Doha Debate in Delhi: 62% elites think Musilms are getting a fair deal in India
Submitted by admin on 16 February 2010 - 11:25pm
By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter
New Delhi: Yesterday evening, in the Doha Debate organized at St. Stephen’s College, Delhi 62.1 % viewers might have voted against the motion that, “this house believes, Muslims are not getting a fair deal in India”. But today, barely within 24 hours of the Debate, many people are not ready to accept the same.
Dr. John Dayal, member of National Integration Council, Govt. of India, today in a reception organized by The Doha Debates says, “the poll seems to be biased because anyone who knows even little bit about Muslims’ condition in India can’t say that, they are getting fair deal”.
Doha Debate in New Delhi
Joining him, Tania Sarkar, one of the active participants of the debate while talking to TCN at a reception organized by the Doha Debates today said, “It came as a shock for me, when 62 % percent voted against the motion”. “How and where, Muslims are getting in fair dear, are not they grossly represented in each and every field”, she asks.
The debate was organized by Qatar-based The Doha Debates, considered to be a unique forum for free speech in the Arab world and chaired by Tim Sebastian. The panelists of the Debate were, Seema Mustafa, Teesta Setalvad, M J Akbar and Sachin Pilot. Total voters were around 300 consisting of St. Stephens alumni and students.
Yesterday, while speaking against the motion, Sachin Pilot, India’s Minister of State for Communications and Information claimed the government is addressing cases where Muslims had been disadvantaged, but insisted they played a full part in Indian life. “Muslims are represented by the top three Bollywood actors; they are in the top echelons of sports and culture. Muslims have a better deal in India than they have in any neighboring country or indeed anywhere in the world.”
Taking his side, M.J. Akbar, a senior journalist and publisher asserted that, it would be a dismissing suggestion that, Muslims were not getting a fair deal in a country where for “decades they have been engaged in uninterrupted democracy”. While admitting that some lived in severe deprivation, he said their situation was no worse than a proportional cross-section of any other religious group. India’s 130 million Muslims represent 13 per cent of country’s 1.17 billion population.
However, Seema Mustafa, prominent journalist and political commentator, arguing for the motion, said the government had done little for Muslims who had been especially victimized by security forces since the 9/11 attacks on America. Muslims had also been barred from many jobs in the Indian civil service.
Teesta Setalvad, a prominent civil rights activist while joining her insisted, that Muslims were being excluded from the “elite political and economic leadership of India. “The Muslim today lives in a segregated class leading to ghettoisation and a consequently very dangerous situation. Above all, Muslim women are discriminated against to make sure a credible leadership does not emerge.”
She further said that, wherever Muslims got a level playing field, Muslims succeed and that while “Indian people” can accept Muslims at every level “it is the government that is prejudiced.”
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Thank God - there was no Shoe-thrower @ Doha Debate
Sachin Pilot and M J Akbar, should thank their LUCK and GOD, that there was no Jarnail Singh OR Munthazar Al-Zaidi-type journalists OR attendees, in the auditorium.
An Indian
Democracy is good for Politicians only.. excluding Muslim of cou
The treatment meted out to elected representatives like Abu Asim Azmi shows what it means to be Muslim. MJ AKbar and Sachin Pilot are way off target. How Shah Rukh Khan, their own in 'top echelon' shows what India is really. Nobody even whispered about the young murdered lawyer Azmi lest he is made another AR Antulay. While many accross the border talked of criminality of Shiva Sena etc, our people including media says they are democratically elected, but we know Adolf Hitler too was .......
The Poona bomb blasts investigation started on similar lines with the exception that this time Muslims were not picked up at mid-night. Many Muslims are being touted as being master mind of the same blasts while the fact is that they are missing for last 2 or more years, may be they have been eliminated like Khwajah Yoonus. While Yoonus's case is pending, the Maharashtra govt went overboard so that his old mother did not get interim compensation. Why so efficient system for denying a right while only enquiries are on since 1992-93, 1993 bomb blast people are languishing in jail. This is the rael picture. State terroism might have motivated few in taking law in their hand, I am yet to come accross somebody who might be a part of 'sleeper' cell despite going to numerous mosques run by not very liberals, the Ahle Hadees, Tableeghi Jama'at etc. If our own house is not in order how can we ask others to do same without being a superpower? If even 20% of Indian Muslim turn to terrorism, India would not be able to handle it. It is the sheer patritism that keeps Muslims hope in system which works sometimes. Mere dreams of being super power is not going to take India further because 'India Shinning' proved to be hoax. Nobody will exclude Muslims from the undeveloped part of India for classifying India as a superpower.
PS: I am a firm believer in the theory that two wrongs do not make a right.
Well said. The concept of
Well said.
The concept of "sleeper cell" in itself is very funny brainchild of IB same like IM!!!
Not fully agree...
Muslim suffering a lot specially muslim who practice Islam sincerly. Sporting beard, wearing burqa etc is difficult. but in part of country muslims get fair deal atleast for some extend..
I can't speak for the rest
I can't speak for the rest of the country, but Muslims in Tamil Nadu are among the better off communities in most respects. They are especially strong in business like the Nadars and Chettiars and higher education levels has really taken off in the last 2 decades.
Good for Tamilnadu! but stop being so regionalist.
The motion was are Indian muslims getting a fair deal? and the answer is a resounding no. Sachin Pilot says we are better of than muslims in neighboring countries! if that's his gold standard we really have to become serious in making the govt. of India realize that we are not refugees. He also says that we have been living here for 100s of years. That's an oft told lie-a majority of us, more than 90% are converts to Islam i.e. our HIndu ancestors converted to Islam and we their descendents chose to follow Islam, we might be living here for 1000s and 1000s of years. Sachin Pilot has just parroted the most common style of hypocratic diplomatic speak that the congress is justly famous for. GO TO DOHA DEBATES AND CAST YOUR OWN VOTE LOOKING AT THE LARGER PICTURE OF MUSLIMS IN INDIA. You are first an Indian than a tamil.
correction
I made a mistake in quoting the exact language of the motion which actually stands-'This house believes that Indian muslims are not getting a fair deal'. and obviously my answer is yes.
Doha Debate in Delhi and results
It's DISGUSTING to note the results, just based on WHIMS and FANCIES of the debate attendees.
From UNBIASED / HONEST statements "at-least" coming from womenfolk i.e. Seema Mustafa and Teesta Setalvad, puts to shame Sachin Pilot's and M.J. Akbar's STUPIDITY. I believe they both were sitting on dias sucking "foot-thumb" or "hand-thumbs" in their mouths. And now, they need to borrow "bangles", to wear in future.
I was an ardent reader of M J Akbar's articles - but his statement makes me "throw up", and he has earned NOT-ONLY my ridicule, but I would prefer to AVOID reading his writings, in future.
Outcome seems to target / ignore Sachar Committee and Ranganath Mishra reports, which were done with "years of research" and "pain" at cost of Indian taxpayer money.
Shame on Kaangress, shame on you Sachin Pilot, and a VERY BIG SHAME on M J Akbar.
I would question M J Akbar, how much money did he get for giving this WRONG statement???
Amamazed
What are the evidences they
What are the evidences they have considered and pass this resolution, are they afraid their future and the future of their generations for being a muslim living India ?
Are sacharr committee and mishra report were wrong and unauthentic ?
stop wondering about evidence
After Sachar, Mishra, SriKrishna comissions report and the Gujrat genocide and the current witch hunting of educated muslim youth and murder of their advocate Mr. Shahid Azmi, if anybody thinks that muslims are getting a fair deal, then, either they are indifferent towards the state of the community or just naive in thinking that the world won't realize the state of Indian muslims just if the doha debate's motion is rejected. Go to doha debates and participate in the online vote, if you care a bit.
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