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...
Celebrating ‘Vadh’ of opponents in embedded in Hindutva politics
By Shamsul Islam for TwoCircles.net
The Information and Technology minister in Modi's Cabinet, Ravi Shankar Prasad, a seasoned RSS cadre slammed online trolls for expressing...
Muslims should not become defensive: preventing radicalisation remains a top necessity
By Kaleem Kawaja for Twocircles.net
In the last one year, there has been an upsurge in terrorism committed by a variety of terrorist groups from...
Book review: Sufism: The Heart of Islam
By Kashif-ul-Huda, TwoCircles.net
Sufism is much misunderstood by both Muslims and non-Muslims alike. While Muslims think that Sufis are innovators in the religion and qabr-parast (grave worshipper) and therefore unacceptable, non-Muslims think that Sufism offers a peaceful alternative to violent face of Islam and therefore acceptable to them. The truth is somewhere between these two extremes and as Sadia Dehlvi aptly states in her book “Sufism: The Heart of Islam” it is “the spiritual undercurrent that flows through Islam.”
Land Allotment and Amarnath Shrine
By Ram Puniyani,
Jammu and Kashmir has been one of the regions of the country mired in different types of troubles all through. To add to the painful situation, the issue of land allotment to Amarnath shrine and later reversal of this decision has worsened the harmony, which is eluding the region.
TCN special: Misra Commission report excerpts- Part 10
By TwoCircles.net news desk,
Misra Commission report excerpts - home page
Initiatives taken for Development of Minorities
High Power Panel under the Chairmanship of Dr Gopal Singh
Exercising the military option: possible, but not feasible
By A. Vinod Kumar, IANS,
Ever since the Pakistan link in the Mumbai attacks was traced, many strategic analysts have been rooting for punitive action against Pakistan - also referred to as pre-emptive strikes and hot pursuit. This is not the first time such suggestions have been mooted. After the parliament attack in December 2001, India launched Operation Parakram to mobilize its troops along the international border with the assumed intention of a frontal response to Pakistan-sponsored terrorism.
Manipur development project spells doom for 11 villages, 12,000 people
By Azera Parveen Rahman
Imphal: One person's manna is another person's poison. This adage couldn't ring more true for the people of Manipur whose fate...
‘Jungle Raj’ in Rajasthan
By IndScribe
One after the other, shocking incidents of crimes and atrocities on the Dalits are being reported from Rajasthan.
The latest incident has occurred in...
India among top 20 countries in Global Muslim Travel Index
The main criteria taken into account in the ranking includes its suitability as a family holiday destinations, the level of services and facilities it provides for Muslim travelers and the marketing initiatives of the destination targeting this segnment.
By Sharique Anwer, TwoCircles.net,
In a most comprehensive research released by the “MasterCard-CrescentRating Global Muslim Travel Index” in 2015, India has been ranked among top 20 non- organization of Islamic Cooperation (non-OIC) destinations for the year 2015. India secured 14th position among the top 20 destinations in which Singapore has topped the list. In the category of Organization of Islamic cooperation (OIC) Malaysia came 1st for the fifth consecutive year since its inception in 2011.
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
Beware of sympathisers in disguise
By Muhammad Adeeb,
General elections are over. A new BJP government is in place. The results of the elections have been eye-opening for all Indians in general and Muslims in particular. Ironically, the outcome of the poll battle has exposed the tragic dispersion of the Muslim vote and a surprising polarisation of the Hindu vote. This trend has proved to be a dangerous sign. In fact, the results have also exposed the hapless and pitying state of Indian Muslims, as a community. The 25 crore Muslims, have as a community, reduced their political weightage to a naught. The community, which once was reputed as king-maker, has turned into ashes. What is in store is so evident that it needs no elaboration.
क्रिकेट की पिच पर जारी नफ़रत का खेल
अभय कुमार
भारत-पाकिस्तान फाइनल मैच के फ़ौरन बाद दर्जनों मुसलमानों के ऊपर मुक़दमें ठोक दिए गए और कितने को गिरफ़्तार कर जेल भी भेज...
“बिहारी बहुत बुरे होते हैं”
बिहार (पर्यटन विभाग से साभार)
अविनाश चंचल,
बिहारी बहुत बुरे होते हैं. इतने बुरे कि ऑटो चलाते हैं और आपका सामान छूट जाए तो घर पहुंचाते...
स्कूलों से महरूम दलित-मुसलमान बच्चे
अफ़रोज़ आलम साहिल, TwoCircles.net
दिल्ली: देश में ‘शिक्षा का अधिकार’ कानून 2010 से लागू है, जिसके तहत 6 से 14 वर्ष के बच्चों के लिए...
Israel’s election: A lot at stake in region and beyond
By Hardeep S.Puri and Omar El Okdah,
In contemporary politics, the flow of historical forces cannot be understood by glimpsing a mere snapshot. The unprecedented...
Wearing Burqa will now be a crime?
By Asghar Ali Engineer,
Now a draft bill is under consideration of French Parliament imposing a fine of Euro 700 on any woman wearing burqa covering her whole body in any public place and her husband twice as much if he forces hear to wear burqa. This is for the first time that women would be penalized for wearing burqa. Earlier France had banned Muslim girls wearing hijab in schools. It argued that these religious symbols interfere with its commitment to secularism and its secular culture.
‘Minorities, Dalits & Adivasis affected acutely due to urban poverty and informal settlements’
By TCN News,
London: Minorities and indigenous peoples have been among the last to benefit from the rapid growth of Asia’s cities, according to Minority...
Media misinformation in India: Spreading terror when it suits them
By Indscribe
First an example about contrast in coverage of the following two incidents:
Madrid Mayor’s soothing slogan against post Brussels rightwing hysteria
By Saeed Naqvi
If “terrorize” and “polarize” is the name of the game, the message from the Brussels terror attack has been transmitted to Madrid...
The Anti Terror Fatwa: but who is listening?
By Salil Kader,
31st May 2008 was an important day for all those opposed to acts of terrorism being carried out around the world and which are wrongly attributed to Islam and its teachings.
Pope Francis’ efforts to promote inter-religious unity: A lesson for current day India
By Dr Syed Zafar Mahmood
In mid July 2017, the Interfaith Coalition for Peace organized a talk at India Islamic Cultural Centre (IICC), New Delhi by...
Abolish capital punishment: Fate of death row prisoners like ‘lottery’
M. Reyaz, TwoCircles.net
Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) is a Minority Institution rules Supreme Court
Syed Ali Mujtaba,TwoCircles.net
New Delhi: In a landmark judgment the Supreme Court of India “overruled” its judgment taken in the Azeez Basha case of 1967...
Longread: Genealogy of Islamophobia and Construction of Muslims as Enemy in India
By Mohammad Saif
Being a Muslim in India is one of the biggest threats since the last few years, particularly in the reign of the...
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.
बिहार में ज़मीन का हक़ अल्पसंख्यकों को क्यों नहीं?
अफ़रोज़ आलम साहिल, TwoCircles.net
बिहार में भूमिहीन दलितों को ज़मीन देने की नीतिश सरकार की पहल अब अगड़े तबक़े के भूमिहीन गरीबों तक भी...
काश! इन्हें भी समाज के मुख्यधारा में शामिल एक सामान्य इंसान माना जाता…
फ़हमिना हुसैन, TwoCircles.net
दोपहर के सन्नाटे में तेज़ तालियों और गाने की आवाज़ ने आती हुई नींद को झकझोर दिया. पूछने पर पता लगा कि...
ख़त्म होती मौलाना मज़हरूल हक़ की विरासत
अफ़रोज़ आलम साहिल, TwoCircles.net
पटना:मौलाना मज़हरूल हक़ की निशानियां अब मिटने की कगार पर हैं. हक़ साहब बिहार का गौरव थे लेकिन समय ने...
Pakistani Christians more active than you think
By Haroon Nasir
Where do you think Muslims and Christians celebrate Christ's birth together? One of the answers is: where it is least expected, in Pakistan.
Police search for Hindu Yuva Morcha activists following FIR for derogatory posts against Prophet...
By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter
Mumbai: An FIR has been registered by Mumbai police against members of Hindu Yuva Morcha for spreading hatred message against...
Documentary on children in conflict-torn Kashmir screened in UNHRC, Geneva
By Raqib Hameed Naik, TwoCircles.net
Srinagar: The documentary film ‘Children in Conflict Torn Kashmir’ produced by human rights activist Abdul Manan Bukhari was...
Minutes away but worlds apart
By Noa Epstein and Abed Eriqat, CGNews,
When you live ten minutes away – but worlds apart – from one another, you can still learn essential things about each other, even after five years of friendship and countless hours spent together.
And the Kite flew, with the strings holding it tight…
By Najiya O, TwoCircles.net,
For those who wonder what is there in ‘Kite Strings’, Basheer has got the perfect answer:
With due respect to hon’ble chief minister of Gujarat…
By Md. Ali and Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,
New Delhi: "With due respect to secularism and with due respect to the honourable Chief Minister of Gujarat" said a person from Gujarat when he began giving information to TwoCircles.net about a communal violence there.
Will the Deoband edict restrain jehadis?
By Amulya Ganguli, IANS
Although belated, the condemnation of terrorism by Darul-Uloom Deoband is a major step forward in the war against religious extremism. It can seem odd, however, that it took this widely respected religious seminary based in Uttar Pradesh so long to express its disapproval of the militancy of bigots and mercenaries although this country, and the world, have been battling this menace over a long period.
India unveils ambitious ‘Connect’ with Central Asia
By C. Uday Bhaskar, IANS,
A little noticed but major Indian policy initiative was unveiled in distant Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, last week.
AFSPA: License to kill!
By Syed Mohammad Aamir Ali,
“People crushed by laws, have no hopes but from power. If the laws are their enemies, they will be enemies to the law; and those who have much to hope and nothing to lose will always be dangerous,” Edmund Burke
In Post-9/11 scenario the countries in the first world such as Britain and America, which contributed significantly in the modern definition of liberal democracy are busy waging wars and promulgating draconian laws in the name of protecting democracy. It is heartening to see that in a relatively backward country such as India, not only the human rights and civil liberties movement but even mainstream political parties are resisting and creating public opinion against such acts.
India-EU Strategic Partnership: Prospects and Challenges
by Nivedita Das Kundu, EuAsiaNews,
New Delhi, Nov 3, EuAsiaNews -- The European Union and India are two major players of the new global scenario. The impact of the India-EU relationship with regards to a number of crucial international issues is paramount. EU-Indian partnership is based on the 1994 Cooperation Agreement and the Joint Political Declaration of 1993.
Postmodernism and the Quran
By Asghar Ali Engineer,
A general perception in the West is that Quranic teachings discourage progress and are incompatible with a modern way of life. Those who hold this view fall in three groups: anti-Islam elements; atheists who are opposed to all religion and spirituality; and rationalists, who consider religious teachings irrational.
Nawaz Sharif government has an opportunity to redeem Pakistan
By Kaleem Kawaja,
When Allama Iqbal and Mohammad Ali Jinnah dreamt of creating a homeland for the Muslims of the Indian sub-continent, it was to be a nation based on Islam's most egalitarian principles of justice, equality and progress that was to preserve the distinct ethnicity and identity of the six hundred year old Indo-Islamic civilization.
Media support for Obama: US differs from India
By Amulya Ganguli, IANS,
A distinctive feature of the American election scene was the open editorial support given to Barack Obama by such well-known newspapers as Washington Post and Los Angeles Times.
This practice is peculiar to the US. The mainstream media in other democracies usually shy away from such endorsements of individual candidates. The reason for their disinclination is that a show of partisanship may undermine their reputation for impartiality and affect circulation.
Unheard & Unspoken: Terror stories from Madhya Pradesh
By Mohd. Ismail Khan, TwoCircles.net
China’s crackdown continues on Xinjiang Muslims; bans fasting in Ramadan
By A. Mirsab, TwoCircles.net,
Battling the continued terrorist acts in the country purported from Uighur Muslims, China has adopted a controversial move of banning millions of Muslims from compulsory fasting during the holy month of Ramadan. Fasting during Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam which is obligatory on every Muslim to observe for the whole month in the day time (from sun rise to sun set).
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?
Interim budget a tale of delayed policies
By Sushma Ramachandran, IANS,
An interim budget by an interim finance minister, in the midst of a global financial meltdown, is surely an extraordinary event by itself. No wonder then that all of us who were waiting with bated breath for an immediate solution to the country's economic crisis were sadly let down.
Unsung Hero: Young boy of North Kashmir designs bulldozer
By Yasir Ashraf, Agence India Press,
Establishment is making an example out of Akbaruddin for whole Muslim community – Abdul...
By Mohd. Ismail Khan, TwoCircles.net,
Anna Hazare has become symbol for a better India
By M.R. Narayan Swamy, IANS,
It needed a 72-year-old man with no pretensions, a school dropout at that, to wake up India.
India can only get better in world hockey
By Abhishek Roy,
It's been 39 years since India won their only hockey World Cup. After that they never came anywhere near a podium finish, let alone winning.
Modi’s lost opportunity towards reconciliation
By Ayub Khan,
The Indian media and a section of the American media as well, have been showering fulsome praise over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s public speaking skills. His Madison Square Garden speech has been especially highlighted as ‘inspiring’ and ‘rocking.’ Anyone disagreeing with this assessment is subjected to heaps of abuse including doubts about the critic’s sanity, ancestry, and in some cases even humanity. Perhaps the Modi’s fans have taken a cue from his controversial ‘puppy under the car’ remarks in categorizing those opposed to their leader in the canine species. Regardless of the fan outrage it cannot be ignored that Modi has failed to inspire confidence and hope. He had no healing touch to offer. His speeches were full of clichéd and vague remarks which can muster past the copy writer’s desk but are hardly befitting a leader who has just won elections with a thumping mandate. Modi disappointed the hopeless optimists with both what was said and what was left unsaid.
Intensive trade promises to broaden India-China interaction
By Srikanth Kondapalli, IANS
By all accounts, the recent visit of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Beijing is considered successful in the matter of expanding bilateral trade. With an impressive Rs.1.5 trillion ($38.6 billion) in bilateral trade, investments contemplated in each other's markets and physical connectivity explored between the two countries, bilateral engagement in these fields is poised to expand in the short-to-medium terms.
Milli Gazette: Ten years of a community newspaper
By Kashif-ul-Huda, TwoCircles.net
Very quietly, with their January 2010 issue the Milli Gazette has completed its ten years of publication. The Milli Gazette is a fortnightly publication published from Delhi under the editorship of Dr. Zafarul Islam Khan. It is surprising that a community that complains about media bias has not celebrated this important occasion of their own media. Publishing a community magazine for ten years and that too without much community support and advertising is no mean achievement.
National Commission for Minorities: Serving whose interest?
By Mahtab Alam for TwoCircles.net,
Dadri lynching: UP Govt confirms meat found was mutton
By TCN News,
Delhi : Exactly three months after Mohammed Akhlaq was lynched by a mob in Dadri, Uttar Pradesh, the report of the...
Pakistan’s impending ‘Cambodian Moment’
By Harold A. Gould, IANS,
The latest news from the Hindu Kush makes one thing painfully apparent: The Taliban/Al Qaeda jihadistani quasi state, "Jihadistan Emirate", has achieved critical mass. It has now metastasized into a killer disease that threatens the survival of Pakistan's fragile democracy.
Characters most familiar: The Indian diaspora in fiction
By Vikas Datta,
Politicians, business magnates, sports stars - the Indian diaspora has done well for itself in its new homes around the world and, on a literary basis, crossed another test of acceptance with their depiction in fiction as regular, non-stereotypical characters. From police inspectors to businessmen to cooks in nearly half a dozen countries across four continents, overseas Indians are increasingly figuring in a range of splendid tales by a number of non-Indian writers.
पातालकोट : जहां ज़मीन के अन्दर से पनपता है भारत का भविष्य
जावेद अनीस
छिंदवाड़ा जिले के तामिया ब्लॉक में स्थित पातालकोट मानो धरती के गर्भ में समाया है. तकरीबन 89 वर्ग किलोमीटर क्षेत्र में फैली यह...
India’s high growth offset by rising food inflation
By Sushma Ramachandran, IANS,
The Indian economy's 7.9 percent growth in the second quarter of this fiscal has taken everyone by surprise, but rising food inflation, which has seen the daily grocery bill shoot up sharply, has dampened some of the euphoria.
Challenges to Secularism in India and the role of civil society
Report of the National Seminar in Delhi on 13-14th May, 2014
By Anchal Jain,
India stood at the brink of a very important historic moment with the culmination of 16thLokSabha elections. One of the most important issues flagged by the numerous debates on the issue of elections was what these elections meant for the state of Indian secularism. This issue was highlighted even more as the fear of Hindu-right wing political forces coming to power grew in the minds of the secular ranks of society.
Running for US Congress, Sri Preston Kulkarni under fire for ties with India’s right-wing...
By Pieter Friedrich
In the middle of his second attempt to secure a seat in US Congress, Sri Preston Kulkarni is under fire for his...
Who to blame for Plight of Muslims
By Ram Puniyani
Naseeruddin Shah in an interview to Karawan-E-Mohabbat expressed his anguish and anger at the killing of Subodh Kumar Singh, the police inspector....
Modi, Nitish make Holi material fly off shelves in Bihar
By Imran Khan
It is a colourful time in Bihar, but politics is not too far from the celebration of colours. Prime Minister Narendra...
Sociology of Muslim deprivation: some thoughts in the context of the Sachar Committee Report
By Yoginder SikandThis presentation is not a rigorously-argued academic paper. Instead, it seeks to offer tray thoughts on the very complex issue of the...
Protest processions mark day in Valley before the 3rd anniversary of hanging of Afzal...
By Raqib Hameed Naik, TwoCircles.net
Srinagar: A day before the third anniversary of hanging of Mohammad Afzal Guru, who was convicted and hanged...
Praveen Swami and the informed art of speculating
By M Reyaz and Amit Kumar, TwoCircles.net,
New Delhi: National daily The Indian Express was not pretty sure where the alleged Al-Qaeda’s...
Clean India movement should also clean the air
By Rajendra Shende,
The most crucial inclusion in the India-US Joint statement issued on Sep 30 is the strategic partnership on energy and climate change. The actions agreed will have far reaching impacts on India's poor, neo-middle class and youth. They will also enhance the image of an India as a steward in international negotiations on environment.
Modi’s domestic barbs abroad could undermine his dignity
By Amulya Ganguli
It has now become almost a routine feature of Narendra Modi's trips abroad to take a dig or two at his...
भोजन,न्याय और सद्भावना की बात करने वाले हर्ष मंदर निशाने पर क्यों हैं ?
जावेद अनीस
किसी भी लोकतान्त्रिक समाज में सिविल सोसाइटी की भूमिका को नजरअंदाज नहीं किया जा सकता. नागिरकों के अधिकार आधारित विमर्श और मांगों को...
Can the green flag of Owaisi fly in Bihar?
By Abhay Kumar,
Ever since Asaduddin Owaisi, president of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (henceforth MIM or Majlis), addressed a well-attended public meeting in...
The Tauhidic basis for inter-community peace and justice: Lessons from Dara Shikoh
By Yoginder Sikand, TwoCircles.net,
Prohibition Bihar: Cheers for toddy
By Amulya Ganguli
It is sad to see a promising politician stumble and be in danger of falling flat on his face. Till the...
Naseeruddin Shah ko Gussa Kyon Aata hai?
Ram Puniyani
The index of health of democratic society is gauzed by the feeling of security experienced by the minorities. Similarly one can say that...
Statue of Unity is a symbol of BJP’s hypocrisy, not a call for uniting...
By Arshi Khan for TwoCircles.net
The problem with the world today is not that there are so many people who do wrong, but there are...
The tale of two India Conferences
By Shabir Hassan for TwoCircles.net
MIT and Harvard, the two hallmarks of excellence and legacy are often being flaunted as the best places to learn....
If you are not from Congress, you are not secular
By Mohd Asim Khan,
What kind of a deal the Congress struck with Shahi Imam Ahmed Bukhari in Delhi is not known. But the...
Mumbai violence: lumpenisation of Indian politics
By Amulya Ganguli, IANS
The anti-north Indian violence by a small parochial outfit in Mumbai and elsewhere in Maharashtra shows that while India has grown economically, the politicians remain petty-minded charlatans.
Otherwise, it is not possible to explain how a cosmopolitan 300-year-old metropolis, which is known as the country's financial centre and the home of its entertainment industry, can fall prey to the kind of sectarianism associated with a backward village.
Sania and Saina symbols of woman power
By Veturi Srivatsa,
Saina Nehwal has officially been anointed the No.1 woman player in world badminton. Sania Mirza is on the cusp of becoming the top-most in tennis doubles - she is No.3 right now. The two Hyderabadis are the best role models for young Indian women trying to make a mark in today's highly competitive world of sport.
Revisiting South Asia under PM Modi
By Syed Ali Mujtaba,
South Asia, the countries surrounding India, forming a regional grouping called SAARC has come to acquire top priority status in the policy framework of the new Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
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...
Death on India’s roads — same as 2 daily plane crashes
By Kamala Thiagarajan
About 350 people die every day on India’s roads - more than any other country - with those under 18 and two-wheeler...
A Ramadan Spent in America
By Bushra Alvi for TwoCircles.net
Shoulder to shoulder, heel to heel, we stood, we prayed, we bowed, we raised our hands, we begged for mercy,...
Muslims of Azamgarh: who are they, what are they?
By Razi Raziuddin
The district of Azamgarh has been much in the news at present, mostly with terror and violence-related events and episodes. Earlier, Azamgarh had been in the news for its scholars, its poets, its freedom fighters, and its institutions and religious seminaries.
These days it has become fashionable, especially with the media, to relate Muslim fundamentalism related pro-activism (in the North and Western India) with Azamgarh. It seems that all roads of illegalities, be it a hawala/money scam or a bombing episode elsewhere, are connected with the district of Azamgarh.
Is it possible to ignore Aam Aadmi Party ?
By Kaleem Kawaja,
People who are describing Aam aadmi Party as “dangerous, anarchic, publicity seeker” who is unfit for the Indian democracy, are mostly from the generation that has grown used to long established political parties and the abuses, corruption, communalism, dynasty politics, authoritarianism, crony capitalism that they perpetrate on the nation. These folks think that if you want democracy, you have to pay this price. To them acting boldly and quickly is “dangerous and anarchic”.
Search for a Gujarati
By Nasiruddin Haider Khan
Pakistan wants to involve Islamic group on Kashmir, criticises SAARC ‘regional domination’
By Arul Louis
United Nations: Pakistan launched a thinly veiled criticism of India over the functioning of SAARC as it tried to involve the Organisation...
The bizarre case of Aamil Parvez
Booked for Ahmedabad bomb blasts while he was languishing in Indore Central Jail
‘Trap shooting’ seems Delhi Traffic Police’s pet game
By Arvind Padmanabhan, IANS,
Far from taking effective steps to bring discipline to the capital's roads, the Delhi Traffic Police seems fixated with the game of tempting the city's drivers to break rules, only to ambush them into paying the price for their misdemeanour. In the process, if the rule-abiders suffer, so be it! Here's how:
NRI investors, have your cake and eat it too!
By Kul Bhushan, IANS,
NRI investors are watching the current bearish days on the Indian stock market with trepidation. From the peak of the bull run at over 20,000 on June 8, the Sensex has plummeted to less than 14,000 now. The rise in crude prices has fuelled inflation at over 11 percent and the recent monetary policies to curb demand have accelerated the decline of the Sensex.
When two Muslims meet: The media(ted) case of Madani and Shahina
By K Ashraf & Jenny Rowena,
Shame! Insult business of Taslima ‘Bharati’
By Sampathkumar Iyangar
Move over, Umajee and Mamatajee! We've discovered the true Draupadi who can successfully force a Mahabharat-style war to avenge the insult of defeat five centuries ago at the hands of Zahir ud-Din alias Babar. The 'refugee' is only too willing to be pawn in the great political gamble of Bharat!
Healing Separation
By Lila Sophia Tresemer
In October 2006, a group of women from the Holy Land gathered in Colorado to co-create a Middle Eastern village experience—living, eating, and learning together. The women came from a wide variety of backgrounds: Jewish (several were religious, others secular and some pagan), Arab (Druze, Muslim, Christian and pagan), as well as women from the US with a range of cultural identities.
‘हमारे 3 विधायक 240 पर भारी पड़ेंगे’
अफ़रोज़ आलम साहिल, TwoCircles.net
बिहार में लालू-नीतिश के जीत की शोर में एक बेहद ही दिलचस्प घटनाक्रम दब कर रह गया. यह घटना भाकपा माले...
A ceasefire is no small thing
By MJ Rosenberg, CGNews,
The ceasefire is still in effect, which is something of a surprise. After all, this is a ceasefire few like—especially in Israel. Some of the same government officials who secured it, wasted little time in saying that they did not expect it to last and that, when it did collapse, Israel would launch its long-deferred invasion of Gaza.
Anantnag by-poll: Mehbooba’s 1st electoral challenge after father’s death
By Sheikh Qayoom
Srinagar : Retaining her father's assembly seat is the first major political challenge Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti faces after...
How do RSS and other Sangh Parivar outfits escape terrorist tag?
By Adnan Alavi
The TV Today group's English channel Headlines Today aired the sting operation that showed top Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader Indresh Kumar's involvement with Hindutva-inspired fanatics.
By-poll shocks for ruling parties, except in Gujarat
By Amulya Ganguli, IANS,
Within four months of the Congress's success in the parliamentary polls, the party has been rudely jolted in the latest round of assembly by-elections.
After a severe drubbing in Gujarat, where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wrested five seats from the Congress along with one in Madhya Pradesh, the Congress lost two seats - Okhla and Dwarka - in its supposed stronghold of Delhi to the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the BJP.
शुक्रिया लालू जी! आपके ‘तांगा प्लान’ ने हमें फिर से जिंदा कर दिया…
अफ़रोज़ आलम साहिल, Twocircles.net
फ़िल्म ‘शोले’ की याद आते ही ‘बसंती’ की याद खुद बखुद आ जाती है. लेकिन सवाल यह है कि बसंती तांगे...
M.F. Husain turns 100, ‘Husain 100’ to pay tribute
Kolkata: Renowned Indian artist M.F. Husain's five-day birth centenary year celebrations here, beginning on Saturday, will see film screenings, seminars and exhibitions of...
नफरत की खेती वोटों की फसल
तो क्या यह चुनाव व्हाट्सएप पर लड़ा जा रहा है...
नासिरूद्दीन
एक फोटो आती है. देखते ही देखते ही हम सबके मोबाइल में घूमने लगती...
Stakes for Elections 2014: Secularism or Democracy
By Mazher Hussain,
Finally we seem to have succeeded in dividing India, a country of a billion plus, into just two groups. Both groups claim to be secular. The only difference is that while one group accuses the other of being communal, the other brands the first group of being pseudo secular.
Behind the Obama win: An insider view
By Latha M. Srinivasan, IANS,
It was the sheer hard work of his campaign volunteers and extensive ground game that won Barack Obama his second term as US president.
Have we forgotten Shibli Nomani ?
A Rememberance on his 152nd birth anniversary:
By Kaleem Kawaja,
“Yeh maana tum ko talwaron ki tezi aazmani haiy,
Humari gurdanon pur ho gaa is ka imtihaan kub tuk”
( We know you want to display your military might,
But for how long will it be at our cost.)
………..Shibli Nomnai in “Shahar-e- Aaashob-e-Islam” (The ruined city of Islam” )
Terrorism and educated youth
By Asghar Ali Engineer In the recent attempted terrorist attacks in Central London and on Glasgow airport, it is alleged, Mr. Kafil Ahmed of...
How not to do minority welfare
By Kashif-ul-Huda, TwoCircles.net
In the name of minority welfare, Government of India spends about Rs. 5000 crores annually. On the face of it, this big amount and schemes and programmes gives the impression that government is sincere but dig little deeper and find out that government is anything but.
अयोध्या में राम मंदिर की शुरुआत? यानी बहुत कुछ की शुरुआत
By TwoCircles.net staff reporter
अयोध्या: बीते रोज़ अयोध्या में विश्व हिन्दू परिषद् की हरक़तों ने माहौल को तल्ख़ और तनावपूर्ण बना दिया है. इसकी शुरुआत...
Yaqub Memon’s ‘strong role’ paved way for ten men in commutation of their death...
By A Mirsab, TwoCircles.net,
Every coin has two sides and visibly these sides will always remain completely contrasting to each other. Incidentally this standard...
Why do we insult people we honour?
By Vishnu Makhijani,
Some decades ago, during my second year in college, I came across this fresher being ragged by a group of hostelers.
"Where are...
Turn economic challenges into opportunities
By Syed Zahid Ahmad,
Despite all due respects to ministers and other managers of economic policies of our great country, It is disappointing to read statements where it is repeatedly stated that the next year may be economically tougher, GDP growth rate may further decline, fiscal deficit may increase over the revised budget estimates and Indian economy may not turn around unless the global economy recovers. However, once the global economy shows the signs of recovery, India's turn around will be sharper and swifter; backed by our strong fundamentals and the untapped growth potential.
Youth Congress stages protest over intolerance
New Delhi : Hundreds of Youth Congress activists protested here on Monday over the issue of intolerance in the country. Several of them were...
Mumtaz Kazi – Asia’s first woman diesel engine driver
TCN Special Series on Women of Inspiration
By Rehan Ansari, TwoCircles.net,
The concept of justice in Islam
By Asghar Ali Engineer,
Islam is hardly known as religion of justice even though justice is its most fundamental value. Islam had appeared in a tribal society wherein justice as value was almost unknown. Tribal society has certain oral conventions and has no written law, and oral conventions develop over a period of time and need for justice, as such, is hardly felt. One more reason for this is private property and wealth does not exist in such society. The only persistent law is that of revenge and retaliation. The Qur’an refers to it as a law of retaliation.
Indian Premier League is here to stay
By V. Krishnaswamy, IANS,
The numbers for the Indian Premier League (IPL) are not in, neither for the viewership nor the ones that balance the books. But be sure, when they are out, the former will be a cause for yet another party, and the latter a cause for some concern.
There are lessons to be learnt from the inaugural edition. Next year there will be more time to sell and attract sponsors and, more importantly, a lot of expenses will come in for a severe scrutiny.
Arbitrary and illegal arrest of ‘Nishan’ Editor Lenin Roy
By Dr Nutan Thakur,
Lenin Kumar Roy, the editor of Nishan, a Left oriented quarterly magazine published from Bhuvaneshwar (Orissa state in India) was arrested on 7 December 2008 around 1-1.30 pm and sent to jail on charges of writing provocative literature which as per the police version and the official report would disturb communal peace and harmony.
The police did not stop here.
Jaitley’s ‘safe’ run ends with Amarinder’s entry
By Jaideep Sarin
Amritsar: It is highly unlikely that Amritsar will be a 'safe' Lok Sabha seat for BJP veteran Arun Jaitley after the...
India’s World Cup campaign flawed from the start
By Anand Philar, IANS,
It is time to pick up the pieces of Indian hockey even as coach Jose Brasa is humming John Denver's "Leaving on a Jet Plane" melody. One suspects that the Spaniard believes that he could be the first before the firing squad, post the Hockey World Cup.
Amit Shah assures AMU delegation of raising minority status issue with PM Modi
By TCN Staff Reporter
Delhi: Amit Shah, President, BJP, has assured the Sir Syed Minority Foundation of India that he will raise the issue of...
Endgame in Afghanistan and the Musharraf factor
By Brig Arun Sahgal (retd) and Rahul Bedi
The United States' apparent determination to somehow ensure a second term in office for Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf is closely linked to Washington's efforts to 'manage' Afghanistan that is fast spiralling out of its control.
Information pieced together from diplomats as well as military and Western security sources reveal that the US is embarked on a course to orchestrate the 're-coronation' of Musharraf in return for his assistance in brokering a deal with the 'good' and 'moderate' Taliban.
India’s unfolding education crisis: Government schools short of 1 mn teachers
By Abhishek Waghmare
Eighteen 18 per cent positions of teachers in government-run primary schools and 15 per cent in secondary schools are vacant...
Observation Report about Muslims in Lok Sabha Election 2009
By Syed Zahid Ahmad
[TwoCircles.net may not agree with the observations and endorsements mentioned in this article]
A brief study of data available at website of Election Commission of India has been made by week ending 11th April 2009 to observe the scope of Indian Muslim’s position in Lok Sabha election 2009. During the study it was found that still data about all constituencies are not available, and Muslims have filed their nomination at 128 constituencies in 16 states. So the study is based upon only 128 constituencies of 16 states.
Objectives
ISIS, Oil Politics and Peaking of Islamophobia
By Ram Puniyani,
Just a month ago (August 2014) a group of Muslim activists-scholars organized press meets in various cities. They issued a statement condemning the brutal violence being committed by ISIS. There statement carried a visual saying Islam Means Peace. The statement said “Indian Muslims Condemn the Brutal Atrocities by ISIS against Minorities in Iraq and Syria; denounce religious intolerance, persecution and violence in the name of Islam” I circulated the statement to many lists. One of the members on the list wrote back that “‘Islam means Peace’ is the biggest joke of the century”. Simultaneously in India, the propaganda about love Jihad is being spread like wild fire by communal elements. Irrespective of the fact that in such a propaganda few cases of marriage-conversion, the girls changing their version the boundary line between love and imposition being regularly breached, have been picked up as an example of Muslim men on a path to Jihad for conversion to Islam, by marrying Hindu girls by deceit. A friend demanded whether I can cite even 100 cases where Muslim girls have married Hindu men. To my good fortune I could locate a list longer than that of 100 and also a Google search of Hindu Men Muslim wife gave good many beautiful stories (https://www.facebook.com/R3alityofPorkistan/posts/613266692020533 ) of such ‘love jihad’ in reverse! To add to the already existing atmosphere Al Jawahiri of Al Qaeda issued a Video declaring its plan to expand the activities in India.
Aaj pacchees
By Shafeeq Mahajir for TwoCircles.net,
Today’s newspapers carried two stories.
Five under-trial prisoners, handcuffed, are transiting under guard with armed police. Arms carried are INSAS rifles and AK-47 assault rifles. The police van carrying them stops because one of them wants to relieve himself. The group, all five under-trial prisoners, handcuffed, is at the end of their “terrorism” trial, and the expectation the families of the under-trial prisoners have is that they would be acquitted. The man gets down, urinates and returning to the van, “snatches” an AK-47 assault rifle from a policeman and fires twice at an officer in the front seat. The policeman whose weapon is snatched does nothing to snatch it back? The officer however, though in the front seat with his back towards the events unfolding at the rear, is alert, and ducks, evading the two bullets, and saves himself. Good man.
A tradition of collective Iftar in mosques
By Tarique Anwar, TwoCircles.net,
I am in Muslim dominated Dargah Shah Arzan area of Patna to see how people here do their Iftar arrangements. There is a tradition of collective Iftar usually arranged in mosques in the month of Ramadan. The mosque of this area is one of them.
I entered the palatial three-storey mosque which seemed to me no less than a palace. On its ground floor some people were offering Namaz and some were reciting the Holy Quran. I went upstairs and reached the first floor and then second floor.
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.
Freedom of speech on its last leg?
By Mujahid Mughal
Article 19 of the Indian Constitution states that “all citizens (of India) have the right to freedom of speech and expression.” This...
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