Yechury hails Nepal parties for accord on statute
By Anil Giri
Kathmandu: CPI-M secretary general Sitaram Yechuri, who played a crucial role in bringing Nepal's radical Maoists to mainstream after 2006, has hailed...
India-Pakistan peace still a far cry
By Amulya Ganguli, IANS,
Blessed are the peacemakers. But to be successful, their efforts have to be rooted in reality. This wasn't the case with a recent seminar in New Delhi, which called for the resumption of India-Pakistan dialogue, because its timing was hopelessly wrong.
Vaibhav Chhaya: A maverick voice of dissent into the poetic world
By Yogesh Maitreya,
“With all my baggage gone I can travel light now, forging on deeper into forest” says Haruki Murakami in his Kafka on the Shore. The same feeling can be drawn as soon as one finishesreading ‘Delete Kelela Sarr Aakash’ (Entire deleted sky), the first poetry book by Vaibhav Chhaya. Vaibhav writes poetry in Marathi. And the forest of his poem is equally risky and beautiful, one who could see the life in the underbelly, would certainly remain unsettled after brooding into the forest of his poems.
Substantive evidence against police of aiding and abetting the real terrorists: Advocate Pracha
By M Reyaz, TwoCircles.net,
New Delhi: Advocate Mehmood Pracha, who is defending German bakery bomb blast case convict Mirza Himayat Beg for his innocence, has been receiving threat calls from international telephone numbers. Although he was not a full time criminal lawyer Advocate Pracha attracted admiration in successfully securing bail for Syed Muhammad Ahmad Kazmi in the Israeli Embassy attack case and since then he has become one of the sort after lawyers not only individuals family members of youth arrested on dubious terror charges, but also by organisations like Jamiat e Ulema Hind. Many see him as heir to legacy of Advocate Shahid Azmi, who was martyred for defending the innocent youth arrested on terror charges. Besides Himayat Baig, Advocate Pracha has been trying to secure bail for another high profile terror accused Mansoor Peerbhoy and has been frontally attacking current Mumbai Police Commissioner Rakesh Maria for his conduct as ATS Chief.
जाति-धर्म की बंदिशों के बावजूद भी इन्सानियत ज़िन्दा है…
विद्या भूषण रावत
दिन था शनिवार 31 दिसंबर… जब सभी नए वर्ष के इंतेज़ार में थे. देवरिया ज़िले के बेल्हाम्मा गांव के कुम्हार जाति के...
A response to Shaibal Gupta on the ‘Unimportance of Shahabuddin’
By Mohammad Sajjad for TwoCircles.net
This is a response to Shaibal Gupta’s column, “Unimportance of Shahabuddin”, which was published in the Indian Express on September...
Two commissions, one custodial death, zero justice: The case of Shaikh Hyder
By Amit Kumar, Twocircles.net
On March 21, 2015, the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana were celebrating Ugadi, the Telugu New Year. But for...
Benazir’s assassination has dangerous portents
By Alok Bansal, IANS
The assassination of former prime minister and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Benazir Bhutto is indicative of the rapid stride Pakistan has taken on the path of extremism under General Pervez Musharraf.
An apology
By Uri Avnery, CGNews,
This week, the Prime Minister of Canada made a dramatic statement in Parliament: he apologised to the indigenous peoples of his country for the injustices done to them for generations by successive Canadian governments.
This way, White Canada tries to make peace with the native nations, whose country their forefathers conquered and whose culture their rulers have tried to wipe out.
Atali village: Muslims back, not welcome
By Rahul Vaishnavi
Atali (Haryana) : The eerie calm in violence-torn Atali village in Haryana's Ballabhgarh district at the edge of Delhi threatens to explode...
Atal Bihari Vajpayee: Apostle of peace, humanity personified
By Ashok Tandon,
A 28-year-old dhoti-kurta clad young man was jostling to push his blanket-wrapped baggage into the unreserved compartment of a passenger train at Delhi Railway station on May 8, 1953.
It was a send off for Shyma Prasad Moookerjee, founder of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh (predecessor of the present day Bharatiya Janata Party), on a mission to enter Jammu & Kashmir defying the entry-permit order of the government and demanding full integration of the state into the Indian Union.
Why fundamental scientific research has not caught on in India
By Narayanan Suresh, IANS,
This can happen only in India! Even as the nation continues to celebrate the success of Chandrayaan, the country's first space mission to moon, this is not something one of the seniormost scientists in India, Chintamani Nagesa Ramachandra Rao, is particularly thrilled about.
नीतीश ने राजद या कांग्रेस से कोई ‘गद्दारी’ नहीं की…
नासिरूद्दीन
इसमें दो राय हो ही नहीं सकती कि नीतीश कुमार ने अपने लिए जो फैसला किया, वह बिहार के विधानसभा चुनाव के जनादेश के...
More police reform required in Rajasthan
By Maja Daruwala, IANS,
It's election time in Rajasthan again. Once more the hopefuls will make their promises. Once more the people will vote in the hope that this time the minimum guarantees of a peaceful life will come true. A good police system is central to making sure this happens. Making it happen has to be a bipartisan effort. What kind of policing is going to be in place over the next five years has to be central to election debates and promises.
Is one going to see a more mature and pragmatic Kejriwal?
By Amulya Ganguli,
The first fallout of the Aam Admi Party's (AAP) spectacular victory in Delhi will be a renewed focus on sleaze in public life, as has been borne out by Arvind Kejriwal's commitment to make Delhi India's first corruption-free state in his inaugural address after being sworn in as chief minister for a second time.
Muslims, Yadavs will count in Bihar’s final round
By Imran Khan,
Patna: The last of 57 assembly constituencies in Bihar go to the polls on Thursday in a sprawling region home to a...
Ousting democratically elected leaders in Ukraine and elsewhere
By Chandra Muzaffar,
If Ukraine is on the brink of a catastrophe, it is mainly because the present regime in Kiev and its supporters, backed by certain Western powers had violated a fundamental principle of democratic governance. They had ousted a democratically elected president through illegal means. President Viktor Yanukovich who had come to power through a free and fair election in 2010 should have been removed through the ballot-box.
Realising Sir Syed’s Dreams
By Dr Shakeel Samdani,
As we prepare to celebrate in 2017 the 200th anniversary of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, founder of the Aligarh Muslim University, there are moves to belittle his invaluable contribution. There is no denying of the fact that Sir Syed contributed immensely in the field of education, agriculture, legislation and journalism but for many, his main mission represented by the Aligarh Movement has not achieved desired result.
India’s FDI liberalisation – is it enough and in time?
By Sushma Ramachandran, IANS
With just a year left for the existing Indian government to run its course, it seems to have decided to forge ahead and further liberalise the foreign direct investment (FDI) policies despite the reservations of the ruling United Progressive Alliance's Left partners.
The aim is to cash in on the current interest of foreign investors in emerging markets like India rather than let them move on to greener pastures like China and the tiger economies of East Asia.
Taking India ahead
By Amit Kapoor,
India has long been considered a goldmine of potential, banking on its ability to integrate despite the diversity posing threats to its foundation for growth and development. India is a singularity of plurality in terms of its people, culture, language, demographics and even its identity and its 28 states stand to prove that as a nation, it remains a sundry source of potential that can transform India into a glistening image of its past glory. However, India remains a long way from the dream that its potential can convert it to as its regional competitiveness is either ignored or developed without a comprehensive understanding of its capabilities and resources. India’s growth and performance story are not restricted to its rate of growth as sustainability targets are not matched and the society has become an amalgamation of unequal opportunities and indicators. Competency of a nation is a function of the performance of its regions and states and the development of the nation as a whole needs to be accepted as an amalgamation of its divergent competencies.
A Nun’s murder poses questions for State and Church
Activist and Whistle-blower Sr Valsa John pays with her life for defending the Tribals’ ownership of their land, minerals and forests,
says John Dayal,
Dear BJP, spare us the moral high ground: your politics is no different from...
By Mohammed Rehan Ansari for Twocircles.net
The UP elections show that Narendra Modi’s charisma and Amit Shah’s strategies rolled over the new-born Samajwadi Party, the...
The forgotten war that gave us J&K
By Praveen Davar
The 50th anniversary of the 1965 India-Pakistan war was observed in a befitting manner by the defence forces this year. Six years...
Indian political parties woo Indians in US
By Arun Kumar
Washington: Overseas wings of the Congress, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) are all passionately wooing...
The Burqa controversy
By Asghar Ali Engineer,
The recent utterances of French President Sarkozy that Burqa will be banned in France and that wearing veil is not religion but torture and punishment for women, have caused great stir among Muslims and lot is being written in the media on this subject. As it is expected most Muslims, men and women have come out in support of wearing veil and are defending it in various ways theological as well as non-theological.
Shivendra case: No-one to speak up for India
By Anand Philar, IANS,
Tournament Director Ken Read's rather officious justification of Shivendra Singh's three-match suspension (reduced to two following appeal by India) in the ongoing Hockey World Cup might sound plausible, but the punishment exceeds the crime. If anything, it smacks of FIH making an example of a country whose hockey administrators have rarely shown the spunk to stand up and be counted.
Bhopal hosting AFMI’s 24th International Convention on Education & Gala Award Programme
By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net,
Bhopal: Stage is all set for the two-day 24th International Convention on Education and Gala Award Programme of AFMI, (American Federation...
Asaduddin Owaisi : Political Dividend Vs Price of friendship with KCR
By Muhammed Tauqeer
In the recently concluded Telangana assembly elections, Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) got a thumping win with 2/3rd majority. This inspite of Congress'...
A budget for the United Federation of India
By Amit Kapoor,
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on February 28 delivered a budget that will go down as one of the best since liberalization began in 1991. It took stock of India’s present set of challenges and accordingly adjusted the priorities and solutions. Six salient points reflect the government’s economic thinking and strategy.
An index to measure development and diversity at the district level
By Kashif-ul-Huda, TwoCircles.net,
Detroit: “It’s a logical extension of Sachar Report’s methodology to highlight differentials in human development for indices for each socio-religious communities at...
Indian art museums decaying for want of professional curators: official
By IANS,
Kolkata : Indian art museums are decaying due to lack of professional curators and a training programme to groom more professionals is the need of the hour, an official of the ministry of culture said here Monday.
Tamil Nadu ferment stuns Rajapaksa but war will go on
By M.R. Narayan Swamy, IANS,
The sudden tumult in Tamil Nadu seeking an immediate truce in Sri Lanka has hit President Mahinda Rajapaksa where it hurts him most. But he is most unlikely to go for a ceasefire with the Tamil Tigers, regardless of what India may desire.
Until Tamil Nadu's DMK and its allies dramatically told the Congress-led central government to pressure Colombo to cease its military campaign against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) by Oct 29, Sri Lanka believed it was on the victory lap, with no roadblock seemingly in sight.
Life changes in 25 minutes during HIV test
By Sahil Makkar, IANS
Barely a few days ago, being a journalist and monitoring HIV/AIDS-related developments in the capital off and on, I had absolutely no doubt of my supreme knowledge over the subject until a visit to a small care and support centre in Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh.
Who will speak for the Human Rights Defenders?
By Pushkar Raj
The Bombay high court judgment cancelling Prof. Sai Baba’s bail and initiating contempt proceedings against the writer Arundhati Roy is a major...
In Bihar, landgrab does not spare a Bharat Ratna’s birthplace
By Imran Khan
Patna : Its the house in Dumraon, some 110 km from here, where shenai mastero Ustad Bismillah Khan was born and lived...
Between Badaun and Muzaffarnagar
There is an imminent need to think along the lines of how to build a ‘wider solidarity’ among Bahujan community cutting across faith, argues the writer.
By Abul Kalam Azad,
"As the media and civil rights groups shifted their focus to the hanging of two dalit girls in Badaun, the riot affected families' do not know what lies ahead of them", read the curious editorial in The Hindu on June 24, 2014.
Why the China threat story sells in India
By Manish Chand,
It's the season of China-bashing in India. In bad old socialist days, the ruling party in India was quick to conjure up the "foreign hand" to distract public attention from a host of domestic crises. Now, it's the turn of market-driven media to manufacture "external threats" to spike their TRP ratings.
Repeating the Soviet mistake in Afghanistan
MOSCOW. (RIA Novosti military commentator Ilya Kramnik) – Twenty years ago, on February 15, 1989 the Soviet Union withdrew its troops from Afghanistan. The world hoped that this would bring peace to the country, but this hope did not materialize.
Now the U.S.-led NATO coalition is conducting its operation in Afghanistan. Moreover, the United States has already announced its intention to increase the strength of troops there to 52,000 servicemen.
‘Muslim Youth for India’ or for Modi?
By Mahtab Alam,
Last week, a friend from Jamia Millia Islamia sent a text message asking, “Muslim Youth for India kya organization hai (What...
A history of the Scientific Society
By Afzal Usmani,
The Aligarh Movement was not an instant phenomenon. It took its shape in many many years and was started even before Sir Syed moved to his final home Aligarh. Among the first step towards establishing M.A.O. College and Aligarh Movement was establishment of Scientific Society at Ghazipur in 1864. This was a new beginning of Cooperation between Indians and British and among Indian intellectuals living in British India. Here is a brief history of Scientific Society and establishment of Aligarh Institute.
Modern India … slums side-by-side with plush colonies
By Pankaj Yadav, KUNA,
New Delhi : For more than two decades, India has witnessed unprecedented construction activity, where hectares of what was once lush-green agricultural fields have turned into concrete jungles with skyscrapers kissing the blue sky above.
In this process, a small number of people -- farmers and private developers -- turned millionaires, where farmers received ten million rupees in compensations for their agricultural lands acquired by the successive governments and private developers.
Shebaa Farms can create momentum for peace
By Cesar Chelala, CGNews,
Shebaa Farms is a sliver of land located in the border area between Israel, Lebanon and Syria. It can play an important role, much larger than its size. An agreement on that area – located some 16 square miles on the western slopes of the Hermon Mountain range – can help create a much-needed momentum for peace in the region.
Muslim advocacy group organized 2nd “National Social Leadership Summit” in New Delhi
By TCN News,
New Delhi: MOEMIN, an advocacy group of Indian Muslims organized second “National Social Leadership Summit” in collaboration with Association of Muslim Professionals...
The categorical revolution: Democratic uprising in the Middle East
By Irfan Ahmad,
Why “The Categorical Revolution”?
Israeli-Palestinian venture crossing divides in life and on the Web
By Dina Kraft, CGNews,
Nibbling doughnuts and deciphering computer code, the workers at this Internet start-up might be holding their weekly staff meeting in the same room—not on opposite sides of the Israeli-Palestinian divide.
Instead, they trade ideas across flat screen monitors, their images broadcast through a video conference hook-up that connects their two offices, one in the West Bank, the other in Israel, in the first joint technology venture of its kind between Israelis and Palestinians.
Kawish, an effort to empower through guidance and counseling
A Year-long Series on Education, Sponsored by The Aligarh Forum : - A Mirror on our Efforts, our Successes & our Shortcomings ; Stories...
123 agreement: India got a better deal than China
By Gurmeet Kanwal, IANS
The Left parties have launched a stir to oppose the Indo-US nuclear deal and have, additionally, threatened to withdraw their support to the government if their concerns are not addressed. As the Left parties take their bearings from Beijing, they should compare the finer points and nuances of the deal that India has got with the 123 agreement that China signed with the US.
Without Aligarh, India Wouldn’t Be Same Again
By Aijaz Zaka Syed
It is said that in his quest to establish a world-class university for Muslims, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan would stop at...
Why Tawang is protesting against Mega Dams
In the first of the three-part series, we look at why the citizens of Tawang, backed by a number of Lamas from the...
Bush is right – but equally wrong: the global food debate
By John Stanly, IANS,
Is there anything common between US President George W. Bush and the 18th century British political economist Thomas Malthus? Most unlikely. But Bush's "discovery" that the growing "prosperity" of India has shot up global demand for food brings back the 'Malthusian Catastrophe' to the centre of the global food debate.
The British economist warned the world way back in 1798 that population growth would outpace agricultural production in the future resulting in the "premature death" of the human race.
Book Review: Khaki & Ethnic Violence in India
By Mahtab Alam, TwoCircles.net,
Name of the book: Khaki & Ethnic Violence in India
Author: Omar Khalidi
Publisher: Three Essays Collective
B-957 Palam Vihar, Gurgaon, Haryana-122 017, India
Phone: +91 98681 26587, +91 91863 44843
Year: 2010 (2nd and Revised edition)
Pages: 196
Price: Rs. 300/-
Who Cleans the Mess?
By Arshad Shaikh,
The noose of the global financial crisis has slowly begun to throttle the economies of the world with disastrous consequences. The American economy which is at the epicenter of the crisis is failing rapidly, necessitating comparisons with the Great Depression of 1929.
Tibet protests underscore problems with integration
By Mayank Chhaya, IANS
The explosion of protests in Tibet in the run-up to the Olympics shows how tenuous the region's integration into China is despite Beijing's frequent assertions to the contrary.
It is significant that protests have erupted worldwide notwithstanding the Dalai Lama's appeal in support of a peaceful conduct of the games.
Cultural Assimilation or Self-Assertion? The Intellectual Divide in Bengali Muslim Society
Mirza Mosarraf Hossain, TwoCircles.net
Imperialism is an undeniable reality in the world, with dominant, majority groups historically oppressing weaker, minority communities. However, imperialism is not...
Association of Muslim Professionals visits drought-affected areas, provides financial assistance
By TCN News,
Osmanabad: Moved by the plight of families in the drought-affected regions of Maharasthra, the Association of Muslim Professionals, a pan-India social welfare...
Ramadan -Opportunity to work for the better world
By Asfar Faridy
Muslims are getting ready to welcome the holy month of Ramadan. Its not only the month of fasting but also of more prayer and opportunity to come closer to the Almighty Allah, at the same time it gives immense opportunity to control oneself. In this way the holy month of Ramadan can be taken as annual prescription for the purification of the soul as well as maintenance of the body.
Zika infection may cause eye abnormalities in infants
New York : Vision-threatening eye abnormalities in infants in Brazil with microcephaly - a birth defect characterised by an abnormally small head -- may...
Jet-Sahara deal: heralding new phase in Indian civil aviation industry
By Sushma Ramachandran
India's leading private airline Jet Airways finally announced a takeover of the much smaller Air Sahara at a cost of Rs. 1450 crore ($346 million) last week, ending prolonged speculation over the deal which had been announced originally in January 2006. With this merger, the process of consolidation has begun in the country's civil aviation industry. It will emerge as the largest player in the Indian skies.
Amjadi Begum: “A brave woman”
By Rizwan Lateef Khan,
One name, Amjadi Begum, associated with the Indian Freedom Struggle needs no introduction. Principled, patriotic, self-respecting, honest, dignified, truthful, courageous, determined and committed to the cause are all the attributes which direct us to that great personality whom we all know as Amjadi Begum.
Fight for justice in India and USA: Similarities and faultlines
By Amina Mirza, TwoCircles.net
While the world is fighting the invisible enemy COVID-19 - the two oldest and largest democracies, the United States and India,...
Modi’s lost opportunity towards reconciliation
By Ayub Khan,
The Indian media and a section of the American media as well, have been showering fulsome praise over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s public speaking skills. His Madison Square Garden speech has been especially highlighted as ‘inspiring’ and ‘rocking.’ Anyone disagreeing with this assessment is subjected to heaps of abuse including doubts about the critic’s sanity, ancestry, and in some cases even humanity. Perhaps the Modi’s fans have taken a cue from his controversial ‘puppy under the car’ remarks in categorizing those opposed to their leader in the canine species. Regardless of the fan outrage it cannot be ignored that Modi has failed to inspire confidence and hope. He had no healing touch to offer. His speeches were full of clichéd and vague remarks which can muster past the copy writer’s desk but are hardly befitting a leader who has just won elections with a thumping mandate. Modi disappointed the hopeless optimists with both what was said and what was left unsaid.
Of Bengali society and absence of political representation
By Biswajit Choudhury,
The absence of representation in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cabinet for West Bengal, where the BJP won two seats, was depressing enough to provoke op-eds on the Bengali character.
एक ख़त छल्लू के नाम
मनोज मिश्र
कल हमारे घर में मेरे बचपन की साथी छल्लू ने अपने जीवन के आखिरी बच्चे को जन्म दिया, छल्लू अब तक बहुत...
Adarsh Society scam: Ashok Chavan may be prosecuted
Mumbai : In an embarrassment for the opposition Congress in Maharashtra, the CBI could prosecute former chief minister Ashok Chavan in the Adarsh Society...
Two Lok Sabha by-polls changed the political scenario of the country in the past....
By Mohammed Faisal, TwoCircles.net
The first by-poll was in 1978. At that time, Indira Gandhi was ousted due to the imposition of emergency. India’s political...
Healing Separation
By Lila Sophia Tresemer
In October 2006, a group of women from the Holy Land gathered in Colorado to co-create a Middle Eastern village experience—living, eating, and learning together. The women came from a wide variety of backgrounds: Jewish (several were religious, others secular and some pagan), Arab (Druze, Muslim, Christian and pagan), as well as women from the US with a range of cultural identities.
‘Cancer diagnosis doesn’t make young patients religious’
By IANS,
Copenhagen: A cancer diagnosis doesn't make young people turn to religion if they are not religious. But it can strengthen beliefs in those who are already religious, says a new study.
Proportional electoral system or reservation in legislatures plus Muslim-core party
By Syed Shahabuddin,
In 2004, 38 Muslims were elected to the Lok Sabha; in 2009 the number has gone down to 30, from 6.6% to 5.5% of its strength; Muslim deprivation level of the Muslims has risen from 46% to 55%, as on the basis of 2001 Census Muslim representation should be 72. Deprivation level varies from state to state, from 0% (in J&K and Lakshadweep) to 25% to 80% in the major states of Muslim concentration. It varies from election to election averaging 50%. No other religious minority or the High Castes or the Forward OBC’s are underrepresented as the Muslim Indians are.
Indo-Pak designers to share stage at ‘Shaan-e-Pakistan’
By Ruwa Shah
New Delhi: Huma Nassr, widely known as the first Pakistani entrepreneur in India, is set to launch a Shaan-e-Pakistan event at the...
Douse the fire, now
By Dr. Mohammad Manzoor Alam
This has been the most polarising election fought around a controversial figure with a highly divisive track record. To turn...
Exercising the military option: possible, but not feasible
By A. Vinod Kumar, IANS,
Ever since the Pakistan link in the Mumbai attacks was traced, many strategic analysts have been rooting for punitive action against Pakistan - also referred to as pre-emptive strikes and hot pursuit. This is not the first time such suggestions have been mooted. After the parliament attack in December 2001, India launched Operation Parakram to mobilize its troops along the international border with the assumed intention of a frontal response to Pakistan-sponsored terrorism.
Torture is one of the most common forms of human rights violations
By Justice K. G. Balakrishnan
Understanding Pakistan’s tribal areas
By Frankie Martin and Hailey Woldt,
The vows of the new Pakistani coalition government to begin a dialogue with militants has turned many heads. To Washington's dismay, the new government led by Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto's widower Asif Ali Zardari seems to have a different perspective on fighting terrorism. Here's why we should pay attention.
A conversation with K. Rahman Khan
By Nigar Ataulla for TwoCircles.net
“As Muslims and as people who follow Islam, A positive approach should be the motto of our life. Allah Almighty says again and again in the Quran that one should be positive. Negativity is not part of Islamic lifestyle or thinking. Muslims should think positively and be a vibrant community. We should work on the positive motto that we are here to lead, not to be led….” K. Rahman Khan, Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha.
Delhi Government not serious about addressing female foeticide, claims Asian Center of Human Rights
By Siddhant Mohan, TwoCircles.netAsian Center for Human Rights (ACHR) in its report, 'Delhi: Disabling the Girl Child?' has stated that there is little seriousness...
JNU protesters got support from Hafiz Saeed, says Rajnath
New Delhi : Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said the demonstration on the JNU campus to mark the hanging of parliament attack convict...
Does India face tyranny of the majority?
Hindus and especially Muslims in India have to make efforts to acknowledge the luggage of the past few centuries which is a mix of...
Covid-19, state repression and the decline of people’s movement
The outbreak of Covid-19 shattered the whole world and everything was on a standstill except the state. The state managed to get absolute control...
Civil society in Pakistan and India: A study in contrast
By Harold Gould, IANS
Much has been said and written about the contrasting state of civil society in Pakistan and India. Essentially civil society took root in India in the post-war era while in Pakistan it did not.
When two Muslims meet: The media(ted) case of Madani and Shahina
By K Ashraf & Jenny Rowena,
Britain cuts off its nose to spite Russia’s face
By Vladimir Simonov, IANS
It is commonplace that actions can have unintended consequences. Sometimes, however, the consequences of a particular action are all too predictable.
When David Miliband, Britain's new foreign secretary, announced his decision to expel four Russian diplomats and suspend attempts to streamline visa procedures between the two countries, his audience in the House of Commons was already thinking of Moscow's reply.
Is Social Distancing: Myth or Panic?
Istikhar Ali, Lochan Sharma
Diseases have always harmed society’s cohesion, not just with its consequences, but the myth that broadens distance within family and society...
Who speaks for German Muslims?
By Loay Mudhoon
The German Islam Conference has achieved its first concrete result: Muslim religious education will be introduced as a subject in German schools from next year. The move was agreed upon by representatives of the state and its Muslim population – in spite of what was sometimes a bitter controversy. A number of Muslim participants wanted to see a different kind of religious education – the sort of neutral education about Islam which half the German states already offer.
Smriti Irani: TV’s popular ‘bahu’ to play a crucial role in educating India
By Mohammad Mudassir Alam,
Monday, May 26, 2014 was a red letter day in democratic history of India as Narendra Damodaran Das Modi was sworn in as the 15th Prime Minister of the country. Modi’s swearing in ceremony was stud with many highlights such as the presence of heads of SAARC countries, politicians, entrepreneurs, Bollywood stars, sports persons, etc. Besides these, the countrymen and analysts appreciated the cabinet of Modi, which is quite smaller in comparison to previous government and featuring considerable number of youth parliamentarians.
The Owaisi factor in the coming Bihar Assembly Elections
The “Unity of Muslims” can never defeat the BJP but Owaisi’s sudden landing in Bihar with exclusionary rhetoric will communalise the electioneering rather than...
The rise of India’s Balcony Class
By Shimul, TwoCircles.net
The last few days have been hard. When it becomes a choice between holding on and giving up, unlike the vast majority...
Why polygamy should not be encouraged?
Need to repeat and reassert that polygamy is only an option not a compulsion in Islam.
By Dr Kouser Fathima
First and foremost. Let it be...
3G: The Untold Story and What it means to a Mobile User
By Hitesh Raj Bhagat, IANS,
Today (Dec 11, 2008) is a big day. Third generation or 3G mobile networks are finally here, for MTNL users in parts of Delhi and NCR. Mumbai will follow as soon as the pilots in Delhi are successful.
India has been making do with ancient mobile technology for long now. The current Second generation or 2G networks were designed to carry only voice, which does not require high data transfer speeds. With the advent of new technologies -- video streaming, mobile TV and mobile gaming, higher transfer speeds were necessary.
Amarnath land row: Towards a feasible solution
By Syed Ali Safvi
The crisis in Jammu and Kashmir are compounding with each passing day. The two regions of the state are up against each other over a stretch of land. The administration is undecided on how to deal with the present turmoil. Going by the present ground realities, there seems no light at the end of the tunnel.
Here are some remedial measures through which the crisis in Jammu and Kashmir could be mitigated.
Anti-trafficking bill ignores consenting sex workers
By Somrita Ghosh for IANS:
New Delhi/Kolkata, July 25 (IANS) Geeta (name changed), a resident of Sangli village in Maharashtra, was 19 when she became...
Follow the Gandhian path to overcome intolerance
By Anil K. Rajvanshi
A whole book can be written on how Mahatma Gandhi's ideas are relevant today. He was a visionary and possessed...
Last hope for Bhutanese refugees in Nepal
Syed Ali Mujtaba
'Last Hope: The Need for Durable Solutions for Bhutanese Refugees in Nepal and India,' (available at http://hrw.org/reports/2007/bhutan0507 ) is an 86-page report published by the UNCHR. The report draws up a comprehensive plan for the resettlement of the exiled refugees and discusses the possible solutions to this protracted problem.
बिहार में ज़मीन का हक़ अल्पसंख्यकों को क्यों नहीं?
अफ़रोज़ आलम साहिल, TwoCircles.net
बिहार में भूमिहीन दलितों को ज़मीन देने की नीतिश सरकार की पहल अब अगड़े तबक़े के भूमिहीन गरीबों तक भी...
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I run a think tank where we focus on the image and imagination of India and, among many other issues related to leadership development, we are passionate about a clean India.
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The book could not have come at a better...
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Wheel chairs, ramps for disabled voters this election
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