Dark Diwali for 500,000 families – thanks to Chinese firecrackers
By Venkatachari Jagannathan,
Chennai: It may not be a cracker of a Diwali this year for about 500,000 families in Tamil Nadu's Sivakasi town -...
Violence against women and religion
By Asghar Ali Engineer,
Religion is believed to be divine. It is divine in more than one sense. Firstly it is divine in the sense that its teachings are motivated by purest of intentions; secondly it is divine as its teachings are transcendent as religion exhort us to transcend what is to, what it should be in society as well as in our personal conduct. But soon after birth of religion it gets mixed up with customs and traditions already existing in society on one hand, and, on the other, powerful interests, often very negation of its teachings, begin to control it.
From memory’s unmapped isles: A poet on alienation – and nature’s rhythms
By Vikas Datta,
One of the rather negative aspects of urbanisation is a sense of alienation, of isolation - that despite being surrounded by masses of people, you are quite unlikely to have any meaningful connection with them. And this perception can be felt more keenly at night when walking through teeming or deserted thoroughfares and markets, brilliantly lit or gloomily dark. This motif and its stark imagery have been employed quite a bit in modern Urdu poetry by some big names. But its champion was a most highly-regarded but short-lived poet of rare sensitivity, though his fame in the non-Urdu speaking world may only rest on a haunting ghazal made popular by the unmatched Ghulam Ali.
Pledge to kill: Hindutva hatred crystallizes in fascist oath of genocide
Hindu nationalists at an event in India mimic Nazi Germany with a vow to “fight, die, and kill”.
Pieter Friedrich | TwoCircles.net
In 1933, as...
Mushawarat: sensible Muslim leadership for a trouble time
By Kashif-ul-Huda, TwoCircles.net,
Just hours after a social activist is arrested in Delhi, a press release by All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat (AIMMM) alerts rest of India about this arrest and puts pressure on the government to release him. Similarly, soon after Jamia Nagar encounter in which two Muslim youths were killed, a delegation of Muslim leaders under the leadership of Dr. Zafarul Islam Khan, president of Mushawarat visits the area and plans their next course of action.
Social isolation may increase suicide risk in women
New York : Women who are married, have a large social network and participate in social or religious events are less likely to take...
U.S. and Russia: 200 years of diplomatic relations
MOSCOW. (Alexey Isakov) - Although Russia and the United States have different histories, cultures and traditions, they also have much in common: vast territories and natural resources, human and scientific-technical potential.
And the destinies of our two peoples have crossed many times.
Two hundred years is a long time, and over the past two centuries Russian-American relations have undergone many changes, occasionally becoming seriously strained. But ever since regular contact began, Russians and Americans have felt respect and sympathy for each other.
After foreign equity, realty industry needs funding reforms
By Vinod Behl,
The government's recent policy initiative to ease foreign equity norms in construction by reducing the minimum capital requirement from $10 million to $5 million and built-up area from 50,000 sq mts to 20,000 sq mts may well provide a lifeline for fund-starved, debt-ridden property developers. Yet, more reforms to boost credit flow are needed to provide a long-term solution to the funding crisis faced by the realty industry.
Umar Khalid Remains Behind Bars: A Blow to Dissent and Democracy
Atika Sayeed
A Delhi court’s recent refusal to grant bail to Umar Khalid, an activist and former student leader, marks a significant milestone in the ongoing struggle...
‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ and Contemporary Nationalism in India
Dr. Ram Puniyani
Like most of the political phenomenon, even the practice of Nationalism is not a static one. It changes with the changing political...
Yemeni conflict a threat to global trade: India
By Arul Louis
United Nations: India has expressed concern over the serious economic impact of the fighting in Yemen on global trade and urged the...
Preserve the sanctity of Test cricket
By K. Datta, IANS,
Oh no! Not two of them. As though one Indian Premier League (IPL) was not enough to satiate your year's fill of excitement...Someone had to say it. Who better than Virendra Sehwag? And he put it bluntly. Four months of IPLs a year would see many early retirements from international cricket.
"Players retire karke sirf IPL hi khelenge," the Delhi Daredevils captain is reported to have said. (Players will retire to only play IPL). Not that Sehwag is the first to have expressed such fears, but nobody has made the point so tellingly and with such earthy sarcasm.
Akhilesh’s two years in office: Basic needs answered
By Brij Khandelwal
Agra: As Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav completed two years in office Saturday, questions are being raised over governance and...
Fund delay for AMU Kishanganj Centre
By Md Mudassir Alam,
Like many projects meant for educational upliftment of country’s backward region, in the recent time the much-talked about AMU Kishanganj Centre project is still in uncertainty over lack of appropriate fund.
Madrasa education myth and reality
By Asghar Ali Engineer,
Madrasas have been at the centre of controversy since 9/11 attack on New York towers. It was thought that attacks were planned by Taliban who were students of madrasas run by Muslims of Wahabi ideology. Though as far as 9/11 attack was concerned, the madrasas in focus were from North West Frontier Province but in India too madrasas came under fire especially from those who were politically motivated and also from a section of media which took a biased view.
Doing business in India very difficult: Kejriwal
Kolkata : Observing that doing business in the country was very difficult, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday called upon industrialists to invest...
Economic turmoil is worse than terrorism”
MOSCOW. (RIA Novosti political commentator Andrei Fedyashin) - The European Union is beginning this difficult week with the discussion of its financial problems, which are getting more serious with every passing day.
Nagaland – Dreamers under the Dark Tunnel
By Syed Ali Mujtaba
Nagaland is back on national radar for the simple reason that elections are being held there. I was seeing a long news clip that brought out different facets of this state. One that makes me to comment on this issue is about the youth of Nagaland who to me seem look like belonging more to the globalize world than to any tiny geographical entity that's sandwiched between India and Burma.
Human Chain meets Pranab Mukherjee over minority status of AMU and JMI
By TCN News,
New Delhi: A delegation comprising of prominent Social Activist, Academicians and Journalists of Human Chain met Pranab Mukherjee, President of India and...
Love Jihad and targeting of religious minorities
By John Dayal,
The recent outpouring of support for the “development” agenda of the Prime Minister, Mr Narendra Modi, by several leaders of the Catholic and Protestant churches may possibly stave off the immediate attention of the Intelligence Bureau and the Ministry of Home affairs, but it is not likely to reduce the deep and seemingly abiding distrust the Indian political and social system has of what is popularly called the “Missionaries”. Nor will it mitigate the hate that is now erupting in India against religious minorities.
मौजूदा नतीजों से खुलता उत्तर प्रदेश विधानसभा चुनाव का रास्ता
सिद्धांत मोहन, TwoCircles.net
चार राज्यों और एक केन्द्रशासित प्रदेश में चुनाव के नतीजे सामने आ चुके हैं. असम में भाजपा ने जीत दर्ज की है....
Asma Nama: P for Preaching; P for Practice?
Are Today’s Muslims Only Talking Toms?
By Dr Asma Anjum Khan for TwoCircles.net,
Whenever I read George Bernard Shaw saying, ‘Islam is the best religion and Muslims are the worst people’, it makes me angry. Be it the international scene or our closed communities, does Shaw metaphor stick to us (and stinks too?)
Introduction of compulsory attendance is a fatal blow to the idea of JNU
By Abhay Kumar for TwoCircles.net
The JNU administration has recently issued a circular, imposing “compulsory” attendance on “all regular registered students” from the winter semester....
Minorities and mainstream: A Paradox
By Irfan Khan,
India has not celebrated its diversity but has only accommodated it. There is a covert thought that minorities will be a part of the mainstream soon. Relative insignificance of minorities is mainly because India is a democracy. Something has to be done to make them significant.
Forest rights – and why the new law needs to be implemented
By Shankar Gopalakrishnan
Like a bad penny that never stops coming back, the issue of forest rights is in the news again. The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, has returned to the headlines for all the wrong reasons. Opponents slam it as the "most dangerous act of any Indian government since 1947", handing out "forest for votes" and "privatizing a national resource."
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...
Sufi Conference & the Hijacking of Islam -By the West and now by India
Compiled by Dr.Ajmal
About the Conference
A four-day international “Sufi” conference was inaugurated by the Prime Minister Mr Narendra Modi in New Delhi on 17 March....
A conspiracy to halt progress of Azamgarh Muslims: ex-SIMI chief
By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,
Dr Shahid Badr Falahi, an Azamgarh native and former president of banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), runs his two Unani medical clinics in Azamgarh. One of his clinic is in a village that is over 90% Hindus. Hindus have no problem coming to him for their medical needs.
Khushwant Singh: A born raconteur, a vintage sardar
By Vikas Datta
Fittingly, I was in a bookshop when I heard about the death of Khushwant Singh. It was undoubtedly unexpected, for the...
Drama wins over history on bookshel
By IANS,
New Delhi: Cart your books away from the IANS pile of super titles this weekend...
Book: "Boats on Land"; Written by Janice Pariat; Published by Random House; Price: Rs.399
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.
Impact of flattening yield curve of US bonds
By Vatsal Srivastava,
In her last press conference after the minutes of the US Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) were released, the Federal Reserve chairperson Janet Yellen said interest rates would start rising six months after the quantitative easing (QE) program completely winds down. Bond market traders have had to adjust their positions accordingly as the rate hike is now being priced much earlier than it was previously expected. Market expectations are for the first rate hike to occur somewhere around May-June 2015.
True meaning of the Coalgate Judgement
By Jaspal Singh,
Few days ago the Supreme Court of India delivered a judgement in the case that has come to be known as Coalgate....
Falling oil prices may spur Modi for more reforms
By Saroj Mohanty,
One single international development that has not received the kind of play it deserves in the Indian media but is keenly watched in policy-making and strategic circles is the falling prices of oil - despite the geopolitical uncertainties in the Middle East and Nigeria - whose impact could be felt in government finances, business, trade and consumer spending, if the trend continues.
Interest-free microfinance: Best tool for poverty eradication
By Abdul Aziz V. K for TwoCircles.net,
The interest-free microfinance can be defined as provision of financial services to those people who are denied access to the financial market; opens new perspectives, and empowers people who can pursue projects with their own resources, and who lack assistance, subsidies and dependence. Besides, it provides financial services to those, who are traditionally non bankable, mainly because they lack guarantees against a loss risk.
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.
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.
Lack of development of AMU Malappuram may hurt chances of IUML’s Manjalamkuzhy Ali
By Shafeeq Hudawi, TwoCircles.net
Kozhikode: The AMU Malappuram centre was established in 2010, but even after six years, it is no secret that the off-campus...
The mind map of a Muslim Indian
An Introduction to the Political Ideas of Syed Shahabuddin
By Dr. Hilal Ahmed
Introduction
The killer Dengue and the sordid saga of poor governance
By Dr. Mumtaz Naiyer for TwoCircles.net
Last week there was an outcry in the print, electronic and social media as Avinash Rout, 7, and...