Bijnor village in UP is seeing an exodus of Muslim families. They are sick of the continuous police brutality and torture. When one enters the village, it can be seen clearly that several homes belonging to the Muslim community are marked – “This house is for sale. We are leaving the house because the police are torturing us”.
Story by Aas Mohammad and Siddhant Mohan
AMU Women’s college elected Naba Naseem, BA 2nd year student, as its president. Naba Naseem managed to get 916 votes, while Neha Kirmani bagged second position with 847 votes. Umama Haseem bagged the third place with mere 97 votes. (Story by Siddhant Mohan, Twocircles.net)
16 year-old Samima Khatun has won more than 15 medals in National Paralympic games in the past four years including the four she won this year, Khatun should have been hailed as a role model for millions of physically handicapped citizens of this country. ((Story by Mirza Mosaraf Hossain, TwoCircles.net))
In April, Shabbir Gangawli, a 35-year-old Maulana, was acquitted of all terror charges after spending 8.5 years in jail. When TwoCircles.net met him at his ramshackle residence in Bhatkal, he said his biggest regret was that he had been unable to take care of his elderly mother. (Story by Amit Kumar, TwoCircles.net)
“I just finished taking my Math exam. I practiced for two whole days and forgot one answer in the end,” says Bisma, studying in Standard I. “But this is an happy ending because we have a week holiday for Eid.” “I love Eid because I get to wear fancy clothes and most importantly, bangles. And then I buy more bangles from my Eidi. sometimes my elder brother takes my Eidi but then my mother gives me more.” Image from TCN’s Photoseries: Ramadan 1438 (By Nawal Ali Watali, TwoCircles.net)
On World Indigenous Day, Adivasis of West Bengal highlighted their issues and the discrimination they faced in their daily lives. Their grievances included issues around land usurpation, deprivation, and violence inflicted on their communities. M.M. Abdur Rahaman, the general Secretary of Dalit and Muslim Friendship Society said, “If we go through our history, we will see that 85% of the Indian population were indigenous people of this country who (were) later listed as SC/ST and Other Backward Classes. Only 15% consist are so called upper caste, upper-class people. It is pathetic that they are running the country and therefore all sorts of deprivation, discrimination are heaped upon Adivasis.” (Story by Mirza Mosaraf Hossain, TwoCircles.net)
It is a busy but regular weekday in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh. At the tea point in Sector 10, Titu, 26, takes off his clothes as he readies himself to enter a manhole leading to a sewer containing human excreta, slush, and plastic. “During early years of my work, I was doing fine, but slowly I started developing skin infections and respiratory problems. Lately, I have been suffering from digestive problems and doctor has told me that my work is the cause behind it because the filth inside the sewers enters our mouth and makes its way inside the body,” says Titu. (Story by Raqib Hameed Naik, TwoCircles.net)
Mayawati’s rally in Varanasi during UP assembly elections. This was one of those political rallies in UP which had more representation of women than men. (Story by Siddhant Mohan, TwoCircles.net)
Several Dalit villages are putting up signs like this one depicting Dr.Ambedkar with the words “The Great Chamar”. These people are expressing their pride in their identity and their leadership. Some of this assertion has spilt over from the Bhim Army movement (Story by Aas Mohammad Kaif)
The case of Hadiya, a girl who converted to Islam and married a Muslim once again came under limelight when police blocked a group of women activists including media persons outside her house, while they tried to meet Hadiya, who had been confined on the order of Kerala High Court. (Story by Shafeeq Hudawi, TwoCircles.net)
“I was hit by a bullet in the back which pierced my liver, touched one of my lungs and came out through the chest,” Ashraf Wani said. In July 2016, the encounter of Burhan Wani saw Kashmir valley erupt in protests. Over the next few months, security forces shot dead over 100 civilians and left over a thousand injured during protests across the Valley, especially South Kashmir as Burhan Wani belonged to Tral in Pulwama. Eight months later, TwoCircles.net Staff reporter Raqib Hameed Naik travelled to various villages of Pulwama district to witness how the actions of security forces, and their use of pellet guns, wreaked havoc with people’s lives across the region. (Story by Raqib Hameed Naik, TwoCircles.net)
Haleema, 48, a Rohingya refugee in India originally belongs to Nachapru village in Maungdaw district of Arakan state of Myanmar. She has 10 children- seven boys and three girls. Her husband Syed Karim, 53 and her children collect scrap and sell it to the scrap dealer to keep their kitchen running. She fled her village in 2012. “I had a big house made of bricks. My husband and children would go every morning in the fields and I used to take care of household chores. I used to spend my free time in visiting my relatives and neighbours. We used to discuss domestic issues, food and our respective families.” she remembers (Story by Raqib Hameed Naik, TwoCircles.net)
As the late Shahani Ustad Bismillah Khan’s family fights the dispute over what to do with his belongings and legacy, the Padma Vibhushan award given to him by Indian Government is found half-eaten by termites on the day of Ustad’s death anniversary. (Story by Siddhant Mohan, TwoCircles.net)
This Patwa Dalit woman is a daily wage worker in the Gaya district of Bihar. She has been spinning cloth for the last 41 years. She says she doesn’t have much family support anymore. Her husband has passed and her son has married and moved away. The life of daily wage women can be lonely and difficult, especially as they age. (Story by Fahmina Hussain, TwoCircles.net)
Bijnor village in UP is seeing an exodus of Muslim families. They are sick of the continuous police brutality and torture. When one enters the village, it can be seen clearly that several homes belonging to the Muslim community are marked – “This house is for sale. We are leaving the house because the police are torturing us”. (Story by Aas Mohammad and Siddhant Mohan)
Picture that is a part of a running series “Lynch in India” covering lynching of Muslim, Dalit, and Adivasi community members under the pretense of “cow protection” by Hindu extremists. (Series and Photo by Afroz Alam Sahil, TwoCircles.net)
