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महिलायों की शिक्षा जैसे क्रान्तिकारी क़दम की सराहना के लिए सावित्रीबाई फुले और उनके पति ज्योतिबा फुले के बारे में...
Unsafe electronic voting machines: Shooting the messenger
By Prasanto K. Roy, IANS,
Over the weekend, the Indian establishment demonstrated how bizarre the mix of political insecurity, intolerance to criticism, and sheer stupidity could be. Mumbai police arrested Hari K. Prasad, chief of Indian research and development firm Netindia.
The reason: Prasad is member of a team of security researchers, including American computer scientist J. Alex Halderman, who have been working to show that India's electronic voting machines (EVMs), like those in the US and elsewhere, are flawed, and can be hacked, altering election results.
SP battles to retain its supremacy in Phase-2 of UP polls
By Brajendra Nath Singh and Prashant Sood
Saharanpur/New Delhi, (IANS) : As the battle for ballot in Uttar Pradesh shifts to 67 second-phase seats, including...
Biodiversity and Islam
By Dr Mohammad Iqtedar Husain Farooq,
Biological diversity, or the shorter term ‘biodiversity’, means the variety of life forms like human beings, animals of all sorts and plants of different categories in a region or on the globe. Any harm to biodiversity may increase diseases on Earth or in other words less of biodiversity means more of infections.
Maharashtra and Orissa: fit cases for President’s rule
By Amulya Ganguli, IANS,
If there is any justifiability at present in imposing President's rule on a state, it is in Maharashtra and Orissa. But governments at the centre have misused this constitutional provision so often in the past that the present regime lacks the moral authority to take the necessary step.
Ishrat Jahan encounter: Shabnam Hashmi asks Manmohan Singh to apologize
By Shabnam Hashmi,
An Open Letter to Hon'ble Prime Minister
Dear Dr Manmohan Singh.
I had written a small article in The Hindustan Times in June 2004. It was called ‘Come Shoot Me: I am a Terrorist’. It was to express my anguish on Ishrat Jahan’s killing in Gujarat.
Bangalore: aircraft and missiles
MOSCOW. (RIA Novosti military commentator Ilya Kramnik) - Russia pins special hopes on the Aero India-2009 show opening in Bangalore.
Aside from being a good selling pitch for Russian producers, such airspace exhibitions, and particularly the present show in Bangalore, give them an additional chance to show off - which is important, considering a current tender to supply 126 fighters for the Indian air force.
Jamiat’s call for Muslim girls’ education: Is there more than what meets the eye?
By Yoginder Sikand, TwoCircles.net,
BJP in a quandary with temple and terror cards
By Amulya Ganguli, IANS,
The Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) cosy world of emotion-driven politics has been turned upside down by the Mumbai tragedy.
From the late 1980s, the BJP has used ultra-nationalist postures to garner votes. These ranged from the movement to "liberate" the mythical birthplace of Lord Ram in Ayodhya to the pillorying of the Congress for being soft on terror.
Political fallout of Delhi results
By Syed Zia for TwoCircles.net,
In the wake of 2003 Delhi’ election result [in Congress’ favour], one of my friend said: Sir, Delhi ki public samajhdar hai (…just for recollection …BJP was ruling the center as NDA, then) they are not carried away by mere sloganeering and that too loaded with divisiveness. This friend is Lalit Mohan – a soft spoken, empathetic and flexibly open minded. God bless him!
A love-marriage, not love-jihad, which changed India’s history
By Soroor Ahmed, TwoCircles.net,
A single love-marriage between Prithviraj Chauhan and Samyogita, daughter of his cousin and king of Kannauj, Jai Chand, perhaps played a more significant role in changing the history of India than several other factors. Though the mothers of both were sisters, Prithviraj eloped with Jai Chand’s daughter. In return Jai Chand––unlike other Rajput kings and chieftains, who supported Prithviraj––allied with Muhammad Ghori, who succeeded in capturing Delhi in his second attempt in 1192. Ghori did not spare Jai Chand either and in 1193-94 defeated him in the Battle of Chandawar. He was killed and his son Harish Chandra ruled Kannauj as a sub-ordinate of Ghori and his successors until 1225, when Iltutmish ended his reign.
An illegal war is state-terrorism
By Yamin Zakari
“we were convinced that all the fissile material that could be used for any weapons purposes had been taken out of Iraq, and we knew that we had eliminated and destroyed the whole infrastructure that Iraq had built up for the enrichment of uranium.”
- Hans Blix, in a BBC Interview, Jan 2003
Muslim-Hindu Relations in Jammu Province – Part 7
By Yoginder Sikand, TwoCircles.net,
Full Series: Muslim-Hindu Relations in Jammu Province
Rahul banking on perpetuating poverty to revive Congress?
By Amulya Ganguli,
From being caught snoozing in parliament to spending time in a mysterious hideout to the current photo-ops with tillers of the soil, Rahul Gandhi has been acquiring a whole range of political experience. The problem with his present frenetic pace, however, is that the question is bound to be asked as to how long he can keep it up, not the least because any slackening will provoke sceptics to reiterate the charge against him of being a part-timer.
The Shia-Sunni divide: dangerous (re)-readings of Islamic History
By Sharjeel Imam
Out of the first four caliphs of Islam, the third i.e Uthman was an Umayyad, a powerful Quraish tribe based in Mecca...
System of Islamic education in Kerala
By Kashif-ul-Huda, TwoCircles.net
TCN Malabar series: Part 4
The system of Islamic education must have started at the same time as the first few masajid were established in Kerala. This system evolved over a thousand years period and even though for a century there is great emphasis on modern education, the Islamic education system survives and with some new trends shows that it continues to thrive.
Net neutrality is essential for human survival
By Syed Ali Mujtaba,
The internet’s privatization debate has intensified in India. It is hogging limelight because government is kite flying the idea to privatize the internet and allow the telecom companies to make money on customized services.
Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi has leveled the charge that Modi government that has come to power with the help of corporate money is now trying to pay them back their money by privatizing the internet.
BJP MP Vinay Katiyar detained in Kanpur
Lucknow: Senior BJP leader Vinay Katiyar was detained in Kanpur on Monday while heading towards Uttar Pradesh's Fatehpur town where communal violence broke out...
Indians the world over excited by new ‘cricketainment’?
By Kul Bhushan, IANS,
Cricket-loving Indians across the globe are ecstatic about the latest and greatest tournament under the Indian Premier League (IPL). This humongous extravaganza combines the glamour of Bollywood with the fanatic following of cricket among Indians across the world. The Twenty20 matches are as long as a Bollywood film and - hopefully - just as exciting. No wonder it has been dubbed as "Cricketainment".
Differences with Lalu shouldn’t lead to blowing the Hindutva trumpet
By Abhay Kumar for TwoCircles.net
I was surprised to see the reactions against Lalu Prasad Yadav following his conviction in the second fodder scam case...
Northeast can set off India’s second Green Revolution: ICAR director Ngachan
By Sujit Chakraborty
Agartala : The mountainous northeastern region, which comprises eight states, occupies eight percent of India's land area and is home to four...
Earthquakes and their impact: Building codes must be strictly followed
By Ramesh Singh,
A big earthquake in Assam and in the Himalayan region was expected ever since I was a geophysics student at Banaras Hindu University during 1974-1976. At that time, funding agencies spent money for routine observations of various parameters in the wake of a major earthquake. In the past, a few major earthquakes have occurred in the Himalayan region: the Bihar-Nepal earthquake of In 1988, Uttarkashi in 1991 and Chamoli in 1999. They claimed many lives and many houses collapsed, especially during the Uttarkashi quake. The major damage to buildings occurred because of the poor quality of construction.
Case of Aligarh Muslim University and scope of Article 30
By Jasim Mohammad,
When we got independence in 1947, the founding fathers of our Constitution faced a serious problem of safeguarding the genuine interests of the minorities. A sub-committee was formed under the Chairmanship of Sardar Patel to look into the matter. After prolonged discussions, the Committee recommended that the Constitution should have separate Articles to deal with the preservation of culture and language of the minorities, apart from Fundamental Rights.
Americans attacking Sikhs thinking they’re Muslims: Daily
By Arun Kumar
Washington : As police investigate an attack on a Sikh man in California as a hate crime, a media report said violence...
Oil pricing reforms essential to stabilise economy
By Sushma Ramachandran, IANS,
Politics and economics rarely mix well. This has been highlighted in the case of energy pricing where good economics says fuel prices must be raised, but political will is clearly lacking.
Presidential polls – more about politics than the candidate
By Gilles Verniers
One does not remember a presidential election in India where the role of political parties has been so blatantly exposed to the public eye. The scrutiny of a candidate's credentials by the media is unprecedented. Public interest has also been fuelled by the hurdles faced by the Congress in carrying out an election process announced as having been won in advance.
Gujarat 2002 replayed in Digras (Maharashtra)
By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,
Md. Nadeem, vice president of Minority Cell of Maharashtra State Congress Party, was with social activist Teesta Setalvad when she visited the violence-hit area of Digras, a taluka of Yavatmal district, on 31st July and 1st August. They listened to victims. Nadeem gives an account of what happened on 18th July in Digras after desecration of Holy Quran. Talking to Mumtaz Alam Falahi on phone from Yavatmal he says police was party to the miscreants who attacked on Muslim areas and ransacked their homes and shops.
Pakistanis cannot afford to encourage intolerance
By Huma Yusuf
As soon as I heard that gunmen had attacked two Ahmadi houses of worship in Lahore on 27 May, I posted a despairing comment on my Facebook page, condemning the violence and wondering out loud why we, as a nation, had let it come to this.
Only later was I struck by the irony of my action: I had logged on to Facebook, a website recently banned in Pakistan for carrying blasphemous content against the Prophet Muhammad, to decry the murder of members of a community that has for too long been persecuted on charges of blasphemy.
Mother Teresa to be canonised on September 4: Pope
Vatican city: The Pope during consistory of cardinals on Tuesday announced September 4 as the date for Mother Teresa's canonisation, the media reported.
After months...
Muslims should come out of their minority mindset
By Firoz Bakht Ahmed
There's lot of hue and cry over Muslims losing their minority status in Uttar Pradesh, according to a recent Allahabad High Court judgment. The so-called secularist parties and so-called Muslim leaders are crying hoarse indulging in mere lip service about the annihilation of minority status of Muslims in Uttar Pradesh for fear of losing their vote bank.
Will the contradict the diver?
By Mamoun Fandy,
The visit of US President George Bush to the region and the realisation of the two-state solution are governed by four determinants of which anyone interested in the peace process should not loose sight.
The first determinant is the time limit attached to President Bush's departure from the White House in eight months. Is this long enough for the US Administration to establish a Palestinian state? Will the remaining time be sufficient to establish a Palestinian state, even under international supervision in the manner of the independence of Kosovo?
September 29: Musharraf’s Day of Blunders
By Nasim Zehra, IANS
The legal 'home-run' handed down to General Pervez Musharraf was never going to translate into immediate political gain. But the Musharraf government seems to have become adept at aggravating its political problems by its own blunders.
If Sep 28 brought some respite for the Musharraf camp, Sep 29 should have been a day of serious remorse and reflection. The dominant reality of the day was the unfettered application of brutal force by the police on protesting lawyers and on journalists reporting the protests.
Help at hand for estranged Indian wives of NRI men
By Shubha Singh, IANS,
Young Indian women who have followed their non-resident Indian (NRI) husbands abroad sometimes find that a matrimonial dispute can leave them without the wherewithal to contest a divorce case or file for custody of their children. In some cases, the distressed women are unable to fight for their rights because of some lacunae in their immigration papers.
Karbala: The true symbol of non-violent resistance
By Rupa Abdi, TwoCircles.net
Black was the colour of pathos, and I was submerged in it. Women dressed in black sarees and salwar kameez were beating their chests to the chant of ‘Ya Hussain’. The chorus rose to a fevered pitch followed by a sudden silence. In that momentary silence was crystallized generations of mourning. The place – a Shia Muslim neighbourhood in Lucknow; the time – the tenth of Moharrum. If grief has different shades, on can see it during Moharrum.
NRIs often tormented, cheated out of their properties
By Kul Bhushan, IANS
Non-resident Indians' property experiences in India can put any horror film to shame. An NRI couple from the US came to Mumbai on vacation and when they visited their ancestral farm, the illegal occupiers refused to vacate the land. The NRI was brutally beaten and his wife molested and hounded out of their property grabbed by neighbours.
What explains Muslim under-representation in UPSC?
A Year-long Series on Education, Sponsored by The Aligarh Forum & Council of Indian Muslims—UK (CIM): - A Mirror on our Efforts, our Successes...
Muslims’ participation in non-Muslim festivals and functions
By Maulana Waris Mazhari,
(Translated by Yoginder Sikand)
OPEC’s record oil production cut
MOSCOW. (RIA Novosti economic correspondent Oleg Mityayev) - As expected, OPEC decided to cut oil production by 2.2 million barrels per day at a meeting in Algeria on December 17.
Controlling 40% of oil production, OPEC was reacting to the current recession in the majority of industrialized countries, and the shrinking demand. However, at best this decision will keep oil prices at the current level of a little over $40 per barrel.
Communalizing Census misses India’s real crisis: female feticide
By Masihuddin Sanjari for TwoCircles.net
Religion based census data has recently been released by the central government of India sparking a debate along communal lines1...
Electoral Reform or Federal Overreach? The One Nation, One Election Debate Heats Up at...
Staff correspondent, TwoCircles.net
New Delhi: The controversial One Nation, One Election (ONOE) sparked intense debate at the Lit For Life Dialogue 2025 in Hyderabad, where eminent journalists...
Indian farmers face harder life ahead: Studies
By Max Martin,
The unseasonal rain and erratic weather -- which are unsettling the Indian farmer and the nation's agriculture, economy and politics -- are no aberrations, according to global studies. Extreme rainfall in central India, the core of the monsoon system, are increasing and moderate rainfall is decreasing, as part of complex changes in local and world weather.
Will return award if Sahitya Akademi fails to protect writers’ rights: Vikram Seth
By Preetha Nair
New Delhi: Famed author Vikram Seth says that he would return his award, if the Sahitya Akademi fails to protect the lives...
Muslims need to choose their battles
From Vishwaroopam to Kashmir rock band, India’s Muslims are forever battling shadows
By Aijaz Zaka Syed
On Father’s Day: Letting go
By Andaleeb Wajid
My father died when I was 12. For many years, this was what defined me.
While the tears dried up after the first...
Punjab’s religious clash has political overtones
Chandigarh, May 16 (IANS) The religious clash between followers of Dera Sacha Sauda, a heretical sect and Sikhs in Punjab is not a matter of religion alone but has political overtones to it.
As dozens were left injured and public property damaged, especially in Bathinda town, in mindless violence Monday and Tuesday by Dera followers and reactions by the dominant Sikh community in Punjab, the political battle lines have been clearly drawn over the issue.
The Congress, which lost the recent assembly election to the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal, openly came out in support of the Dera.
A critique of religious extremism
By Maulana Wahiduddin Khan,
(Translated from Urdu by Yoginder Sikand)
New trend in jewellery industry attracting Muslim consumers
By Ziaulla Nomani,
India is the world's second largest single consumer of gold after China. The consumption of gold in India is about 50% in jewelry, 40% in investments, and 10% in industry.
Muslims and their contribution to the formation of Congress and freedom struggle
By Asghar Ali Engineer,
This year hundred twenty fifth anniversary of its founding is being celebrated. All people of India, irrespective of their religious persuasion richly contributed to the freedom movement through the Indian National Congress. However, due to majoritarian attitude of our leaders and narrow outlook of those who devise our educational curriculum, minorities’ contribution has been totally forgotten.
If government’s attack on NDTV was ‘fascism’, what explains the ban on Kashmir Reader?
By Raqib Hameed Naik, TwoCircles.net
Srinagar: A newsroom can often be the most nerve-racking, jarring, or the most fun-filled place for a professional...
Abusaleh Shariff explodes the myth of Muslims doing better under Modi rule
Final part of the 2-part series on Gujarat's development
By Faraz Ahmad
How do RSS and other Sangh Parivar outfits escape terrorist tag?
By Adnan Alavi
The TV Today group's English channel Headlines Today aired the sting operation that showed top Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader Indresh Kumar's involvement with Hindutva-inspired fanatics.
Extremists amongst us
Time for ordinary Muslims to stand up: While religious leaders avoided talking about worldly issues and muslibs (liberal Muslims) shied away from talking about religion; extremists moved into the vacuum that existed at the intersection of modern technology and religious identity.
By Kashif-ul-Huda, TwoCircles.net,
“They are not Muslims,” was how many reacted as heart wrenching photos and videos started coming in last month from Peshawar where terrorists had attacked a school and killed over 130 children. I identify with the helplessness and anger that forces some of us to say such words. This is a way for normal, ordinary Muslims to distance themselves and their religion from terrorists capable of committing such a heinous crime. But this posturing offers no long-term solution to the problem of extremisms.
पत्रकारों की हत्या में मक़सूर होता लोकतंत्र
मोहम्मद आसिफ़ इकबाल
सुप्रीम कोर्ट ने उत्तर प्रदेश के पत्रकार जोगेन्द्र सिंह को जिंदा जलाकर मार डालने के मामले में केंद्र सरकार और राज्य सरकार...
Politics of Batla House Encounter
By Tanzil Asif,
Batla House Encounter has always been a hot political agenda in all Muslim dominated areas of Delhi esp. Okhla since it’s occurrence in September 2008. This time the issue seems to have faded at least from Jansabhas and speeches of our netas. People can be seen in small groups discussing who did what to prove the encounter fake legally and politically.
Kargil: Whose war was that?
By C. Uday Bhaskar, IANS,
July 26 marks 10 years after India won the limited but high-stakes Kargil War initiated by Pakistan. On this day in 1999, the Indian soldiers gave the country a significant victory - albeit at a heavy cost in life, limb and blood. More than 500 military personnel gave their lives and a grateful nation celebrated a Kargil Diwas (Day).
Violent Aligarh protests kill Sir Syed’s mission
By Mushtaq ul Haq Ahmad,
When Sir Syed stood up as a harbinger of Muslim Renaissance by contributing his efforts in the field of education, he earned the wrath of status quoists who never wished that their grip over the common illiterate masses be loosened resulting in the loss of their followers and hero worshippers.
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...
The unexploded myth of first, second time voters
By Soroor Ahmed, TwoCircles.net,
There is a general perception that the role of youths, especially of the age group of 18-25 or -30, is very...
Observations of a Sunni Indian on the unrest in Iran
By P.A. Mohamed Ameen,
The following is my general observation; I can not say how much of it applies to Iran. It is open to debate. I am neither a scholar nor an Alim, I try to approach issue from a layman’s point of view.
Generational clash in Muslim world
Mission Mukhyamantri: BJP has task cut out in UP
By Mohit Dubey
Lucknow: The question is ringing loud and clear. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has Sarbananda Sonowal in Assam. But what...
दूसरों के न्याय के लिए लड़ते इज़हार हुसैन
फ़हमिना हुसैन, TwoCircles.net
डेहरी ऑन सोन(बिहार): ऐसे कई नाम हैं जो इंसाफ़ की लड़ाई को अपनी ज़िन्दगी का मक़सद बना लेते हैं. फिर पूरी...
Sachin Pilot silences detractors with Rajasthan victories
By Anil Sharma,
Jaipur: With the Congress winning three of the four assembly seats in the recently held byelections in Rajasthan, state party president...
How is Ghar Vapasi Different from Forcible Conversions?
By Ram Puniyani,
Propaganda around conversions has been one of the major political tools during last few decades. It was Niyogi Commission report which investigated the conversions in Adivasi areas in 1950s, then the Meenaxipuram conversions of Dalits into Islam, the and then the gruesome murder of Pastor Graham Stewart Stains on the charges that he was doing the conversion; are few amongst the big spectrum related to the phenomenon of conversions. As such the regular propaganda by communal forces that Muslim Kings converted people into Islam by sword has been made the part of ‘social common sense’ by now. On regular basis around Christmas time one saw the anti Christian violence in Adivasi areas a decade ago, and in that context rather than focusing on the violence against religious minorities, the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee called for a National debate on Conversions.
How media demonises Muslims in war on terror
By Gauri Lankesh
Recently, three young men were arrested in Hubli and Honnali towns in the southern Indian state of Karnataka on charges of vehicle theft. Since all of them happened to belong to the Muslim community, within a day of their arrests, police sources leaked to the media that they suspected the trio might be involved in planning terrorist attacks all over the country.
In the name of progressiveness: A Note on the recent Speak-Out movement in...
By Praveena Thaali for TwoCircles.net
In recent times, Dalit-Bahujan women have started a speak-out* campaign to reveal their experiences of sexual harassment, which until now it...
Mappila Haal: A virtual exhibition celebrating 100 years of Malabar Rebellion
Mappila Haal is a comprehensive creative expression of the Malabar Rebellion enabling the viewer to travel through the revolutionary days and nights.
Amjad Ali EM...
Act on Liberhan report, now
By Dr. Mohammad Manzoor Alam,
Soon after we became a republic, governments of the day started using a standard (and by now, too familiar) a ploy to wriggle out of sticky situations like massive anti-Muslim riots and financial scandals. That ploy was, and continues to be, the appointment of inquiry commissions “to look into the matter”, the officialese for a probe.
Assam hoping BJP will live up to promises
By Aditya Baruah ,
Guwahati: With the BJP making it to Dispur, people in Assam will now be watching the change that the saffron party...
I don’t want people to think that military rule has come: AMU VC
By Jasim Mohammad
Recently-appointed as Aligarh Muslim University Vice Chancellor Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Zameeruddin Shah talks to Jasim Mohammad about his plan for the university.
Dogs allowed, but not Muslims
By Farzana Versey,
"At around 9.30, I was told that some locals had a problem with me being a Muslim. I was categorically asked to hand over the keys so that my belongings could be shifted out immediately. I was told that I shouldn't enter the building again or I would be hurt."
Majid Khan and his wife Gayatri had signed an agreement, gone through police verification and shifted their belongings to enter their new rented home on May 1.
The owner Jyoti Rege told Mumbai Mirror, that ran the story, he did not want to rent his flat out anymore.
Childbirths amid lockdown: Institutional measures needed
Amid the ongoing lockdown in Inda, non-institutional deliveries have been frequently reported. Dr. Ahmed sheds light on the need to prevent these by strengthening...
How will Netanyahu victory affect Iran deal, Palestinian future?
By Saeed Naqvi,
Just when the US thought it would mop its brow, having tried hard to tame the West Asian rodeo, the Israeli horse has kicked up dirt. Americans, like everyone else, were waiting for Benjamin Netanyahu to lose the March 17 elections, before proceeding with their script of a nuclear deal with Iran towards some conclusion in the coming weeks.
Many hues of myths, mysteries and history
(IANS Books This Weekend)
There is a battle between celestial and dark forces, an extraordinary tale of riddles is to be solved, waking up to a new world loaded with challenges and the story of Guru Gobind Singh. The IANS bookshelf this weekend offers a mix of many hues. Take a look.
Modi co-opts US business in remaking India
By Saroj Mohanty,
One thing that singularly defined Prime Minister Narendra Modi's high voltage US visit was the open courting of American capital and his efforts to alter the narrative about India as an investment destination. In his individual and collective meetings with business leaders in New York and Washington, he pledged to take a series of steps in the coming months to ease doing of business in India. Modi told them to invest in India before the queue became too long.
In any war, India’s conventional superiority will prevail
By Gurmeet Kanwal, IANS,
The Pakistan government has failed to respond satisfactorily to India's demands to convincingly end terrorism emanating from its soil and to hand over terrorist leaders and fugitives from Indian justice. Though both governments have toned down the political rhetoric and war clouds are no longer hovering on the horizon, the palpable anger of the people after the terror attacks on Mumbai has not been assuaged and a future conflict with Pakistan remains a possibility.
Modi government does not encourages meat ban, ghar wapsi: Mukhtar Naqvi
By Sushil Kumar,
New Delhi: Distancing the Narendra Modi government from controversies such as the meat ban in parts of India and "ghar wapsi” call...
मेरी लड़ाई पूरी व्यवस्था से है – कैलाश सत्यार्थी
नोबेल पुरस्कार विजेता कैलाश सत्यार्थी से TCN की बातचीत
By सिद्धान्त मोहन, TwoCircles.net,
अभी हाल ही में भारत के समाजसेवी एक्टिविस्ट कैलाश सत्यार्थी और पाकिस्तान की बेटी मलाला युसुफजई को शांति के क्षेत्र में योगदान के लिए नोबल पुरस्कार से नवाज़ा गया है. कैलाश सत्यार्थी को यह पुरस्कार उनके ‘बचपन बचाओ आंदोलन’ के कार्यों के तहत दिया गया है, और मिल रही खबरें यह कह रही हैं कि कैलाश सत्यार्थी ने बाल मजदूरी के खिलाफ़ काम करते हुए लगभग 83,000 बच्चों की ज़िंदगी सुधारने का काम किया है. पूर्वी उत्तर प्रदेश वह इलाका है, जहां कैलाश सत्यार्थी ने अपने काम का एक बड़ा हिस्सा समर्पित किया है. यहां के मुख्य कालीन निर्माण के क्षेत्र मिर्ज़ापुर में कैलाश सत्यार्थी ने बाल मजदूरी उन्मूलन के लिए काफी काम किया है.
शमी-हसीन विवाद : अब सुलह हो सकती है, मगर मिलन नहीं!
आस मुहम्मद कैफ़, TwoCircles.net
समाज पुरुष प्रधान हो सकता है, मगर वो झुकता औरत की तरफ़ ही है. क्योंकि जब हर तरफ़ बात होती...
Multi-religious democracy and its challenges
By Asghar Ali Engineer
Western pattern of democracy was evolved in mono-religious societies. Almost all European countries had mainly Christianity as the sole religion with sprinkling of Jews living in ghettoes having no franchise. Thus there were no challenges of living in multi-religious society. In India too, multi-religious society was not a problem for centuries and Indian society never saw any inter-religious tensions, let alone violence.
SIO president on state terrorism, SIMI, minority witch-hunting and ragging
By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,
Suhail K K is the newly elected president of India’s largest Muslim youth group Students Islamic Organization of India. In an interview with Mumtaz Alam Falahi of TwoCircles.net he talks about targeting of innocent Muslim youths, state terrorism, difference between SIO and banned SIMI, and ragging and campus politics.
What is the top priority of Students Islamic Organization of India (SIO) today?
A case of moral turpitude, not just criminal
By Veturi Srivatsa,
When the entire Opposition castigated Manmohan Singh for not putting his foot down and stopping the 2G and coal scams, few questioned the basic honesty of the UPA prime minister. Will cricket fans treat Narayanswamy Srinivasan, the sidelined president of the Indian cricket board, in a similar manner, ignoring his failure to prevent the squalid happenings in the 2013 Indian Premier League? A clearer picture will emerge only after the Supreme Court pronounces its final views on Nov 24.
सच्चा इतिहासः गांधीजी की शहादत, गोडसे और आरएसएस
-राम पुनियानी
हाल में (अप्रैल 2023) में एनसीईआरटी ने स्कूली पाठ्यपुस्तकों में से बहुत सी सामग्री हटाने का फैसला किया। हटाई गई सामग्री में मुगलकालीन इतिहास, गुजरात दंगे, वर्ण...
Delegation of Muslim clerics meets Akhilesh Yadav, submits demands for minority welfare
By TCN News
Lucknow: A delegation of Muslim clerics, led by Aishbagh Eidgah Imam Maulana Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahli, met Akhilesh Yadav and submitted a...
Manufacturing Emotive Issues
Bharat Mata Ki Jai and hurling 'Anti Nationalism' for Dissent
By Ram Puniyani for TwoCircles.net,
The national scene is being dominated by the current ‘you must...
After Modi-Sharif bonhomie, India, Pakistan trade fire
New Delhi/Islamabad : India and Pakistan on Thursday lodged protests against each other after cross-border firing in Jammu and Kashmir left one dead and...
Bihar ban will be on all kinds of liquor: Minister
Patna : Bihar would have a 'total' ban on all kinds of liquor starting April 1, 2016 and not just on country-made liquor as...
Agenda for India: Real Estate
TwoCircles.net presents “Agenda for India”. Series editor is Charu Bahri.
Challenges & Solutions
“Urbanization is not a side effect of economic growth; it is an integral part of the process.
But inappropriate planning has led to uneven saturation, and the uneven zoning of commercial and residential spaces in Indian cities”, says Reza Kabul, Principal Architect and Founder, ARK Consultants Private Ltd.
TRS aims to emerge as sole vanguard of Telangana
By Mohammed Shafeeq
Hyderabad: In Seemandhra the poll campaign is all about who is responsible for division of Andhra Pradesh, while it is the...
We need a new mission: Clean India
By Rajendra K. Aneja, IANS,
"Will you return to work in India?" I asked Aresh. Here was a teenager studying at one of the best schools in the world, at Winchester in Britain. With sports, extra-curricular activities and academics blended harmoniously in the curriculum, he was a future leader. "No, the filth puts me off. I get sick!"
Radha, a student at Harvard School, said: "The drive from Mumbai airport via slums, tattered roads, tonnes of trash, is a traumatic welcome to India." She loves India but cannot work there.
The mind map of a Muslim Indian
An Introduction to the Political Ideas of Syed Shahabuddin
By Dr. Hilal Ahmed
Introduction
Talking to Caesar: Church and Modi government
By Jonhn Dayal,
The popular idiom in international human rights discourse is that there can never be a “boycott” of any one, be it governments, non-state actors, political parties, institutions or individuals. There must be a constant engagement. There must always be scope to explore channels of communication, leading possibly to dialogue. And dialogue can be an end in itself in the short and medium term, even if there is little hope of success, or even understanding in the beginning.
Post Article 370: Immediate Police Reforms needed in Jammu & Kashmir
By Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat
It has been more than 7 years since Omar Abdullah led government in Jammu & Kashmir, before tabling J&K Police...
TV serials and the rise of Hindutva
ShahNawaz Khan TwoCircles.net
I would argue Ramanand Sagar, and not the BJP, started laying the bricks of a Hindu Rashtra, although, perhaps inadvertently. The Ramayan...
Modi & Erdogan: Parallel lives?
By Amulya Ganguli,
The writer Amitav Ghosh has noted "striking" parallels between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. "In both...
Kunan Poshpora: The Silent Night That Still Echoes Cries for Justice
Raqif Makhdoomi, TwoCircles.net
Kunan Poshpora, a village in North Kashmir’s Kupwara district, carries a story that continues to haunt its people even after 35 years....
Interview with Maulana Tahir Madani of Ulama Council
Interview by Kashif-ul-Huda, transcribed by Manzar Bilal, TwoCircles.net,
Lalit Modi case: BJP rallies around Vasundhara Raje
By Brajendra Nath Singh ,
New Delhi: Amid mounting pressure for resignation of Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje over her help to former IPL chief...
Hindutva: terrorism’s new signature
By Subhash Gatade
May it be the suicide bombers of LTTE or the jihadists of Al Qaeda or ET guerillas working for a Basque region or the remnants of the Khalistani terrorists or for that matter terrorism unleashed by groups owning allegiance to the Hindutva brigade, the phenomenon of terrorism could be said to span every community or country in different measures.
India, has also of late witnessed a spurt in terrorist attacks. Recently we were told India stands among the top five countries of the world which are susceptible to a terrorist attack.
Once shy, Nitish takes to social media with zeal
By Prashant Kumar,
New Delhi: For too long, he was shy, unlike most other politicians. But ever since the battle for Bihar began, Chief Minister...
Sacred cows and commonwealth games
By NM Sampathkumar Iyangar for TwoCircles.net,
Leader of opposition in Delhi Assembly BJP 's VK Malhotra and Congress Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit have demonstrated the real colours of the rulers of the ‘modern and democratic’ country. The leaders, irrespective of the political affiliation, happen to be worshipping sacred cows to remain sacred!
Strategic and economic consequences of cheap oil
By Amit Kapoor,
Crude oil prices have plummeted globally. The present levels have consequences for both oil exporting countries like Russia, Nigeria, Mexico and Venezuela and those in the Middle East, as well as developing economies like China and India that depend on imports for meeting the demands of their fast prospering populations. In the past, the high price ensured that the oil exporting countries had enough inflows in the form of payments by developing and developed economies that have had a shortage of crude oil pre-July. However the economy is just one of the consequences of cheap oil. The other effects of equal, if not more importance include geopolitics and strategic alignment.
Anand Model should be replicated for inclusive growth
By Animesh Banerjee, IANS,
Traditional growth models are the legacy of the industrialization era that started a couple of centuries ago. The approach meant leveraging lowest cost resources with an aim of maximizing benefits to the owners of the enterprise. It is apparent now that pursuing a growth model that brings prosperity to a few while leaving the majority out of the ambit of its benefits is only furthering the gap between the haves and have not. There is a need to change that for inclusive growth, and the 'Anand experience' provides an excellent model.
The everyday ‘Agnipariksha’ of UP Madrasas: Hindutva must now be tackled innovatively
By Shamsul Islam for TwoCircles.net
On the eve of 71st anniversary of India’s Independence, the government of UP led by a senior leader of Hindu...
This near and yet so far: India/Pakistan travelogues by Indians/Pakistanis
By Vikas Datta,
A colleague recently visited Lahore to cover a fashion show. She enjoyed her sojourn but experienced a poignant episode when returning which...
Can NRIs celebrate India’s trillion-dollar economy?
By Kul Bhushan
IANS
If an American NRI visits India now, his dollars will buy much less. This is because the Indian rupee has strengthened against the dollar since 2002, crossing the watershed of Rs.41 to one dollar last week.
Actions, not speeches are important
By Soroor Ahmed, TwoCircles.net,
Actions speak louder than words, goes the saying. This is truer in case of serious politics.
But there is a general weakness––especially...
Two years ago, Sadhvi was principle conspirator for NIA. What changed now?
By A Mirsab, TwoCircles.net,
Five years after Ministry of Home Affairs asked National Investigation Agency (NIA) to investigate Malegaon 2008 blasts, NIA on May 13,...
Obstinacy, feudalism guide both BJP and Congress
By Amulya Ganguli
There is a striking similarity between Arun Jaitley's reported comment that the government cannot "retract" from its decision on the new...
Byline: When everyone is guilty, no one is guilty
By M.J. Akbar
What would have been the reaction of Indians if the shoe thrown by Jarnail Singh at Home Minister P. Chidambaram had actually hit his face?
Sympathy is a sentiment best measured by mercury. A little shake of the thermometer and it can shoot off in either direction. Jarnail Singh did himself a great favour by missing. If the shoe had hit the Home Minister smack in the face, who knows, he may have shared some sympathy.
Godhra fire was not a pre-planned conspiracy: Shubhradeep Chakravorty
Delhi-based freelance journalist Shubhradeep Chakravorty is the director of ‘Godhra Tak’, a documentary film on the burning of the train coach in February 2002 at Godhra, that set of a wave of murderous attacks on Muslims in Gujarat. In this interview with Yoginder Sikand he talks about his film and the reactions that it has evoked.
YS: What made you decide to make ‘Godhra Tak’?
Fall in US unemployment rate fails to enthuse markets
By Vatsal Srivastava,
Headline economic data releases point out that a gradual and sustained recovery in the US economy is underway. But it is quite...
A controversy might flare up over Indian citizenship in Assam
By Md. Ali, TwoCircles.net,
In the North-Eastern state of Assam, a controversy over the issue of Indian citizenship is in making. This has to do with the updating work of National Register of Citizens (NRC) 1951, at present going on in the state.