Are Kashmir’s truce violations any different from ‘war’?
By Sheikh Qayoom
The unending ceasefire violations by the Pakistani Army on the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir have become a...
Can Zawahiri add to communal cauldron already full?
By Saeed Naqvi,
How dangerous are Ayman al Zawahiri’s exhortations to Muslims on the sub continent?
There is an expression in Hindi, “Soney pey suhaga”, suhaga being the powder which makes gold shine. In a volatile social situation, where communal polarization is an electoral requirement until key state elections are out of the way, the Zawahiri slogan may have some short term advantages for the ruling party. It is perverse to say so but that is the way it is.
Charminar, once an icon of Hyderabadi pride, now a combat ground of religious dominance
By Mohd. Ismail Khan, TwoCircles.net,
A world gripped by the cancer of terror
By Ram Puniyani,
The current times are very disturbing as so many innocent lives are being lost and social resources being destroyed due...
India’s research conundrum
By Amit Kapoor,
Research and development (R&D) forms the basis of future competitiveness of any nation. It is because R&D is critical for any form of innovation. Today’s science is tomorrow’s technology. A classic case in point is the US economy. It is a world leader in technological innovation. From the development of critical, indigenous defense production to the development of world-class products and services it has shown that public and private sectors can both be pioneers in R&D within a nation. The scientific and technological prowess has done good for not only US’s citizens but has done a lot in general for the betterment of the human condition. What can explain the rise of US? In our opinion, it is because the country has fostered a spirit of scientific inquiry that was part of its founding father’s legacy. Part of this started with having had a targeted approach in fostering science and technology within its policy context. Part of it has also to do with developing economic centers of activity (think Silicon Valley) based on its science and technology ecosystem. Also, it has had a specific focus on institutions that have enabled its stupendous economic growth post the Second World War.
No winners in West Bengal; losers are its people
By Amulya Ganguli, IANS,
Venal and irresponsible politicians, acting in concert with anti-social elements masquerading as cadres, have ensured that the faint hopes of reviving West Bengal's industrial sector have again been dashed.
First, the state government had to scrap its plans for a chemical complex in Nandigram because of stiff resistance to the acquisition of agricultural land led by Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee. Then the Tatas abandoned their Nano project in Singur as Banerjee's agitational tactics scaled new heights.
One Month of Modi Government: Muslims’ apprehensions and aspirations
By Jasim Mohammad, TwoCircles.net,
Narendra Modi government has completed one month after winning thumping majority in the 2014 general elections. Though one month time is not suitable to analyze the working of any government but just for the intellectual exercise and to point out certain lapses on the part of the newly formed government the analysis is necessary. After taking oath of office of the Prime Ministership, Narendra Modi has said on several times that he wishes to carry on every section of Indian society with him on the developmental path, so that whole country may be progressed. This was the welcome declaration at least for the masses and deprived classes of India.
Angered over Adilabad riots Muslims warns Congress of withdrawing support
By Mohammed Siddique, TwoCircles.net,
Angered over the communal flare up in Bhainsa in Adilabad district and frustrated over the failure and inaction of the state government, the Muslim leadership in Andhra Pradesh has put the ruling Congress party on notice.
The Muttaheda Majlis-e-Amal (United Action Committee), comprising of all the major Muslim organizations in the state, after discussing the communal riots in Bhainsa and Vatoli, which claimed ten lives, directly blamed the Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy and the Home Minister K Jana Reddy for the situation.
The curious case of the inclusion of Mallicks in Bihar Backward Classes list
By Ashok Yadav & Khalid Anis Ansari,
22 Taliban militants killed in Afghanistan
Kabul: At least 22 Taliban militants were killed over the past 24 hours in a fighting with the security personnel in Baghlan province of...
“My contribution to the history of Kashmir has finally been recognized”
By Syed Ali Safvi,
Born in Srinagar Kashmir in 1924, Prof Fida Mohammad Hassnain was recently conferred 'Lifetime Achievement Award' by Jammu and Kashmir state government. He is the recipient of several degrees and awards from various universities and institutions of India, Japan, Switzerland, Germany and Mexico.
He started his service career in 1953 as Professor and retired as Director of Archives, Archaeology, Research and Museums in 1980.
इक़बाल नियाज़ी: उर्दू ड्रामों की आन बान शान
(इक़बाल नियाज़ी के जन्मदिन 15 मई पर विशेष लेख)
निबंधकार: डॉ नाज़ ख़ान
वो चाँद है तो अक्स भी पानी में आएगा
किरदार ख़ुद उभर के कहानी...
Iran is not the enemy
By Ellen Francis
The "axis of evil" has no relevance for me when I think of Iran, a country I've found to have a human, loving, hospitable face throughout 40 years of encounters. I lived in Iran between 1968 and 1978, and started returning again, this time with peace delegations, in 2005. It is one of the great joys of my life to see the layers of misunderstanding and fear gradually fall away from those who visit Iran today for the first time.
Hindu Rashtra: Is it good for Hindus?
By Ram Puniyani
Hindu Rashtra is the goal of Hindu nationalist politics, which is also called as Hindutva. In contrast to Hinduism, Hindutva is a...
Superbug scaremogering: It’s not the end of antibiotics
By Narayanan Suresh, IANS,
After the swine flu, or the Influenza A H1N1, virus achieved media superstardom in the past 12 months before bowing out of the world stage unceremoniously last week, its place has been taken by a new superstar.
A new gene, New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase or NDM-1 found in gut bacteria in patients treated in some Indian hospitals is alleged to be the new sensation.
Robbing their peace and declaring them dacoits
Unheard & Unspoken: Terror stories from Madhya Pradesh: Part 4
By Mohd. Ismail Khan, TwoCircles.net
A hockey victory to rejoice after gloom
By Veturi Srivatsa, IANS,
New Delhi : The Indian hockey team's victory at Ipoh, jubilantly holding aloft the Azlan Shah Cup Sunday evening, is a cause for rejoicing as it has to been in the context of what has happened in the last three years.
First, India were humiliated at the 2006 Doha Asian Games finishing out of the medal bracket and then disaster struck them at Santiago when they failed to qualify for the Olympics for the first time in 80 years.
A bullet to dissent: Free Speech, Indian Democracy and the murder of Gauri Lankesh
By Aabha J for TwoCircles.net
Late on September 5, noted journalist and human rights’ activist, Gauri Lankesh was shot dead at her residence by unidentified...
SIO releases manifesto for Bengal elections, ask secular parties to unite, improve education system
By Zaidul Haque, TwoCircles.net
Kolkata: In a clear departure from political parties releasing their manifesto before elections, the Students Islamic Organisation of India has released...
UP, Bihar, Odisha, Maharashtra join discom debt restructure plan
New Delhi : Major states - Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha and Maharashtra - on Monday agreed to join the UDAY debt restructuring scheme for...
जेएनयू विवाद: भूख हड़ताल से आगे का रास्ता
फहमिना हुसैन, TwoCircles.net
दिल्ली: जवाहरलाल नेहरू में चल रहा विवाद अब पूरे नए फलक पर आ चुका है. राष्ट्रद्रोह और देशविरोधी कार्यक्रमों के मामले में...
Let’s not export saffron mischief to Malaysia!
By Sampathkumar Iyangar
Malaysia has been of the very few countries with which India can be said to be enjoying consistently friendly relationship. Bilateral trade volumes, currently at USD 4.5 billion, are growing. The relation has been marked by full respect to for each other and been mutually beneficial. There has been no talk of one of them taking advantage of the other.
Immigrants less likely to find jobs because of racial prejudices
By IANS,
Sydney : Recruitment consultants are likely to nix prospects of immigrants on account of their skin colour, accents, ethnicity and qualifications, much less find them jobs, according to a new study.
Researchers found that only a small number had found jobs that matched their qualifications and many remained jobless or had accepted unskilled work.
The barriers to finding employment were language skills, accent, ethnicity, skin colour, prejudice, lack of cultural understanding and a lack of helpful support from recruitment and government agencies.
चौपट संस्कृति में तीन फ़िल्में
सिद्धांत मोहन, TwoCircles.net
यह बहस बड़ी है कि असम और अरुणाचल प्रदेश के बाद का समूचा पूर्वोत्तर भारत ‘भारत’ है भी या नहीं? लेकिन इसे...
A case for Muslim political party
By Karoly,
The options that have been placed for "what should be the future political approach of Muslims" have been (1) vote for UPA, (2) vote for NDA, (3) vote for the third front and (4) form their own secular democratic party.
Maoists unleash new terror in the ‘heart of India’
By P.V. Ramana, IANS
Cadres of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist), also known as Naxalites, are believed to be operating in over 200 districts across 17 states. The ultimate objective of the rebels is to capture state power through a protracted people's war and herald a New Democratic Revolution. Speaking in Kerala in January, Cabinet Secretary K.M. Chandrasekhar said the cadre strength of the CPI-Maoist was 15,000 armed men and women.
Appraising the Rohingya refugee situation in India and abroad
By Dr Syed Zafar Mahmood
The New York Declaration on Refugees & Migrants was unanimously adopted by the UN General Assembly on 19 Sept 2016....
Farmer suicides: Is moving from farms to factories the answer?
By Amulya Ganguli,
The stir against land acquisition took a tragic and macabre turn when a farmer hanged himself during an Aam Admi Party (AAP)...
Madness in Myanmar and minorities in Muslim lands
The world community must hold Myanmar to account on its treatment of Muslims
By Aijaz Zaka Syed,
Budget 2014 should not be price pushing exercise
By Syed Ali Mujtaba,
The forthcoming budget is eagerly awaited and if cues from the new government have to be interpreted, the national budget could be an exercise in taxation and pushing up the prices. If that may be the case, the new government seems willing walking into the policy paralysis trap.
रमज़ान के महीने में फ़ाक़े को मजबूर एक इमाम
अफ़रोज़ आलम साहिल, TwoCircles.net
दिल्ली: रमज़ान का मुबारक महीना अब अलविदा कहने को तैयार है. रमज़ान के आख़िरी जुमे के गुज़रने के साथ ही लोग...
Report confirms torture but AP Minorities Commission fails to move
By Kashif-ul-Huda, TwoCircles.net,
Talking about torture meted out to the detainees, the report says, “the physical wounds have left an indelible impression on the psyche of the persons.” The investigation was ordered by the Andhra Pradesh State Minorities Commission after allegations of torture of Muslim youth surfaced in 2007, but now the Commission itself is dragging its feet failing in its constitutional obligation of protecting the minorities.
For the Love of Urdu: Running free Urdu classes
"Even when Qamar Hayat retired in 2003 as a teacher from the Nagpur Municipal Urdu School, the Urdu class continues to be free of...
Extremism: The responsibilities of the Ulema and Muslim intellectuals
By Maulvi Yahya Nomani,
(Translated from Urdu by Yoginder Sikand)
Indian jails overcrowded, says government
New Delhi: There were 418,536 prisoners in Indian jails at the end of 2014, against the capacity of 356,561, the government said on Tuesday.
Minister...
Prime Minister, President and Vice President of India greet nation on occasion of Eid
By TCN News
Delhi: The Prime Minister, President and the Vice President conveyed their greetings and best wishes on the occasion of Eid-Ul-Fitr.
"My greetings...
India seem to have covered all bases
By Veturi Srivatsa,
Two starred questions to Mahendra Singh Dhoni during the World Cup by the itinerant Indian media have been whether the form of Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja is a matter of concern for him.
The Indian skipper's answer ahead of the game against Bangladesh was as if the two players themselves would provide the journos a fitting reply sooner rather than later. As for Suresh Raina, he has become a stock question and he is showing up as a great finisher, batting first or chasing.
Whither urban development? Bleak future stares at India’s cities
By Amulya Ganguli, IANS,
A New Delhi newspaper reported last Thursday that local authorities received 117 complaints of waterlogging, five of falling trees and six of building collapses, in one of which a four-year-old boy was killed. A school bus carrying 35 children became so deeply "embedded" in a road that a crane had to be called in, but it, too, got stuck. There was another report of a road caving in. Since it was in an area where several embassies are located, the incident will not send a flattering image of India abroad.
Modi wave didn’t help BJP’s Muslim candidates
By Kashif-ul-Huda, TwoCircles.net,
Modi wave that has given BJP a historic win has reduced the number of Muslim MPs in Lok Sabha. This wave did not help its own Muslim candidates. 282 BJP MPs will sit in the next Lok Sabha but none of them Muslim.
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.
AMU alumni celebrate Sir Syed Day in New York
By Shaheer Khan,
Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, the founder of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) was born on October 17, 1817. Sir Syed, the famous 19th century scholar, historian and social reformer spent most of his time on promotion of social, economic and educational conditions of Indian Muslims.
याक़ूब मेमन – शख्स जो सबके गुनाहों का बोझ लेकर फांसी चढ़ेगा
By वसीम अकरम त्यागी,
'टाईगर सही था हमें लौटना नहीं चाहिये था....'
महज इस एक पंक्ति में अपना विरोध दर्ज कराने वाले याकूब मेमन की...
हाईकोर्ट के इस फैसले के बाद तबलीग़ को बदनाम करने वालों के विरुद्ध...
वसीम अकरम त्यागी
कोरोना काल में बॉम्बे हाईकोर्ट ने तब्लीग़ी जमात के विदेशी सदस्यों को ‘राहत’ दे दी है. कोर्ट का मानना है कि सरकार...
Jaitley’s clout has grown with latest cabinet expansion
By Arvind Padmanabhan,
That the defence portfolio will be taken away from Arun Jaitley was a given. The lawyer-politician, who will turn 62 next month, had himself said in as many words that it was an additional charge he was holding, which would be assigned to someone else at the first given opportunity.
Seven pastors killed, 20% rise in attacks on Christians in 2015, says minority group
By Raqib Hameed Naik, TwoCircles.net
Mumbai: There was a 20 percent rise in attacks on Christians in India, Mumbai-based minority and human rights group...
Food crises or rising prices?
By Mirza Anwarulhaq Baig
Why much outcry is over the rising food grains prises while Mr Sharad Pawar, Union Agriculture Minister has recently revealed pleasing news for those who were much haunted by the ghost of rising prises that India got the record-breaking wheat productions in the running year, now there is no need to import food-grain.
Kashmiris will benefit from India-Pakistan peace: Vohra
Jammu/Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday celebrated the Republic Day on Tuesday, with Governor N.N. Vohra saying the state will benefit the most from...
Politically Incorrect! Political satire in Urdu poetry
By Vikas Datta,
"Here richly, with ridiculous display,/The Politician's corpse was laid away/While all of his acquaintance sneered and slanged/I wept: for I had longed to see him hanged", was prolific English author Hillaire Belloc's caustic send-off to an unnamed politician. The verse also exemplifies the vibrant, universal tradition of political satire that exists alongside organised government - from the plays of Aristophanes in ancient Athens to TV shows like "Yes Minister" and "Saturday Night Live" now. And closer to home, both Hindi and Urdu literature used it to devastating effect.
Early elections in Palestine is a necessity
By Akram Atallah
Bethlehem : The current case of political division within Palestinian society is, no doubt, so deep and strong, that it has started to clearly affect, not only the points of view and opinion of political factions and figures, but has also started to deeply influence "normal" Palestinian people, affecting their ambitions and confidence in the factions and political leadership in an unprecedented manner in the history of the Palestinian cause.
Holistic development of youth is need of the hour
By Rajat Arora
Youthhood is considered a crucial period for establishing a positive well-being in a lifetime of a human being but a vast number...
Ironies of Shia-Sunni ties
By Soroor Ahmed, TwoCircles.net,
“The Muslim Brotherhood is quintessentially a Sunni entity, but in Yemen, its chairman and secretary general are Zaydis. Thus, all this...
In their gloomy isolation after Memon hanging, Muslims turn to Owaisi
By Saeed Naqvi
In the night of the tyrants,
Who calls my name from afar?
I must climb the scaffolding of the gallows to see beyond...
After Kilinochchi, is Rajapaksa awaiting Kalinga?
By M.R. Narayan Swamy, IANS,
Even the pictures could not have fully captured the immense joy President Mahinda Rajapaksa may have felt when he victoriously toured Kilinochchi, the once quaint Sri Lankan town the Tamil Tigers had made the hub of a de facto state they thought no one could vanquish. But dreams do sometimes turn into disasters.
Which way will Bihar vote?
By Mohammad Sajjad for Twocircles.net
“Once the numbers of BJP MLAs increase in the Bihar Assembly, their numbers in the Rajya Sabha will also go...
Pakistan’s nuclear-armed army faces its sternest test yet
By Rahul Bedi, IANS
As Pakistan slips further into anarchy, it is its omnipotent 500,000-strong army that deserves attention as it remains the only institution, however imperfect, capable of providing a modicum of stability amidst grave turbulence.
Events on the ground, however, indicate that like Pakistan's politics, its judiciary and civil society, disturbing cracks are also emerging in its nuclear-armed army that has directly or indirectly ruled the country for most of the country's 60 years.
Muslim commerce is ages old
By Farish A. Noor
It has become ever so fashionable to talk about Islam and commerce of late. Yet a cursory look at the references to Islam and economics, business, banking, finance and made-for Muslims products and services on offer on the internet would point to the fact that Muslim commerce is booming, and what's more, has been doing so for the past two decades with scarcely anyone noticing.
ख़ामोशी और ‘बदलाव’ के बीच भाजपा के दो साल…
फहमिना हुसैन, TwoCirclers.net
भाजपा सरकार अपनी ही बनायी नीतियों में उलझती जा रही है, वहीं कांग्रेस अपनी स्थापना और देश की स्वतंत्रता के बाद सबसे...
Computerised testing has winning edge over paper-pencil CAT
By N.N. Sachitanand, IANS,
Asking for a return to paper-and-pencil common admission test (CAT) for the Indian Institutes of Management because of initial minor glitches in the computer-based testing (CBT) carried out this year for the first time is akin to throwing the baby out with the bath water.
Madhya Pradesh: Meet JEE Mains Topper Majid Hussain from Burhanpur
Abdul Wasim Ansari, TwoCircles.net
Bhopal: Majid Hussain, a resident of Madhya Pradesh’s Burhanpur district, recently grabbed headlines by securing the top rank in the Joint Entrance...
Mandsaur cow vigilante attack: 27th this year
By IndiaSpend Team
The attack on two women in Mandsaur in Madhya Pradesh suspected of carrying beef (though it turned out to be buffalo meat)...
India’s e-vault to store documents on cloud draws crowds
By Sharon Thambala
Bengaluru : A key part of the "Digital India" initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the free government scheme that...
2016 may see new alignments, Rahul’s elevation
By Prashant Sood
New Delhi : The new year promises to be politically significant with elections in four major states, Rahul Gandhi's possible elevation as...
Analysis: Iraq-U.S. pact talks in deadlock, but not dead
By Jamal Hashim, Shaalan Ahmed, Xinhua,
Baghdad : Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's harsh words on "deadlock" over Iraq-U.S. pact talks may not prevent Baghdad and Washington from hammering out a long-term relationship pact, analysts said Saturday.
Maliki could have made the pointed remarks under growing pressure at home and abroad, added the analysts.
On the Meanings of the Hijab
By Sana Khan,
More than three years ago I wrote an article titled ‘burqa-to wear or not to wear’. A friend said that she supported the view of the French government banning the burqa as it truly was doing it to respect the principle of secularity in school and well of course it would liberate women, and in this light I wrote this article. That time I was arguing that the wearing or not wearing of a burqa/hijab is an individual choice about attire. Just as the other women exercise their opinion to dress in the manner they want, without any hue and cry, a woman in burqa/hijab should have the right to dress in the way she wants to. I am sharing here some excerpts from that article which I think are significant only to place the discussion around hijab in a more lucid way as it explains my position on hijab.
Why just 7 Muslims among 90 Monitors for Minority Districts?
By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,
This Ramzan, be a good husband: Say No to domestic abuse
By Asma -Nama
I know, it must sound odd to you.
A woman giving a piece of advice to men?
What’s more, asking them to...
Does only commemoration of birth anniversary of Sir Syed fulfil the message?
Mere words without action will be “dishonesty”, claims a doctoral student of AMU
By Mumtaz Ahmad Numani,
On October 17, 2014, Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) celebrated the 197th birth anniversary of its founder Sir Syed Ahmad Khan. The celebration is always meant to be symbolic to recall and remind ourselves his powerful vision and mission. Can we exactly recall what is it that we commemorate? Most probably yes. It is after all, ‘education’. It is/was the education of political, social, economic and cultural studies to enlighten the citizens, but more than that ‘Muslims’ of the sub-continent.
Foiling a kidnapping: How children are lured away in Delhi
By Ranjana Narayan and Rajnish Singh
New Delhi : But for the alertness of a battery-rickshaw driver, two small boys of a residential...
Re-Imagining Islamic Ethics in the Context of Fiqh
The Quran is firstly a book of morality and ethics and only later a book of law. The Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) mentioned that he had been sent to the world in order to fulfill morality or ethics. This is why we would need to re-read the Quranic revelation within the framework of the universal Islamic morality, which is based on human nature.
Obama averts diplomatic disaster on Kashmir for now
By Mayank Chhaya, IANS,
Good sense seems to have prevailed in excluding India in general and Kashmir in particular from the mandate of Richard Holbrooke as the Obama administration's special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Netaji must be given ‘Leader of the Nation’ title: Mamata
Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Saturday Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose "must be given the title (of) Leader of the Nation",...
They don’t like me because I speak for justice, political empowerment of Muslims: Owaisi
Muslims and Dalits must come together on social issues and political understanding will follow, MIM President tells TCN in an Exclusive Interview.
Ever...
Pre-poll goodies in times of falling GDP growth
By Sushma Ramachandran, IANS,
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's government was looking forward to a "Jai Ho" moment with the electorate after the series of poll sops that have just been announced. But the GDP growth data released this week has put a dampener on its hopes as recessionary trends are much stronger than had been envisaged till now.
Minister denies report on Nehru library head
New Delhi : Union Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma on Wednesday denied reports on the likely appointment of journalist Swapan Dasgupta as head of the...
Remembering Hashimpura Massacre: A black chapter for UP Police
By Vibhuti Narain Rai,
There are some experiences that stick with you throughout your life. They always stay with you like a nightmare and sometimes...
Rs 180 crore- that is the annual earning of beggars in India
By Mohammed Siddique, TwoCircles.net,
Do you know how many beggars are there in India and what is their collective annual income? How much a beggar spends on his food and where the remaining money goes?
An interesting study by a Hyderabad based sociologist Dr Mohammed Rafiuddin has come up with some interesting and incisive details about the beggars and problem of begging in the country, especially in Hyderabad.
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.
A Portrait of the Indian as a Young Dalit Girl: Part 2 – Sister,...
(Editor’s note: This was first published on Yahoo.com as a single piece. We are reproducing the long form report in parts for TwoCircles.net readers.)
You...
India can still salvage the series Down Under
By Veturi Srivatsa,
Can India regroup and make a series of it against Australia after their so-close-yet-so-far performance in the Adelaide Test? The answer is yes and no.
Yes, if they can take the positives from the first Test and add certain plus points. India will be bolstered by the return of their captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Australia’s loss of Michael Clarke. The batting was not all that fallible in both the innings, barring their losing the plot, post-dismissal of opener Murali Vijay.
Genesis of Saudi, Iranian activism in Levant
By Soroor Ahmed, TwoCircles.net,
To call the civil strife in Syria just a sectarian clash would amount to criminal over-simplification of history. The origin of the turmoil in Levant can be traced to the carving out of Lebanon from Syria by the colonial powers that also created Israel.
With about 43 % Christian and 57% Muslims–– Sunnis and Shias––as well as minority Druze population, this tiny country was designed as another future base for the western powers.
The pain of Dardpora: Kashmiri half-widows living in a state of limbo
By Muhammad Zulqarnain Zulfi
Dardpora (Jammu and Kashmir): Lying near thick deodar forests, terraced cornfields, apple orchards and jagged mountains, the hamlet of Dardpora looks...
Whither national identity: Mono-culture subsumes all other identities
By Jaspal Singh,
Liberalism forces one into adopting a uni-dimensional mode of being and identity. So your national identity, which was very crucial for bourgeoisie in Europe to establish in opposition to monarchy, was to subsume all other identities. Bourgeoisie wanted undivided loyalty to the nation and not to the king or church as was the case earlier, so it had to privilege nation and national identity and demanded that all other identities be subsumed under it. It allowed the ruling bourgeois elite to monopolize and control all the natural and human resources of a particular area.
Kill us here but don’t send us back: Rohingya refugees
By Mohammed Shafeeq
Hyderabad, (IANS): Anxiety is writ large on the faces of over 3,800 Rohingya Muslims living in this city amid reports that the Indian...
Genesis of Anti-foreigners movement in Assam
Part III: Nellie 1983
By Anjuman Ara Begum and Diganta Sharma for TwoCircles.net
Resurgence of Kashmir militancy new challenge for security establishment
By Aijaz Nazir
Srinagar: Even as talks are scheduled to be held between National Security Advisors of India and Pakistan later this week, an insidious...
Successful, Young, and Muslim: Education, a great equalizer
Education opens up avenues for growth, the second part of the SYM generation of Indians, special three-part series by Charu Bahri for TwoCircles.net.
Limited access to modern education has precluded most Indian Muslims from adequate representation in the private and public sectors and without the know-how to back professional ventures, limited the avenues for youth desirous of kick-starting their own enterprises.
Don’t forget the less fortunate this Ramadan
Spare a thought for the people of Syria and persecuted and less fortunate people everywhere this Ramadan
By Aijaz Zaka Syed
With Dantewada massacre, Maoists on suicidal course
By Amulya Ganguli, IANS,
The Maoists may have signed their own death warrant by carrying out the massacre at Dantewada in Chhattisgarh. The very success of the ambush can spell doom for them. No government can accept the brutal gunning down of as many as 76 security personnel at one spot without gearing up for a massive retaliation.
In a way, the episode was like 26/11, which convinced New Delhi of the futility of a dialogue with Pakistan. Similarly, what happened in Dantewada could prove to be a turning point in the government's anti-Maoist strategy.
Doctoring History for Political Goals: Origin of Caste System in India
By Ram Puniyani,
Caste hierarchy is a major obstacle to the goal of social justice and it continues to be a major obstacle to social progress even today. There are many a theories, which have tried to understand its origin. The latest in the series is the attempt of RSS to show its genesis due to invasion of Muslim kings. Three books written by RSS ideologues argue that Islamic atrocities during medieval period resulted in emergence of untouchables and low castes. The books are ‘Hindu Charmakar Jati’, ‘Hindu Khatik Jati’ and ‘Hindu Valmiki Jati’.
Destroying Mumbai’s cosmopolitansim: Citizens must speak out
By Amulya Ganguli, IANS,
After Sachin Tendulkar, it is Mukesh Ambani who has said the obvious - Mumbai belongs to all Indians. That it takes a sports icon and a business magnate to articulate a virtual axiom points to the deplorable context in which such truisms have to be emphasised. Nothing can be more damaging to Mumbai's reputation than the need for such assertions because Tendulkar's and Ambani's statements point to the presence of elements which are bent on destroying the city's cosmopolitanism.
We are watching you and your sadist medieval-era psyche: Dalit diaspora fumes over continued...
By Suraj Yengde for Twocircles.net
Cambridge: Mid-January in the New England area is infamous for the unfriendly cold shivers. Stepping out on a weekend after...
Kasganj: The government must not allow the Tricolour to become a pawn in the...
By Abdur Rab Khan for TwoCircles.net
The unpleasant incidents that took place in Uttar Pradesh's Kasganj district on the Republic Day have diminished the dignity...
More to Saudi women than the niqab
By Maha Akeel
Perhaps one of the most misunderstood and stereotyped countries in the world is Saudi Arabia, particularly when it comes to its women.
Trinamool accepts responsibility, acts in case of ‘real injustice’: Mamata
Kolkata : With the West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress facing fire from the Opposition over the Kolkata flyover collapse incident that killed 26 people,...
The perils of social networking
By Mohammed Abdul Jawad,
O, what a blessed month is this! Yea, of course, I mean ‘Ramadan’—the month of sublime patience, repentance, forgiveness and generous spending. It carries its unique beauty, virtues and rewards. We ought to know the reality of fasting, the acts of worship, the manners of supplications, the essence of piety, the ways to achieve steadfastness and protection from deviations, the etiquettes of night prayer, the virtues of Laylatul Qadr (Night of Revelation) and the significance of charity.
Thousands pay respect to NSG commando Niranjan E.K.
Bengaluru : Thousands of people paid tributes to martyred National Security Guard (NSG) commando Lieutenant Colonel Niranjan E.K. on Monday at his residence in...
What explains the Muslim debacle in Assam elections?
By Kaleem Kawaja for Twocircles.net
Assam has the second-highest percent (34) of Muslim population in India. Forty nine of its 126 Assembly constituencies...
डेल्टा मेघवाल के पक्ष में उतरी मुस्लिम महासभा
अफ़रोज़ आलम साहिल, TwoCircles.net
नोखा (राजस्थान): डेल्टा मेघवाल की लड़ाई अब किसी एक वर्ग या जाति की लड़ाई नहीं रह गई है. यह इंसाफ़ की...
Biden administration taking a dangerous path with Modi regime
Communal violence escalates in India as the US embraces its source.
Pieter Friedrich | TwoCircles.net
Two months ago, Atul Keshap — who was then temporarily serving...
Shamans, Communists and Crimes: The Dr Siri series
By Vikas Datta,
Devices for travelling instantly to any corner of the world and any time period already exist - they are called books.
Though Western Europe and North America may form the most frequent settings for English fiction, there is at least one writer who will use unconventional locales - Africa's arid wastes or trackless bush, Central America's steamy forests, South Pacific's laid-back but isolated islands or elsewhere - and any time of recorded history. Like this author who brings into focus a landlocked Southeast Asian country amid the throes of revolutionary change in a series of mysteries, which incorporate both the unseen world of spirits and an absurd Communist bureaucracy.
Sixty years of freedom, one hundred fifty years of struggle
By Kaleem Kawaja
India's Independence Day this year marks full sixty years of freedom from the colonial yoke. Also it marks the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of India's first war of independence in 1857. It marks one hundred fifty years of the struggle of the Indian masses to remove the domination of foreign control on their society, their ethos, their educational system, their economy and their place among the comity of nations.
A judicial murder and desperate politicians
Afzal Guru’s execution is a desperate ploy by a calculating Congress Party
By Aijaz Zaka Syed,
Book Review: Madrasa Reforms: Indian Muslim Voices
Book Review
Book: Madrasa Reforms: Indian Muslim Voices
Author: Yoginder Sikand
Year of Publication: August 2008
Publisher: Vikas Adhyayan Kendra(VAK),Mumbai
Price=Rs.100
Reviewed by Mushtaq ul Haq Ahmad Sikander
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
Reflections from the margins on Independence Day
By John Dayal,
It is not a jubilee year for independent India, but it is nonetheless a landmark anniversary. Not since Mrs. Indira Gandhi, second only to her father Mr. Jawaharlal Nehru as the country’s longest serving prime minister, lost office and Mr. Morarji Desai assumed power at the head of the Janata Party, a motley group supported by the RSS on the one hand and the socialists and Leftists on the other, has there been such a drastic change, even a reversal, of ideologies, policies and a vision for the future.
Political vendetta coming out of PMO, says Rahul
New Delhi ; Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the National Herald case row, saying "political vendetta" against...
Mumbai attack: Blame game moving in circles
Syed Ali Mujtaba,
The November 26, 2008 attack on Mumbai that killed nearly 190 people is the most recent episode in long string of high-profile terrorist attacks in India.
India has plethora of disgruntled elements, all planning million mutinies now and the story of grappling with the scourge terrorism is quite long. To cut it short, even then there is no long term vision yet prepared how to tackle this menace in a time bound sustained manner.
Bihar ‘misruled’: Nitish Kumar looks more ‘eager than desperate’
By Prashant Kumar
In the run up to the 2015 Bihar assembly elections scheduled for October-November, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar looks more "eager than...
Prabhakaran: the man is dead, the myth destroyed
By Mayank Chhaya, IANS,
Velupillai Prabhakaran may not have visualised his own macabre end as a mud-covered and practically naked corpse on a makeshift stretcher, but that is how it turned out to be. Despite the inherently cruel voyeurism of officially publishing the pictures of his body, Sri Lanka had to do so if only to prevent mythologies from being built around someone whose childhood hero was 'Phantom: the ghost who walks'.
Muslims and media images: Where things went wrong
By Vinod Mehta
Before I come to the subject matter of this essay, I must make a disclaimer, namely, that I do not bring to the issue an academic’s or a specialist’s perspective. All I can say is that I have been an English language editor for more than twenty-five years, and in that period I certainly have a working experience and knowledge of some of the problems and some of the complaints of Muslims in this country in terms of their media representation, especially in the English-language section of the press.
Threats and hate campaign force writer Sharmila Seyyid from Sri Lanka to go in...
The writer-activist now lives in self-imposed exile in Chennai
By M Reyaz, TwoCircles.net,
Sri Lankan woman rights activists Sharmila Seyyid and her family are being harassed for years. Facing attacks in Sri Lanka, where she and her sister used to run a school, she now lives in exile in Chennai, in hiding.
It is noteworthy here that Muslims as a minority in Sri Lanka has been facing ethnic violence for years – there was upsurge in 2014 – under Sinhalese Buddhist majority. Seyyid has been very vocal in her works against several conservative practices vis a vis women. She has already published two anthologies of poems and a novel Ummath that critiques rising conservatism in Sri Lanka, besides highlighting the everyday injustices that Tamil-speaking Muslims face there.
Madrasa education myth and reality
By Asghar Ali Engineer,
Madrasas have been at the centre of controversy since 9/11 attack on New York towers. It was thought that attacks were planned by Taliban who were students of madrasas run by Muslims of Wahabi ideology. Though as far as 9/11 attack was concerned, the madrasas in focus were from North West Frontier Province but in India too madrasas came under fire especially from those who were politically motivated and also from a section of media which took a biased view.
Why India stands largely insulated from global financial crisis
By Sushma Ramachandran, IANS,
The collapse of the mighty global financial system has triggered a series of chain reactions in India, but the impact is not going to be as widespread as earlier imagined. The reasons are numerous.
Olympics may make China more obdurate over Tibet
By Mayank Chhaya, IANS,
The Dalai Lama's reported acceptance of Communist Party rule in Tibet as a gesture of sincerity to bring the resolution of the Tibetan issue within grasp is bit of a non sequitur.
Why BAPSA’s support to Muslim Right is problematic: Part One
This is a first in a three-part series on how Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students Organisation (BAPSA) has, while effectively countering Savarna politics espoused...
Jyoti Basu’s successes and failures
By Amulya Ganguli, IANS,
Jyoti Basu's life encompasses the entire period of the Left's rise and fall in India.
When he first became a legislator in the West Bengal assembly in the late 1940s, there were only two of them in the house. His death six decades later has taken place at a time when the ideology itself is dying out not only in India, but worldwide.
Cow’s Urine as Medicine!
Faith's leap into blind Alleys
By Ram Puniyani
Recently the BJP ruled Uttarakhand Government (Feb 2008) has announced that it will procure cow's urine, on the pattern similar to the procurement of milk by dairies, refine it and sell it to Ayurvedic pharmacies. Other BJP ruled Governments are also working on similar lines.
Why the global recession is also an opportunity for India
By Prasanto K. Roy, IANS,
The near recession in the US and the global meltdown will, of course, have its impact on India's high-tech industry, as it is one of the greatest financial crises of our globalised times. But it also presents an opportunity for Indian services vendors to improve their market share, while forcing them to diversify and de-risk across sectors and geography.