Secular Ideals Go to Dogs: Left Run Govt of Kerala goes for Sharia Compliant Banking

Frontline
October 10-23, 2009

FINANCIAL SECTOR

Kerala shows the way

THE fact that there is a strong need for interest-free banking and also the means to establish it has been proved in Kerala where the CPI(M)-led government has decided to establish a Shariah-compliant financial institution by March 2010. This was announced by State Finance Minister Isaac Thomas recently. The institution will be started with a share capital of Rs.1,000 crore and the Kerala State Industries Development Corporation will have a share of 11 per cent in it. It will be gradually expanded to a full-fledged banking institution.

State Industries Secretary T. Balakrishnan recently told newspersons in Thiruvananthapuram that the government had commissioned Ernst & Young to give a feasibility report and that the institution would be set up on the basis of the recommendations of the report.

Ernst & Young pointed out in its report that interest money to the tune of Rs.5,000 crore could be lying unclaimed in various banks, as devout Muslims considered it ribaah, or usury, which is prohibited in Islam. Kerala has a high Muslim population, over 27 per cent, and receives over Rs.37,000 crore worth of remittances from the Gulf countries annually.

Purnima S. Tripathi

Is it a Crime to be born a Muslim in India?

By Ram Puniyani

The rising tide of communal violence from the decade of 1980 has consolidated the communal politics, politics in the name of religion. The party riding on the chariot of religious nationalism became the second largest party and tasted power at center for six long years and is now entrenched in few states and is knocking at the door of power in few other states. The hope that its recent defeat in Lok Sabha elections will reduce the impact of communal politics in society or will ensure that all communities can breathe the air of civil rights and equal citizenship rights with ease, seems to be like distant drums!

The impact of the rise of this politics and accompanying effect on minorities has resulted in worsening their lot. This downward slide in the condition of minorities is very obvious, is going from bad to worse, to worst. It has resulted in the conditions for minorities where they have to live in fear, alienation and the impact of constant profiling in different walks of life. This communal politics has been talking of Hindu nation, has been spreading hate against minorities, against Muslims in particular. The Muslim community has been the major target of attack and has been bearing a huge brunt of the divisive politics being spearheaded by RSS, its progeny and by those influenced by the RSS ideology. They are not only there in the state machinery and media but also in other crucial spots of Indian social, economic and political life. The worsening plight of Muslim community got reconfirmed in the recently held national meet on ‘What it means to be a Muslim in India Today’, organized by Anhad in Delhi (Oct 3-5).

The meeting was addressed by the victims and social activists working in the area of human rights particularly of minorities. The pain and anguish of the Muslim community was heart rending, coming through different narrations of illegal arrests, tortures, detentions and adverse judgments. The latest trick is to implicate the Muslim youth in multiple cases in different states. This will ensure their being behind the bars for good. The communal violence which has broken the back of the Indian community is being supplemented by the intense and blind police action against innocent Muslim youth, in the name of terror attacks. While the communal violence is now being orchestrated at low intensity and is scattered far and wide, in the post 9/11 period another front for torturing the community has been opened. Here the modus oprendi is simple enough, there is ‘Intelligence’ tip and that makes our efficient police machinery to arrest the Muslim youth, being Muslim is the major ‘tip’ for arresting and torturing innocent youth by the guardians of law. Many a youth in the middle of their education for professional lives face immense obstacles, their illegal arrests are never compensated for and nor are they supported to complete their education despite being proved innocents.

There had been many such arrests followed by all sort of illegal steps by the police. Using cars without number plates, taking victims blindfolded to farm houses for third degree tortures are new addition to the ‘efficient methods’ of the police machinery. There are enough grounds of doubts in Batla House encounter, but it will not be taken up for honest investigation. The argument to avoid honest investigation is that it will demoralize the police force. Can we have such a police force whose morale depends hiding truth?

Following Mecca Masjid blast, there was a shooting by the police which killed more people than the number killed by blast. The pretext was that the crowd was menacing, which it was not. Truth of Ishrat Jahan case is out in the open but the perpetrators will remain in the seats of power unscathed, barring an odd official living in jail. While such enthusiasm in arresting Muslim youth is there for all to see, those arrested by Hemant Karkare’s ATS in Malegaon blast case, are currently being treated with kid gloves. The apprehension is that these guilty gang against whom evidence was collected by late Hemant Karkare may not get the punishment it deserves.

The families battered by such brutal police actions and the families shattered by communal violence are on the streets unattended, marginalized and neglected by society and state. Those Muslims having successful business have been targeted to ensure breaking their economic backbone. This not only in Gujarat but also in other BJP ruled states. This economically marginalized community is practically boycotted by financial institutions, telephone companies and other. There are many cases where the community is being denied space for graveyards, which are either being taken away or not allowed to expand where there is need for more space. The plight of Shabana Azmi or Imraan Hashmi not getting the house in desired locality is not isolated; this phenomenon is becoming more widespread. The walls of separation along religious community lines are becoming stronger. The Sachar Commission and the Prime Minister’s 15 point program remain a showpiece for purposes best known to the state!

The myths and stereotypes in the media and social space are very much there. The large section of school text-books reinforces the stereotypes and myths about the community. So where does all this lead us? In a democracy, in a secular state the minorities should be provided safety and dignity irrespective of their religion. The present condition of Muslims in India is nothing but abysmal from the point of view of security, economic condition and social life. A large section has started feeling the deprivations in a very painful manner.

One recalls under the domination of Brahmanical values, caste based exclusionary social-political-system, the caste of Shudras was systematically denied the life of dignity and made to live in subjugation and ghettoization. The efforts of ‘Brahmanical ideology based politics’, the one of RSS and its progeny, is achieving the same pattern with some difference. Now Muslims are being reduced to second class citizens. This is precisely what RSS wants, this is what is coming to be practiced at all the levels in the country. RSS progeny being in power or out of it does not matter as far as the life of Muslim community is concerned. The RSS workers and ideology have infiltrated the ‘social common sense’ through media and education. It has infiltrated the state machinery. The limit of this can be seen that RSS controlled Bhonsla Military School in Nasik is supplying large number of recruits for Indian army one of them being Lt Col Prasad Shrikant Purohit, an accomplice of Pragya Singh Thakur, alleged culprits of Malegaon blast. If RSS, a fascist organization wrapping its politics in the cloak of Hindu religion, swaymsevaks can infiltrate army, which institution in the society is safe from slow communal fascist infiltration? Which institution can be trusted for upholding Indian Constitution?

It is with this gloomy scenario around that many a victims deposing in the meeting said with pain and anguish, “Is it a crime to be born a Muslim in India?”

(Ram Puniyani could be contacted on puniyani.ram@gmail.com)

Indian Democracy and Caste System

By Dr.M Anwar

Indians usually boast around as the bearers of democratic norms and holders of civilian rule through regular holding of elections and observing rituals essentially required by an egalitarian state. The arrangements appear to be going well with the hegemonic designs of elite class or upper caste Hindus yearning to remain in power by clever use of majority vote in India. The “Shining India” slogan jingled through media campaigns and other costly Public Service Announcements (PSAs) also raise speculations about the ground realities in India where discrimination of low caste Hindus and non-Hindu communities is the common practice.

Democracy in India has not changed the status and destiny of untouchables and the MALLEECH. Although at the time of election upper class Hindus make promises with tall claims using voters as a tool to tread the power path. The low caste majority is virtually forced to participate in the electoral process. There are dire consequences for those who opt to vote for a losing candidate. Thus coercion through state authority is openly applied to punish the political opponents and their supporters. The process of electioneering is repeated every time the government completes its term but nothing changes the fate of low caste communities in India. The question arises as to why cannot democracy bring a change in Indian culture where people are treated as equals with similar rights to be citizens of India, having freedom of expression, rights to elect their own representatives, freedom of religious practices and other rights as envisaged in a democratic state? Does India employ coercive methods to hide her real face as a democratic state and cheats her own people by using them as the instruments of power by discriminating against them as untouchable and impervious? Indian social system has the answer.

Unfortunately Indian social system is based on the notion of purity and pollution in which upper class does not interact on equal terms with the low castes. Exchange of eatables is as prohibited among the upper and low caste communities as the marriages. One gets polluted by touching the untouchables, hence drinking or eating with low castes is completely prohibited. Resultantly social exchange activities carry subjective and double meanings as one is never sure to expect that common exchange of pleasantries and promises made by the stake holders will carry the same weight. Social order in India is hate driven and low caste communities irrespective of their claims to be Indians by birth, are despised as much as the outsiders are loathed and rejected. Such a democracy practically leads people to incapacitation and wheezing debilitation while India shines only for the elite class.

Reportedly United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) is taking into consideration to recognize caste-based discrimination as a human rights violation. This will certainly annoy India where low caste untouchable Hindus, Dalits, Muslims and Christians are habitually mal-treated on the basis of their castes. Nepal, where untouchability is traditionally practiced, has openly supported UNHRC draft principles and guidelines for effective elimination of caste based discrimination. This is radically different from India’s aversion to the internationalization of the caste problem. Adding to India’s discomfiture, Sweden in its capacity as the president of European Union (EU) has stated that caste-based discrimination is an important priority for EU. If the issue continues to gather momentum, UNHRC may in a future session adopt the draft principles and guidelines and send these for adoption to UN General Assembly. Though India succeeded in her efforts to keep caste out of the resolution adopted by the 2001 Durban conference on racism, yet the issue has emerged in a different guise. It will encourage other states to raise their voice against discrimination based on caste inequalities, exposing the real face of Indian democracy.

Source:
www.kashmirwatch.com

`Dalits continue to be excluded from opportunities'

Times of India

MANGALORE: A district-level workshop on Dalit rights that began here on Sunday has expressed concern over the post liberalization economic policies going against Dalits and the downtrodden communities of the country instead of making them partners in the development process.

Inaugurating the workshop, senior CPM leader K R Sriyan said though the role of the private sector has increased considerably in the economic activities after the country has adopted the liberalization, the Dalit communities continue to be excluded from the opportunities in the private sector. Domination of the opportunities by one section and exclusion of the other, would lead to social tensions in the days to come, he said.

According to him the capitalist and castiest forces have combined with each other for mutual benefits and the Sangh Parivar was a part of this set up. Though Sangh Parivar too speaks about Dalit upliftment, their policies like banning cow slaughter go against the interests of the Dalit as beef is the cheapest nutritious food available for the poor, he said.

Expressing concern over the long and sustained efforts by Dalit groups to distance the Dalit communities from leftist movements, he said no other movement other than the communist would address the problems of the Dalit community effectively.

Speaking on the occasion, CPM state secretary G N Nagaraj focused on the growth of Dalit movement in Karnataka. Despite strong Dalit movements, evil practices like untouchability continue to exist in several parts of the state, he said.

The Power of the Surname

By Santosh Desai,

The power of a surname is never more evident than in the case of the most famous surname in India. As if being Nehrus was not enough, Indira Priyadarshini's marriage to Feroze Gandhi, gave the family a surname unsurpassed in political import. The Nehru-Gandhi moniker conflates the two towering giants from India's freedom struggle, and showers an implicit legitimacy on the family. It is impossible to ascertain what role the surname plays in the tacit right that members of the family get conferred with to rule this country, but it is safe to say that it does play a significant if unconscious part.

And yet, just as some surnames radiate this mysterious power, in a more general sense, what value does this institution provide today? Everyone needs a name for the purposes of identification, but do all of us really need surnames in this day and age? It is easy to see why the institution was needed in earlier days, when society was organized on the basis of where one came from but what value does it have today when we are known not so much by our past but by our present?

The institution of the surname is a fascinating one for it exists as a form of social address, by virtue of which one is located in the social universe we inhabit. The name is who we are, the surname a sign of where we come from and what we are a part of. If the name is the house number, the surname is the name of the locality in which the house is situated. The surname tells us that we not alone, it reminds us of the fact that we are a part of a continuing chain of life and recalls that philosopher Alan Watts said about not coming into this world but out of it. In addition, depending on different customs, the surname provides others with clues about where we are placed in this world by way of occupation, our place of origin, the father's name and so on.

Today, in many parts of the world, the 'family name' has stopped conveying any meaningful information whatsoever. Does the name Smith in the US really tell us anything about the antecedents of the family? The utility of the surname was apparent at a time when clans grew beyond a certain size and a system of sub-classification was required. It helped anchor individuals in a larger collective and helped identify one's origins, which played a significant roles in key social institutions like employment and marriage. But now that the notion of a clan is no longer our primary mode of social organization, and given that the effective size of what we call 'family' has come down dramatically in a post nuclear family world, do we still need the surname?

Of course, in India, the surname continues to be quite useful in terms of the information it conveys. We can most often tell the caste and the origins of a person by his name and in some parts of India even identify the village he comes from. For all our current avowed aversion to the caste system, our primary identity continues to be driven by our caste names. And while there is a part of India where the surname is no longer used as a relevant piece of information and becomes an extended form of one's first name, there is a much larger part where the surname continues to act as the primary signifier of one's identity. The individual is part of the collective, a variation on a theme.

And while one could argue that the influence of the caste system will never wane till we attach family names to our own, it is worth noting that even in the West, the surname continues to be used in spite of its seeming redundancy. With the change in gender equations, we are seeing more complex surname architectures at work, with the rise in hyphenated surnames as more women retain their maiden names. Revealingly, we choose to live with this unwieldiness rather than question the institution of the surname in the first place.

The surname today gets used more as a device to erase the unique nature of an individual. We often summon people by the surname in places like a school, the military or an office. It somehow seems more appropriate to avoid the first name , for that signifies that one knows the individual personally. In these institutions, the individual is primarily a student, colleague or soldier rather than a unique human being. The surname becomes in this instance a counterpoint to the first name, and is used more as a mark of identification rather than uniqueness.

Perhaps for all the drive towards individualism, nothing terrifies us more than the idea that we are truly individual. To be alone in the world, to have come from nowhere and to leave behind nothing that we can put a name to is a thought of unbearable isolation. We need surnames because we need our past, not as a memory but something we live inside of. Our surname creates a little world into which we can snuggle up, however unconsciously. We need surnames because otherwise we would be nothing but individuals and that can be very lonely indeed.

http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Citycitybangbang/entry/the-power-of-the-surname

CENTRAL MADARSA BOARD, MUSLIMS AND GOVERNMENT

By ABDUL HANNAN

Once again, central government’s proposal on central Madarsa board has been rejected unanimously. Ulemas and various Muslim organizations expressed their great concern on government’s move to introduce central Madarsa board.

Muslim is only one nation in India which, since independence, is struggling for a place in the society. The history of modern India tells the story that despite the changes and the transformations of Indian societies from a place to another and escalated democratic values across the country and the glob is not appeared a good approach for Indian Muslims are being pressured in the garb of reformations and in the name of modernizations, to give up their historical, religious and social identities.

In modern India which starts since independence, Muslims generally and their religious places and institutions particularly, are on target by the Hindutva separatism organizations and its sympathizers, who are using all means to convert Muslims into Hinduism and by shutting their religious institutions, and Mosques, they are forcing to remove their religious identities from their daily lives.

Indian society can bee seen in two sections concerning Muslims. First section believes that Indian Muslims, who converted into Islam by sword and by might during Mughal rules on India, from nature, is Hindu. RSS and others, the sisters or puppets of this organization, are from 1st section. Such history is being taught to innocent Hindus in the shakhas are in lakhs. Their religious and political leaders and their volunteers, who are prepared particularly against Muslims, are working on the directions. Central governments, state governments, media, police, NGOs and educated class of the country, are aware of existing of such organizations and their hatred work. Which kind of action can be taken against them, is before every on of us. For weeks, Urdu newspapers and some English newspapers are highlighting and publishing the report that a new organization from right-wing of Hindutva has opened a new war against Darul Uloom Deoband in Utter Pradesh and this organization, every day, is trying to disturb communal harmony. Having been the information of such incident is taking place in Utter Pradesh, neither central government nor state government of UP nor English national media took it seriously. Moral and political support of secular powers and inability to work against them provided them platform to open a new war against prominent Muslim institution. In short words, this class wants from Muslims to concede what it seeks from them, means, shut their Madarsas, Mosques, give up their religious identity and join them.

Second section or second class is called seculars. Their work and their ton of talk with Muslims are democratically but their purpose also is same as first class thinks and does against Muslims. This second class which is secular wants to take action for Muslims upliftment. For this purpose, it wants to take some steps will help to remove poverty and illiteracy from Muslims. Sachar commission was also appointed to judge the condition of Muslims on various levels across the country in order to do something for them. It is unavoidable that this second class ignored Muslims and never placed Muslim’s demand. It talks of Muslim’s welfare, promises of implementing the recommendations of the commissions for a better future of Muslims and etc but the result is zero. It didn’t help to Muslims in any ways. In violence, in bomb attacks, in poverty and in illiteracy Muslim society is totally leaved behind by such secular forces. Batla house encounter, fake encounters in Gujarat, encounters of Muslims by Hindutva organizations in Gujarat, promise of reconstruction of Babri mosque in Ayodhya, justice to bomb blast victims are key issues of Muslims totally untouched by UPA government in its more than 5th year rules in center. Instead to solve the core issues of Muslims, and provide them all facilities for their rehabilitation in various fields, central government is introducing Madarsa board bill to capture Private Madarsas to shut Muslims’ religious identity from Muslim society. According Sachar committee report, only 3 or 4 percent Muslims go to Madarsas and 96% Muslims go to Universities and schools. These 96% Muslims need government help, institutions, facilities, and other helps to improve their educational level and able to get the admission in higher institutions, but government, instead giving them priority, trying to capture Private Madarsas, while these Private Madarsas are being run by Muslims not by the government. These Madarsas are epicenter of Muslims in their social and in their daily life. If government takes its control, the situation will goes worsen of Muslims religiously and historically. Indeed, secular forces also working on same direction which is selected by 1st section to snatch their historical and religious identities in India.

It is unbelievable that why Madarsas come under much attention by the central government when it goes to discus on education development in Muslim community, while schools and universities are the 1st choice of majority of Muslim parents as the survey of Sachar commission shows.

Muslim leaders should have to take lessen from past and ask the government that why it is forcing on a Madarsa board, although its 60 years denial towards Muslim increased poverty, illiteracy and unemployment in Muslim community in all over the country.

Can central government satisfies Muslims that proposed central Madarsa board will solve the issues are stand before them? Can government thrash Muslim’s fear that government’s Madarsa board is an effort to interfere in Muslim’s internal matter and such as the ways will be open for government to away Muslim generations from their Islamic and religious identity which is the demand of Hindutva groups. How Muslims believe on government’s honesty in increasing the reformations in educational field with bringing a Madarsa board which will revive Madarsa’s syllabus time to time which will give a chance to Hindutva sympathizers to change their syllabus? Can government clear its intention behind Madarsa board while lakhs of so-called religious Shakhas of Hindutva organizations are given free hand to teach what they want and build which kind of Shakhas they want to build in anywhere of the country?

If government is interested and has committed to change the condition of Indian Muslims, so it should have to come to Muslim’s areas and see from their own eyes the requirements of Muslims. Development in Muslim’s areas, financial help to minorities’ students and to poor Muslim families for higher education of their children, road construction and smooth electricity and water supply in Muslim dominated localities are the work of the governments which totally failed to address it.

Instead to address the issues are great factor of Muslims downfall in India, central government’s interest to waste its all energies on those who are just represents of 2% of their community, with ignoring 96% of the community will not help to the community and with that Muslim’s downfall can’t be stopped.

We will oppose of any move of government to take over Private Madarsas in its hand, if government has interest on Muslim’s upliftment it should have to cover all roots and fix all weaken points in Muslim community, and wide their working range, provide them justice, reservations, scholarships establish modern institutions, open medical colleges, and begin the construction in Muslim localities, but without taking significant steps, if it tried to take over these Madarsas, Muslims till their last drop of blood will oppose such move.

Over 600 Chinese nationals working in Saudi embrace Islam

Riyadh: Over 600 Chinese nationals working on the Haramain Rail project have embraced Islam in a recent ceremony in Makkah. They are workers of the Chinese Railway Company, which won the multibillion contract for implementing the 450km rail road linking the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah via Jeddah and Rabigh.

Dr. Abdul Aziz Al Khudhairi, undersecretary at the Makkah Governorate, said that this year’s celebration of the Kingdom’s National Day coincides with a number of auspicious and historic occasions.

These included launching of the prestigious international research university - King Abdullah University for Science & Technology (KAUST), celebration of Eid Al Fitr and a recent ceremony of Chinese workers pronouncing their Shahada.

Dr. Abdul Aziz, who witnessed the event, described it as a “direct response to critics of the government for contracting Chinese company.”

Among the converts, there are 70 workers who are engaged in the construction of Makkah monorail project, which links the holy city with the holy sites of Mina, Muzdalifa and Arafat.

“Their conversion took place 24 hours after getting books introducing Islam in Chinese language at their worksite at Arafat, which is outside the Haram area,” he said adding that the credit goes to the Office of the Call and Guidance for Expatriates in Makkah.

Efforts are underway to spread the message of Islam among some 5,000 Chinese nationals working on the Haramain train,” he said adding that the major problem for the Call and Guidance Office is the lack of enough books on Islam in Chinese language.

It is noteworthy that the first phase of Haramain Rail consisting of 70km has well been started a few months ago. This represents expropriation of land, filling works, construction of bridges and tracks. The project is expected to be operational in 2012.

Minority scholarships: Deadline gone, 19 states yet to send lists to centre

By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,

New Delhi: How government machinery in India, irrespective of political parties that are at the helm of affair in the Centre or states, is shamelessly lethargic in implementing minority welfare programs is evident from centrally-run mega scholarship schemes meant for minority students and so running much behind schedule.

August 30 was the last date for states to send their list of candidates to the Central Government for scholarship schemes – pre-matric, post-matric and merit-cum-means – for the year 2009-2010 but, according to the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs which is running the schemes, by September 30 majority of 35 states/Union Territories could not send the list.





19 states which could not send their list of recommended candidates for pre-matric scholarships include Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka (ruled by BJP) and Delhi, Haryana and Jammu & Kashmir (ruled by Congress). The list also includes states that are run by regional political parties like Orissa (ruled by Biju Janata Dal). Rest of 19 states include Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Tripura and Uttarakhand. The list brings home another important point: systemic and structural apathy towards minorities is a pan-India phenomenon.

Some states failed to send in time the list of candidates for pre-matric scholarships but they did not repeat the mistake for other two schemes. In this category are Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Tripura and Uttarakhand. But some failed in both pre-matric and post-matric schemes. They are Delhi (run by Congress and where a Muslim-dominated district is in the list of 90 minority-concentration districts) and Punjab.

The worst performers (those who could not send their list for any of the three mega scholarship schemes) are Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Nagaland, Orissa, Chandigarh, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu and Lakshadweep.

States that didn’t send list of candidates to centre

Pre-matric
Post-matric

Arunachal Pradesh
4180
1330

Goa
5390
1715

Jammu & Kashmir
82830
26355

Jharkhand
57090
18165

Madhya Pradesh
50820
16170

Nagaland
21230
6755

Orissa
19690
6265

Chandigarh
2200
700

Dadra &Nagar
Haveli
220
70

Daman & Diu
220
70

Lakshadweep
660
210


The top performers (the states which sent in time lists of candidates for all three scholarship schemes and funds have been sanctioned to them) are just three: Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.

There are some other states which probably sent all three lists a little late and so their cases are still under process at the Union Minority Affairs Ministry. They are Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra3, Meghalaya, Rajasthan, Sikkim and Uttar Pradesh.

For the year 2009-2010 the Central Government had fixed a target of total 30 lakh scholarships under these three schemes, of which 22 lakh were for pre-matric students while 7 lakh for post-matric students. Under merit-cum-means scheme 12230 scholarships are to be distributed.

Link:

http://minorityaffairs.gov.in/newsite/schemes/schemes.asp

SDPI vows to become a pan-India political party

By Shafee Ahmed Ko, TwoCircles.net,

New Delhi: Newly-launched Social Democratic Party of India has again vowed to become a national party as it is taking all sections of the society in its fold and has already set up its branches in 10 states.

High on the agenda of SDPI are national integration, religious harmony, alleviation of poverty, welfare and development of the underprivileged, protection of dalits and tribals’ well being, establishment of civil rights, socialism and democracy, said K.K. Mohammad Dehlan Baqavi, Tamil Nadu president of SDPI. He was addressing a press conference today at Press Club in Chennai.




SDPI has already set up its branch in 10 states and expects nearly 1000 branches to be established in a short while.

Among the Tamil Nadu office bearers of the party who attended the meet included Bilal Hajiar, state Vice President, Mohamed Hussain, Chennai District President, Haji S.A Ameer, Chennai District General Secretary, Z.M Thahir, Secretary, M M K Jamaal, S. Mohamed Mubarak, General Secretaries, and SM Rafiq Ahamed, Treasurer.

Two former chief ministers flay Modi

By IANS,

Gandhinagar: Within a day of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi completing a record eight years in office, two former chief ministers of the state, Shankersinh Vaghela and Suresh Mehta, came together to take up cudgels against his government.

Addressing mediapersons in Ahmedabad Thursday, the two announced the formation of a citizens front aimed at "articulating the problems of the large mass of suppressed government employees who have been rendered speechless by a repressive government".

"The Prabuddh Nagrik Shakti Manch is a non-political citizens forum which has been formed in response to an overwhelming demand for justice from sections of the government's own employees," said Mehta.

"The gross mismanagement, repressive and wasteful ways of the present establishment needs to be exposed, and following representations in this regard we have decided to take up these problems," said Congress leader and former union textiles minister Shankersinh Vaghela.

The two pointed out that the plight of teachers, who were the worst exploited in the present regime, would be the first issue that the manch proposed to take up.

Mehta said there were major disparities in the salaries and facilities given to a large mass of teachers who had been recruited as 'vidya sahayaks' and were being paid a mere Rs.2,500 to Rs.3,500 per month as against the Rs.15,000 to Rs.20,000 wages of regular teachers.

"The ad hoc teachers were additionally being utilized to perform 14 other administrative tasks by the manpower-short local administration leaving them little time to devote to their primary work of teaching children. This grave administrative anomaly bordering on exploitation, which was causing social tension besides unrest in the ranks of the employees, would be the first issue that we propose to take up," said Mehta.

There is considerable discontent prevailing among the adhoc employees who have been recruited on a large scale during Modi's rule.

Elections to the key municipal corporations of Gujarat-Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Rajkot, Surat, Jamnagar and Bhavnagar are slated to be held next year, followed by those to other local self government bodies.

The Manch, according to political analysts, is intended to dent the urban vote bank of Modi in a bid to set the tone for elections to other local self government bodies to follow.

While Shankersinh Vaghela suffered a setback after he was defeated in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, he had contested from Godhra, Mehta quit the BJP in the run up to the last Vidhan Sabha elections in the state.

The Struggle of Dalit Muslims and Dalit Christians for scheduled caste status

By Franklin Caesar Thomas

For announcing the Constitution Scheduled Castes Order 1950, paragraph 3 as ultra virus and ultra motive against the secularism of our esteemed Indian constitution, Centre for Public Interest Litigation ( Represented by former Law Minister of India and eminent Advocate Mr. Shanthi Bhushan and Advocate Mr. Prashant Bhushan ) and Franklin Caesar Thomas had collectively filed the civil writ petition in the supreme court of India on 22.03.2004. This petition was filed by CPIL for getting the Scheduled Castes status to convert Christian, Muslim members of the enumerated castes people of India.

Concerned with the above said civil writ petition: 180, year 2004, Union of India had referred this matter to National Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities. NCRLM had positively recommended to Union of India for granting Scheduled Castes status to the above said people by deleting the paragraph 3 ( as per the media report ). After agreeing in the Supreme Court, based up on the NCRLM Report, Ministry of Social Justice had asked the National Commission for Scheduled Castes to give comment regarding the extension of Scheduled Castes privileges to these people by giving one set of the NCRLM report to the National Commission for Scheduled Castes.

By accepting the Social, educational, economical and cultural backwardness of the Christians and Muslims of the Scheduled Castes origin people, Scheduled Castes Commission had asked the Union of India for granting them the Scheduled Castes status. As per the constitutional power of the Indian Constitution Article 338, sub division 9, National Commission for Scheduled Castes had accepted and recommended to grant Scheduled Castes status to these people.

As per the above said recommendation, the above said Dalit Muslim and Dalit Chirtian people are facing and affected by the traditional practice of untouchability in the major civil society and in their religious society.

As per the revised modalities of the Union of India for getting Scheduled Castes status to a particular communities, state Governments should recommend to Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. Then Census Commissioner and the Registrar General of India should give recommendations for these communities to be treated as Scheduled Castes. Then finally, National Scheduled Castes Commission for Scheduled Castes should give positive recommendation regarding the proposal. Then the Group of Ministers or the Cabinet should pass resolution to bring bill in Parliament.

In our issue, up to this time twelve state Governments and Union Territories had recommended to Union of India for granting the SC status to these people ( In the year 2000, Bihar State Assembly had passed resolution for granting SC status to Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims; in the year 2006 Uttar Pradesh State Assembly had passed resolution in the state assembly for granting the SC status to Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims, in the year 2009, Andra Pradesh state Government had passed resolution in its assembly for granting the SC status to Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims . With out referring the matter to the Registrar General of India, directly Union of India had asked the National Commission for Scheduled Castes to give comments, as per the Government's desire, NCSC had asked the Union of India to grant SC status to these people. Scheduled Castes Commission's entire recommendation was submitted in the Apex Court of India by the Additional Solicitor of India concerned with the above said Civil Writ petition No: 180, year 2004. On 23.01.2008, the Additional Solicitor General of India had asked the Apex Court to grant eight weeks time to take a decision in the Cabinet, Group of Ministers meeting for bringing reply to the Apex Court of India. But still Union of India did not file any reply in the Supreme Court of India as per their Commitment.

With out proper evidences, materials, Union of India had granted Scheduled Castes status to Dalit Sikhs and Dalit Buddhist. If question is raised for granting the Scheduled Castes status to Dalit Buddhist and Dalit Sikhs, it is told that Sikhism and the Buddhism are the off shoot of Hinduism. If it was so, in the year 1950 itself these people would have been treated as Scheduled Castes, why did the Union of India separately added Sikhism in the year 1956 and the Buddhism in the year 1990, particularly in the Presidential Order 1950, paragraph 3.

As per the National Commission of Minorities Act 1993, Buddhism and Sikhism are the seperate religions from Hinduism. When the Sikhism and Buddhism do not recognize the untouchability and casteism, they had been given the Scheduled Castes status.

For proving the social, educational, economical and cultural backwardness of Dalit Christians par with Dalit Hindus, Union of India is having the Mandal Commission's Recommendation, NCRLM Recommendation, National Commission for Minorities Recommendation, National Commission for Scheduled Castes recommendation, Detailed study done by Delhi University's Professor Dr. Satish Despande ( Financed by Union of India's National Commission for Minorities ), Sachar Committee ( High Power Committee of the Prime Minister of India ) Recommendations regarding the extension of Scheduled Castes privileges to Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims, Cabinet Note of the Year 1996 for granting the Scheduled Castes status to Christians of Scheduled Castes Origin and various state Governments' state commission recommendations. The above said Commission Reports prove the traditional practice of untouchability which are faced by Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims in the civil society and in their religious society par with Hindu Scheduled Castes. Untouchability is a professional oriented discrimination in the society.

We do not want reservation to the elite people among Christians and Muslims. But we want the Scheduled Castes reservation to the people whose castes names are there in the Schedule of the Union of India who are socially, educationally, economically and culturally backward par with Dalit Hindus. The only stumbling block, paragraph three of the Constitution Scheduled Castes Order 1950 should be deleted or amended to take the religious ban ( by bringing bill in Parliament ) Or it should be striked by the Apex Court of India as unconstitutional one.

United Nations Human Rights Council’s Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination had strongly recommended to Union of India in the year 2007, March for granting the Scheduled Castes status to these people. United Nations Socio Economic Council and the Special Rapporteur on Religious Tolerance of U N Human Rights Council had stressed the Union of India for granting the Scheduled Castes status to Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims based up on violation of Human Rights basis.

Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims are not living in their worshipping places, but they dwell in the society where casteism prevails. Upper strata of the Christian, Muslim and Hindu high castes people are treating these people as untouchables, so Scheduled Castes reservation should be extended to these people forthwith.

We are pleased to request Union of India to file reply in the Apex Court of India as soon as possible based up on the above said Union of India's own documents.

(Franklin Caesar Thomas could be contacted at franklincaesar@rediffmail.com)

RSS and Minorities

By Ram Puniyani

The new RSS Sarsanghchalak, Mr. Mohan Bhagawat told Minorities (Sept 20, 2009) that they should join RSS and see that ‘our intentions are clear and our behavior is good’. As per him all Muslims in India were Hindus in the past. They have only changed their way of worship, and if they accept this fact there will be no clashes. He told Christians that they should not convert people, as that creates communal violence.

Mr. Bhagwat is partly correct in saying that Muslims have Hindu ancestry. Islam spread in India, by various ways, major being the attempt of Shudras to escape the tyranny of Landlord Brahmin, to quote Swami Vivekananda, "Why amongst the poor of India so many are Mohammedans? It is nonsense to say that they were converted by the sword. It was to gain liberty from Zamindars and Priests..." (Collected Works-Vol 8-Page330). These conversions took place as dalits were not permitted to enter temples so they were visiting the shrines of Sufi saints and under the influence of the Humanistic aspect of Islam they took to Islam. There were other reasons like, anticipation of reward, interaction with Muslims, the least important factor being fear of Muslim kings. So he is partly right that most Muslims have local ancestry.

But is the change of religion mere change of mode of worship or is it a total change in religious belief system? We do recognize that syncretic traditions of Hinduism and Islam have drawn a lot from each other. But as far as Holy book, belief in one God, Allah, belief in Mohammad as the prophet, this is not just a change in mode of worship, it is much broader than that.

So, are there clashes because Muslims deny their ancestry, and culture. By no means! As far as culture is concerned for the extremist elements, for the clergy and for those using religion for politics, the culture is just a subset of elitist version of their religion. For average people culture is a broad category, it is affected by regional factors and by some aspects of religion. A large population of Muslims and Hindus both regarded culture as a meeting and mixing point, while elite traditions look down upon the culture of the ‘other’. In India Muslims and Hindus did live in peace, creating different facets of culture, Music, Poetry, clothes and food habits, architecture and religious traditions. We see Ustad Bismillah Khan creating his wonderful work, devoted to Hindu gods and goddesses while sitting on the pavements of Kashi temples, we see Rahim and Raskhan writing beautiful poetry in devotion of Lord Krishna, we see people taking to jalebi, Biryani and other food items coming from Iran and other places from where Muslims came. We also see the intermixing in the customs, festivals. To delineate a Hindu and Muslim component of our culture was difficult at a point of time. We have the lovely tradition of people from both religions following the teachings of Ramdeo Baba Pir and Satya Pir. We have that great Saint Kabir who was loved by both Muslim and Hindus.

The problem begins with the communal historiography, looking at History through the prism of religion, introduced by British to pursue the policy of divide and rule. This version was picked up by the communal streams of Muslim League and Hindu Mahasabha-RSS, and aided in the communalization of society and rise of communal violence, more so from the decade of 1940s. To think that clashes are there because Muslims deny their common ancestry is wrong. Also Islam is a religion with its own spirituality and to reduce any religion to just a mode of worship is not correct. In post Independence India the clashes were brewed by this communal thinking, by political motivations not because of religions. Those who deny that Sufis are a part of Indian culture, or Urdu is and Indian language or that the contributions of Muslim Kings, poets, artisans, are the one’s who have created divisiveness leading to clashes. Those who deny that Bhakti tradition was part of tradition which was respected by a section of Muslims, or that celebrating Holi, Divali or Muharram and Id is part of Indian culture are the cause of the political thinking which leads to clashes.

Coming to Christians, it is not they came here with the British. Christian community in India is over 1500 years old. While their may be some aggressive proselytizers, mainly the conversions take place because of social interaction and genuine charity work. If conversions were a forced phenomenon, how to explain that there are merely 2.30% Christians in India toady? How do we explain that during last four decades the all India percentage of Christians has fallen down, 1971-2.60%, 1981-2.44%, 1991-2.34% and 2001-2.30%? One concedes that some dalits taking to Christianity may not be getting registered as Christians to keep availing the job reservations, but surely this cannot tilt the population percentage to a very great extent.

Wadhva Commission, which investigated the burning of Pastor Graham Stains by Bajrang Dal’s Dara Sing and is facing the jail term for that, concluded that Pastor Stains was not involved in any work of conversions and that the percentage of Christians in Keonjhar of Manoharpur district in Orissa, did not go up. Even recently the anti Christian violence was launched on the pretext of murder of Swami Laxmananand. It was a clear pretext to scare the Christian missionaries away from the Adivasi areas, where they are involved in the work of education and health care of Adivasis, something which empowers Adivasis. It was a clear pretext as Maoists had owned the murder of Swami.

Most of the organizations at the core of communal politics are manned on one side by Muslim Communalists and on the other by the RSS trained swayamsevaks working and controlling BJP, VHP, Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram or Bajrang Dal. Minorities want a safety, and freedom to follow their own religion. Indian Constitution does give us the liberty to practice and preach our own religion. Also RSS is not the representative of Hindus at large. We have diverse traditions of Hinduism ranging from the one of Gandhi to the other ones which are like those of Bajrang dal etc.

RSS has tried to co-opt and win over sections of minorities for enhancing its agenda. RSS progeny BJP keeps doing it, trying to win minorities, so often for electoral purpose. But over all the minorities have experienced at heavy cost of loosing lives, that RSS is like a wolf trying to put on sheep’s clothing. It is unlikely that after what has been done by its pracharks, Swayamsevaks through its progeny, Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram, Bajrang Dal and vishwa Hindu Parsishad etc. that minorities can ever be fooled by the language being used by Mr. Bhagwat. By now it is also well known that the second Sarsanghchalak of RSS, M. S. Golwalkar had ordained that minorities “the non-Hindu people in Hindustan must either adopt the Hindu culture and language, must learn to respect and revere Hindu religion, must entertain no idea but the glorification of Hindu nation i.e. they must not only give up their attitude of intolerance and ingratitude towards this land and its age old traditions, but must also cultivate the positive attitude of love and devotion instead; in one word, they must cease to be foreigners or may stay in this country wholly subordinated to the Hindu Nation claiming nothing, deserving no privileges far less any preferential treatment, not even citizen’s rights.(We or our Nationhood Defined, 1938, p. 27)

RSS is no representative of Hindus. It stands for values which are opposed to the human rights of weaker sections of society, Dalits, workers, adivasis, women and minorities. It stands for values of birth based hierarchy of caste and gender as ordained in Manu Smriti. Its primary goal is to establish Hindu nation, i.e. nation with primacy of Hindu elite men, rather than the nation envisaged by the Indian people during the freedom movement, the values which are an amalgam of the principles of Bhagat Singh, Ambedkar and Gandhi. One wishes RSS rather than deceiving others, learns the lessons of freedom movement and makes Gandhi’s Hinduism as its base rather than pursuing Godse’s Hinduism. One knows this is a practical impossibility as RSS is the organization of those who are not elected beings; they are self-appointed guardians of Brahmanical Hinduism, who neither represent Hindus nor the Humanistic aspects of Hinduism. Let’s wish RSS clan can be retrained to think as Indians rather than just as Hindus with Brahmanical values!

(By Ram Puniyani could be contacted on ram.puniyani@gmail.com)

Egypt Students Decry Niqab Restrictions

CAIRO — Students in government-run higher educational institutions are decrying restrictions on the wearing of face-veils in the Muslim-majority Arab country.

"I don't understand their point of view," Heba, a Cairo University student, told Agence France Presse (AFP) on Tuesday, October 6, after being denied access to the university’s girls hostel for wearing the niqab.

She insisted that the restrictions, which are not yet declared as an official ban, are justifiable.

"If it's for security, we can lift the niqab for security and show them our IDs."

Outside one the university's female residences, students said they had been stopped at the gates when they tried to enter wearing face veils.

Some have written an official complaint and planned to lodge it with the university authorities.

"From a security standpoint, the niqabs weren't a problem for us," a security guard who has been ordered to bar women from entering the residence wearing a niqab told AFP on condition of anonymity.

"They would show their faces when asked. I was surprised by the decision," he added.

"If you want reasons, ask the education ministry."

But an Education Ministry spokesman insisted there was no such ban.

“There is absolutely no ban against students wearing the niqab," Adli Reda told AFP.

He said the orders were to have the students show their faces when asked for identification.

Concerns

But Hossam Bahgat, of the rights watchdog the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, said he had received complaints from students banned from entering Cairo University residences because they were wearing the niqab.

Analysts believe that the government’s stance on niqab is not simply based on security concerns.

"There is a secular trend in government, and the niqab is against that," Diaa Rashwan, a leading expert on political Islam in the Ahram Centre for Political and Strategic Studies, a local think tank, told AFP.

Most Muslim women in Egypt wear the hijab, which is an obligatory code of dress in Islam, but an increase in women putting on the niqab has apparently alarmed the government.

The ministry of religious endowments has recently distributed booklets in mosques against the practice while the health ministry reportedly wants to ban doctors and nurses from wearing it.

"There are (also) government concerns about Salafism," Rashwan notes.

Salafis put the emphasis on spreading the puritan creed of emulating the practices and beliefs of early Muslims.

They are reportedly gaining more grounds in many Muslim countries, particularly Egypt, and have major theological differences with Al-Azhar, the highest seat of religious learning in the Sunni world.

"Al-Azhar has always had a cautious dislike towards other trends that challenge its legitimacy," Rashwan said.

Al-Azhar, like the majority of Muslim scholars, says a woman is not obliged to cover her face or hands while Salafis insist she must.

Sheikh Mohamed Sayyed Tantawi, Egypt’s top religious authority, earlier this week vowed to ban niqab in all schools affiliated to Al-Azhar.

Egypt Students Decry Niqab Restrictions - IslamOnline.net - News

Imam Anwar Awlaki: Could Yemen be the Next Suprise of the Season?

The jihad movement around the world has witnessed a surprising growth during the past few years. After 9-11 America had succeeded in pulling together an international coalition in order to fight the mujahedeen. It invaded Afghanistan and Iraq, put pressure on governments around the world to throw anyone with association with Jihad behind bars and to stop the flow of money into Jihad movements. All over the world the mujahedeen have suffered an international effort under the leadership of America to bring an end to Jihad. But Eight years later the mujahedeen are wining on every front and are expanding into new ones. It appeared difficult back then to imagine that the world would be the way it is today just 8 years after 9-11.

That is because Rasulullah(saaws) said: “A group of my ummah will continue fighting in the path of Allah and they will not be harmed by those who are against them.”

The American people gave G.W. Bush unanimous backing to fight against the mujahedeen and gave him a blank check to spend as much as needed to fulfill that objective. The result? He failed, and he failed miserably. So if America failed to defeat the mujahedeen when it gave its president unlimited support, how can it win with Obama who is on a short leash? If America failed to win when it was at its pinnacle of economic strength, how can it win today with a recession – if not a depression- at hand?

The simple answer is: America cannot and will not win. The tables have turned and there is no rolling back of the worldwide Jihad movement. The ideas of Jihad are proliferating around the world, the mujahedeen movements are gaining strength and the battlefields are expanding with the mujahedeen introducing new fronts.

In Afghanistan the rural areas are mostly under the control of the Taliban and there is a steady improvement in the growth and strength of the mujahedeen. In Iraq even though the US claims an improvement in the security situation but one needs to ask the question at what cost is that achieved? The amount of money America is spending on Iraq with a recession at hand is unattainable.

The Jihad of this era started in Palestine, followed by Afghanistan, then Chechnya, then Iraq, then Somalia, then the Maghreb, and the new front might very well turn out to be Yemen.

And when this new front of Jihad starts in Yemen it might become the single most important front of Jihad in the world.

Why? First, the Arabian Peninsula has always been a land of mujahedeen even though there has been no fighting occurring on its soil. In Afghanistan, Bosnia, Chechnya, and Iraq the participation of mujahedeen from the Arabian Peninsula represented the largest block of foreign mujahedeen. When Jihad starts in the Arabian Peninsula, Jihad would be coming back to its home.

Second, he Arabian Peninsula is home to Makkah and Madinah. To free the Holy places from the rule of apostasy and tyranny is to free the heart of Islam.

Third, the rulers in the Arabian Peninsula are playing a central role in the fight against Islam especially the al Saud family. The al Saud of today are the Abdullah bin Ubay of yesterday. They have perfected the art of hypocrisy.

They fight Islam in the name of Islam. They wear cloaks of sheep on hearts of wolfs. There cannot be Islamic rule and a return to khilafah without removing them from existence and this is the responsibility of the mujahedeen of the Arabian Peninsula.

America and its allies in the area are plotting against the mujahedeen, nevertheless their growth increases by the day. May Allah grant the true believers victory and grant them steadfastness on His path.

Their intention is to extinguish the light of Allah with their mouths, but Allah will complete His light even thought the disbelievers may detest it. (al Saff 61)

http://www.anwar-alawlaki.com/

Badruddin Ajmal writes to HRD Ministry on Central Madrasa Board

By TwoCircles.net News Desk ,

New Delhi: Maulana Badruddin Ajmal, Member of Lok Sabha from Dhubri (Assam) and president, Assam United Democratic Front, has urged the Congress-led UPA Government to think first for the 96% schoolgoing children of Muslim community who do not attend any madrasa (according to Sachar report only 4% of Muslim children study at madrasa). The MP has also suggested the government to first experiement the proposed Central Madrasa Board for government-aided madrasas running under government madrasa boards in some states.

In a letter to Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal, Ajmal said madrasas in India have been independent for last couple of centuries, and so any move by government to control and monitor them will not go down easily with the community and madrasa authorities.

Strengthening his point that the community will not accept the central government initiative, Ajmal wrote: It is notable that all leading non-governmental madrasas like – Darul Uloom Deoband and Nadwatul Ulama Lucknow, religious organizations like – Jamait Ulama-I Hind and All India Ulama Council and a majority of Muslim religious leaders have already rejected the proposed CMB before this fresh move by your esteemed ministry.

“The Muslim community leaders have rejected the proposal as they fear this will allow unnecessary government interference in the madrasa system. Moreover, we do have government aided madrasa boards in at least 10 states of our country where madrasas are affiliated and aided by the state governments. At present the conditions of these government aided madrasas – education, infrastructure and staff salary – are far worse than those non-aided madrasas. Especially the theological aspects of these govt.-aided madrasas are very apathetic. In addition to this I am frequent to face arguments during intra-community meetings such as ‘If the government is really concerned about the educational welfare of the Muslims, then it should give proportionate reservation to Muslim students in all central universities’. Some even put straight questions like “Why is the government not setting up schools, colleges, medical colleges and ITIs in the Muslim dominated areas if it is really open for the educational development of the Muslim in the country?" There can be counter arguments too but to me it is still not the time for a Central Madrasa Board for non-aided non-governmental (quami) madarasas in our country.”

In the letter he has put five suggestions before the government:
1)The HRD ministry should pay urgent attention towards the out of school Muslim children before everything else. I strongly believe that if the present UPA government can manage to bring the percentage of out of school Muslim children down from 7.67% to even 4 % in this five year tenure, it will be a delighted gift for both the community and the nation.

2)The ministry should first resolve to make the proposed CMB for government aided madrasas for a targeted time period, bring them under one umbrella as in Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and facilitate equally standard education for madrasas in all states to set an example against government aided madrasas’ negative reputation.

3)There are thousands of primary and pre-primary schools run by Muslims NGOs or local bodies of masjids across the country and most of them are following syllabus proscribed by the state governments in addition to maktab (elementary Islamic) education. These schools be adopted first by the state government under the SSA or by the central government under the UEE and then manage standard primary education through government aid. It will avail a solid educational foundation for all Muslim children and will make an opportune to the next general secondary standard madrasa students to pursue their advanced education either with government aided institutes or with non-government aided ones – madrasas. Generally they will prefer the former owing to the future prospects of their carrier.

4)According to Muslim NGOs only 1.5% Muslim children are completing madrasa education nationwide and ulama argue that this small number is even not enough to fulfill the religious need of the community alone. I think government should effectively plan for 98.5% Muslim children and rest will be automatically updated to match with the community demands.

5)The government should avoid direct involvement in the functioning of independent madrasas by all means until a successful and transparent experiment has been done with aided madrasa board. On the other hand an NGO- Government partnership project aiming at the targets set by the proposed CMB can be initiated without further delay. These partner NGOs will work as bridge between madrasas and government and will amicably be able to implement mutually accepted and desired changes or development in both curriculum and methodology of madrasa education system. Which will gradually be taken by the Central Madrasa Board and the NGOs will be replaced by the CMB members in later stage.
http://twocircles.net/2009oct05/badruddin_ajmal_writes_hrd_ministry_central_madrasa_board.html

Corruption rampant in NREGA in Assam Cong Govt: AIUDF

By TwoCircles.net News Desk,

New Delhi: Thanks to systemic corruption and lack of transparency on the part of state Congress government NREGA officials have made NREGA a major source of corruption in Assam, alleged All India United Democratic Front of Maulana Badruddin Ajmal, Lok Sabha Member from Dhubri in Assam and AIUDF chief.

The allegation was made by AIUDF General Secretary and party spokesman Dr Baharul Islam at a consultative meeting held in the Ministry of Rural Development today.





DR. C.P. Joshi, Minister for Rural Development invited representatives of the state political parties today to evolve suitable strategies for more effective implementation of NREGA. The minister sought cooperation of all political parties towards achieving the ultimate objectives and goals of NREGA.

In Phase-I, 200 identified districts were covered under NREGA. Additional 130 districts were covered in Phase-II in 2007-08. The entire rural areas of the country have been covered from April 2008. According to the ministry, out of the total expenditure of Rs.64,363 crore, an amount of Rs.43,875 crore i.e. 68% has been spent on wages. 7.56 crore institutional accounts of workers have been opened encouraging savings among the poor.

Dr Baharul Islam presented before the minister a list of more than 20 formal complaints filed by various people on corruption in NREGA in Assam and which are available on the ministry’s website. But, none of the complaint has been responded to by the state government as per the ministry’s website. During the meeting he presented a few major cases of corruption that were highlighted in the local media. He said that “the systemic corruption that engulfs the state today at all levels has also infected the implementation of the NREGA. Court cases in places like Karimganj and Barpeta have also showed that how officials have bypassed the Panchayati Raj institutions which were intended to play an important role in planning and executing this flagship programme to respond to the local needs of the people.” Specially, the issue of fake job cards, job cards deposited in the custody of implementing officials or political party middlemen, delayed payment are being used for nefarious purpose of minting money illegally, he alleged.

Dr Baharul Islam further referred to the recent study done by Rajya Sabha MP and former Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, Bimal Jalan, that highlighted that the official estimates of wages realized by workers are in fact inflated because the actual wages received by workers were much less than what is shown in the official documents. Cases of corruption, fudging in muster rolls, discrepancies in work days and payments have been reported in almost all studies, the study said. “Fraudulent payments and anomalies such as extraction of money have also been reported in (wage) payments through (bank, post-office and other) accounts. States including Assam, in fact, saw reduction in employment generation under NREGA as compared to SGRY,” the study found.

The Rural Minister assured AIUDF that some corrective steps will be taken by the Ministry to stop corruption in NREGA implementation in Assam and there will be a group of prominent persons who will visit NREGA works and submit reports to the Ministry for necessary action.

The meeting was attended by various other political party leaders like Sri Ajit Sing (ALD), Babulal Marandi (JVM), Sri TM Basheer (KULML) besides the Minister of state Pradeep Jain and other senior Ministry officials.

[Photo: milligazette.com]
http://twocircles.net/2009oct06/corruption_rampant_nrega_assam_cong_govt_aiudf.html

Photos of deities should be disallowed even in govt offices

Editorial in The Canara Times (Mangalore)

(23 September 2009)

Karnataka Chief Justice Dinakeran’s order banning photos of deities and performing of religious rituals in court premises, has come to light two months later. People who believe in secular ideologies would welcome this decision. In fact the government which should be secular and above religious affiliations and which should consider all citizens equal irrespective of their religious affiliations, should have issued such an order banning religious symbols or rituals in all government offices including courts and also public places and should have taken steps to ensure the rule was strictly adhered to. But ever since independence no government has taken any step in this direction. As per constitution India is a secular nation. This being the case, any symbol depicting the superiority of any religion or any ritual should have been naturally banned in government offices, courts, and educational institutions where people of all faiths converge and which runs with taxpayers’ money. This is the underlying need of the secular system which we have accepted and are practicing. We do not know to what extent Justice Dinakeran’s order has been implemented in courts. The Chief Justice should have brought government offices and schools and colleges too within the purview of this order. The public should send their views on this to Justice Dinakeran.
There is no hope that the present BJP government which came to power on the basis of religious sentiment would issue such a circular. In this backdrop, the Union Government should issue suitable instructions to all state governments and take steps to ensure that the rule was strictly adhered to within the next one month.
The governments which have used religions only for their vote bank politics, backtracking to adhere to secular ideologies is not in accordance to the needs to the time. The BJP government’s action of announcing hundreds of crores of grants for different mutts during the past one year period, is not just an act of drilling a hole into the state treasury, but also non-secular. It is nothing but gross misuse of valuable resources which otherwise ought to have been used for public welfare.
Even political leaders who come to power with the help of the votes of people belonging to all faiths, participating in religious functions is as good as tying the horse behind the cart. We cannot say that only BJP men are deeply religious. There are such people in all parties. Just try to recollect as to the number of homas and havanas in which the Cognress and JD(S) CMs and ministers have openly participated.
It is not suffice if the system is secular. We can say we are living in a secular system only when people who control the system (Including leaders and bureaucrats) are secular in the true sense.

Bulgaria’s Islamic Party Stirs Debate

Hany Salah, IOL Correspondent
CAIRO – The formation of an Islamic party is sparking a heated debate in Bulgaria within the Muslim community and the official establishment, amid fears of straining ethnic cohesion in the south-eastern European country.

“I do not think the formation of this party serves Bulgaria’s Muslims,” Arif Abdullah, former chairman of the Islamic Union for Development and Culture, told IslamOnline.net over the phone from Sofia.

“This is a hasty and uncalculated step.”

The Muslim Democratic Union was formed in the northern village of Slavyanovo on September 29 and Ali Yuzeirov was elected its chair.

The party, which is yet to be registered, was founded through 680 written declarations.

The news drew cautious reactions from the official establishment.

“The creation of a similar formation undoubtedly causes tension,” warned President Georgi Parvanov.

“I think the response of the public institutions was adequate.”

But the founders are defending their actions.

“The party respects the moral values which all faiths promote, including Islam,” Yuzeirov told IOL.

He said the name of the party does not mean it would be Islamic in its regulations and bylaws.

“It will be just like the registered Christian Democratic Party which respects Christian values. Our party would similarly respect Islamic values.”

Yuzeirov asserts that the party’s membership would be open to all Bulgarians.

“Every one, either Muslim or non-Muslim, can join as long as they adhere to the moral values promoted by all faiths.

“The party would defend the rights of all Bulgarians, including Muslims.”

Muslims, who make up 12 percent of Bulgaria's 7.8 million population, have lived with Christians in relative harmony for centuries.

Mostly ethnic Turkish descendants of the Ottoman Empire's reach into Europe, they live beside Christians in a culture known as "komshuluk", or neighborly relations.

Concerns

Still, some are fearful the party’s formation could strain ethnic cohesion in the European country.

“This would fuel tension between Muslims and Christians,” fears Hussein Ouda, an activist of Palestinian backgrounds.

He is worried that some nationalist parties would use the new party to incite against Muslims.

“Whoever wants to seek a new political party should be familiar with the society where they live and not embroil Muslims in such dangerous adventures.”

Abdullah, the former chairman of the Islamic Union for Development and Culture, agrees.

“The Yuzeirovs don’t have the popularity to win the elections.”

Ouda noted that the Yuzeirov brothers sparked a storm recently after forming a charity, the Bulgarian Red Crescent,” with the crescent as its emblem.

“The controversy only died down after the two brothers added the cross to the emblem upon an advice from key Muslim figures,” he added.

“Good intentions are not enough. Enthusiasm should be coupled with awareness of the reality on the ground and wisdom in dealing with it so as not to provoke the broader society.”

Why did Hinduism never become an 'organised' religion like Christianity or Islam?

Wendy Doniger Interview (4 October 2009)
Daily News and Analysis, October 4, 2009
Why did Hinduism never become an 'organised' religion like Christianity or Islam?

by G Sampath / DNA

Mumbai: When the Romans (after converting to Christianity) and the Muslims conquered a big piece of the world, they needed religion to do it. But Hinduism could remain diverse because Indian rulers felt no need to build an empire beyond the sub-continent, says one of the world's foremost scholars of Hinduism, Wendy Doniger, in her new book, The Hindus: An Alternative History. Seen in this light, the Hindutva project is a belated political enterprise aimed at homogenising the diversity of Hindu religious expressions and present a unitary front against Islam and Christianity, although that goes against the very essence of Hinduism, she tells DNA in an exclusive interview.


What prompted you to write The Hindus: An Alternative History? Did it originate as a series of class lectures?
In a way, all of my books originate as class lectures; I find myself teaching a subject I'm interested in, and discover that none of the available books on the subject tell the students what I want them to know.For The Hindus, that feeling was intensified by the growing realisation that the things that were being said about Hinduism on the internet, particularly but not only by the Hindutva faction, needed to be counteracted by a view of Hindu history documented by reliable sources.

In what way is this book an 'alternative history'?
It's alternative to the internet/Hindutva version of Hindu history, but also to the standard, Orientalist, British version (all about Brahmins and Sanskrit), and it's about alternative people -- women and people of the lower castes.

Never powered an empire

Your book makes the point that 'Hinduism' has never been as 'organised' or 'homogenous' as the Semitic religions, such as Islam or Christianity. Why do you think this 'homogenisation' didn't happen in the evolution of Hinduism?
I think Hinduism has developed in a world where there has always been intense, creative religious inquiry, which necessarily gives rise to a number of different myths and rituals. Hindus of any faction grew up in close interaction with Hindus of many other beliefs and practices. I think Hindus have also had from the time of the Rig Veda a conviction that there are always many answers to any question. And, finally, I think that those branches of Hinduism that do become rigid generally do so in the realm of praxis -- you must not eat this or marry this person -- rather than dogma -- you must not believe this.

But what is it about Islam and Christianity that is different from Hinduism, which contributed to their homogenisation at an earlier date? Did politics contribute to it? If so, why didn't political forces have the same effect on Hinduism?
The difference lies in their histories. The emperor Constantine converted to Christianity and the Romans then conquered a big piece of the world, and the Muslims also conquered a big piece of the world, but Indian rulers did not invade countries outside of the subcontinent. And while the forces that conquered the world used religion to do it, and made their religions into dogmas that could be governed from the imperialist center, with a centralised, standardised ideology, India in general, and Hinduism in particular, could afford to go on being diverse, since they didn't need a political/religious creed to power the machines of empire.

How do you read the Hindutva project? Is it a belated attempt to 'organise' the diversity of Hindu religious expressions into a unitary faith modelled on the Semitic religions?
I think the attempt to make Hinduism a unitary religion like the Semitic religions began first with the British, who wanted to have just one thing to control, and then was picked up by the Hindu nationalists of the 19th century, who wanted to present a united front to the Christian missionaries. The Hindutva project inherits both of these traditions, as well as the desire to present a unitary front against Islam as well as Christianity.

Many believe that the Hindutva project to revive a homogenous Hinduism is born of an "inferiority complex" among the semi-westernised, middle- and upper-middle class Hindu nationalists, in relation to their colonial rulers.
British missionaries persuaded some of the upper caste Hindus of the 19th century that (Christianity's) monotheism was superior to (Hinduism's) polytheism, which is a kind of inferiority complex, I guess.This led to a tendency (still in evidence today in Hindutva rhetoric) among Hindus to insist that Hinduism is, in fact, monotheistic.

Coversions and Hinduism
Conversions (forced or otherwise) is a big issue in India today. Speaking for myself, as a Hindu, the idea of anyone 'converting' to Hinduism makes no sense to me. Can you throw some light on the historical background of conversions vis-à-vis Hindusim?
Christian attempts to convert Hindus to Christianity, as well as much less prevalent earlier Musim attempts to convert Hindus to Islam, led to a counter-movement of this sort in Hinduism. But most Hindus, the Hindus of the Vedic, Puranic, and village traditions, have never cared to convert anyone; you were born a Hindu or you weren't, and that was that. I agree with you that for most Hindus, conversion makes no sense. Hinduism therefore, by and large, is not a proselytising religion as Buddhism, for instance, always was. However, some bhakti traditions and some Vedantic traditions became monotheistic and did try to convert people -- primarily other Hindus -- to their sort of Hinduism. But this is not at all the same thing as trying to convert Muslims or Christians to Hinduism (or back to Hinduism, as it is often claimed), as the contemporary Hindutva people do.

On Sita, you write, "she [Sita] is, like Shurpanaka, a highly sexual woman, a quality that may explain not only why Ravana desires her but also why he is able to carry her off." Are you suggesting that she collaborated in her own kidnapping?
No, no, certainly Sita did not collaborate in her own kidnapping! But there was a belief, often expressed in the Puranas and parts of the Mahabharata and Ramayana, that a virtuous woman had a kind of aura that protected her from being touched by any man other than her husband; this actually worked, in part, to keep Ravana from forcing Sita into his bed when she was captive in Sri Lanka (though the Ramayana also goes out of its way to offer another explanation: Ravana had raped an apsara whose husband cursed Ravana that his head would split apart if he ever took another woman against her will. This seems to imply that Sita would not have been protected merely by her moral armour, and the author had to offer another explanation for the otherwise surprising fact that Ravana never did assault her, as he might have done). Moreover, Sita's desire for the golden deer caused her to violate her husband's command to remain within the protected area he had established for her. So I am saying that Sita was not an ascetic, was not totally in control of her emotions, and that was why Ravana could fool her.

Are you aware that some Hindu academics in America have accused you of being a "Hinduphobe" and charged you with "out-of-context eroticising of Indian culture"?
I sure do know that people keep quoting that remark about the Gita that was made up by some reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer years and years ago and that I never said.Oh, do please try to set that record straight! There is nothing that I have ever said or written to suggest that I fear Hinduism, which is what Hinduphobe would mean, nor that I hate it, as I have been accused of doing. In answer to the accusation that I have eroticised Hinduism, I should point out that only a few of my 30-odd books deal with sex or eroticism at all; all the others deal with karma, evil, dreams, history, the laws of Manu, and a host of other things. It is my critics who are sex-obsessed, who pounce upon those aspects of my work that do treat erotic topics and ignore all the rest.

Tantra: Orientalist's wet dream

You write that the Tantra tradition of Hinduism has undergone great distortions and become an "Orientalist's wet dream." Can you explain?
Well, one of the meanings of Orientalism is a view of the 'Orient' that is titillating and salacious, that assumes that 'Orientals' are all over-sexed, and so forth; views that I regard as stupid and politically driven, and that show a total lack of understanding of Hindu views of sexuality and eroticism. A wet dream is a sexual fantasy that excites the dreamer. So I think that the sort of Westerners who still hold Orientalist views of India find Tantra titillating in that way. I tried to show that the Tantric tradition in India is anything but titillating, that it has nothing at all to do with sexual excitement but is rather about sexual control and the creation of religious power.

Does New Age 'Tantric Sex' bear any relationship to what Tantra was supposed to be originally?
We don't know what Tantra was supposed to be 'originally', but we do know what is said by the earliest Tantric texts that we have, and those texts bear no relationship at all to the doctrines of New Age 'Tantric Sex.'

India: 2.4 million places of worship exceed the 2.1 million schools

The Hindu
Oct 06, 2009

Editorial

Land grab in god’s name

The 2001 Census of India threw up the astonishing statistic that there were 2.4 million places of worship in the country (exceeding the number of schools, at 2.1 million). What it did not divulge of course was that a large number of them were unauthorised, built by encroaching on public land. On the face of it, the Supreme Court’s interim order banning the construction of any temple, church, gurudwara, or mosque on any roadside or other public space may seem like a mere reiteration of the law. But it must be seen in a larger context. It comes in the wake of a controversy over a sensitive issue that has resulted in a recent consensus between the Centre and the States that there would be no fresh construction of places of worship in public spaces. A directive by the Gujarat High Court in 2006 that all illegal structures, including places of worship, should be demolished resulted in violence following the demolition of a dargah in Vadodara. The approach of the Supreme Court, which stayed this directive following an appeal by the Centre, seems to strike a balance between opposing illegal religious structures and being responsive to the law and order problems that could result from their demolition.

Banning fresh construction of unauthorised places of worship is the easy part. The real challenge is to deal with existing illegal places of worship, of which there are an estimated more than 60,000 in Delhi alone. With respect to religious structures obstructing roads and public places, the court has adopted a cautious view — asking State governments and Union Territories to review them on a “case by case” basis and take appropriate steps expeditiously. These places of worship have been constructed through land grabbing in the name of God, usually by anti-social elements out to make a quick buck by exploiting the religious sentiments of the people. The mushrooming of these structures, encouraged by collusive politicians, has taken place under the nose of governmental authorities. They have often chosen to turn a blind eye to the encroachments, which in many places cause traffic snarls and occupy pavement space. The motive behind the defiance of law in such cases is no different from the rampant illegal construction of residential and office spaces; and the enabling factor, weak-kneed law enforcement, is more or less the same. In the case of illegal places of worship, the court is being asked to do what successive governments have failed to do over the years. One hopes that judicial resolve will jolt governments into intervening, without fear or favour, to prevent further construction of illegal religious structures and to find a way of tackling the problem of those that exist.

The steady rise of Islamic finance

The banking crisis was avoidable, says Islamic scholar Sheikh Hussain Hussan

London has become one of the biggest centres for Islamic finance in the world, with five Islamic banks, and many others in the high street offering Islamic financial products, or "windows" as they are known.
The growth of Islamic finance has been an unexpected outcome of the attacks on the World Trade Center of 11 September 2001.
Islamic finance is based on rules from Islam's holy texts - the Koran. Scholars claim the fundamental difference to conventional banking is that Islamic finance is more ethical.
First it bans any form of "riba" or interest, preventing consumers being exploited by high rates of borrowing.
'Sinful'
Secondly, it regards speculative trading as sinful. One of the world's leading experts on Islamic finance, Sheikh Hussain Hassan, argues the whole crisis in Western banking could have been avoided if these basic sharia principles had been followed.
He said: "$600 trillion were wasted on options, futures and derivatives, all gambling. Sharia prohibited these kind of risks 14 centuries back." We have a policy of no obstacles, no special favours, towards Islamic banking or indeed any new financial company
Financial Services Authority

Some Muslims regard ordinary mortgages as sinful. The idea is for the lender and the borrower to share the risk. There are now more products on the market which help Muslims buy a house without paying interest.
The most common form of Islamic home purchase loan works like this: When a couple wants to buy a house, instead of borrowing the money, the Islamic bank buys 80% of the house for them.
The couple puts down a deposit for the other 20% and then pays the bank rent, plus regular portions of the capital. During the fixed period, ownership gradually passes from the bank to the buyer.
But if the borrower loses his job and defaults on the payments, under sharia law it is very difficult for the family to be thrown out of their home, as that would be seen as a creditor exploiting a debtor.
These interest-avoiding transactions can work on a bigger scale as well.
Farmida Bi explains why London is now attracting Muslim investment
The old Chelsea Barracks in London was bought by the Qatari government for nearly £1bn - the biggest residential property deal in the UK.
The entire transaction was done under sharia pinciples, with contracts drawn up by lawyers at Norton Rose.
Farmida Bi, one of the law firm's partners, explained that London has attracted this kind of investment because the British government wooed Islamic money in the wake of 9/11, at the expense of the US.
"It was really September 11th that made being a Muslim a political statement and not just a matter of personal faith," she said.
"And with the Patriot Act, which made investments in the US difficult for many Islamic investors, there was a significant increase in Islamic investors choosing to invest in Islamic institutions and Islamic products."
So while groups in the US were investigating terrorist connections with Islamic banks, Muslim investors pulled their money out of America.
Some of the money got diverted to London, which had traditionally been a banking centre. The British government then helped further by changing regulations to give sharia-compliant funds a level playing field with conventional ones.
Salaam Insurance offers Europe's first sharia-compliant car insurance

A spokesperson for the Financial Services Authority, the body which regulates UK financial services, said: "We have a policy of no obstacles and no special favours towards Islamic banking, or indeed any new financial company."
The desire of British Muslim consumers to affirm their identity is also leading to a growth in new consumer services.
Salaam Insurance has launched Europe's first sharia-compliant car insurance aimed at Britain's 700,000 Muslim drivers.
Bradley Brandon-Cross, its non-Muslim chief executive, finds most Muslims do not yet understand the profit and loss sharing principles of "takaful" that it is based on.
"There's clearly an education campaign we are undertaking for British Muslims, to help them understand what Islamic finance is and what it means for them," he said.
Critics say the Islamic character of the products is merely window dressing to lure in Muslim customers.
And others argue the scholars who authorise them are a narrow group whom financial institutions choose to support their new services.
But this scepticism is unlikely to halt the inexorable growth of Islamic finance - as big investors and growing numbers of Muslim consumers demand it.

Why detained Pakistanis, others, not deported, asks court

By IANS,

New Delhi : The Delhi High Court has pulled up the government for detaining many foreigners, particularly Pakistanis, without proper detention order, and wanted to know why these people have not been deported to their countries.

Counsel Arvind Nigam told a bench of Chief Justice Ajit Prakash Shah and Justice Manmohan that many foreign nationals have been languishing in Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) deportation camps since 2006 and no effort has been made by the government to deport them.

"Some people have been there for 2-3 years without any detention order," Nigam told the court. The exact number of people detained in these camps is not known.

Last year, 11 detainees wrote a letter to the Chief Justice complaining about the poor conditions of living in deportation camps. They said the camps faced perennial shortage of drinking water and the quality of food served was also poor. The court took the letter as a public interest litigation and initiated legal proceedings.

Government counsel Zubeda Begum said some of the people have been detained for security reasons. Others have been detained for crimes like not possessing proper visa documents and not completing basic immigration formalities.

To this, the court said: "You (government) must detain the person with appropriate legal order."

The court also asked the government counsel whether any exchange of detainees has taken place between India and Pakistan. The petition says that many of the foreign nationals in the camps are Pakistanis. The exact number of Pakistanis in such camps is not known.

"Provide us with the figures as to how many such exchange of prisoners took place (between India and Pakistan). We just can't turn a blind eye to the people who are suffering because of (lack of) diplomatic relations," the bench said.

The court asked the government counsel to consult the union home secretary and file a detailed affidavit as to what is the present status of all the foreigners living in camps by the next date of hearing.