Are there more Satyams out there?
By Sushma Ramachandran, IANS,
The confessional letter written by Ramalinga Raju in the first week of 2009 about the massive fraud perpetrated at the country's fourth largest software company, Satyam, has opened a Pandora's box. The scam by Raju and his family could ultimately emerge as the mother of all corporate frauds in this country as even the initial investigations are revealing all kinds of manipulation.
A new way of thinking about Islam
By Usama Khalidi,
A new Islam is rising in America largely under the media’s radar, which is routinely and profitably focused on the more competitively conservative, and violent, Islam of the Boko Haram of Nigeria, the Taliban of Afghanistan and Pakistan, and now the infamous ISIS, the “Islamic State of Iraq and Syria”, founders of a newly minted “Caliphate”. Consider this:
RBI is inflating the Indian Economy
By Syed Zahid Ahmad,
The recession in the US and prevailed uncertainty in the petroleum producing nations had provided an opportunity for India to pull capital resources from the US and Gulf countries, but the practical approach of RBI has converted the opportunities into challenges as the liquidity and inflation are certainly not under the control of the RBI which is attempting to freeze the liquidity by increasing the interest rate and cost of credits. FICCI and the corporate sector have already criticized RBI’s recent announcement to increase the rate of interest.
Muslim advocacy group organized 2nd “National Social Leadership Summit” in New Delhi
By TCN News,
New Delhi: MOEMIN, an advocacy group of Indian Muslims organized second “National Social Leadership Summit” in collaboration with Association of Muslim Professionals...
Climate engineering to reverse global warming may impact biodiversity: Experts
By Mohammed Shafeeq, IANS,
Smart Muslim Vote Model (SMVM) for dual leadership of Muslims with regards to Nitish,...
By Masood Siddiqui for Twocircles.net
The 21st century voter should have the capability to...
तबलीग़ियों ने जाहिलाना हरकतों से कोरोना फैलाया तो इन पढ़े लिखों ने क्या किया!
अश्वनी शुक्ला
माना कि तबलीग़ियों ने अपनी आउटडेटेड विचारधारा और जाहिलाना हरकतों से हजारों लोगों के जीवन को संकट में डाल दिया। लेकिन आधुनिक शिक्षा...
Modi should speak out more on sports in India
By Veturi Srivatsa,
One wonders how Narendra Modi could draw a parallel between India winning a cricket match and the Mars achievement of space scientists when he himself and his alter ego Amit Shah controlled Gujarat cricket till the two shifted to Delhi.
Bangalore phobia will only hurt Western economies
By Sanjiv Kataria, IANS,
The Indian information and communication technology (ICT) industry and Indian software professionals have earned global kudos for exceptional technical prowess, meticulous software development skills and quality processes for over two decades.
Let us rediscover our history of composite culture: Asghar Ali Engineer
By Anju Azad, TwoCircles.net
Guwahati: Ashgar Ali Engineer spoke at a 3-day long international conference on “Armed Conflcit and Peace Prospect’ on June 17th, 2009 at Guwahati, Assam. The conference was organized by Omeo Kumar Das Institute of Social Change and Development. He delivered a lecture on ‘Re-reading through History of Communal Harmony’.
A brief abstract of his speech is as follows:
मोदी सरकार के तीन साल और दलितों में टकराव व बदलाव की नई चेतना
फ़हमिना हुसैन, TwoCircles.net
देश में आज से तीन साल पहले भाजपा की मोदी सरकार बनने के साथ ही लोगों में ये उम्मीद साफ़ देखने को...
Where has all the anger gone? Dalit survivors of Sunped wonder as they fight...
By Amit Kumar for Twocircles.net
This is the first in a four-part series on cases of Dalit atrocities in India which were brought up...
Some out of the box thinking about AMU
By Omar Peerzada,
The issues and what can be done:
Minus:
The University (College) has been functioning since 1920 (1876) and there has been hardly any change in its style of functioning and attitudes. The modern world has changed drastically and unless and until AMU regenerates itself it would be left behind. AMU alone may not be alone in this predicament since most of the traditional universities in Northern India are suffering from the same ennui and obsolescence.
Voters debunk two party systems in Delhi, Greece, Spain, Scotland
By Saeed Naqvi,
The new poster boy of European politics could well be a pony tailed Pablo Iglesias, in a dark blue denim shirt, 40, leader of Spain’s new communist movement, Podemos, which threatens to end the two decade old rule of the right wing Peoples Party. Playing second fiddle to PP in Spain were the socialists. As phenomena, is there a similarity between Iglesias and Arvind Kejriwal of the Aam Aadmi Party?
मोदी सरकार में बढ़ती बेरोजगारी
जावेद अनीस
पिछले लोकसभा चुनाव के दौरान नरेंद्र मोदी ने हर साल 2.5 करोड़ नौकरियां देने का वादा किया था, लेकिन अभी तक ऐसा...
TCN special: Misra Commission report excerpts- Part 6
By TwoCircles.net news desk,
Misra Commission report excerpts - home page
Chapter 6: Criteria for Identifying Backward Sections among Religious Minorities
How TRS captured Hyderabad
Hyderabad: The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) was widely expected to unfurl its flag on the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC). But the scale of...
What Sunderbans’ closed schools say about climate change
By Nagraj Adve and Partha Kayal,
At the Boatkhali Kadambini Pre-primary School on Sagar island in the Sunderbans, classes stop for five-six days each, twice...
Why the specific mention of ‘Secularism’ in the Indian Constitution matters?
By Jamal Khwaja,
Let me begin by recalling what an eminent Muslim leader from Hyderabad, Bahadur Yar Jung, said in 1946—after the transfer of power to India the Nizam of Hyderabad should become the constitutional monarch of his dominions. Highly responsible Indian quarters rejected this stand on the ground that almost 90% of the Nizam’s subjects, were likely to have other ideas about their future. Unfazed, Bahadur Yar Jung (perhaps in all sincerity) replied that there was no reason for the Nizam’s non-Muslim subjects to feel insecure or apprehensive of their future, under Muslim rule, since Islam stood for the full protection of the life, property and welfare of peaceful non-Muslim subjects (dhimmis) in an Islamic state.
NSG commando Niranjan cremated at Kerala village
Palakkad (Kerala) : NSG commando Lt.Col. E.K. Niranjan, who was killed in the counter-offensive against terrorists at the Pathankot air base on Sunday, was...
A new deal for Gujarat
By Manish Tewari,
BJP and Congress are preparing for the big fight in December. Here, Manish Tewari, AICC secretary looking after Gujarat, argues that Modi’s ‘Vibrant Gujarat’ is a myth that will not hold
Is it a sin to be a Gujjar?
By Dr. Javaid Rahi
This is narration of 5th day of the strike in Kashmir Valley. I was busy in reading a local newspaper while my five years old son (Ali Gujjar) called my attention towards television and said "See Papa-Gujjar Gujjar Hai Hai" !!. I increased the volume of my television and with all inquisitiveness watched the television.
Deoband’s Anti-Terrorism Convention: Some Reflections
By Yoginder Sikand, TwoCircles.net
The mammoth 'Anti-Terrorism Convention' organised at Deoband late last month, which brought together ulema from all over the country, has received wide media coverage. While smaller conventions of this sort have been organized by other ulema bodies in recent years, this one, unlike others, caught the attention of the media particularly because it was organized by the Dar ul-Ulum Deoband, probably the largest traditional madrasa in the world, which large sections of the media have been unfairly berating as the 'hub' of 'terrorism'.
Bhutto death augurs unrest, lawlessness in N-armed nation
By Rahul Bedi, IANS
Former prime minister Benazir Bhutto's assassination could not have come at a worse time for turbulent Pakistan and threatens to conflagrate a highly volatile security situation in a largely lawless country armed with nuclear weapons.
Other than the prevailing political chaos ahead of next month's proposed general elections - exacerbated by Bhutto's killing - Pakistan is under siege by Islamists and suicide bombers who have the army in retreat.
Why Does Adultery Matter in a Secular Society?
"Secularism prohibits the imposition of any religion, except the religion of secularism"
By Yamin Zakaria,
Moment of reckoning for Arabs
What happens in the land of Nile in the next few days could impact the whole world
By Aijaz Zaka Syed
Modi’s victory signals rise of new India
By Amit Kapoor,
The Lok Sabha election results have been surprising and stunning, to say the least. No one expected such a thumping win for...
The Islamic State and the “Caliphate” of Al Baghdadi – Implications for Indian Muslims
By Dr. Ajmal,
In the last article - The Islamic State and the Caliphate of Al Baghdadi – Of Power, Politics & Legality , we had discussed briefly, the origins, politics and also the legality of ISIS.
To sum up, ISIS started as an Iraqi Resistance Movement against the Shite Maliki Regime, which, with active support of Saudi and others went on to become a major force. They supported ISIS in order to derive political benefit i.e. to overthrow Maliki and to reduce Qatar’s influence in Middle East, even if it meant strengthening Assad.
BJP’s fringe: Tail wagging the dog?
By Amulya Ganguli
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has spent much of its time in recent weeks telling its members to behave.
When party president...
Minority judgement
By Nasiruddin Haider Khan
"The court finds that Muslims have ceased to be a minority religious community in the state of Uttar Pradesh on consideration of the materials on record which includes various census reports of 1951 and 2001 and, therefore, directs the state of Uttar Pradesh to treat any member of Muslim community equal to other non minority religious communities…"
Unlike Sadhvi NIA’s clean chit to Muslims in 2006 case was not before brain...
By A Mirsab, TwoCircles.net,
National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday gave clean chit to six Hindu accused in Malegaon 2008 blasts case saying prosecution is...
Review: Aamir, a movie on modern day terrorism
an analysis of its message
By Feroze Mithiborwala,
Going by the positive reviews that 'AAMIR' has elicited in the secular press, my friend Kishore Jagtap and myself decided to see the movie, for the reason that it dealt with the modern scourge of terrorism.
India needs Netaji’s vision of justice: Amartya Sen
Kolkata: Observing that the country was in a situation where secularism was construed as a bad word, Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen on Saturday said...
A wakeup call for “Muslim leaders”
By Navaid Hamid for TwoCircles.net
For last several years, I have been cautioning "Muslim leaders" to be more realistic, visionary and attentive to the pulse of the Muslim youth which constitute around sixty percent of the total Muslim population in India, before it’s too late.
Electrified over 3,000 villages in 100 days: Modi
New Delhi : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said more than 3,000 villages across the country have been provided electricity in around 100...
The dilemma of Jamaat-e-Islami in a secular India
By Dr Wasim Ahmad,
I studied in a madrasah, Jami‘atul Falah, which has many nice objectives written down (http://www.jamiatulfalah.org/). Besides, however, the written objectives of Jami‘atul Falah, there is one more (implied) objective. It is to prepare individuals for Jamaa‘at-e-Islami (Tahreek-e-Islami ke liye afraad tayyaar karna). This is because the Jami‘atul Falah was founded by the members of Jamaa‘at-e-Islami Hind.
‘दीन बचाओ’ या ‘दीन बेचो’ कांफ्रेंस?
अफ़रोज़ आलम साहिल, TwoCircles.net
इसमें कोई शक़ नहीं है कि मुसलमानों से जुड़े जितने भी प्रतीक हैं, चाहे वो धार्मिक हो, ऐतिहासिक हो या...
Educational Deprivation of Muslims: Revisiting Sachar Report
By Shahidur Rashid Talukdar,
The condition of Muslims in India is pitiable. As it has been documented by the Sachar Committee Report (SCR), Muslims are virtually lagging behind all other communities and a trend of relative deterioration is observed in almost all spheres of day-to-day life. Especially in the field of education, the situation is of grave concern.
Muslims literacy
Dangerous Portents in Jammu and Kashmir: a view from Doda
By Yoginder Sikand, TwoCircles.net,
Americans glimpse the “real” Iran
By Qamar-ul Huda, Mohammed Abu-Nimer and Ayse Kadayifci
In October 2007, we were part of a Muslim American delegation of peace and conflict resolution experts who went on a one-week trip to Iran to discuss ways in which various Iranian groups approach conflict prevention, resolution and dialogue. Our delegation met with peace-practitioners, lawyers, human rights experts, NGOs, scholars, religious leaders and students.
Ruchika, Nilofar and Asiya
By Balraj Puri
Fresh inquiry into Ruchika case, mainly due to the media hype, has revived many similar cases of women victims suppressed by powers that be in places like Ghaziabad and Ahmedabad. In Kashmir, it has given a fresh stimulus to the agitation over suspected rape and murder of two sisters-in-law in Shopian.
Assam flood vs. Bihar flood: Why different treatment?
By M. Burhanuddin Qasmi,
The floods have been rampaging since eons for the people of Assam, Bihar, Bengal and some parts of Uttar Pradesh. The point is that north Bihar is visited by floods every year and routinely devastated by its river systems, led by the Kosi, which originate in Nepal and eventually flow into the Gangetic plains.
लोकसभा चुनाव के आखरी दौर में जारी एडीआर की 534 सीटों की सर्वे रिपोर्ट
TCN News
लोकसभा चुनाव 2019 अपने आखरी दौर में पहुंच चुका है ऐसे में राजनैतिक गतिविधियों पर नज़र रखने वाली एडीआर ने ऑल इंडिया सर्वे...
Ayodhya judgment: Flawed, but it has its positive sides
By Amulya Ganguli, IANS,
Notwithstanding several flaws, the judgment of the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court on the six-decade-old Ayodhya dispute does have a positive side.
The cases of Varun Gandhi and Binayak Sen: one land, two laws
By Nupur Basu, IANS,
This is a country where the law clearly protects the rich and famous and comes down heavily, very often unfairly, on the poor and powerless.
For all those listening / watching aghast at how low our politicians can sink - e.g. Varun Gandhi's vituperative attack against the Muslim community in an election address in Pilibhit from where he will contest on the BJP ticket - they always knew deep down that nothing would come of it. The interim anticipatory bail granted to him on Friday is on those very predictable lines.
Can Assam push BJP’s northeastward thrust?
By Subir Bhaumik,
From Mamata Banerji in West Bengal to Manik Sarkar in Tripura, not to speak of Assam's hat-trick Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, a host of regional chieftains are under fire in the east and the northeast. This could make the BJP's task of penetrating the region much easier than what many would imagine.
Terrorists kill 17 soldiers in Kashmir, India blames Pakistan
By Sheikh Qayoom
Uri/New Delhi : Terrorists of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) outfit attacked an army camp near a brigade headquarters here in Jammu and...
Exile, exclusion and isolation
By Karen Koning AbuZayd, CGNews,
The horrors of World War II gave impetus to a quest for universal peace, justice and human dignity, with the United Nations at the fore.
It is a disturbing commentary on our quest that as we commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Palestinians mark six decades of what they refer to as the Nakba, or catastrophe, with many languishing in conditions of exile, exclusion and isolation.
L.K. Advani: loneliness of the long-distance runner
By Amulya Ganguli, IANS,
L.K. Advani's decision to continue as leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha for the next five years underlines remarkable physical and mental stamina for an octogenarian. It also shows that he is not daunted by political setbacks.
A less resilient person would have preferred to gradually withdraw from public life after the kind of reverses the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) suffered in the recent general election. The defeat was compounded by the shattering of his own ambition to become prime minister.
Can I express without being judged as a Muslim, and a woman?
By Sabrina Iqbal Sircar for TwoCircles.net
I feel constrained at times. It's like I have to think a hundred times to speak...
In J&K, govt stays mums even as civilians armed by the state shoot innocents
By Raqib Hameed Naik, TwoCircles.net
Jammu: The death of three people in two incidents within a time span of one week in the...
Chaos in deciding Ramadan and Eid dates
By P.A.Mohamed Ameen for TwoCircles.net
The system of Hilal Committees, the work of Muftis and Imams of Grand or village Masjids, all sound on paper, scientifically well organised and superbly efficient, but unfortunately the ground realities are different. There is total chaos and confusion every year, in every part of India about the commencing and ending of fasting.
A perverse interpretation of religious neutrality
By Dr Mohammad Manzoor Alam,
Now that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal is the Chief Minister of Delhi, the people, including Muslims, are naturally looking forward to action from him to redress their long-standing problems.
Masturat Trust: An oasis of hope
By Rupa Abdi, TwoCircles.net
After the 2002 communal riots of Gujarat, while the politicians were busy reaping the benefits of the violence and hatred that they had unleashed, and the media was busy writing about it, it was left to a few individuals like Mehrunisa Mansuri, resident of Juhapura - on of the communal cauldrons of Ahmedabad, to pick up the pieces.
After the 2002 communal riots of Gujarat, while the politicians were busy reaping the benefits of the violence and hatred that they had unleashed, and the media was busy writing about it, it was left to a few individuals like Mehrunisa Mansuri, resident of Juhapura - on of the communal cauldrons of Ahmedabad, to pick up the pieces.
Zaheer Khan: Indian cricketer’s march towards greatness
By Adnan Alavi,
Speedster Zaheer Khan went past a major milestone during the Durban test match in South Africa. Though India won the test, the record didn't get due attention.
Health of Women is Indeed Our Precious Wealth
By Shobha Shukla,
On this year's World Health Day, let us focus on addressing issues that can improve health status of women. A wide array of socio-economic, cultural and gender-based inequalities continue to aggravate risk for women.
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...
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.
बिहार के गरीब स्कूल की रंगीन कहानी
TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter
बोधगया(सुजाता) - आज कोई व्यक्ति नहीं, कोई शख्सियत नहीं न कोई संस्थान जिसे हम मिसाल की तरह पेश करना चाहते हैं. ऐसे...
Education of Muslims in the villages of Faizabad district (UP)
By Kaleem Kawaja,
In April 2009 I visited some villages in Faizabad district which is located about 130 km east of Lucknow, on the main highway leading from Lucknow to cities in Eastern U.P. As such it is considered a part of eastern UP where the majority occupation of people is still agriculture, although industrial and commercial activity is now beginning to sprout in the city of Faizabad. Muslims form the majority population in many villages in Faizabad district. But their educational level is very depressed and there are very few good schools in the villages.
He asked me if he’ll die or live: Hangal’s son
By IANS,
Mumbai: A.K.Hangal's son Vijay says he was speechless when the veteran actor asked him whether he will live through his ordeal in the hospital.
Terror wears uniform in Hyderabad
By Kashif-ul-Huda, TwoCircles.net
26 Muslim youth have been arrested in the aftermath of Hyderabad bomb blasts but none of them have been charged for bomb blast case. If Civil Liberties Monitoring Committee of India (CLMCI), a human rights organization based in Hyderabad is to be believed many more can be arrested. Muslims of Hyderabad are living under a terror where perpetrators are uniformed and all state machinery seems to be against its citizen.
26 Muslim youth have been arrested in the aftermath of Hyderabad bomb blasts but none of them have been charged for bomb blast case. If Civil Liberties Monitoring Committee of India (CLMCI), a human rights organization based in Hyderabad is to be believed many more can be arrested. Muslims of Hyderabad are living under a terror where perpetrators are uniformed and all state machinery seems to be against its citizen.
Muslim clerics extend legal help to Bengaluru-based Maulana arrested over alleged terror links
By TwoCircles.net, Staff Reporter
Bengaluru: After the arrest of Bengaluru based Islamic preacher, Maulana Anzar Shah Qasmi over alleged links to...
नज़रिया : यूरोप में मुसलमान और इस्लाम के ख़िलाफ सर उठाती नफरतों की जड़...
वसीम अकरम त्यागी
स्वीडन में इस्लाम विरोधी नेता रैसमस पालुदन को गिरफ्तार किए जाने के बाद उसके समर्थकों ने कुरान जला दिया। कुरान की बेहुरमती...
India should soon replace Australia at the top
By Joseph Hoover, IANS,
There can't be greater joy than convincingly trouncing Australia in Test cricket, a game they have dominated since the 90s. That India has consistently and emphatically challenged the cricket superpowers, at home and away, manifests that Mahender Singh Dhoni's conquering legion has the potential, skills and determination to put Indian cricket on a higher pedestal.
Rabindranath Tagore – his work will live for generations
By Amulya Ganguli
If one individual is to be singled out for representing the values and traditions of India from the ancient times to the modern age, it cannot be any one other than Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941).
A success story called the AAP (Book Review)
By M.R. Narayan Swamy,
Title: Capital Conquest; Author: Saba Naqvi; Publisher: Hachette India; Pages: 202; Price: Rs.499
The book could not have come at a better...
Modern educated Muslims must take lead: Waris Mazhari
Waris Mazhari, a leading Islamic scholar, is the editor of the New Delhi-based Tarjuman- i Dar ul-Ulum, the official organ of the Old Boys' Association of the Deoband Madrasa.In this interview with Yoginder Sikand he talks about the problems that mark inter-sectarian relations among the Indian Muslim ulema.
YS: The Quran and Hadith places much stress on the unity of Muslims. How, then, do you explain the fact of fierce sectarian disputes among the different groups or sects of Muslims today?
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.
Youm e Ashura : A Sunni perspective
By Mohamed Ajmal for TwoCircles.net
The month of Muharram, is an evidently an historical month for Muslims, and also which highlights the differences between Sunni...
How to explain these unsystematic investigation?
By Dr Mohammad Manzoor Alam for TwoCircles.net,
Recently there was a talk about how people have been killed in fake encounters. The police have claimed...
बसपा का मिशन 2017
फहमिना हुसैन, TwoCircles.net
लखनऊ: उतर प्रदेश में अगले साल होने वाले विधानसभा चुनाव की तैयारियां अभी से पार्टियों ने शुरू कर दी है. एकतरफ जहां...
Politics of Narendra Modi will remain restricted to Gujarat: Prof. J. S. Bandukwala
By Mohd. Ismail Khan, TwoCircles.net,
Politicans playing dirty over displaced Bodos in BTAD: Promising Land Patta inside Forest
By Abdul Kalam Azad
Assam: This is election time in Assam and political parties are not leaving any stone unturned to get as much...
‘Violent reaction has no place in Islam’: Dr. Fazlur Rehman Madni
By Aleem Faizee, Ummid.com
Widely acclaimed Mufti and renowned Scholar, Dr. Fazlur Rehman Madni is an authentic voice of over 20 million Ahl-e-Hadees Muslims who live in India. An important member of Jamiat Ahl-e-Hadees Hind, Dr. Fazlur Rehman Madni achieved the doctorate in Islamic studies from Jamia Islamiah Madinah Munawwera in Saudi Arabia before joining Jamia Mohmmadia Mansoora in Malegaon as Shaikh-ul-Jamia.
Untold stories from Muzaffarpur
The horrific episode from Bihar’s Muzaffarpur is quite different from what happened in UP’s Muzaffarnagar in 2013. The Azizpur-Bahilwara violence may not be said to be a religious violence in a way we have been understanding it conventionally, as non-Mallah Hindus not only remained away from the violence, they are also extending all possible help in protecting the people and in relief measures.
By Dr Mohammad Sajjad,
Violence broke out in Azizpur-Bahilwara village near Saraiya in Muzaffarpur district in north Bihar on January 18. It killed at least five people and almost all the 56 Muslim (Pasmanda) households were looted and burnt. The immediate provocation allegedly was an inter-faith love affair: to the Hindutva zealots, was it a case of ‘Love-Jihad’ in reverse, or a case of ‘Honour Killing’?
Political ideology and interpretation of history
By Ram Puniyani,
Our sub-continent, which has a common past, shares its history. There are diverse ways of looking at the same history by groups belonging to different political ideologies.
With the change of government in Delhi, the leading institutions are having a major policy shift – including organisations such as Indian Council of Historical Research, National Council for Education, Research and Training among others – as they have got heads whose qualification is not excellence in their respective disciplines but their proximity to the ideology of the ruling dispensation.
Saffron hate campaigns finds acceptance and practicality through new equations in Kerala
Saffroning Kerala: Part 6
By Abdul Basith, TwoCircles.net,
Root of ‘problem’
Tribal votes a key factor in Assam polls
By Amitava Mukherjee
Both the BJP-led alliance and the Congress have left no stone unturned in securing tribal votes which may turn out to be...
India’s demonetisation scheme has given rise to frustration and anger
By Amjad suri for TwoCircles.net
Indian prime minister has a penchant for playing political master-stroke. His sudden impromptu decision on demonetizing old currency...
Why General Kiyani did not mount the tiger
By Rajiv Dogra, IANS,
Pakistan's army chief, General Ashfaq Pervez Kiyani, may have missed a historic opportunity to act and this may see him end up as a mere footnote in the country's turbulent history. Had he decided to stage a coup in the wake of the just-concluded lawyers' agitation for reinstating the judges sacked in 2007, he would have become the first Pakistani general in this millennium to do so.
Delhi High Court allows NHRC to intervene in Hashimpura massacre
By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has allowed the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to intervene in the appeals filed...
Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh pitches against secrecy of general Budget
New Delhi : Pitching against the secrecy of General Budget, the RSS affiliated Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) on Monday demanded a total revamp of...
Justice at last for Haniffa and 7 other Muslims
By Prof. M.H. Jawahirullah,
Kunangudi Haniffa, one of the founders of Tamilnadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam and the first treasurer of Pattali Makkal Katchi, and 7 others who were languishing in prison for 13 years were acquitted of all the terror and conspiracy charges by the Poonamalle special bomb blast cases court.
Democratic revolution in Pakistan and it’s consequences for South Asia
Successful, Young, and Muslim: Education, a great equalizer
Education opens up avenues for growth, the second part of the SYM generation of Indians, special three-part series by Charu Bahri for TwoCircles.net.
Limited access to modern education has precluded most Indian Muslims from adequate representation in the private and public sectors and without the know-how to back professional ventures, limited the avenues for youth desirous of kick-starting their own enterprises.
Amidst reconciliation efforts, Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind factions continue dispute over claim of cases defended
By A Mirsab,TwoCircles.net
Mumbai: Raising evident doubts over the genuineness of the reconciliation efforts between the two factions of Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind, led by uncle-nephew...
Can Modi really take on the Hindu hawks?
By Amulya Ganguli ,
The sudden cancellation by the saffron hotheads of the religious reconversion programmes to welcome the minorities into the Hindu fold suggests...
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.
Sowing the whirlwind in India
Who’s sowing the seeds of hatred in India in the name of its marginalized Muslims?
By Aijaz Zaka Syed,
Honour killings: Need for a stop to this barbaric practice
By Babu Joseph, IANS,
The media has rightly exposed the heinous crime of killing people under the guise of protecting the 'honour' of the caste or community. This monstrous practice reported from some states of India goes to show that there is something seriously amiss in our socio-cultural ethos.
Muslim youth: The road ahead
By Dr Malik Rashid Faisal,
What an average Indian Muslim youth thinks of the issues concerning the Muslim society at large? This is no small question, the answer of which builds a world where a whole lot of generation can not only survive but move towards a prosperous living. When I was a child, for me the world was nothing more than a game where everyone is playing a role of one’s own choice. There are, perhaps, still no clearly drawn out objectives of Muslim youth, although the earth has been steadily rotating to demonstrate the bitter lessons they could learn.
Anarchy is not the option
By Dr Mohammad Manzoor Alam,
Dr Mohammad Manzoor Alam on the dangerous brinkmanship of Anna Hazare and Co.
Islam and inter-faith engagement
By Asghar Ali Engineer
Islam is being projected as intolerant of other faiths. This perception of Islam is based on certain selected events, not on Qur’anic teachings or Prophet’s ahadith. It is one thing to judge a religion by its teachings and another to see it in the light of some instances of intolerance by some individuals. Also, such events are picked up selectively to suit certain assumptions, often politically motivated.
A love-marriage, not love-jihad, which changed India’s history
By Soroor Ahmed, TwoCircles.net,
A single love-marriage between Prithviraj Chauhan and Samyogita, daughter of his cousin and king of Kannauj, Jai Chand, perhaps played a more significant role in changing the history of India than several other factors. Though the mothers of both were sisters, Prithviraj eloped with Jai Chand’s daughter. In return Jai Chand––unlike other Rajput kings and chieftains, who supported Prithviraj––allied with Muhammad Ghori, who succeeded in capturing Delhi in his second attempt in 1192. Ghori did not spare Jai Chand either and in 1193-94 defeated him in the Battle of Chandawar. He was killed and his son Harish Chandra ruled Kannauj as a sub-ordinate of Ghori and his successors until 1225, when Iltutmish ended his reign.
Plight of the minorities particularly the Muslims in the current political scenario in India
By Prof . Dr Rameeza. A. Rasheed,
After the victory of BJP in the recent Lok Sabha election all the political analysts are talking about the consolidation of the Hindu votes and fragmentation of minority votes resulting in the massive victory of the BJP . To a certain extent it is true . It is because of the congress led government’s dismal failure to control inflation, corruption and unemployment, the middle class among the Hindus decided to vote for the NDA alliance since they wanted India to become free from a non performing government . They hoped, change of regime might usher in era of change for better India . Even the secular Hindus voted for BJP this time in spite of knowing about their communal agenda thinking, in a country like India which has survived so far on secular principles, the BJP will not be able to push it’s communal agenda if they want to rule India for few decades .The youth of all religious groups thought , the BJP would accelerate growth with employment since they are projecting themselves as corporate sector’s darling and by all means achieve development .The huge flow of funds from the business class enabled the BJP to organise the most expensive and high technology poll campaign unknown in the political history of India .Their campaign managers made full use of the social media .They promised sun and moon and paradise to Indians if they are chosen to rule the nation with majority. The youth were naturally drawn towards them since, the congress which is the main national party could not compete with BJP with the organisation skill and effective poll campaign strategy .Moreover their past record in governance and serious corruption charges became big obstacles in convincing the voters .
Modi sends Advani, BJP old guard into exile
By Amulya Ganguli,
In the Hindu way of life, old age entails exile from home and hearth. As the Manu Smriti says, when a man sees "his skin wrinkled and his hair gray and when he sees the son of his son, then he should resort to the forest".
Preventing nuclear terrorism worldwide
MOSCOW. (Yury Zaitsev for RIA Novosti) - Starting in 2008, the U.S. defense budget will feature allocations for protection against nuclear terrorism.
This will ensure the safe storage of radioactive substances in the United States and abroad, and will facilitate operations against terrorist groups attempting to lay their hands on nuclear weapons.
Such was my father, Haji Mohammed Yaseen
By Riyaz Arshad Nazish
Never in my entire life had I found myself so helpless and incapable as I did on the day my father...
Fast food vendor held after 100 kids fall ill in Bihar
Patna: A fast food vendor was arrested on Thursday in Bihar's Bhagalpur district after nearly 100 children fell ill after eating contaminated chow mein,...
How to counter side effects of antibiotics
By Amar Chandel,
There are times when it becomes unavoidable to take antibiotics. While these may cure you of your diseases, they leave you with nasty side effects like bloating, belching, gas, constipation and diarrhea.
As the very name antibiotics suggests, it kills bacteria. Unfortunately, it also kills friendly bacteria which are so very valuable for your health.
All Dalits should be equal before the law
By Madhu Chandra
The struggle between Upper Caste and oppressed communities of India has reached its crucial juncture. The presidential reservation facilities preserved in Indian Constitution is most precious gift given to Indian oppressed class community. This legal framework to protect and preserve the underprivileged communities of India has been under attack again and again by high caste minority ruler of the country.
A look back at the Turkish elections
By Saad Eddin Ibrahim and Mensur Akgun, C G News Service
We were both in Turkey before and after Sunday, 22 July, the day of the intensely debated parliamentary elections. Given the large-scale, contentious demonstrations and the post-modernist military intervention - via the internet - over the issue of secularism, there were hundreds of eager international observers expecting something spectacular to happen. But to their dismay, and to the dismay of many others, balloting was calm and orderly.
Pakistan’s malaise
By An Oct 21, 2007 editorial of Malaysia's New Sunday Times newspaper.
The Prime-time terrorist attack in Karachi on Thursday did not need the genius of al-Qaeda.
Benazir Bhutto’s motorcade had traveled just 8km in 10 hours as it inched its way amid thousands of fans from the airport, where she had landed after eight years in exile, to the tomb of Pakistan’s founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah, where she was to address her adoring crowds.
Commonwealth Games: Build morale now, criticize later
By Sanjiv Kataria, IANS,
As the clock gallops closer to Oct 3, the date when the 2010 Commonwealth Games begin at New Delhi, I am amongst the millions of terribly nervous Indians. It is the same awful feeling that I experienced as a student when my exam preparations were below par.
‘Unhappy’ at move to Textiles, Smriti fails to hand charge to Javadekar
By Anand Singh
New Delhi : Smriti Irani may have scoffed at speculation over her ouster with a "Kuch toh log kahengey", but the former...
Is (only) Jamia Nagar ‘bad’ for Women?
By Mahtabnama,
Having lived in Jamia Nagar for almost half of my life (nearly 14 years), last week, I was startled to read the heading of an anecdotal piece of writing in Okhlatimes.com, Is Jamia Nagar bad for women? A firsthand account from Aamna.
Fasting: conquest of spirit over flesh
By Rupa Abdi, TwoCircles.net
There’s a hidden sweetness in the stomach’s emptiness.
We are lutes, no more, no less. If the sound box
is stuffed full of anything, no music.
If the brain and the belly are burning clean
with fasting, every moment a new song comes out of the fire.
The fog clears, and new energy makes you
run up the steps in front of you.
Be emptier and cry like reed instruments cry.
Emptier, write secrets with the reed pen…….
There’s a hidden sweetness in the stomach’s emptiness.
We are lutes, no more, no less. If the sound box
is stuffed full of anything, no music.
If the brain and the belly are burning clean
with fasting, every moment a new song comes out of the fire.
The fog clears, and new energy makes you
run up the steps in front of you.
Be emptier and cry like reed instruments cry.
Emptier, write secrets with the reed pen…….
Needed: Revamp of national security apparatus
By C. Uday Bhaskar, IANS,
The multiple terrorist attacks that ravaged Mumbai with the death toll overshooting 180 have led to a justified outpouring of anger and anguish across the length and breadth of the country. India is outraged. Period. This is not the first terrorist attack that India has experienced - Mumbai alone recalls 1993 and 2006 with bitter memories. And tragically this may not be the last, given the ruthless determination of the extremist groups ranged against the idea of India.
British leaders eye Indian votes
By Anasudhin Azeez,
As the campaigning for the British parliamentary election enters its final phase, Prime Minister David Cameron and other leaders are eyeing undecided voters, especially among the 700,000 strong Indian community.
The polling began at 7 a.m. (GMT) on Thursday (12.30 p.m. IST). Ironically, the fate of Britain - the oldest democracy in the world - is in the hands of a few thousand immigrants from its erstwhile colony India.
In rural India, less to eat than 40 years ago
By Pavitra Mohan
As India's 70th year of Independence begins, widespread progress is evident, but in rural India, where 833 million Indians (70 per cent)...
Indian Muslims! Wake up and unite or you will be eaten up by wolves
By A Mirsab, TwoCircles.net,
There is a famous story that many might have already heard. It is an excellent parable for the Indian Muslims...
साम्प्रदायिक गठजोड़ के साये में उत्तर प्रदेश
By राजीव यादव,
उत्तर प्रदेश के सहारनपुर जिले में जुलाई 2014 में हुई सांप्रदायिक हिंसा पर आई रिपोर्ट ने भाजपा सांसद राघव लखनपाल व प्रशासनिक अमले को जिम्मेदार ठहराया तो भाजपा ने इसे राजनीति से प्रेरित रिपोर्ट करार दे दिया. इस रिपोर्ट के आने के बाद लाल किले की प्राचीर से सांप्रदायिकता पर ‘ज़ीरो टॉलरेंस’ की बात करने वाले प्रधानमंत्री से अपनी पार्टी की स्थिति स्पष्ट करने की मांग की जा रही है. वहीं अमित शाह जब खुद कहते हैं कि यूपी में भाजपा सरकार बनाने तक उनका काम खत्म नहीं होगा और अब वह ‘मिशन यूपी पार्ट-टू’ की रणनीति पर चल रहे हैं तो ऐसे में इस रणनीति के मायने समझने होंगे कि अब वे किस नए मॉडल के निर्माण की जुगत में लगे हैं. साथ ही इसकी जाँच भी ज़रूरी है कि सत्ता प्राप्ति तक ‘संघर्ष’ जारी रखने का आह्वान करने वालों ने मिशन पार्ट वन में क्या-क्या संघर्ष किया?
Cooperation is the key to success: Bihar Anjuman’s founder Shakeel Ahmad
Bihar Anjuman is the TwoCircles.net Organization of the Year 2010
By Mohammed Mudassir Alam,
Allah Baksh: Unsung hero of India’s freedom struggle
By Shamsul Islam,
On this May 14, 2014 falls the 71st anniversary of the martyrdom of one of the greatest freedom fighters of India, Allah Baksh. He lived and sacrificed his life for a free and all inclusive India. Allah Baksh was the Premier (those days chief minister was known by this designation) of Sind during the eventful days of ‘Quit India’ Movement of 1942 as head of the ‘Ittehad Party’ (Unity Party) which represented all sections of Sind and did not allow Muslim League to have any foothold in the Muslim majority province of Sind. Allah Baksh and his Party were not part of the Indian National Congress but when British Prime Minister Winston Churchill made a derogatory reference to the Indian freedom struggle and the ‘Quit India’ Movement in a speech in the British Parliament, Allah Baksh renounced in protest all titles conferred by the British Government.
Vindictive ‘democracy’
By Vidya Bhushan Rawat,
A priest was found to have ‘sacrificed’ his wife to please the God in Indore, a story revisited the gory “tandoori murder” of Naina Sahni by her politician husband Sushil Sharma, who is serving life imprisonment in the jail and wanted to spend time with his mother to perform his ‘sonly’ duties. Girls are being hanged to deaths after being gang raped and political class as a whole speak of controlling time and choices. It is not that we suggest here that all the ills of the country began with the current government but there are certain trends.
AMU’s minority status: PM Modi must erase HRD ministry’s blatant bias
By Dr Syed Zafar Mahmood
The minority character of Aligarh Muslim University is back in the news. Attorney General (AG) Mukul Rohatgi has told...
The bizarre case of Aamil Parvez
Booked for Ahmedabad bomb blasts while he was languishing in Indore Central Jail