the Head
Mistress Ms Neelima Dhoro stood her in good stead. She stood First in all her
classes. Securing 95 marks out of 100 in Arabic and Marathi, 99 marks out of
100 in Social Science, 90 out 100 in Urdu in spite of severe pain in eyes on the
eve of Urdu paper, she also won many prizes in All Maharashtra debating con-
test, Seeratun Nabi debating Competition, she was given rs 6000 annual schol-
arship for 2 years in NTS Examination. During the period of her illness she used
to study while lying down on bed. Because of cataract in both eyes she used to
study with the help of convex lens (magnifying glass) which took lot of time and
also caused much strain and trouble. When she was in 8th class she became
a patient of diabetes and herself used to take two insulin injections daily.
Sixteen-year old (Hafiza) MEHR RUKH FATIMA ERAM of
Abul Fazal Enclave, Jamia Nagar, daughter of Dr Adeel
Ahmad led Womens Travih Namaz held in AIMM
Mushawarat building and finished the Quran on 27th
Roza. This is really something unique for a 16-year old
girl.
SANIA MIRZA ace tennis star of
international fame and two-time
Grand Slam winner has been
appointed by Telengana government as Brand
Ambassador of Telangana and given a cheque of Rs
one crore by Telanganas chief minster S
Chandrasekhar Rao. Her appointment as Telanganas
Brand Ambassador was criticised by the states BJP
MLA K. Lakshman who questioned how she, by marry-
ing the Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik, is Pakistans
daughter-in-law (bahoo) can be appointed Telanganas Brand Ambassador.
Some Congress men also questioned this decision of the state government,
saying that she was born in Mumbai and made no contribution at all in the
struggle and agitation for the formation of Telangana state. Sania however hit
back at her critics and retorted that she and her family have at least a hundred
years relationship with Hyderabad and hence Telangana, adding that though
she got married to Shoaib Malik, a Pakistani, she is an Indian and will die as
an Indian. In view of the controversy both BJP and Congress top leadership
distanced themselves from their members criticisms. However, BJPs union
minister for information & broadcasting Prakash Javadekars remark that
Sania Mirza is a pride of India and has achieved an international fame and
standard on her own. so we have no objection. She is brand ambassador
of India made the position of BJP leadership clear.
ASHFAQUE HUSAIN, IAS and Rajasthan Administrative Service Officer, who is
presently the Additional Director in OTS, Jaipur has been appointed, and taken
over the additional charge of Nazim (Administrator or Manager) of Khwaja
Moinuddin Chishtis Dargah at Ajmer on 15 July for the second time. He has
taken over this additional charge, in addition to his post of Additional Director,
OTS from Muhammad Afzal, secretary in the union ministry of minorities
affairs who was also holding the additional charge of Nazim of this Dargah.
Earlier also he was Nazim of this Dargah from December 1997 to July 2000.
Prof ABDUL MANNAN, President of Medical Department of AMU has been
appointed a Member of AMU Court for 3 years or till his holding the post of
Head of this Department, on the basis of his seniority among the Presidents or
Heads of different Department of the University.
Dr (Hakeem) MUHAMMAD KHALID, Drug Inspector in Ayush (Ayurvedic,
Unani, Siddha & Homeopathy) Department of union ministry of health has
been promoted and appointed Assistant Drug Controller (Unani). He did BUMS
from AMU with distinction and thereafter MD in Medical Science from Nizamia
Tibbia College, Hyderabad and also qualified UPSC for the post of Drug
Inspector in the Department of AYUSH National Capital Territory of Delhi.
Prof (Mrs) SHAHINA MAQBOOL of Psychology Depar tment of AMUs
Womens College has been appointed President or Head of the Depar tment
of Psychology for 3 years in place of Prof Naeema Khatoon Gulrez, who
has been appointed Principal of Womens College. Another appointment is
that of Prof ABDUL MOBIN KHAN who has been appointed Head of the
Depar tment of Health and Social Tibb in place of Dr S.M. Ashraf till fur ther
orders or till the age of his retirement. Both appointments are with imme-
diate effect. In Jamia Millia Islamia University, New Delhi Prof MAHTAB
ALAM, a teacher in JMIs Faculty of Engineering has been appointed new
Security Incharge and Proctor in place of Prof Masood Alam who has been
removed with effect form 1 July.
For t the first time in Jamia Millia Islamias 92 years history a lady, Prof
(Mrs) TALAT AZIZ of JMI Universitys Depar tment of Education & Training
has been working as interim Vice Chancellor in the absence of Vice
Chancellor Prof Talat Ahmad on the basis of her seniority. She had done B.
Sc (Hons) in 1970 and M. Sc (Chemistry) in 1973 form this institution.
Another student, INAMUL HAQ of KAK Azad High School, Nagpur
(Maharashtra) topped in his school in SSC Board Examination. Fond of read-
ing and study, intelligent, religious minded, calm, quiet and simple minded by
nature, he also won many prizes in many quiz competitions. His good record
in studies is all the more laudable because after the death of his father because
of cancer, the family was facing financial difficulties and his study was also
very much upset but in the face of all difficulties he achieved such success
and wants to continue higher studies.
MEN & WOMEN IN NEWS
OBITUARIES
ZAFAR SAIFUL-
LAH, an IAS officer
of Karnatak cadre
who was the first
Muslim to be
appointed to the
top post of cabinet
secretary in 1993-94, died in New
Delhi on 25 July at the age of 78 years.
Since he was born and brought up in a
Bohra family of Mumbai, his body was
taken to Mumbai where he was buried
in Sulaimani Bohra graveyard. He
leaves behind his wife, eight children
and 12 grand-children. He had held
many important posts in Indian gov-
ernment and was running an NGO for
communal and social amity.
Prof MAHMOOD ELAHI, famous Urdu
writer, critic and poet died in Lucknow
at the age of 84 years. Born in Tanda
(Ambedkar Nagr district of UP), he set
up Urdu depar tment in Gorakhpur
University and remained its President
till 1990. He was author of many books
which are considered important literary
pieces of Urdu literature. He also
remained chairman of UP Urdu
Aademy for 3 terms and in that capac-
ity got valuable works done for Urdu lit-
erature.
ABDUL AHAD WAKEEL, former speak-
er of J&K legislative assembly and also
a former minister died in Srinagar on
10 July. He was associated with
National Conference and also with
Sheikh Abdullahs Plebescite Front for
3 years.
GHULAM NABI DHAR alias IBN-E
ISLAMI, Kashmirs well-known Urdu
writer who was also the editor of Urdu
literary magazine Bazm-e Adab, died in
a road accident on 16 July. He was
among the many passengers who died
in a head-on collision between a taxi
and an army crane near Jammu on 16
July.
Muslim girl creates
record: wins seven gold
medals in a row!
SARAH KHAN, a merit scholarship student of
Delhis prestigious Maulana Azad Medical College
has done the community proud with her outstand-
ing performance through the seven-semester med-
icine course. Studious and confident, for the final
year exams, Sarah shared the Dr. K.C. Goyal Award
for best two MBBS students, Dr. K. K. Modawal
Memorial Gold Medal for best student in medicine.
Dr. Sanjay Sidhwa Memorial Gold Medal for best
student in medicine, Lord Shiva Charitable Trust
medal for best girl student in medicine in Final
MBBS examination, Capt. S.S. Rampal Gold Medal
for best student in medicine, Dr. Dharamvir Gold
Medal for Best Medical Graduate, in addition to top-
ping the final semester of year three of studies.
Throughout the duration of the course, Sarah was
awarded the best girl student award and got a dis-
tinction in all three papers, biochemistry, physiolo-
gy, anatomy in the first year followed by two awards
for highest marks in physiology.
Born to an eye-surgeon father, Sarah was
always a hardworking girl, having aced her school
exams at the Indian International School,
Dammam, and secured the 38th rank in the CBSE-
All India Pre-Medical Test 2008. (Aaliya Khan)
MUZAFFAR ALI, Padma
Shri Awardee, renowned
film producer and director
of Bollywood who direct-
ed the classic film Umrao
Jaan, a social worker and
Sufi poet, has been select-
ed by the Advisory
Committee of Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavena
Award for being honoured with Rajiv Gandhi
National Sadbhavna Award in recognition of his
outstanding contribution towards promoting
communal harmony, peace and goodwill. The
Award carries a citation and cash prize of Rs 5
lakh and will be given to him at a function to be
held on 20 August, Rajiv Gandhis birthday.
ZEBA RANI, a student of Kaainat Institute of
Information Technologys Diploma in Efficient
Energy Electronic Product was honoured with
First Prize in Central governments national level
Earth Day Celebration Competition 2014s Level
III category. The Prize was given to her by min-
ister of state for Central Earth Science, Jitender
Singh at a function held in Delhis Vigyan Bhavan
on 1 August.
MUHAMMAD RIZWAN KHAN, a research schol-
ar in Delhi Univesity and poet was honoured by
UP Urdu Academy with its 2013-14 Award for
his book titled Asad Badayuni ba-haisiyat
Shaair. This book is his first research work. The
Award was given to him at a function held at UP
chief minister Akhilesh Yadavs residence on 4
August.
AFROZ HUSAIN, a Lok Natya (Folk Dance)
specialist was honoured with Lok Natya
Sammaan by Brij Lok Natya Sansthan at a
function held at Agra on 31 July. The Sammaan
or Award consisted of a shawl, shield and a
certificate. Hari Dwar Dubey, a former MLA of
UP specially presented him a cheque of Rs 5000
from his side.
Syed Ali, 80, a prominent Urdu
columnist based in Kolkata,
died on 5 August in a private
nursing home after battling for a
year with a kidney ailment. He
was burid next day in Sola Aana
qabaristan at Khizpur. He was a
businessman who wrote regu-
lar columns for Urdu newspa-
per for five decades. He also
authored a number of books.
Member of Parliament and
Qalam Bangla daily editor
Ahmad Hasan Imran said Syed
Ali represented Bengals
Muslims and was ever-struggling to establish a clean and value-based
society. He was always concerned about the issues and problems of the
Ummat. General Secretary of Milli Ittehad Parishad, Abdul Aziz, said
Syed Alis death is a great loss to West Bengal. He was rare journalist
who was ever concerned about the Muslim communitys welfare. Syed
Ali is survived by seven sons and two daughters. His wife died a few
years ago.
SYED ALI
AWARDS
A Few Hours With Dilip Kumar
Reading the great thespian Dilip Kumars recently launched
absorbing autobiography "The Substance & The Shadow," the
memories of my first ever meeting with the great actor got
refurbished in my heart and mind. I met him in 2002 at Turf
Club, Poona.
Many old timers are aware of Dilip Kumars fondness for
Poona and Deolali camp, Nasik. Till 2008, Dilip Kumar used to
come to Poona. Id gone to meet a friend of mine at Turf Club
and saw a familiar-looking gentleman watch a Test match
along with a friend. I rushed to the manager and enquired
about the gentleman I just saw in the TV room. Yes, hes Mr
Dilip Kumar. He confirmed my doubt. Elated to see him there,
I waited till tea-time so that he could watch the match without
any interruption. When it was tea-break, I entered the TV room
with a customary aadaab to the great actor. He replied back
with extreme politeness that put me in ease. I said, "Main
janaab ka qadeem paristaar hoon" (Im your old admirer). He
looked amused. "Par aap toh zaeef naheen dikhte" (But you
dont look old), he asked me. We both laughed. I asked for a
few minutes of him. He readily agreed. Contrary to his stature,
Dilip Kumar is an extremely down-to-earth person who never
lets his fans down and talks very nicely. While talking to him, I
realised how well the man cultivated himself. Without much
formal education, his knowledge about Urdu and English poet-
ry mesmerised me. Ive got the opportunity of meeting many
stalwarts of Urdu literature and anglicised Indian English writ-
ers, who give you the impression of thinking in English. But the
way Dilip Kumar spoke English, I thought he lived all his life in
England and hobnobbed with the professors of English at
Oxford and Cambridge! It was impeccable and the diction was
just perfect. His high-falutin Urdu was peppered with rare cou-
plets from Faiz Ahmad Faiz, Ahmad Faraz and Firaq
Gorakhpuris poetry. Faiz is Dilip Kumars favourite poet and
very few people know that he and Spanish literary great and
Nobel laureate Pablo Neruda wrote to the Nobel Committee in
1969 to consider the name of Faiz Ahmad Faiz for the Nobel
in literature.
Dilip Kumars fans are aware of his fondness for cricket.
He told me that Pakistans first cricket captain, the maverick
Abdul Hafeez Kaardaar was a close friend. Vinoo Mankad and
Vijay Hazare would always invite him to watch a Test match.
Dilip Kumar honed his cricketing skills by playing with the
British artillery officers at Deolali camp. He and Pran, the
famous villain, would often meet the legendary West Indian Sir
Frank Worrell.
That he deigned to spend time with an ordinary fan like
me, shows the unassuming nature of the great man. Ill always
remember my meeting with him. I didnt meet him after 2002
and it pained me sorely to know that nowadays he tends to for-
get everything because of senile degeneration. Long live Dilip
Sahab. We adore you.
SUMIT PAUL
sumitmaclean@hotmail.com
Salar Jung Museum to have Islamic gallery
SPECIAL REPORT The Milli Gazette, 16-31 August 2014 13 www.milligazette.com
AFTAB H. KOLA
Hyderabad: The growing interest in Islamic art and artefacts has
kindled Hyderabads famed Salarjung Museum to separately house
a section on Islamic Art. Work is going on in full steam and the
Islamic Art Gallery is expected to be completed in a years time.
Speaking to Milli Gazette, Dr. A.Nagender Reddy, director of the
Salarjung Museum, said: The Islamic Art section to be housed on
the second floor of the Far Eastern building in the Salarjung
Museum, will exhibit all the Islamic-related collectibles that are
showcased in different galleries of the museum. It will take visitors
on a journey across space and through time, encouraging visitors
to explore bygone splendour of Islam. Spanning an area of 20,000
sqft, the museum will have a collection of Islamic jades, rosaries,
manuscripts, textiles, rare copies of the Holy Quran, old Islamic
manuscripts, arms and ammunitions, prayer rugs, carpets, ewers,
ceramics, etc. Manuscripts in this part of the collection would
include the oldest folio of the Holy Quran on parchment in the Kufi
script dating to the ninth century CE representing rare calligraphy
work. The miniature Quran measuring 2x3 cm and printed in 31
folios is a feast for the eyes. All these will be shifted to the new
gallery.
Salarjung museum, a veritable treasure trove of rare books,
manuscripts, artefacts, and other stuff, will be the first museum in
India to have an exclusive Islamic gallery. This Islamic gallery will
showcase 365 copies of the Holy Quran in Kufi, Naskh, Nataliq,
Raihan and Thuluth scripts.
The SJM library has more than 56,000 books and around
9,000 manuscripts in different languages. Visitors will now be able
to see all of the 2,600 Arabic manuscript collections, 4,800 Persian,
1,000 Urdu, 25 Turkish and nearly 1,400 loose panels of calligraphy
at one place.
The museum authorities are also planning to shift the Egyptian
and Syrian collections and the 200-odd rosaries to the new gallery
and the archer rings of the Mughal Emperor Shahjahan, which are
in dark green jade, will find place in the Islamic art gallery.
At present, the museum artefacts are categorised as Indian art,
Middle Eastern art, European and Far Eastern collection.
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ZFI Eid Milan
The 12 ZFI fellows selected for Civil Services this
year were felicitated in a programme jointly organ-
ized in New Delhi by Interfaith Coalition for Peace
and Zakat Foundation of India. Justice Rajender
Sachar was the chief guest. The programme was
attended by a cross-section of all faiths including
the present and former secretaries, senior police
officers of the Govt of India and of the armed
forces, vice chancellors of universities, diplomats,
mediapersons and many others.
The President of both the organizations
Dr Syed Zafar Mahmood said, quoting the Sachar
Committee report, that in a pluralistic society a
reasonable representation of various communities
in government sector employment is necessary to
enhance participatory governance. However, in no
Indian state does the representation of Muslims in
the government departments match their popula-
tion share. Muslims comprise less than 3% of offi-
cers in the civil services and their low presence in
the judiciary has been a major point of concern. In
the lower levels of government service all minori-
ties taken together comprise only 2%.
Dr Mahmood added that minority candidates need
to appear in higher numbers in the competitive
examinations.
Dr Mahmood also made a PowerPoint presen-
tation through which he explained that in the Lok
Sabha, @13.4% (i.e., national Muslim popula-
tion), there should be 73 Muslim MPs. But during
the period of 62 years from 1952 to 2014, the
average number of Muslims in Lok Sabha has
been less than 27. The situation in state assem-
blies is worse. As per Sachar Committee, the main
reason of this paradox is that most of the Muslim
predominant constituencies have been reserved
for Scheduled Castes while the constituencies
with much less Muslim percentage with very high
SC presence have not been reserved. He gave the
examples of Nagina (UP) and Karimganj (Assam)
parliamentary constituencies where, as per
Census, Muslims comprise more than 50% with
negligible SC visibility yet both have been reserved
for SCs. He also reeled out a list of assembly con-
stituencies like Bagaha (Bihar), Khargram (West
Bengal), Bahraich (UP) etc. Thats why Sachar
Committee recommended that the Delimitation
Commission should be told to remove these
anomalies. But the Government of India during the
last seven years has not even talked about this
important Sachar recommendation.
Dr Mahmood revealed that he has written a
letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi reminding
him of his commitment made in his first speech in
the parliament promising that special-purpose
measures will be taken by his Government for
Muslim uplift.
This year, 13 ZFI fellows have been finally
selected for the civil services out of which 12
were present in the programme and Justice
Sachar gave to them ZFI Certificates of Successful
Inscription. Their list is as follows:
SSCGC finally selected in 2014:
1. Mr Johny Tom Varghese (Kerala)
2. Mr Unice Ismail (Kerala)
3. Dr Anees C (Kerala)
4. Mr. Shiraz Daveshyar (Delhi)
5. Mr. Raja Yakoob Farooq (J&K)
6. Ms Sana Akhtar (U.P.)
7. Mr. Afaq Ahmad Giri (J&K)
8. Mr. Ehtesham Waquarib (Jharkhand)
9. Mr. Md Iqbal (Bihar).
10. Ms. Afsana Perween (Jharkhand)
11. Modassar Shafi (Bihar).
12. Mr. Md Moin Afaque (U.P.)
13. Mr. Raunaq Jamil Ansari (Jharkhand)
Fund-raising show for the marriage of poor girls
Mumbai: Haya Charitable Trust and Asiya Engineering Organisation held here a fund-raising cultural pro-
gramme at the Sahitya Mandir Auditorium. The show was chaired by Atul Agarwal, chairman of MCHI,
and attended among others by Muhammad Ibrahim Bhaijan, Vice President of the Minority Cell of
Maharashtra Congress. A number of artists and poets took part in the programme. (Dr Muhammad
Raghib Deshmukh)
President participates in dua at the
Rashtrapati Bhawan mosque
The President of India Pranab Mukherjee visited the Presidents Estate Masjid to participate in the
Dua (prayers) on the occasion of Khatam Shareef on 20 July. Khatam Shareef marks the day
of completion of the recitation of the holy Quran during the fasting month of Ramadan. The
President joined others who attended the Dua (supplications) and prayed for good health and
prosperity for all.
Salar Jung Museum
President Mukherjee offering dua seeking prosperity for all
President Mukherjee blessing the imam of the mosque
Jamia Millia to get Medical College
New Delhi: Jamia Millia Islamia plans to set up a Medical College-
cum-hospital near its campus in Jamia Nagar Okhla. The new Vice
Chancellor Talat Ahmad who took over about two months ago said
while talking to media persons that as per the guidelines of the
Medical Council of India (MCI), Jamia will start with a 300-bed
hospital and then a medical college which is a mandatory require-
ment because there is no government medical college or govern-
ment hospital in the neighbouring areas. This medical college-
cum-hospital is proposed to be built on 114 acres of land recent-
ly acquired by it under Supreme Court order after a long drawn-
out legal battle in Court. Delhi government under former chief
minister Shiela Dikshit also had taken a lot of pain in getting this
land allotted to Jamia University which already has a Faculty of
Dentistry and Centre for Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation
Sciences. VC Talat Ahmad said that Jamia has already
approached Union HRD ministry as well as Delhi government and
UGC also for their permission to set up the medical college and
hospital and also for the necessary funds. Talat Ahmad, who is a
geologist, also plans to build a School of Earth Atmosphere and
Planetary Sciences on this newly acquired land and also plans to
shift some departments here which have become over-crowded.
At present there are 93 research projects and 247 consultancy
projects in Jamia. He also plans to set up a Polytechnic College
for girls for which he has already approached HRD ministry.
One more youth arrested on charge of terrorism
New Delhi: Arrest of Muslim youth on the charge and pretext of
alleged terrorist activities is going on unabated. According to reli-
able information a 20-year old student, Aalam in Deoband has
been arrest by Delhi Polices Special Cell and is being questioned.
It may be stated that this students father has already been arrest-
ed by police on the charge of his connection with Lashkar-e
Taiyyaba. Police claim that it was Aalam who had introduced his
father to Mewats resident Qari Raashid who is also accused of
having connection with Lashkar-e Taiyyaba. However, according
to Special Cells Special Joint Commissioner N. S. Srivastava,
during investigation and questioning his (Aalams) connection
with any terrorist organisation has not come to light.
Kishan Ganj Colleges plan to make engineers free of charge
Kishan Ganj (Bihar): Azmat Engineering Colleges administration
had recently announced that the College has decided to train and
produce engineers without charging any fee from its students.
After publication of this news in an Urdu daily, district Parishads
chairman Qamrul Hoda while heartily appreciating this plan of
Azmat Engineering Colleges Director Jawahirul Hasan said that
this region (Kishan Ganj) is very backward in educaional and other
fields. At such a time the decision of training Muslim children and
making them engineers without charging any fee from them is
really admirable. MGM Medical Colleges Director and MLC,
Dr Dilip Kumar Jaiswal said that the decision of Azmat Engg
Colleges Director Jawahirul Hasan will not only make the future
of his communitys children bright but with their progress, the
state and country will also progress. He said that he himself is
always ready to render his services for any such work. Many
other people also highly appreciated Azmat Engineering Colleges
plan and services. It is reported that so far dozens of boy and girls
students have filled up admission forms for training and coaching
in engineering.
Demand for 10 percent quota for Muslims in Maharashtra
Mumbai: Speaker of Maharashtra state assembly, Dilip Patil
instructed the state government on 10 June to seriously consider
the question of giving 10 percent reservation to Muslims of
Maharashtra in government jobs and other departments or fields.
The Speakers instruction to the government came in response to
the demand made by the senior Congress MLA Amin Patel during
an adjournment motion. While raising the question of reservation
for Muslims he said that Justice Sachar Committee in its report
had clearly stated that conditions of Muslims are even worse than
that of other backward classes. He fur ther said that the
Mahmoodur Rahman Committee appointed by the state govern-
ment itself, while mentioning the pitiable and backward condition
of Muslims also has recommended reservation being given to
them. Amin Patel said that in both these important reports, reser-
vation has been suggested as the solution of the problems of
Muslims but it is regrettable that the state government has not so
far taken any concrete step in this connection, with the result that
the present condition of Muslims in the state is worse than that of
other backward classes.
He therefore demanded of the state government to announce
the grant of 10% reservation to Muslims before the on-going
budget session comes to an end. Though on this occasion states
chief minister Prithvi Raj Chauhan was not present in the House,
Speaker Dilip Walse Patel instructed the cabinet minister Sanjay
Devtale that the state government should not only seriously con-
sider but also express its stand on this question.
Appointment of Prof Y. S. Rao as chairman of ICHR criticised
New Delhi: Appointment of Prof Y. Sudarshan Rao as new
Chairman of Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) by the
NDA government has been condemned by the Congress and
many leading historians because of his casteist views and ideo-
logical bias. Chairman of All India Congress Committees
Scheduled Caste Department, K. Raju said that his appointment
reeks of ideological biases and is an attempt to communalise his-
tory for political ends by the ruling BJP and RSS outfits all of
which are communal. Prof Y. S. Rao is the ex-Dean of the Faculty
of Social Sciences at Kakatiya University at Warangal, Telangana
state. It is said that historical authenticity of his views and writings
remain un verified. He is accused of being casteist because he
praises and supports the Indian caste system which is an insult
to leaders like BR Ambedkar. His casteist views are also against
the spirit of the Indian Constitution.
He is also accused of blaming the Muslim rule in India for
most of the questionable social customs of Indian society. He is
also accused of defending the self immolation of widows, prac-
tice of sati etc all of which have been banned now. Many reputed
historians condemn and criticise his appointment as chairman of
ICHR as it will re-ignite the debate on saffronistaion and rewriting
of Indian history under BJP-led NDA government. K. Raju also
said that Prof Raos views do a great disservice to the sufferings
and struggles of Dalits and OBCs.
Swamy Agnivesh questions Amarnath Yatra
New Delhi: After Jyotish and Dwarkapeeth Shankaracharya
Swamy Saropanand Saraswatis criticism of SaaiN Baba being
worshipped by Hindus because of his being a Muslim and a
human being, Swamy Agnivesh, social worker and religious
leader questioned and objected to Amarnath Yatra. While speak-
ing on a TV channel he said that the snow idol named Barfaani
Baba in Amarnath is created only for getting money through offer-
ings. He said that such idol inside a cave is automatically created
on account of freezing of drops of water leaking from above and
there is neither any miracle nor any supernatural phenomenon in
it. He said that such types of tricks or jugglery are made simply to
exploit the feelings and emotions of simple and credulous people.
Challenging Hindu religious leaders and divines he said that he is
prepared to enter into a discussion on these topics any time and
anywhere. It may be stated that there are two important sects
among Hindus, one of which is Sanatan Dharm and the other is
Arya Samaj. Whereas Sanatan Dharm believes in and preaches
idol worship, worship of gods, goddesses and deities etc, Arya
Samajis believe in Vedas and ancient religious scriptures etc.
Since SaaiN Baba was a Muslim saint or faqeer and a human
being, Shankarcharya had ordered that his idols should be
removed from temples but many or rather most of the believers of
Sanatan Dharm have refused to comply with his order. After him,
Swamy Agniveshs opposition to the entire philosophy of idol
worship has created resentment among many Hindus.
Delhi governments steps for the progress of Unani Tibb
New Delhi: Delhi government, in order to promote Unani Tibb i.e.
Unani system of treatment and medicines, has filled up an impor-
tant post in the Directorate of Ayush under union ministry of health
that was lying vacant for 15 years. Dr Muhammd Khalid, a capa-
ble, sincere and hard working person and UPSC-qualified who has
worked hard for promoting unani system of treatment and medi-
cines was appointed Drugs Inspector has been promoted and
appointed Assistant Drugs Controller in this Department. His
appointment has been greatly welcomed by the manufacturers of
Unani medicines. Delhi Unani Drugs Manufacturers Association
also has welcomed Dr Khalids appointment and hopes that with
his appointment to this important post, better qualify of Unani
medicines will be produced by the manufacturers and producers
of unani medicines and their confidence in the government will
also be restored. President of Delhi Unani Drugs Manufacturers
Association, Hakeem Shababuddin, while welcoming his appoint-
ment to this important post and thanking Delhi government for this
said that Dr Muhammad Khalid has the tact and expertise that is
needed for promoting Unanipathy and confidence of manufactur-
ers of Unani medicines will also be restored. He hoped that Unani
system will get a boost under his guidance and control.
Dr Muhammad Khalid got his BUMS Degree from AMU and
thereafter got his MD Degree in Unani from Government Nizamia
Tibbiya College, Hyderabad. He has written many top class arti-
cles on Unani and Ayurvedic topics. In 2001 he was made an
Honorary Member of The Research Board of Advisers of
American Biographical Institute.
Minority character of Jauhar Uni challenged in High Court
Lucknow: Lucknow Bench of Allahabad High Court consisting of
Chief Justice Dhananjay Yashwant Chandrachud and Justice
Devinder Kumar Upadhyay, in response to a PIL filed by Hindu
Front for Justice, an NGO challenging minority character granted
to Rampurs Muhammad Ali Jauhar University by both the legisla-
tive bodies of UP and approved by UP Governor Aziz Qureshi
recently, has issued a notice to Advocate General of UP and
directed him to furnish his reply in response to this notice on the
PIL, within 4 weeks. The PIL filed by the NGO Hindu Front for
Jusitce challenges the Jauhar University bill passed by Legislative
assembly (lower House) as well as Legislative Council (upper
House) a few years ago and approved by UPs new Governor Aziz
Qureshi on the advice of legal experts including the Advocate
General. Under minority character of this University, 50 percent
seats in this University will be reserved for minorities (Muslims).
The NGO in its PIL has claimed that the states legislature has no
power or authority to grant minority character or status to any uni-
versity. As stated above, the Advocate general has been directed
to submit his reply to the NGOs objections within 4 weeks.
Gov gives approval for minority status to Jauhar University
Lucknow: Muhammad Ali Jauhar University, a dream project of
UPs existing and also former minister Azam Khan was estab-
lished, in spite of many hurdles and objections by Mayawati gov-
ernment, in Rampur about 8 years ago. That was not all. He also
wanted minority status to be given to it. An amendment bill to this
effect i.e. giving minority status to this University was also passed
by UPs Legistlative Assembaly as well as Legislative Council,
lower and upper house respectively but state governors approval
or signature was also necessary for making this bill effective. Two
UPs governors i.e. T.V. Rajeshwar and after him B. L. Joshi with-
held their approval and kept it pending for 7 long years because
the amended bill did not contain the constitutional provision of
President of Indias approval (or signature) for granting minority
status to any educational institution and because of this reason
both the above mentioned governors had refrained from accord-
ing their approval to this amended bill granting minority status to
this University, though National Commission for Minorities
Educational Institutions, which is authorised to grant minority sta-
tus to an educational institution had granted minority status to this
University in May 2013. Instead of Presidential approval, UGCs
approval was made the basis for granting minority status to this
University and because of this, it was kept pending for 7 years,
though the University had otherwise been working normally as an
approved University. When Dr Aziz Qureshi was appointed
Governor of UP by the new NDA government in place of
B. L. Joshi, Azam Khan approached the new governor and briefed
him about the history of the university as to how the question of
granting minority status to it was being delayed indefinitely, he
(governor) consulted legal experts including the Attorney General
of India about it and after obtaining their views in the affirmative,
he gave his approval to grant minority status to this University. He
also made it sure that in future also no legal or political hurdle
could be placed in the way of this Universitys minority character.
Huge hawala scam in Gujarat exposed
Ahmedabad: Enforcement Directorate, which is a part of union
ministry of finance, has uncovered a huge scam involving finan-
cial transactions of Rs 5,395 crores through hawalah in Gujarat
and in this connection has arrested two of the three key accused
persons, the remaining one is absconding. Concerned officers
have described it as the biggest hawala scam of the country.
According to investigating officers charge sheets have been
issued against 79 accused persons. According to these officers,
business of gold and property transactions had been going on
through hawala in this state and for this business, two branches
of ICICI Bank in Surat were used in December last year (2013)
and January and February this year. Enforcement Directorate
(ED) officials of Ahmedabad said that investigations in this mat-
ter were started after an FIR was filed by ICICI Bank in Surat and
charge sheets were filed in this case against 79 accused per-
sons on 18 July. Among those arrested, Afroz Hasan Phatta was
arrested about two months ago while Madan Jain was arrested
on 17 July. Another important accused, Bilal Haroon Gilani is still
absconding. It may be stated in this connection that Afroz Phatta
is a diamond and jewellery businessman and during the recent
general elections when his photo was published along with
Narendra Modi there was a big uproar and Congress had accused
Modi of having close association with Surats hawala business-
man, Afroz Phatta.
Noh: Haryana chief minister Bhupendra Singh Hooda inaugu-
rated Shaheed Hasan Khan Mewati Medical College built in
Nalhad village to provide health facilities to the people of
Mewat district. He also announced the opening of a dental and
nursing college soon spread over 35 acres along with the
Medical College. Speaking on this occasion he said that he
has a special attachment with Mewat and added that MBBS
educational session star ted in this Medical College from
2013-14 and the government has opened dozens of PHC and
CHC in rural areas. In this function he also announced a grant
of one crore rupees for the progress of Nalhad and Padli vil-
lages and also upgrading Nalhad School upto 8th class.
Recounting his governments achievements in this field he
said that after the formation of Haryana state not a single gov-
ernment medical college was opened in this state. His govern-
ment has now upgraded Rohtak Medical College to University
of Health Sciences. In Khanpur Kalaan a Zanana (Ladies)
Medical College has already been opened and in Karnal, a
medical college named after Kalpana Chawla (who was prob-
ably the first Indian woman to go into space) is being estab-
lished. Another medical college is being set up by Karam Chari
Rajya Bima Nigam in Faridabad. He said that there are 850
seats in MBBS in government and private medical colleges
and from this year Chief Ministers Free Treatment Plan has
been star ted under which operations, normal tests, lab tests,
medicines etc will be done and given free in government hos-
pitals and medical colleges. An impor tant thing that he said
was that retirement age of doctors who work in Mewat will be
extended to 70 years. He said that this has been done for the
first time in the country. He fur ther said that in a period of 9
years his government has spent Rs 4,560.39 crores on edu-
cation, health, electricity, water, roads and other developmen-
tal work whereas during the period of previous government
only Rs 284.30 crores were spent.
Minister for transport Aftab Ahmad said while speaking on
this occasion that the chief minister has left no stone unturned in
the development of Mewat and hence for this Mewat will always
be indebted to him. (N. A. Ansari)
Shaheed Hasain Khan Mewati Medical
College dedicated to people
14 The Milli Gazette, 16-31 August 2014 COMMUNITY NEWS www.milligazette.com
247 incidents of riots in UP, Guj. witnessed 68
New Delhi: The year 2013 witnessed 247 incidents of communal
violence in Uttar Pradesh alone. Indias most populated state suf-
fered 30 percent of the total of 823 such incidents reported from
across the country during 2013, the government told Rajya
Sabha, the Upper House of Indian Parliament on 9 July. Apart
from Uttar Pradesh, the other states where maximum of such inci-
dents took place included Maharashtra (88), Madhya Pradesh
(84), Karnataka (73) and Gujarat 68. The data was provided by
Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju in the Rajya Sabha. The
minister said that 133 people were killed and 2,269 injured in
these incidents during the same period. The maximum number of
people killed (77) and injured (360) were also reported from Uttar
Pradesh.
Professor Carl W. Ernst delivered lecture on Sufism
Aligarh: Delivering a lecture on Sufism, Islam and Globalization,
one of the worlds leading scholar, Professor Carl W. Ernst,
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA said on 7 August
that Sufism is a mystical path based on universal truths that tran-
scend culture, politics and history. He was delivering a lecture
organized by KA Nizami Centre for Quranic Studies at the AMU.
Prof. Ernst has written extensively on subjects ranging from Islam
to the comparative study of religions, from the history of Sufis to
contemporary political movements. He and Bruce Lawrance are
co-editors of The Islamic Civilization and Muslim Networks pub-
lished by the University of North Carolina Press.
He hoped that Sufi communities in the contemporary world can
be seen as dynamic movements whose expressions embrace and
are intimately influenced by the cultures of the people attracted to
these teachings. Prof. Ernst said that the study of religion is an
extremely important field in the United States; it is one of the key
ways we deal with diversity. He further said that Sufi music arose
to become a world music phenomenon, with a new audience
beyond its traditional listeners. Nursrat Fateh Ali Khan, the great
Pakistani singer, was very popular in western world also.
He said that Sufism was introduced by orientalism in India.
Sheikh Nizamuddin Auliya and Baba Ganj Shakar played an impor-
tant role to promote Sufism. Prof. Ernst pointed out that Jalaluddin
Rumis poetry was translated by Deepak Chopra and became very
famous for spiritual teachings in US. He taught Wahadat al-Wajud,
which literally means the unity of existence.
MIM to Contest Assembly Polls in Maharashtra
Aurangabad: The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen president
and Member of Parliament from Hyderabad, Asaduddin Owaisi,
said on 20 July that his party is preparing to contest the
Maharshtra state assembly elections scheduled for a couple of
months from now. This is likely to make things difficult for the
Congress-NCP combine. The state governments morale is
already at an all-time low after the debacle in the recently con-
cluded general elections. The party is likely to contest the maxi-
mum number of seats in the state, source said.
SC rejects Police plea to cancel bail of terror accused
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on 24 July rejected the application
of Mumbai Crime Branch seeking cancellation of the bail granted
by a special POTA court to one of the Mumbai 2003 terror blast
accused three years ago. Dr. Abdul Waheed Abdul Jabbar was
released on bail by the Special PoTA Court in 2011 after eight
years of incarceration in jail in the case of terror blasts that hap-
pened in three areas of Mumbai (Mulund, Vile Parley and Mumbai
Central) during 2002-2003. The court had granted bail after the
prosecution could not establish his role in the blasts. Gulzar Azmi,
head of the legal cell of Jamiat Ulama Maharashtra, which is pro-
viding free legal aid to terror accused Muslim youths, held a press
conference in Mumbai same day and apprised the press about the
SC order. He said the apex court bench of Justices Ranjan Gogoi
and YM Eqbal rejected the plea of the Mumbai Crime Branch say-
ing it could not establish that the accused misused the bail grant-
ed by the POTA court or violated the bail conditions.
Goa BJP makes minorities feel insecure: MLA
Porvorim: An independent member of Goa legislative assembly
said on 24 July that the state BJP governments language has
changed since the BJP came to power at the Centre and minori-
ties in Goa are feeling insecure as more are applying for
Portuguese passports. Fatorda independent MLA Vijai Sardesai
said that among things that worry minorities is the soft stance of
the state towards Ram Sene chief Pramod Muthaliks planned
entry into Goa. During a discussion in the legislative assembly,
Sardesai accused BJP of moving in directions that make minori-
ties feel insecure. He said he has learnt that daily about 47 Goans
are applying for Portuguese passports. He also accused BJP of
double talk. While the party proclaims it is against moral polic-
ing, the BJP Mahila wing rallies against pub culture in Goa. They
say this is Portuguese culture by which they blame the minorities.
This language has started only after the BJP came to power at the
Centre. This double talk will ruin tourism. This double talk will
result in a self-goal, Sardesai said. Sardesai accused the BJP
government of invoking the special marriage act just to facilitate
the marriage of one girl but in the process, diluting the very defi-
nition of Goan-ness. Sardesai said that this had diluted the unique
uniform civil code of Goa. He also wanted to know why BJP was
silent when its central leader Subramaniam Swamy wrongly
accused the Church of being against HIV infected children.
Drop casinos, massage parlours from Goa tourism plan: Church
Panaji: The Goa Church wants casinos and massage parlours to
be dropped from the tourism masterplan being drafted by a con-
sortium of consultants for the state government. Addressing a
press conference in Panaji on 5 August, Fernandes, who heads
Caritas, the charitable wing of the Goa Church, released an
open letter addressed to Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar.
Fernandes, in the letter, implored Parrikar to make the process of
forming the masterplan transparent to ensure tourism in the state
is inclusive.
Speaking about the need to banish casinos and massage par-
lours from the states tourism offerings, Fernandes said: They
have brought a bad name to the state. What brings a bad name
should not be part of the masterplan. We cannot generate revenue
from vices. Goa has nearly 20 onshore and offshore casinos,
which attract hundreds of thousands of patrons every year.
Massage parlours mushrooming across the state have also court-
ed repeated controversy in recent times, with many raided by the
police throwing up linkages to flesh- trade and human trafficking.
The Goa Church and its organisations like Caritas have a con-
siderable sphere of social influence in the state where nearly 26
per cent are Christians.
Sikhs Visit Jama Masjid In Amritsar To Greet Muslims On Eid
Amritsar Sahib: Dal Khalsa on 30 July extended greetings to the
Muslim brethren on the sacred occasion of Eidul-Fitr. Party
activists lead by Kanwar Pal Singh visited the local historic Jama
Masjid and met the Imam Hamid Hussain Qasmi and other
Muslims who were celebrating the Eid. While felicitating the
Muslims, the leader of the Sikh party pressed for strengthening
the cultural bonds between both the communities. A brief discus-
sion was held on the volatile situation in Saharanpur.
Representatives of both the communities expressed concern and
pain over violent clashes in Saharanpur. They also expressed grief
over the loss of lives, and properties during the clashes. Making
an appeal to the people of both the minority communities to main-
tain peace, Kanwar Pal Singh urged people to defeat the attempts
of the miscreants. He said, according to version of Sikhs in
Sarahanpur, politicians of different stream ignited the situation for
their vested interests. He stated that in order to polarize the vot-
ers in view of the bypolls, politicians were precipitating the ten-
sion. (Kanwarpal Singh, sikh24.com)
Aid colleted for the relief of Gaza Palestinians
Malegaon: An amount of more than Rs 8 lakh was collected by
the people of Malegaon under the banner of Filasteen Bachao
Committee in five days to help the people of Palestine. This
amount will be deposited in the online bank account of UNs wel-
fare organisation, United Nations Relief & Work Agency (UNRWA)
for Palestine refugees through which food items, medical prod-
ucts and other essential commodities are being sent for the peo-
ple of Palestine who are victims of Israels barbaric war and
bombings. It may be stated that on the night of 25 July Falisteen
Bachaao Committee had organised an all-parties and all-sects
public meeting in which an action plan for future was decided. On
the other hand people of Maelgaon and secular people while dis-
playing sympathy and broad mindedness had been collecting
subscriptions from the people at 13 centres.
Rs 25 lakh cheque presented to the Palestine envoy
Hyderabad: Syed Vicaruddin, Chairman of the Indo-Arab League
Hyderabad, in a function held here on 3 August presented a
cheque of Rs. 2.5 million to the Ambassador of Palestine Adli
Shaban Hasan Sadeq on behalf of Indo-Arab League Hyderabad
as aid to purchase clothes, blankets, medicines and essential
commodities for the suffering Palestinians in the relief camps in
Gaza. Vicaruddin assured him of continued cooperation in the
future for the cause of Palestine. The participants observed a two-
minute silence during a Press Conference organized by Indo-Arab
League Hyderabad to offer condolences to nearly 1800
Palestinians, mostly women and children, who were killed by
Israel. The Ambassadors grandson had also died in Israeli
attacks two days earlier. (Syed Khaled Shahbaaz)
New building of Ghani Khan Chaudhary Institute of
Engineering inaugurated by the President
New Delhi: President of India Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated the
new building of Ghani Khan Chaudhary Institute of Engineering
and Technology in Maldah (West Bengal)s Narainpur on 1
August. Speaking on this occasion the President laid emphasis on
the need to create opportunities of employment and promotion
and development of skill. Describing (late) Ghani Khan
Choudhary, former minister in central government and Congres
leader as his personal friend, the President paid rich tributes to
him for his untiring efforts for the development of Malda, West
Bengal and its people. He said that he (Ghani Khan) had dreamt
of an institution through which unemployment problems of
Maldah, West Bengal and neighbouring states of Bihar and
Jharkhand could be solved and today with the inauguration of
such an institute (GKCIET) his dream has been fulfilled because in
these days of globalisation opportunities of employment have
increased and through proper training more and more employ-
ment can be provided to weaker sections of the country.
Muslim BoycottMumbai, July 19, 2014:
Over a hundred hoteliers across the city are
boycotting American soft drinks as United
States is supporting Israelis in the conflict.
Extending their support to the Palestinians,
over 270 of whom have been killed in the
ongoing Israeli bombing attacks in Gaza,
more than a hundred hoteliers in various
parts of the city are boycotting cola drinks,
including Pepsi and Coca Cola. The hote-
liers have taken the step against the
American products, because America is
supporting the Israelis in the conflict, they
said.
While several prominent hotels includ-
ing Shalimar, Baghdadi and Noor
Mohammadi Hotel at Bhendi Bazaar, and
Persian Durbar at Byculla, stopped selling
cola drinks four to five days ago, other
smaller hotels have stopped purchasing fresh stock. The move is
backed by hoteliers from Colaba to Behram Baug in Jogeshwari,
and Bhendi Bazar to Kurla, Mumbra and other areas. With
Ramzan in progress, people in the Muslim-dominated areas are
resorting to mocktails, juices and jaljeera as alternatives.
On July 16, more than a hundred members of the Indian
Hotel and Restaurant Association met at Shalimar Hotel to dis-
cuss the issue. We have taken a collective decision to boycott
these products as a silent protest to the bombings that are killing
so many innocent people, including chil-
dren. We will continue this protest until the
bombings are stopped, said Omaer
Sheikh, managing director of Shalimar.
Terming it as a peaceful protest, the hote-
liers said the purpose is to convey their dis-
approval of the indiscriminate bombings of
hospitals, mosques and villages in Gaza to
the Israeli government.
United States is suppor ting the
Israelis, so in protest we decided to stop
selling American cola drinks five days ago.
It is horrible to see the way the Israelis are
bombing innocent civilians. We cannot do
too much, but this is our way of protesting,
said Rashid Hakim, owner of Noor
Mohammadi restaurant. Some small
restaurants have stopped replenishing sup-
plies. We completely stopped purchasing
new stock three days ago. Though we dont know much about
the issue, we are protesting against the violence by the Israelis,
said Mushtaq Motiwala, owner of Ali Bhai Seekhwala, arestau-
rant in Pydhonie.
In 2001, a similar two-month protest against the killing of
innocents by US bombings in Afghanistan had been undertaken
by hundreds of Muslim and non-Muslim hoteliers in the city.
Identifying Coca Cola and Pepsi as symbols of American con-
sumerism, the boycott had alarmed cola companies at that time.
Jaljeera, mocktails replace colas as hoteliers
protest Israeli bombings in Gaza
COMMUNITY NEWS The Milli Gazette, 16-31 August 2014 15 www.milligazette.com
Ambassador of Palestine Adli Shaban Hasan Sadeq (left), Syed
Vicaruddin, Chairman, Indo-Arab League Hyderabad (centre),
Dr Mazin Al-Masoudi, incharge of Arab League Mission
United Nations: Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
demanded an end to what he called the sense-
less cycle of suffering in the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict Wednesday, telling the General
Assembly on 6 August that the massive deaths
and destruction in Gaza have shocked and
shamed the world.
Ban urged the international community to
suppor t the enormous task of rebuilding Gaza,
providing humanitarian aid to thousands in need
and treating the wounded. We will build again,
but this must be the last time to rebuild, the U.
N. chief told the
193-member world body. This must stop
now. They must go back to the negotiating
table...We must spare no effor t to turn the cur-
rent calm into a durable cease-fire that address-
es the underlying issues of the conflict.
He said that means ending weapons smug-
gling into and rocket fire from Gaza, opening its
crossings, lifting Israels blockade and bringing
the Hamas-ruled strip back under a unified
Palestinian government.
The U. N.s deputy humanitarian chief,
Kyung-wha Kang, said the United Nations and its
par tners have appealed for $367 million to
address immediate needs for over 500,000 peo-
ple - more than one-quar ter of Gazas 1.8 million
population - who fled for their lives with noth-
ing. She said 65,000 people who have lost
everything because their homes were reduced to
rubble.
Kang painted a grim picture of what she
called the utter devastation in Gaza: 144
schools and other facilities damaged; a public
health system on the verge of collapse with
one- third of hospitals, 14 primary health care
clinics and 29 ambulances damaged; more than
one million people without access to water and
very limited electricity; and the prevalence of
unexploded ammunition.
Kang said the lack of electricity means hos-
pitals cant power critical machinery, food pro-
duction will decrease and water and sewage
cant be pumped. Sewage back-ups could con-
taminate water, making the outbreak of disease
a very serious risk, she said.
U. N. human rights chief Navi Pillay told the
assembly that any attacks in violation of these
principles, on civilians, homes, schools and
hospitals, must be condemned, and may amount
to war crimes. She told the assembly by video-
conference that the casualty toll in this conflict -
nearly 1,900 Palestinians, the vast majority civil-
ians, and 64 Israeli soldiers and three civilians -
tops conflicts in 2008-2009. Kang said at least
122 Palestinian families lost three or more fami-
ly members. Pillay stressed that there has been
no accountability for the conflicts in 2008-2009
and in 2012. She said the U. N. Human Rights
Councils new Commission
of Inquiry will present a
repor t in March 2015.
Riyad Mansour, the
Palestinian U. N. ambassa-
dor, accused Israel of sav-
agery. He said the
Palestinians seek both a
durable cease-fire and an
end to the Israeli blockade
which has suffocated and
disfigured life in Gaza for the
past eight years.
Arab nations asked for
the informal General
Assembly meeting on Gaza
and more than 40 countries
spoke, the vast majority con-
demning Israel and demand-
ing that it be held account-
able for the civilian deaths
and destruction. (excerpted
from heraldonline.com)
16 The Milli Gazette, 16-31 August 2014 INTERNATIONAL www.milligazette.com
Gaza deaths and destruction shame world: UN chief
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JIMMY CARTER, MARY ROBINSON
Israelis and Palestinians are still burying their loved ones as Gazas
third war in six years continues. Since July 8, when this war began,
more than 1,800 Palestinian and 67 Israeli lives have been sacrificed.
Many in the world are heartbroken in the powerless certainty that
more will die, that more are being killed every hour.
This tragedy results from the deliberate obstruction of a promising
move toward peace in the region, when a reconciliation agreement
among the Palestinian factions was announced in April. This was a
major concession by Hamas, in opening Gaza to joint control under a
technocratic government that did not include any Hamas members.
The new government also pledged to adopt the three basic principles
demanded by the Middle East Quartet comprised of the United
Nations, the United States, the European Union, and Russia: nonvio-
lence, recognition of Israel, and adherence to past agreements.
Tragically, Israel rejected this opportunity for peace and has succeed-
ed in preventing the new governments deployment in Gaza.
Two factors are necessary to make Palestinian unity possible.
First, there must be at least a partial lifting of the 7-year-old sanctions
and blockade that isolate the 1.8 million people in Gaza. There must
also be an opportunity for the teachers, police, and welfare and health
workers on the Hamas payroll to be paid. These necessary require-
ments for a human standard of living continue to be denied. Instead,
Israel blocked Qatars offer to provide funds to pay civil servants
salaries, and access to and from Gaza has been further tightened by
Egypt and Israel.
There is no humane or legal justification for the way the Israeli
Defense Forces are conducting this war. Israeli bombs, missiles, and
artillery have pulverized large parts of Gaza, including thousands of
homes, schools, and hospitals. More than 250,000 people have been
displaced from their homes in Gaza. Hundreds of Palestinian noncom-
batants have been killed. Much of Gaza has lost access to water and
electricity completely. This is a humanitarian catastrophe.
There is never an excuse for deliberate attacks on civilians in con-
flict. These are war crimes.
There is never an excuse for deliberate attacks on civilians in con-
flict. These are war crimes. This is true for both sides. Hamass indis-
criminate targeting of Israeli civilians is equally unacceptable.
However, three Israeli civilians have been killed by Palestinian rockets,
while an overwhelming majority of the more than 1,800 Palestinians
killed have been civilians, including around 400 children. The need for
international judicial proceedings to investigate and end these viola-
tions of international law should be taken very seriously.
The U.N. Security Council should focus on what can be done to
limit the potential use of force by both sides. It should vote for a res-
olution recognizing the inhumane conditions in Gaza and mandate an
end to the siege. That resolution could also acknowledge the need for
international monitors who can report on movements into and out of
Gaza as well as cease-fire violations. It should then enshrine strict
measures to prevent the smuggling of weapons into Gaza. Early dis-
cussions have already taken place. The Elders, an international group
of elder statesmen of which we are a part, hope these discussions will
continue and reach fruition.
At the Palestinians request, the Swiss government is considering
convening an international conference of the signatory states of the
Geneva Conventions, which enshrine the humanitarian laws of war-
fare. This could pressure Israel and Hamas into observing their duties
under international law to protect civilian populations. We sincerely
hope all states -- especially those in the West, with the greatest power
-- attend and live up to their obligations to uphold the Fourth Geneva
Convention, which governs the treatment of populations in occupied
territory.
Unity between Fatah and Hamas is currently stronger than it has
been for many years. As Elders, we believe this is one of the most
encouraging developments in recent years and welcome it warmly.
This presents an opportunity for the Palestinian Authority to reassume
control over Gaza -- an essential first step towards Israel and Egypt
lifting the blockade.
The Palestinian Authority cannot manage the task of administer-
ing Gaza on its own. It will need the prompt return of the EU Border
Assistance Mission, an international effort to help monitor border
crossings that was launched in 2005 and suspended in 2007. EU High
Representative Catherine Ashton has already offered to reinstate the
program, covering not only Rafah but all of Gazas crossings. Egypt
and Israel would, in turn, cooperate with international monitors to be
deployed in Gaza and along its borders, backed by a U.N. Security
Council mandate to protect civilian populations. A valuable precedent
for trust-building between Egypt and Israel is the international peace-
keeping force operating in the Sinai, mandated by the peace treaty
signed by the two countries in 1979.
The international communitys initial goal should be the full
restoration of the free movement of people and goods to and from
Gaza through Israel, Egypt, and the sea. Concurrently, the United
States and EU should recognize that Hamas is not just a military but
also a political force. Hamas cannot be wished away, nor will it coop-
erate in its own demise. Only by recognizing its legitimacy as a politi-
cal actor -- one that represents a substantial portion of the Palestinian
people -- can the West begin to provide the right incentives for Hamas
to lay down its weapons. Ever since the internationally monitored
2006 elections that brought Hamas to power in Palestine, the Wests
approach has manifestly contributed to the opposite result. Ultimately,
however, lasting peace depends on the creation of a Palestinian state
next to Israel.
Leaders in Israel, Palestine, and the worlds major powers should
believe that policy changes are within reach that would move Israelis
and Palestinians closer to a day when the skies over the Holy Land can
forever fall silent. (Issued on 7 August, 2014)
Hamas Needs to Be Recognised
Since the Islamic State captured Mosul last
month, it has burned shops selling alcohol,
ordered veils placed over the faces of man-
nequins in store windows, and implemented
discriminatory policies that forced the
majority of the citys Christians to flee. Youd
think that was dramatic enough -- but a
number of apparently false stories about the
jihadist groups behavior in Iraqs second-
largest city are spreading like wildfire
through the Western media.
The latest culprit appears to be U. N.
official Jacqueline Badcock, who told
reporters on Thursday, 24 July, that the
Islamic State had issued a fatwa ordering
women to undergo female genital mutilation
(FGM). The procedure is quite rare in Iraq --
it is far more common in sub-Saharan Africa
-- and not typically something that jihadists
demand. As Agence France Press reported,
instituting FGM in areas under the control of
the Islamic State, which was previously
known as the Islamic State of Iraq and al-
Sham, or ISIS, could place 4 million women
and girls at risk of undergoing the procedure.
Thankfully, Badcocks claim has been
widely debunked by reporters and analysts.
NPRs Cairo bureau chief Leila Fadel report-
ed that residents of Mosul, including a doc-
tor and a tribal leader, had not heard of the
fatwa. Meanwhile, an alleged Islamic State
decree announcing the implementation of
FGM was revealed to be a hoax. (The U. N.
office in Iraq did not respond to requests for
comment on the source of Badcocks
claim.)
But the furor over FGM is far from the
only questionable claim that has been made
about the Islamic States reign in Mosul. Last
week -- as the jihadist groups very real
campaign to force Christians to pay a tax
levied on non-Muslims, convert to Islam, or
face death reached fever pitch -- multiple
news outlets reported that the Islamic State
had burned down the St. Ephrems
Cathedral.
There was just one problem: The pic-
tures published by news outlets and shared
on social media of the supposed burning of
the Syriac Catholic cathedral were from
church burnings in Egypt or Syria. To this
day, there has been no confirmation from
anyone in Mosul that a cathedral was
burned.
But the most spectacular story about the
Islamic State relates to what would have
been one of historys most spectacular bank
heists. Shortly after the group stormed
Mosul, the provincial governor in the region
told reporters that it had raided the citys
central bank, making off with more than
$400 million, in addition to a large quantity
of gold bullion. The alleged raid -- which
was widely reported in papers such as the
New York Times and the Washington Post --
would likely have made the Islamic State the
worlds richest jihadist organization, as well
as giving it more resources than many small
states. Theres only one problem: The heist
doesnt appear to have happened. The
regional governor who initially described the
raid changed his tune in an interview with
the Financial Times last week, saying that
nobody until now has confirmed that story.
Meanwhile, the chief executive of the asso-
ciation of Iraqs private banks said that no
raid occurred, and that nothing has been
removed from the premises of any banks [in
Mosul], not even a piece of paper.
Given the extreme difficulty of reporting
in areas under the control of the Islamic
State, it is perhaps not surprising that the
news coming out of Mosul is so frequently
incorrect. And the jihadist groups well-
deserved reputation for implementing its
brand of medieval justice does admittedly
make it hard to separate fact from fiction.
But the next time you read a story and think
that its too spectacular to be true -- you just
may be right. (David Kenner,
Bolivia declares
Israel a terrorist state
La Paz: Bolivia on 31 July
renounced a visa exemption agree-
ment with Israel in protest over its
offensive in Gaza, and declared it a
terrorist state. President Evo
Morales announced the move dur-
ing a talk with a group of educators
in the city of Cochabamba. It
means, in other words, we are
declaring (Israel) a terrorist state,
he said. The treaty has allowed
Israelis to travel freely to Bolivia
without a visa since 1972.
Morales said the Gaza offensive shows that Israel is not a guar-
antor of the principles of respect for life and the elementary pre-
cepts of rights that govern the peaceful and harmonious coexis-
tence of our international community.
Bolivia broke off diplomatic relations with Israel in 2009 over a
previous military operation in Gaza. In mid-July, Morales filed a
request with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to
prosecute Israel for crimes against humanity.
(zeenews.india.com)
ISIS Isnt Circumcising Women and
Didnt Steal $400 Million Either
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April 2005. More tasks are being undertaken in some of the most deserving areas and most backward sections of our community. This
charitable trust is channelising this long-felt effort. Almost every paisa is reaching the deserving people as MG is providing office and
administrative facilities free of cost as well as free advertising space, and the trustees are barred by the trust deed from receiving any
remuneration for their work and time.
Charity Alliance is headed by Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan, Editor of The Milli Gazette,
current President of All India Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat and Chairman, Pharos Media & Publishing Pvt Ltd.
CHARITY ALLIANCE
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INTERNATIONAL The Milli Gazette, 16-31 August 2014 17 www.milligazette.com
ABDUS SATTAR GHAZALI
The Times of London reported Saturday, August
2, 2014, that Saudi Arabia has deployed thou-
sands of troops from Egypt and Pakistan along
its frontier with Iraq, amid fears of invasion by the
al-Qaeda splinter group that has declared a radi-
cal Islamic state across the border.
The Times quoted Gulf security sources as
saying that panicked by the advance of the
Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), Riyadh
has taken the drastic step of calling in military
assistance from its close allies to shore up the
porous 500-mile border.
Saudi Arabia has been strengthening its bor-
der defenses since the crisis began, the paper
said adding: King Abdullah promised that all
necessary measures would be taken to defend
the worlds largest oil producer and 30,000 extra
troops were deployed along the Iraqi frontier in
July. It now appears, however, that many of those
soldiers were foreign.
The reported Pakistani troops deployment
followed reports in March last that Pakistan was
sending 30,000 troops to Saudi Arabia or
Bahrain. The speculations were strengthened by
a sudden and unexpected payment of $1.5 billion
from Saudi Arabia to Pakistan, with no coherent
explanation, with some officials calling an aid,
then a grant, then aid, then a gift. The mystery
deepened when it emerged that Saudi Arabia had
purchased weapons systems from Pakistan.
In April last, Pakistan Today reported that
Pakistan will sell JF-17 Thunder jets to Saudi
Arabia, after the kingdom had given a grant of
$1.5 billion to Pakistan. Pakistan is producing
JF-17 Thunder Jet with the Chinese cooperation.
It may be recalled that in January last, a high
profile Saudi Arabian defense delegation led by
the Deputy Defense Minister Prince Salman bin
Sultan bin Abdul Aziz aal Saud, visited Pakistan
after the two countries agreed on enhanced
defense ties during a trip by the Saudi Foreign
Minister Prince Saud al Faisal to Islamabad earli-
er. The two countries described the warming of
bilateral defense ties as the beginning of a new
era in the strategic partnership between Pakistan
and Saudi Arabia.
The Saudi Defense delegation stayed in
Pakistan for three days. It was hosted at the
General Headquarters of the Pakistan Army, Air
Defense Command of Pakistan Air Force,
Pakistan Ordnance Factories at Wah and Pakistan
Aeronautical Complex in Kamra, the home of JF-
17 Thunder aircraft. The Saudi defense delega-
tion also included the members of the Royal
Saudi Air Force,
during the visit to
the Pakistan
A e r o n a u t i c a l
Complex. Saudi Arabia has reportedly expressed
interest in joining the JF-17 program with
Pakistan during the visit. Pakistan has offered
Saudi Arabia for joint manufacturing of JF-17
Thunder aircraft along with technology transfer.
According to London-based Saudi scholar
Dr. Mai Yamani, the visit of Saudi Defense dele-
gation was intended to lay the groundwork to
bring 30,000 Pakistani soldiers and military
advisers to the kingdom. In an article published
by the Japan Times, Mai Yamani pointed out that
Pakistan has previously served the kingdoms
interests by sending military and security assis-
tance during times of stress. Saudi Arabia
received some 30,000 Pakistani soldiers in
1979, at the time of Irans Islamic Revolution.
And these troops remained in the kingdom until
the mid-1980s. The Saudis also employed thou-
sands of Pakistani soldiers during the 1991 Gulf
War.
Mai Yamani believes that part of the Saudi
plan today is to use Pakistanis as the backbone
for a new Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) joint
military force. Pakistani forces under Saudi
command were used in operations to quell Shiite
uprisings in Bahrain in 2011, and the Saudis now
want a standby force ready to put down Islamist
and Shiite provocations whenever and wherever
they may appear in the gulf. In the event of an
existential threat in the region, in particular a con-
frontation with Iran, Pakistan would offer the
kingdom a form of deadly protection denied it by
the West she concluded.
Pakistan has a deep rooted military coopera-
tion with Saudi Arabia. According to Washington-
based Brookings Institution, the Pak-Saudi coop-
eration began with Pakistans help to the Royal
Saudi Air Force to build and pilot its first jet fight-
ers in the 1960s. Pakistani Air Force pilots flew
RSAF Lightnings that repulsed a South Yemeni
incursion into the kingdoms southern border in
1969. In the 1970s and 1980s up to 15,000
Pakistani troops were stationed in the kingdom,
some in a brigade combat force near the Israeli-
Jordanian-Saudi border.
In May 1998 when Pakistan was deciding
whether to respond to Indias test of five nuclear
weapons, the Saudis promised 50,000 barrels
per day of free oil to help the Pakistanis cope with
the economic sanctions that might be triggered
by a counter test, according to the Brookings.
The Saudi oil commitment was a key to then
Prime Minster Nawaz Sharifs decision to pro-
ceed with testing. It cushioned the subsequent
U.S. and EU sanctions on Pakistan consider-
ably.
Abdus Sattar Ghazali is the Chief Editor of the
Journal of America (www.journalofamerica.net) email:
asghazali2011@gmail.com
Pakistani troops to defend Saudis
Construction of homes for Muzaffarnagar Riot Victims by
Charity Alliance.
Work in Progress, foundations for new homes being done as
shown in this picture dated 9th August 2014
We appeal to to you come forward to make this project possi-
ble. We plan to build some 60 self-contained small houses but
our funds after buying the land scarcely suffice for 20 houses.
Muslims, awake!
HARUN YAHYA
The seemingly endless conflicts pitting brother
against brother in the Muslim world have been a
significant problem for years with no appropriate
solution in sight. Western countries disregard this
internal turmoil and conflict to the extent that even
the resultant casualties are essentially of less
importance to them. Numerous media organiza-
tions that make the death throes of a beached dol-
phin or whale their main story in their news bulletins and even dis-
patch an army of reporters to cover it, regard the bloodbath in
Muslim countries as falling into the category of third page reports.
These days Iraq is witnessing such a situation. Although the
American occupation has ended, a climate of frenzied slaughter
continues in this country. The almost daily occurrences of vehi-
cles packed with bombs, suicide bombers blowing themselves up
among large crowds of people and committing mass slaughter,
body parts strewn left and right and rivers of brothers blood have
literally turned the country into a smoldering ruin. However, this
savagery never enters the world agenda and the means to a solu-
tion are never discussed.
And now Iraq is facing an invasion by the extremist organization
the self-ascribed Islamic State of Iraq and the Syria (ISIS), which
has added to the seemingly endless troubles of Iraq.
The number of people who died as a result of acts of violence in
2013 alone is almost 7,000; the recent ISIS invasion added
another 1,000 to the grim equation according to a statement
issued by the United Nations (UN).
The number of people who died in Iraq during the occupation,
which began in 2003 and ended in 2011, has not been fully
recorded, although according to figures from the group Iraq Body
Count cited in a BBC report, it is 461,000. According to a survey
in a Guardian report conducted by the polling organization ORB,
1.2 million people lost their lives in Iraq.
Things were expected to calm down after the occupation came to
an end, but acts of violence continue to take lives in the very
same way. In a report titled How The World Forgot Iraq, by
Patrick Cockburn from The Independent described how Iraq,
which is suffering a profound, economic and social crisis, has
become increasingly fragmented. Cockburn went on to summa-
rize the situation by saying that no matter what the objectives of
the United States and the United Kingdom were when they invad-
ed Iraq, the outcome has been disastrous. The results of this can
be seen all too clearly now; the sectarian, economic, and social
crises in the country have provided a breeding ground for radical
organizations.
Looking at the violence and massacres in Iraq, not just of the last
10 years but also during and before the time of Saddam Husain,
it is estimated that 40 years of war and brother-fighting-brother
have widowed no less than a million women. The situation of
these women, with no safety net, is uncertain, to say the very
least. In brief, Iraq has become self-destructive.
While it was partly possible to see signs of economic regenera-
tion on the streets of Baghdad, which has climbed to second
place among the Organization of Petrol Exporting Countries
(OPEC), the ongoing violence is rapidly eliminating all possibilities
of prosperity. The fact that ISIS has managed to seize Iraqs main
oil refinery at Baiji only further serves to compound Iraqs eco-
nomic woes. Although Iraq has enough land and economic
opportunities and means for everyone, no matter what their
views, the violence - stemming solely from differences of opinion
and ignorance - is turning the country into a sea of blood.
So, was all the suffering worth it, or has the country improved?
War and conflict have never established security and stability any-
where in the world, so how could the situation be otherwise in
Iraq? And especially now, as Iraq seriously faces the threat of
being divided into three parts, it is clear there can be no progress
with such a mentality. It is essential for clear-thinking Muslims to
take necessary steps in this regard on an urgent basis by issuing
calming statements so as to help change the mentality of radical
groups. Why should holding different opinions be a rationale for
fighting, killing, hatred and rancor? There is no reason for it.
On the other hand, conflict serves only to worsen conflict; vio-
lence only begets further violence and the accompanying deaths
only deepen the cycle of hatred and rage. It must not be forgotten
that such aggressive approaches are always a dead-end.
As people die, a rage handed down from one generation to anoth-
er dominates the region and that harms only Muslim countries
and Muslims. Iraq can never attain peace and tranquility in such
a climate, not in 100 years and the Middle East will, therefore, be
badly damaged by these issues. There can be no question of any-
one attaining peace or love in a climate of devastation where
brother is fighting brother.
In conclusion, everyones common aim must be to live in peace,
tranquility and happiness in their own countries together with their
respective countries natural resources that are enough for all.
There is manifestly no valid and logical reason to fight.
It is much easier to approach matters with love, understanding
and tolerance than with conflict. Only education can be effective
against violence and sectarian hostility caused by radical groups
like ISIS. It can be easily shown through the Quran that Islam is
a religion of peace, love and brotherhood, and not of fear, anger
or war. Moreover, if these values are properly espoused, nobody
will have to pay such a heavy price. Nobody will suffer. Why
should people adopt an approach that ends in suffering and
oppression when there is a better and finer alternative available?
That flies in the face of reason, logic and good conscience.
In this period in particular, Muslims must issue calls for modera-
tion and emphasize that they want tolerance and understanding,
not war because this is a common problem facing us all. If we
cannot collaborate to produce a solution, the problem will
inevitably continue to grow. In that context, the bureaucratic
structure of the OIC must be radically overhauled and a union of
Muslim countries - modeled on the lines of the EU - must be
established. When that union comes into being, the problems in
Syria and Iraq will, by Allahs leave, be resolved without delay.
The writer has authored more than 300 books translated in
73 languages on politics, religion and science.
He may be contacted at atotonji@darmanar.org
KARAMATULLAH K. GHORI
k_k_ghori@yahoo.com
As of writing of these lines, the Israeli guns
that had been pounding and decimating Gaza
and its incarcerated inhabitants with total
impunity for nearly a month have fallen silent.
A 72-hour temporary truce has taken hold. But
how long this breather for the aggressor and
the aggressed would last is anybodys guess.
One doesnt have to be a rocket scientist
to apprehend that this another- one -of -so many -truces-
before-this would last only so long as almighty Israel and its
besotted leaders deign it fit to keep their thousands of guns,
war-ships, fighter jets and state-of-the-ar t rockets from not
blazing against the hapless Palestinians. Even the cry of a
Palestinian child can be a cause of alarm for the Israeli killing
machine to get rolling and exacting more Palestinian blood to
satiate its leaders unquenchable thirst for it.
And Israel can violate any truce, or cease-fire, with com-
plete assurance that none would dare to lift a finger against it
because of the global policeman-the lone super-power our
world is condemned to suffer in silence-stands four square
behind it and has given it a car te blanche to make a mockery of
every canon of law and morality in the world.
Israels leaders have been strutting on the world stage with
unprecedented hubris because their principal ally is there to
shield it against any censure or condemnation from the interna-
tional community (in this case read the non-western world).
Israel has savaged and violated more international laws than
any other state in living memory. It has ignored and mocked
more UN resolutions than any other member state. Yet the world
body, led by a comical Secretary General who is in office
because of Washingtons blessings, is pathetically impotent to
chastise or discipline a war-mongering Israel.
Its not only that Washington stands guard over Israel to
shelter it against any move in UN to question its belligerence
and its periodical forays into Gaza, Israel can also rest assured
that its arsenal of hi-tech weaponry and state-of-the-ar t ammu-
nition will promptly be replenished by an at-your-service oblig-
ing man in the Oval Office and a Zionist-incorporated Congress
whose denizens shudder at any thought of stepping out of the
red-line drawn for them by AIPAC and such other Zionist lobbies
of US.
Anyone still in need of a proof of US subservience to Israeli
commands need only be reminded of President Obamas gen-
erous gift of $ 225 million in advanced Iron Dome technology
to Israel while his protg was wreaking unprecedented havoc
on Gaza and its inhabitants. The Washington-gifted Iron Domes
have successfully shielded Israel against the crude rockets
entering its territory from Gaza. So delighted and elated was
Obama over the performance of the US shield that he decided-
while the hapless Gazans were being mowed like weeds under
Israels relentless barrage of missiles fired from the air, from the
sea and, of course, from the American-supplied tanks on the
ground-that he couldnt wait for the guns to fall silent before
coming up with his latest bag of goodies for for tress-Israel.
The Israeli guns have fallen silent because, according to its
war-monger leader, Benjamin Netanyahu, the target of his lat-
est round of aggression against Gaza has been achieved. He
is, no doubt, borrowing a leaf from out of George W. Bushs
book-his redoubtable mentor and ally before Obama eased him-
self into that role with such exuberance and commitment. Bush,
like him, had gone out to the sea, on board an American aircraft
carrier, within hours of the Fall of Baghdad, in 2003, to proclaim
victory as he thought his target had been achieved too.
Netanyahu, if he has any sense of history in him, should be
reminded of how Iraq had quickly spun out of Bushs hands
within no time of his proclamation of victory. But Netanyahu is
too power-drunk and too-inebriated by his arrogance to draw
any lessons from history of recent past and how its still hob-
bling his steadfast ally.
Netanyahu had unleashed his wanton terror on Gaza on
ostensible excuse of destroying the so-called Palestinian tun-
nels that he thought were a nuisance and were not letting Israel
rest in quiet-and-peace. However, in the process of trashing
those tunnels his savage and brutal armed forces pounced
upon a defenceless Gaza and mowed down its cowering
denizens like Vandals of antiquity. So barbaric was the Israeli
invasion of Gaza-the third in 6 years-that before the killing
machinery came to a temporary rest, nearly 1900
Palestinians-a majority of them women and children-lay dead-
slaughtered by the bestial Israeli army as if they were par tridges
out there to be hunted and shot; a tally of nearly 10,000 wound-
ed is in addition to those brutally massacred.
The Israeli bloody campaign of mayhem, murder and
slaughter was so virulent, so vile and evil that the world was
shocked and outraged at its wanton destruction savagely
wreaked on Gazas dazed citizenry. The Israeli slaughtering jug-
gernaut-unconcerned about any sense of moral outrage
because of the blanket approbation of its venality from US and
other western allies-spared neither schools nor hospitals tend-
ing to the wounded. Ambulances carrying the dead and injured
were targeted with impunity. So was the principal power gener-
ating plant of Gaza and its water purification and distribution
system. The latter, incidentally, has never been fully repaired
since the 2008 Israeli invasion because Israel just wouldnt
allow the par ts and machinery for it to come in.
That the Israeli barbaric onslaught was a premeditated and
fully orchestrated genocide is amply borne out from the way
Gazas civilian and densely inhabited residential areas were
bombed into heaps of rubble. It was common for hundreds to
die in one night of mindless savagery in the Shajaiya residential
sector of Gaza or Khan Younis.
The targeted bombing of a UN-protected school two days
before the 72-hour truce came into effect was so outrageous
that a complacent UN Secretary-General Ban ki Moon was
obliged to declare it as a moral outrage and a crime against
humanity. He called for accountability from those responsible
for targeting the UN school-shelter-where more than 3,000
Palestinians were in refuge-with deliberate blood-lust. He
mourned the killing of 11 women and children and the wound-
ing of more than 300 people in that one gory episode. The
school, according to the Israeli narrative, was targeted because
three Palestinians were riding on a motorbike in its vicinity.
The UN school shelters outrage was so overwhelming that
even the State Depar tment was forced to call it appalling and
disgraceful. That was about the harshest use of adjectives the
Obama administration could muster to register its own sense of
outrage at the wanton massacre that had offended the rest of
the world.
But such is the over-powering hold of Jewish and Zionist
interests over Obama and his minions that in explaining its pub-
lic scolding of a bosom-ally like Israel to the US news media in
hog to the Zionists, a State Depar tment spokesperson meekly
reminded Israel that Washington expected its behaviour to
match its own high standard of morality.
Beg your pardon, Mam, any independent pundit with his
moral compass of right and wrong still intact may ask the State
Depar tment minion, whats Israels morality quotient? Its
abysmal, to say the least.
Israel has practised and honed the use of force and terror
as a tool of first choice since even before its bir th as a state.
Many of those who were to hold the reins of political power in
Israel had distinguished themselves as terrorists during the time
of British Mandate over Palestine and had prominently figured
on the list of Most Wanted.
Israel has the dubious distinction of using terrorism as state
policy. It has carried out targeted assassinations of its enemies
in remote corners of the world; it has abducted its quarries in all
parts of the globe; it has killed Palestinian leaders and Iranian
nuclear scientists and boasted of its exploits with pride; it killed
humanitarian workers and volunteers on board a Turkish flotilla of
mercy, in 2010; it even targeted a naval ship of its bosom-ally
and mentor, US, in the Mediterranean in broad daylight.
But Washington has absolved Israel of all these outrages of
international morality and law because Israel, in its lexicon, can
do no wrong. The Israeli terrorism is not terrorism in the
American book; its only self-defence. As far US and the rest
of the western world is concerned the label of terrorism is sole-
ly reserved for Muslims; even those among the Muslims resist-
ing and fighting for their usurped rights have routinely been
condemned as terrorists especially since 9/11.
So the vandals of our times got away unscathed and
unblemished for their crimes against humanity in the latest
spree of mayhem of the innocent civilians in Gaza as far as their
western mentors were concerned. Israel, to them, is incapable
of doing any wrong and didnt, on this occasion either. It was all
in self-defence for peace and quiet, as the blood-thirsty
Netanyahu repeatedly asser ted, for its citizens.
So shameless and self-serving is the western worlds par-
tisanship of Israel that all through the four weeks of calculated
and premeditated murder and mayhem in Gaza it was absolved
of any iota of guilt for its crimes. Instead, Hamas was regularly
held responsible for threatening peaceful and peace-loving
Israelis with its crude rockets and depriving them of their
peaceful sleep. This western narrative was so blinded of reality
that it couldnt see the peace-loving Israelis going for picnics
on hill tops in Gazas vicinity to cheer up their brave soldiers
unleashing their fury and fire-power on helpless children and
women of Gaza.
But humanitarian agencies, such as Oxfam, The Human
Rights Watch and the UN High Commission for Human Rights
couldnt close their eyes at the senseless and savage destruc-
tion wreaked on Gaza by the modern day vandals. Even an
unabashed Israeli par tisan like the New York Times was
shamed into repor ting, on the authority of UNRWA (United
Nations Refugee and Work Agency) the massive and mind-bog-
gling span of destruction the valiant Israelis have wreaked on
Gaza in these words:
The damage to Gazas infrastructure from the current con-
flict is more severe than the destruction caused by either of the
last two Gaza wars, according to the United Nations Relief and
Works Agency (UNRWA) and other organizations with staff on
the ground, like Oxfam and Human Rights Watch. The fighting
has displaced about a four th of Gazas population. Nearly
60,000 people have lost their homes, and the number of people
taking shelter in UNRWA schools is nearly five times as many
as in 2009.
With western complicity in the Israeli crimes long recog-
nized and accepted as the duplicitous face of the western nar-
rative, the continued silence of the Islamic world has become
more and more jarring. The long reign of silence is not only
deafening but also criminal. One is reminded of a golden saying
of Dr. Mar tin Luther King-the courageous crusader of equal
rights for the Blacks of America who paid the ultimate price for
his struggle with his life-at a moment like this: It isnt the
adversity of our opponents that should worry us but the silence
of our friends.
Against the deplorable perspective of the Arab monarchies
criminal silence-which amounts to approbation of Israels ram-
page in Gaza and complicity in its crimes against humanity-one
should feel elated at the moral uprightness of a leader like Tayip
Erdogan of Turkey who not only spoke for thrightly against
Israels crimes but also returned the award the Jewish organi-
zations of US had conferred on him some years ago.
Equally commendable is the decision of Baroness Saeeda
Warsi-a minister of Pakistani origin in the British Cabinet -to
resign from her post in protest against Britains criminal parti-
sanship of Israel. Warsi was the first-ever Muslim woman to
join the British Cabinet. She proclaimed with great moral gump-
tion that she couldnt tolerate, any longer, being par t of a moral-
ly bankrupt government.
The Pakistan government, in this gory episode of the mur-
der of its Palestinian brethren at the hands of a rapacious invad-
er, kept its moral compass intact as far as total partisanship of
the Palestinians is concerned. Pakistans national Assembly
passed a unanimous resolution in suppor t of the Palestinians
inalienable rights to independence from Israeli yoke and state-
hood. It denounced Israels crimes against humanity and called
for full accountability of those responsible for them under inter-
national law. How one wishes the feckless OIC-the so-called
representative organization of 57 sovereign Muslim states-
could unshackle itself from the Saudi tutelage and speak in sup-
por t of the besieged Palestinians.
The only moral that can be drawn from the wanton murder,
mayhem and destruction unleashed against Gaza and its hap-
less denizens is that the law of the jungle has been ushered into
the modern age by those who dont tire of flaunting their cre-
dentials of champions of civilized norms in international and
inter-state relations. Pampering a power-drunk and trigger-
happy Israel in its rampage of Gaza is a crime against humani-
ty for which Israel and its western mentors and allies should be
held collectively accountable.
Vandals of Our Time Ravage Gaza
18 The Milli Gazette, 16-31 August July 2014 INTERNATIONAL www.milligazette.com
With western complicity in
the Israeli crimes long
recognized and accepted as
the duplicitous face of the
western narrative, the
continued silence of the
Islamic world has become
more and more jarring. The
long reign of silence is not
only deafening but also
criminal. One is reminded of
a golden saying of Dr.
Martin Luther King-the
courageous crusader of
equal rights for the Blacks
of America who paid the
ultimate price for his
struggle with his life-at a
moment like this: It isnt the
adversity of our opponents
that should worry us but the
silence of our friends.
Gaza visited by Zionist vandals
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20 The Milli Gazette, 16-31 August 2014 ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVES www.milligazette.com
RAYA SHOKATFARD
A couple is able to fully give love and devotion to each other, raise
healthy children who are fully secure in having both a loving father
and mother.
Marriage is an exclusive right given to human beings. Yet,
mating would include all species including even the plant king-
dom. Why did God favour humans with such a high honour?
To begin with, we may narrow down the species with souls
and without. Muslims believe that humans and those of animal
kingdom have souls in whose nature God has imprinted desire to
mate and multiply. The creations without soul also multiply, but
not in the same manner.
What sets humans apart from animals is that they are given
intellect, wisdom and ability to choose, discern right from wrong
and change.
The Institution of Marriage
- A Happy Marriage Makes a Healthy Family
- Success in Marriage: Is It All About Compromise?
- Are You a Marital Scorekeeper?
- On Saving the Institution of Marriage
- Happy Muslim Family in the US: A Dream?
Mating among animals, in most cases, takes place when an ani-
mal goes into heat and thus calls for mating with the opposite
kind. For example, a female cat can mate with several male cats
while in heat. Some animal pairs stay with each other for life, but
this is not the case with the majority of animals.
In the modern age, one wonders if some humans have used
the animals as their role models for mating. When the desire aris-
es, one looks for someone to mate with. In a more advanced
level, there is some love and affection. Children are born as a
result of this kind of mating with or without love involved with the
parents.
Traditional Family vs. Single Parents
In Islam, the highest honour is given to those who honour their
Creator; who plan their lives and direct their desires toward the
permissible channels in order to gain both worldly pleasure as
well as fulfilling their roles as obedient servants of God.
With no guilt on the conscience, a couple is able to fully give
love and devotion to each other in a responsible way, raise
healthy children who are fully secure in having both loving father
and mother on their sides while they are growing up. What a
blessing!
One should take note about the huge percentage of children
in the West born out of wedlock, living with only one parent, and
in some cases never get to see the other parent for years or for
life. Until recent years when DNA testing identified the real father,
many men refused any responsibility as a father, blaming the
mother for having slept with too many men.
The insecurity a woman feels when she is unmarried and
keeps changing mates and wonders which one will stay with her
and for how long, is a miserable life no one desires, but it seems
to have become the norm in the West now.
Other Advantages
In Islam, one knows by getting married, he is not only getting a
partner for life, he is getting his whole world put in the right bal-
ance. From now until the rest of his life, his/her spouse will be
his/her best friend, companion and one with whom the sharing of
rearing righteous and responsible children would be a joy and a
great actualization of all the dreams one had prior to marriage.
God, with His limitless wisdom, unites species of the same kind
as mates for each other.
Unlike modern male/female relationships, the commitment in
marriage gives one a sense that they have now someone to share
their joys, sorrows, successes and failures. One is not discarded
like a used tissue paper in the trash once an undesirable situation
or a serious sickness strikes one of the partners. Differences are
dealt within an understanding and kindness.
Who would be a better person to keep your secrets, give you
sincere advice, stand by you and be understanding when you are
having a hard time, losing your job or having a bad day than a
faithful spouse?
God gives the best description regarding the closeness of the
spouses to each other in the Quranic verse: they are your
garments and you are theirs (2: 187).
Indeed, spouses are like garments to each other because
they provide one another with protection, comfort, cover, sup-
port, and adornment that garments provide to humans.
God, with His vast wisdom, unites species of the same kind
as mates for each other. His mercy does not only include
humans, but all species in the worlds. As for the humans, he
makes this favour clear: And Allah has made for you Mates (and
Companions) of your own nature (16: 72).
God has given His human creatures so many signs and won-
ders that one would be unable to count them all, yet, most are
neglectful of the vast evidences of the majesty of the Creator all
around him/her. But the undeniable favour God has given to
human beings is the love He has put in spouses hearts for one
another: And among His signs is this that He created for you
mates from among yourselves that you may dwell in tranquillity
with them and He has put love and mercy between your hearts:
verily in that are signs for those who reflect (30:21).
With all the open doors and lawful ways of obtaining not only
Gods pleasure, but ones own as well, one wonders why one
should choose the crooked ways?
Lastly, in Islam, marriage is considered the other half of faith.
This means no matter how religious a person is, unless he is mar-
ried, his/her faith is incomplete. Why?
It is not only God that has right upon His servants, but a per-
sons body and emotions also have rights that need to be right-
fully and legitimately fulfilled. (onislam.net)
Marriage: Gods Gift to Humanity
in Islam, marriage is considered the
other half of faith. This means no matter
how religious a person is, unless he is
married, his/her faith is incomplete.
Why?
It is not only God that has right upon
His servants, but a persons body and
emotions also have rights that need to be
rightfully and legitimately fulfilled.
Recipe for a
Successful Marriage
"Our Lord! Grant that our spouses and our
offspring be a comfort to our eyes, and give
us the grace to lead those who are conscious
of You" (Furqan:74).
Question: Every human being by nature has an instinct to dis-
pute. This instinct becomes more manifest between husband and
wife, leading to marital disputes. How can this instinct be con-
trolled?
Answer: Consider the following ten points to control the instinct
of dispute and maintain a happy marriage.
1. Fear Allah: It was the noble practice of the Prophet (pbuh) to
conscientise the spouses about the fear of Allah before perform-
ing a Nikah by reciting the verses (Nisa:14, Ahzab:69, Aal-
Imran:101) from the Quran. All these verses are common in the
message of Taqwa (fear of Allah). The spouses will be first com-
mitted to Allah before being committed to their partner. There can
be no doubt in the success of a marriage governed by the fear of
Allah.
2. Both must never be angry at the same time: Anger is the root
cause of all marital discord. A companion came to the Prophet
(pbuh) and sought some advice. The Prophet (pbuh) replied,
control your anger. The same advice was rendered three times.
(Mishkaat, p. 433; HM Saeed).
3. If one has to win an argument, let it be the other: The Prophet
(pbuh) said: "Whoever discards an argument despite being cor-
rect shall earn a palace in the centre of Paradise. (Ibid, p. 412).
4. Never shout at each other unless the house is on fire: Luqman
(on whom be peace) while offering advice to his son said: "and
lower your voice for verily the most disliked voice is that of a don-
key" (Surah Luqman:19).
5. If you have to criticize, do it lovingly: The Prophet (pbuh) said,
"A Mumin is a mirror for a Mumin" (Abu Dawud, 2/325;
Imdadiyah). One should offer advice with dignity and in private.
6. Never bring up mistakes of the past: The Propeht (pbuh) said:
"Whoever conceals the faults of others, Allah shall conceal his
faults on the day of Qiyamah" (Mishkat, p. 429, HM Saeed).
7. Neglect the whole world rather than your marriage partner: The
Prophet (pbuh) confirmed the advice of Salman to Abu al-Dardaa
(may Allah be pleased with him) for neglecting his wife: "Verily
there is a right of your wife over you" (Nasai, Hadith 2391).
8. Never sleep with an argument unsettled: Abu Bakr, may Allah
be pleased with him, resolved his dispute with his wife over-feed-
ing the guests before going to bed (Bukhari, Hadith 602).
9. At least, once everyday, express your gratitude to your partner:
The Prophet (pbuh) said, Whoever does not show gratitude to
the people has not shown gratitude to Allah (Abu Dawud, p. 662,
Karachi ed.).
10. When you have done something wrong, be ready to admit it
and seek forgiveness: The Prophet (pbuh) said, All the sons of
Adam commit error, and the best of those who err are those who
seek forgiveness (Tirmidhi, Hadith 2499).
MUFTI EBRAHIM DESAI
BOOKS The Milli Gazette, 16-31 August 2014 21 www.milligazette.com
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What Sangh Parivar Stands for?
Pages: 46 / Rs 30 To order please see page 19 of this issue
castic and imagery. Its at its best when it evokes
the inseperate alignment of political and person-
al.
The dedicatedly drawn characters, loath-
some and unpleasant reality and discursive nar-
rative is what makes the novel an artistic work of
fiction.
Written in lyrical prose, The Half Mother is a
devastating debut novel of a Kashmiri which por-
trayed Kashmirs tryst with unfreedom.
Bashir is too subtle a writer to draw an
explicit connection between the isolation of a
bruised mother and the rest of Kashmir as it
enters the third decade of war that will haunt it
with catastrophic human cost.
Shahnaz Bashirs novel, its vivid style, melon-
choly and one mothers stiff resistance to power
leaves the reader to easily relate his life to the har-
rowing story so beautifully woven in the novel.
One of the most remarkable features of this
novel is its sublime presentation of motherly
affection being tormented by the arrogance of
conflict so adversely gripping Kashmir society.
The novel, a slim volume on personal
tragedy wrought by Kashmirs unrelenting strug-
gle to win back freedom, is a terrific satire which
speaks of the common Kashmiri daily encounter
with vengeance and despair.
The Half Mother is another bold attempt by
an enthusiastic voice to tell the gory tale of
Kashmirs brutal war. All in all, The Half Mother
is a devastating, deeply moving and a much
needed book.(countercurrents.org)
The reviewer is a research scholar of Kashmir Politics
at The Institute of Kashmir Studies, University of
Kashmir, Srinagar.
He can be contacted at 25ahmadbilal@gmail.com
Book: Promises to Keep - Investigating Governments response
to Sachar Committee recommendations
Publisher: Centre for Equity Studies, New Delhi, 2011, revised
2014, pp. 94
(Available online at http://centreforequitystudies.org/wp-
content/uploads/2012/08/Sachar-study.pdf)
HUMRA QURAISHI
Justice Rajinder Sachar and his team had brought out the Sachar
Committee Report in 2006 focusing on the rather dismal situation
of the largest minority community of the country - the
Musalmaans of Hindustan. I recall the words of the well - known
economist and one of the prominent members of this fact - find-
ing team, Dr Abu Saleh Sharief, who had commented that in many
urban and rural locales Muslims are in a more disadvantaged and
discriminated and bypassed position than the SC and ST commu-
nitiesHe was armed with facts and figures and data to detail the
very surviving conditions of the Indian Muslims vis--vis housing,
drinking water and electricity connections, education - primary
and higher - government and private jobs, business outlets,
small-scale industrial ventures, farming and agriculture and those
connected facts and factors.
The Muslim community has continued getting bypassed by
the establishment all these years and decades - in fact, the very
decline began soon after the partition
of the country. Added to the list is a
feeling of insecurity and apprehension
and utter despair.
Sadly, nothing noteworthy or sub-
stantial seems to have been done in
these recent years to rectify those
gaps. Centre of Peace Studies has
launched a volume titled Broken
Promises: A Study on the Socio
Economic Status of the Indian
Muslims; Seven Years Post-Sachar.
The crux of the broken promises
is that the Sachar Committee report
established the fact of exclusion of the
Muslim Community from educational,
economic and social development in
the country. The failure of the past
government to successfully address
issues of the community is no secret.
With the newly elected government
now in power, it is important to ensure
that the Constitutional obligation
towards socio-economic uplift of the
minority community is on their agen-
da.
Broken Promises is a detailed study
on the present socio-economic status of
Indian Muslims. It attempts to trace a
change, if any, in the situation of Indian
Muslims in the recent past since Sachar
Report was presented to the UPA govern-
ment. It is based on a detailed interview
schedule directly administered to 8082
respondents from the Muslim community
in 15 states. RTIs and interviews with emi-
nent persons across these states were also
important tools of this study. Our findings
suggest that Muslims continue to be left out
from most government schemes concern-
ing food and nutrition, education, health,
housing, jobs and livelihoods, civic ameni-
ties and infrastructure etc. The study also
documents cases of individuals across
states who have been left out in spite of
being most marginalized and deserving,
the study says. (kashmirtimes.com)
Humra Quraishi is a visiting Professor
in the Academy of Third World Studies in
Jamia Milia Islamia.
Broken Promises: A Study on the Socio Economic
Status of the Indian Muslims
Kashmir:
The Agony of
Conflict
Book: The Half Mother
Author: Shahnaz Bashir
Publisher: Hachette India
Pages: 192
Year: 2014
Price: Rs 236
BILAL SHAHEEN
The life of people is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish
and short, explained Thomas Hobbes while
describing the political uncertainty of the 16th
century England. Hobbes gave a gloomy picture
of a society in the absence of political authority
- civil war, choas, unrest, anarchy.
The Kashmir of 1990s resembles Hobbess
English society in one familiar aspect - conflict,
war, fear and loss. The outbreak of popular war
against the brutal Indian state proved inconse-
quential and catastrophic. The radicalization of
politics altered the centuries-old social fabric
and brought in place a corrogated political order
of disturbance, uncer tainty and anarchy.
Thousands perished, tortured and disappeared
in the darkness of insurgency. It was a period
when detention almost meant disappearance.
In the recent past we have witnessed
many bold attempts made by the young and
energetic Kashmiri writers to retell the hor-
rific story of post-1990 Kashmir. These
writers deployed fiction to narrate the agony
of Kashmiris turbulent past. The growing
voices which are willing to articulate the
horrors of state repression through the
cathartic medium of fiction are Basharat
Pirs Curfewed Night, Mirza Waheeds The
Collaborator and many others.
Shahnaz Bashirs The Half Mother is
the latest attempt to tell the heart-wrenching
story of those women who lost their
fathers, brothers and sons to custodial
interrogation by the Indian army, only to be
never found again.
Set against the backdrop of militancy of
1990, The Half Mother is a heartbreaking
story of one womans restless, in the end a
futile, struggle for life, love and loss. The
Half Mother is a story of Haleemas (the
protagonist) search for her son (Imran) who
was whisked away by the Indian army and
never returned.
The story begins in serenity of Natipora
in the Joo family with Ab Jaans (Haleemas
father) tireless experiment with different
jobs to secure a better living. Apart from a firm
homemaker, Ab Jaan was deeply aligned, albiet
badly affected, with the politics of his strife-rid-
den state. Ab Jaans unbridled faith and later dis-
enchantment of Shiekh Abdullah reveals the
growing political mobilisation among common
Kashmiris.
Insurgency just began to overthrow an alien
political order which in turn proved catastrophic
and disturbed the calm of the valley. The failed
election of 1987 left Kashmir simmering in turf
war between political rivals.
Haleemas never-ending lonely existence
came in the guise of Ab Jaans killing by Major
Kushwaha. Ab Jaans death meant a colossal
loss for Haleema who lost a responsible
guardian, a lone bread-winner and a sympathet-
ic father.
As Haleema mourning the death of her father,
came a tragic event which shattered her con-
sciousness between life and death, love and loss,
fear and courage. The following night, army picked
up Imran, thus began Haleemas disparaging strug-
gle of lonely hope and despair.
The novel turns sour and meloncholic when
we see Haleema hurtling from police station to
army camp, from the radio station to Papa 2
(torture centre), an unlikely flaneur in a land-
scape of loss.
Her beauty faded in mourning, her con-
science shattered by screaming and her exis-
tence is invaded by loneliness. Her face was a
poignant reminder of the passing of time.
Shahnaz Bashirs language is simple, sar-
A Unique book full with startling revelations
Baar-e-Shanaasaee
Kuch log, kuch yaaden, kuch tazkeray
un shakhsiyaat kay jinhon nay Pakistan kee taarikh
banaee aur bigaadee
By Karamatullah Ghori
Pages: 200 / Rs 200 To order please see page 19 of this issue
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Letters column
Please drastically improve the "Letters to the Editor" page of The Milli
Gazette. Aslam Mahmud, Lucknow - 226016
aslam21lko@gmail.com
MG: Kindly explain how this is done. Should we write letters ourselves?
Letters' column is enriched not by the staff of any paper but by readers
who write, comment, protest and raise issues. Our readers are mostly
passive who find it hard even to send a postcard appreciating or
criticising something which has appeared in MG. This is disheartening
to us who spend so much time working on an issue. May I add: we do
not seem to have received any letter from you in the recent past.
Aslam Mahmud: The weakest part of your newspaper is the "Letters to the
Editor" page. The trouble is that a majority of the letters are in extremely
wrong and awkward English. If you are using a particular language and the
letter is seen by so many readers, it is imperative that the text should be in
reasonably acceptable English. It appears that such letters are reproduced
without any language correction. The page gives a very poor picture of use
of English by the letter writers. Some sort of proofreading is necessary.
Further some of the ideas in the letters are daft and foolish. Everyone has
a right to their opinion and it is not necessary to agree with each opinion.
However, it is really cruel that many silly ideas and that too in
grammatically incorrect English are foisted on the readers. Is it necessary
to print letters with absurd ideas?. I must say that a lot of articles in the
MG are very informative and I sometimes also clip and keep them in my
file. That is why I am your subscriber for last many years. I want the MG
to improve day by day. You have stated at the end of your letter that earlier
you do not seem to have received any letter from me. It is correct. When
filing up the subscriber form I wrote in the column about the readers'
letters. I wish all success to the MG.
MG: You are right that the letters published in MG are at times in poor
language with lots of errors. This is despite the fact that we try to
correct letters of certain writers whose language is rather poor but
since, as a matter of routine, letters are the last to go into any issue
and always there is time pressure of the deadline, mistakes remain. I
am not happy about this but since we are working with a very small
staff, we bear this as something we cannot do much about. The remedy
is to hire enough qualified people but our finances do not permit us to
do so. MG has been a loss-maker all these fourteen and a half years
and we are now fast approaching a stage where we will stop the print
edition.
Offensive ads
I mean no offence but why are you allowing ads of christian missionary
on your website? Mushtaq Ahmed mahmed244@gmail.com
MG: We are unable to see any such ad on MG website. But this is
possible because we are part of a Google advertising scheme under
which Google is allowed to place certain ads on our website for which
they pay us. We have specifically asked them not to place offensive
ads like alcohol and gambling etc but sometimes bad ads do get
through in which case we delete them as soon as they come to our
notice.
Ban ISIS
The news regarding the sporting of ISIS T-shirts by Muslim Youths in
Thondi (Aug, 4) is alarming to say the least. This spark will, if left
unchecked, lead to a conflagration. Hence, we appeal to the Government
to ban the ISIS and outfits supporting it without delay.
S. M. Pasha, Periamet, CHENNAI 600003
valimuhammad777@gmail.com
KCR The Moghul of Telangana
The Telangana C M 's decision to celebrate Independence day at rhe
rampants of Golkonda Fort is 100 percent appropriate ,which is welcomed
by all Telanganites. It is just like the one at the New Delhi Red Fort. It is
very strange that no former C M could even thought if this earlier. He
proved to be a true follower of Nizam for incorporating Devolopmental
Programmes in all the Telangana Districts Khudos to KCR for this and all
his other policy decisions. Mohammad Azam, Karimnager
deomohdazam70@gmail.com
"Achche Din" under Modi Government
After the victory of BJP in Lok Sabha Elections of 2014 in which fairness
had been the main casualty and the formation of Modi's government BJP
has loudly proclaimed that now the country would have Achhe Din or good
days and there will emerge a new era in which there will be no room for
dearness or mehangai, skyrocketing price will disappear and Indian
economy wil become strong and policies of UPA government which were
anti people would be buried. But no such thing has happened. To the
contrary during these ache days prices of price of vegetables, food grains,
fruits all have rsen. There has been a burdensome hike of 14% in Railway
fair and flight charges have also been increased. There has been an
increase in the prices of Petrol, Diesel and cooking gas. The general
budget has completed disappointed as people as there has been no
mention of welfare schemes. What a great difference between slogans and
stark reality. Dr. M. Hashim Kidwai,
ex-MP, Delhi - 110091
Swacch Bharat
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his maiden speech in Parliament, asked
that we prepare to gift ourselves a Swachch Bharat (clean Bharat) by
2019, on the Mahatma's 150th birthday. This quest for a national
campaign for clean India began in 1986 with the Central Rural Sanitation
Programme, which morphed into the Total Sanitation Programme in 1999,
which was reborn as Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan few years ago during the UPA
regime. And now we have the Swachch Bharat Abhiyan.
Fr Felix Rebello, Mumbai
gemenews@rediffmail.com
Catch 22
Now its clear that the government is paralised or ineffective when prices
keep rising. The Corporate sector has spent thousands of crores on BJPs
election campaign. Now after the elections, the government has lost
control over the market prices. The corporates have to recoup with
interest the monies paied at the time of electipn campaign.
AH Maqdoomi, Hyderabad
drmaqdoomi@gmail.com
Muslim representation in Parliament
After every election specially of Lok-Sabha, time and again there is hue &
cry from certain Muslim quarters that in so and so L. S. Muslim
representation remained minimum / insufficient inaccordance with the
population. The critism is not unhealthy and can not be ruledout. However,
experience shows Muslim Parliamentarians or in other cases state
semblies belonging any political party (including Indian Union Muslim
League) after entering the people houses, merely valued show pieces and
noting more. Sitting comfortably in the house, watching the proceedings
and dispersing at the end like moving souls. They have no courage to
takepu and speak openly and boldly on the problems related to the
community nor they are strong willed persons admitting openly that by
and large they are Muslims and have constitutional right to speak for their
community. Baring one or two Muslm representatives we can not
appreciate the presence of Muslim parliantarians within or our of the house
except recognising them as dumb and consciousless Muslim faces of
their respective parties. They are seen deceiving and misguiding the
community in every field or tow or no Muslim representative walks on the
floors of peoples' houses where situation for Muslims in INdia unaltered
one and the same all time.
Faheemuddin, Nagpur-13
Love jihad
It is utterly wrong that Islam allows to convert non Muslims by coercion
or compulsion .If it had been permitted the Muslim kings who ruled India
for 800 years could convert all Hindus to Islam .Not a single Hindu could
remain a Hindu in 800 years period .Secondly there are good number of
Muslim girls available for why Muslim boys will agree to marry Hindu girls
they are mostly vegetarians they cannot easily turn non veg .Their marital
life will not be peaceful. Only Brahmin girls whose marriage is difficult and
who have fair colour can trap well to do Muslim boys .The offer is from
girls. Take the example of Amer khan who had married BRahmin girl No
congress, BjP RSS Shiva Sena VHP and other organisations has made any
objection the buger meets Advani Modi and other top leaders but non of
them can object or protest The same case is with Sh ah Rukh khan .The
only reson is they are millionaires This love Jihad conspiracy is just to
blame Muslims .Brahmins wants that wall of hatred should part the tow
communities by making wrong propaganda among Hindus to stop them
coming closer Islamic Ideology Islam has given more honor and respect
than Hindu Dharm the educated and brilliant girls embrace Islam and later
Marry Muslim youths it is the Jihad of Hindu girls against wrong principles
and practices of Hindu Dharma. AH Maqdoomi, Hyderabad
Israel and Palestine
There is no doubt that Israel would have exterminated the entire population
of Palestinians or at least tried to exterminate, the Palestinian people a long
time ago had the 'objective circumstances' been available. Needless to say
'objective circumstances' here could mean a huge international event (for
example, a nuclear war, a global national disaster, or a gigantic event of
some sort) that would divert or shift international attention from such a
genocidal feat. It is true that Israel would prefer to 'solve the problem'
without a campaign of mass murder ( as happening in Gaza right now) and
mass terror, like bullying and terrorizing the Palestinians, or the vast
majority of them, into leaving their ancestral homeland. However, there is
no doubt that Israel would contemplate resorting to the 'worst scenario' in
case the Palestinians clung to their homeland and remained steadfast in
their homes and towns and villages.
Kodimirpal, kodimirpal@hotmail.com
Dilip Kumar
I beg to invite your kind attention to a review published in the Hindu,
Chennai edition about an autobiography of eminent film star Dilip Kumar
(29 July 2014). He has carefully chosen the incidents of his life that he
wants to show us. It seems, after reading his autobiography, that he has
concealed certain facts of his life due to reasons best known to him.
Readers do not get any clarification from his autobiography as to why he
has concealed his original name Yusuf Khan. India is a Hindu majority
country, that's why he has chosen a Hindu name. Would he had chosen
Christian name had he been in Christian majority country? Would he had
chosen a Jewish name, had he been in Israel? Will some of the learned
readers of MG, please explain as to what may be the reasons for
concealing his original name Yusuf Khan?
Farooq Abdul Gafar Bawani, Rajkot
bawanifarooq@gmail.com
Nail one's colours to the mast
As per news covered by various media, it is learnt that Dina Nath Batra of
RSS wants NCERT to do away with English, Urdu and Persian words in
Hindi textbooks as use of the words of these languages casues difficulties
to children who lose interest in reading textbooks. Probably Batra has poor
knowledge or no knowledge at all that Hindi is bound to move with the
crutches of an Urdu mixed with Persian words. It is compelled to borrow
words from Urdu for expression, presentation, proclaimation, assertion
due to Urdu;s rich and sweet vocabulary. This is the reason why we find
in Parliament and out side, staunch supporters of Hindi like the then PM
Mr A. B. Vajjpai and the present Foreign Minister Sushma Sawaraj use
Urdu couplets to express their thoughts in public. Every cine-goer in India
has full knowledge that K. Asif's most popular Mughle-Azam was purely
an Urdu-film whereas a film titled Istree in totally Sanskeritised Hindi
produced by late V. Shantaram was totally rejected by the people forcing
the producer to withdraw the film within seven days whereas Mughle-
Azam broke all past records as its screening throughout the country
continued for more than two years. People still like to watch this film
whereas no one even remember the name of "Istree". This is a lesson for
persons like Batra. May God not bless with nail the bald-headed.
Faheemuddin, Nagpur 13
Hindutva historiography
Shri Dina Nath Batra says, in one or more of his books, that instead of
blowing out candles, a practice borrowed from Western culture, we should
celebrate birthdays by wearing swadeshi clothes, doing havans, praying
to Ishtadev and feeding cows. He appears not to realise that Ishtadev and
the Desi Nationalist Bovine should not be invoked going by the Western
calendar, which dates to the papacy of Gregory and has nothing Indian
about it. There is no dearth of desi calendars.
Mukul Dube, Mayur Vihar 1, Delhi 110091
uthappam@gmail.com
Palestine
So much of the humanity across the globe - white, brown, black- support
the just causes of the Gaza Palestinians. After giving so much sacrifice,
750 dead, 3000 seriously injured, houses of 50,000 destroyed, why will
they stop, why will they go back to living in those horrible condition where
they were blockaded from all sides and made to live like animals. At this
time they must gain some real human rights, rights to live like human
beings. Yes, 20 Palestinians will die for every Israeli, but their
determination and awesome willpower will make a dent in the Israeli Zulm.
Now that Israel made the mistake of sending its army inside Gaza, now
they are facing the "Hizbollah in Lebanon" style offense from Hamas. Now
they will get the punishment they deserve. If Israelis withdraw from Gaza
without meeting any of their demands they will face Lebanon style doubts
about their so called superiority. If they stay they will continue loosing their
soldiers steadily, 5 or 10 every day. And maybe some of their airplanes at
the Tel aviv airport will be hit by the rockets while landing or taking off.
More and more western and white people are turning against Israeli war
machine. Obama is a prisoner in the hands of the Zionists. Why is he so
gutless in his second term?? Wait and watch the martyers and the
cowardice of the silent sheiks of Arabia.
Kaleem Kawaja, Washington, USA
II
The Israeli Offence Force (IOF) claims to have accomplished its mission of
destroying tunnels. Yes, but what have they achieved? Yes, they have
destroyed tunnels - which will be built once again within the next 6
months. Yes, they have killed many innocent children, whose souls will go
to heaven and further convince God to help their people to end the Israeli
occupation and grant the Palestinian People their freedom. The Israelis'
have not been able to conquer & occupy Gaza as was the original plan.
The Resistance has once again proved its strength & resilience in the face
of overwhelming odds, due to the very asymmetrical & skewed nature of
the balance of power, both in terms of the armaments & political &
economic power of their Western backers & regional collaborators. The
Resistance will not surrender & will not be defeated. Israel has lost more
friends & allies in the last 20 odd days and more and more people and
nations across the world are now clear & determined in their opposition to
Israel & full well understand the Apartheid-Fascist character of the Judeo-
Nazi Occupation. Now for the next phase of the struggle - a massive &
sustained Global Intifada calling for the total isolation & boycott of
Apartheid Israel. We will continue to march, protest, demonstrate, speak,
light candles, distribute pamphlets, boycott all Israeli, US & EU products,
lobby with our governments & elected representatives, with the UN, NAM
and all international bodies. We will continue to resist - till Palestine is Free.
Dr. Suresh Khairnar, Feroze Mithiborwala, Kishore Jagtap
India Palestine Solidarity Forum - feroze.moses777@gmail.com
III
Nobody needed to die to end rocket and mortar fire out of Gaza Israel is
currently engaged in its third military offensive against Gaza since 2008,
ostensibly to bring a halt to rocket and mortar fire out of Gaza into Israel.
There was no need for this offensive - or for the previous two offensives -
for Israel to achieve that objective. Nobody, neither Israeli nor Palestinian,
needed to die in order to bring a halt to rocket and mortar fire out of Gaza.
All Israel needed to do was to stick to agreements it made with Hamas.
But it didn't. Hamas did. For example, Israel's last military offensive against
Gaza in November 2012 (Operation Pillar of Cloud) ended with an
Egyptian-brokered agreement in which Israel promised to cease military
incursions into Gaza and to end its blockade of Gaza. It did neither. Hamas
promised to end firing out of Gaza. It did so for over 18 months until 1 July
2014. This crucial information is entirely absent from mainstream
reporting of the crisis. For more information, see my Gaza: Nobody
needed to die. Crucial facts about Israeli and Palestinian fatalities are also
absent from mainstream reporting, for example, that, since September
2005 when Israel withdrew its ground troops from Gaza and moved its
settlers to the West Bank, only 24 people have been killed in Israel by
rocket and mortar fire out of Gaza, of those, 13 were killed during Israel's
three major military offensives against Gaza (including the present one)
which provoked greatly increased rocket and mortar fire out of Gaza. In the
same period, nearly 4,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed by Israeli
military action. For more information, see my Gaza: Israeli and Palestinian
fatalities (http://david-morrison.org.uk/palestine/gaza-fatalities. htm
David Morrison
davidjtmorrison@hotmail.com
BJP
BJP loses all three Assembly by elections in Uttarkhand In an unusual
about turn , the BJP has lost in all three Assembly by elections in
Uttarkhand. This has occured within about two months of winning all Lok
Sabha seats from that state. Incidentally one of these seats was always
with the BJP for the last 20 years. What does this signify ?
J. S. Bandukwala, Vadodra
Indian Civil Services
34 Muslims were selected in civil services examination 2013. Azhagiya
Kadan IAS Academy (Makkah Masjid, Chennai), Zakat Foundation of India,
Hamdard Study Circle and U. P. Urdu Academy, Lucknow are providing
free coaching to the Muslim aspirants for Civil Services. Perhaps these
coaching institutes are not aware of rampant corruption and other
malpractices in public sector in India. Honest civil servants are victimized
and transferred very frequently as a punishment for being honest. Fake
enquires are institted against them in order to harass them. Would Muslim
civil servants comply with anti-Islamic orders of the politicians, who are
highly corrupt, inviting the wrath of Allah? There is no taker of honest civil
servants in Indian political system let alone Islamic ones. So is the case
with other jobs in public civil sector in India. Durga Nagpal (U.P.) and
Ashok Khamka (Haryana) are cases in point. Afroz Alam, Aligarh
Muslim Scholars condemn ISIS measures against Iraqi Christians
If only we listened such condemnations of persecution of Hindus,
Ahmadiyyas and Shias (in Pakistan and Kashmir) more frequently, it would
have been so good. Then it would be more justified to protest spiritedly
against Muslim persecution anywhere in the world. I congratulate MG for
publishing this article. We want more of it!
Tabish Umar Ansari
tabishumaransari@gmail.com (feedback on MG website)
Conversion of a Dalit
Entire media is shaken by a
news of conversion to Islam.
Even if 1,000 Dalits become
Buddhishts, it do not
become a big news but if
just one Dalit converts to
Islam it is an alrming news.
Baba Saheb wanted to save
Dalits from the Varna system
which is possible only they
convert to Islam. Many
officials commented on this
rape and conversion case
calling for hard steps -- not
against the rapist but
against conversion of Dalits
to Islam as conversion to
Islam is more terrifying than
rape!
Dr. Malik Asghar Khan
dr_aum_mandvi
@yahoo.com
REJOINDERS/OPINION/LETTERS The Milli Gazette, 16-31 August 2014 23 www.milligazette.com
The Milli Gazette, P.O. Box 9701, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi 110025 Email: letters@milligazette.com Read more letters on MG website
Good Citizens, listen
Leave habits of consuming liquors
Invest money in family instead of wasting
Quit entertainments with liquors
Urge others not to consume liquors
Organise a god society by abstaining
liquors
Resist liquors lest you and your family will
be ruined
Good Citizens are the nations wealth and
pride
Man may not perish on the evils of liquors
Many homes are ruined by liquors
Liquors may carve your health and wealth
Every religion is against the liquors.
But man is still under the curse of liquors
God created everything for man's welfare
But poor man fails to hail the Welfare
Remember Consumption of liquor should
not be a nuisance to others.
No Bar, No More No License. Avoid This
Ugly Drinks
Khan Vellayani, Kerala
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 AUG 2014 POSTED ON 11,12 AUGUST 2014
ADV. FORTNIGHTLY AT NDPSO-110002
The Milli Gazette
D-84 Abul Fazl Enclave-I, Jamia Nagar,
New Delhi 110025 India Tel.: 011-26947483, 0-9818120669 Email: edit@milligazette.com
24 The Milli Gazette,16-31 August 2014
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
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