Poetry for the soul, all the way from Aldur!
With over 100 awards to his credit, Burhanul Ghani Akmal Aldoori’s service to Urdu through his poetry simply cannot be overlooked. Not just that,...
Meet Darul Uloom students
By Manzar Bilal, TwoCircles.net,
Part 2 of the seven part TwoCircles.net series on Darul Uloom Deoband
Students from across the country as well as outside of it come to take parts in entrance test of Darul Ulom Deoband every year but very few realize their dreams as the seminary has limited number of seats.
Palestine in the ICC: Game changer for peace process?
By Hardeep S. Puri and Omar El Okdah,
The year 2014 ended with a cliff-hanger for the Israeli-Palestinian question. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas signed the Rome Statute on New Year's eve, a day after a UN resolution mandating Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank failed to pass at the Security Council. As a result, Palestine will formally become a member of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on April 1, 2015.
Modi, Terrorism and Indian Muslims
By Irfan Engineer,
In an interview to CNN’s Freed Zakaria ahead of his US visit in 2014, Prime Minister Modi said that Indian Muslims would...
‘मुस्लिम इस देश के नए वंचित समुदाय हैं’ – अजय गुडवर्ती
By मिशब इरिक्कुर और अभय कुमार,
साम्प्रदायिक ध्रुवीकरण, बीते लोकसभा चुनाव और उसके परिणामों को लेकर एक बहुत व्यापक बहस सम्भव तो है, लेकिन यह भी ज़ाहिर है कि उस बहस से किसी निष्कर्ष पर पहुंचना लगभग असंभव है. किसी भी निष्कर्ष के लिए ज़रूरी है किसी क़ाबिल और जानकार व्यक्ति से इस मसले पर बात करना. देश में साम्प्रदायिक हिंसा की खबरों का दायरा बड़ा होता जा रहा है और सत्ता पर क़ाबिज़ भाजपा पर अन्य पार्टियां इन दुरभिसंधियों में शामिल रहने के आरोप लगा रही है. इन बिंदुओं को समेटते हुए अजय गुडवर्ती से बात की. अजय गुडवर्ती जवाहरलाल नेहरू विश्वविद्यालय के राजनीति शास्त्र विभाग में असिस्टेंट प्रोफ़ेसर के पद पर कार्यरत है. उत्तर-मार्क्सवाद, उत्तर-औपनिवेशिक अध्ययन, सिद्धांतों में खुद की गहरी रूचि के अलावा भारतीय राजनीति की गति और उसके विकास पर भी अजय की गहरी दृष्टि है.
Politics of hatred has left India bleeding
By Rev Babu Joseph, IANS,
The year 2008 can easily be marked as an unforgettable year in the annals of Indian christianity for the simple reason that the Christian community here faced its most trying and testing time in its 2,000 years of history. It is not the case that Christianity had not faced hostility and opposition earlier in India; it did right from the very start when St Thomas, an Apostle of Jesus, came to our shores in the first century to preach the good news: he was martyred by those who opposed to his presence and teachings.
Whispers of sanity in the frenzy of madness
By Shobha Shukla, CNS
It was indeed refreshing to hear the views of Dr. Asghar Ali Engineer, a Right Livelihood award recipient, on the politics of terrorism. He rightly believes that terrorism is not born of any religion, but is the outcome of political situations.
In India, the demolition of the Babri Masjid triggered the spate of terrorist activities in the country. The Indian government’s pro America stance aggravated the situation further, with America getting a lot of flak for its activities in Afghanistan and Iraq . All this prepared the soil for volatile activities.
Yet one more Beijing duck! Manmohan visit to China
By Mohan Guruswamy, IANS
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will shortly be meeting in China President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao on what has now become a regular annual catch up between India's and China's leaders. Like all the other recent visits, this one too will be big on atmospherics with little on substance.
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.
What transformation, from nobody to somebody!
By Veturi Srivatsa,
Where does one put one’s finger on for India staying unbeaten, winning all their five Pool B matches in the World Cup? For once, answers are easy.
The major achievement is that the Indians bowled the opposition out in all matches with all-round performances.
New trend in jewellery industry attracting Muslim consumers
By Ziaulla Nomani,
India is the world's second largest single consumer of gold after China. The consumption of gold in India is about 50% in jewelry, 40% in investments, and 10% in industry.
Poet Ali Sardar Jafri revisted by Syed Muhammad Ashraf
Syed Muhammed Ashraf talks about Mera Safar, a poem by Ali Sardar Jafri
By Bushra Alvi, TwoCircles.net,
Phir ek din aisaa aaega
Aankhon ke diye bujh jaaenge
An incident that changed the history of Achalpur
By Ghulam Badiuddin, Urdu Times
Achalpur was an ideal abode of Hindu- Muslim unity in the past. Here both communities participated in all local social, cultural, political, civil and even religious events together. Both communities shared equally in marriages, education, agriculture, sale and purchase of goods, floods and epidemics and helped each other. Males and females of both communities shared in every happiness and tragedies jointly.
Zuckerberg fuels Free Basics vs net neutrality debate in India
New Delhi : First splashy full page ads in major Indian newspapers and now a personal piece by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg in a...
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.
Fight for justice in India and USA: Similarities and faultlines
By Amina Mirza, TwoCircles.net
While the world is fighting the invisible enemy COVID-19 - the two oldest and largest democracies, the United States and India,...
Perfect storm gathering over Smriti Irani’s new ministry
By Abhirup Bhunia
As Textiles Minister Smriti Irani settles in to her new job overseeing an industry that is India's largest source of formal jobs,...
India and Paris climate change conference
By Syed Ali Mujtaba,
The 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP 21 or CMP 11 has started in Paris, being held from November...
A budget for the United Federation of India
By Amit Kapoor,
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on February 28 delivered a budget that will go down as one of the best since liberalization began in 1991. It took stock of India’s present set of challenges and accordingly adjusted the priorities and solutions. Six salient points reflect the government’s economic thinking and strategy.
Pakistan tests nuclear-capable cruise missile
MOSCOW. (RIA Novosti political commentator Pyotr Goncharov) - Pakistan has announced that it successfully tested a cruise missile with a range of 700 km (435 miles) on Tuesday.
Presumably the Hatf-VII (Babur) missile can carry both conventional and nuclear weapons.
How should the international community react to this, especially as it has denounced Iran's nuclear program and approved sanctions against it?
Memories of turbulent times, difficult loyalties: Tan Twan Eng’s Malaysia in war novels
By Vikas Datta,
Among historical events that have left an enduring influence, the Second World War is certainly one that lives up to its name. Its European, African and American components are adequately depicted, but the Asian experience, while not entirely absent, is quite under-represented. And this is despite the early 20th century being quite a tumultuous era for the region - older conflicts (the China-Japan War) segueing into the World War, which in its wake, sparked a spate of decolonisation and freedom struggles, some of them violent. But there are promising voices appearing, such as Malaysian lawyer-turned-author Tan Twan Eng with his first two intricately-crafted, evocative novels of the war and its effects in his ethnically-diverse homeland.
Hindutvawadis in American politics
By Ayub Khan
The appointment of Sonal Shah to Barack Obama's transition team has rightly garnered the headlines. But this is just the tip of the iceberg. Activists, writers, scholars, and others bearing right wing Hindu extremist ideology have been gradually carving themselves a niche in the American politics, academia, and intelligentsia.
Are the Communists fast losing appeal in India?
By Amulya Ganguli, IANS,
While Mayawati has received a shot in the arm from her successes in the recent by-elections in Uttar Pradesh, the dismal run of setbacks for the Communist parties continues unabated. Not only did the Left lose all the three seats it contested in Kerala, the comrades received their most stunning blow in their other stronghold of West Bengal where they won only one out of 10 seats.
As a result, there is now a distinct possibility of the Communists losing the next assembly elections in the state after an uninterrupted success story since 1977.
UPA government’s financial inclusion policy and economic empowerment of Muslims
By Tameemuddin Humble
The vast majority of the Muslim population in India is chronically poor and destitute and cannot avail the welfare schemes of the government meant for them through the formal financial institutions.
Muslim access to banking services
Gen. Jacob, don’t twist the reality of Bangladesh
By Major General (Retd) Sheru Thapliyal
Lt. Gen. J.F.R. Jacob - or Jake as he is popularly known - is a delightful person. Intelligent, witty and eccentric, one has to be fully alert to keep in step with him. Of late, however, whenever one meets him, usually in the library of the United Services Institute, one is dismayed to note that he is so full of himself and obsessed with his role in the liberation of Bangladesh.
UN Human Rights head raises issue of access to Kashmir
By Arul Louis
United Nations : UN Human Rights head Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein on Wednesday expressed regret that his officials were not being allowed...
Varanasi, Allahabad air over WHO pollution limits on most days in August
By Charlie Moloney
On more than 90 per cent of the days in August this year, pollution levels in Varanasi and Allahabad exceeded World...
Obituary: Maulana Muhammad Salim Qasmi, an ocean of knowledge
By Manzar Imam for TwoCircles.net
With scarcity of good ulama, the passing away of Maulana Muhammad Salim Qasmi, rector of Al-Jamia Al-Islamia Darul Uloom Waqf,...
Expect people-friendly budget ahead of 2009 elections
By Sushma Ramachandran, IANS
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's government is gearing up to present its last budget before the general election and there is no doubt that "please-all" is going to be the mantra for this annual accounting ritual.
Finance Minister P. Chidambaram has made it clear that next year will only be a vote on account, so his last budget speech - at least under the present regime - will be on Feb 29.
The girl behind ‘Who is Kalam’?
By Preetha Nair
New Delhi : The book title "Who is Kalam?" may be intriguing but has a heart-warming story behind it --...
RSVP, toffee, jijaji…elections add to political lexicon
By Prashant Sood,
New Delhi: "RSVP model", "toffee model", "AK-49", "news traders", "jijaji", "maa-beta government", "shehzada",... the Lok Sabha slugfest has contributed much to...
Genesis of Anti-foreigners movement in Assam
Part III: Nellie 1983
By Anjuman Ara Begum and Diganta Sharma for TwoCircles.net
“My contribution to the history of Kashmir has finally been recognized”
By Syed Ali Safvi,
Born in Srinagar Kashmir in 1924, Prof Fida Mohammad Hassnain was recently conferred 'Lifetime Achievement Award' by Jammu and Kashmir state government. He is the recipient of several degrees and awards from various universities and institutions of India, Japan, Switzerland, Germany and Mexico.
He started his service career in 1953 as Professor and retired as Director of Archives, Archaeology, Research and Museums in 1980.
Demographic dividends vs demographic burden
By Amit Kapoor,
India is a country of a billion strong people which is expected to increase to 1.6 billion by 2050. Presently, a little more than 50 percent of the population is above the age of 25 and below the age of retirement. The figures may look very positive but would shift the entire demographics of the country as the population ages about 40 years by 2050. At present, the population above the retirement age of 64 is only eight percent; a very proportion of dependence compared to the high proportion of the working young in the population. However, the figures are going to show a dramatic shift as the ageing population would push 34 percent of the population above the age of 64 and the percentage of the population supporting them would fall to 34 percent as well. Age will soon play havoc with India and time is running out to fully realize the potential that youth can offer.
Strong case for deleting Presidential Order of 1950: A response to Social Justice Minister...
By Dr Syed Zafar Mahmood,
Plato has once again been proved right: politics is the art of gaining power and the craft of retaining it. Media has reported the current central government saying that opening up the list of Scheduled Castes beyond Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism - would encourage religious conversions. He said this in the context of the demand of Muslims & Christians that the definition of 'scheduled caste' should be made religion-neutral by deleting para 3 from the presidential order of 1950. That's what has been stated a couple of days ago by the union Social Justice Minister Thavar Chand Gehlot, "Allowing SC status (to converts to Christianity & Islam) would provide a fillip to religious conversions. The demand is not constitutional and we want to work within the parameters of the statute for the welfare of 'these communities' (read Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists)."
The CIA’s secret triumph
MOSCOW. (Member of the Russian pen club Anatoly Korolev for RIA Novosti) - Under the rules of the Swedish Academy, the Nobel Prizes archives may be opened 50 years after the awarding takes place. Thus, the documents of October 1958 may be declassified in January of this year.
This is a notable date for Russian culture. That year, the Academy awarded a Nobel Prize in literature to Soviet poet Boris Pasternak.
Now that the archives have been declassified, the circumstances of the loudest scandal in the history of Nobel Prizes will be finally scrutinized.
Attacking the cross: Rise in anti-Christian violence
By Ram Puniyani,
Julio Ribeiro is one of the best known police officers in India. Recently (March 16, 2015) he wrote that he is feeling like a stranger in this country. ‘I feel threatened, not wanted, reduced to a stranger in my own country’. This pain and anguish of a distinguished citizen, an outstanding police officer has to be seen against the backdrop of the rising attacks on churches and rape of a 71-year-old nun in Kolkata. All over the country, the rage amongst the Christian community is there to be seen in the form of silent marches, candle light vigils and peaceful protests.
Nietzsche, Hashimpura & children overboard
By Dr Irfan Ahmad,
(Editor’s note: Sixteen Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) personnel were acquitted by a court in Delhi on Saturday, March 21, 2015...
NRIs celebrate India’s successes and live it up
By Kul Bhushan, IANS
The Indian diaspora has been celebrating a string of Indian successes in the past couple of weeks. Topping them all is the Twenty20 World Cup Cricket win that left the entire country delirious with delight on Sep 24. Many a non-resident Indian shed to be in India to relish the historic moment.
Manmohan Singh’s peace gamble: vision confronts reality
By Amulya Ganguli, IANS,
Considering the ease with which anti-Pakistani feelings can be ratcheted up in India by the opposition parties and sections of the media, it takes a great deal of courage to try to reduce tension and move towards peace. In this respect, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's initiatives in Sharm-el-Sheikh were a bolder venture than even Atal Bihari Vajpayee's bus journey to Lahore a decade ago.
Nehru’s ‘Mann ki Baat’
By M.R. Narayan Swamy ,
Title: Letters for a Nation: From Jawaharlal Nehru to His Chief Ministers (1947-1963); Author: Edited by Madhav Khosla; Publisher: Allen...
All eyes on Election Commision as Mamata’s blue-eyed boy runs riot
By Anurag Dey
Kolkata : He is no magician, but assures the opposition would vanish on polling day. He has no qualms about asking his...
Violent Aligarh protests kill Sir Syed’s mission
By Mushtaq ul Haq Ahmad,
When Sir Syed stood up as a harbinger of Muslim Renaissance by contributing his efforts in the field of education, he earned the wrath of status quoists who never wished that their grip over the common illiterate masses be loosened resulting in the loss of their followers and hero worshippers.
हमें अपने देश के ‘बचपन’ बचाने की परवाह क्यों नहीं होती?
सैय्यद परवेज़, TwoCircles.net के लिए
बदरपुर बॉर्डर से 473 नम्बर बस में चढ़ा. बस की पिछली एक ख़ाली सीट को देखकर वहीं बैठ गया....
Pakistani nukes and global hazards
By Alexander Koldobsky, IANS
The word "nuclear" has a way of quickening people's pulse. The recent earthquake in Japan would have been just another earthquake, but the fact that it set off a fire at the world's most powerful nuclear reactor, which subsequently leaked radioactive material, grabbed the headlines.
Pakistan, which has recently experienced a metaphorical earthquake in the form of Islamist terror, would also barely merit a mention on the inside pages if it were not for that country's nuclear arsenal.
Born in free India and hence entitled to equal rights and share in governance
By Abdul Hafiz Gandhi,
Left and BJP left high and dry over nuclear deal
By Amulya Ganguli, IANS,
After the Nuclear Suppliers Group's approval of the nuclear deal, its opponents in India such as the Left and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have been at a loose end. Having fruitlessly expended so much energy on blocking the deal, they now seem to have run out of ideas about their next step.
The Left's threat to cancel the deal if it acquired a position of power after the next general election is clearly as much of an empty boast as the BJP's declared intention of renegotiating the measure all over again.
Agenda for India: Telecom
TwoCircles.net presents “Agenda for India”. Series editor is Charu Bahri.
Challenges & Solutions
“I would cite the issue of spectrum allocation and management as one of the foremost challenges of India’s telecom sector,” says Yusuf Motiwala, Founder & CEO, TringMe. “The government must wake up to the losses accumulating on account of under-utilization of spectrum and due to the delay in rolling out 3G services.”
Indians are taken for a ride by anti-corruption movement
By Syed Ali Mujtaba,
It’s almost a year now for the Narendra Modi government in office. The incumbent Prime Minister has come to power with twin mandate, effective governance and rapid development of the country. Effective governance entailed accountability and bringing uprightness in governance, thereby meaning ending corruption.
Manipur ambush village lies totally deserted
By David Mayum
Paraolon: More than a fortnight after the fateful separatist ambush on an Indian Army convoy that left 18 soldiers dead, Paraolon looks...
Husain should return to his ‘culturally exuberant’ India
By Mayank Chhaya, IANS,
A quarter century ago sitting amid designer chaos of paintings and sketches in various stages of completion in his Cuffe Parade apartment in then more-tolerant Bombay, painter Maqbool Fida Husain had a telling response to a question about being Indian.
Islamic Banking windows possible in India
By Syed Zahid Ahmad and K. A. Najmi,
Islamic Jurisprudence or principles of Shariah does not allow receipt or payment of interest. It believes that money has no intrinsic value; however its commercial use is permitted. In the hand of an entrepreneur money turns into capital. Lender of the capital is entitled to share the profit and loss of the business. A lender of the capital puts his money at risk and therefore is entitled for reward in the form of business profit.
Modi, media and terror threats
By TCN News,
New Delhi: The reporting in the media following the arrest of four youths in Rajasthan, alleged to be Indian Mujahideen operatives, by the Delhi Police Special Cell fell even below the low standards the media has set for itself on terror reporting. Forget about the use of the mandatory ‘alleged’ before calling those arrested as terrorists – one would think it is no longer even on the curricula of media ethics. A large section of the media seemed convinced that it was Modi who was the target of these alleged terrorists. Indeed, there seemed to be an almost pathological desire to link these arrests to Modi. It is another matter that these claims were based on nothing.
Charleston bloodshed: Dodging the real questions?
It is truly appalling to see that a tragedy so conspicuously painted in racial terms reduced and represented as a show of hostility against...
Two railway engine factories to be set up in Bihar: Modi
New Delhi : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday announced that two railway engine factories will be set up in Bihar.
"We are building railway...
India’s education system must prepare children for life
By Shashank Vira and Mark Runacres, IANS,
Does UP victory make Modi’s return in 2019 smooth?
By Vishav and Saurabh Katkurwar
New Delhi, (IANS): With the BJP sweeping Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, and making major inroads into the north east with...
Addressing diabetes is vital for strengthening tuberculosis control
By Amit Dwivedi,
Patients with type-2 diabetes may be at increased risk of contracting tuberculosis (TB) because they generally have a compromised immune system, which results in life-threatening lung infections that are more difficult to treat
Cussedness, underhand dealings mark countdown to trust vote
By Amulya Ganguli, IANS,
The prelude to the July 22 trust vote in parliament on the nuclear deal on which the fate of the Manmohan Singh government depends has added yet another dark chapter of opportunism and horse-trading to Indian politics.
CJP moves SC against “Love Jihad” laws
TCN News
Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP), has filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court challenging the constitutional validity of the Uttar Pradesh...
On safety, small-car-makers must look beyond pricing
By Rohit Bansal, IANS,
Some years ago in the US, Saurabh Narain, a top banking executive, was hit by a distracted trucker. His BMW turned...
‘Protect child rights in first decade when they are most vulnerable’
By Sahana Ghosh
Hyderabad : If India strives to "get it right" for its children in their first decade -- ensure nutrition, health, sleep, education...
In conversation with Dr Baharul Islam, General Secretary, AIUDF
By Anjuman Ara Begum, TwoCircles.net,
Indian Muslims, the missing link to Kashmir?
By Akif Ahmad for TwoCircles.net
I grew up in a small town of north India. My first impression of Kashmir was the imagery carved by...
Contemporary issues in an ancient setting: A band of Gauls and their exploits
By Vikas Datta,
Can humour continue to work its magic across translations? Can key contemporary issues figure - and even be deliciously satirised - in a comic book, and that too when the setting is far in the nearly unrecorded past? Can stereotypes evoke laughter, not xenophobia?
A good colonialist? The White Rajah of Sarawak’s case
By Vikas Datta
Colonialism, even in its heyday, had its detractors as well as defenders, but the view now is of unbridled and universal...
Can India tame the terror beast?
By Murali Krishnan, IANS,
The sun has set on a year that exposed the utter unpreparedness of the security establishment to tackle the wave of terror bombings. And, as 2009 dawns with three powerful blasts rocking Guwahati and killing six people on New Year's Day, those responsible for securing the country have their task clearly cut out.
The year stretches ahead with plenty on the government's to-do list.
State terrorism and Muslim youths
By Abu Zafar Adil Azmi,
(Translated from Urdu by Mumtaz Alam Falahi)
This is a fact that no society can live long with injustice and double standard in giving justice to its people. Unfortunately our country India is fast turning into a society of that character. The attitude of police, administration and judiciary towards Muslim youths arrested in connection with terror cases shows the double standard of justice in the country.
SIO – BHU और संघ के जुड़ाव पर SIO की सफ़ाई
काशिफ़ अहमद फ़राज़,
SIO और काशी हिन्दू विश्वविद्यालय द्वारा आयोजित सेमिनार के बाबत SIO के एक पूर्व सदस्य सोशल मीडिया में मुख्य मुद्दे से हटकर...
A fresh start for Iraq?
By Jonathan Steele, CGNews,
There's an odd thing about Baghdad: Iran is the only regional power with an embassy, while US President George W. Bush's best Arab allies – Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia – refuse to let their diplomats live there.
It is not for want of US effort. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has raised the anomaly several times with Iraq's Arab neighbours, as have lesser emissaries. So far, to no avail.
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?
#Notebandi frontlines: In tribal areas, low literacy & cellphone use; few ATMs
By Shreya Shah
Dhar/Jhabua/Khargone (Madhya Pradesh): Santosh Bavash, 30, said he knew about the internet. "Ive heard it tells you about the future," he told...
Intolerance: We are living in sheer fear, says Marathi litterateur Shripal Sabnis
By Quaid Najmi
Mumbai : Renowned academic and Marathi litterateur Shripal Sabnis, who had criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Lahore trip, says he lives in...
The decline of Dalits in Bihar politics
By Soroor Ahmed, TwoCircles.net,
In election rallies in Bihar recently Narendra Modi would often be seen flanked by two Dalit leaders–– Ram Vilas Paswan...
BJP plays the caste card knowing it won’t get the Muslim vote
By Amulya Ganguli
When the Supreme Court excluded the "creamy layer", or the well-off sections, among the backward castes from the benefits of reservations in...
Maharashtra Waqf board CEO’s assistant suspended under graft charges
By TwoCircles.net Staff reporter,
Aurangabad: The personal assistant of Maharashtra Waqf board CEO has been put under suspension after recovery of incriminating documents from his...
Hashimpura Massacre: UP police destroyed records of PAC deployment on the fateful day
By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
New Delhi: Uttar Pradesh police has destroyed documents related to the deployment of the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) personnel on the...
Can journalism keep pace with India’s mushrooming media?
By Sevanti Ninan, IANS
India is on an extraordinary media proliferation spree. Delhi just got its 14th morning daily in English, the tabloid Mail Today. New TV channels have been surfacing at the rate of two a month, and eight more are in the queue to make their debut in the next few months, we are told.
Muslims underrepresented in West Bengal municipal elections 2010
By Zaidul Haque for TwoCircles.net,
Kolkata: They treat each other as enemy when elections come, be it national or local. But one point on which the political parties have unwritten silent agreement is: not to give Muslims tickets proportionate to their population. Fewer candidates from the community which is one-fourth of West Bengal population have been able to get tickets for the municipal elections to be held in the state on May 30.
New Texts for Madrasas: Kerala Muslim Group’s Experiments in Curricular Reform
By Yoginder Sikand, TwoCircles.net,
SRK-Shiv Sena standoff not as heroic or villainous
By Mayank Chhaya, IANS,
In the Shah Rukh Khan-Shiv Sena standoff the heroism is not as heroic and villainy not as villainous as some in the media are projecting.
The Good News Project: How the BJP helps Muslims, unknowingly
By Shah Nawaz Afaque
Is it just me or is there a lot of negativity in the air? Ideological clashes at the dining table, political...
It’s changing India that greets NRIs coming home
By Kul Bhushan, IANS
When Surya 'Sue' Patel landed at Mumbai airport, she stepped out like many confident NRIs. Wearing the latest Nike sneakers, a designer pair of jeans and her Rolex watch, she thought she would make her presence felt among her relatives in Mumbai before going on to Gujarat to celebrate Navratri and, later, Diwali.
उर्दू पत्रकारिता का सच बयान करता एक लेखक
अफ़रोज़ आलम साहिल, TwoCircles.net
दिल्ली: इन दिनों देश की राजधानी में उर्दू खूब फल-फूल रही है. दिल्ली में अब उर्दू अख़बारों की संख्या सैकड़ों में...
Time to Ponder over Hindu-Muslim relations
By Syed Ali Mujtaba
Special to TwoCircles.net
On August 15, 2007, India celebrates its 60th year of Independence. The day also marks the beginning of the centenary celebrations of India's first war of Independence in 1857. These two events undoubtedly have a symbiotic relationship as far as national independence is concerned, but it also throws open a challenging question about Hindu- Muslim relationship that has drifted apart during the course of ninety years of history.
हेल्थकेयर के राष्ट्रीयकरण की मांग को लेकर सुप्रीम कोर्ट में याचिका दाख़िल
TCN Staff Reporter
नई दिल्ली। COVID-19 महामारी के नियंत्रित होने तक स्वास्थ्य सेवा क्षेत्र और संबंधित सेवाओं के राष्ट्रीयकरण की मांग के लिए सुप्रीम कोर्ट...
Courage of my truth
By Bilkis Yakub Rasool Bano
Today I stand before you vindicated. For my truth has been heard. For 20 days I was cross-examined in a courtroom in Mumbai and the courage of my truth saw me through. On Friday January 18, 2008 the Honorable Sessions Judge in Mumbai pronounced a judgement that has finally meant some closure to a long and very painful journey that was forced upon me and my family. Of course, many wounds will never heal but I am stronger today, and for that I am thankful.
Cheraman Mosque to get heritage museum, digital library
By Shafeeq Hudawi
Kozhikode: The Cheraman Juma Masjid at Kodungallur, Kerala, built in AD 629, holds a special place in Islam’s history in India. The...
I am a threat only to those who believe in hatred: Teesta
By Preetha Nair
New Delhi : Amid all the legal troubles she and her husband Javed Anand face, human rights activist Teesta Setalvad is...
Modi government’s stepchild
By Dr Mohammad Manzoor Alam,
Narendra Modi government has come to power on a plank of ‘development’, a thriving economy and people’s economic wellbeing. In practice, it has ended up doing just the opposite.
Nobel laureate Amartya Sen says public health and education are the foundations on which development stands. To handle jobs in a vast development enterprise people need different levels of education and training as well as health and fitness to do assigned work efficiently.
FDI liberalisation sought in e-commerce in India
By Arun Kumar ,
Washington: Ahead of President Barack Obama's trip to India, two US lawmakers have asked him to request Indian Prime Minister...
Takeaways from Fed chief Yellen’s testomony
By Vatsal Srivastava, IANS,
The trading sessions Tuesday in the main global markets, notably the US and Europe, were driven solely by one event --...
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...
ब्रांड राहुल से बीजेपी में बढ़ती बेचैनी
जावेद अनीस, TwoCircles.net के लिए
सोशल मीडिया के इस दौर में राजनीति में नेता ब्रांडिंग और गढ़ी गई छवियों के सहारे आगे बढ़ते हैं....
Asif Zardari as next Pakistani president: Hope and Despondency
By C. Uday Bhaskar, IANS,
Pakistan is scheduled to elect its next president on Sep 6 after the resignation of General Pervez Musharraf from that office on Aug 18. From current evidence, it appears that Asif Zardari, the leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), will emerge victorious in the three-way contest. Given his dramatic rise from what the Pakistan media has characterised as "playboy to first husband" - and later "Mr. 10 percent" - to grieving widower of Benazir Bhutto, Zardari is now a few days away from the highest constitutional office in Pakistan.
इस्लाम और मुसलमान का दम भरने वाले लोग…
मोहम्मद अलामुल्लाह
लगभग दो साल बाद एक मौलवी साहब से आज सुबह-सुबह मुलाक़ात हुई. मैंने यूं ही चलते-चलते उनकी खैरियत दरयाफ्त कर ली. लेकिन...
Benefits of ‘modern’ Islamic banking
By Atif Aziz,
Conventional banking or interest based banking is a banking system in which interest is charged on money against stipulated period of...
Cherishing Jacinda Ardern as NZ ushers in new world order of high public morality
By Dr Syed Zafar Mahmood
I cherish Jacinda Ardern as my daughter. At her very young age she has catapulted herself to the likes of...
Death, even by hanging, does not deter those bent on suicide
By John Dayal
I am deeply saddened at the court ruling, and within minutes of it, the dismissal of mercy petitions on behalf of...
Bengal Elections 2021: The dilemma of Muslims in Bengal
By Nazma Parveen
Recently the crucial and much-hyped Bihar elections came to an end and the BJP-JD(U) NDA alliance is set to form the Government...
Four Indians arrested with huge foreign currency cache
By Anil Giri ,
Kathmandu: Nepal police have apprehended four Indians from Nepalgunj along the India-Nepal border Friday evening with a huge cache of foreign...
Fate of India under oath-taking supremacists
By Kashif Umair
Are human beings equal? Are some human beings superior over others? This is a question all societies of all ages have grappled...
The goose with the golden spectrum
By Prasanto K. Roy, IANS,
Finally, it's over. Eleven years after the birth of third generation (3G) telephony and near the end of its life, India's auction for enabling spectrum or airwaves concluded May 19.
Here's to the teamwork among India's communications, finance and defence ministries that set telecom back by a half-decade. From its place 'ahead of the curve' 10 years ago -- with SMS services like mobile banking way before their US usage -- India fell way, way behind global 3G use.
Is Zardari more India-friendly than others in Pakistan?
By Amulya Ganguli, IANS,
Asif Ali Zardari's acknowledgement of the links between the terrorists and the Pakistani establishment is not exactly a state secret. Nor is this is the first time someone in authority has made such a confession.
Look for NOTA – ‘None of the Above’ option on your EVMs
By Syed Ali Mujtaba,
In the coming elections, when you go to vote and if you feel that none of the candidates are worth for representing you, then there is no need to quit voting, just vote 'NOTA' or None Of The Above' and show your displeasure. ‘NOTA’ option now will figure in the upcoming election at the end of the list of candidates in the electronic voting machines (EVMs) and the ballot papers.
The search for Isolation quotient of the collective development
By Rajaraman Sundaresan for TwoCircles.net
Society at large today, is caught up with too many ideas. Confusion and complexity are part of any diverse society...
Privatization of justice & “Sharia courts”
By Faizan Mustafa,
The apex court in its landmark decision on 7th July, 2014 held that sharia courts are not courts as Indian legal does not recognize a parallel judicial system. In fact neither Muslim Personal Board nor seminary at Deoband ever asserted that sharia courts are ‘courts’ in the strict sense of the term. But then is it not a fact that privatization of justice is fact of life not only in India but in most developed countries? Does our law not recognize arbitration and other alternative methods of dispute resolution? Are not sharia courts and fatwas different and therefore should not be clubbed together? What has been the performance of sharia courts in last 94 years? Has not the latest decision given new lease of life to the sharia courts? are some of the pertinent issues which need critical examination.
Mother Teresa to be canonised on September 4: Pope
Vatican city: The Pope during consistory of cardinals on Tuesday announced September 4 as the date for Mother Teresa's canonisation, the media reported.
After months...
Indian art museums decaying for want of professional curators: official
By IANS,
Kolkata : Indian art museums are decaying due to lack of professional curators and a training programme to groom more professionals is the need of the hour, an official of the ministry of culture said here Monday.
Dynastic politics does not go well with democracy: Kuldip Nayar
By Prashant Sood
New Delhi: India is unlikely to see the imposition of another Emergency due to changes made in the Constitution and people being...
Don’t lose touch with heritage, J&K CM tells youth
Jammu : In their pursuit of science and technology, the youth of Jammu and Kashmir should not lose their connect with heritage and traditional...
Indo-US Nuke Deal In Line of Fire
By Syed Ali Mujtaba, TwoCircles.net
"Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is a traitor who has betrayed the nation by continuous bluffing on the Indo-US nuclear deal. Had an American President done that he would have been removed, if it were in China they would have settled it with one bullet in his head." These comments are made by the NDA convener and opposition leader George Fernandes.
Fernandes comments have sparked off a fierce debate in the country, whether Indo-US nuclear deal is in India's interest or it undermines the national sovereignty.
A fulfilled wish to die in birth land
By Rajesh Bhat, TwoCircles.net
Despite nourishing two different faiths and living in two divided parts of the State throughout their lives yet the two Octogenarians from Jammu and Kashmir had a unique thing in common…… they had wished to go back to their roots and to die in their ancestral lands under the control of India and Pakistan.
Traditional foes UDF, LDF battle for Kerala’s 2.4 mn votes
By Sanu George ,
Thiruvananthapuram: At the end of the long, sustained, acrimonious electoral campaign, the fate of Kerala's traditional political foes, the Congress-led...
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...
Middle East rhetoric obstructing US interests
By Richard Murphy and Ethan Chorin, CGNews,
It would be naive to assume that Undersecretary of State William Burns' presence at the recent EU-Iran nuclear talks has opened the door to a rapid improvement in US-Iranian relations, or that the US administration has abandoned its military option. But this recent tilt towards diplomacy offers a pause in which to take note of the unsung economic and political costs of hyped-up rhetoric.
Earth Hours should become part of our daily lives
By N.P. Eshwar, IANS,
I am convinced that the Right to Energy should be declared a Fundamental Right. Or, at best, energy should be added to the list of Directive Principles of State Policy. After all, how can a society be just if 40 percent of people have no power? Are they supposed to languish away their lives in deprivation and darkness?
It's not impossible to give access to electricity to every Indian, despite its formidable population. Consider this:
The ugly side of India
Intolerance, chaos reigns all over the country, which is cemented and known by its pluralistic value systems. Are we serious enough to bring back...
When will the Americans learn to understand Pakistan?
By K. Subrahmanyam, IANS
Pakistan has had a second free and fair election in its history. The first one was in December 1970. That resulted in East Pakistan voting entirely for the Awami League and West Pakistan for a Pakistan People's Party (PPP) majority without a single seat being gained by the Awami League. After the genocide, ethnic cleansing and a war in which India was involved, Pakistan split into two - Bangladesh in the east and Pakistan in the west.
Women farmers fighting for their rights and identity
By Amit Dwivedi,
"I am the first woman farmer in my block who started cultivation 15 years back," said 45 years old Aisha Begum Khatoon of Hridaypur village in Ambedkarnagar district. When she picked up the hoe for the first time, all the villagers rebuked her for treading on a man's domain. However, she decided to move forward, despite all odds, in order to look after her three daughters and one son.
The saffron brotherhood becomes a hydra-headed monster?
By Amulya Ganguli, IANS,
Even as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) swings between the conflicting positions of the present and former party presidents, Rajnath Singh and L.K. Advani, on the issue of "Hindu terrorism", the party cannot be unaware that it is dealing with perhaps the most explosive issue in its 28-year life.
Does the BJP intend to change the Indian Constitution?
By Ram Puniyani
BJP, which believes in Hindu nationalism, faces a dilemma about Indian Constitution. The party, at least on the surface, has to pay...
India’s national interest and smaller parties
By K. Subrahmanyam, IANS,
The current political turbulence and the calculations about the way in which the smaller political parties will vote on a major issue involving India's changing foreign policy paradigm have highlighted the need for smaller parties taking interest in foreign policy and international relations.
Will Modi’s win in Gujarat threaten India as a democratic and secular nation?
By Ghulam Muhammed
Today, this question will be on the minds of majority of people of India and even weighing heavily with international community. Can an emerging economic power like India should be available to a fascist political movement that may wreck the peace of the world?
Modi's election victory should be analyzed through three dominant undercurrents: It pits the state of Gujarat against the Central Government. It pits Hindus against the Muslims. It pits lawlessness against the Laws of the land.