NCMEI: Guarding educational rights of minorities in India
By Kashif-ul-Huda, TwoCircles.net,
Justice MSA Siddiqui believes in doing work and keeping a low profile. This is the reason that you have not heard much about the organization he heads and the work he does. Justice Siddiqui is the chairman of National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions (NCMEI).
The state must not organise religious festivals
By Ram Puniyani
After staging the Yoga spectacle on June 21, 2015 on Rajpath in Delhi, the Modi government now plans to celebrate Rakhi, Raksha...
Skill development Centers inaugurated in Assam by Najma Heptulla
By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
Guwahati (Assam): As a part of scheme of Skill Development for Minorities, Najma Heptulla, Union Minister for Minority Affairs inaugurated...
Who shall lead the opposition front at the hustings?
By S.M. Anwar Hussain
There is an undercurrent realisation among the non NDA party workers and common masses, that the big promises made by BJP have...
Reservation for Muslims in West Bengal – Gimmick or Affirmative Action
By Sabir S. Ghaffar,
The Constitution is the State Religion of India. Every state, administration, judiciary, and every citizen is duty bound to abide by the Constitution. Equality of every citizen irrespective of caste, religion, language, place of birth, profession etc. is the vision and aim of the Constitution. If in any office, or state administration, or in any post the representation of any community is below its proportion of population, it must be understood that inequal treatment has been meted out to that particular community.
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad as Educationist
By Dr Mohammad Manzoor Alam,
1857 is a watershed in Indian history when with the fall of Delhi, British sway was fully established all over India. Men of substance and vision like Sir Syed were quick to realise that the rout had come because the Indian side had fallen behind the British in the realm of knowledge of all kinds, especially that of science and technology.
Hajra ASW: The Iron Lady of Islam
By Asma Anjum Khan for TwoCircles.net
As children, we all have read that great civilizations are born near the rivers. Once upon a time, a civilization...
6 challenges for the new UP government
By IndiaSpend Team
With 200 million people, equivalent to the population of Brazil, but with an economy the size of Qatars -- which has 2.4...
The right to life must be guaranteed and culture of impunity must end: Anjuman...
Anjuman Ara Begum is Ph.D scholar of Department of Law, Gauhati University, Assam, India and the Regional Research Associate for the North Eastern states for South Asia Forum for Human Rights for the Project Understanding Impunity. She has researched the armed conflict in North Eastern states and its impact on civilians since 2004. Kashif-ul-Huda of TwoCircles.net interviewed her about her research. Opinions given are her personal. Read some of the cases after the interview.
Q: Why were you interested in this investigation?
IPR policy and India’s competitiveness
By Amit Kapoor,
India's current Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) regime is at the cusp of a major change. The past year has been quite momentous...
How Amit Shah micro managed Bihar battle
By Brajendra Nath Singh,
Patna: Prime Minister Narendra Modi was no doubt the BJP's face in the Bihar battle, but its micro management lay with...
Failure of Indian intelligence: The buck stops nowhere
By Wilson John, IANS,
Almost a dozen state police units and intelligence agencies were tracking down terrorist groups across India for the past two years but missed to detect the activities of the men who were involved in the Mumbai terror attack.
Though there were reports, based mainly on the interrogation of terrorists arrested in the recent past, about Mumbai being the next target, there were no specific leads about how the terrorists will strike.
Does it matter who wins election in Araria?
By Ashish Ranjan and Kalyani B
This is where
the road ends
tarmac
of India shining
gives way
to gravel
and red dirt
of...
Who is to be blamed for backwardness of Malda and Murshidabad?
By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net
TCN Series: Visit to Malda and Murshidabad, Part 4
The dilemma over adoption continues even after SC judgement
By M Reyaz, TwoCircles.net,
New Delhi: Opinions remain divided on the issue of adoption by Muslims even as the Supreme Court passed a land-mark judgement on February 19, in a 2005 writ petition field by social activist Shabnam Hashmi allowing Muslims to adopt.
Kashmir: Recap 2013
By Bilal Bashir Bhat,
The year 2013 in Kashmir, witnessed a number of controversies, scams, disclosures, killings, encounters and of course the big news of Afzal Guru’s execution. From hundreds of original stories that happened in 2013, it is not easy to select just a few. But to give readers a recap of the year, I present 12 stories.
How India wasted three Bharat Ratnas: Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and Atal Bihari Vajpayee
By Sharique Anwer for TwoCircles.net,
On March 27, 2015 President of India, Pranab Mukherjee presented Bharat Ratna to former Prime Minister and one of the founding leader of BJP Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
From Right Wing supporters to liberals almost everyone applauded the gesture of the NDA government to confer Atal Bihar Vajpayee with Country’s highest civilian award, Bharat Ratna. Also, I saw many staunch congress supporters tweeting against Bharta Ratna to former PM. Congress supporters attacked NDA government over Bharat Ratna to ABV is like “Foot in the mouth moment” in my opinion, after congress government’s own act of awarding Bharat Ratna to Indira Gandhi and Rajeev Gandhi in the past.
Looking at the world through the eyes of diplomats and other stories
The thoughts and ideas of Indian diplomats who have collectively put in more than 1,150 years in the Indian Foreign Service, understanding the ins and out of wealth creation, a story of a Parsi man and an exciting tale about the battle between man and nature: this is what IANS has to offer to its readers this weekend. Take a look.
1. Book: India and the World: Through the Eyes of Indian Diplomats; Edited by Surendra Kumar; Publisher: Wisdom Tree; Pages: 460; Price: Rs.1,095.
India, US cooperation on mega-city governance growing: Indian envoy
By Arun Kumar
Washington: India-US cooperation in governance of mega-cities is part of a whole new paradigm of working together and forming habits of cooperation...
An epoch-making Urdu bibliography
By Dr Omar Khalidi
Dr. Anwar Moazzam, former professor of Islamic Studies at Osmania University in Hyderabad, Deccan, India and Ashhar Farhan, an info-technologist and entrepreneur has compiled a massive, epoch-making bibliography of works in social sciences in Urdu. Dr. Moazzam launched the project way back in 1976, under the auspices of Indian Council for Social Science Research and National Council for the Promotion of Urdu Language, both institutions funded by the union government of India in New Delhi.
Does India have an elected or nominated PM?
By Hardeep S. Puri,
Ten years ago, on May 18, 2004 to be precise, the Central Hall of the Indian parliament witnessed political theatrics of...
Maulana Azad and partition
By Asghar Ali Engineer,
In the current debate on partition started by Jaswant Singh’s book every one is talking about the role of Jinnah, Nehru and Sardar Patel in partitioning of India but hardly anyone has mentioned what Maulana Azad, an important leader of Indian National Congress and an eminent scholar of Islam who held post of President of the Congress for six long years before partition, had done to avert partition.
The gatekeeper of Ghalib’s grave
By Amit Basole
ہوئے مر کے ہم جو رسوا ہوئے کیوں نہ غرقِ دریا
نہ کبھی جنازہ اٹھتا نہ کہیں مزار ہوتا
hue marke ham jo rusva hue kyun na gark-e-darya
Ayodhya Dispute: Need for Upholding Law
Ram Puniyani
The dispute around Babri Mosque seems to be unending. Just weeks ago we saw Sri Sri Ravishankar, the well known founder of ‘Art...
UP Government confers Yash Bharti award to 46 people, list includes nine Muslims
By TCN Staff Reporter
Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh's highest honour Yash Bharti award was given to 46 personalities on Monday. Among them, nine Muslims were conferred...
Afroz Jahan: A woman of strength
By Rupa Abdi, TwoCircles.net
I read about her in a small article in the ‘Times of India’ and decide to visit her during my recent trip to Lucknow. I met her at her home in Choudhary Tola - a nondescript locality of Aliganj. . Afroz Jahan does not come across as some fire brand activist or a high society socialite working for the cause of down trodden. This mild mannered frail woman comes from a conservative Muslim family of a daily wage earner.
I read about her in a small article in the ‘Times of India’ and decide to visit her during my recent trip to Lucknow. I met her at her home in Choudhary Tola - a nondescript locality of Aliganj. . Afroz Jahan does not come across as some fire brand activist or a high society socialite working for the cause of down trodden. This mild mannered frail woman comes from a conservative Muslim family of a daily wage earner.
Muslims in/of India: surrogate oppressors or colonizers?
A Muslim woman deconstructs how dominant majoritarian narratives reconstruct Indian Muslim women as the perpetual Other.
Misria Shaik Ali | TwoCircles.net
This is an article, an...
Making India a righteous and just society
By Chaudhari Fariduddin
Many readers may feel that this scribe, who lives away from India in Kuwait, should really not write about matters that require a deep / close study of the political scene in the country. My justification and excuse is that it is not impossible to formulate ideas while taking a bird's eye view. Thus the distant observer from the shores may present some ideas while corrections may be done by those who are, so to say, battling with the waves in the middle of the sea!
Why Microsoft’s $45 bn bid is good for Yahoo
By Prasanto K. Roy, IANS
One may call this a hostile bid, but it's good for Yahoo - for the valuation. If Yahoo agrees, it needs to cross shareholder and regulatory roadblocks. But even so, Microsoft and Yahoo together won't add up to becoming serious competition for market leader Google.
This could be the mother of all tech mergers: a $44.6-billion bid by Microsoft for Yahoo, at 62 percent premium over the market price for Yahoo stocks.
A 400 year old Masjid and colony demolished in Delhi by Delhi Development Authority
Resistance against the demolition of Ghousiya Masjid and colony in Delhi
By Mohamed Tanveer Iqbal
Civilian nuclear deal: A victim of oversell
By Sreeram Sundar Chaulia, IANS,
With scant light at the end of the tunnel for the India-US civilian nuclear deal, it is evident that the agreement is a victim of oversell as a "historic" accord to emancipate India's economy and international status. The Manmohan Singh government's claims in favour of the 123 Agreement were so bombastic as to project it as an elixir that could transform India's destiny. After inflating the benefits of the deal, the prime minister is now facing the music from both the right and left flanks of the political spectrum.
SDPI organises rally in Delhi to campaign against communal terror
By TCN Staff Reporter,
New Delhi: A march as part of the ongoing nationwide campaign against communal terror with the slogan “On Your Feet,...
Nationwide initiatives to give soil health cards: PM
New Delhi : There will be nationwide initiatives from Saturday where farmers will get soil health cards and other inputs, Prime Minister Narendra Modi...
Obama’s jobs policy will hurt US MNCs most
By Bala Rajaraman, IANS,
Politics, like fashion, is all about the "here" and the "now". In Washington, the current spotlight is on American jobs or the lack thereof and rightfully so. But what will be its impact -- on Indian companies and US multinationals?
During the recent State of the Union address, President Barack Obama fired a few shots across the bows of American companies that he felt were hiring people overseas to the detriment of job-seekers in the US.
At 60, some queries about the rule of law in India
By A. Srinivas and Kaneez Fathima,
This year our country completes 60th year of Republic. In these 60 years, were the constitutional principles implemented? Did the governments which came to power in these years follow the constitution? These are not doubts but queries which come to our minds after analyzing the incidents from past.
Mumbai attack: Blame game moving in circles
Syed Ali Mujtaba,
The November 26, 2008 attack on Mumbai that killed nearly 190 people is the most recent episode in long string of high-profile terrorist attacks in India.
India has plethora of disgruntled elements, all planning million mutinies now and the story of grappling with the scourge terrorism is quite long. To cut it short, even then there is no long term vision yet prepared how to tackle this menace in a time bound sustained manner.
Comrades hit where it hurts in Bengal panchayat polls
By Amulya Ganguli, IANS,
In addition to the Left's across-the-board setbacks in the West Bengal panchayat elections, the significance of the outcome is that the comrades have been hit where it hurts the most. As a result, any claim that it still controls the majority of the local bodies - 518 of the zilla parishads, for instance, against the opposition's 230 - will not dispel the gloom in the Communist camp.
Masrat Alam’s detention under PSA quashed
Srinagar : The Jammu and Kashmir High Court on Tuesday quashed the detention order of hardline separatist leader Masrat Alam under the stringent Public...
Gaurilankesh – A heritage of Free thought and Expression
By Cynthia Stephen
The shooting of GauriLankesh has set off reverberations all over the country, even the world. There has been widespread condemnation of thedeteriorating climate...
India’s Muslims lack an enlightened leadership
By Amulya Ganguli, IANS,
Indian Muslims continue to suffer from the misfortune of being led by people with a limited vision whose initiatives appear to be aimed at fostering a ghetto mentality instead of encouraging the community to become a part of the mainstream.
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...
Social media feminist activism – movement for elite by elites
There is an elitism and selectivity in the discourse which happen on the social network. Generally issues related to the lower strata of the society are sidelined in these discussions.
By Mohammad Zakir Riyaz,
In recent years, a new trend of online activism has taken birth where online campaigns against various issues are launched and taken forward to make changes. In this direction the first such campaign in my memory was the Pink Chaddi campaign launched in 2009 as a protest against the right wing extremist group Shri Ram Sene’s attack on women in a pub at Manglore. In this campaign, people were mobilized online and asked to send pink panties to the leaders of this extremist group.
RSS and Minorities
By Ram Puniyani,
The new RSS Sarsanghchalak, Mr. Mohan Bhagawat told Minorities (Sept 20, 2009) that they should join RSS and see that ‘our intentions are clear and our behavior is good’. As per him all Muslims in India were Hindus in the past. They have only changed their way of worship, and if they accept this fact there will be no clashes. He told Christians that they should not convert people, as that creates communal violence.
‘A tragedy to Mumbai, is a tragedy to me’
By Anupam Kher, IANS,
Born in Shimla, in the foothills of the Himalayas, I came to Mumbai 27 years ago in search of a career. That career eventually gave me a chance to showcase my talent, according me national recognition, and also some fame. I am thankful for that chance the city gave me.
Domestic violence – most destructive war within us
By Shahnoor Rahman,
I remember, on 26th June 2011 when I was in second year MBBS in Gauhati Medical College, while passing through the postmortem ward, I had fainted when I saw the corpse of a woman slaughtered by her husband as he suspected her of adultery.
An overview of DM Feraque Ahmad’s stay in Kishanganj
By Md. Mudassir Alam,
Kishanganj, the north-eastern district of Bihar, was in news on Sunday (July 4, 2010) due to visit of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. The same day brought a big shock for the locals as people’s favourite District Magistrate Feraque Ahmad had been transferred to Patna as the Special Secretary, Department of Minority Welfare, Government of Bihar. Feraque Ahmad’s tenure as a DM had been exceptional and he had nicely kept a balance between his official commitments and humanitarian association with locals.
Wearing Burqa will now be a crime?
By Asghar Ali Engineer,
Now a draft bill is under consideration of French Parliament imposing a fine of Euro 700 on any woman wearing burqa covering her whole body in any public place and her husband twice as much if he forces hear to wear burqa. This is for the first time that women would be penalized for wearing burqa. Earlier France had banned Muslim girls wearing hijab in schools. It argued that these religious symbols interfere with its commitment to secularism and its secular culture.
Post-Musharraf scenario: growing instability in Pakistan
By Arun Sahgal,
Pakistan is again in the news due to the decision of the ruling coalition to impeach President Pervez Musharraf. India's National Security Adviser (NSA) M.K. Narayanan said that the impeachment may give rise to a big vacuum that will provide freedom to radical extremist elements.
In his words, "It leaves a big vacuum and we are deeply concerned about this vacuum because it leaves the radical extremist outfits with freedom to do what they like, not merely on the Pakistani-Afghan border but clearly on our side of the border too."
‘Swach Bharat drives draws inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi’
Jakarta : Mahatma gave high priority to cleanliness, sanitation and hygiene and the Indian government had thus launched its Swachch Bharat nationwide cleanliness...
भारत में सरकार नाम की कोई चीज़ है या नहीं?
डॉ. खजान सिंह
हाल ही में दबंगो द्वारा गुजरात के ऊना में दलितों के साथ किए गए अमानवीय व्यवहार ने सारे देश के बहुजनो को...
No letup in communal mischief
Dr Mohammad Manzoor Alam
After a whole year of anti-Muslim slander campaign and sporadic violence against Muslims (to a lesser degree, against Christians as well),...
For Bebyda Khatun, a National award is the ideal recognition of her efforts as...
By Zaidul Haque, TwoCircles.net
Kolkata/Birbhum: For 38-year-old Bebyda Khatun, December 1 is likely to be a special day: a day that bears testimony to the...
How to make money and become an entrepreneur
Not every business idea flourishes and not all business ideas are dated. Following this mantra, IANS picks up interesting reads from the book pile to help you decide. Take a look.
A former Marxist fights on BJP ticket
By Priyanka,
New Delhi: He used to be a Marxist who later took to Dalit activism before quitting his Indian Revenue Service job where he...
Why no reservation to Dalit Muslims and Dalit Christians?
By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net
Will this past 3rd April prove to be a turning point for Dalit Muslims and Dalit Christians in India? If you ask me, I would say, yes. Because this is the day when the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) came up with a much-needed report on these Dalits.
I can’t remember how many times I have been attacked…but will continue to fight:...
The attack on Chithralekha is a clear example of how the Communist Party of India (Marxist), while raising its voice against growing intolerance in...
School girl in Assam raped, commits suicide after Panchayat offers family money to keep...
By Abdul Kalam Azad
When the entire country was celebrating 68th Republic Day, a tenth standard student of Sidhuni High School in Barpeta district of...
Indian Muslims – problems and voting pattern
By Asghar Ali Engineer,
Recent election results of Municipal Corporation of Kolkata and other Municipalities in West Bengal were shocking for the Left Front. Of course there are very complex reasons for Left Front loosing its grip over voters of West Bengal. Experts and academics will analyse these results over a period of time. One of the important factors, as admitted by some Left Front leaders also, has been the loss of Muslim votes.
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.
Primary Education Spending Declines, So Does Quality
By Chaitanya Mallapur
Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) -- a national programme for universal elementary education -- has seen Rs.1,15,625 crore ($17.7 billion) spent on it...
Has the Trinamool Congress become a lost ship?
By Amitava Mukherjee
There is now a distinct possibility that the Trinamool Congress (TMC) may be engulfed by an internecine struggle as Mamata Banerjee, the...
Media coverage regarding AMU library row: Making a wrong mountain of a right molehill?
Dr Syed Zafar Mahmood,
An innocuous remark by the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) vice-chancellor seems to have been used by the local correspondent of a national newspaper as the proverbial bait to lure media attention. But, in the process, the 136-years-old seat of high learning had to suffer the ignominy of defamation.
Chinese gambit: On an ancient route to modern greatness
By Tarun Basu,
People's Daily, China's iconic newspaper known to the world as the voice of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC), is constructing...
Communist obstinacy could derail India’s nuclear energy plans
By A. Vinod Kumar, IANS,
Ever since the 123 agreement was announced, the Communist parties have been raising various issues pertaining to it that have wider consequences on India's foreign policy. Foremost among their concerns are their references to the Hyde Act that leftist leaders argue would impinge on the autonomy of India's foreign policy and make India a junior partner of the US.
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.
AMU, Raja Mahendra Pratap and attempts of polarization
By Ram Puniyani,
Those resorting to communal politics have not only perfected their techniques of polarizing the communities along the religious lines but have also been constantly resorting to new methods for dividing the society.
Divergent views expressed on Muslims participation in politics
Prof. Bandukwala wants Muslims to stay away from politics; Dr. Manzoor Alam of All India Milli Council (AIMC) wants Muslims to give top priority to politics in the present political scenario when success in all walks of life depended on political influence of the community.
By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
The Maoist threat: lies, white lies and statistics
By P.V. Ramana, IANS
The Indian home ministry never tires of finding newer classifications to present a much diminished perception of the intensity and spread of the Communist Party of India-Maoist, better known as Naxalites.
Based on information provided by his officials, Home Minister Shivraj Patil told the Rajya Sabha March 19 that "a mere 14,000 villages out of a total of 650,000 villages are Maoist-affected, which accounts for just two percent of the total number of villages in the country".
Democratic revolution in Pakistan and it’s consequences for South Asia
Bless the Vinashpurush
By Dr Mohammad Manzoor Alam,
The Great Vinashpurush, Shri Narendrabhai Modi, has famously said that he has already been chosen by God to take the country to its destination. Now all that he wants from the people of India is an endorsement of God’s will in the form of their blessings.
Only 26 Muslim Judges in 24 High Courts, study reveals
By A Mirsab, TwoCircles.net,
New Delhi: The representation of Muslims in higher judiciary does not even come close to community’s share in the population...
Flight MH 370, Amelia Earhart, the Bermuda Triangle — is a pattern emerging?
By Vishnu Makhijani,
Is there a pattern emerging between Malaysia Airlines Flight MH 370, American aviator Amelia Earhart and the Bermuda Triangle? For one,...
Reflections on the year without Tendulkar in the field
By Biswajit Choudhury,
The year that the Indian cricket team played without Sachin Tendulkar and lost successive Test series abroad gives enough food for thought on the nature of the sport, also at a time when other team sports in the country are beginning to organise commercially on the lines of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Longing for the reconstruction of Babri Masjid
By Misbahuddin Mirza
December 6, 1992, exactly 500 years after Christopher Columbus landed on Santo Domingo island in search of gold, the Kar Sevaks of...
Better Back to Bukhara? A Take on: No Invite for PM Modi?
By Asma Anjum Khan for TwoCircles.net,
The phone was ringing. Absorbed in my daily dose of ,’noisy news of Indian TV channels’ I chirped, Hello, Shivani! Long time?
What do you think of this shahi Imam… everyone is talking about.
Gilgit Baltistan: A saga of Pakistani colonisation
By Manzoor Parwana
Gilgit-Baltistan, also called Federally Administered Northern Areas, was once a part of Jammu and Kashmir. But since 1947, when India and Pakistan achieved independence, the unfortunate territory is facing the wrath of colonisation.
Impact of Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025: Potential Threats to Muslim Community’s Religious and Property...
Dr. Intekhab Alam
New Delhi: Days after its passage from both houses of Parliament following marathon debates, the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, got assent of...
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...
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...
Manipuri Muslims feel left out, sidelined over Inner Line Permit issue
By Amit Kumar, Twocircles.net
Imphal (West): Sharif Ahamed runs a tea shop in the Checkon Bazar Area of Imphal. A local, Ahamed...
‘West didn’t know what to do in Afghanistan’
By Vikas Datta
Jaipur: The western intervention in Afghanistan was flawed from the very start in its rationale, goals and implementation, which accounts for why...
Bulandshahr: Unraveling the anatomy of a riot
By Ram Puniyani
The scene of violence in the name of emotive issues has been continuously throwing new patterns of instigating and orchestrating violence. In recent...
A journalist must express himself through media, not by shoe throwing
By B.R.P. Bhaskar, IANS,
Jarnail Singh, correspondent of the Hindi daily Dainik Jagran, was following the well-established Indian media tradition of imitation when he hurled a shoe at Home Minister P. Chidambaram at his press conference in New Delhi.
Indian youth needs education, opportunity, bread and not blood
By Daud Arif for TwoCircles.net,
It is of immense sorrow that today in our country, the legacy and sacrifices of our freedom fighters is reduced to just some mean politics by few brutal politicians.
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.
UN Human Rights head criticises Sri Lanka’s attacks on probe of violations
By Arul Louis ,
United Nations:UN Human Rights High Commissioner Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein has condemned Sri Lanka for attacking his organisation's investigations into human...
Pakistan’s impending ‘Cambodian Moment’
By Harold A. Gould, IANS,
The latest news from the Hindu Kush makes one thing painfully apparent: The Taliban/Al Qaeda jihadistani quasi state, "Jihadistan Emirate", has achieved critical mass. It has now metastasized into a killer disease that threatens the survival of Pakistan's fragile democracy.
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'.
Noorjahan Diwan: A fighter made out of Gujarat 2002
By Rafat Nayeem Quadri, for TCN,
Ahmedabad:
Lehron se darr kar nauka paar nahi hoti,
Himmat karne vaalon ki haar nahi hoti,
Nanhi cheenti jab daana lekar chalti hai,
A hard look at Javed Akhtar’s farewell speech
By Ubaidur Rahman for TwoCircles.net,
Javed Akhtar, a poet and writer, did not speak anything noticeable in Parliament in last 6 years but his farewell...
Making India competitive and prosperous
By Amit Kapoor & Kevin Stolarick,
“The Council (US Council on Competitiveness] champions the belief that to be competitive, and raise the standard of living Americans, we must enhance productivity.”
www.compete.org/images/uploads/File/PDF%20Files/CoC_2014_Clarion_091014_FINAL.pdf
IPI pipeline a good option – but a security nightmare
By Gurmeet Kanwal, IANS,
Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmud Qureshi said after a visit to New Delhi last month that most of the outstanding differences on the Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) gas pipeline had been resolved and that the three countries were now in a position to reach final agreement at the next round of joint talks. In order to allay India's apprehensions, Qureshi also conveyed Pakistan's offer to guarantee the physical security of the gas pipeline.
After days of communal riot, peace is a fragile idea in Moradabad
By Md. Ali, TwoCircles.net,
Milli Gazette and its shameless misogyny
By Dr Kouser Fathima for TwoCircles.net
In India, it would not be an exaggeration to say that the news of a rape no longer...
Why are Indian students being targeted in Australia?
By Lohit Shandilya, IANS,
I have lived in Melbourne for over seven years and there is no doubt that the situation has changed for Indians here. Denying racism in Australia is like denying casteism and dowry in India. But there is more to this issue then just blaming the Australian government.
Is a consensus possible on the new President?
By Amulya Ganguli
For a party known for its hubris, the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) decision to consult the opposition for a consensus on the...
‘New Educational Policy should include Europe’s liberal-universal education model’
7th All India National Educational Conference concludes in Bhopal
By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net,
Bhopal: A two-day 7th All India National Educational Conference on the theme...
The world must stop misinterpreting terrorists as Messiahs of Islam
By Aziz A. Mubaraki,
If by any means spilling Muslim blood is the deciding factor for Muslims to decide who the community should take vengeance against, then these dissemblers i.e., ISIS, Al Qaeda or geographically more closer, the Talibans, should immediately go into hiding as these organizations have been butchering Muslims for years now.
Slavery a disturbing truth in India
By Amit Kapoor,
The Global Slavery Index 2013, compiled by non-profit Walk Free Foundation, presents quite a dismal picture about a reality in India: Modern...
BJP may split if RSS takes charge
By Amulya Ganguli, IANS,
It's never been a secret that the Hindu supremacist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) is the friend, philosopher and guide of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The gurudakshina, or tuition fee, which the BJP leaders routinely pay to the head of the umbrella Sangh Parivar, testifies to their master-pupil relationship.
US needs to differentiate between India and Pakistan
By Harold A. Gould, IANS,
Many parallels now exist between how America descended into the Vietnam quagmire and certain trends that are becoming increasingly evident as America commits ever more resources to its endeavor to quell the Taliban-Al Qaida insurgency in Afghanistan.
कश्मीर मसले पर फर्जी खबरें भेजने के दबाव में पत्रकार नसीर अहमद ने IBN-7...
MediaVigil.com
पिछले दो साल से आइबीएन-7 में ब्यूरो प्रमुख रहे कश्मीर के सबसे पुराने टीवी पत्रकारों में एक नसीर अहमद ने 29 अगस्त को संस्थान...
AAP, Bihar jolt BJP, but Modi still going strong
By Prashant Sood and Brajendra Nath Singh
New Delhi : The AAP's dramatic rise and the comeback of Lalu Prasad and Nitish Kumar in Bihar...
Permission for beef, pork festivals at Osmania University refused
Hyderabad : Amid mounting tension on Osmania University campus over proposed beef festival by some students' groups and a counter pork festival and 'Gau...
Gujarat riot victims still in relief camps: Muslims should ask Antulay
By Dr. Mookhi Amir Ali,
“Gujarat Muslims still live in fear,” says the UN Human Rights Council in its latest report, slamming India for denial of justice to the victims of the communal violence in 2002. The Congress party was quick to use the report as a stick to beat the Gujarat government with, but did little for rehabilitation of the riot victims.
‘Brick kilns turn hazardous for Kashmiris, violate environmental laws’
By Shamshad Ali
Srinagar: With most brick kilns in the Kashmir Valley not implementing the measures specified for minimizing pollution levels, the areas where...
Politically Incorrect! Political satire in Urdu poetry
By Vikas Datta,
"Here richly, with ridiculous display,/The Politician's corpse was laid away/While all of his acquaintance sneered and slanged/I wept: for I had longed to see him hanged", was prolific English author Hillaire Belloc's caustic send-off to an unnamed politician. The verse also exemplifies the vibrant, universal tradition of political satire that exists alongside organised government - from the plays of Aristophanes in ancient Athens to TV shows like "Yes Minister" and "Saturday Night Live" now. And closer to home, both Hindi and Urdu literature used it to devastating effect.
Independence Day Mushaira-Kavi Sammelan in Washington
By Zafar Iqbal,
"The future of Urdu and Hindi is tied together and both depend upon each other," said Professor Asghar Wajahat at the third bi-lingual poetry recitation program held Sunday 16th August 2009 at the Montgomery County Executive Office Building in Rockville, Maryland. Professor Wajahat, a noted Hindi fiction writer and chairman of Hindi Department, Jamia Millia Islamia was presiding the bi-lingual “Yaum-e-Azadi” mushaira-kavi sammelan.
Netaji must be given ‘Leader of the Nation’ title: Mamata
Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Saturday Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose "must be given the title (of) Leader of the Nation",...
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.
Gujarat 2002: Do we still need proof?
By Faisal Hashmi
Tehelka-Aaj Tak sting has not brought out anything that we did not know already. Its real worth lies in the clear confession by some of the major actors in the stage-managed massacre of Muslims in Gujarat in 2002.
The latest sting operation by Tehelka lays out the horrors of Gujarat 2002 in all its gory, chilling detail. The major accused in the massacres – Babu Bajrangi, Haresh Bhatt, Madan Chawal, Dhimani Bhatt, Rajendra Vyas and others – boast how they cut Muslims into pieces and set them on fire.
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.
Modi is anti-Dalit, anti-student: Rohith Vemula’s mother
New Delhi : Dalit research scholar Rohith Vemula's mother on Wednesday described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as being "anti-Dalit" and "anti-students".
Speaking during a protest...
Indian democracy at the crossroads under current political dispensation
Transcript of Ashghar Ali Memorial lecture
By Ram Puniyani,
I begin this lecture paying tribute to my very dear friend, Dr. Asghar Ali Engineer, with whom I had the rare privilege of working with for close to two decades. Dr. Engineer was a unique scholar-activist, totally committed to the dream and vision of a humane society that honours the values of diversity and where human rights for all are the defining point.
The language of politics
By Zohra Javed for TwoCircles.net
I have a feeling: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and Samajwadi Party are feeding each other. They are the true friends in need of each other in Maharashtra. After splitting from Uncle Bal Thackeray, Raj is still struggling to find a foothold all across the state.
Post-Kabul attack, India needs to be more assertive in Afghanistan
By Arun Sahgal and V.K. Anand, IANS,
The vehicle-borne suicide bomb attack at the entrance of the Indian embassy in Kabul and the resultant casualties have created a furore in the Indian national security establishment and the diplomatic community.
‘We cannot live in permanent fear’: Dr. J. S. Bandukwala
Dr. Juzar Bandukwala teaches physics at the University of Baroda in Gujarat. A well-known and widely-respected social activist and journalist, he has been in the forefront of the struggle for justice to the victims of the recent state-sponsored violence directed against the Muslims of Gujarat. In this interview he speaks to Yoginder Sikand about his work and about the situation in Gujarat today.
Prof. Bandukwala along with Dr. Ram Puniyani is the winner of Indira Gandhi National Integration award for 2006.
International gold price should bottom around $1,050-$1,100/ounce
By Vatsal Srivastava,
Gold has lost its year to date gains post Friday’s blockbuster US jobs data. The headline US unemployment rate came in at 5.9 percent — the last time the unemployment rate was below 6 percent was in July 2008. The US economy added 248,000 jobs in September, which marked the 48th straight month of job creation. This was sufficient news flow for traders to push back the price of the precious metal below $1,200/ounce as the probability of an earlier than expected rate hike by the Fed looks likely. After tumbling by as much as 28 percent last year, if gold keeps inching downwards in the fourth quarter, it would be the first back to back year of losses since the great bull-run begun in 1998.
Turkey: a maturing democracy
By Nigar Goksel, CG News
Istanbul : Despite efforts by political rivals to spin the 22 July elections as a confrontation between Islamism and secularism (and the convenient adoption of this rhetoric by some in Europe who conceptualise global affairs and Turkey's EU membership along these lines), the focus in Turkey was largely on democratisation, economic growth and stability.
How students in Maulana Azad University fought prejudices to elect a Kashmiri president
By Anayat Ali Shah for Twocircles.net
If you are following campus elections, chances are your attention has remained mainly on the Delhi University elections and...
Saffron hate campaigns finds acceptance and practicality through new equations in Kerala
Saffroning Kerala: Part 6
By Abdul Basith, TwoCircles.net,
Root of ‘problem’
Farmers in 3 Marathwada villages create oasis in suicide-prone region
By Saurabh Katkurwar
Jalna (Maharashtra), (IANS) When massive crop failure and farmers' suicide afflicted the Marathwada region in Maharashtra during the 2012-16 drought, farmers in...
केजरीवाल : क्यों कर रखा है सबको बेहाल ?
By ज़जम for TwoCircles.net,
जब हमारा देश दुसरे गियर से पांचवे गियर में जाने की तैयारी कर रहा है तब 5 फ़ीट 5 इंच का आदमी देश की राजधानी को सर पर उठा रखा है।
जब लोग भारत को सोने की चिड़िया और सुपर पावर बनने का सपना देख रहें हैं तब इस आदमी ने सड़क -बिजली-पानी की बात कर मज़ा ही किरकिरा कर दिया.
Why was Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi so angry over Sabir Ali’s induction in BJP!
By Indscribe,
After former Janata Dal (U) leader Sabir Ali joined BJP, there was a near-hysteric reaction from Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi.
Why are Muslim zealots the media favourites?
By Firoz Bakht Ahmed,
It has been seen over the years that all political parties cash in on the Muslim mandate but later they ignore the issues that affect the community, using it like tissue paper.
However, even the media keeps in limelight those who are of nuisance value like the Shahi Imams, Owaisis and Shahabuddins, owing to their vitriolic remarks and rabble rousing as such things give colour to the reports and put the community and Islam to shame.
Challenges and remedies of dealing with social media hate-mongering
By Dr Farrukh Khan
I have been thinking of writing this for a long time, but could not do it due to facing backlash from...
Old Delhi gears up for month of fasting and feasting
By Mohd Asim Khan
New Delhi : As the sun went down behind the majestic dome of Delhi's Jama Masjid, the lights came on, illuminating...