An Indian Muslim's Blog: News, Views & Urdu Poetry Website

Of fanatic 'liberals', free speech flag-bearers, false journalism and Indian Muslims' restraint during Jaipur Literary Festival

noreply@blogger.com (indscribe) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 21:45:00 +0000

1. Firstly, not a single person among India's nearly 200 million Muslims had issued any threat in case Salman Rushdie arrived here but a section of media portrayed it as if Muslims were hounding him and ready to teach him a lesson.

2. Just Deoband and one or two other groups had urged the government that he shouldn't be allowed to enter India. This is a pure democratic right, a demand.

Forget fatwas, no organisation had issued any warning or hinted of violent protest. Even government didn't say that it will stop him from coming here. A Muslim minister, Salman Khurshid, had gone ahead to say that it was Rushdie's legal right and he was a PIO and couldn't be stopped.

3. How much more responsible the community could be? But the blame is being put on Muslims and they are being termed as fundamentalists who are accused of harping over an issue even after decades.

Rushdie didn't come claiming certain underworld threat. He later accepted that he had been misled. Now who misled him, it remains unclear. He blames government but doesn't name any agency or person. Isn't it his failure that he didn't turn up. However, with the Congress-led UPA in power, the 'appeasement' theory has also been floated to defame Muslims.

4. After he didn't come to Jaipur, self-styled flag-bearers of free speech began reading excerpts from the banned book as a mark of protest. Even after this provocative act, much to TV channels' chagrin, no Muslim burnt any effigies or held any demonstration, which is also our democratic right. Just like free speech, these democratic rights should be protected as well.

5. If Jamat-e-Islami activist or any other worker said that he will oppose Rushdie, journalists with intellectual pretensions grill him asking 'how you will oppose'. In his response that 'it will peaceful opposition', the interviewer goes ahead to ask, 'have you read the book', 'why you oppose it'. Of course, when you call Verses 'Satanic', we feel hurt, and if we simply say, 'we're hurt', you want to say, 'why you are hurt?'.

6. It was not courageous on part of Amitava Kumar, Kunzru and others to read the SV passages. If the writers had courage they should have stayed back and [possibly risked arrest]. That would have added to their reputation perhaps but they ran away. At least on this count one can recall Taslima Nasreen, who was threatened and attacked but still had the courage to stay in India for long.

Still, a section of pseudo-intellectuals have gone to absurd lengths to argue for freedom of expression. They are fighting a battle, which Rushdie backed out of. The fact is that everyone thought Muslim would protest or make an issue out of it but that didn't happen.

7. It suits their perception--either news channels or websites that publish false stories. They all were let down, so they joined the fake intellectual Jehad and tried to create an issue. There were regular reports for days that Rushdie had threat.

Who had issued the threat? Of course, there was none. Little opposition perhaps but that too not on street. And do you want to take away our democratic rights that we can't even say that 'we oppose him', almost a Nazi vision of liberty.

The fact remains that majority of this country remains moderate in terms of inter-religious issues. We won't support if they had ever tried to draw Husain's paintings again to express their solidarity with the late painter. We don't support reading the excerpts now. But we don't even create a scene after you read them out. This is our country, if we feel hurt, we will express it. That's all.

8. Sorry, I can't be liberal enough as per your wishes or your standards. In a foreign country you may burn your flag but this is not how we perceive freedom in India. I can't have gods [or deities] pictures on shoe soles or verses called as Satanic. I am not that sort of liberal.

As the ongoing issue over an Indian couple's children taken away by authorities in Norway because they fed them with their hands, suggests, there are different sets of standards--[cultural] as well as free speech]--in India and Europe.

Some of our self-styled 'intellectual' writers who still have inferiority complex fail to appreciate our diversity and freedom and get a bit too obsequious and servile when it comes to foreigners. For them Rushdie too is almost a foreigner. Thus they turn apologetic about the vast masses being 'poor', 'less liberal' et al.

9. We can't be Europe overnight. If you feel as an urbanised upper middle class Indian, you have the right to look contemptuously towards the rest, this is also bigotry. Amitava Kumar, did you utter a word when journalist David Barsamian was evicted from India?

Yes, just months back Barsamian was deported. Where were you Mr Kunzru when Husain's house was attacked and his galleries ransacked. Ruchir Joshi, whom I hadn't heard of this 'author' till recently, and who is now defending free speech in studios, wasn't seen when James Laine's book was banned by BJP-led NDA government. Later the ban was revoked.

10. Mercifully, Muslims don't have any Bajrang Dal, VHP, Shiv Sena or even Ram Sene to go to a venue with 'lathis'. I am sure, if a Muslims had even gone and raised a slogan during the course of festival, he would have been termed as a terrorist.

The writers--Amitava Kumar, Hari Kunzru and two others--Jeet Thayil and Ruchir Joshi, who tried to suck up to Rushdie without any real threat to freedom of expression or censorship were simply playing to gallery at the fest. But it was no cause. Rushdie hadn't arrived and they also didn't dare to stay back.

11. Why these writers all these years never thought about a legal battle to get the ban on Satanic Verses upturned in India. They are liberals but the arm-chair liberals who would simply enjoy celebrity status just like film stars who can't take to streets or fight for cause, and vanish if their is a slight chance that they might face discomforting situation.

12. Freedom of expression comes with enormous responsibility. In fact, every freedom. As a person tweeted, 'You hurt a billion and you want freedom of expression but if any of those hurt by you air grievance, their freedom of expression is bigotry'.

Jaipur has over half-a-million Muslims. In the season of throwing shoes, none of them even held a demonstration or protest. Because the section that is pompous enough to consider themselves as liberal and the rest of Indians as 'traditional' or 'non-progressives', don't know an iota about India or its culture.

The vast millions in India are not intellectual bigots like you. That's why this multi-cultural nation has survived despite conflicts. Rushdie's visit was a non-issue. As an Indian Muslim, I had no interest at all. But again it was turned into a 'minority issue'.

France is secular and liberal to an extent that a Sikh can't wear turban and Muslims can't wear their skullcap. In Britain, it's different. Scandinavian countries have their owns standards. The laws are markedly different in America. India can't be France or Norway.

See examples of Muslim's indifference and apathy to the issue on one hand, and on the other hand dirty journalism practiced by sections that tried to link it to UP elections. The words like 'appeasement' and 'vote bank politics' were used, even when Muslims remained silent.

Fatwa or No Fatwa, Deoband will be blamed every time

In India, even if a Hindu says 'Ram', Muslims would say Lord Rama or Ramachandra Ji as a mark of respect. Pick up any Urdu daily newspaper and you will find deities and religious heads of other faiths addressed respectfully. Similarly Hindus always use the term 'Paigambar Mohammad'. This is our culture of mutual respect.

13. After false reporting on Deoband's fatwa, Rediff again continued its unethical journalism. Read this interview with a Jamat-e-Islami leader.

They couldn't get anything sensational from Saleem Engineer and hence began the interview with a introduction, '...is national secretary of the Jamaat-e-Islami....the organisation which is an offshoot of the...party whose objective is to establish Islamic rule in Pakistan and enforce Shariah'.

14. How shrewd and how subtle! Rediff is not alone. Many TV channels and their loud anchors did the same for TRP, as it made news. Newspapers gave similar headlines. On one hand, Muslims didn't protest, uttered no irresponsible word. On the other hand, they are still being branded as 'fanatics' and 'fundamentalists'.

15. I think I have made myself clear. I oppose MF Husain's nude painting and also the attack on galleries featuring his paintings or his house. I oppose Rushdie's offensive writings and also condemn if someone threatens him. Indian Muslims have shown remarkable restraint in dealing with this controversy.

Despite the TV channels, 'intellectuals' and 'liberals' trying their best to make an issue out of it, the community remained largely silent and avoided taking to streets. I am a moderate Indian and I refuse to be judged by your fake standards of liberty or freedom.

Delhi's egoist poetic voice falls silent: Urdu poet Shuja Khawar passes away

noreply@blogger.com (indscribe) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 19:54:00 +0000

Shujaa' Khawar

Shuja Khawar, who was probably the most distinct poetic voice in Urdu to have come up from Delhi in the post-independence era, bid final adieu to his admirers and poetry lovers.

A master of Dehlvi Urdu idiom and the famed 'Taksaali zabaan', he hadn't penned poetry for the last 16 years due to a paralytic stroke that had rendered him bed-ridden. Then, for many years, he couldn't recognise his own writings, let alone compose poetry.

No wonder TV channels and newspapers seemed oblivious to the extent of loss for literary world. But in recent years, Shuja had recovered to an extent and was attending cultural events. People were expecting that he would be penning poetry once again.

Sadly, the silence turned eternal.

ek uskaa saraapa hai ki bas meN nahiiN aataa
kyaa haalat ho gayii, mere andaaz-e-bayaaN kii

It's not pure emotion but Shujauddin Sajid was worthy of being called the poet laureate of Delhi. This is not an exaggeration. Nusrat Zaheer in his editorial page column wrote an obituary titled 'Miyaan, Dilli Khamosh Ho gayi...', the words spoken to him by Farooq Argali at the graveyard.

Truly, it's a huge loss for the Dehli's culture as well as poetry.

raat usne dasht-e-jaaN ko gulistaaN kar diya
hamne bhii har usuul ko qurbaan kar diyaa

But the reality was that Shuja never compromised on his principles:

thoRaa sa badal jaaye to bas taaj ho aur taKht
is dil ka magar kyaa kareN, sunta nahiiN kambaKht

I remember Shuja Khawar's recital in poetic meets in mid-80s that were shown on Doordarshan. And then his name Shujauddin Sajid, the Deputy Commission of Police (DCP), Delhi appearing in news papers. In later years he had dropped 'Khawar' and called himself just 'Shujaa'.

Shuja reciting his couplets in early years.

Knowing his candidness and the temperament, people often wondered how he could work in police. Famed satirist late Sardar Dilip Singh had recounted a humorous piece as to how he wanted his friends to impress them with his friendship with a police officer.

Shuja quit the job in late 80s. Now we expected him to devote himself to literature. After all, here was a poet whose poetic calibre was acknowledged by literary giants and critics, like Firaq Gorakhpuri, Qurratul Ain Hyder & Zo Ansari, all least generous in their praise for others.

Apart from ghazals, he also wrote Nazms. Shuja was also known for use of 'muhaavras' in his couplets:

aab voh aai jo chehre par aduu ke baad-e-wasl
aur paani, voh jo merii aarzuoN par phiraa

The 'Qalandar' poet cared little about name or fame. It is not that he wasn't aware of tricks of the trade. An immensely lovable person, Shuja remained firm on his beliefs and walked the path he chose in literature, without siding with any of the major groups.

haalat use dil kii na dikhaai, na bayaaN kii
Khair usne na kii baat, to hamne bhii kahaaN kii

hue mahruumiyoN ke jab ham aadii
to us zaalim ne chilman hi haTaa dii

Last year when I saw his photograph, I was stunned. He was a pale shadow of his past. It was due to his innate mental toughness he had managed to come a long way from the period when he couldn't even understand his own words after the stroke.

poNhchaa huzur-e-shaah, har ek rang ka faqiir
poNhchaa nahiiN jo, thaa vahii 'poNhchaa huaa' faqiir

Shuja Khar (Third from right)

After years of illness and solitude, he was once again getting back to the centre stage of Urdu poetry.

Urdu Academy had organised a grand programme in his honour, 'Ek Shaam Shuja Khawar ke Naam'. Eminent litterateurs termed a poet who took forward the tradition of Mir Taqi Mir, Ghalib, Zauq, Yagana Changezi in Delhi.

Speakers recalled how words and phrases appeared in his command. In the jam packed Aiwan-e-Ghalib academy hall, Shuja's admirers' presence and enthusiasm proved that he had lived all these years in their hearts.

maut ki azaadiyaaN bhi aisii kuchh dilkash na thiiN
phir bhii hamne zindagii kii qaid ko kaaTa bohat

The cardiac arrest proved fatal. Dehli ka baanka shayar chala gaya. Who is there to carry the Dehlvi poet's legacy? Despite the fact that I loved his poetry, I couldn't post his works except one ghazal. Now I intend to put up his ghazals selected couplets soon at my poetry site B est Ghazals.

Rediff's report on 'Deoband' fatwas: Wrong facts, irresponsible journalism

noreply@blogger.com (indscribe) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 10:54:00 +0000

Rediff article that links Deoband to Surya Namaskar fatwa

It is perfectly understandable if a religious institution is criticised for issuing frivolous or controversial fatwas, just like a post written on this blog sometime back, but it is unfair if you criticise someone by attributing decrees which they didn't issue at all.

One of the most popular sites, Rediff.com surprisingly posted an article that surprisingly has not just factual error but also wrongly accuses Deoband for fatwas which they didn't at all issue. Strangely, even after it was brought to their notice, they didn't bother to correct it.

There was no quote. Of course, no effort to get version and the institution was wrongly accused. I noticed the report as I had written a post 'Fatwa Factory...' sometime back on this blog. This recent Rediff article had similar headline.

The article blamed Deoband for issuing fatwa against Surya Namaskar. The seminary never issued any such fatwa. The particular religious 'opinion' was issued by Darul Ifta Bhopal. The Rediff report that doesn't carry writer's name goes ahead to say that, 'seminary has issued fatwa against Surya Namaskar....'.

It then falsely mentions the diktat against Veena Malik. Again, this was the call of All India Muslim Tehwar Committee.

They had termed that she was now 'biradari-baahar' [to be ex-communicated, huh! who is listening and who is bothered?], a sort of call that khap panchayats issue. Of course, condemn-able but why accuse Deoband.

Cleverly, the article says 'Majlis-e-Shoora' but doesn't tell reader that this 'Majlis' was that of Tehwar Committee, not Deoband.

By any journalistic or ethical standards, this is unusual. If Rahul Gandhi makes a statement, how can simply attribute it to Nitin Gadkari and then accuse the latter again and again through similar other misrepresentations? This is not just shoddy reporting, it is unethical and gives bad name to media.

The article further says that in defence the seminary says it's opinion that is not binding. When the writer didn't contact the seminary for version, they themselves wrote this line to support the article. Had they spoken to Ulema, they'd have been told that the above mentioned diktats were not issued by Deoband.

Rediff article that links the Veena Malik 'diktat' to Deoband

Deoband has issued several controversial fatwas in the past. If Rediff reporters made a slight effort, they could have made a good case against Deoband but they sullied journalism through such a false story. It is such news reports that create impression among citizens that journalists are irresponsible guys.

In which other profession, you can make such blunders. In print media also, you can lose job for such errors. Of course, it's easy to make changes on the internet. Still, even after being informed in comment section by readers and through other media, they haven't bothered to cross-check the facts or rectify mistakes in the last two weeks.

Even the most careless person would make such errors. Journalists can't generally get away with such factual inaccuracies. Then, how could the site that grabs millions of eye balls act with such carelessness? They could have either done groundwork to mention the really controversial fatwas of Deoband or simply written on the trend of fatwas issued from the seminaries [and such so-called moral guardians].

Why they got so irresponsible? Any answers Rediff.com?

[My article that was critical of such fatwas in the past. Read it here]

Saffronisation in Madhya Pradesh: Isn't it BJP's appeasement of the majority community?

noreply@blogger.com (indscribe) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:38:00 +0000

Towards a Saffron state!

We hear the BJP make so much noise about appeasement of minorities, particularly Muslims. But does anyone use the term 'Majority [or Hindu] appeasement' when the party goes all out to ensure Saffronisation in a state.

In Madhya Pradesh, BJP seems to have steadily taken the RSS agenda quite far without a whimper. As a commentator in a national newspaper recently remarked that by keeping a low-profile BJP leaders in MP have silently pushed the Hindutva plan ahead.

But in the last few months, people have begun to see the design. Either it is the stringent law against cow slaughter that will put onus on any cattle trader if he is 'caught' taking bovines to prove his innocence or the introduction of Gita in school syllabus, MP is clearly outpacing Gujarat as the Hindutva lab.

1. The 'Surya Namaskar' may seem to be a innocuous activity akin to Yoga but the seriousness of the government in implementing it, clearly shows that it wants majority community's style of worship to enter hitherto secular schools. Personally many people won't find it too disturbing.

2. The party had proposed renaming Bhopal as Bhojpal in an apparent move to get rid off its Muslim heritage. The founder of modern Bhopal was Dost Mohammad Khan, the first Nawab and ruler of the medieval dynasty. On the ramparts of his fort in the lake, the huge statue of Raja Bhoj was erected.

Was it not majority appeasement? It didn't work though as party understood the popular mood was against the proposed name, Bhojpal. There has been no end to such decisions during the last few years. You may find them innocuous at your own risk.

3. Even when Abhinav Bharat members were caught for acts of terrorism, no statewide hunt was launched by MP police. But when Kashmiri youths were caught, they were immediately dubbed as terrorists. They were later released when it was realised that there was no case against them.

Further a campaign was launched against Kashmiri students in Bhopal. It was alleged that if Kashmiris would be allowed to come in such large numbers, this would facilitate the entry of militants who could then sneak into the state.

4. Steps were taken to ensure that Kashmiri Muslims didn't come for studies in MP in large numbers. It became a national issue. Similar was the case of stringent law against conversion and the religious profiling of Christians that was stopped after it came in open. Isn't all this clear case of Hindu appeasement?

5. The issue is that there is clearly a larger design. When Gita lessons were about to be introduced, the leaders of Sikh, Christian and Muslim communities opposed it. They termed it a step to turn all state-run schools into Shishu Mandirs.

Then, the State government, said that it had no objection to add teachings from scriptures of other communities as well. It was cleverly aimed to mollify the protesters.

When the opposition died down, the BJP government silently introduced the Gita chapters in the curriculum in schools.

As long as it is a secular state bound by constitution, there has to be a limit to this form of appeasement. Muslims can teach Quran in Madarsas and Hindus can teach Gita or other scriptures at private run schools or Saraswati Shishu Mandirs.

6. Public memory is short. Sometime back the decision to ask students recite 'Bhojan mantra' was also taken in the state. The education department had then insisted that it was not 'objectionable'. It is not that everybody is a fool. They try, see the response, then either act or stop and reintroduce things slightly later.

7. It is not the state government is concerned about education or students. The state run schools are in a mess. There is little interest to save schools, let alone open new ones. The buildings are in poor state. Of the 1.3 lakh government schools, over 25,000 schools have no toilets.

8. Government teachers, students are used to swell crowds by all parties. They come free and can't question the decisions. So it's easy to force them to attend rallies or mass Surya Namaskar. Unlike party workers brought from far-flung areas at the cost of transportation, the children won't even ask for money or lunch.

9. Schoolteachers are forced into election duties, regular vaccination drives and all government functions. The truth is that there is no concern about schoolchildren's fitness or education standards in these schools. The interest is just to further the agenda.

10. In fact, MP is a classic case. Unlike Gujarat, where Chief Minister Narendra Modi was till a few years back quite vocal and often made crude statements about Muslim community, BJP leaders in Madhya Pradesh have been silent and have projected its image as an inclusive party.

In MP that has 50 lakh [five million] Muslims, the BJP has held conventions for Muslims. The CM's pet Kanya Daan scheme for Hindu couples has been extended to include 'mass nikaahs' that are held at the expense of the government.

When there was criticism that advertisements for 'Beti Bachao' scheme, the hoardings were quickly changed. The photographs of Muslim girls adorned them. The couplets like 'HadithoN [HadeesoN] ki zeenat haiN betiyaaN' were also introduced as slogans.

On the law-and-order front, the riots were controlled quickly and there were no major communal clashes. The activities of Bajrang Dal and other allied Hindutva groups were kept under control. No wonder, a section of Muslims felt comfortable with Chouhan as Chief Minister.

The down to earth approach of the Chief Minister has made him popular among Muslims also. Party is expecting Muslim votes in the upcoming Assembly elections. Many BJP leaders had got Muslim votes in the last election and this was a surprise for the party.

Then what prompts the State BJP to take decisions that are now leading to controversies. Everybody in the power corridors in MP knows that the top state leadership doesn't want any issue that will cause disharmony or unnecessary controversy.

10. Clearly, good governance and popularity are not enough. The RSS doesn't want the BJP to become a Congress' version 2.0, even if it outperforms the latter on various indicators. In the last two terms, all Sangh institutions in MP have got so strong that even if the party doesn't come to power for decades, they won't face any problem.

Huge chunks of prime land have been given to them. If a BJP leader wants to keep his chair safe, then the first thing he must do is to keep the RSS in good humour. Once he is done with that, he can be assured that there is no internal threat to his rule, and focus on politics and governance.

Unfortunately for the party, the President's nod for the bill came just now when Surya Namaskar was to be organised. The controversy over Gita lessons hadn't died. For years, BJP has raised the issue of 'alpasankhyak tushtikaran', now they are doing aggressive appeasement of the bahusankhyak [majority] and not many seems to notice!

No cartoons, No comics: Urdu newspapers, magazines neglecting children

noreply@blogger.com (indscribe) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 10:29:00 +0000

Khilauna published foreign comic strips

Despite fears about survival of Urdu in the decades after independence, the language continues to thrive in India, 64 years after independence.

But it's surprising how Urdu newspapers and even magazines continue to neglect children. Surprisingly, even the kids' magazines have few cartoons.

It is this segment--the kids--that will grow up to read the papers and if circulations fall in future, the reason would be lack of any effort to draw the young generation towards the language.

In fact, most of the Urdu papers have no concept of cartoons or comic strips (except political cartoons in a few papers). None of the Urdu newspapers published from Delhi, Hyderabad or Lucknow have a single cartoon for kids. Though there is no dearth of cartoonists in the country, they have neither any cartoon nor any translated comic strip.

Foreign cartoon strips--Dennis the Menace, Phantom, Archies or Richie Rich are translated and published in other vernacular papers. One could understand that many papers don't have resources to pay for the strips as they are expensive but the reality is that there is no serious effort to get indigenous cartoon strips either.

Children in the age group 4-10 get attracted towards papers if they see a cartoon, a sketch which they are asked to colour or similar activity. If they find such stuff, then they evince interest and without anybody's effort start reading over a period of time.

But despite umpteen conferences regarding future of Urdu, this aspect remains neglected. Only recently Urdu editors' conference was held in Hyderabad. Though Vice-President Hamid Ansari advised the papers to draw youngsters, I wonder if anyone of the seasoned editors could understand the essence of his speech.

Comic strip by Shakil Anwaar Siddiqui

Excessive focus on politics is harming Urdu press. Till 80s, Shama publications' Khilauna [do you call it Khilona?] published Richie Rich, even Archies and other international comics. Apart from these translated strips, there were Indian authors' who drew awesome comics.

A case in point is 'Shuja'at', the thrilling strip by Shakil Anwaar Siddiqui that continued for a long time and had kids hooked.

There is ample official patronage and money for Urdu in India. Apart from over a dozen Urdu academies, there are big institutions like NCPUL.

But Urdu media remains obsessed with politics. If those who love the language want Urdu to survive and thrive, they must focus on getting children interested in reading Urdu magazines and papers. This is the need of the hour.

Indian Muslims must avoid street protests

noreply@blogger.com (indscribe) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 09:46:00 +0000

An incident that largely went ignored in national media recently occurred in Jalna, which is located in 'Congress-ruled' Maharashtra, and has lessons for Muslims.

Upset over circulation of a distorted photograph on Facebook, Muslims took out a protest. There was ruckus during the procession that sought stern action against culprits. Some youths in the demonstration had face-off with traders and resorted to stone pelting. A vehicle was also reportedly torched.

What happened thereafter is incomprehensible. The Jalna police registered cases under sections meant for dacoity and attempt to murder against these youths. They were arrested and sent to jail and the father of one them died of heart attack when he heard news of his son's arrest.

Certainly there was no need for any ruckus in the procession and if, at all, there was lawlessness, it warranted legal action. But the police should have applied the appropriate sections under the Indian Penal Code (IPC), not the cases meant for acts that didn't happen. Instead they used such harsh sections that are never used in such incidents. One again you can cry 'injustice' or recite couplets like 'ham aah bhi bharte haiN to ho jaate hain badnaam, voh qatl bhi...'.

But there are several lessons for Indian Muslims in this:

1. Firstly, many would say that it is 'injustice' and that protests which are much more violent--ranging from open arms display by right-wing groups to Barjang Dal attacks during Valentine's Day or the Gujjars blocking railway track, don't invoke such harsh sections.

The fact is that incidents like Forbesganj firing, Gopalgarh killings and now Jalna arrests, show how administration acts in such cases. Was a mere Facebook post so damaging for a religion professed by hundreds of millions?

2. Couldn't the local Muslims have taken legal route--either filing FIR in the police station or getting case registered through a private complaint in the court. Else, submitting memorandums to district collector. Couldn't they have taken a leaf out of Muslims in another city [I have forgotten the name], who took Hindus and Sikhs also along, while taking their delegation to the officials.

3. How many protests have Jalna Muslims undertaken for issues pertaining to their socio-economic backwardness or how many times have they joined hands with other communities in taking out protests. We, mostly, go out, when there is an 'attack' on 'our religion'.

4. We exclusively take out protests. In such instances, there is often a risk, that the section of policemen or officers who don't like the sight of a 'Muslim juloos' may use extra force. There is apparently a feeling that with such processions, Muslims want to show their 'strength'.

This feeling is reinforced and officials sometimes take stringent action. If another group that is allied to a political party may get away lightly with a protest, it doesn't mean that you will also be let off that easily. The cases would be registered, youths hounded and their future [careers] affected.

5. A history of such incidents must have taught us that often the 'protesting minority' is seen as 'the other'. In Jalna, 60 Muslim youths were sent to jail. While one may criticise police action and the case may or may not stand in the court later on, the reality is that there was lawlessness to an extent, which you can't justify. And now the youths and their families are suffering.

The youths will experience what it is when your name is once registered in the local police station and you are deemed a troublemaker. It is really frustrating to see Muslims repeating the same mistakes again and again across the country.

6. Protest is out democratic right.But if you feel that someone else can get away with a violent protest and thus you should be spared as there was just a 'mere stone pelting', it is not a practical argument. Words like 'injustice', 'biased action', 'communal mindset' are often used but this can't justify your stand.

It also hurts the image of the community that it is ready to take to streets at the slightest provocation. Is our religion or belief so weak that any damn person's post or photo on a social networking website can hurt it. And why not take proper action, rather, than chanting emotional slogans and taking to the streets.

7. Frankly, you must protest for other people, belonging to other communities also for valid reasons, not just your own community as if you are absolutely isolated. We only go out for ourselves. This reinforces the set 'image' of Muslims. Each such protest results in loss for Muslims. This pattern is going on for decades.

8. I can recall dozens of incidents in the last decade alone, starting from the Kanpur case to the recent incidents that occurred in Rajasthan and Bihar. The violence in Kanpur had occurred in 2001, when Muslims protesting desecration of Holy Quran were fired at.

At least, 13 Muslims were killed as per official reports and the destruction of property of Muslims was immense. Not just right-wing groups but UP's notorious PAC smelt blood again and went about loot and destruction.

The better example is the case where Muslims took members of all other communities along and they took up the cases of online mischief that was 'hurting religious feelings' with the officials. Hindu leaders took up example of pictures of Gods that were morphed and similar was complaint of Sikhs.

As a result, the administration promptly acted and with greater sensitivityYou must take others along, rather than blowing your own trumpet alone.

9. Don't always think that it is you who gets the raw deal. In daily life, almost everybody who is unprivileged gets a bad deal from police and administration. The Tribal, Dalit and other weaker sections, a poor belonging to higher caste, are also a victim of numerous injustices.

So don't think that you alone are targeted all the time and stop raising the bogey of 'victim hood'. You are no special that you would be treated less harshly. Thus Jalna incident should again serve as reminder that reckless actions can lead to further problems.

Muslims must learn to hold silent sit-ins and dharnas, if at all, it is necessary or innovative forms of smart protests that attract media rather than affecting traffic and turning off others. Otherwise they run the risk of getting labelled as aggressors and termed as 'troublemakers'. It's time to ponder seriously whether mindlessly protests serve any purpose or they instead hurt us.

10. And yes, new media is evolving. There will be a lot of stuff that you may find offending. But it shouldn't drive you crazy. You must learn to ignore things as well. One can only hope that repeated incidents will now serve as lesson for the community and they would learn to be more responsible and tactful.

Peace Party: The rise of a political party in Uttar Pradesh

noreply@blogger.com (indscribe) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 21:07:00 +0000

Travelling around 15 kms on a stretch from Lucknow towards Hardoi, I had seen 70 banners and hoardings of Peace Party and it was then that I stopped counting.

That was almost a year ago. Now the Assembly election is round the corner and Dr Ayub's Peace Party is giving jitters to almost all the mainstream political parties, even to a section of the BJP.

When the middle-aged medical practitioner, who runs a big hospital and has the second biggest business in disposable syringes in the country, made his foray in politics, it was met with skepticism.

But impressive vote share in elections, particularly, the recent bypolls, have shown that he has support among Muslims, section of Brahmins and the backwards. When the Peace Party of India (PPI) candidate got 1 lakh votes in Khalilabad in 2009, it raised eyebrows.

In conversations, often people wonder, 'Who is funding it?' & 'What's their agenda'. The popularity of the party in some areas is baffling others. Often there is criticism that it is a one-man's show. But similar objections are equally true for other parties as well.

With its good performance in by-elections where the party came second and due to its performance other major parties had to forfeit deposit has made politicians sit up and take notice. While there is a feeling that Peace Party would hurt Samajwati Party the most, other parties are also worried.

In Lakhimpur by-election, SP won the five-cornered contest. But Peace Party's Brahmin candidate came second, followed by Congress, BJP and the BSP that was relegated to the fifth place. That was a year ago during the bypoll. Similar was the case at Dumariyaganj where its candidate came third.

Unlike SP that has Yadav leadership taking Muslims along or BSP that has a Dalit leader, PPI is a Muslim-centric party. But it claims to be not a party meant to secure Muslims' interests alone. It claims itself to be an inclusive party that will strongly take Muslims' issues.

A la AUDF, MIM or charting another course!

Perhaps, it's an experiment to replicate Maulana Badruddin Ajmal-led AUDF's success in successive elections in Assam. With every Assembly and Lok Sabha election, Ajmal's party has emerged stronger in Assam that has 33% Muslim electorate.

Others feel Peace Party may emerge a slightly diluted version of the Hyderabad-based Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) that has strong bargaining power in Andhra Pradesh even though the state has far less Muslims than UP.

Andhra has barely 8% Muslims but MIM has a strong base in the capital, Hyderabad, which has over 40% Muslims.

In UP, Muslims account for 19% population but are more concentrated in Western UP, umpteen constituencies in Awadh, Purvanchal and other parts.

But will Muslims vote en bloc for Peace Party in any of the regions? It is not as easy though as Muslims haven't deserted Mulayam Singh Yadav' SP as yet. It is possible though that given the multi-polar contest, Peace Party may emerge victorious in some constituencies and later, in case of hung assembly, gain importance for the other parties.

Dr Ayyub who recently survived an attack on his life when his vehicle was repeatedly hit by a Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV), says that his party stands for harmony and social justice. If it is Muslim vote, he banks upon, then the 19% Muslim electorate in UP has many contenders.

Samajwadi Party has now projected Azam Khan as its Chief Ministerial candidate. BSP too is trying to woo the community. Apart from Congress, RLD and other mainstream parties, there are half-a-dozen Muslim parties too in the fray.

The 'Muslim parties' in the fray

Notable among them are the Welfare Party and Ulema Council, which was formed after Azamgarh was defamed in the wake of Batla House encounter. However, it is felt that the increase in number of 'such parties would divide the Muslim vote.

Dr Ayub

Recently, after the Sufi Mahpanchayat, Maulana Tauqir Raza Khan has also hinted that his Ittehad-e-Millat Council (IMC) would throw its hat in the electoral fray, on certain seats around Bareilly, which is considered the centre of Barelvi sect.

Peace Party is however much more organised and has support of other caste groups also. The 2012 Assembly election would be crucial in many ways. While Rahul Gandhi is making an all out effort to win back the state, its a prestige issue for SP, BSP (and BJP) also.

Chief Minister Mayawati has flummoxed Congress with her proposal to divide UP. Clearly, each party is doing its best to outwit the other. Lately Peace Party has attracted leaders from several other parties and lot of Dalit-Backward politicians are joining it.

Slogans like 'Ekta ka Raaj chalega/Hindu Muslim ka saath chalega' and 'Bharat ke samaan mein/ Dr Ayyub maidaan mein' are visible on walls across UP. Just a matter of months and the election results would tell if there is indeed space for a non-conventional sort of political outfit like Peace Party in UP.

Ra One loses, G One wins: My Review of Shahrukh Khan playing Superhero in Bollywood movie!

noreply@blogger.com (indscribe) — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 00:03:00 +0000

SRK as G One: Indian movie Superhero

I have just watched Shahrukh Khan’s ambitious movie Ra One. I am not going to say that either it’s a great movie or a bad one. But yes it’s entertaining.

I do regret reading so many reviews before watching the film. I should have gone straight walked to the cinema hall rather than getting influenced by others’ opinionated views that do affect us. As I'd got influenced, I don’t want to do the same.

For the critic in me, it could be a ‘long video game’ or a ‘Bollywood-Hollywood synthesis with a touch of Rajinikanth style stunts, new age techniques and the Indian kitsch’.

For the child in me, it was engaging, interesting—at times scary [yes there is very much a child in me, the one who has read Phantom and Mandrake in Hindi-English Indrajal comics, as much as Tilism Hoshruba in Urdu], and riveting for the last half-an-hour.

For the youngster in me, it was a movie that offered a new story, perhaps the tale not woven well, no great music and lacking the finesse of real great movies. But despite the flaws, it does seem to work by the time it ends. At times, you get a feeling that everything was too surreal and you think that it was a tad too predictable.

The real action is in the last 30 minutes or so. Yes, the train scene is clear imitation of Rajinikant’s Endhiran [Robot] and for that lift-up there is a tribute [it was much needed] to ‘Rajini Sir’ from Shahrukh in the midst of the movie.

Amazing Animation: G One stops the train that has ran into Mumbai VT!

Now, an admission, I have never been a die-hard Shahrukh Khan fan. I belong to the generation that grew up on Amitabh Bachchan.

But lately I have realized that the country is divided in people who either love him or simply hate him.

I belong to neither of the sides. Many friends say that they just don’t like him, his facial expressions irritate them or that his acting puts off.

I think SRK cleverly saw the void--the need for an Indian movie superhero, and being aware that children like him more, he took the plunge. He got the role tailor made for him, putting all the ingredients of a masala movie, and then launched the publicity blitz.

Some other hero may not have carried this kind of sci fiction sort of computer game movie. It needed SRK, who has been with us for the last 20 years and has come to symbolize popular culture, to lift it. To his credit, he manages to pull it off.

Though we have had TV serials like Ramayana and Mahabharat where divine & mythical characters were seen burning the devil with deadly rays and fighting while flying in air or even the genie tales, but trying it in a mainstream movie in India was always risky.

Chammak Challo enlivens movie. All other songs are forgettable in Ra One

That probably seemed easier with characters like Flash Gordon or Fauladi Singh in the comics or animation heroes in 'He Man’ series or the ‘Superman-Batman’ movies.

So you can give credit to SRK for his attempt in making the movie and trying to play a superhero.

The story goes like this: The kid wanted his father to make a computer game where the villain is more powerful than the hero. The father obliges but the villain Ra One comes out of the game to kill the father [the programmer--Shahrukh Khan] and then hunts for the player [Lucifer].

Aah, I am again reminded of my childhood. Do you remember the Mandrake series where his half-brother, the often faceless, Lucifer [Cobra or Vishdhar], comes back to settle old scores. Remember the hood without face in some comics!

Did the script writer had memories of that popular comic series in his mind and took the name from there? The two sides of the same coin: one good, the other evil. Sorry I again drifted from the subject and went back from movies to the world of comics.

I have always been bad at video games. Always found tough to graduate to the next level. So the last 20-odd minutes, provided some thrill when G One has to reach a particular level and then overcome his capabilities to fight with Ra One, the powerful monster, and defeat him.

In between there are a few comical scenes, the presence of Satish Shah, SRKs accent as a Tamilian, the animation scenes, the sole popular song Chhammak Chhallo where Kareena might allure you with her curves and cleavage, until the racy end. SRK's piercings and the airport scene maylook gross but it could be appealing to his gay fans.

G One gets ready for the final battle with Ra One

In the meanwhile, there is some melodrama and tragedy, ‘Funny scenes’, which are perhaps not as funny.

The 'crotch scenes' every now and then, that appeared repetitive. Also there was a widowed Kareena Kapoor’s ‘Karva Chauth’ episode with SRK’s robotic lookalike from the game.

Finally G One wins. SRK was long dead but the animated SRK, G One, dies fighting and then resurfaces at the end, a la Hollywood movie style so that there could be a possibility of the sequel in future.

So go and watch the movie with an open mind. There is chance you may genuine like it or might return dazed, feeling as if you are just back from the virtual world. But don’t go by self-appointed critics’ opinionated reviews [what about this one?].

Rediff.com had nearly half-a-dozen articles and pieces on Ra One in the first two days itself. Strangely, contrary to their style [they carry two reviews--one positive and a harsh reviews], almost all of them trashed the movie and even termed it a flop on the first day.

I think I would have enjoyed a bit more had I not read some much about the film. The hype perhaps led to this and it’s a double-edged sword anyway as expectations were raised too much. What do you expect of a movie, after all?

A Crumbling Mumbai Railway Station: That's the Best Scene in the Film

I don’t think every flick can be a masterpiece that could be rated high on all parameters.

There was visual delight, the ultimate being the crumbling scene of Mumbai CST [earlier VT], a hallmark of computer generated animation.

Box office reports suggest the movie is earning enough of crores to keep him in race for Bollywood’s top slot.

Do we, the cine-watchers, need to think in terms of hit or flop, when the film has just been released! I think I am not disappointed after watching the movie. It was different and it did entertain me. In the end, it was victory to good guy, which most of us like.

Isn’t that enough! What’s your verdict?

Watching A Circus: Getting Entertained But Returning Sad

noreply@blogger.com (indscribe) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 19:47:00 +0000

It was after a long time that I saw an advertisement in the newspaper about a circus in the town.

For years I hadn't gone to a circus and I decided to watch it. The Crown Circus advertised itself as a Chinese circus, probably, because most of the artists were either local or from Nepal and North East.

And anything from abroad, even Chinese, is apparently more chic. The tickets were priced at Rs 30, Rs 80 and Rs 120. Though it was not a holiday, the stands were almost 70% full even in the afternoon show.

Once inside, it was easy to see the difference in the circus industry today compared to the yore when Gemini, Venus, Apollo, Jumbo were popular circuses in India. Some of them still survive but mostly in smaller towns in the country.

Here there was hardly any pomp and show. There were lights but the electric atmosphere that was typical of circuses earlier was missing. The performers' dresses were not as fancy, in fact, some artists were wearing old and worn out clothes.

The chairs, the wooden bars and the iron framework all looked pale and depressing. Meagre resources and lack of money is clearly making it tough for them to run the circus on grand scale. Still, it was fun to watch the performances.

A family goes to see the Circus

Of course, scantily clad women ran around, rode tiny bicycles and balanced themselves on ropes. The show of skin perhaps is always an attraction for some people, either it's watching tennis on TV or in the circus arena.

There were acrobatics on the wire, then a troupe of girls who gave an astonishing performance of rifle shooting--hitting at things kept on joker's head while they shot from either of the hands or just by watching at the target in the mirror.

Some other performances were truly scintillating. The fact that even after 24/7 TV, if something amazes you so much, then credit must be given to artists.

I really wonder why the sports authorities don't see the talent in such people, particularly, for sports like gymnastics and shootings these artists can be groomed.

There were some strange performances. A girl who did amazing balancing act, a young man who would drink different colours of water by litres and then vomited out the colored water intermittently as if he had separate compartments in his stomach to store water.

The Babes and The Breathtaking Performances

There were youths dressed as Samurai warriors who enthralled the viewers. Holding spears they fought each other. Later one of them, blindfold, went on a mad assault with an axe in his hand. For a moment you felt that he might accidentally kill the persons lying on the ground but, nope, he did it with perfection.

That was breathtaking. There were a dozen-odd other performances including that of lasso and some 'magic tricks', which one could afford to miss. There were no lions or other big animals as one saw in the past. A girl gave a good show riding a horse and some trained dogs entertained the spectators.

Girls bring glamour to circus

A man exhibited his driving prowess, riding a motorcycle in a metal spheroid. In the meanwhile, there were jokers who cracked cheap jokes and some really vulgar gestures.

Among the last items in the show was the trapeze artists. I felt they weren't as good as in the past but I had the satisfaction of watching a circus.

Almost 2-1/2 hrs had passed by then when the show finally ended. I felt that the circus owners must be earning a good money from the sale of eatables. During the entire show, almost every five minutes, there was something the vendors would come out with, ranging from wafers to pop-corns, ice-cream, samosas, soft drinks, bottled water et al.

Falling Fortunes: The Decline of Circus in India

Still, the condition of the circus artists was depressing. They have to spend a lot of money in publicity in whichever city the go. Apart from charges for the ground where the tent is put up, the electricity and other allied expenses account for a lot of money.

Even if there are barely 25-30 artists that also include musicians, trainers & other staff, the salaries alone need lakhs every month. There is profit for the owners but this is not so much that the artists can get good salaries and save for their future.

Trapeze artists' acrobatics in the air

A large number of people who go to see circus come from lower-middle class or middle-class. With crumbling structure and lack of adequate show, the circus owners can't charge excessively either. After the ban on keeping animals, the circus-walas have to rely mostly on artists.

Though it is meant to entertain, after watching a circus, one feels sad, thinking about the lives of the artists, the short men who are made to act as clowns & make children laugh and the artists who take risks to earn their living.

Plight of Circus Artists, Fears of Exploitation

There are always fears of exploitation of artists, particularly, the women, who work in this industry. There are several other issues. But these circuses do provide employment to lot of people and they still attract the crowds.

However, there is need for a body for welfare of circus artists and their families apart from keeping a check on the circus owners, so as to redress the issues pertaining to problems of artists, allied staff and their children.

Perhaps, it's time for the circuses also to reinvent themselves, considering how people are spending much more at multiplexes compared to the old cinema halls to watch movies. Also, it's time for Government and private sector to come to their aid, if this traditional form of mass entertainment has to survive and flourish in future.

Saba Anjum: Muezzin's daughter is now Indian hockey team captain

noreply@blogger.com (indscribe) — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 21:03:00 +0000

Saba Anjum

The story of Saba Anjum Karim, 26, is nothing short of a fairy tale.

It has been a long and tough journey for the girl from Durg (Chhattisgarh) who has finally managed to turn her dream into reality.

Saba is now the captain of Indian women's hockey team. Today she is a role model not just for Muslims but all young girls who come from unprivileged background.

The daughter of a muezzin, who got barely Rs 400 a month, Saba, overcame the odds and her determination got her into the national team. Over the years, she became an integral part of the team.

Finally, the veteran striker was named captain of the squad that will play a four test series in Australia. The team will also participate in the three nation nine-a-side international super series championship there.

Unlike the Pathan brothers--Irfan and Yusuf Pathan, who also came from humble background to play international cricket, Saba Karim's fight, which is even more remarkable as she also had to fight gender discrimination apart from financial hardships, finds little mention in mainstream media.

But it doesn't matter much for Saba, who says that its an honour to play for the country and even more to lead the national team. Her success is already inspiring girls in Chhattisgarh. Saba had held stick at an early age and his father, who gave Azaan [call to devotees at a mosque], supported his youngest daughter.

Saba Anjum (extreme right)

Saba had played in the IHF's Under-18 which India had won in 2000. After the gold medal in commonwealth games, she got recognition.

Saba scored the winning goal in final of the four-nation Shastri Cup and had had six goals to her credit in tournament.

In her interview to a local radio station, she said that she didn't have any idea that one needed a passport after getting selection in the national team.

But that was long back. Now she is an established player and also the skipper. There is good news from personal front also. The experienced striker has just got engaged to former hockey player Abdul Fahim Khan, whom she has known since her childhood.

The engagement ceremony was held in Durg recently. Our best wishes to her. The success of sporting stars like Sania Mirza, Saina Nehwal, and now Saba Anjum will certainly inspire more girls to take to sports and earn a name for themselves and the country.

Salvation of Soul: 'Pind Daan' for MF Husain, Indian-Pakistani writers performed as per Vedic rituals in Gaya

noreply@blogger.com (indscribe) — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 19:31:00 +0000

Pind-daan: Hindu rituals for salvation performed in Gaya

Just the other day, I read a news that the 'Pind-daan' ceremony for the famous painter late MF Husain was performed at Gaya in Bihar.

This was indeed surprising. After all, the furore over his controversial paintings had even upset many liberals.

Umpteen cases were filed against him, forcing him to self-imposed exile. But now a social organisation led by Mr Suresh Narayan offered the Hindu ritual for the salvation of his soul, apart from others.

Narayan also performed performed the 'pind-daan' for Pakistani journalist Syed Saleem Shahzad, famous Hindustani classical singer Pt Bhimsen Joshi, eminent writer Kanhaiya Lal Nandan, Swami Nigamananda and a few others.

Social activists performed the rites under the guidance of Swami Raghavacharyaji Maharaj. Narayan said that the legendary figures who departed from us, had given society a lot, and the onus was on the people to ensure that they live in peace after death also.

Every year, the social organisation performs the rituals for salvation of souls of eminent persons who die apart from those killed in tragedies and mishaps. The rituals were held at Devghat on the banks of Phalgu river in Gaya district of Bihar.

Cynics may easily dismiss it. But the fact that despite all opposition to the famed artist, holding the ceremony for a Muslim person as per Vedic rites, is surely a courageous job. There is definitely a message, which the organisation, sends here. It's about humanity, it's the intrinsic Indian secularism, it's about their belief in composite culture.

If one seeks publicity, there are myriad ways. There is no dearth of celebrities who pass away ever year, even controversial one. But remembering a person like MF Husain, knowing well that it can raise heckles of the right-wing groups, along with other personalities is laudable.

The 'Pind-daan' is a Hindu ritual for salvation of the deceased's soul. As per Vedic beliefs, even after death the soul may retain its materialistic links. In this body less state, the soul suffers and undergoes pain until it gets another body.

It is said that after this ritual, the cycle of birth & death ends and the soul gets salvation or eternal peace. Gaya is considered one of the holiest places and every year innumerable people reach here for the pind-daan of their ancestors during the Pitr Paksh.

Besieged & Branded: The Burden Of Being A Muslim

noreply@blogger.com (indscribe) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 14:09:00 +0000

By Mahtab Alam

“Serial Bomb Blasts in Delhi. Where are you, Are you safe?” read a text message on my Mobile, by Sonali Garg, a friend of mine from Delhi.

It was late in the evening of September 13^th, 2008. “Oh My God! That’s really horrible. I am fine though and in Bihar. Hope you, your family members are all right,” I replied before forwarding this message to other friends in Delhi.

During those days, I was in Bihar, surveying the aftermath of the flood that had struck the Kosi region of the state in the second week of August that same year. Village after village had vanished in the flood. It was reportedly the worst flood ever seen by the people of that area. Most of them were left with no other alternative but to shift to the rehabilitation camps.

On 13^th September 2008, the sun went down to serial bomb blasts in Delhi, killing 26 persons and injuring many more. In all, five bomb blasts within the time span of 30 minutes created havoc amongst the Delhiites. I heaved a sigh of relief as all the messages I received in reply to my forwarded message were positive.

My friends were all fine. The last reply I received was around midnight by a senior colleague of mine, A R Agwan, a former assistant Professor of Environment Sciences with whom I had conducted many workshops for Human Rights’ Activists in different parts of India, saying that he was all right and had been sleeping, thus the delay in replying.

Do we want fear or hope in these eyes!

Still shaken by the news, I tried moving on with my work, thinking that the worst was over. But I was to be proved wrong. Around noon the next day, I received a frantic call from the Secretary of the Association for the Protection of Civil Rights (APCR), a Delhi based civil rights’ group I was working with then as a Coordinator.

He sounded tense and the poor network added to the problem. All I was able to make out, in interrupted tones, was that the situation in Delhi, especially Jamia Nagar, a Muslim populated area of South Delhi, was very bad. A pall of fear pervaded all in the area. The police had been randomly picking up Muslims from the area. I was asked to come to Delhi as soon as I possibly could.

Not satisfied with the details, I tried ringing A R Agwan, as he was based in that area. I grew worried when around twenty calls made to his mobile through the day went unanswered. Knowing him, it was quite unusual of him to react in this manner. Immediately after Iftar (since it was the month of Ramadhan), I proceeded to the nearest Cyber Cafe to book my ticket for Delhi.

An e-mail I received struck me numb with horror and rendered me incapable of any action for a few minutes. It was hard to believe that A R Agwan was under arrest! He had been picked up by Delhi Police’s Special Cell, equivalent to the Anti-Terror Squad or Special Task Force of other states.

A R Agwan, is a prominent social activist and has been attached with many social and human rights’ group. With a clear record, and an even clearer conscience, his arrerst sent shockwaves in the community. The leaders of the Muslim community were completely outraged by the arrest. His neighbours did not know how to react.

Anxiety, Fear, Paranoia...

Enquiries to other activists of the situation revealed that apart from Agwan, three other people had been detained from the area. After much pressure from community leaders, social and religious organizations, Agwan was released, along with Adnan Fahad, a DTP operator in his late twenties, who was also into some small Publishing business.

They were arrested around 11 AM in the morning and freed in the late evening around 7:30 P M. Illegal detention would have been prolonged hadn’t the community leaders and activists pressurized the Delhi police for their release. On 17^th September, immediately after coming back to Delhi, I went to meet Agwan. He was still recovering from the shock, having been forcibly subjected to the worst hours of his life. He completely failed to understand why he had been picked up.

“They asked me about my whereabouts on the day of the blasts, my activity in the evening that day. I told them I was at home meeting two non-muslim friends from Hyderabad. They had come over to discussing the opening up of an NGO. Then they questioned me about the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and its people.

We are also like you, Does topi make us different!

They pressed me to give names of some SIMI people in my locality, and I told them that I didn’t know anything, but they kept insisting”.

The interrogators also asked him about Abul Bashar, a Madarsa graduate, who was arrested from Azamgarh the month before and was later projected as the mastermind of the Ahmedabad serial blasts. “I told them I knew not more about Abul Bashar than what had appeared in the media”, Agwan recalled.

Not content with this response, they further alleged that Bashar had his cell number and that he had stayed at his home. Agwan flatly denied the charges. “But they did not believe me and wanted to put words in my mouth. They just wanted me to confess to something with which I had absolutely no connection”.

“It was like there was no rule of law and the Police had become a Law unto themselves,” he told me, still unable to reconcile himself to what he had undergone. “When they realized that it would be too difficult to further my custody, as pressure was mounting from different sections of society to release me, they offered to drop me to my home. I refused to go with them.” “I told them that I was afraid that they would take me to some other place and torture me severely so that I confess to their charges, as had been done to hundreds of Muslims across the country”. “I asked them to ask my family to come and collect me”.

The fear that Agwan underwent reminded me of the stories that I had heard at the Impendent People’s Tribunal on the ‘Atrocities Committed against Minorities (read Muslims) in the Name of Fighting Terrorism’ at Hyderabad in August the same year (2008). We were told spine chilling stories of arbitrary detention and torture by the victims of ‘war on terror’, families of the accused who were in jails and human rights activists across the country barring Kashmir and North-eastern states of India.

The common complaints were that they were punched, kicked, beaten very badly. In order to humiliate them so that they break down, the interrogators made them stand for long hours and hung them upside down. In custody, they were denied all basic amenities and were forced to drink water from the toilets. Moreover, they were subjected to electric shocks by the police officials and made to repeat what the police were saying.

One of them recounted,”The interrogators repeatedly used name calling, sexually profane abusive language with me. The torture continued from about midnight/one o'clock until morning.” In most of the cases, the first question that they were asked was, “Why have you people become anti-nationals? You all are bloody Pakistanis.”

And the torture wasn’t limited to those arrested. The police made sure to use every trick to make those arrested confess to their will. The family members too were subject to similar torture. The police ensured that the most inhuman torture was meted out to them. Ataur Rahman, in his mid-sixties, lived in Mumbai with his family which included an engineer son who was an accused in the July 2006 Mumbai blasts.

Prove your patriotism every moment

At the tribunal, he had told us, “My house was raided in the night and I was taken to an unknown destination. After keeping me in illegal custody for several days, I was formally shown to be arrested on July 27, 2006, and an FIR was lodged against me. Me, my wife, my daughter and daughter-in-law were paraded before my arrested sons while being abused by the police officers continuously. My sons and I were beaten up in front of each other.

The women of the family were called up by the ATS daily and were asked to drop their burqah (veil) before my arrested sons. Adding to their humiliation, my sons were abused in front of the women folk. An officer beat me up and threatened me that the women of my family were outside and they would be stripped naked if I did not remove my clothes before my children and other police officers. They brought in other arrested accused and I was stripped naked in their presence…”

The witch hunting of Muslims only intensified after the blasts on September 13^th,which was followed by the infamous ‘encounter’ at Batla House of Jamia Nagar area of South Delhi. On September 23^rd, a meeting had been organized in Delhi to discuss the police excess and the communal witch hunt, which was attended by well known lawyers, activists, journalists, academicians and community leaders.

When Cops Go On A Witchhunt

While the meeting continued, we received the disturbing news of the picking up of a 17 year old boy, Saqib. The men who had taken the boy were unknown and hence we decided to lodge a complaint with the local police station. Initially reluctant to entertain us, the presence of senior lawyers, Jamia teachers and journalists pressured them into register our complaint. We were later informed that the Delhi Police special cell had picked him up for questioning. When Supreme Court lawyer Colin Gonzalves and the boy's relatives approached the Special Cell, they had another surprise in store.

The cops said -"hand over his brother and take him!” Saqib’s is not a unique case. People are picked up indiscriminately everyday and are harassed, some of them reportedly brutally tortured. Like Saqib, there are some victims in the area, but most of them prefer to remain quiet to avoid further harassment. Moreover, they fear about who would employ or give a house on rent to a 'suspected person'.

Today, even after three years of the Delhi bomb blasts and the Batla House 'encounter', the residents live in fear. A situation has been created wherein every Muslim is seen as a terror suspect, if not a terrorist. The infamous SMS which reads thus, “Every Muslim is not a terrorist, but all terrorists are Muslims,” had first made several rounds after July 2006 Blasts in Mumbai.

This has always been believed as nothing but the gospel truth. The implicit message among a major section of the public is that every Muslim is a potential terrorist, regardless of whether he is a believer, an agnostic or an atheist. Take the case of Shaina K K, a journalist and a declared agnostic, while receiving an award recently had to comment with the following words, “See, I happen to be a Muslim, but I am not a terrorist”.

The clarification was given because of the feeling that if one belonged to the minority community, they would but be profiled. Shahina has a personal experience of it, so she would know. She has been falsely framed for ‘intimidating’ witnesses in the Abdul Nasir Madani case. Her only ‘crime’ was that she investigated the case of Kerala People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leader Abdul Nasir Madani, who is an accused in the infamous Bangalore blasts case, and asked the question, “Why is this man is still in Prison,” in the form of an article which appeared in Tehelka, based on the facts.

Madani had already spent 10 years in prison as an under-trail in the Coimbatore blast case of 1997 and who was later acquitted in 2007. It was only last month that Shahina managed to get an anticipatory bail, which put an end to her ‘underground’ life. Another Muslim journalist from Bangalore, working with a leading news-weekly was grilled several times in the same case.

In fact, this writer also had a similar personal experience but thankfully, to a lesser degree of threat to his life during a fact finding visit of Giridih Jail in the state of Jharkhand, in July 2008. I was branded a Maoist along with two other friends, and illegally detained for five hours by Giridih Superintendent of Police, Murari Lal Meena who is now being promoted to the rank of DIG, Special Branch of the Jharkhand Police.

Later I was informed by the PUCL Secretary of Jharkhand, Shashi Bhusan Pathak, who was the local organiser of the visit and had contacted officials concerned for our release, that Mr. Meena had told him, "Since the guy (meaning me) comes from a frontier area of Bihar which borders Nepal and has studied at Jamia Millia Islamia New Delhi, he is a Pucca Aatankwadi (Hardcore Terrorist)!" He had also threatened to put us behind bars in the same prison without any hope of being bailed out for at least a year.

Implicating the Innocents

In the month of July this year, just a few days before the recent Mumbai blast, a Muslim photo-journalist of Mid Group, Sayed Sameer Abedi, was detained for taking innocuous photographs of a traffic junction and an airplane. He was threatened, roughed up and even called a terrorist because of his Muslim name.

Indian Muslims against Terrorism

According to a report in Mid Day, at the police station, when Sub-Inspector Ashok Parthi, the investigating officer in his case, asked him about the incident and he explained everything, emphasizing that he had done no wrong, he was told by the inspector, "Don't talk too much, just shut up and listen to what we are saying. Your name is Sayed, you could be a terrorist and a Pakistani”.

The inspector also told him that he (the inspector) was asked by the seniors to inform the Special Branch and file all kinds of charges, including those of terrorism, against him (Sayed).

Unfortunately this is not limited to police and security agencies. The common men also somehow believe that Muslims are responsible for the all the terror strikes. They are the real culprits! This is not a new phenomenon.

In fact, it is deepening day by day. In 2001, I was on my way to Patna by train. I noticed an old man consistently asking a bearded Muslim youth in his teens for an English magazine that the youth was reading with much concentration. He politely asked the old man to wait till he finished reading the article. Unmoved by the politeness and angered at this rebuttal, he abused the youth by calling him and other Muslims terrorists, who were destroying India’s sanctity after having destroyed America.

He further voiced his prejudice by commenting that all Muslims belong to Pakistan and should leave for that place. I was a kid of fifteen and didn’t want to be identified as a Muslim, so thought it unwise to comment. Moreover, the matter had subsided when the youth gave over the magazine to the old man (which the old returned proclaiming unashamedly that he wasn’t literate in English).

I took this to be a matter in isolation, and tried not to give much attention. However, at home, I was faced with questions of a similar nature from a non-Muslim friend who enquired me about my whereabouts. He was surprised on hearing that I was studying at Jamia Millia Islamia in Delhi, which he had thought to be a madarsa. Quelling his doubts, I told him it was just like any other University (Delhi University as example).

I still face this question, time and again. It is almost like under living under constant suspicion. Thanks to our media and security agencies, which leave no stone unturned to prove this wrong despite the fact that over the years, it has been proved that Muslims have no monopoly over terrorism. In the last three years, I often ask myself the ask question, ‘Am I Safe?’ To be frank and honest, I doubt it.

The Climate Of Fear

I am not confident about whether I am safe or not. However, my biggest worry is that the ordinary Muslim youth, who doesn’t have the network of people like Agwan or me, as they are in real danger. After every blast every Muslim youth fears that he could be next. They can be, in fact, are, easily picked up, tortured, packed and thrown into jails, sometimes even killed in cold blood.

In India today, to be a Muslim is to be encounter-able, to be constantly suspected of being a terrorist, to be illegally detainable and severely tortured, to have the possibility of being killed without being questioned, no matter whether one is a believer, agnostic or an atheist. Recent communal witch hunt in the wake of Mumbai blasts only proves that. And if that is not the case, why hasn’t a single non Muslim person, as named voluntarily by Swami Aseemanad, in his confession, detailing role of Hidutva outfits in several blasts?

Why have two of the prime accused, belonging to Hindutva outfits, of Malegaon blasts been granted bail while bails of the Muslims accused in the same case are refused time and again. How long will the Muslims of India have to bear the Burden of being a Muslim? People have started considering this (sense of insecurity) as a part and parcel of their lives.

I still have no answer to the question, ‘Will this never end?’ , once asked by a teacher of mine, when I informed her about the illegal detention of Mohammed Arshad, an Engineering student from Azamgarh who was later released. I can only wish my answer would soon turn affirmative!

[Mahtab Alam is a Civil Rights’ Activist and Independent Journalist based in Delhi. He can be contacted at activist dot journalist at gmail.com]

Can Narendra Modi become Prime Minister of India?

noreply@blogger.com (indscribe) — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 21:16:00 +0000

Can just a hug do it?

The hype surrounding Narendra Modi's fast has once again generated speculations that Narendra Modi is the BJP's next Prime Ministerial candidate but can Modi ever become India's Prime Minister?

Though it is not an impossible proposition, if things are analyzed in perspective, one would find that his chances of becoming Prime Minister are quite low, at least in the upcoming election 2014.

Speculation is not easy, at least in politics but one can try to do a dispassionate analysis.

To begin with, the BJP doesn't have even 150 seats in Parliament. In fact, it has a mere 116 seats in 545 member Lok Sabha. Did you remember this figure! The party knows it well. Even when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was at the helm, it could get 180-odd seats with difficulty despite his acceptability.

A Modi-led BJP can't have Mamata Bannerjee, Chandrababu Naidu, even JDU rallying around it. How will it manage to get the seats? The compulsion of coalition era politics is such that most parties in respective states wouldn't like to be seen as close to a party led by Modi.

In no Indian state, a regional party--ranging from Trinamool Congress to Telugu Desam or even JDU wishes to be linked to him. Let's imagine a situation where BJP manages to ride the anti-corruption wave, the anti-incumbency factor against Congress-led UPA and also somehow gets one or two allies [say J Jayalalithaa, even though she won't concede seats to BJP in Tamil Nadu where the party has little support], it needs real numbers in Parliament.

Unless electorate in Uttar Pradesh (UP), that has 80 Lok Sabha seats, suddenly get into a 'change regime' mode and dump Mayawati, the BJP can't hope much in terms of MPs figure in Lok Sabha. In Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, the party has already been getting optimum seats and still failed to get anywhere near to the magic number.

Will they let him go ahead so easily!

Undoubtedly, a section of the vocal urban middle-class supports him. The voice of this section always gets amplified and is heard. TV channels and media also commit the same mistake.

Remember, the India Shining campaign! The BJP had almost believed that it was going to get a second term but nothing worked out for NDA then.

The point is that even after Anna Hazare's anti-corruption agitation on the issue of Lok Pal, the failure of Congress in tackling terrorism and the rising prices, elections are an altogether different phenomenon. When a leader like LK Advani couldn't become acceptable, how could Modi ever be?

Rajiv Gandhi has received tremendous flak for his role in the anti-Sikh riots. But there was no satellite TV then. Even in LK Advani's rath yatra, the video news casettes had just arrived. But Gujarat pogrom--the communal riots on mass scale and the genocide--were all seen on live TV and thus they evoke far greater response.

True, Narendra Modi has now emerged stronger, has wider acceptability and has managed to change his image in popular perception as a chief minister whose sole plank is development. He has many supporters in the corporate world. But whenever his name is mentioned, the same media also starts raising questions.

When he began fast, it got great coverage. But the protests, detention of riot victims, issues raised by Mallika Sarabhai, again brought controversy to the fast. Leave the issue of asking for apology or questioning about riot victims' rehabilitation, the officers like Sanjeev Bhatt and B Sreekumar, will continue to play spoilsport for the BJP.

Then the verdicts in riot cases like the ones in which BJP ex-minister Mayaben Kodnani is charged are awaited. Besides, cases of extra-judicial killings and encounters in Gujarat are under various stages of trial in higher courts. There are many other issues.

Gujarat to Delhi: Can Modi make it?

Yet, Modi has succeeded in getting quite far in terms of image makeover. Even if BJP manages to get 200-odd seats and finds allies, the question is that whether the top leaders like Advani, Arun Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj let him wear the crown so easily.

Nitin Gadkari, who has managed to steer the party at the critical juncture, in the right direction, has kept a low-profile all the while, and kept divisive [communal] issues on the back-burner. Gadkari is an RSS favourite and only the naive can overlook him.

The Chief Ministers ranging from Raman Singh to Shivraj Singh Chouhan are almost as secular as other Congress CMs [except in cases when RSS makes a push]. Will they accept it?

The more media pushes his name, the more other top BJP leaders get insecure [privately]. And can the ambitious Nitish Kumar ever let it happen? Frankly, it doesn't seem too easy a task for Modi. It is really a long way for him. Of course, miracles can happen and if, as section of media is speculating, he is destined to create history, then nothing can stop him.

Personally I feel, 2014 elections are too near. I think despite praises showered on him, he is far from having that pan-Indian acceptability. There are lot of stumbling blocks in his way. He has clearly won over Gujarat but I think for Modi, Hanoz Dilli Door Ast. Of course, one can't be too sure for 2019. Let's wait and watch.

Right now, my hunch is that BJP [and Sangh] would use his persona and his strong pro-right wing [Hindutva] image to mobilize middle-class electorate [and a section of other voters] just to get more seats and for creating a wave in its favour but if it comes to forming government, the party would instead go for a 'moderate' or a 'choice of consensus'.

Passing By Kanpur: Ganges And Greenery But No Gazelles

noreply@blogger.com (indscribe) — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 19:25:00 +0000

The Great Ganges at Kanpur

I couldn't believe my eyes. The sight was breathtaking: Azure, green and the blue all around even as the train was approaching Kanpur.

I had passed the dusty town innumerable times, have even been to the place on a couple of occasions but it had never looked so enchanting.

The monsoon had turned the City beautiful. The sight of the Great Ganges was indescribable. For years I saw the Ganga in the form of a narrow stream here.

But this year as one passed Unnao and then read the famous signboards 'Ganga ki Chhammak nali-1 & 2', to enter the city, the overcast sky and the greenery around amazed me. The town suddenly appeared charming. Great cities are formed by great rivers.

And the magical effect was of the Ganga this year. I could now realise why this city attracted people for generations, both during the later Mughal's rule, the British India and even thereafter. It was only in late 80s that the downfall of Kanpur began.

On the walls, as usual there were advertisements of Hakeems promising cure for 'Gupt Rog' [sexual deficiencies], which one finds more in UP. I am familiar with the City to an extent but I don't have fond memories of the place.

On the banks of the Ganga

In my childhood, I have been to Civil Lines and some other localities. It is the place known for the famous Urdu daily Siasat Jadid and has been the hometown of poets like Fana Nizami Kanpuri, Nushoor Wahidi and the inimitable Gopal Das 'Neeraj'.

Not surprisingly, the powerful Congress politician Sri Prakash Jaiswal's name is visible everywhere as the train goes across the City. He is described as MP, Cabinet member and a crusader.

Phone numbers were also painted along side his name. One of them seemed to be minister's contact number.

The City which was once poised to be the fifth metropolitan city of the country, suddenly lost the race in development, I think, in the period 1987-1989. In the 1990s, it witnessed communal riots as a result of which the economy got a further setback.

Once it was common for citizens to mention this commercial capital of Uttar Pradesh (UP) as the Manchester of North India. Kanpur was famous for trade, textile industries & tanneries. Kanpur couldn't recover thereafter.

The city [then spelt as Cawnpore] that played a major role in the first freedom movement [mutiny] in 1857 is today known for more for pan-masala production. During the 1857 revolt, Nana Sahab and Azeemullah had made Kanpur, the centre of their activity.

Of course, it has IIT and some other institutions [and of course comedian Raju Srivastava belongs to the place]. Two towns that are so close rarely develop into big cities but Lucknow and Kanpur are an exception just like Lahore and Amritsar were in the pre-independence era.

Photo of a boatman taken from the train on bridge

Now Lucknow is growing faster and may eclipse Kanpur in the next decade or so in terms of population.

However, as far as civic infrastructure and development are concerned, these two big cities of yesteryear have remained far behind, compared to other middle sized Indian cities.

The dust & smoke and the power-cuts [electricity] along with the density of population is what even the local residents complain of, these days.

One positive aspect is that the dacoits who operated from Kanpur Dehat until a few years back, are almost extinct now. But urban gangsters have replace them in urban area and law-and-order remains another issue here.

But yes, Kanpur, remains a quintessential town of North Indian that has a distinct culture of its own and a different street humour. I remember having seen the performances of fakirs, alm-seekers and vendors. Heard Ram-kathas and 'Naats' in the most amazing voice from people who board the train at outer Kanpur and get a few coins from passengers in return.

The train passes Govindpuri where I see scores of working women [termed up-downers, as they shuttle from Lucknow to Kanpur for job daily] waiting at the station and trying to save themselves from the rain. Alas, I couldn't see any gazelle-eyed* beauty.

The 24 compartment Pushpak Express suddenly picks up speed and the town is gone in a flash. One remembers the words of Kanpur's legendary Hindi poet Gopal Das Neeraj, 'Karwaan guzar gayaa, Ghubaar dekhte rahe'.

The Shahar went past but there was no 'Ghubaar'. It was just mist and rain, as far as one could see from the train's window. For now, Khuda Hafiz Kanpur. But I'll be back soon to explore the alleys of this unique town.

[*Neeraj. Haven't you ever heard him reciting his poetry. Check it on Youtube then]

[Gazelle, Gazelle-eyed or Ghizaal is an expression used for beautiful women in poetry]

Ganesha on a Muslim couple's wedding invitation card, surprised!

noreply@blogger.com (indscribe) — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 21:14:00 +0000

If a Muslim family gets a marriage invitation card published in Hindi, it may seem uncommon but not rare. However, Gulzar's marriage invitation card exactly looked like a Hindu family's wedding card.

It not only had a design featuring Lord Ganesha but the language and the use of Sanskrit terms made it look distinct. That was the reason this card raised eyebrows.

Many people lauded the spirit while some didn't approve of the change. The marriage occurred sometime back in Mandsaur, which is situated in Western Madhya Pradesh on the border of Rajasthan.

Gulzar, a labourer, was married to Najma Bi. When he was asked by media persons, he said that he got his card printed in Hindi because most of his friends were Hindu and he wanted to send a message of communal harmony.

Gulzar's father Ismail said that he had no objection to his son's plan to invite his friends as per their culture and traditions. The terms like 'aamantran', 'chiranjivi' and 'mangal parinay' and other ceremonies were also in accordance with the local Hindu customs.

It is no rule but generally Indian Muslims [except in Kerala & some other states) get marriage invitation cards printed in Urdu. The upper middle class and the middle class Muslims often gets the cards printed in both English and Urdu.

Though I have seen some wedding cards in Hindi also [particularly in recent years in North India] anguage remains Urdu though the script is 'devnagari'. While Hindus overwhelming go to mazaars and dargahs of Sufi saints, several Muslim youths also participate in Hindu events and help organising the programmes during Ganeshotsava and Holi-Diwali celebrations, which reflects the communal harmony in Indian society.

'Terror' convicts temed as 'servants': Is section of media soft on right-wing groups!

noreply@blogger.com (indscribe) — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 15:48:00 +0000

I don't consider myself an extra-intelligent person. I try to understand things and when I fail, I have no hesitation in discussing or asking others.

Recently, court held two Sanatan Sanstha members guilty of bomb blasts. While many cases involving Hindu and Muslim radicals are currently being tried in different courts, in this case the court gave a verdict and convicted them.

Still, newspapers didn't give much importance to the news. What I found even more strange was that some newspapers reported the matter in a bizarre fashion. Particularly, Mumbai-based English newspaper DNA's reports surprised me the most.

I am simply writing my observations here:

1. When police claim arresting a person for terror links, he is often pronounced terrorist even before trial. But on Monday, two Sanatan Sanstha members who were arrested by Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) were convicted by a court. Most newspapers didn't term them terrorist even after conviction. I agree that for the arrest or conviction of some members, an entire organisation shouldn't be branded but this is the first time journalistic propriety have reached such dizzy heights that those convicted of blasts have not been called terrorists.

2. When I read English daily DNA I was even more surprised. Its reports doesn't call them militant, radical or extremist. The report terms them as 'sevaks', yes sevaks [that means servants] of Sanatan Sanstha. Whose servants! They were not even volunteers as in that case paper could have labelled them 'swayamsevaks' or even activist. But the daily seems to be so soft on the group.

Or to avoid showing affinity to RSS [that has swayamsevaks], it terms them as simply 'servants'. I don't say that you defame the Sanata Sanstha, an organisation which is quite candid and accepted that they were its members and said that the group had nothing to do with the handiwork of the duo. But paper, instead of writing activist, member or volunteer, uses the term 'servant'. Can there be such a mistake or use of the word erroneously at the desk or it was done after thinking over it.

3. A day after conviction, the journalists would have tried to do story about these persons, their backgrounds or why some members of an organisation would go astray. But instead of that, DNA printed a long story that threw light on the group for its wonderful social work.

Hmm. Why should someone be negative all the time and hound everybody! This article was published when the conviction was made but the next day the court had to deliver the quantum of judgment. One may appreciate that paper has no prejudices against any group.

It is a different matter though that the state government intended to ban Sanatan Sanstha for its alleged role in Goa and Thane-Panvel-Vashi blasts. Hope the paper will continue similar non-biased approach and also write positively about other groups after their members are convicted or jailed (and highlight the social concern of other organisations).

4. Now that the persons convicted of bomb blasts and sentenced to ten years of jail terms have not been called as terrorists, will the paper maintain the same standards of journalism in future. Or will it still call any Muslim or Hindu youth who is simply rounded up, not even jailed or convicted, terrorist!

5. This is the same multi-edition English newspaper that had published Subramanian Swamy's article that put all Indian Muslims under suspicion and labelled the community as prone to extremism and terrorism and what not. The article had put onus on Indian Muslims to prove a whole lot of things. The particular piece has been widely discussed, criticised and even National Commission for Minorities took cognizance of complaints against it.

Just like the newspaper had liberty to publish it, which I support in principle, I too think I can take a little liberty and write about what's going in my mind after reading these reports. I don't know what is going through the minds of those who run this paper or decide the editorial policy.

The little an average reader and Indian citizen like me expects is that the paper should show decent standards of journalism. Either you should don't turn suspects into terrorists or don't term terrorists as 'SERVANTS'. Will servants object to the usage? Perhaps, it's a new style, which they will adhere to in future [for both Hindutva inspired groups as well as Islamist extremists]!

Sorry to say but even RSS mouthpieces Panchjanya and Organiser are [at least] consistent in their policy. On the otherhand DNA sells copies in lakhs [tens of thousands] and I wonder how many readers are mediocre and what percentage of readers are intelligent enough to figure out the unique journalism practices adopted by this great media institution. Pray for me so that my mind could become capable of understanding these issues.

Frankly, I always liked the paper and as a reader felt happy when the DNA made a space for itself in the crowded English market. In Mumbai, the paper has a large circulation now. However, such selective and biased reporting is really upsetting for a reader like me.

'Read And Buy Urdu Newspaper' campaign succeeds in Delhi: Will you subscribe an Urdu paper now?

noreply@blogger.com (indscribe) — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 21:37:00 +0000

Activists selling Urdu paper to policeman Subash Chand

It was heartening to see the recent campaign in Delhi that aimed at popularizing Urdu newspapers and urging readers to buy them.

Almost 1,500-2,000 Urdu newspapers were sold at the spot in a matter of few hours. This is a positive step as it shows activism on part of the Urdu-speaking populace.

Rather than keeping expectations from the governments, it's the job of the speakers of a language to take care of it. That Urdu lovers hit the street is definitely a welcome sign.

Daily Sahafat's Mohammad Anjum reported that the campaign was launched at the gate of Jama Masjid. The organisation members marched to Matia Mahal and adjoining areas for the 'Akhbar Faroshi Tehreek'.

Clearly, the success of this drive shows that there is no lack of readers if the newspapers have quality and content. Activists representing various fields had gathered after reciting 'fatiha' at the grave of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, and began approaching traders and citizens, urging them to buy the Urdu newspapers.

The Urdu lovers were asked to support these papers and make it a habit to buy papers rather than borrow it from a neighbour or a shop owner. The activists stressed on the fact that Urdu papers' existence is vital, as they raise issues concerning Muslim population apart from creating awareness among minorities.

International Human Rights Protection Association (IHRPA) head Shameem Ahmad, Head of Department (Urdu) Dayal Singh College Dr Maula Bakhsh, editor Andaleeb daily M Mustaqeem Khan, poet Shoaib Raza Fatmi, Dr MR Qasmi, Sahafat bureau chief Dr Mumtaz Alam Rizvi, journalists representing Akhbar-e-Nau, Hamara Samaj were part of the drive.

Earlier, activists have sold Urdu papers like Azad Hind and Akhbar-e-Mashriq in similar fashion in Muslim pockets in Kolkata in the past. The fact that governments don't give enough attention to either civic issues or other problems that are written about in Urdu papers should be a cause of concern, said speakers.

The participants in the drive urged people to buy Urdu papers so that it sends a clear message to Centre and State governments that the language is alive. The fact is that over the years, Urdu journalism has made fast strides in India, particularly, since late 90s.

After the launch of Roznama Sahara, the multi-edition Sahafat, Aag, new papers in Hyderabad and J&amp;amp;K, Urdu newspapers are now visible though they aren't reaching readers in far-flung colonies and new areas due to lack of proper distribution network.

Now the papers are attractive and also carry kids' and women's sections though there is still lack of adequate cartoon strips. Children are drawn towards papers due to cartoons and editors of the Urdu papers must realise this important aspect.

For years Urdu papers have focused on politics and neglected children. Few papers have daily cartoon strips. They must strike chord with the young generation, particularly, teenagers and kids. Besides, proper attention should be given to on-spot reporting, career guidance, sports and women's issues.

Most Urdu papers are now on the internet and this also shows the change sweeping across Urdu journalism in India. If you are a Urdu speaker, subscribe an Urdu paper. This will be your biggest service to your mother tongue. Will you do that?

[Photo courtesy Urdu daily Sahafat, Delhi]

Sindhi newspapers gasping for breath in India

noreply@blogger.com (indscribe) — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 19:49:00 +0000

Sindhi daily Hindu edited by Harish Varyani

I have a copy of 'Hindu', a Sindhi daily in my hands. It's after a long time that I am reading a Sindhi newspaper

While its famous English namesake, 'The Hindu' is one of the leading newspapers in the country, this Sindhi newspaper which also has a rich history is facing a really tough challenge.

'Hindu' is a multi-edition Sindhi newspaper. It is being published from the pre-partition era and is amongst the few Sindhi papers that have survived in the 21st century.

But, most other Sindhi publications are facing an existential crisis. Sindhi is not taught as third language in schools except in some cities in Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharastra.

As Sindhis aren't concentrated in any state unlike the Kannadiga, the Telugu, the Punjabi or Tamil, it doesn't enjoy state patronage which other languages get. Quite similar to the problems of Urdu, but circulation of Sindhi papers has seen an unusually sharp decline in recent years.

There are half-a-dozen Sindhi newspapers published from Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Ajmer, the Sindhi-dominated Ulhas Nagar town, Bhopal, and a couple of other towns, there numbers are few. Despite attempts by certain individuals to exhort Sindhi youths to take interest in their mother tongue, the situation hasn't improved.

In the 80s, the movement to write Sindhi in devanagri script had gained momentum. To an extent it was understandable, as Sindhis wanted the language to survive in India. While the spoken language remains alive, the literature has suffered in process. Writers rue that the vocabulary is getting lost and a strange 'mixture zabaan' has emerged.

In recent years, Sindhi academies, organisations and trusts have tried hard to organise Sindhi mushairas, Kavi Goshthis, Cultural events and pumped money to publish Sindhi books, but the lack of interest shown by young generation has hampered the efforts.

Editorial on political drama in Karnataka

Till early 90s, I often got to see Sindhi newspapers in a few public reading rooms and in Sindhi households. But now you won't get a copy except perhaps at the newspaper office or a Sindhi academy, except in Ulhas Nagar and two-three other pockets where few bookshops keep the papers.

When Sindhi daily, Farz, was a mass circulated daily, I often read it. As it is quite similar to Urdu, a person who knows the Perso-Arabic script can read Sindhi, though it requires some extra effort and attention.

After the death of the Farz' publisher, Rajesh 'Guide', his son--Ravi Anand Udhwani, told me that there were few readers now and it was getting increasingly difficult to bring out the paper.

I am not aware of the situation in Pakistan where Sindhi does seem to flourish due to state-support and concentration of Sindhi speakers in the Sindh province.

However, the situation in India, is really bad and there is little hope of a revival for the Sindhi publications. A few committed persons are still trying to run classes and promote the language. While Sindhis, a community that has a sharp trading acumen, has seen collective success and achieved prosperity, the loss of the language is something that they should ponder upon.

I still have a thick Sindhi dictionary, which was gifted to me by my neighbours when I was a kid. They also tried to teach me the basics of the language. Since then I haven't seen any newspaper or periodical of the language in a Sindhi household though I have umpteen friends of the my community.

An elderly Sindhi friend was livid when he told me about the disinterest of young generation towards learning their 'mother tongue'. It takes centuries for languages to take shape and get popular. And to see the decline is really sad.

Hidden Heritage: Coming across a Shia shrine in North India

noreply@blogger.com (indscribe) — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 11:56:00 +0000

Exploring alleys in Cities and visiting old towns in the North Indian heartland has been a passion for me since my childhood. I visited Mohan [pronounced Mohaan], a prominent town of Awadh, which now falls in Unnao district, during a recent visit.

Though most of the people whom I had asked about the town couldn't tell me about any famous structure or building known for its architecture in the town, I still decided to explore the town. The visit proved fruitful.

The huge minaret and domes of the Shia shrine in Mohan.

Barely a few hundred metres inside this town, I could spot the huge minaret. Soon the domes were also visible. Locals told me that it was the 'Karbala of Mohan'.

Though I have been to some Shia shrines, particularly, Imambadas in Lucknow, the imposing structure in the small town that has a population of barely 15,000 came as a surprise.

The ancient structure that has an Imambada is not generally frequented by people. Not many outside the town are aware of the structure.

The local residents also don't seem to realise that it much bigger [and architecturally refined] than similar buildings in many of the major cities including Muslim centres.

I went inside and found a small staircase leading to the top of the minar. Rarely people venture up and thus the staircase had several lizards, bats and birds but I managed to climb to the top.

It was a stunning bird's eye view from there. Amidst the vast green expanse and the mango orchards, the entire small town was clearly visible from the top.

Almost every City and town has a place where Shias (and also Sunnis and Hindus) commemorate the martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Husain during the Islamic month of Muharram.

Way to minaret's top

Often the Karbalas are by the side of a pond or river where the 'tazia' [replica of the Imam's rauza] are immersed on Yaum-e-Ashurah. In small towns in UP, there are umpteen such structures.

The photograph on the top left shows the 'Karbala'. You can gauge the height of the minaret by comparing it with the bus parked by its side. Residents said that it was constructed on the lines of a 'rauza' in Iraq.

However, such architectural heritage lies unattended, unexplored and even unknown. As almost 80% of Muslim gentry from these owns had migrated after independence, the structure didn't had adequate upkeep.

View from the top of the minaret.

Mostly poor Muslims remained in the towns. The abolition of Zamindars had also hit the Muslims in the Indo-Gangetic belt.

For a long time, people didn't have money and resources to run their own households let alone take care of such structures.

Mohan has a substantial Shia population and they run madarsas as well. Of late, it seems the situation has improved a bit.

I found some other unique structures which have architectural and historical importance. About them, I might write in later posts.

I had chat with owners and customers at the eateries at the gate of the 'Karbala'.

A middle aged man, who introduced me as Pandit Ji, and runs the pan shop, also gave me some information. Unfortunately, I couldn't meet the caretaker of the shrine.

Sorry, I don't need a Muslim leadership

noreply@blogger.com (indscribe) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 13:51:00 +0000

Even those who believed in the concept of Muslim (political) leadership and thought that it exists in India should have realised that this is nothing less than a myth.

Two recent incidents including the murder of a minor Muslim girl in a police station in Lakhimpur Kheri and the firing on Muslim villagers in Bihar's Forbesganj has exposed the so-called Muslim leadership.

Bihar has no dearth of Muslim leaders ranging from NCP's Tariq Anwar to Congress' Shakil Ahmad and Maulana Asrarul Haq Qasmi, who represents Kishanganj constituency in the Parliament. All of them remained silent though they represent opposition parties in the state.

Had they taken to streets or at least spoken on the issue, it would have raised their stature and their parties would also have got benefited. One could understand the predicament of JDU's Muslim leader or BJP's Shahnawaz Khan who also hails form Bihar, but who stopped the Muslim MPs, MLAs, MLCs et al.

Politicians love to politicise issues, even non-issues. So what stopped Ghani Khan Chaudhary's politican successor, Mausam Benazir Noor, the young MP from neighbouring West Bengal, to take up the issue. In fact, no Muslim leader in the country worth his salt felt for the victims.

It was Ram Vilas Paswan who went to Delhi and staged a 'dharna', then apprised the Prime Minister about the issue and also asked Rahul Gandhi to visit Araria district to take a stock of the situation. Still, the Muslim leadership kept mum.

While Mahesh Bhatt went to Patna to urge Nitish Kumar to take action and later also reached Delhi, Muslim politicians' shameless silence showed their character. Muslim leaders in Delhi also didn't speak on the issue. Had it not been Paswan, Bhatt, a few activists and websites, particularly, http://www.twocircles.net/, the issue wouldn't have reached as far.

I am sorry to say but Maulana Asrarul Haq Qasmi has been a letdown. The elderly politician puts all energy in writing columns in Urdu papers rather than roaring in the parliament, if not on the streets. The Muslim social groups and other organisations were also indifferent.

In neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, a minor Muslim girl* was allegedly killed on the premises of police station. Though elections are drawing nearer and UP has seen a spurt in launch of new Muslim parties, there was absolute silence.

Jamat-e-Islami's Welfare Party, Dr Ayub's Peace Party, Ulema Council and other similar groups seemed to have forgotten even issuing statements. Even when most of the politicial parties and leaders [including BJP's firebrand leaders] had visited Lakhimpur Kheri, not a single delegation from any of these 'Muslim' parties visited the victim's family.

So what stopped them? Simply, they are not concerned. I don't go by the argument that many parties are propped up to divide the so-called Muslim vote. It is a mystery why none of these parties or leaders speak up when there is dire need for them to do so.

In the past also, we have seen that either it is on ideological ground or on the street, it is not the Muslim leaders who have taken up the cause of Muslims. So why this need for a Muslim leadership. It is a dangerous concept. We know as we have suffered it.

Time and again, Muslim voters have been cheated due to these so-called Muslim politicians. If there is a Muslim leadership, there should also be a Hindu leadership for Hindus. What is important that Muslim citizens understand that they must play an active part in the society and raise issues, not concerning Muslims alone, but others also.

With almost 60 Muslim MPs in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, lot of issues pertaining to the community should have been redressed and resolved easily, but the reality is that this doesn't happen. In the last six decades Muslim electorate has been through all and must wisen up now.

Just that Congress can't keep Muslims hostage by instilling the sense of BJP, these Muslim politicians should also be dumped as they are simply wasting their positions. It is always better to send pro-active non-Muslim leaders to legislatures.

Call me a cynic or whatever, that's the truth. If there are any exceptions, please tell me. Meanwhile, the moral is that Muslim voters should better avoid voting for such politicians, who just have Muslim-sounding names, as in reality they have neither vision nor voice.

[* The girl who was found dead in police station in Lakhimpur belonged to a Muslim family. Her name was Razia though in order to protect her identity, section of media persons changed the name to Sonam as she was a minor]

Clock Towers in India: The famous Chaubara in Bidar [Karnataka]

noreply@blogger.com (indscribe) — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 10:52:00 +0000

The Chaubara structure in Bidar (Karnataka)

Bidar is a historic town in Southern India and has a host of historical monuments.

Though located in Karnataka, the district borders Andhra Pradesh and is quite close to Maharashtra.

As a result, Urdu, Marathi and Kannada are the major languages spoken here. It has been ruled by Chalukyas, Kakatiyas, then Hasan Gangu and Bahmani Sultans until it became a dominion of the Asif Jahi dynasty--under the Nizam of Hyderabad--till independence.

The chaubara is basically a watch tower cum clock tower. In olden days, from its top one could get a view of the entire town. The imposing cylindrical tower in the heart of the town attracts the new comes to the town. More so, as it is not much known outside.

Though Bidar has no dearth of historical monuments including the fort and the great madarsa established by Mahmood Gawan [the Mughal governor of Bijapur during Humayun's reign], it is still not a major tourist destination. Though there have been some efforts to clear encroachments around, no serious step has been taken to preserve this unique structure as yet.

Located just around 120 km from Hyderabad, Bidar's language also has a Deccani influence. The place is also well-known for the Bidri work. The fort was constructed in 1428 by Ahmad Wali who named it Ahmadabad-Bidar Fort.

For me right now it is the Chaubara [also written as Choubara] for which I have written the post. I have already mentioned by fascination about the clock towers of unique shapes and sizes in India. But it is not just the clock tower, you must visit Bidar for the monuments that dot this ancient city.

Read my earlier post Clock Towers of Awadh (UP) And Father Built Clock Tower in Son's Memory

Brutality in Bihar: Police firing kills four including pregnant woman in Forbesganj in Araria

noreply@blogger.com (indscribe) — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 22:55:00 +0000

Araria killings again show police's anti-poor mindset

Once again the ugly face of police was revealed in Forbesganj in Bihar's Araria district where policemen opened fire at villagers, killing four persons including a pregnant woman and a child.

The police force which is supposed to protect the citizens mostly acts as if it is a paid militia raised to serve the interests of the high and mighty.

In this case also, the firing was to serve the interests of a politician who owns a factory near Bhajanpur. That the victims were Muslims is another aspect.

But the truth is that often policemen turn trigger happy when they confront a crowd that comprises the poor. Anybody who is hapless and not well connected, gets the cops boot or bullet.

[See this shocking video* at Dainik Bhaskar's website which shows the policeman stomping over a body]Even more chilling was the sight of a home guard personnel, Sunil, stomping over a body, as if he was celebrating the murders in cold blood. The administration remained passive until the video footage was aired on TV channels.

The man was injured in firing and as he fell unconscious, he was lynched by the personnel. Sadly, the incident occurred in a district which is currently headed by a woman police official Garima Malik, who is currently posted as SP Araria.

In news reports, Malik seemed to justify the use of force. It is something that has happened innumerable times. Poor people are shot dead. The police officers then justify it by claiming that they acted to save themselves from the 'irate mob'.

This age-old mentality persists though the degree of contempt and violence towards poor is much higher in rural area where policemen have unchecked authority. As more information trickles it, its clear that the politician was on the spot and had a role in the incident.

It is a terrible reality that the uniformed men get salaries from the citizens to protect them and join the force with the oath to save them but strangely don't bat an eyelid while shedding their (citizen's) blood.

After every such incident, the officers claim that the mob had gone 'berserk' and had to be 'controlled'.

Ironically, no Chief Minister takes high moral ground. Police excesses are tolerated to absurd limits.

One expected that Nitish Kumar would have taken a strong action or at least condemned this indiscriminate killing by policemen. He would have earned respect for it.

It is really a shame that sixty years after independence, our force shoots 'protesters' and demonstrators. From Kashmir to Bihar, the situation remains the same. Cops get into a sort of frenzy and shoot from point blank range--mostly in heads, chests and not in the lower part.

The conflict at Forbesganj has some history. Here also land had been acquired long back. Recently, villagers had razed the boundary wall of a factory that was constructed recently and had blocked the only route to their village.

Forget rubber pellets, water cannons, tear gas or other measures of crowd control. There is a sort of glee with which policemen subject the poor to torture. Either it is Jammu and Kashmir or Bihar, police remain the same and their political masters appear indifferent towards such blatant display of policemen's barbarism.

Else one would have seen tough action against the culprits. It is this approach that lets the policemen get away with heinous crimes and as a result the incidents keep recurring in different parts of the country. Not supension or transfer, the guilty cops should be dismissed from service after a quick inquiry, in order to send a strong message to the rogue jawans.

Still, one hopes that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar would take note of the serious human rights violation and take stringent action. Though a judicial inquiry has been announced, the need is to take quick action rather than wait for years for the outcome of the report and then expect its recommendations to be acted upon.

Read journalist Mumtaz Ahmad Falahi's report 'She came to see me, got six bullets in her head' from Bhajanpur village in Forbesganj (Araria) at Twocircles.Net. The second report is 'Police shot my brother from behind, then romped over hid body'.

On this blog the issue of policemen opening fire at innocent persons and targeting the poor has been raised repeatedly. Read the past stories:

1. Is the Indian police a force to safeguard the rich?
2. Extra-judicial killings: Ranvir's encounter in Uttarakhand
3. Police brutality: Truth of an encounter in Manipur and shocking photographs
4. Innocent Kuldeep gets bullet, Vandals get respect: What's wrong with our society?

[*The video is also available on youtube at this link]

'Eternal Suspects': Mistreating Kashmiri youths must stop, more sensitivity needed

noreply@blogger.com (indscribe) — Sun, 29 May 2011 13:35:00 +0000

Kashmiris treat us well. Do we return the gesture?

If you are a Hindu going to Kashmir for Amarnath Yatra or a Muslim going to the place to visit Hazrat Bal or simply a tourist going to have fun, you expect the local Kashmiris--the shop owners, the hoteliers, the person on the street, to treat you well.

But when the Kashmiri youth leave their state and comes to other parts of the country, do we treat him fairly?

Either for higher education or for trade the Kashmiris who go to different states in the country remain the constant target of police..

Besides, petty politicians and even section of belligerent right-wing local media looks upon Kashmiris as suspects [euphemism for militant or terrorist]. If you can read Hindi, just see these three reports and find out yourself how injustice is done and Kashmiris are branded as terrorists.

A TALE OF DEMONISING KASHMIRI YOUTHS

Just an example. This incident occurred a few months back. Such things keep happening in other states also. Kindly read the following points.:

1. Two youths who 'looked suspicious' were caught in Madhya Pradesh and detained for questioning.

2. Nothing objectionable was found but an evening newspaper published a false news that 'Terrorists were arrested.

3. The other Hindi newspapers, apprehending that their competitors might do 'sensational stories', also wrote that they were terrorists, even though the journos privately knew that there was no evidence.

4. The State police chief clearly said later that no terror links were found.

5. But as the papers had made a beginning, follow-up stories continued. If one links the youths with LeT, other paper finds a HuJI connection and the third paper even more shockingly said they were Hezbollah activists active in India and came to establish base.

6. Police tried to clear air but some politicians also jumped in the fray. Xenophobic statements were aired as to how Kashmiris are getting 'easy entry' everywhere in India and getting admissions at the expense of local students in colleges.

7. Other Kashmiri youths living in private hostels and in rented houses got fearful. Once again it was tough to get accommodation due to surcharged atmosphere.

8. For days newspapers kept printing unsubstantiated, totally false reports. Once a reporter has filed a sensational report, next day he can't naturally tell his chief that his earlier report was wrong and trying to justify that, unnamed sources and highly placed intelligence sources were quoted.

9. The court acquits the youths, gives the police a dressing down. There is protest from a section of activists about demonising, harassing the Kashmiris.

10. Some papers finally see sense and put the blame squarely on police for botching up the case and arresting the youths just to get accolades, as they rarely get to catch criminals in normal cases of crime. Citizens remain as confused as ever.

This is not a one-off incident. The issue is that students from J&K [not just Muslims, but also Hindus] find it tough to get house on rent anywhere in India, due to such incidents. Cops routinely harass them as if all of them are militants.

Cops can misbehave with them, newspapers can afford to write sensational reports about them and politicians can make wild objectionable comments because the guys who are framed and falsely implicated in such cases are mostly young students.

They rarely have enough money to sue the rags or the harassing policemen. As soon as they are let off from police custody, they feel that it's better to leave the place rather than stay, fight and make the police or press admit their mistake.

The civil society takes little interest. Just like casteist, communal and regional biases, this form of discrimination must also end. How else will we integrate them, when we as a society behave so badly with them, accuse them, brand them and worse, term them as terrorists?

In a country as huge as ours, there have been multiple issues ranging from complaints of bias by North Eastern Indians in Delhi to that of North Indians in Maharashtra. But apart from citizens, lot is needed to sensitize police and media persons as well.

[*For those not familiar with Hindi. The first newspaper headline says 'Terrorists caught, arms and documents recovered. The second newspaper also terms them as terrorists. The third paper which changed its stand and was among the few papers to accept the earlier mistake, writes that the police had got the youths framed to get accolades. It also quotes Jammu and Kashmir IG who was incidentally in Madhya Pradesh and spoke about the youth's innocence in a police conference in Bhopal]

Calcutta 1911: Remembering Ismail Merathi's Urdu primer

noreply@blogger.com (indscribe) — Tue, 17 May 2011 19:05:00 +0000

Calcutta was capital till 1911& still is, in the Urdu primer

Exactly hundred years after British shifted the capital from Calcutta to Delhi, another major change has taken place as the Left front's empire ended after over three decades.

It is not my aim to write about Mamata Banerjee's victory as already tonnes of ink has been spent by experts over the crumbling of the communist citadel.

What I do find interesting that the most famous series of Urdu primer written by Maulvi Ismail Merathi till recently mentioned 'Bachcho Kalkatta, hamare mulk ka darul hukumat hai' [Calcutta is India's national capital].

The fact that Maulvi sahab died long ago, and it was felt improper to tamper with his text, has ensured that without exaggeration, millions of children, read this lesson about Calcutta [Kalkatta, as in Urdu]. Things which you read in childhood remain with you all your life, and thus even though many Bengali friends don't remember it, the fact that Calcutta was India's capital till as late as 1911, remains stuck in my mind.

Merathi sahab was a tremendous writer who focused on kids. His poems, particularly, the ones on 'pavan chakki' and 'gaay' [cow] are famous for their simplicity. Many of you might have heard about these poems. The first stanza of the poem on cow starts with:

Rab ka shukr adaa kar bhai
Jisne hamaari gaay banaai

Similarly, there are poems on innumerable topics including festivals, trees, fruits, seasons and other objects. The set of his preliminary books for kids remained best-sellers till 90s in India, even though colourful primers were launched in the market.

I haven't checked whether there is still demand for book. However, it is a fact that for decades it was believed that you can't improve your language until you have read Maulvi Sahab's books. Old books remain fun to read not just because you can discern the change in language over the period but also because you see how the world has changed a lot.

Merathi, who was born in 1844, wrote numerous couplets that became famous.

sair kar dunyaa ki Ghaafil zindgaani phir kahaaN
zindagii gar kuchh rahii naujavaani phir kahaaN

mile Khushk roTii jo azaad rah kar
to voh Khauf-o-zillat ke halwe se behtar
jo TuuTii huii jhoNpRii bezarar ho
bhali us mahal se jahaaN Khatar ho

Ulfat ka jab mazaa hai ki voh bhi hoN beqaraar
DonoN taraf ho aag baraabar lagii huii

New Delhi became the capital. India attained independence. Calcutta turned Kolkata. And Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has failed in keeping the legacy of Jyoti Basu in West Bengal, handing over the reins to Mamata. Perhaps, it's time again to check Mr Merathi's books.

'We haven't forgotten you': Bhopal's veteran Urdu poet Ishrat Qadri is ailing

noreply@blogger.com (indscribe) — Sun, 15 May 2011 21:04:00 +0000

Saharnuma

A friend called up recently and said, 'Do you know, Ishrat Qadri sahab is ill, in fact critical'. I felt terribly short of words. I didn't even know that he had suffered a brainstroke.

More disturbing was the fact that he was ailing was for a fortnight and was admitted in the general ward of Hamidia Hospital but there was no stir in the literary community, despite being aware of the family's modest means.

Personally I had a strong sense of guilt that I hadn't been in touch with him for quite sometime. The octogenarian litterateur is probably the last poet in the region who has kept the glorious tradition of islaah* alive in this part of Central India.

Qadri sahab has numerous disciples who learnt the nuances of 'shayri' from him. His 'library' in Budhwara locality of Walled City has been the hub of literary activity in Bhopal for decades.

I recalled that all these years whenever I had a query regarding literature or Urdu poetry, I would rush to him. Just to give an example. 'Yeh RKF ne umda ghazal likhi hai', I would say. Now Qadri Sahab instantly knew what I wanted.

'Shayar achche hain, falaan shahar inka watan hai, is akhbar se munsalik rahe, Maharashtra meN zindagi guzri, Jamaat-e-Islami se bhi vabasta rahe haiN', he would say, answering almost all my questions in one go.

More so, he gave an unbiased reply, which is rare quality among poets. Though he has been penning poetry for the last 67 years [since 1943-44, began writing short stories in 1943 and ghazals from 1944], he kept away from self-promotion and publicity. Rather, he promoted young writers by getting their articles and books published through his contacts.

Ishrat Qadri's personal library has always been open to research scholars and other bibliophiles. In the post-independence era, when Urdu was facing tough times, he published dozens of important books and fellow poets who couldn't afford to get their divans printed, through his own publication.

Ishrat Qadri

I have been an irregular participant to his evening 'mehfils'. Ironically, as he is lying in the hospital bed, among the first few persons to visit is a bureaucrat, Mr Srivastava, who directs the hospital authorities to shift the 'azeem shayar' to a private ward.

I push the door but his wife is praying, in sajda. The poet looks frail, his eyes are focused on the roof. I recall his ghazal that begins with the couplet:

yaad-e-maazi bohat sataatii hai
raat aaNkhoN meN beet jaatii hai

The overpowering voice is missing, he is so weak that it takes a couple of minutes before he manages to utter a word. His daughter-in-law tells me that he doesn't recognize me, eggs him to speak to me. 'Dekhiye aapse milne aaye hain'. I touch his face, hold him, it is an emotional moment.

'Sab bhool gaye', he repeats with great difficulty. His first collection of poetry, Saharnuma, has a ghazal:

The hospital room

'No one has forgotten you, everyone is concerned, the papers are publishing reports about your health', I tell him. 'Insha Allah, you will be alright, back from the hospital. Don't ever think that you are alone.

He takes my name, the way he always does. I am happy that at least he recognizes me. It's a brief conversation. With tears in his eyes, he stares at me.

Now I can see hope in his eyes. I tell him that he has to finish his memoirs. Few remain of the generation that was old enough in the 30s and 40s to discern the changes in the pre-Independence era, and recollect them. He has also seen the gradutal transformation of Bhopal from the era of princely state to the present times.

After staying for a few minutes, I leave the hospital room, praying for the veteran poet's long life.

Ab tujh saa kahaaN koii wazadaar mile hai...

[The tradition where a master poet guided young poets, corrected their couplets and ensured that the asha'ar were in proper meter and had no grammatical or linguistic error]