Prodigy

“Indian filmmakers are guilty until proven”

2017-08-27T12:46:00.000-07:00

Mohammad Arsalan

________________

Showing defiance against the Censorship laws in India and the CBFC, “League Against Censorship”- an organized group of filmmakers, lawyers and journalists held a public meeting at the Press Club Of India, New Delhi, vowing to plunge the modus operandi through which a film has to pass before being screened.

They argued that the right of a filmmaker to undertake his/her work without fear and interference is paramount and cannot be subjected to restrictions. In an issued mission statement they stated, “LAC’s mission is to fight against the State’s Role in Censorship of Cinema and Media, and to fight for the most basic human right, that is, Freedom of Speech and Expression.”

Rebuking the idea of censorship Ranjit Kumar, a filmmaker said that he feels more like a rebel after some of his films were obstructed by the Censor Board. “Indian filmmakers are guilty until proven”, stated Mr. Kumar. While taking about the restrictions that comes under the ambit of censorship, a documentary film maker Pankaj Bhutaria told that some of the restrictions are absurd for example, one cannot make a film which is against India’s interest with a friendly country. Now how could one know that which is an unfriendly country to India? However, he added that in case of Youtube and other new media platforms the films could be released without any restrictions but for cinema halls and open theatres there must be some notions of age appropriateness.

Meera Chaudhary, a co-director, narrated the hardships and judicial limbo of the censorship which obstructed the release of the documentary film “En Dino Muzaffarnagar” (2014) directed by her husband late Shubhradeep Chakravorti. She said that the documentary was a kind of investigation they did digging out the truth, whereas, the Central Board of Film Certification stated that the film could insight communal violence which was totally irrelevant. Years after the making of her film, she is still battling for the upliftment of ban on her film through the High Court.

A renowned activist, feminist and lawyer of the Supreme Court Karuna Nandi further put forward her views on legal aspect of the censorship claiming that Cinematography Act of 1952 or CBFC must under the ambit of Article 19 (1) of the constitution which provides basic freedom of speech and expression, leaving it to court to decide the reasonable restrictions that comes under clause (2) of Article 19 and not to the statutory bodies. “Organizational work as RSS or the left is missing here in the programme who are fighting for freedom of speech” Said Ms. Nandi pointing out sceptically to the film makers in the meet. Another layer Arjun added that there are also no specific qualification for being the chairman and member of the CBFC as well as the advisory committee which somewhere degrades the standard of the certifiers.

“Film viewers should also stand for no censorship as they watch more films than the filmmakers make”, said political cartoonist Aseem Trivedi while ending the meeting. The programme was attended by more than fifty people from different professional backgrounds showing consent with the idea of free censorship of films.

AMU Students Protest Alleged Brutal Jewar-Bulandshahr Gang Rape And Saharanpur Violence

2017-05-29T02:06:00.000-07:00

Scenes from the protest

Mohammad Arsalan
______________

On May 26, 2017, the Aligarh Muslim University Students’ Union organised a protest march at the varsity campus, condemning the recent, alleged gang rape that happened in the Jewar-Bulandshahr highway of Uttar Pradesh on May 24, 2017. The students demanded the immediate arrest of the alleged culprits and called for severe action against them.

The march started on Friday. The congregation proceeded from the University’s Jama Masjid and was called off at the University Circle. More than 200 students joined the protest. “Wo RSS ho murdabad (Down with RSS)”, “Bharat sarkar sharam karo, sharam nahi to doob maro (Indian government – feel shameful, or else, die in shame)” were some of the slogans that were shouted by the students, outrageously.

On reaching the University Circle, the president of the AMU Students’ Union, Faizul Hasan, addressed the students, where he staunchly criticised the incumbent dispensation both at the Centre and the state. He said that the goons and hooligans have allegedly got the upper-hand, due to the government, and that a series of such crimes are happening across the country.

“On May 24, 2017, four women were brutally raped and a man rescuing them was shot dead by the hooligans. Such criminal activities are terrifying, and are increasing day-by-day. The government is making appealing slogans like women safety, good governance, ‘sabka saath sabka vikas (everyone’s growth with everyone’s help)’ and what-not. But, when it comes to pragmatic situations, there is complete fiasco,” said Faizul Hasan.

Furthermore, he also criticised the violence in Saharanpur, and said that the atrocities on Dalit and marginalised people have been done in an ‘orchestrated clash’. The rise of the Bhim Army and their ongoing agitation is a testimony to the fact that the persecutions on Dalits and other minorities are rising each day. He also praised the ongoing agitation by the Bhim Army at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. He said that the AMU Students’ Union stands in solidarity with the Dalit-protest. He added that if such persecutions by right-wing fringe elements did not stop, then he too will lead a similar kind of protest.

Another leader, Abul Farah Shazli, said that the unofficial Hindu Rashtra (Hindu Republic) has already been made. He said that not only are the Muslims going to suffer, the Dalits and tribal groups will also face social repression, under the garb of Manusmriti. Ahmad Mujtaba Faraz, a final-year law student, also announced that he would be going to Saharanpur on June 9, 2017, with a team of lawyers and academicians to look into the reported violence against Dalits, pro bono.

While ending the protest, the students also presented a memorandum to the additional district magistrate (ADM) of the city, the proctor of AMU and to the various media persons who were present there. The memorandum will also be sent to the President of India, demanding punishment for those involved in the incident. Some students present at the march were Mughal Wasif, Shamim Bari, Asad Usmani, Ahsan Khan, Adnan Amir, Sharjeel Usmani, Naved Ashrafi, Mohammad Tabish, Abdul Qadir, among many others.

**************************

FILM REVIEW: BAAHUBALI - II

2017-05-02T12:06:00.000-07:00

Mohammad Arsalan
________________

The nation was indeed curious to seek the galvanizing question or a surprise may by “Why did Kattappa kill Baahubali?” The answer was simple, the launch of its second part Baahubali-2. Despite the fact that part two was the initial story and the stuff behind the curtain, it was successful in maintaining the suspense.

S S Rajamouli has given his best to the reverse chronological story but somewhere there is requirement of a better articulation. The typical Indian family melodrama undertakes the hindsight and conspiracy game takes the turn.

Baahubali (Prabhas) falls in love with Devasena (Anushka Shetty) and the two is set to get married. Meanwhile, Bhallala (Rana Dagubatti) plays his conspiracy card and asks the regal queen Shivagami (Ramya) for his marriage to Devasena. Queen Shivagami gives her consent and a marriage proposal is sent to Devasena to which there is a rejection.

After Baahubali returns to the kingdom with his phianse and stands by the side of his to-be-bride and openly declares their love nexus, annoys the mother and she gives him two options, either to be the king or marry Devasena. Bhaubalu chooses the later. From here the story takes turn from contretemps to confrontation, and meanwhile hostile arguments clears apart mother-son relationship.

Later, to reinforce the hegemony on kingdom and to break down Baahubali’s partisanship among people, a conspiracy to defame Baahubali is laid down by Bhallala, accusing Baahubali of orchestrating his killing. The case is taken to the mother Shivagami where she is outraged by the heinous act. She commands Kattappa (Sathyaraj), a stalwart of the kingdom to go and kill Baahubali, being stated that it’s a state order and is his sacred duty to follow. Likewise, the suspense gets unveiled and Baahubali is set off for the heavenly abode.

Further, the epilogue of the movie continues, where son of Baahubali comes after 25 years of his father’s death and Coup d'état the incumbent cruel king Bhallala by killing him and rescuing his mother; all after triumphant of a battle.

Movie is tedious that is quite unusual in this hectic era, fiction has been used in a serious genre to a great extent. The acting deserves a flattering response. As far as culture is concerned, South-Indian movies robustly uphold their legacy. The film doesn’t have vulgar scenes which has become a common manifestation in modern film making. Overall, the film has achieved its bid and is all set to break the block office records.

****************************

ARTIFACTS OF JHARKHAND

2017-04-16T12:53:00.000-07:00

Mohammad Arsalan
________________

Jharkhand is a state separated from Bihar way back in 2000. It was because of the fact that major part was covered with forest and mineral rich natural resources, Tribal people comprised of a huge population and had distinct culture which led to the demand of a new state. In Jharkhand tribes like Santhal, Birhor, Munda, Oraon, Gond etc. live in jungles and have extremely distinct social life. From language, rituals, paintings, clothing, food, festival, social gathering, worship and so on it has a beautiful setup that is far beyond the new modern and technical world. Here are some of the artefacts of Jharkhand that can paint a picture of the state.

PAITKAR PAINTINGS:

Pic 1- A Paitkar painting

‘Paitkar Paintings’ also known as ‘Scroll Paintings’ are the old form of paintings which has been practiced by Shahbar tribe for thousands of years. These paintings are made up of natural colour from plants, ashes, fodder etc. the medium through which the Paitkar artists use to paint their scrolls is water-based colours. These paintings are made up on walls and houses that narrate some or other kind of stories. These stories generally depict life after death. Pata painting is one of the earliest folk paintings of India. The Paitkar artists make the palm leaves as the base of the art and the brushes are made from the hair of squirrel and goat. Human characters occupy most part of the painted space. These characters are present in profile and sometimes in semi profile. The eyes are elongated which reflects the characteristic of Indian painting style. The painted face came much later only in the mid-20th century.

KOHVAR & SOHRAI PAINTINGS:

Pic 2- A lady painting Kohvar.

These are sacred, secular and relevant to a woman's world. This is the art practiced exclusively by married women, during weddings and at harvest time, and the skill and the information is handed down to younger females of the clan. Comb-cut or finger-painted, Kohvar art celebrates marriage, and the wall-painted Sohrai, bumper crops. Elaborate design motifs, animal and plant forms, fertility motifs are abundant and often echo ancient cave art found in the surrounds. The colours used are all natural - neutral earth shades, red oxide from stone, red ochre, kaolin white, manganese black earth etc. Blue and green are aberrant colours and do not feature prominently.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS:

Pic 3- Tribal Bansuri made of Bamboo

Kadri, Arbansi, Sarangi, Tuila, and Bansuri are some musical instruments of this State. The Jharkhand Sarangi looks curved, has three main chords which weigh more than other chords in the instrument. It is played along with Singa, Bansuri and Arbansi to give it that enthralling quality. Paika dance is accompanied with music of Shahnai, Bheir, Narsingha and the Dhak and Nagara drums.Instruments like Nagara, Jhanj, Mohuri, Turi, Dhol, Dhumsa, Bheri, Bansuri and conch shells are used in Chhaw dance. Karma is accompanied by folk music along with instruments such as Jhumki, Thumki, Challa and Payri. Such dances and forms of music play are performed generally at the wedding ceremonies, festivals and harvest seasons.

BOWS AND ARROWS AS WEAPONS:

Pic 4- Bows and Arrows of Tribal.

One of the most important and distinctive symbol that characterizes this community is the bow and arrow. The Santals use it extensively. Apart from using it for hunting, they use it during various rituals, festivals and celebrations. During the ceremonial cleansing after birth, the arrow is used by the midwife. In ancient times the umbilical cord of a new born baby was cut with the sharp edge of an arrow and the same arrow was placed vertically on the head side of the baby. During marriage ceremonies the arrow is used too. Again bow and arrows are offered to the dead (male members of the community) during burials. The bow and arrow is highly respected in the society. If anyone by chance touches it by his feet, he is immediately asked to bow to it. Therefore, it is impossible for the Tribals to abandon these bow and arrows as they are culturally, emotionally and mentally attached to them (bows and arrows).

TRIBAL ARTWORK:

Chhou mask - Chhou is a type of dance done with colourful masks. The masks are made of paper Mache in Singhbhum and Purulia district of Jharkhand and west Bengal respectively. Paper Mache of Saraikela and Charinda are famous for Chhou dance. Sometimes it appears similar to the masks used in Kerla in Kathakali.

Tribal woodwork - Jharkhand is full of good quality Saal forest and hence wooden artwork in the "should" of Tribals. The wood is used for cooking, housing, farming, fishing etc. The tribal artists of some villages have explored their creativity in art, like beautifully decorative door panels, toys, boxes, and other household articles.

Tribal Bamboo Artwork - The Bamboo found in this area are different from Bamboo of Southeast Asia. There is tourist place, Netarhat, which means a Bazaar of Bamboo. These bamboos are thin, and strong and flexible. The tribal people use bamboo for making baskets, hunting & fishing equipment. Especially the bamboo made fishing cage is very attractive.

Pic 5- Godna

Godna - Tribals use ornaments a lots but the spiritual concept of ornament is very different. They believe that all ornaments are human made and are mortal. Therefore, they invented tattoos as permanent ornament. Majority of tribal woman have tattoos called Godna, on their bodies. However, tribal men also use Godna. They believe that Godna are the only ornament which goes with them after death also.

Tribal weapons - Bow and arrow is the symbolic weapon of the Tribals of this area. Apart from this they use iron made Axes and Ghana (Big hammer).

The Unchecked Reality Of Beef-Ban.

2017-03-28T04:46:00.001-07:00

Mohammad Arsalan

________________

The recent Beef-Ban in Uttar Pradesh is one of the biggest frauds that would have been done. Many see it as Muslim bashing and hurting their religious sentiments but in actuality our Hindu brothers are being fooled and their religious sentiments are being fired out for fulfilling the vested interests of the capitalist-owned-government. Now here’s the prove:

India is the largest exporter of beef in the world. India exports more than 2.4 million tons of beef every year around the world and contributes to 23.5% of the total global exports. Before 2014, India stood no. 2^nd in beef export, whereas we surpassed Brazil after BJP coming into power and now we top the list.

India‘s four largest beef export companies are owned by our Hindu brothers, which are as follows:

1 )Al-Kabeer Exports Pvt. Ltd.
Owner name: Mr. Shatish & Mr. Atul Sabharwal
Add: 92, Jolly makers, Chembur Mumbai 400021

2) Arabian Exports Pvt.Ltd.
Owner’s name: Mr.Sunil Kapoor
Add: Russian Mansions, Overseas, Mumbai 400001

3) M.K.R Frozen Food Exports Pvt. Ltd.
Owner’s name Mr. Madan Abott.
Add : MG road, Janpath, New Delhi 110001

4) P.M.L Industries Pvt. Ltd.
Owner’s name: Mr. A.S Bindra
Add : S.C.O 62-63 Sector -34-A, Chandigarh 160022

Now with this we must understand how the government is inciting religious sentiments for mere political gains. The current government is too smart and playing two sides in the game. By banning beef they prima facie appear in working out with their Hindutva agenda, polarization and partisan of the ruling dispensation. The small retailers are being crushed and big corporate exporters are increasing. In actuality more that 3.25 lakh Muslim people in UP has suffered from the negation.

The second most important thing is that the government wants people to engage in foul discourses and be aloof from the ground realities that matters in day-to-day livelihood. For example as per financial express report as many as 287 farmers, including agriculture labourers have committed suicide in Madhya Pradesh during the past three months. Almost none of the promises under the “Vikaas” slogan has been fulfilled yet. Hence, the government is finding refuge in this gutter-game and masses are being used for propaganda. I hope the people understand this and take a better stand in future elections.

I very much care about the sentiments of my Hindu brothers, for that matter I will not let the government fool them. My appeal to the government is that there shouldn’t be a selective rule of law. Let’s make equal laws for all. Ban the beef export. Nor in India we will eat beef, nor we will let the blacks and whites eat beef around the world exported from our country.

#NoSelectiveRuleOfLaw #BanBeefExport

(Positive criticism and views accepted)

A VISIT TO MUKUNDPUR VILLAGE

2017-02-24T10:25:00.000-08:00

Mohammad Arsalan
____________________

7^th February’17- After a-two-day international conference on “Media and Sustainable Development: Key Issues and Challenges” organised by the department of Mass Communication, Aligarh Muslim University on 5^th and 6^th February, 2017, a delegation of faculties, students and 25 guests from different countries visited Mukundpur village of Aligarh district where organic farming is done.

The village has an estimated population of 3000 and a thousand people owning lands. Villagers make vermin compost naturally by collecting and nurturing fertilizers from specialised earthworms and husks. Natural gas plants are also installed at many spots used for cooking purpose-cow and buffalo dung is mostly used in producing the same.

“There is a larger space for organic farming but it is not apt in fulfilling the requirement of the poor to feed. Hence, chemical farming is also done for more production. In chemical farming external inputs like urea, DAC etc. are used”, says Pratiyush Varshney, an ISI graduate who works in the village and promulgates the idea of scientific farming. Further he adds that farmers are not well acquainted with scientific farming and are averse to it. They rather prefer traditional techniques, which apparently acts as debacle to the farming output. On asking about the government’s incentives and subsidies on seeds, fertilisers etc. provided to the farmers, Mr. Pratiyush blames corruption and says, “The government plans and initiatives are good, but in reality complicit, the big land owning farmers enjoy all the priorities, leaving others toiling”. Majority of the farmers are landless and suffer the negation.

A major population of Mukundpur is illiterate and those who are educated, most of them have migrated to towns and big cities for earning their bread and butter. The literate families generally have kitchen gardens where they grow crops and vegetables for feeding the family and not for selling it out in the market. The rest of the population is involved in commercial farming.

Despite small huts and seemingly poor condition prevalent in the village, the house of the up-pradhan Sunil Singh looked wealthier than many. Mr. Sunil owned more than 40 buffaloes, cars and motor-bikes. He had a-two-story building along with a lawn in front of his house, where a prerogative salutation was provided to the delegates and the framing technicalities were demonstrated. Ostensibly, Mr. Sunil talked about the village farmers and claimed to have helped most of them in providing government subsidies but prima facie his efforts seemed apathetic.

Organic farming was fostered by the delegation. The purpose of the visit was to practically observe and gather ideas for sustainable development. As farmers by profession delegates from Yemen exchanged their ideas of farming with the locals. A generous reception was given to the team by the villagers and Chaach and Gud were served as beverages. The village was surrounded by wheat fields; the ambient was peaceful and tranquil.

******************************

Why Muslim And Dalit Politics Fail In India? (Falling prey to ‘Vote-Bank’ politics)

2017-01-26T08:01:00.000-08:00

Mohammad Arsalan
_________________

Many Muslims intellectuals claim that Muslims don’t have a political stand, some say that Muslims only vote against the BJP, some are talking of Dalit-Muslim alliance in the upcoming UP polls. In my opinion all these things doesn’t fit to the prevailing political unawareness of Muslims in India. All the marginalized communities of India don’t have a political stand that mainly consists of Muslims, Dalits and Tribals (w. r. f. Justice Sachhar committee report 2006). The reason is that they are educationally, socially and financially backward. They battle only for bread and butter and know nothing of what is going around, hence they easily fall prey in the political system as underdog. That is what commonly called ‘Vote-Bank’.

Every political party requires lobbying for which Brahmins (including Rajput, Bhumihar and Baniya- not all but majority) are the fittest as they have always been socially powerful and financially strong since 2500 BC. Initially they lobbied for Congress and now they have their own fascist Bartiya Janta Party. Amid all that, Brahmanical hegemony is uprising creating more social repression, inequality and injustice in the society; the same that happened after 2500 BC up till the ‘Gora Sahib’ arrived in India followed by ‘Bhura Sahib’ and now by ‘RSS’.

This social inequality was realized by Dr. Ambedkar and he included Article 16 (4) i. e. ‘equality of opportunity in matters of public employment’ in the constitution providing special reservation for the backward class for their social and educational empowerment. At that time also Ambedkar was opposed by many upper caste Hindus. Further deliberate plotting was done against him to defeat in the Loksabha elections of 1952 & 54, later he was nominated in the Upper House or Rajya Sabha. Whereas the Élite Muslims in British India didn’t accepted the due demand in constitution and later majority of them flee to Pakistan leaving back the backward Muslims as orphans.

Now what Muslims and Dalits need to realize is that to take political stand it’s very important to come out of poverty. One is in despair when is in poverty and has no option but to be used as masses for propaganda by the ruling-class. Here I would like to quote Sir Syed, he said ‘Ignorance is the mother of poverty’. Ignorance comes from lack of knowledge and education. This was realized by Sir Syed after the first war of Independence in 1857, where he saw Muslims being brutally butchered by the British. He got to understand that education is the only key which could take these poor marginalized community including Muslims and other backwards from deprivation and vicious circle of poverty. That was the only key they could attain their position in social and political spectrum. Later on he started Aligarh movement and MAO College was formed in 1877.

It’s true that politics decides the fate of individuals and communities especially in an inclusive and diverse country like India. But feudalism and Brahminisation has still influenced the politics of India. To my little knowledge I think that Muslim and Dalit intellectuals fail to understand that it’s poverty, despair and jeopardy that has made marginalized communities aloof from the main stream. Those Muslims who use slangs like ‘rehnumai’, ‘qyadat’, and whatnot are either highly ambitious and are used by different political parties for Muslim appeasement, the others who actually commit themselves for a social change fail to understand the social fabric, problems of poverty, and beat around the bush. At initial level it’s important to eradicate the class-inequality, more and more focus on education should be done for emancipation and demanding rights rather than making hubbub of SP, BSP, Congress, BJP and bla bla. Until social equality and social justice is achieved; democracy will be a mockery in India and marginalized communities will remain a ‘Vote-Bank’.

NO FULL STOPS IN INDIA: BOOK REVIEW

2017-01-21T11:00:00.000-08:00

Mohammad Arsalan
_________________
For those who want to know the ground realities of India and the way her culture and traditions are harbored by its inhabitants ‘No full stops in India’ is a must read. Mark Tully, a renowned British reporter and commentator of BBC has pinned up series of events in such a beautiful way that it paints a felicitous picture of India, his understanding of the ‘Idea of India’, its diverse and pluralistic culture makes this a compelling reading.

He has been critical of his own British people in the way they have swept in the westernized narrative of being superior and further creating an élite class in India that endorses the same. Tully accuses the same élite Indians and British for poverty, despair and jeopardy that major population of India face. He quotes renowned economist Amartya Sen who wrote, ‘It’s important to understand the élite nature of India to make sense of India’s policies’. Citing the democracy and the ruling-class culture in India he says, ‘India’s élite have never recovered from their colonial hangover, and so they have not developed the ideology, the attitudes and the institutions which would change the poor from subjects to partners in the government of India. Democracy has failed because the people the poor have elected have ruled- not represented- them. The ballot-box is only the first stage in democracy.’ He promulgates the idea of perpetuating India’s own civilization rather than making a replica of the west. Brazenly he argues that lingua-franca of English among Indians by the English is part of their cultural hegemony or imperialism. For the adaptation of English language and knowing it’s pride among Indians, Mark being a British brutally accepts the way English giggle at the Indians, he says, ‘yet the irony is that we, the British, laugh at India’s zeal for our language, and Indian accent and Indian English have long been a fruitful source of jokes.’

In ten essays Mark has projected ample of de-facto cosmos of India’s life, from Shudra’s life in Badaun district of UP to Kumbh Mela that is held after every 12 years at Allahabad. He gives case studies and first-hand account of data of how extreme liberals and feminists have caused more fundamentalism in India; he has explained that in the whole episode of ‘Deorala Sati’ incident where a teenage girl Roop Kanwar deliberately committed Sati, and how the issue was then politicized and mongered. The historic epic Ramayna’s telecast at Doordarshan and the art culture of South India is all well imbibed in the essays. ‘Operation Black Thunder’, Indira Gandhi’s assassination, tussle among the Congress party, Rajiv Gandhi as PM and his assassination, Hindu radicalization, tribal issues and their vernacular art, rise and downfall of communism in Bengal, and whatnot. The book is a whole lot of realities and perspective that India falls into.

Tully says that intellectuals in India try to find out the solutions of their problem from the west not actually realizing that much of the solutions to Indian problem lies within India. Though written in 1992, the book still holds a lot of relevance in today’s context in India. For this book ‘No full stops in India’, Kushwant Singh in Sunday magazine has commented, ‘What [Tully] has to say makes for compelling reading’. And yes the Swami rightly said in the book, ‘there is always a story behind a story in India’…’There are no full stops in India, only comas.’

Post Script: Though there are certain points of which I am critical of, the stories are impeccable.

POLICE BRUTALITY AND VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS

2016-12-06T11:45:00.000-08:00

MOHAMMAD ARSALAN

_________________

Police brutality is not something new that has been introduced as an issue of Human Rights Violation rather it goes a way back to the history when India was under the British regime. Almost same conditions have prevailed in many parts of the world. In today’s context too many of the atrocities, torture, extrajudicial killings, fake encounters etc. are tactics used by the police in dealing with the culprits or criminals or under-trials or even the alleged or suspects. Many of the Human Rights activists, public intellectuals, academicians and even the judiciary has taken a keen concern over the misuse of Police power leading to gross Violation of Human Rights.

In the British India, Indian Police Act was introduced in 1861. This was done to give free hand to the police to subdue and repress the freedom fighters. This included arbitrary detention, lathi-charge, torture and so on. Some incidents like Jaliawala Bagh massacre could be cited as examples of lethal ambient police made in the country. Colonel Dyre on 13^th April, 1913 killed more than 380 and injured 1100+ people in a continuous firing of 10 minutes. Likewise, torture of leading freedom fighters are well known like Subhas Chandra Bose who was arbitrary compelled to break his fast, same kind of torture also happened to Bhagat Singh and his pals in jails.

Bhagalpur Blinding is one of the deadliest incidents of Police brutality. In a series of incidents between 1979 and 1980, Police blinded 31 people by pouring acid into their eyes; in Hashimpura Massacre on May 22^nd, 1987 amid Hindu-Muslim riots in Meerut, PAC jawans rounded up 42 civilians and took them at the outskirts of Ghazaibad, shot them dead and threw their bodies in the Ganga canal. Later the bodies were recovered floating in the river. One of the prosecution witness and survivor Muhammad Usman in 2007 said “We were sorted out on the basis of our strength and physique, while elders and children were picked up and set free. The youth were grouped together and put in a yellow PAC truck.”…”was pulled out of the truck, shot at twice and thrown into the Ganga stream”; in the Muthanga Incident, while Adivasis were protesting under the banner of Adivasi Gothra Maha Sabha (AGMS) against the delay of land to be allotted to them Police on 19^th February, 2003 opened fire in which two people were dead; Ishrat Jahan, Kuasar Bi and Sohrabuddin of Gujrat were encountered by the police which raised ample of questions of credibility in the case. In these encounter cases the court also took stern action and even the then Home Minister of the state Amit Shah had to face the trial and went behind bars; on October, 2016 in Hazaribag district of Jharkhand, while Tribals were protesting against the lease of their land to NTPC police gunned down four protestors leaving 40 injured; the recent Bhopal Encounter of the alleged 8 SIMI terrorist has been questioned a lot in lacking clear evidence of truth by many sections of the society.

In Kashmir and North Eastern states of India, Armed Forces Special Power Act is implemented which directly violates the Human Rights giving special powers to police and army to detain and arrest any individual without a warrant. If one is arrested under AFSPA he/she may not be liable to be made present before the magistrate within 24 hours, nor even the relatives may see the prosecute, many of the times the suspect is also kept in a secret prison. No accountability of Policemen or the Army can be questioned under this law. Because of this law many of the innocent civilians have suffered in the Kashmir Valley and North Eastern states of India since decades. This law has been considered draconian and violates basic constitutional rights of a citizen like Right to Equality (Article 14-18), Right To Freedom (Article 19-22) and Right Against Exploitation (Article 23-14). Also this law violates the UDHR prescribed by the United Nations for the security of Human Rights of every citizen globally. AFSPA has been looked upon as a draconian law and numerous activists have been criticizing it. One of the social activists Irom Sharmila of Manipur was on hunger strike against this Act and barbarism held under the garb of this rule; Earlier this year in Kashmir after the encounter of separatist Burhan Wani, military and police used pellet guns against countries own civilian, in that turmoil more than 600 people including children and women were brutally injured and became blind. More than 100 people also got killed in police firing. This incident was strongly criticised by the civil society activists.

Likewise, there have been series of numerous incidents since decades of gross Human Rights violation, repression, suppression and so on where police have played a very crucial role. In general it has been observed that state generally gives free hand to the police, sometimes under pressure from the top hierarchy of the government to coup-up with crucial matters that is politically motivated. For the country’s civilians it’s important to become aware of their rights of arrest and other legalities of detention so that violations in custody may not take place. The supreme court of India in view to the increasing violence and torture in custody (D. K. Basu vs. State of West Bengal, 1997 AIR 1997 SC 610) has laid down 11 basic requirements and procedures that the police and other agencies have to follow for the arrest, detention, and interrogation of any person. In today’s context, different NGO’s, NHRC, social activists are taking up the issues dealing with Human Rights violation under custody. If proper awareness of rights and literacy is propagated among the people such brutalities of Police may be controlled to a greater extent.

*******************

ROLE OF PRESS IN INDIAN FREEDOM STRUGGLE

2016-11-30T10:44:00.000-08:00

Mohammad Arsalan

________________

While looking back to the history and advent of the press in India, one would realise the pivotal role newspapers have played in bringing social reforms as well as in the freedom struggle of the country. It goes way back in 1780 when James Augustus Hickey started the first Indian newspaper in Calcutta (now Kolkata) known as Bengal Gazette. Further social reformers and freedom fighters like Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Annie Basant, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, M. K. Gandhi, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, J. A. Nehru, Shukat Ali, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad and so on started different newspapers that possessed contents paving avenues for freedom and social reform. Many philosophies and debates on freedom of press also have the history from its origin. As the newspapers were becoming influential in decoding policies and the hegemony of the then British government many laws were passed to gag the press like Vernacular Press Act 1878 under the Viceroy ship of Lord Lytton and Gagging Act by Lord Canning.

James Hickey also known as father of journalism in India wrote fearlessly against the Government policies and mainly targeted the then Governor General of India – Warren Hastings. He used words like “The Great Moghul” and “Dictator” to describe him. He tried to expose the hidden agendas of British East India Company. In repercussion of his blunt writings he was also put behind bars for more than two years. A great educationist and founder of Aligarh Muslim University Sir Syed Ahmad Khan started two journals Tehzib-ul-Akhlaq and Aligarh Institute Gazette. Philanthropist Raja Ram Mohan Roy started first nationalist newspaper in India. Roy started Brahmanical Magazine in 1819, Brahmin Sebodhi in 1819 – a bilingual periodical, Sambad Kamudi in 1821, in the same year he also started Mirat-ul-Akhbar: a Persian newspaper. Roy was a great statesman who brought dramatic social reform in Hindu society. He abolished the draconian Sati Pratha, Roy was against the orthodoxies prevailing in the Indian societies, he firmly stood against cast system, idol-worship and challenged other social dogmas. In that era, local newspapers in Indian languages were also started like Dig Darshan in 1818 (Bengali monthly), Samachar Darpan in 1819 (Bengali weekly) and so on.

The revolt of 1857 can be seen as a vital phase in the British India as it marked a drift in Indian media. In 1857 a Hindi-Urdu publication Payam-e-Azadi was started that urged people across the country to fight against the British. Revolutionaries felt the extensive need to vocal their struggle and reach to the masses. For that matter a lot many newspapers were started after 1857 and many of them still exist today like Times of India started in 1861, Amrit Bazar Patrika in 1865, Madras Mail in 1868, The Statesman in 1875, The Pioneer in 1865, The Hindu in 1878 etc.

Seeking the influence of the newspapers in Indian freedom struggle and active circulation of it, Newspaper Act was passed 1908 and Indian Press Act in 1910. A bit of freedom was enjoyed by the Indian press till 1930. However, the press law of 1932 and Foreign Relations Act of 1932 diminished the freedom of Indian Press. Section 124-A, commonly known as sedition law was introduced in the year 1870, under this law sedition charges were slammed on many of the freedom fighters like Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Gandhi etc. for descending against the British government, they also suffered imprisonment for the same.

Gandhi arrived in India in 1915 from South Africa. After the death of B. G. Tilak in 1920, Gandhi was given the responsibility of Indian National Congress. To propagate his views and reach the masses he started three main journals Navjeevan, Young India and later Harijan. He frankly wrote for the interest of the people and vehemently criticised the government. Later on, for that matter he also had to suffer imprisonment. Gandhi mostly articulated the topics in his journals that were vital for the interest of the nation and people. He wrote editorials on the burning topics in his journals. Gandhi was a strong supporter of freedom of press; he also advocated the idea of liberty. Gandhi argued “a newspaper justifies its existence only by the public support it received for its editorial content”. He had no advertisements in his journals; he was against the idea of selling ads. He said that weather the news if of one page it will work rather than having useless news of many pages. When Dandi March was started by Gandhi on 5^th April, 1930, the press gave full publicity and helped a lot in mass mobilization. Arbitrary detention and arrests of leaders became headlines in the newspapers at that time. The Press Ordinance Act 1930 was enacted at that time to expeditiously promulgate better control over the press keeping in view the on-going movements around the country for freedom, despite all that Salt Stayagrah became national campaign.

The Free Press Journal was born on 13^th June, 1930. By publishing the dispatches of free press news agency it kept informed the people about the on-going protest in the country. In 1933 Indian Express was started in Madras, Harijan was started on 11^th February, 1933 which advocated the idea of truth and non-violence in the country. To propagate the national struggle and work of intelligentsia among literate masses Jawahar Lal Nehru started National Herald in August 1938, Al-Hilal and Al-Balagh was started by Maulana Azad, Shaukat Ali started Hamdard and Comrade. Later on different newspapers were also added in the queue of struggle and mobilization of masses in India against the British government. The country finally was declared independent on 15^th August, 1947.

********************************

WHY CAMPUS ACTIVISM IS IMPORTANT FOR OUR COUNTRY'S FUTURE?

2016-11-20T11:27:00.000-08:00

MOHAMMAD ARSALAN
___________________________

At this juncture there is a stir around the country, heckled with arguments and confrontation that has occupied a foul space in the democracy. After the 2014 election victory of BJP at the Centre, many of the issues have come up that has occupied a major space in primetime debates, managing to suppress issues which are lethal and felicitous. Issues facing, farmers, the poor, Dalits, Muslims, Christians, students, tribals and so on.

Recently there have been gross human rights violation in Kashmir, where lethal guns were used against the country’s own civilians. In 2015, Akhalaq of Dadri, UP was lynched by a mob in accusation of possessing beef. On May 19, 2015, Muhammad Majloom and a minor Azad Khan, a 15-year-old-boy, were hanged from a tree by Gau Raksha Dal in Latehar district in Jharkhand. In September this year, four tribals were killed and more than 40 were injured by the state police atrocity in Hazaribag, Jharkhand when they were protesting against the land accusation by NTPC done with the consent of the BJP-ruled government.

Lakhs of farmers have committed suicide in the last two decades. Rohit Vemula, a research scholar of Hyderabad Central University became victim of campus discrimination leading to his institutional murder. Students of JNU were arbitrary detained earlier this year because of a so-called ‘anti-national’ slogans that was chanted inside campus. A student of JNU, Najeeb Ahmad has been missing for more than a month. The controversy of Najeeb’s missing broke out after a fiery talk with some right-wing groups at the hostel mess.

Likewise, there have been numerous incidents of repression, suppression, human rights violations, discrimination and so on that have occupied a big space in the country’s discourse.

Now when we see this happening, it’s highly important to understand the role of activists, students and other intellectual sections of the society. We have seen people like Irom Sharmila who was on hunger strike for more than 16 years against the draconian AFSPA Act. Teesta Setalvad has been fighting for the justice of the 2002 Gujarat riot victims in which Congress MP Ehsan Jaffery was also lynched. Arundhati Roy has been speaking and writing against the violation of human rights in Kashmir. A renowned investigative journalist Rana Ayyub has exposed many inside stories of Gujarat in her book “Gujrat Files”. And likewise there are many others who are fighting for different causes and barbarism prevailing inside the country. Almost all of them are facing different charges, trials and have threats to their lives.

At this point of time, it’s highly important for the students of different universities to join hands with all those who have been victimised and repressed in the country. History gives testimony to the fact that students have played a pivotal role in the freedom struggle of India. When Bengal was partitioned by Lord Curzon in 1905, students agitated against it in large numbers. In Gandhiji’s struggle against the Rowlatt Act of 1919, students embedded the crowd in huge numbers. In 1936, a students’ political party, All India Students’ Federation (AISF) was formed to support the INC. Even in recent days we have seen students of AMU, HCU, JNU, AU, Jadhavpur University etc. agitating in scads against the students and human rights violations in the country.

In today’s context, collective activism is the need of the hour. Identities of suppressed and repressed communities should be taken up with a humanitarian approach. It’s highly important for the students of different universities and colleges to come out on the streets and use their constitutional and democratic rights of dissent and protest.

Also, there is an immense need to stand in solidarity and support the activists who are fighting for legitimate and genuine causes in the country against the fascist tendencies and the ruling dispensation that are trying to break the secular and pluralistic character of the country. We had torch-bearers like Gandhi, Bhagat Singh, Maulana Azad, B. R. Ambedkar and countless others who propounded the idea of India. India, being the country of youth, embeds the responsibility to hold back the legacy of the makers of free India. If we go on this way, today’s youth shall be the makers of peaceful, buoyant, powerful and developed India with its rich diversity and culture, that makes it distinct in the world.

STUDENTS’ POLITICS: A RAY OF HOPE.

2016-03-25T07:33:00.000-07:00

In this professional era, where job and education crisis is at its peak, people hardly are able to think and analyse. Trapped in amid of politics, policies and other issues which needs to be combatted to ease the way of life, It is indeed a lethal ambient which has taken shape in India since after coming of BJP into power. The RSS backed government has no doubt a huge and massive partisan nationwide but while talking about its other side its facing a huge criticism from potential sections of the country.

The JP Andolan (1975-77) in India was one phase in independent India which produced many prominent leaders in our country including two CMs of Bihar. The emergency era took a remarkable drift in the history of free India, as due to this several new parties emerged including the BJP as well. All parties were formed with the notion of “socialistic parties”. The aroma of the country was such that a revolution has taken place and the country shall shape a new modern, developed and powerful India. This also provided platform to the RSS to highjack or perhaps make their own party so that they may get into politics. Now, after around forty years things seem to be the same.

The campaigning for the BJP in 2014 Lok Sabha elections was indeed well organized with such an ambit that gave a clear nod of its triumphant over congress. The congress too didn’t perform well in its ruling tenure like every other party and faced strong epithet in the whole country. The 2G scam, colgate scam, adarsh housing society scam, price hike and so on played well in distorting the congress image. Some may even claim the mum attitude of the then PM Manmohan Singh or may be the puerile candidature of congress for Prime Minister’s post. The slogans, polarization politics, Hindu radicalization and creation of Ram Mandir were used as a paradigm to win the elections. Narendra Modi took a good chance to fill up the leadership crisis by using beautiful slogans to win over the hearts of poor people, who saw him as a ray of hope. Words like “Sabka saath sabka vikas”, “Har har Modi, ghar ghar modi”, were impeccable slogans which got spaces in the young minds, farmers and poor of the country. The masses of the country saw a ray of hope for a change and better living.

Since after winning of BJP with absolute majority in the Lok Sabha in 2014 and forming a robust government things came out to be at worst. People with the ray of hope started pondering over fifteen lakh rupees to be debited into their bank account, employment of youth, concealment of Chinees army from Arunachal Pradesh, ten heads from Pakistan and so on. When the government couldn’t do all that it started swaying new issues to counter their foul promises like “Ghar wapsi”, “Love Jihad”, Pakistan Abode etc. When this too didn’t work, escaping the minority, the government backed by the RSS took over targeting the Schedule Cast people all over the country. Many of the public intellectuals returned their Awards in critics of the fascist forces prevailing in the country with Hindutwa outfit all backed by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

The centre was well going with all this until the suicide of HCU’s Dalit student Rohith Vemula, or some may calling it “institutional murder”. Rohith’s suicide in January 2016 took a massive criticism, when communication letters from HRD minister Smriti Irani to HCU-VC Appa Rao and Local MP of Hyderabad was discovered. This led to a huge outrage and mass protest against the government from all over the country. Students of prominent universities including AMU, JNU, AU etc. came out on a road protest. In between Smriti Irani was already in a breach of criticism when students were leading the “OccupyUGC” movement, where Non-NET fellowships were scraped, that is granted to the Research Scholars. In all this JNU students played an active role in tugging down the government policies and were fighting for Rohith’s Justice. The government targeted JNU which comprises of the left ideologists at its maximum. A couple of students including JNUSU president Kanahiya Kumar were arrested in connection with a programme where so-called “anti-national” slogans were chanted. The government tried all possible measures from physical violence to legal battle to debar the students and break the JNU campus but that became the cause of their own debacle.

Sedition law that comes under section 124-A, is being carried out as a British Legacy by our Government today, was charged to these students and students were arbitrary detained in the JNU row. Sedition law was imposed in the year 1870 under British Raj to debar the Indians from going against the state. Victims of this law were Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Mahatma Gandh, Bhagat Sing and many other prominent freedom fighters. Now, at this juncture, it feels the same with the impact which is stating the foul debate in the country as a "national" or "anti-national". It's a high time that we get rid of these kinds of laws which are detrimental towards democracy. These laws give a clear notion that we are still trapped in the old same pattern of British colonialism. At this era when the world is busy making satellites, discovering the universe and so on, it seems a kind of joke that we are still pondering over these foul debates.

All after the JNU row the students’ movement has again taken a rise and has caused a stir in the country, young leaders are coming out from colleges and universities, media seems to be coming back on a right track and civilians are getting to know the reality. This gives a clear remark that India is now combatting fascism and heading towards a revolutionary change. Hope, the new drift unlike 1977 promoting the left ideology may keep pace and bring out potential leaders who could fulfill the Idea of India dreamt by Ganghi, Bhagat Singh, Subhas Chandra Bose, Sukhdev, Ashfaqullah and all other prominent freedom fighters who suffered the sedition charges and gave up their life for our freedom.
#Jai_Hind #Jai_Bharat

- Arsalan Mohammad
Post Script- Views are personal, positive criticism and views accepted.

JUSTICE FOR MAGSAYSAY AWARDEE PROF. SANDEEP PANDEY

2016-01-10T02:47:00.001-08:00

(Arsalan Mohammad, AMU)
_________________________________________________________
Professor Sandeep Pandey, a visiting faculty of IIT-BHU, Magsaysay awardee and Vice-President of socialist party has been sacked by the BoG of IITs and V-C of BHU G. C. Tripathi on charges of being a Naxalite and Anti-National. We should strongly oppose and condemn the very action laid down by the Vice Chancellor of BHU. It would have been a different affair if his expulsion would have been done on the basis of his poor teaching performance, but since he was told that he is a Naxalite and Anti-national, is a very shameful allegation put on him and gives no proper reason of his discharge.

Prof. Sandeep Pandey is a social worker and raises his voice against social inequality. He demands for social justice and women empowerment. He has been contributing towards social welfare since decades. He is a Magsaysay award winner for the enormous efforts put in by him fighting for justice. He is a man who looks forward towards the development of backward communities. He raises his voice for SCs, STs, Backward Muslims and Naxalites. He openly speaks against fascism and other social evils.

Dr. Sandeep is the Vice-President of Socialist party, this clearly describes that he is a man who believes in socialistic ideology and likewise demonstration. His activism and protests have never been violent and aggressive. He is a believer of Gandhian Ideology that promotes peace, love, brotherhood and harmony. There lies no evidence of any event of his aggressive and violent demonstration.

In a lecture that he delivered on communal harmony at AMU in September 2014, he said that “Amit Shah is desh ka sabse bada ghunda hai.” (Amit Shah is the biggest criminal of this country), this became the headlines of all newspapers and Danik Jagran published it in all editions in the country. Being an upper caste Hindu and daring to speak like this is a payment and an outcome as his dismissal. No strong evidence has been produced for his expulsion.

Sacking Dr. Sandeep hardly affects his stature and livelihood but it is a mere notion that India is heading towards communalism and injustice. The way educational institutions are being saffronized is a threat to the nation’s pluralism. A person who speaks against injustice is called an antinational and naxalite. This is the violation of Freedom of speech Under Article 19 of the constitution.

Therefore, we must strongly oppose such actions and demand for justice for Prof. Sandeep. We feel ashamed of people like Prof. Girish Chandra Tripathi, who is an RSS associate. We demand immediate appointment of Prof. Sandeep at his last position. We demand removal of Prof. G. C. Tripathi from the post of V-C and the Board of Governors of IIT for his reprehensive and biased behaviour.

Aamir Khan is a Muslim and has no right to say anything on social issues.

2015-11-27T10:34:00.000-08:00

We should strongly oppose and condemn the statement made by Aamir Khan regarding intolerance. He must take care of his stratum that he is a Bollywood actor and has no right to speak on social issues as it directly projects government’s failure. As said by Adiyanath, he along with Shahrukh Khan may be compelled to go to Pakistan. Moreover, when he speaks of government’s failure he must remember Ehsan Jafery, Rajiv Dixit, Akhlaq and so on. He must also know that he has no talent at all and just because of tens of millions of people in India he became a superstar. There is no growing intolerance in India, even if it is there a bit no BJP or Modi is responsible for that. Furthermore, Aamir Khan doesn’t have a right to say this because he is a KHAN. We don’t see intolerance anywhere from Gujrat to Dadri or from Sahdvi to Togadiya. Aamir should stop befooling us Indians. It is not understood that how he sees government’s failure in this?

“Kiran and I have lived all our lives in India. For the first time, she said, should we move out of India?” – This is what his wife feels. Does she know that despite lynching of Mohammad Akhlaq, his family remains in India. Like his family more than two thousand families of Gujrat riots victims are living in this country, same is the situation with 1984 Sikh massacre victims and lakhs of other people. Either Aamir should remain in India or wait for the same case to be repeated on him as was done to late Ehsan Eafery, then after that he can move to Pakistan.

Mind you Aamir Khan this country belongs to RSS and you must follow their norms while living in this country. If you want to be honoured, respected and in fact sustain in the country just keep a blind eye, mouth shut and let people get raped, murdered, lynched and so on but don’t utter a word or else you will have two abodes – Pakistan or Qabristan.

-Arsalan Mohammad

BIHAR ELECTION RESULTS: DIVALI AT AMU CELEBRATED THREE DAYS BEFORE

2015-11-10T05:54:00.001-08:00

Arsalan Mohammad
____________________________________________________________
8^th Nov. 2015- The students of Aligarh Muslim University celebrated the victory of the grand alliance in Bihar. Grand alliance included the JDU, RJD and congress. BJP despite being at the centre and winning continuously in four states lost in Bihar. JDU got 71 seats, RJD won maximum seats counting to 80 and congress scored 27 seats whereas BJP contested at 158 seats but could only win 53, loosing 105 seats. Out of total 245 seats 178 has been bragged by the Grand Alliance and only 58 seats came to BJP. This is a big loss in BJPs court.

The prime focus of the people of Bihar was development and prosperity, for which their choice was none other than Lalu Yadav and Nitish Kumar. It is assumed that other than fake development policies, price hike and foul promises of Modi & RSS, one of the most important factors of loss was communal hatred, violence and riots which continuously took place after coming of BJP in the centre. This clearly shows that people of Bihar are very much secular minded and have a high respect for every religion, cast and culture. They are repairing the pluralistic mind set of the people of India. This victory is a slap on the face of fascism. Modi, Amit Shah, Adityanath, Sadvi, Mohan Bhagwat, BJP and RSS must learn from this that India actually hates hatred. The ethos of this country lies in the Ganga-Jamuni culture which has been there since centuries.

The march started from Hadi Hassan Hall and ended at University Circle where students burst crackers, distributes sweets and chanted slogans of communal harmony. “BJP after winning the Loksabha elections in 2014, tried every measure to break the secular and pluralistic pillars of India by riots, hatred statements etc. but failed. Delhi’s election was a sample for them but the result of Bihar speaks for Adiyanath or Sahvi to take a visa for Pakistan.”, Said Dr. Saquib Rehman. Around six hundred students were present in the victory rally. Dr. Sahab Shabbir, Shahbaz Khan, Arish Khan, Mashkoor Alam were also present in the march.

The Divali of 2015 seemed to be celebrated at AMU three days before and the whole credit for this goes to Adityanath, Sadhvi, Modi, Amit Shah, Mohan Bhagwat and all communal leaders of the nation.

AMU students protested against the rise of fascist powers; condemned the Atrocities on Dalits

2015-10-22T08:25:00.000-07:00

22nd Oct. 2015, The students of Aligarh Muslim University organized a protest against the barbaric attacks, atrocities and brutal killings of suppressed and weaker sections of society including minorities, dalits and tribals of India under the banner of Khudai Khidmatgar.

"A day before yesterday two innocent dalit kids aged 11 months and 2.5 years were burnt alive in Faridabad, Haryana. This bows our head in extreme shame, that in what kind of governance are we living? Hence, to our extent we under the banner of Khudai Khidmatgar AMU Unit have organised a protest march.", Said Mohammad Arsalan, a student of Aligarh Muslim University.

“It’s a high time that we people start condemning these acts and come out of our home against these social evils”, said Saad Hasan.

The protest march started from Marris Road and was called off at Center Point. “The reason behind organizing the protest outside the campus was to let these fascist powers know that the students of AMU openly criticize these conspiracies of these fascist powers in order to destroy the pluralism of the nation”, said Najm Mehdi.

Vishal Rajput, Ameem Ahmad, Arsalan Siddiqui, Wajhiuddin, Tariq and Sharjeel Usmani were also present during the protest.

APPEAL TO MR. MODI, HONORABLE PM OF INDIA.

2015-10-06T08:51:00.000-07:00

I am a secular Muslim of India and have a lot of respect and honor for the people of other religion. Hence, I have decided not to eat beef and support its ban in the whole country BUT there shouldn’t be any hypocrisy in this. As pork is “haram” (strictly abandoned) in Islam, for the sake of purity, respect and honour of the Muslims, pork must be banned too. Our Jain brothers & sisters live in this country, for them, killing of animals even for consumption is strictly prohibited. Hence, for the sake of their religious dignity and honor you must ban every kind of animal killing.

Furthermore, Mr. Modi let me enhance your knowledge about our own country that it is the largest exporter of beef in the world. India exports more than 2.4 million tons of beef every year around the world and contributes to 23.5% of the total global exports.
Out of 6 largest beef companies of India 4 are owned by our Hindu brothers which are as follows:

1)Al-Kabeer Exports Pvt. Ltd.
Owner name: Mr. Shatish & Mr. Atul Sabharwal
Add: 92, Jolly makers, Chembur Mumbai 400021

2) Arabian Exports Pvt.Ltd.
Owner’s name: Mr.Sunil Kapoor
Add: Russian Mansions, Overseas, Mumbai 400001

3) M.K.R Frozen Food Exports Pvt. Ltd.
Owner’s name Mr. Madan Abott.
Add : MG road, Janpath, New Delhi 110001

4) P.M.L Industries Pvt. Ltd.
Owner’s name: Mr. A.S Bindra
Add : S.C.O 62-63 Sector -34-A, Chandigarh 160022

Well, now if you are done with your tour Mr. PM, please reckon with that in recent days there have been lots of tragedies regarding beef leading to mob clashes and brutal killings.
Yesterday, a respected citizen of India named Mohammad Akhlaq was allegedly killed and beaten with stones by a group of men in Dadri in Uttar Pradesh state. His 22-year-old son was also seriously injured in the reported attack and is recovering in hospital. This was done the same way congress MP Ehsan Jafri in your Ahmedabad was killed in 2002 riots. Mr. Modi please take note that we want equality, if killing poor people for the consumption of beef is justice, then the above four people must be hanged till death in the crossroads of Delhi as they are the biggest culprits. I don’t hope for any justice from you as I know that this is a sample of your Gujarat 2002 model but I respect the religious sentiments of my Hindu brothers and sisters and ask you to at least ban these beef companies, so that our holy mother’s flesh doesn’t go abroad to get served to the white and black.
If the above criterias are fulfilled I assure you that I will stop eating beef but till then let me enjoy the taste.

-Arsalan Mohammad

(Post Script - Positive criticism and views accepted.)

References:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-on-top-in-exporting-beef/article7519487.ece

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/indian-man-beaten-to-death-after-rumours-his-family-ate-beef-a6673021.html

http://muslimmirror.com/eng/out-of-six-largest-meat-suppliers-in-india-four-are-hindus

DEAFFILIATON OF MADARIS AND IMPOSING MODERN EDUCATION

2015-07-04T02:51:00.000-07:00

I know a lot of students from Madarsa background, mostly from Dar-ul-Uloom, Deoband and Nadwa, who are pursuing different courses from AMU, JNU and Jamia. Let me frankly tell you that these students perhaps look eerie but they have sharp brains, they can memories and mug up the texts very easily, they have a strong analytical sense. Most importantly they are very down to earth people, humble, simply and doesn't woos for publicity. They are potential, laborious, studious and disciplined to the fullest. If they are provided good platform, it can be assured that these students can emerge as great Doctors, Scientists, Engineers, Lawyers, Accountants and many more.
About 2% of the Muslim population in India is pursuing education from Madaris, that too due to poverty and backward family background. Out of these 2% populace, most of them become Imams and Hafiz of the mosques and a very few among them opt for higher studies, that perhaps constitute less than 1% of the total Muslim population. Whereas, after 60s most of the Madaris were abandoned from the govt. funding and those which got also, was insufficient and pessimus. Which played an important role in degradation of the Muslim society in India as Muslims all ready were very poor and became unable to self finance the Madaris properly. This led to the exploitation of these muslims hence, creating sects among them and that is very much evident today as we can see. What the Muslims were then left with is the affiliation of the Madaris.
Now this game of the BJP of modernizing the Madaris is merely a conspiracy to enslave the Muslims, deviating them from their religion. Madaris and modern educational institution are two different things that collaboratively constitute a well equipped society.
Therefore, we must sincerely oppose and strongly condemn the stand of the BJP led Maharashtra government to de-affiliate the madarsa degrees and seek for its modernization. This type of tactics will ruin the already unconscious muslim community and is a great threat to the pluralism of this nation. Its a high time that the minority community should know the atrocities that is being done to them physically, mentally, socially and economically, otherwise the days are not far that RSS will make minorities the debt labor of this country and declare India a pure Hindu state.

-Arsalan Mohammad

(Post Script- Positive criticism and views accepted.)

ANNUAL HALL FUNCTION ORGANIZED BY SIR ZIAUDDIN HALL, AMU

2015-05-14T00:10:00.002-07:00

(Report By- Md Arsalan)

Pic. 1: Arsalan interacting with the media.

Pic. 2: Mr. Javed Abdi along with other guests at the stage

On 2^nd May, 2015, Sir Ziauddin Hall, AMU organized its Annual Hall Function. The Annual Function included two days programme. On 1^st May, Cultural evening was celebrated in which intra-hall cultural events like Singing Competition, Just a minute and Add. Mad Show was conducted. Out of 611 students of the hall more than hundred students participated in the events making the evening a grand success.

Mr. Vivek Bansal, an Ex-MLC, AMU Aluminous and National Congress Spokesperson was the chief guest whereas, Mr. Shahrukh Khan, a social worker and member of National Council of Minorities and SC/ST Development Trust and Director of BK College of Technology and Management was the guest of honour for the day one programme.

Followed by the Cultural evening the next day on May 2^nd, by the enormous efforts of the Senior Hall - Mr. Waseem Ahmad Rana, Senior Food - Mr. Farhan Azdani, Provost - Prof. Imran Saleem and fifty other volunteers of the hall, very peacefully Hall Dinner was organized.

Pic. 3: Mr. Javed Abdi receiving the bouquet from Prof. Imran.

Mr. Javed Abdi, President of the Pollution Control Board, UP and an eminent politician and social worker presided over the programme. Firstly he paid a lot of tribute to Sir Syed Ahmad Khan by his words, “It’s all because of Sir Syed that I am standing over here and it is because of him you all are here”, said Mr. Abdi. He praised the students and encouraged them to work hard for their future. He further told that getting good government jobs by the students can only curb the milli issues.

Whereas, the District Judge Mr. Allah Rakhe Khan motivated the students to go for judicial services as it is an important tool in the decision and policy making of the country. Another guest of honour Mr. Khalid Masood, UP State Minister and former president AMUSU, came up on the stage and shared his past experiences and memories of his days at the university.

After the interaction of the guest, a token of gift was presented to them by the provost, which was followed by the distribution of mementos to 29 post holders and 35 Achievers, who brought laurels for the hall in respective fields.

Pic. 4: Prof. Imran Saleem interacting with the media.

Provost- Prof. Imran Saleem, in a very jolly way praised the students and filled them with lots of enthusiasm. “I am very much curious and keen to promote cultural activities inside the hall.” Said, Prof. Saleem. The Senior Hall- Mr. Waseem, Presented the Hall report for the academic session 2014-15. And finally Senior Food- Mr. Farhan Azdani, gave a vote of thanks to all the Guests, Provost, Wardens, Senior students, Staff and Student members of the hall for cooperating in all ways possible and maintaining the decorum of the programme.

Finally around 1800 students and staffs including guests had their dinner in an open lawn, enjoying the essence of AMU tradition and Culture.

AMU Students Organized Blanket Donation Camp.

2015-01-08T23:30:00.001-08:00

Pic1. Students, Staff and Faculty Members engaged in distribution work.

Pic 2. Needy people standing in queue for there turn.

Report By- Md Arsalan

06^thJan, 2014 – Students of Aligarh Muslim University organized blanket donation camp at Bab-e-Syed in which more than one thousand blankets were distributed among the poor and needy people. Blankets were mainly contributed by the AMU Students, Staff and Faculty Members.

At the camp Pro VC Brigadier Syed Ahm

Pic 3. Blankets ready for distribution.

ad Ali, AMU-EC Member Prof. Hafiz Iliyas, Dr. Shahid - Ex AMU-EC Member and Dr. Sher Afghan – ZHCET Principle made their presence. They appreciated the noble efforts of the students and encouraged them to work more for good causes. PRO VC told the students that these initiatives are the part of Sir Syed’s dreams. Prof. Hafiz Ilias also expressed his sympathy to thousands of poor people present over there. He shared his past experience in activism and assured the students to take guidance from him whenever required. A fortnight back these students also donated warm clothes to the slum dwellers at AMU Purani Chungi Gate.

The donation drive was mainly supervised by Syed Umer Qadri – Former VP AMUSU, Sayed Avesh – Student Activist and Shahab Shabbir – Research Scholar.

Other students who volunteered were Parvez Alam (Ph.D), Mohd. Faraz (Ph.D), Khurshid Alam (Ph.D), Sadique Ahmad (Ph.D), Md Ahsan Khan (Ph.D), Dr. Ammar, Dr. Sameer, Tarique Pasha, Md Anas Ansari, Shoeb Ahmad, Mohd. Saquib, Moinuddin, Md Arsalan, Shahbaz Khan and Junaid Ahmad.

Faisal Khan a man of Inspiration

2013-12-31T18:56:00.000-08:00

Faisal Khan turns out to be a true Alig and a real citizen of India. His social works for the social upliftment is incredible. Faisal Khan has dedicated his life in sorting out the problems of common and poor people. He is a man who is spreading the message of humanity and love. His dedication of work towards the society and country is amazing. He lives a very simple and decent life. Faisal Khan is working with NAPM and other organizations for decades. Association for Communal Harmony in Asia (ACHA) honored Faisal Khan with the ACHA Peace Star Awards 2010, in recognition for his works for communal harmony and peace across the country. Faisal Khan was also declared as TCN person of the year 2011. Inspired by the Gandhiyan ideology of non-violence and satyagrah, on January 20th, 2011, on the occasion of Frontier Gandhi’s 23rd death anniversary, fifty volunteers under the leadership of Faisal Khan, took the initiative of reviving Khudai Khidmatgar, by taking the oath to serve the humanity without seeking any worldly desire.Khudai Khidmatgar was a movement started by Frontier Gandhi, Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, in 1930s to fight British rule through Satyagraha (Non-Violent struggles). But when Badshah Khan’s message of peace and Non-Violence, was forgotten by Pathans, Muslims and India, Faisal Khan in 2009 decided to revive the movement by adapting it to today’s Indian context. Faisal Khan’s most popular movement is “Beti Bachao Andolan” in respect to the women empowerment.

In the Muzaffarnagar riot hit areas Faisal Khan has put in his lots of efforts to save and help the victims by winter cloth collection and opening of school in the camp side areas and many more.

To boost up the communal harmony Faisal Khan recently took initiative for a padyatra-

“दिल जोड़ो, नफरत छोड़ो यात्रा, journey for love and harmony” from Bu-Ali-Shah-Qalandar, Panipath to Parmarth Ashram, Rishikesh. Covering almost 50 riot hit areas of Muzaffarnagar. Faisal Khan is an example of true Alig. We must learn from him.

SLUMS DWELLERS

2011-08-31T23:29:00.000-07:00

The origin of the word slum is thought to be the Irish phrase 'S lom é (pron. s'lum ae) meaning "it is a bleak or destitute place. Literally slum refers to a kind of society which is lacking basic needs like food, clothes, shelter etc. In a country like India poverty is a great hindrance for development. Poverty restricts human resource, which beers a great importance in development.

There are thousands of problems which are caused due to poverty like lack of nutritional intake, inflectional and water borne diseases, poor health of women, unhealthy food, high infant mortality rate, low life expectancy, improper medical facilities, illiteracy etc. Overall one can say that there life is completely a mess.

In India government is making a good effort in removing poverty. In recent years government has adopted several plans for poor like MANREGA, Indira Aavaas, Pradhan Manatry Roozgar Yojna etc. All these government schemes are helping out poor to attain proper wealth in lieu to their efforts, these schemes are providing guaranteed employment with proper wages and implemented labour laws, some schemes like Indira Aavaas is providing a particular sum of money to the poor to build their houses. On another hand also some subsidies in rations are being provided to the people who come under below poverty line. Some health centers are also being built in the remote areas for proper check-up. Moreover government is on a track to promote education by making it compulsory for children up to fourteen years of age and many more such things.

These are some of the initiatives taken by the government to heal this problem of poverty. Though it will take time as all these things in practice doesn’t work smoothly. Some barriers like corruption etc. comes which are again a threat. Anyway, we should be optimistic and hope for a poverty free India.

-Arsalan Mohammad

5 Environmental Problems Faced By Human Beings

2011-03-18T09:40:00.000-07:00

Mohammad Arsalan
-----------------------------------------------

In lieu of this very alluring topic, I would like to put my humble points regarding the fact that has not only contaminated the environment but has created an alarm of human extinction. It’s not plague, it’s by which plague is created, and most of the diseases known. It’s pollution. Not only the pollution we see in daily life but the pollution which had penetrated into land, in water and in air.

There is not a single area left which is not affected by these villainies of human creations. With the creation of more modern tools came more dangerous and more vicious threat in front of the creator himself. The advent of factories led to the arrival of water and air infectivity. The nature has the power to cure herself but to what extent? Are we not standing on the edge of nature’s vexation which may lead to our own extinction? The water we drink, the air we breathe are so affected by these waste that it had led to water and air born diseases like cholera, typhoid, jaundice, malaria and many more. These death threatening diseases do not only spread to oneself but most of the diseases spread through air and affect more and more number of people. The cause and carrier are same.

Another very talked about environmental disaster is global warming. It is defined as the increase in the average temperature of the earth near surface, air, and ocean since the mid 20th century and its projected continuation. There is a lot of heat caused to the earth due to the green house gasses that get rapt in the sun’s rays thereby causing global warming. Higher temperatures are expected to be accompanied by changing patterns of precipitation frequency and intensity, changes in soil moisture and a rise of the global sea level. To assess current examples relating to global warming, an examination is first needed on these examples; Sea levels could rise six feet and up in future centuries. The entire Amazon rainforest will be lost if the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increases by more than 50%. But no matter whatever action the world takes to stop global warming, sea levels are set to rise and wipe out several island nations. The worst news is that whatever governments do to cut emissions, sea levels will rise by at least 2 meters over the next few hundred years. Low-lying farmland and cities occupied by hundreds of millions of people will also be engulfed.

As we become more technologically advanced, we produce materials that can withstand extreme temperatures, are durable and easy to use. Plastic bags, synthetics, plastic bottles, tin cans, and computer hardware- these are some of the products that make life easy for us. But what we forget is that these advanced products do not break down naturally. Plastic bags are difficult and costly to recycle and most end up on landfill sites where they take around 300 years to photo degrade. They break down into tiny toxic particles that contaminate the soil and waterways and enter the food chain when animals accidentally ingest them. But the problems surrounding waste plastic bags starts long before they photo degrade.

When we dispose them in a garbage pile, the air, moisture, climate, or soil cannot break them down naturally to be dissolved with the surrounding land. Our planet is becoming increasingly contaminated by our unnecessary use of plastic carry bags. Big black bin liners, plastic carrier bags carrying advertising logos, clear sandwich bags, vegetable bags and a variety of other forms used to carry our daily food items and other items are all polluting our environment. Just take a look around you. Plastic bags can be seen hanging from the branches of trees, flying in the air on windy days, settled amongst bushes and floating on rivers. They clog up gutters and drains causing water and sewage to overflow and become the breeding grounds of germs and bacteria that cause diseases.

Solid Industrial Waste creates hazardous gasses to reach atmosphere and thereby also making them accessible in common place and in result affecting more number of people. One of the main problems in dealing with studies on landfill sites is the distinction between sites for municipal solid wastes and sites for other wastes. The definition of different types of waste is far from being standardized across the world. The terms hazardous, special, toxic, industrial, and commercial, etc, are variously applied in different countries and time periods to designate non-household wastes. In earlier time periods definitions were even less clear and some disposal sites may have switched categories (e.g. if they used to take industrial waste they may now only take municipal waste). Solid waste is discarded materials other than fluids. In addition enormous tonnages of food residues, yard trimmings, textiles, plastics, and sludge formed in sewage treatment were produced. Although the amount of the increase has been slowed somewhat by recycling and composting programs and improvements in packaging, the amount of solid waste continues to increase annually.

Lastly we will discuss the eco-environmental effect of mining. I am categorizing the following thing into points so as to make the understanding more clear and apparent.

ü Induced geological disasters.
ü Changes in hydrological and geological conditions and water pollution.
ü Soil degradation and pollution due to mining.
ü Mine solid residue.
ü Increased soil erosion.
ü Loss of biodiversity.

Conclusion: There is a requirement for more severe and stern policies, which have to be applied to remove the ill-effect of the progress in regard of progress, and then, we can truly achieve the pinnacle for which technology was created.

*********************************************

Stephen Hawking: Asking big questions about the universe

2011-02-04T09:01:00.000-08:00

Computer Assignment Completed

2010-12-19T05:58:00.000-08:00

Hi there
Completed the computer assignment today given by Sanjeev Sir. Well, to be honest, not a very difficult task. It was real fun. Though some question were really tricky. Sanjeev Sir can do that to you. He is very good at that. He really knows his subject.
What more to say.
Thank you all for taking your time and have a look.
Take care guys.
See ya.