Dignifying Lebanon’s past
By César Chelala,
The settlement reached in Doha last week between warring factions in Lebanon puts an end to an 18-month national crisis and raises hopes for a stable future for that beleaguered country. It may also make real my father's dream for his country, and prompt a wider movement for peace in the region.
Don’t forget African American Muslims
By Aminah Beverly McCloud,
That there needs to be a conduit between America and the Muslim world for better communication is an understatement given the tensions between the two cultures. The American Muslim community is composed of two distinct groups – indigenous Americans and their children, and immigrants and their children.
Indian Arrival Day not just for diaspora in Trinidad
By Paras Ramoutar, IANS,
Not many know that May 30 marks 163 years since the arrival of the first set of Indians in Trinidad and Tobago. People came from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab, Bombay, Orissa, Rajasthan and central India and even from Nepal.
The first batch of 230 Indian indentured labourers touched the soil of Trinidad and Tobago at Nelson Island, where they were held in captivity for health and social reasons - as if the almost 117 days they spent on the vessel Fatal Razack coming through the Kala Pani were not enough.
UN Security Council seat: China outsmarts India
By Sreeram Chaulia, IANS,
The symphony of South-South cooperation at the recent conclave of foreign ministers of BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) at Yekaterinburg was jarred by China's refusal to endorse India's bid for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council (UNSC). In the joint communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, Chinese delegates scotched Russian proposals of supporting India's cause of entering the elite league at the UNSC.
Charring the Kutch desert with charcoal
By Yoginder Sikand
The Great Rann of Kutch, stretching over much of the northern part of Gujarat’s remote Kutch district and spilling over across the border in Pakistan’s Sindh province, is a fragile desert ecological zone. It consists of flat sandy and stony plains that stretch as far as the horizon, interspersed with small rocky hillocks, dotted, in some parts, with thorny, ankle-length bushes. Large parts of the area do not boast of any vegetation at all, being covered with massive sheets of salt.
The BJP goes south: Declining charisma of Sonia Gandhi
By Amulya Ganguli, IANS,
The Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) success story continues. The party hasn't really known any major failure since its Uttar Pradesh debacle, which it shared with the Congress. Since then, it has forged ahead while its great rival has been steadily falling behind.
Is the IAS fortress showing cracks?
By Maxwell Pereira, IANS,
Is the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) feeling the heat? Has the decision of Adapa Karthik - this year's civil services exam topper for appointment to the IAS - to continue serving in the IPS shaken the citadel of power?
The unseemly politics of terrorism in India
By K. Subrahmanyam, IANS,
Following the Jaipur terror blasts resulting in over 60 deaths, there is an intense debate in the country on how to deal with terrorism. As is very characteristic of the political culture of this country, this outrage, instead of bringing our political parties together in a united effort to fight terrorism, has led to mutual recrimination. This would give a great deal of comfort and encouragement to the trans-national and intra-national terrorist organisations that target this country.
Quick media response reveals transparent gov’t in China
By Xinhua,
On May 12, a powerful earthquake measuring 8.0 on the Richter scale jolted Sichuan Province, southwest China, with its tremors felt in most parts of the country and some neighboring nations.
Minutes later, the Xinhua News Agency began pouring out stories on the quake, while the China Central Television (CCTV) interrupted its regular programs to give viewers round-the-clock coverage of the disaster.
Iraqi Israeli, Arab Jew or Mizrahi Jew?
By Vered Lee,
A violin wailed in one of the auditoriums on the Tel Aviv University campus. Violinist Yair Dalal was demonstrating the creative powers of Salah and Daoud al-Kuwaiti, two brothers considered to be among Iraq's greatest musicians. With immense skill and delicacy, Dalal mastered the notes, careful not to bring the emotional audience to tears.
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?
An unmentionable truce?
By Sadie Goldman with Jason Proetorius and IPF Staff,
A Hamas-Israel cease-fire could be on its way, but you wouldn't know it. No press conference will be held to announce it. Instead, quiet on Gaza's borders – no rockets going out, no Israeli fire going in – will serve as the declaration that the cease-fire has begun. But this quiet will come with a tension that at any moment the cease-fire could end. And once that happens, major confrontation can be expected.
The Cease-Fire That Shall Not Be Mentioned
Gordimer to ‘Post’: Israel must talk to its enemies
By Tom Hope and Steve Linde,
As bitter, disheartening and entangled the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians is, Nadine Gordimer's message is emphatic: Don't give up. It can be solved, but only by realising one thing: Talking to your worst enemies is the only way out.
Don’t depend on outsiders to settle the Mideast dispute
By Shlomo Avineri,
Israel's 60th anniversary has come and gone. So, too, has President George W. Bush's final visit to the Middle East. Amidst the celebrations and the soul-searching, no meaningful breakthrough in the deadlocked Israeli-Palestinian negotiations is visible.
Comrades hit where it hurts in Bengal panchayat polls
By Amulya Ganguli, IANS,
In addition to the Left's across-the-board setbacks in the West Bengal panchayat elections, the significance of the outcome is that the comrades have been hit where it hurts the most. As a result, any claim that it still controls the majority of the local bodies - 518 of the zilla parishads, for instance, against the opposition's 230 - will not dispel the gloom in the Communist camp.
Management of contradictions key to India-Pakistan stability
By C. Uday Bhaskar, IANS,
The just concluded visit of Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee to Islamabad (May 20-21), and the tenor of domestic developments in both India and Pakistan over the past week, suggest that many opposing impulses are at play in both polities and that astute management of these multiple contradictions will hold the key to nurturing stability in the troubled bilateral relationship.
Terrorism: A Political Cancer
Ram Puniyani,
The blasts in Jaipur (13th May 2008), have once again brought to fore the grim reality of global and local political scenario. In a short span of time close to hundred innocent lives were lost. What was heartwarming was the calm with which the society handled this grim tragedy. The amity with which the post blast situation was handled certainly needs million respectful salutes.
A welcome sign for Indian hockey
By K. Datta, IANS,
Even in the thick of the Indian Premier League (IPL) battles on which the eyeballs of cricket crazy, though not necessarily informed, masses have been fixed for the last few weeks, the silver medal-winning campaign of the Indian hockey team has received some media attention. This is as it should be.
Hindu-Muslim unity: a historical speech by a leading Deobandi maulvi
Translated by Yoginder Sikand
Transforming police crucial to counter-terrorism
By Ajay Sahni, IANS,
The tragedy of the Jaipur blasts - as with virtually every major terrorist outrage in India -is infinitely compounded by the utter obtuseness, the manifest incomprehension and the pervasive disorder and confusion that attend official responses.
Despite an experience with terrorism that has extended over decades, it is evident that the state and its agencies are yet to establish even the most basic protocols of response - at least minimally for the securing of the incident location and the ordered and humane transport of the injured and dead.
Christian underpinnings don’t deter secular Narnia fans
By Sevanand Gaddala, IANS,
With the release of "Prince Caspian", the "Chronicles of Narnia" franchise seems sure to establish itself and we can look forward to five more movies being made. The movies are based on the book by renowned Christian author C.S. Lewis.
At least 14 dead in mounting South Africa xenophobic violence
By Xinhua,
Johannesburg : The death toll in a week-long wave of xenophobic violence in South Africa rose sharply over the weekend as reports of people being burnt and beaten to death poured in from squatter camps around the business capital Johannesburg.
The police said that 12 people were killed over the weekend as shack dwellers in one poor community after another turned on migrants living in their midsts, beating them, sometimes fatally, torching their homes and looting their possessions.
Maulana Minnatullah Rahmani’s role in India’s independence
By Imteyaz Rahmani,
Elimination of British rule from India and independence of the country are great events of human history which not only abolished British kingdom but also left indelible mark on constitutional and political history of Arab world. The British were ruling in their own way on Arab countries due to their rule in India and almost the whole world was under their control as a super power.
Karnataka elections: an analysis of Muslim representations
TwoCircles.net forecasts seven seats returning Muslim candidates, they have decent chance on eight more seats. BSP can spoil it for the Congress and risk a historical low for Muslim representations in Karanataka Assembly. Read the analysis by Kashif-ul-Huda of TwoCircles.net
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.
Jaipur blasts: a blessed occasion for B.J.P.
By Dr. Mustafa Kamal Sherwani
The investigation into the Jaipur blasts is now almost complete. The pattern of the bombings was identical with those of earlier similar occurrences, and it has further been confirmed by the statement of the so-called owner of the cycle shop from which the persons, speaking with Bengali accent, had purchased seven cycles used in the terror strike.
Nadwi on Maududi: a traditionalist maulvi’s critique of Islamism
By Yoginder Sikand, TwoCircles.net
The late Sayyed Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi (or Ali Miyan as he was also known) was one of the leading Indian ulema of modern times. A noted writer, he headed the famous Nadwat ul-Ulema madrasa in Lucknow from 1961 till his death in 1999. He was associated with several other Indian as well as international Islamic organisations, a mark of the high respect that he was accorded among Muslims all over the world.
Sports as business – the game is afoot!
By Sangeeta Goyal, IANS,
With the launch of the Indian Premier League (IPL), sports as business has arrived in India, like in the United States and Europe. According to estimates, trade in sports-related activities is five percent or more of world trade. In India it is cricket for now that is flush with entrepreneurial money but with time we may see the same phenomenon in other sports such as hockey and football.
Thackerays give a bad name to Maharashtra and Marathis
By Amulya Ganguli, IANS,
Raj Thackeray may have convinced himself that he is serving the cause of the Marathi 'manoos', but in actual fact he is doing a great disservice to Maharashtra and the sons of its soil.
In the years before the Thackeray family became a force to reckon with, the state was known to the rest of the country via a veritable galaxy of leaders who were revered all over India - Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, M.G. Ranade, Jyotiba Phule, Pandita Ramabai et al.
Dip in industrial growth: time to change gears
By Sushma Ramachandran, IANS,
It's more bad news for the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government on the economic front, even as it looks forward to the general election in 2009. Industrial growth has dipped to a six-year-low of three percent in March this year. Coupled with raging inflation, the economic outlook is far from satisfactory at a time when both Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister P. Chidambaram were expecting to pat themselves on the back for a great five-year performance.
Bachchan and media trapped in jaded, dull matrimony
By Mayank Chhaya, IANS,
The media in India ought to impose a pretty long moratorium on Amitabh Bachchan interviews.
The media bakes the same old banalities and garnishes them as profound questions. And Bachchan, with no other option left, responds in a mockingly serious tone. Like a jaded couple trapped in a dull matrimony both the media and Bachchan have run out of things to say. Can you blame either? They have been tangoing for the past 30 years. There are no new moves left. They can only grunt at each other.
An innovative approach to Hindu-Muslim dialogue
55 year-old Syed Abdullah Tariq runs an Islamic group based in Rampur, a town in western Uttar Pradesh, that focuses on dialogue with Hindus. An engineer by training, he was one of the chief disciples of the late Maulana Shams Naved Usmani, a noted Islamic scholar who had also a deep knowledge of the Hindu scriptures.
Muslims must come out openly against terrorists
By Firoz Bakht Ahmed, IANS,
Today, Islam is under scanner owing to so many voices stating that the religion advocates violence. Not all of them can be wrong as people judge by what they see and today these terrorists speak and act violently in the name of Islam.
Jaipur, Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad like many others are global cities and the terrorism that struck here, too, is a global phenomenon. As a human being and an Indian Muslim, I literally wept over the needless deaths of those who died or were maimed while shopping during the beginning of the summer break.
A nation riding on killer bicycles
By M. Burhanuddin Qasmi
Terror struck us yet again — this time in the pink city Jaipur. Till Wednesday evening, the unofficial toll was 90 killed, and with over 200 injured. It was 7:30 pm, 13th May, prime time for shopping when daytime temperature was above 40 degree. Markets were bustling but within minutes everything was shattered and it was chaos all-around India's one of beautiful tourist places.
Dravid’s stature as cricketer is undiminished
By K. Datta, IANS,
Close on the heels of the shocking slapping incident involving Harbhajan Singh and S. Sreesanth and those fines imposed on Sourav Ganguly, Shane Warne and Ishant Sharma, the DLF Indian Premier League (IPL) has made news with the midstream sacking of the CEO of Bangalore's Royal Challengers because the team had failed to get into the winning habit.
Black money: Indians and NRIs partners in crime
By Kul Bhushan, IANS
Despite condemning black money, non-resident Indians have only helped to increase it. According to Aman Agarwal, professor of finance at the Indian Institute of Finance, New Delhi, the total amount of black money globally is estimated between $2.1 and 2.5 trillion. This is roughly about seven percent of the world's GDP.
Settlement in Afghanistan: back to 1997?
MOSCOW. (RIA Novosti political commentator Pyotr Goncharov) - Pakistan has started talks with the Taliban in the northwestern province of the country bordering on Afghanistan. Kabul authorities fear that Islamabad will stop military operations, thus giving the Taliban a chance to become more active in Afghanistan.
The two proposals on stabilizing Afghanistan, which Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf made during his visit to China in mid-April, do not look surprising in this light.
Pokhran-III prospects dead on Pokhran-II anniversary?
By Tarun Vijay, IANS,
What difference does it make who signed the Pokhran files? Brajesh Mishra, the powerful former security advisor to then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, revealed a bit too late. There was a time when the Congress must have felt elated to claim making India nuclear. The first Pokhran test (in 1974) was their contribution and Indira Gandhi dared the Americans bravely. Should we be ashamed of it or try to delete that chapter from Indian history just because she happened to be another party's leader?
Cynicism, casteism haunt women’s reservation bill
By Amulya Ganguli, IANS,
Since electoral considerations rather than a genuine desire for women's empowerment were behind the latest move to revive the 12-year-old legislation for reserving parliamentary and assembly seats for women, its fate may be no different from what happened earlier.
The very manner in which the measure was introduced in the Rajya Sabha, with several women MPs shielding the law minister from unruly critics when he tabled the bill, showed that its passage would not be easy.
New Texts for Madrasas: Kerala Muslim Group’s Experiments in Curricular Reform
By Yoginder Sikand, TwoCircles.net,
Is Arab media truly free?
By Ramzy Baroud,
Arab League information ministers issued a communiqué outlining 'tough' guidelines for Arab satellite channels. The new guidelines specifically prohibited the broadcasting of negative reporting of heads of state, religious or national figures.
Mideast conflict: need for a new perspective
By Ziad Asali,
Peace is not easy. Achieving it requires summoning the deepest forms of courage. It means examining one's darkest prejudices that dehumanise and demonise the other. The quest for mutual recognition of humanity and dignity is an arduous task.
The question facing both Israelis and Palestinians is: Do they prefer to cling to the pain of past injuries and the suffering of their forefathers, or will they determine to move forward and build a better future for their children?
Arab literature takes centre stage in London
By Susannah Tarbush,
When Egyptian novelist Naguib Mahfouz became in 1988 the first (and so far only) Arab writer to win the Nobel Prize for Literature, it was hoped that this would lead to a major breakthrough for Arab literature in the West, including Britain. But for years such a breakthrough remained elusive.
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.
Are conditions ripe for negotiating with Iran?
By Steven Kull,
A number of serious voices are saying it is time for a new approach on Iran. Senator Diane Feinstein and former high-level US government officials have called for the United States to enter into negotiations with Iran without preconditions, at the same time proposing ideas to surmount the current impasse over Iran's nuclear program. Combined with new polling suggesting that public opinion in Iran and the United States echo these views, conditions appear to be ripe for renewed efforts to improve US-Iran relations.
Fiction meets reality in Egypt
By Andrew Masloski,
Thirty four years ago, Egypt's most celebrated author, Naguib Mahfouz, published his novella Karnak Café. Set in Egypt during the late 1960s, it tells the story of a group of young, idealistic students who become acutely aware of the gap between the ideals espoused by Nasser's pan-Arab socialism and the realities of Egyptian daily life. The students are arrested and intimidated for calling attention to this gap, alternately accused of belonging to the Communist party or the Muslim Brotherhood.
On teaching Arabic in madrasas
By Yoginder Sikand , TwoCircles.net,
30 year-old Muhammad Saleem Hayat is a Ph.D. student at the Department of Arabic, School of Languages, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. His doctoral research project is on the teaching of Arabic in Indian madrasas and universities. He is presently the Associate Editor of the Urdu 'Sunday Indian' magazine.
Islam and the west – what Muslims should do?
Asghar Ali Engineer,
Muslims and the West seem to be on collision course. I read every day in Urdu papers about the conspiracies the West hatches to attack and destroy Islam. Western countries do something or the other which offends Muslims and results in protests, street demonstrations and at times results even in violence.
Kashmir ‘packages”: when will they ever learn?
By Ashok Jaitly, IANS,
Nothing epitomises the quiescence of the powers that be in New Delhi towards the sensibilities of people of Jammu and Kashmir better than the cynical 'packages' handed out during every prime ministerial visit.
Democracy – inclusion or exclusion?
Asghar Ali Engineer,
Barack Obama, who is in the race for being nominated as presidential candidate for America, made a remarkable speech on race relations in America. It was not merely complaining about discrimination against blacks (African Americans) but it was about extending hand of friendship towards whites so that people of America could stand together and form a more perfect union.
Conversion: a political weapon
By Ram Puniyani,
One has been hearing a lot about the conversion activities of Christian missionaries. That there is a threat to Hindu nation due to Adivasis converting to a 'foreign religion' is becoming part of social common sense. The real face of the conversion came to fore when after the attack on nuns in Alibaug (March 2008) was followed by a massive conversion to Hinduism, Shuddhi ritual (April 27, 2008) in nearby Mumbai. The person involved in both these has been the same.
1857: first war of Independence?
By Maulana Muhammad Wali Rahmani,
Historians and historiographers are expected to study and narrate an event objectively and without showing loyalty to any affiliation – regional, communal or philosophical. People need pure and plain history, not a history coloured with saffron, red or green. But the history of Independence war in India is replete with violations of ethics of historiography.
Sending money home: top priority for NRIs
By Kul Bhushan, IANS,
Sending money home remains the top priority for most NRIs. After arriving - legally or illegally - in the host country, the first task is to start earning; and then sending a major part of their earnings back home to the family. Just like arriving can be legal or illegal, sending money can also be legal or illegal - by official transfers through a bank if the NRI has legal status or through the black market in case of illegal status and/or a better exchange rate.
Journey to Hebron: nightmares and hope
By Gershom Gorenberg
Yehiel and I met Elliott at the appliance repairman's shed on a side street in South Jerusalem.
Elliott Horowitz, a historian at Bar-Ilan University, had already paid for the almost-new washing machine, with cash that friends have pledged to repay. We wrestled the heavy white hunk of metal into the back of Yehiel's undersized station wagon, and set off—three guys with skullcaps and greying beards driving to Hebron with a washing machine for a Palestinian stonecutter.
Living conflict, writing peace
By Ibtisam Barakat
My story with art started when I met Alef, the first letter of the Arabic alphabet. That was in the aftermath of the Six-Day War. I was at a school-turned-shelter, and there was a chalkboard.
Chalk and dust from which Alef was born gave me a lasting link to the creative process. And the messy nature of dust that Alef lived in mirrored my own untidy and dusty life. I found a friend, who was like me—small, playful, a refugee from paper to paper, having no home. But Alef would never leave me and would always listen.
Muslims’ Contribution to the Growth of Music in India
By Kaleem Kawaja,
Music continued to flourish in medieval India in spite of the acquisition of political power by the Turks, Afghans and Mughals. It was patronized and thrived at the imperial courts of Delhi and Agra and at the centers of provincial kingdoms like the Sharqui kingdom of Jaunpur, the Khilji kingdom of Malwa and the Bahmani kingdom of Bijapur and Golcunda.
Ahmadinejad’s visit – India intensifies global energy game
By John Stanly, IANS,
Iranian President Mohammad Ahmadinejad's brief but significant visit to India and his cautious criticism against the "bullying" policies of the "rulers of the world" (read the US and its European allies) make one point clear - New Delhi has finally come out of its strategic confusion.
Government may have to pay high price for rising prices
By Sushma Ramachandran, IANS,
With prices rising relentlessly at the rate of over seven percent per annum, the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government led by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh seems to have been gripped with an air of quiet desperation.
Virtually every day the prime minister and his Finance Minister P. Chidambaram have been making statements in parliament and outside about the way in which the war on inflation is being carried forward. The latest news that airlines are jacking up fares has just added to the gloom on the price front.
For god’s sake, don’t exploit religion for political gain
By Firoz Bakht Ahmed, IANS,
Perhaps one of the most misunderstood religions in the world is that which Prophet Mohammad originally presented before us. I am not using the term 'Islam' because I, a dilettante in theology, know not what this term means in today's world.
IPL: Cricket-sangeet is a much simpler option
By Chitra Padmanabhan, IANS,
Word is that event managers of weddings across the country have been looking glum since the tinsel start to the Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 cricket series. They fear that the BCCI might take over their space, so attuned is it to the crackle of money in potential revenue models. It might start organising pre-wedding ceremonies like cricket-sangeet contests in three overs, between the girl and boy's side. Their theme: taking cricket to the family. Naturally.
Indian hockey needs more than cosmetic changes
By Anand Philar, IANS,
It was only a sting, not a bite, and so it might turn out to be as Indian hockey attempts to cleanse itself of scandal and corruption. The Indian Olympic Association-appointed committee of grey-haired Olympians would like the country to believe that it would be so, but beneath the surface, precious little has changed or is likely to.
The dissolution of the Indian Hockey Federation in the wake of the "Chak De" sting operation leading to the resignation of secretary-general K. Jothi Kumaran, has only served to throw the game into more turmoil.
Lessons to be learned from Kerala Muslims
Muhammad Iqbal is a 30-year old social activist. Originally from Silchar, Assam, he shifted to Kerala some years ago, where he now works with several Muslim organizations in the field of community service. He narrates his story to Yoginder Sikand.
Protests apart, India’s image getting a boost Down Under
By Kul Bhushan, IANS,
Protests by Indian taxi drivers in Melbourne, Australia, have two sides. The young Indian drivers, mostly Punjabis, have a genuine reason to be angry: one of their mates was stabbed by an Aussie passenger and is now in a coma, fighting for life. Every night they are taunted, insulted and sometimes beaten by white, and usually drunk, Aussies on their way home; and sometimes not even paid for their services.
Karnataka polls will be crucial for Congress
By Amulya Ganguli, IANS,
The importance of the Karnataka elections lies well beyond the formation of a new government in the state. The poll is the first in a series of contests in the next few months in the four major states of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Karnataka where the Congress is not in power.
If the Congress fares well in, say, at least three of them, then it might call for an early general election and may even sign the nuclear deal before taking the plunge. If not, it will face a crisis of leadership and of policies.
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.
Religion and poverty
By Asghar Ali Engineer
I got an invitation from Union Theological Seminar, New York to participate in a seminar on ‘Religion and Poverty’ whose convener was Paul Knitter on the occasion of his installation as the Dean of the Seminary, a noted scholar in his field, yet very humble person with pleasant personality. I welcomed this opportunity to speak on this subject on which I had written a great deal in the past under the title Liberation Theology in Islam. The seminar was from 18 to 21 February.
Jamaat-e-Islami Hind and the work of Indian Muslim educational reform
By Yoginder Sikand, TwoCircles.net,
The reform of Muslim education, in particular bridging the gap between 'religious' and 'worldly' knowledge, has been one of the main focuses of the efforts of a range of South Asian Muslim reformists and revivalists over the past century and more.
National interest demands UPA, NDA forge common stand on N-deal
By K. Subrahmanyam, IANS,
Former National Security Adviser (NSA) Brajesh Mishra has risen above parochial considerations and come out strongly in favour of the India-US nuclear deal. Initially he was opposed to the deal on two considerations. The first is whether India's strategic programme would be capped short of its assessed requirement. Secondly will India be able to conduct a nuclear test if it became necessary.
Burqas at the Airport
By Naeem Randhawa
The woman looks up from examining my papers, and now is glaring at me. I remove my sunglasses and smile, somewhat surprised at her forwardness.
Democracy – Inclusion or Exclusion?
By Asghar Ali Engineer,
Barack Obama, who is in the race for being nominated as presidential candidate for America, made a remarkable speech on race relations in America. It was not merely complaining about discrimination against blacks (African Americans) but it was about extending hand of friendship towards whites so that people of America could stand together and form a more perfect union.
Separatism gets competitive in Kashmir valley
By Tarun Vijay, IANS,
It's election time in Jammu and Kashmir and once again the politicians are divided between issues of national integration and separatism to gather votes. It's not electricity or water supply, but security of the people and declarations of equidistance from India and Pakistan that hog the electioneering, speeding up a strange competition in raising secessionist voices.
Karzai’s Afghanistan steps deeper into security quagmire
By John Stanly, IANS,
The attempt on President Hamid Karzai's life in the heart of the capital city of Kabul by suspected Taliban militants underscores the growing pessimism about security in the country. If the April 27 attack is anything to go by, Taliban militants are increasing their influence all across the country.
Soon after the attack, the Taliban claimed responsibility saying its aim was to show that it could strike from the capital. The message is clear - the Taliban has reached the capital.
From Dubai to Doha
By John Defterios
There is a rich history of trading in Dubai that stretches back to the 1850s. And it is this mindset which is at the heart of the Emirate's business plan for the next quarter century.
Take DP World, the trading division of the company, Dubai World. It has forged 23 different deals stretching from China to Djibouti. This allows Dubai Inc. to place a corporate flag in each country, planting the seeds for future relationships and growth.
What is a vote worth in Iran?
By Ahmad Sadri
Real change can result from elections in Iran as long as there is a home grown democratic heart beating within the theocratic Republic. But for how long will that be the case?
Iran may not be a liberal democracy but it is certainly a far cry from those fake Democratic Republics that littered the world before 1989. A representative democracy grafted onto a theocracy, the Islamic Republic is a unique specimen in the menagerie of political systems from Uruk, Constantinople and Geneva to Athens, Philadelphia and Moscow.
Redefining the US-Pakistan partnership
By Arif Rafiq
The need to redefine our relationship with Pakistan – a nuclear-armed, frontline state in the war on terror – has never been greater. Now there is considerable opportunity to do so.
US Senate Democrats issued a letter to President George W. Bush this month urging him to "embark on a new relationship with Pakistan based on cooperation with institutions rather than individuals, and to support the will of the Pakistani people as expressed in the February 18 parliamentary elections."
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.
Importing imams
By Aftab Ahmad Malik
While it is commendable and encouraging that the British government is making a concerted effort to work with Muslims to combat the scourge of radicalisation, its recent proposal to draft moderate imams from Pakistan indicates that there is still much to learn.
Chasing phantoms: KPS Gill on madrassas
By Ayub Khan
K.P.S.Gill's ruinous 15-year stint as the head of the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) has finally come to an end. The former super cop's unceremonious sacking has sparked hopes of a revival in the national sport's fortunes in India. His exit comes in the light of corruption allegations, nepotism, and over all non-performance. To add insult to injury the Indian hockey team failed to qualify for the Olympics for the first time in history.
India must market for global satellite contracts
By R. Ramaseshan, IANS,
The success of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Monday in putting into orbit 10 satellites with a single launch is certainly a commendable achievement marking as it does the second largest number of satellites launched at one go. Now it needs to push aggressively for more contracts in this niche market.
Besides ISRO's own two primary satellites, Cartosat-2A (690 kg) and IMS-1 (83 kg), Monday's payload included seven nanosatellites (1-10 kg class) and one microsatellite (10-100 kg class) from foreign customers, which together weighed about 50 kg.
ISRO must market aggressively for global contracts
By R. Ramaseshan, IANS,
The success of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Monday in putting into orbit 10 satellites with a single launch is certainly a commendable achievement marking as it does the second largest number of satellites launched at one go. Now it needs to push aggressively for more contracts in this niche market.
Besides ISRO's own two primary satellites, Cartosat-2A (690 kg) and IMS-1 (83 kg), Monday's payload included seven nanosatellites (1-10 kg class) and one microsatellite (10-100 kg class) from foreign customers, which together weighed about 50 kg.
Prof. Akhtar-ul-Wasey on Islamic studies in India
By Yoginder Sikand, TwoCircles.net,
Profesor Akhtar ul-Wasey is the head of the Department of Islamic Studies and the Director of the Zakir Husain Institute of Islamic Studies at the Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. In this interview with Yoginder Sikand, he reflects on the functioning of the various Islamic Studies Departments in universities across India.
Q: How do you see the role of the Departments of Islamic Studies in those universities in India that have such departments?
Sarabjit’s execution can cast shadow on India-Pakistan ties
By Pranay Sharma, IANS,
The possibility of an Indian prisoner being put to death in Pakistan could hardly be the ideal way to restart peace talks. But that is exactly how things may stand, unless the Pakistan government rethinks its decision and alters the death sentence on Sarabjit Singh, who is to be hanged in Lahore May 1.
Is cheerleading culturally offensive? Ask Bollywood item numbers
By Mayank Chhaya, IANS,
It was only going to be a matter of time before a self-righteous Indian politician's underwear bunched up in manufactured rage or TRP hungry television channel whipped up a fake controversy over the Washington Redskins cheerleaders.
Although there are some predictable criticisms from the usual suspects among the country's moral police, so far the extent of protest seems remarkably subdued in a tradition-bound nation. While one cannot guarantee that it would remain so, it is possible that the 'outrage' over the cheerleaders would not amount to anything much.
South Asia’s tryst with democracy here to stay
By Harold A. Gould, IANS,
In our understandable preoccupation with the political events unfolding in Pakistan, we may be doing an injustice to an equally compelling process that is taking place across much of South Asia. While we focus our attention on the struggle of democracy to emerge in Pakistan, on India's western frontier, very little notice has been taken of a comparable democratic process that is struggling to be born in Nepal, on India's northern frontier.
Are Nepal Maoists more mature than Indian communists?
By Amulya Ganguli, IANS,
The pragmatic good sense shown by the Nepal Maoists stands in sharp contrast to the ideological rigidity of the Indian communists.
Whether it is a mainline outfit like the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) and its allies in the Left Front or the insurrectionary "underground" organisations of the Indian Maoists, their guiding principle is the standard Marxist ideal of a one-party state.
A visit to Darul Uloom Deoband – reflections of an NRI
By Anis Ansari,
My visit to Darul Uloom Deoband was on Sunday, 9th March 2008, unannounced for my own convenience. I was surprised to note that the historic madrasa was located right on the main highway between Saharanpur and Meerut (Uttar Pradesh). Its campus is spread out throughout the town surrounded entirely by Muslim neighborhood. The population of Deoband is about 100,000 with Muslims constituting 65% of it.
Raver communal riot: A sequence of events
By Abdur Rauf Sheikh,
Date: 13th April 2008. Time: Evening; people are gathering for Maghrib prayer at a mosque in Kotwal locality in Raver (Jalgaon). Timing may be a coincident or planned. A Ramnavmi procession goes past the mosque. Silently? No. The processionists raise volume of their audio system which plays slogans like 'mandir wahin banayenge' (we will build the temple there). Then they throw gulal (colours) incessantly and deliberately towards the mosque. This all culminated into what is everybody's guess. A communal riot.
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".
Origin of Muslims in India
By M. Burhanuddin Qasmi,
We have one of the oldest and India's first masjid called the Cheraman Jama Masjid exists at Kodungaloor in Kerala. As inscribed on the masjid's stone-plate, (where this writer has been after the historic Tsunami in 2004), it was built about 1400 years ago in 9 Hijra or 629 CE). Kodungaloor was the capital of the kings of Kerala, and in 622-628 CE (Hijra 2 to 9) the ruler was a great savant, by the name of Cheraman Perumal Bhaskara Ravi Varma. In those days, the seniormost of the rulers of Kerala was called as Cheraman Perumal.
The ‘business’ of Maoist movement in India
By P.V. Ramana, IANS,
Financing a 'revolution' is not child's play. It is all the more tough when the organisation is proscribed and hence operates underground. For the Indian Maoists, also known as Naxalites, the conditions are a little more unfavourable because they claim to be fighting for the deprived and neglected sections of society who are poor. And the Maoists do not enjoy the support of the affluent.
India, China go their own way in Africa
By Manish Chand, IANS,
China was a looming shadow at India's first summit with 14 African countries held in New Delhi recently that not only revealed the depth and diversity of their relationship but also provided clues to what could give New Delhi a competitive edge in the resource-rich continent.
Watch where the prices are going to judge government’s fate
By Sushma Ramachandran, IANS,
It is a strange irony that the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government has been caught on the backfoot over its handling of the economy despite having an economist as prime minister. High prices could well be its Achilles' heel with seven percent plus inflation at the wholesale level translating into 10 to 20 percent at the retail level. Food prices, especially edible oils and pulses as well as those of key industrial inputs like steel, are going through the roof and government managers are scrambling to tackle the situation.
Why did Congress leadership not back Rahul Gandhi as PM?
By Amulya Ganguli, IANS,
Contrary to what recent events may suggest, the cloying sycophancy associated with the Congress is a relatively new phenomenon in the organisation.
Its roots lie in Indira Gandhi's emergency rule of 1975-77, a mere 30 years ago in a 123-year-old party. Like the display of servile obsequiousness, the Emergency itself was out of tune with the Congress' liberal tradition.
Will the Nepali Maoists go the Hamas way?
By Shylashri Shankar, IANS,
The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) pulled off an upset over the traditional ruling parties such as the Nepali Congress and the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist-Leninist (CPN-UML) in the elections to the Constituent Assembly (CA).
Once the results for the 240 seats decided on first-past-the-post and the 335 seats decided on the basis of the proportional electoral system are tallied, the Maoists are likely to be the single largest party.
Rahul Gandhi: From diffident MP to PM candidate
By Monobina Gupta, IANS,
Rahul Gandhi has retreated to the pavilion, at least for the time being. But the prince of the Gandhi-Nehru family stays at the stumps, waiting to play his innings - perhaps at an appropriate time in the not too distant future.
His mother Sonia Gandhi Tuesday snubbed over-zealous dynasty votaries, who struck up a chant for Rahul's prime ministership after the 2009 general elections. Manmohan Singh was doing a fine job, said the party spokesperson Jayanthi Natarajan.
But by the time the reprimand came, the clamour for Rahul had done its magic.
No Mandal magic for Congress in Uttar Pradesh
By Mahesh Rangarajan, IANS,
The timing of the verdict on reservations for the Mandal classes in institutions of higher education could not have been better for the ruling alliance. In particular, the Congress gets great store by the decision, which puts an end to an impasse that has lasted nearly two years. Close on the heels of the verdict came the statement of Human Resources Development Minister Arjun Singh, probably the most vocal proponent of reservations in the Congress. Rahul Gandhi, he felt, had what it takes to be prime minister.
It’s time NRI business leaders discovered Africa
B Kul Bhushan, IANS,
Why haven't NRIs in the West invested in Africa? Perhaps due to the lack of information about high returns on investment. Perhaps due to the outdated perceptions and prejudices about Africa. Perhaps due to apathy about Africa as a growing market. Or perhaps due to violence that constantly bursts into headlines.
India needs to shake hands with Maoists in Nepal
By Pranay Sharma, IANS,
India's inability to correctly predict the outcome of the Nepal elections indicates its mindset as well as its failure to keep pace with the changing ground reality in the neighbouring country. It is hardly a consolation that like New Delhi, many key international players were also wrong in their assessment of identifying the Maoists as the winner of the Nepalese polls.
Noida incidents – collusion, connivance, or callous incompetence?
By Maxwell Pereira, IANS
It was a bit queasy to read in a national newspaper about the Noida police "pressurising into surrendering in court" a notorious criminal suspected to be behind last Tuesday's horrendous crimes of killing an ex-airhostess and shooting a former army lieutenant general! In the policing I knew, we did not pressurise or persuade criminals to surrender in court - we just went and arrested them, or at least endeavoured sincerely to arrest.
A ‘human right’ to attack handicapped woman?
By Xinhua
Beijing : Is it a human right that "Tibet independence" separatists assaulted a handicapped woman? the People's Daily, the flagship newspaper of the Communist Party of China (CPC), questioned in a commentary to be published on Saturday.
The Dalai clique claimed they have pursued "freedom" and "human rights" on various occasions. However, what happened during the Paris leg of the Olympic torch relay revealed the nature of the "rights", the commentary said.
While on Tibet, India and China beg some comparisons
By Amulya Ganguli, IANS
The old colonial scene of a restive people opposing a repressive regime is again being enacted in Tibet. There are other similarities as well. For instance, there is a charismatic figure symbolising the "struggle".
The emphasis on non-violence also recalls Mahatma Gandhi. Like the Mahatma, the Dalai Lama does not bear any ill will towards the putative oppressors. The Tibetan spiritual leader only wants China to grant full autonomy to his country.
IPL, or Indian Photography League?
By Nikhil Krishnamurthy, IANS
Over the past few days, a major controversy has erupted over the terms and conditions set by the Indian Premier League (IPL), particularly with reference to the prohibition on use of photographs taken by media organizations at sporting events hosted by the IPL.
Hectic lobbying on for NRI university
By Kul Bhushan, IANS
In another three months, some NRIs may be thinking of sending their children for higher education in India. NRIs in different countries have different reasons for preferring Indian higher education.
NDA should rise above parochial concerns on nuclear issue
By K. Subrahmanyam, IANS
The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is justifiably very proud of conducting the Shakti tests and declaring India a nuclear weapon power. It was so possessive of this claim for quite some time after the tests that the NDA leadership was reluctant to give the credit for having developed the nuclear weapons to the Congress prime ministers Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and P.V. Narasimha Rao.
High oil prices could hit India’s growth
By Sushma Ramachandran, IANS
India's hopes of reaching a 10 percent growth rate on a sustained basis may be dashed if oil prices continue to rule at over $100 per barrel. Even the Planning Commission in its approach to the Eleventh Five Year Plan has estimated that high oil prices could affect the growth rate by up to 0.5 percent.
Is there a silent apartheid against Dalit converts to non-Hindu religions?
By Abdul Hafiz Gandhi
Corridors of power and public space seem to be fully involved in the on-going debate with regard to the rights of Dalit converts to enjoy the reservation benefits even after converting to non-Hindu religions like Islam and Christianity.
Inclusive growth shouldn’t mean ignoring OBCs
By Rajeev Ranjan Roy, IANS
The Indian government's slogan of inclusive growth is in conflict with ground realities. Other Backward Classes (OBCs) - a major chunk of the needy - have been left out of efforts for multi-dimensional development of all sections of society.
A cursory glance at the much-hyped "inclusive growth budget" of Finance Minister P. Chidambaram is indicative of how the government ignored the OBC segment while making allocations for education for the 2008-09 fiscal.
Advani’s memoirs – raising more questions than answers
By Monobina Gupta, IANS
L.K Advani's walk down memory lane is proving to be too bumpy for comfort. The release of his memoirs "My Country, My Life", coming close on the heels of the launch of his prime ministerial candidature by his party has opened up an unexpected can of worms.
The flood of controversy threatening to swamp the author has come at a time when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader was all revved up to answer the final call. He had finally got the backing of his party for the top job in the country that he had been eyeing for long.
Is the Left’s third front hopes a pipedream?
By Amulya Ganguli, IANS
The Left's hope of floating a third front doesn't seem to be making much headway. One reason is that the ever changing permutations and combinations of the Indian political scene have ensured that one of the key components of the proposed group, the Samajwadi Party, is moving closer to the Congress.
Why no reservation to Dalit Muslims and Dalit Christians?
By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net
Will this past 3rd April prove to be a turning point for Dalit Muslims and Dalit Christians in India? If you ask me, I would say, yes. Because this is the day when the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) came up with a much-needed report on these Dalits.
The symbol of liberation: a hi-tech madrassa
By Firoz Bakht Ahmed, IANS
Set amidst the sylvan surroundings of Rajasthan's Ramgarh town, 10 km from the Jaipur railway station, is a sprawling stretch of 173 green acres encircled by a tranquil valley and cool lake - this is where you will find a completely new experiment with the traditional madrassa education system, the Madrassa Jameatul Hidaya.
Nostalgia and the night sky, courtesy Earth Hour
By Neena Bhandari, IANS
Switching off lights for 60 minutes in a year on a perfect spring Saturday night in Sydney, when it was neither too hot nor too cold for comfort and most offices and businesses were closed anyway, one can't help but question the contribution of the Earth Hour to the cause of tackling climate change.
Twists and tails in Rajbir Singh saga
By Maxwell Pereira, IANS
The delay in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) taking over the investigation into the murder of Delhi Police officer Rajbir Singh is baffling. Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda announced that he had instructed his Director General of Police Ranjit Dalal to transfer the case to the CBI. This, he said, was on the request of the deceased officer's family.
Pakistan’s new PM will have to dodge many minefields
By Wilson John, IANS
The charade of democracy is now complete in Pakistan with the selection of a Punjabi feudal politician with a suitable religiosity (his family runs a Sufi mausoleum in Sindh) and a prison term on unproven charges of corruption as the new prime minister.
The problem is not with the new prime minister, Yousaf Raza Gillani. He is, by all accounts, a suitable candidate for perhaps one of the most challenging political positions in South Asia -- to lead a civilian government in a country overshadowed by men in uniform.
Urdu must be kept alive, and not just on FM and films
By Firoz Bakht Ahmed, IANS
The head of a government-run primary Urdu medium school in Delhi made a shocking revelation recently. Last year Urdu books were not available till October although schools opened in the summer and Urdu is a second language in the city along with Punjabi.
And this is just one of the many problems confronting Muslims towards quality education.
Are India’s lower courts failing to deliver justice?
By Amulya Ganguli, IANS
For all of Narendra Modi's and the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) efforts to shift the focus of attention from the Gujarat riots to the state's development, the outbreak of 2002 continues to return to the headlines to haunt the chief minister and his party.
Rahul breaks security cordon – like father like son
By Maxwell Pereira, IANS
"Rahul Gandhi gives cops the slip in Naxal heartland", read the headline recently. That was soon after his visit to a tribal village in a Maoist-infested area in Orissa when the MP, who is scion of the extremely vulnerable Gandhi family, ducked out of the Koraput SP's security cordon and melted into the night, accompanied by only a few personal SPG (Special Protection Group) guards.
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.
Explaining shari’a
By Noah Feldman
Last month, Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, gave a nuanced, scholarly lecture in London about whether the British legal system should allow non-Christian courts to decide certain matters of family law. Britain has no constitutional separation of church and state.
Creating a US-Iran bridge
By Leila Zand
The upcoming second round of talks with the United States on Iraq Security offers another opportunity for US-Iranian dialogue and negotiations. However, an atmosphere of mistrust between the United States and Iran persists, leaving open the potential for yet another disastrous conflict in the Middle East.
Iranian film shows that tragedy breaks down barriers
By Vanessa Arrington and Kowsar Gowhari
The film Bam 6.6 weaves the drama of Tobb and Adele, a Jewish-American, with other accounts of the catastrophic natural disaster that killed more than 40,000 people and destroyed 90 percent of the buildings in the historic city of Bam, which means "high place", in southern Iran. It goes beyond the tale of these two Americans and other survivors, however, to show how quickly divisions of nationality and politics break down in the face of major tragedy.
Emergence of an eTurkey
By Itir Akdogan
For more than 40 years Turkey has been taking certain measures to reach the European Union criteria of a member state. As part of a drive to increase innovation in and access to technology, the EU has allocated more than 100 billion euros for the i2010 Programme to create a "Single European Information Space", in which innovation and investment in technology is a priority. Becoming an information society is one of the reforms Turkey is undertaking to increase its chances of joining the EU.
The Maoist threat: lies, white lies and statistics
By P.V. Ramana, IANS
The Indian home ministry never tires of finding newer classifications to present a much diminished perception of the intensity and spread of the Communist Party of India-Maoist, better known as Naxalites.
Based on information provided by his officials, Home Minister Shivraj Patil told the Rajya Sabha March 19 that "a mere 14,000 villages out of a total of 650,000 villages are Maoist-affected, which accounts for just two percent of the total number of villages in the country".
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.
Admiral Gorshkov: the ship that launched a thousand rumours
By Ilya Kramnik, IANS
For months now, a Soviet-era warship has been making waves - and filling countless column inches - in both Russia and India.
The ship at the centre of the storm is an aircraft carrier called the Admiral Gorshkov - or the INS Vikramaditya - which Russia has been refitting for sale to the Indian Navy. Last year the Gorshkov was the subject of controversy after the Russians announced that they could not complete the refit within budget or on schedule.
Terror remains beyond control of Pakistani state
By Sreeram Chaulia, IANS
The disclosure by Chinese authorities that the hijackers of a domestic airplane who were thwarted in March came from Pakistan confirms terrorism to be the prime export item of the volatile country. It is the latest shred of evidence in an unsavoury track record for which
Pakistan has gained international notoriety as the cradle of extremist jehad.
If one performed a word count from the list of reports about failed and successful terrorist attacks around the world in the last decade, the term 'Pakistan' makes a ubiquitous appearance.
A complexity of challenges faces new Pakistan prime minister
By C. Uday Bhaskar, IANS
Pakistan's long awaited tryst with truly participatory democracy has finally begun - but the challenges ahead are daunting.
Don’t just invest, collect art
By Shylashri Shankar, IANS
There really is no such thing as art, there are only artists, said Gombrich in his seminal work, "The Story of Art". Artists "are favoured with the wonderful gift of balancing shapes and colours till they are 'right', and rarer still, who possess that integrity of character which never rests content with half-solutions but is ready to forgo all easy effects, all superficial success for the toil and agony of sincere work," he wrote.
Husain’s ‘Mahabharata’ record – irony for India
By Uma Nair, IANS
M.F. Husain's epic work "Mahabharata: The Battle of Ganga and Jamuna" fetching a world record of $1.6 million at the Christie's sale is the best example of situational irony in a nation that has virtually exiled its finest living artist. The world record can perhaps silence hardline Hindu groups.
High civilian casualties tarnish U.S.-imposed democracy in Iraq
By Yu Zhixiao, Xinhua
Beijing : High Iraqi civilian casualties over the past five years after the U.S.-led coalition forces toppled the Saddam Hussein regime have tarnished the U.S.-imposed democracy in the volatile country, analysts say.
The coalition troops started an invasion into Iraq by bombarding the Iraqi capital Baghdad on March 20, 2003, and swiftly brought down the administration of Saddam Hussein, who was earmarked as a cruel dictator by the United States and some other Western countries.
Has India let down its spies?
By Maloy Krishna Dhar, IANS
The media has often accused the Indian government of neglecting spies once their cover is blown. The reality is that intelligence agencies take full responsibility of locating, cultivating and, if possible, retrieving highly prized agents as opposed to others who pass off as spies.
Col. B. Bhattachariya, arrested in East Pakistan from a border region, attained national attention because of the war-like situation between India and Pakistan in the early 1960s. Bhattachariya was a spymaster and not a spy.
India: Future of Congress and Sonia Gandhi
By Tanveer Jafri
Indian National Congress is known as the oldest political party of India. This political party that has completed its 122 years was established in 1885. This great and the oldest organization, at the time of its establishment, had a great challenge to free India; after independence i.e. after August 15, 1947, this organization had to bear the responsibility to run the democratic government of free India.
News Analysis: Russia-U.S. talks on missile shield see no breakthrough
By Liao Lei, Xinhua
Moscow : Showing his broken arm, U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates denied he is a difficult negotiator in the 2-plus-2 talks with Russian counterparts, but the talks held in Moscow were seen as tough with no breakthrough on a planned U.S. missile shield in Central Europe.
No missile shield compromise
I have to escape from the death chamber, says Taslima
By Taslima Nasreen
A day after she announced her decision to quit India, Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen tells IANS in an email of her mental trauma of being confined to a 'safe house' in New Delhi for several months: