Efforts are being made to claim that the killing of 1.5 million Armenians during WW-1 under the Turkey Sultanate be termed as ‘genocide’, but what about the massacres by United States, asks the writer.
Former Secretary of United States Henry Kissinger says, “It is better to be at war with the US and face hardship for sometime than to be its ally and suffer forever”.
It is easier to defend oneself from an open enemy but God save us from friends. United States is the super power of today and it will change its policies to suit its interests as and when required. Many countries, including Pakistan, which extended hands of friendship to the US, are learning this the hard way.
The situation in Pakistan has deteriorated to such an extent that the person going out of his house is not sure whether he will return back home.
This is a heartbreaking figure about the country which is in the frontline of peace propagation. Even Genghis Khan, Halaku Khan, Taimur Lang and Adolf Hitler, put together, had not killed so many people in their times. They are among those who are considered the most barbarous entities of their time. However, if one goes on comparing them with US and its presidents, they stand nowhere.
The Superpower of the world, U.S. of America, intruded into Afghanistan with the notion that they would finish off the Taliban, a band of unorganised primitive minded fighters, and replace the Talibani government with democracy. But what it did during the last eight years shows that the things didn’t go according to plan. Majority of the Afghanis still believe, now with more conviction, that Taliban were a better lot.
Iraq is the other chapter. The frequency of bomb blasts there has increased. Peace it seems is still a dream for the Iraqis. The common factor in all these countries is that the problems started after the US step foot on their soil.
Turkey is one of the main allies of United States and also occupies important place diplomatically because the country has a seat in the UN Security Council. America will need it in the push for sanctions against Iran over its nuclear programme. Turkey is also helpful to the US on a host of other diplomatic issues in the Middle East and Central Asia.
Yet the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee of U.S. Congress has passed a resolution against it. The resolution calls the World War-1 killing of 1.5 million Armenians during the Ottoman Empire as “genocide”. Earlier too, the Foreign Affairs Committee had approved a similar genocide resolution in 2007 but owing to the intensive pressure from then-President George W. Bush, the measure was not brought to the House floor. On the other hand Turkey has always been denying it and asserts that the killing was not the part of a programme to eliminate the population. Rather, it said that many of them had died of disease. The Turkish officials also said that the Armenians killed in the war were far less than the Turks and that they were killed during the civil wars.
This time too, though it does not seem that the resolution will go to the full House of Representatives for vote as both the President Barrack Obama and secretary of state Hillary Clinton do not favour the move, Turkey has responded harshly by recalling its ambassador from Washington for consultations. Notably the UN Convention on Genocide also does not categorize the massacre under genocide.
The Turkish Foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu has said that describing the 1915 Armenian killings as genocide is an insult to Turkey’s ‘honour’. He also threatened to downgrade its strategic relationship with the US.
Whether the US Congress approves the resolution with full vote or not, one question remains unanswered: if the label of “genocide” can be stuck to Turkey, as it was under its Sultanate that the Armenians were killed, why can the US not be called the culprit of Genocide. It has intentionally obliterated millions of people from a certain group and community.
In Turkey, Suat Kiniklioglu, the influential deputy chairman for external affairs in the ruling Justice and Development party (AKP), warned of “major consequences” if the resolution was accepted by the full House of Representatives.
“If they chose to bring this to the floor they will have to face the fact that the consequences would be serious – the relationship would be downgraded at every level,” he said. “Everything from Afghanistan to Pakistan to Iraq to the Middle East process would be affected. “There would be major disruption to the relationship between Turkey and the US,” he added. Whether the US Congress approves the resolution with full vote or not, one question remains unanswered: if label of “genocide” can be stuck to Turkey, as it was under its Sultanate that the Armenians were killed, why can the US not be called the culprit of Genocide. It has intentionally obliterated millions of people from a certain group and community.
Interestingly, the 2009 annual report of the very US State Department on human rights has revealed that discrimination against Muslims is on the rise in Europe. Whether it is Switzerland’s ban on the construction of new minarets on mosques or continued bans or restrictions on head scarves and burqa worn by Muslims in France, Germany and the Netherlands. The report particularly focused on problems in the Netherlands, where Muslims number about 850,000, saying that Muslims face societal resentment based on the belief that Islam is not compatible with Western values. The report blamed right-wing politicians for playing a role in fuelling the resentment.
Among other countries, the report most critically faulted human rights practises in Belarus, China, Cuba, Iran, Myanmar, North Korea, Zimbabwe, Sudan, Syria and Russia.
The report is prepared from the same country which so far has killed at least 173 million people across the world and its atrocities still continue. According to a report, the US by 2007 had killed 100 million Red Indians, 60 million Africans, 10 million Vietnamese, 2 million Afghans and one million Iraqis.
Interestingly, the figures also show that since its independence in 1776 till 2005 American army have attacked Muslim countries about 220 times.
This is a heartbreaking figure about the country which is in the frontline of peace propagation. Even Genghis Khan, Halaku Khan, Taimur Lang and Adolf Hitler, put together, had not killed so many people in their times. They are among those who are considered the most barbarous entities of their time. However, if one goes on comparing them with US and its presidents, they stand nowhere. Genghis, Halaku, Taimur and Hitler are believed to have on their hands the genocide of 34 million, 4 million, 14 million and 21 million people respectively. But there is huge difference between America’s 173 million and their collective 73 million.
In the post World War-11 period, United States has bombarded 30 countries. It attacked China twice, Guatemala thrice, Korea, Indonesia, Cuba, Congo, Peru, Sudan, Vietnam, Cambodia, Grenada, Lebanon, Libya, El Salvador, Panama, Yugoslavia and a few more.
Our country India is very keen to establish strong relations with the United States. We do not oppose this. What is needed is to remain cautious. As US does not quit its interests, India too should keep first its interests then the relations. But the 123 nuclear deal has revealed something otherwise.
By Ismail Khan
Friday, April 2, 2010
FREEDOM BREEDS EXTREMISM!
It is said that blasphemous cartoons are a depiction of freedom of expression. But we should think whether we are going wrong in using the freedom and consequently it instead of establishing reconciliation between two units, is paving way to enmity.
This time it is not the new cartoon of Prophet Muhammad or a reprint of the one already published. It is the cartoon of a Muslim woman covered from head to toe with the slit space for her eyes depicted as prison with jail bars and locks. It was published in a Canadian newspaper Montreal Gazette and was drawn by one Terry Mosher.
Though the cartoonist contends that the purpose behind drawing the cartoon was to encourage discussion over the issue of veil, which started off in Nov 2009 when a Muslim woman refused to remove her veil in a French class in Montreal. It should be noted that the Gazette published an editorial in support of the woman, which the cartoonist said was clear evidence that the cartoon was meant for instigating a discussion over veil.
Nevertheless, keeping in the mind that earlier cartoons of Prophet Muhammad have created much havoc throughout the world, the novel way of starting a debate through drawing cartoons seems that ill intention was hidden behind this. It is the matter of belief and any attack on the belief, no one can tolerate. The Muslim community for long has been a target of such attacks which ultimately created among them some extremists who naturally tried to kill the attackers. The matter of belief is very sensitive. Great wars have been and continue to be fought for belief.
Perhaps, this was the reason that a woman was ready to fight for her belief. This is despite softness and affection being the nature of women.
“Jihad Jane” a middle-aged American woman was recently charged for helping to recruit a network for suicide attacks and other terrorist strikes to wage violent jihad in South Asia and Europe. It is said that she had also travelled to Sweden to kill Lars Vilks in a way that would frighten “the whole Kuffar [nonbelievers] world.”
In the meantime, seven others belonging to Algeria, Libya, the Palestinian territories, Croatia and the US too were arrested for plotting to kill Vilks. Interestingly a woman too is among the arrestees.
Vilks had drawn a cartoon insulting to the Prophet Muhammad. The drawing was used in a Swedish newspaper in 2007 to illustrate an editorial on freedom of expression. A group linked to al-Qaeda in Iraq had offered a $100,000 (£66,000) reward for killing Vilks, and a 50% bonus if he was “slaughtered like a lamb” by having his throat cut.
His cartoon was published about a year-and-a-half after a series of depictions of the Prophet Muhammad in Denmark’s Jyllands-Posten paper caused protests by Muslims around the world.
Many attempts have been made to kill different cartoonists who committed blasphemy to the Prophet Muhammad. There are many newspapers which use “freedom of expression” and many people also enjoy the freedom but they live in peace and no one, even the Islamists, try to kill them. Why only the Danish newspaper ‘Jyllands Posten’ and some others are the target of Islamist? Why it is so that only cartoonist Kurt Westergaard and Lars Vilks are attacked? Take any newspaper and you will find many cartoons in them. There are many TV channels devoted to cartoons. No one goes on opposing them.
Before the news came that Kurt Westergaard was burnt alive in his house, an alleged Islamist al-Shabab militia member 28-year-old Somali had intruded his house wielding an axe and a knife to kill him. Just after the cartoon of Westergaard was published, he has been receiving threats from Islamists and was under immense security.
These very cartoonists were safe before drawing the caricatures of Prophet Muhammad. The reputation of the newspapers publishing these cartoons too was not bad.
But after publishing the cartoons both cartoonists and newspapers came under attack from Muslims. It is said that the cartoons were a depiction of freedom of expression. Somewhere we are going wrong in using the freedom and consequently it instead of establishing reconciliation between two units, is paving way to enmity.
We should think whether we are causing increase in the number of extremists in the name of freedom of expression. It is but we who have provided them with a chance to practice violence. If we do not tease the religious beliefs and then the fundamentalists continue attacks on secularists, their own community will abandon them.
A saint in the past becomes criminal if they undergo certain circumstances. So is the case with terrorism and its breeders. The Islamic terrorists, as claimed, often are reacting to the atrocities and misbehaviours they face on the hand of others. During the Mumbai 26/11 terror attack, the terrorists called it the answer to the tortures meted out on the Muslims throughout the world including Kashmir, Gujarat and Palestine among others.
Perhaps, there would be a check to all these violence if extremists are not inflamed by our activities.
A Hameed Yousuf
ahameed12@gmail.com
This time it is not the new cartoon of Prophet Muhammad or a reprint of the one already published. It is the cartoon of a Muslim woman covered from head to toe with the slit space for her eyes depicted as prison with jail bars and locks. It was published in a Canadian newspaper Montreal Gazette and was drawn by one Terry Mosher.
Though the cartoonist contends that the purpose behind drawing the cartoon was to encourage discussion over the issue of veil, which started off in Nov 2009 when a Muslim woman refused to remove her veil in a French class in Montreal. It should be noted that the Gazette published an editorial in support of the woman, which the cartoonist said was clear evidence that the cartoon was meant for instigating a discussion over veil.
Nevertheless, keeping in the mind that earlier cartoons of Prophet Muhammad have created much havoc throughout the world, the novel way of starting a debate through drawing cartoons seems that ill intention was hidden behind this. It is the matter of belief and any attack on the belief, no one can tolerate. The Muslim community for long has been a target of such attacks which ultimately created among them some extremists who naturally tried to kill the attackers. The matter of belief is very sensitive. Great wars have been and continue to be fought for belief.
Perhaps, this was the reason that a woman was ready to fight for her belief. This is despite softness and affection being the nature of women.
“Jihad Jane” a middle-aged American woman was recently charged for helping to recruit a network for suicide attacks and other terrorist strikes to wage violent jihad in South Asia and Europe. It is said that she had also travelled to Sweden to kill Lars Vilks in a way that would frighten “the whole Kuffar [nonbelievers] world.”
In the meantime, seven others belonging to Algeria, Libya, the Palestinian territories, Croatia and the US too were arrested for plotting to kill Vilks. Interestingly a woman too is among the arrestees.
Vilks had drawn a cartoon insulting to the Prophet Muhammad. The drawing was used in a Swedish newspaper in 2007 to illustrate an editorial on freedom of expression. A group linked to al-Qaeda in Iraq had offered a $100,000 (£66,000) reward for killing Vilks, and a 50% bonus if he was “slaughtered like a lamb” by having his throat cut.
His cartoon was published about a year-and-a-half after a series of depictions of the Prophet Muhammad in Denmark’s Jyllands-Posten paper caused protests by Muslims around the world.
Many attempts have been made to kill different cartoonists who committed blasphemy to the Prophet Muhammad. There are many newspapers which use “freedom of expression” and many people also enjoy the freedom but they live in peace and no one, even the Islamists, try to kill them. Why only the Danish newspaper ‘Jyllands Posten’ and some others are the target of Islamist? Why it is so that only cartoonist Kurt Westergaard and Lars Vilks are attacked? Take any newspaper and you will find many cartoons in them. There are many TV channels devoted to cartoons. No one goes on opposing them.
Before the news came that Kurt Westergaard was burnt alive in his house, an alleged Islamist al-Shabab militia member 28-year-old Somali had intruded his house wielding an axe and a knife to kill him. Just after the cartoon of Westergaard was published, he has been receiving threats from Islamists and was under immense security.
These very cartoonists were safe before drawing the caricatures of Prophet Muhammad. The reputation of the newspapers publishing these cartoons too was not bad.
But after publishing the cartoons both cartoonists and newspapers came under attack from Muslims. It is said that the cartoons were a depiction of freedom of expression. Somewhere we are going wrong in using the freedom and consequently it instead of establishing reconciliation between two units, is paving way to enmity.
We should think whether we are causing increase in the number of extremists in the name of freedom of expression. It is but we who have provided them with a chance to practice violence. If we do not tease the religious beliefs and then the fundamentalists continue attacks on secularists, their own community will abandon them.
A saint in the past becomes criminal if they undergo certain circumstances. So is the case with terrorism and its breeders. The Islamic terrorists, as claimed, often are reacting to the atrocities and misbehaviours they face on the hand of others. During the Mumbai 26/11 terror attack, the terrorists called it the answer to the tortures meted out on the Muslims throughout the world including Kashmir, Gujarat and Palestine among others.
Perhaps, there would be a check to all these violence if extremists are not inflamed by our activities.
A Hameed Yousuf
ahameed12@gmail.com
FREEDOM TO HURT RELIGIOUS SENTIMENTS!
India has always witnessed law and order problems whenever Bangladeshi writer Tasleema Nasreen is here. Will the government continue to support this foreign national ignoring its citizens’ protests? Are all Bangladeshis welcome in India? Or only those who are anti Muslims?
In a small village of Karnataka, a family is mourning. Imran (13), Salman (9) and Tahseen (5) have lost their father. The innocent children do not know why their father Abdul Latif (42) was killed. Now the whole responsibility of caring for these children has come upon the shoulders of his widow Rehana Begum. Her puffed rice (murmure) vendor husband, who used to earn daily to buy food for the family, has not left behind money to feed them even for some days. The earnings of this family man were just enough to feed his family daily.
Abdul Latif, as usual, was on his bicycle selling murmure when the communal violence erupted in Shimoga, Karnataka. He told his family not to go out of house lest the rioters should target them, but after half an hour he himself was murdered.
He is one of the two people killed, and scores injured, during the riots which took place after a translated version of an article by Tasleema Nasreen criticizing burqa was published in a Kannada daily “Kannada Prabha”. The newly married wife of Sadiq Pasha too was widowed on the same day. The riots which spread through Gandhi Bazar, Nehru Road, Ameer Ahmad Circle and Waqf Board office in Shimoga caused a total loss of around Rs 7 crore.
This is besides many innocents being arrested from the same community whose shops, houses, cars and two-wheelers were damaged. According to a report at least 158 Muslims, among whom some are high school and college students, were arrested for creating riots. The police, as usual, have been alleged to support, instead of stopping, the communal elements from the majority community.
Has India or the world, showed the same hospitality to anyone who instead of criticizing Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and Qur’an, had made any other religion, belief or culture their nefarious target? India’s distinguishing characteristic of being multi-cultural, multi-religious and above all the largest democracy is tied tightly with due respect to every culture and religion. Why is the evil Tasleema, who hurts sentiments of Muslims, then allowed to have an Indian visa?
The Shimoga-Hassan riots are not the first which the Bangladeshi writer Tasleema Nasreen has caused since she started seeking fame through criticizing Islam. A doctor by profession Nasreen was never a good writer. So-called protagonists of secularism have made her seem so, merely because she criticizes Islam, asks to revise the divine book and so on. She was expelled from her own Muslim dominated country for hurting the sentiments of Muslims. Since then, she has been visiting doors of various countries to seek shelter.
There would be no protest if she was given asylum in the USA or any other European country, but when our country does it, 180 million Indians have the right to raise their voice.
given asylum in the USA or any other European country, but when our country does it, 180 million Indians have the right to raise their voice.
Besides provoking the second largest majority of India, Nasreen has created law and order problems many times. Indians want to live in peace. Then why should a potential threat to peace be allowed to stay in the country.
Tasleema may be called a guest of India. But this guest who is breaking the unity of the host’s house should be thrown out and never be allowed in again. The presence of Tasleema has always been harmful to the peaceful atmosphere in India. Whether it was the Bengal riots or the Shimoga riots, her articles have been responsible.
It is she who caused huge economic damage to India—during protests against her, work would come to a standstill affecting market and lakhs of rupees have been wasted for providing security to her. Yet our country insists on giving her visa and (might be in future citizenship too).
“The purdah (Islamic face veil) that I wear protects me. I like the purdah which Muslim women wear. I like the lifestyle of Muslim women. Purdah is a wonderful dress. No man ever makes a pass at a woman in purdah. It provides her with a sense of security.” Kamala Das Suraiya
The reason given for showing sympathy towards Tasleema—protecting freedom of expression—is illogical. What she does cannot be called “freedom of expression”. It is utmost misuse of the freedom. Freedom of expression is meant for better understanding of necessary issues and not for criticising religious issues which are one’s personal beliefs. There are many fools who think that being critical is the only way of being liberal. Tasleema Nasreen is one of them.
Everything is tolerable within specified limits. Freedom of expression should not mean that everyone goes on accusing and defaming people and get away. Those who blindly advocate freedom of expression beyond limits will not tolerate if their sentiments were hurt by any kind of matter however trivial. If the same kind of article was written on Tasleema Nasreen accusing her of the same indecency she has accused so many in her books would it be still considered freedom of expression?
Quite contrary to it, when anyone criticizes or opposes Tasleema they are labelled “fundamentalists” and “orthodox”. Read any news article about Tasleema and there instead of condemning the views of Tasleema she is applauded and those raising voice against her blasphemy and nefarious actions are called the fundamentalists. None of the practicing Muslims oppose freedom of expression. But tragedy is that many raising the issue of freedom, either of expression, choice or anything else, become partial when it comes to Islamic traditions. Voting for minarets ban in Switzerland or ban on burqa in many western countries is one example.
A deep study of the reason behind opposition to the Burqa will reveal the main factor and that the pity for women under the guise of liberating them from veil slavery is “artificial”. It, instead of being freedom from so-called “subservience” is the fear of many industries which run on women who compete in revealing to the possible extent the ups and downs of their bodies, shutting down.
Scores of companies manufacturing beauty articles from nail polish to hair conditioners, shampoos to skin creams among others hugely depend upon women anxious to display them publically. If women start to wear burqa then the use of all these products and their sales will plummet. In the same way myriad kinds of fashion statements—either topless or sleeveless or bottomless—will lose attraction once women start to see the advantage of covering themselves. This is the main reason why the anti burqa propaganda is created.
Unlimited freedom of expression which includes the right to legally portray the body of a woman in any fashion desired, has given rise to the multi-billion pornography industry, making her an economic commodity. She has been used as a means to promote business. One may easily find advertisement posters here and there having beautiful women. Nobody realises that men look at these advertisements because there is a natural instinct and an urge in man to look for women. The more her body is exposed the more the hits. See what the status of women has become. Will any decent society want their women to be treated in this manner?
In the US, pornographic films generate revenue of $8 billion every year. Britain sells 20 million copies of porn magazines every year. The economic benefits of stripping women have been understood by the west. There is a lot of exploitation of poor and needy women in this industry.
Tasleema may be called a guest of India. But this guest who is breaking the unity of the host’s house should be thrown out and never be allowed in again. The presence of Tasleema has always been harmful to the peaceful atmosphere in India. Whether it was the Bengal riots or the Shimoga riots, her articles have been responsible.
It is unfortunate that many females fail to perceive that men dominant societies have always encouraged the exposure and exhibition of the female body regarding it as a great art. Public displays of female bodies in various magazines are considered artistic developments. Careers like modelling, acting, singing and dancing are short cuts for women to become famous and rich. Men design clothes for fashion, which accentuate the femininity of the woman and her figure. Is it not the conspiracy against woman to compel her to wear her dress according to the desire of Men?
The feminist Tasleema, as she is called, too has fallen prey to the desire of men by advocating free relations and unlimited revelation.
She alleges Muslim men to create a hurdle in ‘free revelation’ by compelling their women to wear burqa. But people know that nobody has ordered Tasleema (a Muslims as she claims) to put on veil. The statement of a veteran writer Kamala Das Suraiya reveals the reason why Muslim women are seen in purdah.
“The purdah (Islamic face veil) that I wear protects me. I like the purdah which Muslim women wear. I like the lifestyle of Muslim women. Purdah is a wonderful dress. No man ever makes a pass at a woman in purdah. It provides her with a sense of security,” she has written.
Actually the introduction of the ideas of freedom and liberation for women is itself shadowed with doubt. Economic need of the western society is said to be the factor behind this. Bernard Lewis writes in his book, “The Middle East”, in the Chapter entitled, “From Freedom to Freedom”, “A major factor in the emancipation of women was economic need...”
If liberty entitles a woman for nudity then why does it not sanction a woman to put on veil and hide her garments and beauty? France is one of the main protagonists of liberty and secularism but on the other hand it not only legally prohibits women from burqa but also imposes penalty on the husband of the woman caught red handed wearing a veil. France has the largest fashion industry in the world and the veil can become its biggest hurdle in its progress and growth.
It is always better to let the persons wearing burqa describe themselves how they feel in it. If women putting on a veil feel it to be a sign of chastity and modesty then others including French President Nikolas Sarkozy and Tasleema Nasreen do not have any right to call it “sigh of subjugation”.
How ridiculous is it that Sarkozy, not the Muslim women, feels “women are prisoners behind a screen, cut off from all social life, deprived of all identity” if they use veil.
It’s not surprising that Tasleema Nasreen gets support from the western minded secular and tolerant people like Sarkozy. The spirit of secularism sustains only as long as every theory, religion or ism gets due respect from bearer of secularism and it will die in the case the situation stops to exist. Supporting anyone going against this, will also cause its death. The support of Tasleema in targeting a certain community well reveals the hypocritical attitude of protagonists of secularism.
One point which people often fail to mention is that banning burqa violates the freedom of expression of those fashion conscious designers who design burqas in different styles. In other words they are restricting the designers from expressing their freedom in designing dresses. The market for designer burqas too is growing .The western clothing manufacturers have sensed the potential in this business and are already involved. The expensive and high end stuff, including burqas designed in different ways, sold in rich Muslim countries to rich Muslim clients comes from designers in France and other European countries.
It is unfortunate that in India, the largest democracy of the world; Tasleema is allowed to spewvenom. In spite of 17 crore Muslims appealing against the government for its decision to give shelter to Tasleema, the government remains unmoved. If any country happens to be generous to a foreigner it should not ignore its citizens’ sentiments.
This is a sentimental issue. It harms the very spirit of cosmopolitan and pluralistic India to directly or indirectly encourage such a writer like Tasleema. Has India or the world, showed the same hospitality to anyone who instead of criticizing Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and Qur’an, had made any other religion, belief or culture their nefarious target? India’s distinguishing characteristic of being multi-cultural, multi-religious and above all the largest democracy is tied tightly with due respect to every culture and religion. Why is the evil Tasleema, who hurts sentiments of Muslims, thenallowed to have an Indian visa?
It was merely the objection to some paintings by M F Hussain by a section of society which led to chaos in India. An Indian artist who has many well wishers in India has been hounded out of the country for his freedom of expression and now lives in another country. Whereas Taslima is given asylum for hers.
A doctor by profession Nasreen was never a good writer. So-called protagonists of secularism have made her seem so, merely because she criticizes Islam, asks to revise the divine book and so on.
If seen in reality, Tasleema does not use her “freedom” and is rather intent to hurt the emotions of a certain group without caring whether it threatens the unity of the country. Why does India not see that Taslima Nasreen has been creating internal law and order problem?
What happened in Karnataka was an eye opener for all concerned citizens of the country. There are always opportunists in the media who every now and then test the patience of the public by printing something unrequired and totally unnecessary. This time the matter was controlled and died down. If it happens again then who knows how much loss of life and property it may cause. People like Tasleema Nasreen are the fuel for this fire. Her words are worse than poison. It is best in the interest of peace that India does not allow her to stay.
By Junaid Maseeh
junaidmaseeh@yahoo.co.in
In a small village of Karnataka, a family is mourning. Imran (13), Salman (9) and Tahseen (5) have lost their father. The innocent children do not know why their father Abdul Latif (42) was killed. Now the whole responsibility of caring for these children has come upon the shoulders of his widow Rehana Begum. Her puffed rice (murmure) vendor husband, who used to earn daily to buy food for the family, has not left behind money to feed them even for some days. The earnings of this family man were just enough to feed his family daily.
Abdul Latif, as usual, was on his bicycle selling murmure when the communal violence erupted in Shimoga, Karnataka. He told his family not to go out of house lest the rioters should target them, but after half an hour he himself was murdered.
He is one of the two people killed, and scores injured, during the riots which took place after a translated version of an article by Tasleema Nasreen criticizing burqa was published in a Kannada daily “Kannada Prabha”. The newly married wife of Sadiq Pasha too was widowed on the same day. The riots which spread through Gandhi Bazar, Nehru Road, Ameer Ahmad Circle and Waqf Board office in Shimoga caused a total loss of around Rs 7 crore.
This is besides many innocents being arrested from the same community whose shops, houses, cars and two-wheelers were damaged. According to a report at least 158 Muslims, among whom some are high school and college students, were arrested for creating riots. The police, as usual, have been alleged to support, instead of stopping, the communal elements from the majority community.
Has India or the world, showed the same hospitality to anyone who instead of criticizing Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and Qur’an, had made any other religion, belief or culture their nefarious target? India’s distinguishing characteristic of being multi-cultural, multi-religious and above all the largest democracy is tied tightly with due respect to every culture and religion. Why is the evil Tasleema, who hurts sentiments of Muslims, then allowed to have an Indian visa?
The Shimoga-Hassan riots are not the first which the Bangladeshi writer Tasleema Nasreen has caused since she started seeking fame through criticizing Islam. A doctor by profession Nasreen was never a good writer. So-called protagonists of secularism have made her seem so, merely because she criticizes Islam, asks to revise the divine book and so on. She was expelled from her own Muslim dominated country for hurting the sentiments of Muslims. Since then, she has been visiting doors of various countries to seek shelter.
There would be no protest if she was given asylum in the USA or any other European country, but when our country does it, 180 million Indians have the right to raise their voice.
given asylum in the USA or any other European country, but when our country does it, 180 million Indians have the right to raise their voice.
Besides provoking the second largest majority of India, Nasreen has created law and order problems many times. Indians want to live in peace. Then why should a potential threat to peace be allowed to stay in the country.
Tasleema may be called a guest of India. But this guest who is breaking the unity of the host’s house should be thrown out and never be allowed in again. The presence of Tasleema has always been harmful to the peaceful atmosphere in India. Whether it was the Bengal riots or the Shimoga riots, her articles have been responsible.
It is she who caused huge economic damage to India—during protests against her, work would come to a standstill affecting market and lakhs of rupees have been wasted for providing security to her. Yet our country insists on giving her visa and (might be in future citizenship too).
“The purdah (Islamic face veil) that I wear protects me. I like the purdah which Muslim women wear. I like the lifestyle of Muslim women. Purdah is a wonderful dress. No man ever makes a pass at a woman in purdah. It provides her with a sense of security.” Kamala Das Suraiya
The reason given for showing sympathy towards Tasleema—protecting freedom of expression—is illogical. What she does cannot be called “freedom of expression”. It is utmost misuse of the freedom. Freedom of expression is meant for better understanding of necessary issues and not for criticising religious issues which are one’s personal beliefs. There are many fools who think that being critical is the only way of being liberal. Tasleema Nasreen is one of them.
Everything is tolerable within specified limits. Freedom of expression should not mean that everyone goes on accusing and defaming people and get away. Those who blindly advocate freedom of expression beyond limits will not tolerate if their sentiments were hurt by any kind of matter however trivial. If the same kind of article was written on Tasleema Nasreen accusing her of the same indecency she has accused so many in her books would it be still considered freedom of expression?
Quite contrary to it, when anyone criticizes or opposes Tasleema they are labelled “fundamentalists” and “orthodox”. Read any news article about Tasleema and there instead of condemning the views of Tasleema she is applauded and those raising voice against her blasphemy and nefarious actions are called the fundamentalists. None of the practicing Muslims oppose freedom of expression. But tragedy is that many raising the issue of freedom, either of expression, choice or anything else, become partial when it comes to Islamic traditions. Voting for minarets ban in Switzerland or ban on burqa in many western countries is one example.
A deep study of the reason behind opposition to the Burqa will reveal the main factor and that the pity for women under the guise of liberating them from veil slavery is “artificial”. It, instead of being freedom from so-called “subservience” is the fear of many industries which run on women who compete in revealing to the possible extent the ups and downs of their bodies, shutting down.
Scores of companies manufacturing beauty articles from nail polish to hair conditioners, shampoos to skin creams among others hugely depend upon women anxious to display them publically. If women start to wear burqa then the use of all these products and their sales will plummet. In the same way myriad kinds of fashion statements—either topless or sleeveless or bottomless—will lose attraction once women start to see the advantage of covering themselves. This is the main reason why the anti burqa propaganda is created.
Unlimited freedom of expression which includes the right to legally portray the body of a woman in any fashion desired, has given rise to the multi-billion pornography industry, making her an economic commodity. She has been used as a means to promote business. One may easily find advertisement posters here and there having beautiful women. Nobody realises that men look at these advertisements because there is a natural instinct and an urge in man to look for women. The more her body is exposed the more the hits. See what the status of women has become. Will any decent society want their women to be treated in this manner?
In the US, pornographic films generate revenue of $8 billion every year. Britain sells 20 million copies of porn magazines every year. The economic benefits of stripping women have been understood by the west. There is a lot of exploitation of poor and needy women in this industry.
Tasleema may be called a guest of India. But this guest who is breaking the unity of the host’s house should be thrown out and never be allowed in again. The presence of Tasleema has always been harmful to the peaceful atmosphere in India. Whether it was the Bengal riots or the Shimoga riots, her articles have been responsible.
It is unfortunate that many females fail to perceive that men dominant societies have always encouraged the exposure and exhibition of the female body regarding it as a great art. Public displays of female bodies in various magazines are considered artistic developments. Careers like modelling, acting, singing and dancing are short cuts for women to become famous and rich. Men design clothes for fashion, which accentuate the femininity of the woman and her figure. Is it not the conspiracy against woman to compel her to wear her dress according to the desire of Men?
The feminist Tasleema, as she is called, too has fallen prey to the desire of men by advocating free relations and unlimited revelation.
She alleges Muslim men to create a hurdle in ‘free revelation’ by compelling their women to wear burqa. But people know that nobody has ordered Tasleema (a Muslims as she claims) to put on veil. The statement of a veteran writer Kamala Das Suraiya reveals the reason why Muslim women are seen in purdah.
“The purdah (Islamic face veil) that I wear protects me. I like the purdah which Muslim women wear. I like the lifestyle of Muslim women. Purdah is a wonderful dress. No man ever makes a pass at a woman in purdah. It provides her with a sense of security,” she has written.
Actually the introduction of the ideas of freedom and liberation for women is itself shadowed with doubt. Economic need of the western society is said to be the factor behind this. Bernard Lewis writes in his book, “The Middle East”, in the Chapter entitled, “From Freedom to Freedom”, “A major factor in the emancipation of women was economic need...”
If liberty entitles a woman for nudity then why does it not sanction a woman to put on veil and hide her garments and beauty? France is one of the main protagonists of liberty and secularism but on the other hand it not only legally prohibits women from burqa but also imposes penalty on the husband of the woman caught red handed wearing a veil. France has the largest fashion industry in the world and the veil can become its biggest hurdle in its progress and growth.
It is always better to let the persons wearing burqa describe themselves how they feel in it. If women putting on a veil feel it to be a sign of chastity and modesty then others including French President Nikolas Sarkozy and Tasleema Nasreen do not have any right to call it “sigh of subjugation”.
How ridiculous is it that Sarkozy, not the Muslim women, feels “women are prisoners behind a screen, cut off from all social life, deprived of all identity” if they use veil.
It’s not surprising that Tasleema Nasreen gets support from the western minded secular and tolerant people like Sarkozy. The spirit of secularism sustains only as long as every theory, religion or ism gets due respect from bearer of secularism and it will die in the case the situation stops to exist. Supporting anyone going against this, will also cause its death. The support of Tasleema in targeting a certain community well reveals the hypocritical attitude of protagonists of secularism.
One point which people often fail to mention is that banning burqa violates the freedom of expression of those fashion conscious designers who design burqas in different styles. In other words they are restricting the designers from expressing their freedom in designing dresses. The market for designer burqas too is growing .The western clothing manufacturers have sensed the potential in this business and are already involved. The expensive and high end stuff, including burqas designed in different ways, sold in rich Muslim countries to rich Muslim clients comes from designers in France and other European countries.
It is unfortunate that in India, the largest democracy of the world; Tasleema is allowed to spewvenom. In spite of 17 crore Muslims appealing against the government for its decision to give shelter to Tasleema, the government remains unmoved. If any country happens to be generous to a foreigner it should not ignore its citizens’ sentiments.
This is a sentimental issue. It harms the very spirit of cosmopolitan and pluralistic India to directly or indirectly encourage such a writer like Tasleema. Has India or the world, showed the same hospitality to anyone who instead of criticizing Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and Qur’an, had made any other religion, belief or culture their nefarious target? India’s distinguishing characteristic of being multi-cultural, multi-religious and above all the largest democracy is tied tightly with due respect to every culture and religion. Why is the evil Tasleema, who hurts sentiments of Muslims, thenallowed to have an Indian visa?
It was merely the objection to some paintings by M F Hussain by a section of society which led to chaos in India. An Indian artist who has many well wishers in India has been hounded out of the country for his freedom of expression and now lives in another country. Whereas Taslima is given asylum for hers.
A doctor by profession Nasreen was never a good writer. So-called protagonists of secularism have made her seem so, merely because she criticizes Islam, asks to revise the divine book and so on.
If seen in reality, Tasleema does not use her “freedom” and is rather intent to hurt the emotions of a certain group without caring whether it threatens the unity of the country. Why does India not see that Taslima Nasreen has been creating internal law and order problem?
What happened in Karnataka was an eye opener for all concerned citizens of the country. There are always opportunists in the media who every now and then test the patience of the public by printing something unrequired and totally unnecessary. This time the matter was controlled and died down. If it happens again then who knows how much loss of life and property it may cause. People like Tasleema Nasreen are the fuel for this fire. Her words are worse than poison. It is best in the interest of peace that India does not allow her to stay.
By Junaid Maseeh
junaidmaseeh@yahoo.co.in
Thursday, April 1, 2010
IN FIRST BATTLE MODI UNSEATS SIT
The Supreme Court-constituted SIT summoned Mr Narendra Modi for questioning and waited one whole day for him to turn up, but he did not. Can these circumstances allow SIT to conduct a fair probe?
Chief Minister Narendra Modi did not appear before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on 21st March which had summoned him for questioning in connection with post-Godhra riots case. The office of the SIT in Gandhinagar was kept open but the chief minister ignored the summons and gave the panel a miss. The SIT has also not received any communication from the state government regarding the summons issued on March 11, sources said.
Modi was to be questioned against a petition filed by Zakia Jafri whose husband was killed in Gulberg Society massacre with 68 others on February 28, 2002. The Gulberg case is totally separate from the nine other cases related to the Gujarat pogrom.
Jafri had filed a 100-page complaint alleging the involvement of Modi and 62 others of failing to protect the citizens during the riots.
It is for the team to take the investigation forward to the final stage. The summons is only a first step and the investigation has to go a long way from here. The SIT has to submit its final report on the Gulberg society massacre to the Supreme Court by April 30. It should help in fixing responsibility for one of the worst communal pogrom in the country.
Zakia, the widow of former Congress MP Ehsan Jafri, has welcomed the Special Investigation Team’s (SIT’s) move to summon Chief Minister Narendra Modi for questioning in connection with the 2002 Gulberg Society riot case.
“We had high hopes from the SIT and now I am happy that summons have been issued to Modi,” said Zakia, on whose complaint the SIT summoned the CM.
I have not slept properly ever since the incident. Now, he (Modi) will also have sleepless nights,” she said, adding, “I do not know what will happen afterwards, but I welcome the move.”
Mr. Modi and the Gujarat government have always denied that there was any method in the madness that convulsed their State in 2002. But the failure to ensure proper investigation of the shocking crimes committed under their watch suggests a pattern of behaviour that needs thorough probing.
Her son Tanveer said: “This is a ray of hope for us. We welcome the SIT’s move, though it has come four years after my mother filed a petition in the Supreme Court. We see this as a positive step. This, we believe, could lead to filing of an FIR against Modi and others for their alleged role in the post-Godhra riots.”
The summons issued by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to Narendra Modi and 62 others for questioning them in connection with the murder of Ehsan Jafri in the Gulberg society massacre marks an important stage in the investigation. Even the unbiased police officers in the state have put on record their view that there is enough evidence to prosecute Modi and many others, in the state machinery, for their direct and indirect role in the riots. But the ineffective investigations by the state police and the unhelpful attitude of the state judiciary had ensured that there was no progress and, therefore, the Supreme Court had to set up the SIT two years ago to reinvestigate the cases.
The SIT’s summons should be a cause for embarrassment. But Modi has made political capital out of the riots and the accusations against him. He is the first chief minister to be questioned in a criminal case but his instinct would be to exploit the dubious distinction. For those who have trust in the rule of law, the SIT’s action is a positive step forward. It is for the team to take the investigation forward to the final stage. The summons is only a first step and the investigation has to go a long way from here.
The SIT has to submit its final report on the Gulberg society massacre to the Supreme Court by April 30. It should help in fixing responsibility for one of the worst communal pogrom in the country.
Unfortunately there are apprehensions about the working of the SIT too, as seen by the recent resignations of special public prosecutor R K Shah and his deputy Nayana Bhatt, who hinted that some SIT members may be trying to protect police officers who were facing charges in the Gulberg case.
“The entire exercise could prove futile... What Modi has been issued is only a notice for appearance without any force of law instead of a proper summons under Section 160 of the CrPC. This itself shows how serious the SIT really is about questioning Modi.”
Legal Activist Mukul Sinha
The SIT chief and the court have to ensure that the investigations are not derailed in any way.
Official sources said that Modi has sought legal alternatives in response to SIT summons. It was for the first time that the chief minister was being called for questioning in connection with the riots.
It is alleged that Modi had called a meeting with top officials of the state on February 27, the day four bogies of Sabarmati Express were set ablaze at Godhra. However, Modi has denied any such meeting. The state Assembly record of March 14, 2002, cites the then home minister Gordhan Zadaphia’s statement that chief minister had called a meeting to review the situation in the state.
Another allegation against Modi is that he had apparently asked top cops to remain inactive for three days, after the large scale violence broke out on February 28 across the state. Modi had called Godhra carnage a pre-planned terrorist act.
The SIT wants to ask Modi on what grounds did he make such a statement.
Legal activist Mukul Sinha, who is fighting a legal battle for the 2002 riot victims, believes the SIT cannot compel Modi to answer the summons. “The entire exercise could prove futile... What Modi has been issued is only a notice for appearance without any force of law instead of a proper summons under Section 160 of the CrPC. This itself shows how serious the SIT really is about questioning Modi,” he said.
The Supreme Court, on April 27 last year, asked the SIT to inquire into Jafri’s complaint in which she alleged that Modi and 62 others, including his Cabinet colleagues, police officials and senior bureaucrats aided and abetted the riots.
Zakia accused Modi of conspiring and giving instructions to the then director general of police and other senior officials to allow Hindus to give vent to their anger against Muslims.
If the truth about Gujarat is ever to emerge, the SIT must be allowed to conduct its investigations without fear or favour. It must be free from the pressure of the establishment as well as activists, some of whom have levelled baseless and even over-the-top charges against it.
Out of the 62 named in the petition, the SIT has already questioned a number of politicians and police officers, including the then minister of state for Home Gordhan Zadafia, former BJP leader Suresh Mehta, and senior cops Rahul Sharma and R B Sreekumar.
“The SIT’s direction to Narendra Modi to appear before it shows the seriousness and importance attached to the issue by the apex court,” party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said in New Delhi. “For Modi to avoid appearing on any ground or pretext is contemptuous and would show that he loves to hide.”
BJP spokesman Rajiv Pratap Rudy evaded a direct reply. “The government of Gujarat has made it clear that it shall act as per the law... This government has always supported and respected the law and will abide by it. It has the highest respect for the Supreme Court order and directions,” he said.
There are two theories doing the round. One, because of the above mentioned reasons; he orchestrated the Gujarat riots in 2002. And if ultimately the findings of the investigating agencies come true, this notion will be held correct.
Second theory which doesn’t find many takers, the Gujarat riots were a blessing in disguise for him. History will vouch the fact that when the Ram-Janam-Bhoomi episode erupted, it carried with names like L. K. Advani, Uma Bharati, Murli Manohar Joshi, to name a few. Till that time, nobody knew these names.
Over the years, BJP had learnt too well how to fan the religious hatred between Hindus and Muslims. It also saw how one Ram-Janam-Bhoomi episode gave the power in no time to rule the nation for many years!
And Narendra Modi being a good learner did learn the tricks of the trade in a short span of time. In recent years, his clout in BJP domain had reached such a height where top-rank leaders of BJP were found unwilling to attend certain functions where Modi would be present. And the reason was sheer fear psychosis of Modi’s growing image.
If the truth about Gujarat is ever to emerge, the SIT must be allowed to conduct its investigations without fear or favour. It must be free from the pressure of the establishment as well as activists, some of whom have levelled baseless and even over-the-top charges against it.
SOME CRUCIAL ISSUES RAISED BY ZAKIA JAFRI
Why were bodies of the Godhra train fire victims paraded through the streets of Ahmedabad city and that too when over 50 percent of the dead belonged to places outside Ahmedabad city and a few bodies were not even identified at that juncture
Why was the bandh called by the Sangh Parivar on Feb 27, 2002, not stopped?
Why are there no records of the meetings held by Modi Feb 27, 2002, onwards?
Why were no minutes of the meetings held by the chief minister and other senior officers for review of the situation from February 27, 2002, onwards prepared and circulated to the concerned officials?
A diligent investigation would look at the phone records of the Chief Minister and his closest associates to try and get a fix on the persons they remained in touch with during those days. Already, the SIT has established a prima facie case against one of his senior Ministers, Maya Kodnani, as well as various leaders of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad.
Since it is reasonable to assume that a man of Mr. Modi’s intelligence and authority must have been aware of what his political associates were doing then, the SIT needs to establish why he never saw fit to get the police to act against them or the others against whom cases are now being filed. Was the de facto legal protection that was provided to rioters and their ringleaders the product of oversight, indifference, callousness, or complicity? This is a question the people of Gujarat, and the whole of India, want an answer for. H
By: Abdul Hafiz Lakhani
lakhani63@yahoo.com
Chief Minister Narendra Modi did not appear before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on 21st March which had summoned him for questioning in connection with post-Godhra riots case. The office of the SIT in Gandhinagar was kept open but the chief minister ignored the summons and gave the panel a miss. The SIT has also not received any communication from the state government regarding the summons issued on March 11, sources said.
Modi was to be questioned against a petition filed by Zakia Jafri whose husband was killed in Gulberg Society massacre with 68 others on February 28, 2002. The Gulberg case is totally separate from the nine other cases related to the Gujarat pogrom.
Jafri had filed a 100-page complaint alleging the involvement of Modi and 62 others of failing to protect the citizens during the riots.
It is for the team to take the investigation forward to the final stage. The summons is only a first step and the investigation has to go a long way from here. The SIT has to submit its final report on the Gulberg society massacre to the Supreme Court by April 30. It should help in fixing responsibility for one of the worst communal pogrom in the country.
Zakia, the widow of former Congress MP Ehsan Jafri, has welcomed the Special Investigation Team’s (SIT’s) move to summon Chief Minister Narendra Modi for questioning in connection with the 2002 Gulberg Society riot case.
“We had high hopes from the SIT and now I am happy that summons have been issued to Modi,” said Zakia, on whose complaint the SIT summoned the CM.
I have not slept properly ever since the incident. Now, he (Modi) will also have sleepless nights,” she said, adding, “I do not know what will happen afterwards, but I welcome the move.”
Mr. Modi and the Gujarat government have always denied that there was any method in the madness that convulsed their State in 2002. But the failure to ensure proper investigation of the shocking crimes committed under their watch suggests a pattern of behaviour that needs thorough probing.
Her son Tanveer said: “This is a ray of hope for us. We welcome the SIT’s move, though it has come four years after my mother filed a petition in the Supreme Court. We see this as a positive step. This, we believe, could lead to filing of an FIR against Modi and others for their alleged role in the post-Godhra riots.”
The summons issued by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to Narendra Modi and 62 others for questioning them in connection with the murder of Ehsan Jafri in the Gulberg society massacre marks an important stage in the investigation. Even the unbiased police officers in the state have put on record their view that there is enough evidence to prosecute Modi and many others, in the state machinery, for their direct and indirect role in the riots. But the ineffective investigations by the state police and the unhelpful attitude of the state judiciary had ensured that there was no progress and, therefore, the Supreme Court had to set up the SIT two years ago to reinvestigate the cases.
The SIT’s summons should be a cause for embarrassment. But Modi has made political capital out of the riots and the accusations against him. He is the first chief minister to be questioned in a criminal case but his instinct would be to exploit the dubious distinction. For those who have trust in the rule of law, the SIT’s action is a positive step forward. It is for the team to take the investigation forward to the final stage. The summons is only a first step and the investigation has to go a long way from here.
The SIT has to submit its final report on the Gulberg society massacre to the Supreme Court by April 30. It should help in fixing responsibility for one of the worst communal pogrom in the country.
Unfortunately there are apprehensions about the working of the SIT too, as seen by the recent resignations of special public prosecutor R K Shah and his deputy Nayana Bhatt, who hinted that some SIT members may be trying to protect police officers who were facing charges in the Gulberg case.
“The entire exercise could prove futile... What Modi has been issued is only a notice for appearance without any force of law instead of a proper summons under Section 160 of the CrPC. This itself shows how serious the SIT really is about questioning Modi.”
Legal Activist Mukul Sinha
The SIT chief and the court have to ensure that the investigations are not derailed in any way.
Official sources said that Modi has sought legal alternatives in response to SIT summons. It was for the first time that the chief minister was being called for questioning in connection with the riots.
It is alleged that Modi had called a meeting with top officials of the state on February 27, the day four bogies of Sabarmati Express were set ablaze at Godhra. However, Modi has denied any such meeting. The state Assembly record of March 14, 2002, cites the then home minister Gordhan Zadaphia’s statement that chief minister had called a meeting to review the situation in the state.
Another allegation against Modi is that he had apparently asked top cops to remain inactive for three days, after the large scale violence broke out on February 28 across the state. Modi had called Godhra carnage a pre-planned terrorist act.
The SIT wants to ask Modi on what grounds did he make such a statement.
Legal activist Mukul Sinha, who is fighting a legal battle for the 2002 riot victims, believes the SIT cannot compel Modi to answer the summons. “The entire exercise could prove futile... What Modi has been issued is only a notice for appearance without any force of law instead of a proper summons under Section 160 of the CrPC. This itself shows how serious the SIT really is about questioning Modi,” he said.
The Supreme Court, on April 27 last year, asked the SIT to inquire into Jafri’s complaint in which she alleged that Modi and 62 others, including his Cabinet colleagues, police officials and senior bureaucrats aided and abetted the riots.
Zakia accused Modi of conspiring and giving instructions to the then director general of police and other senior officials to allow Hindus to give vent to their anger against Muslims.
If the truth about Gujarat is ever to emerge, the SIT must be allowed to conduct its investigations without fear or favour. It must be free from the pressure of the establishment as well as activists, some of whom have levelled baseless and even over-the-top charges against it.
Out of the 62 named in the petition, the SIT has already questioned a number of politicians and police officers, including the then minister of state for Home Gordhan Zadafia, former BJP leader Suresh Mehta, and senior cops Rahul Sharma and R B Sreekumar.
“The SIT’s direction to Narendra Modi to appear before it shows the seriousness and importance attached to the issue by the apex court,” party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said in New Delhi. “For Modi to avoid appearing on any ground or pretext is contemptuous and would show that he loves to hide.”
BJP spokesman Rajiv Pratap Rudy evaded a direct reply. “The government of Gujarat has made it clear that it shall act as per the law... This government has always supported and respected the law and will abide by it. It has the highest respect for the Supreme Court order and directions,” he said.
There are two theories doing the round. One, because of the above mentioned reasons; he orchestrated the Gujarat riots in 2002. And if ultimately the findings of the investigating agencies come true, this notion will be held correct.
Second theory which doesn’t find many takers, the Gujarat riots were a blessing in disguise for him. History will vouch the fact that when the Ram-Janam-Bhoomi episode erupted, it carried with names like L. K. Advani, Uma Bharati, Murli Manohar Joshi, to name a few. Till that time, nobody knew these names.
Over the years, BJP had learnt too well how to fan the religious hatred between Hindus and Muslims. It also saw how one Ram-Janam-Bhoomi episode gave the power in no time to rule the nation for many years!
And Narendra Modi being a good learner did learn the tricks of the trade in a short span of time. In recent years, his clout in BJP domain had reached such a height where top-rank leaders of BJP were found unwilling to attend certain functions where Modi would be present. And the reason was sheer fear psychosis of Modi’s growing image.
If the truth about Gujarat is ever to emerge, the SIT must be allowed to conduct its investigations without fear or favour. It must be free from the pressure of the establishment as well as activists, some of whom have levelled baseless and even over-the-top charges against it.
SOME CRUCIAL ISSUES RAISED BY ZAKIA JAFRI
Why were bodies of the Godhra train fire victims paraded through the streets of Ahmedabad city and that too when over 50 percent of the dead belonged to places outside Ahmedabad city and a few bodies were not even identified at that juncture
Why was the bandh called by the Sangh Parivar on Feb 27, 2002, not stopped?
Why are there no records of the meetings held by Modi Feb 27, 2002, onwards?
Why were no minutes of the meetings held by the chief minister and other senior officers for review of the situation from February 27, 2002, onwards prepared and circulated to the concerned officials?
A diligent investigation would look at the phone records of the Chief Minister and his closest associates to try and get a fix on the persons they remained in touch with during those days. Already, the SIT has established a prima facie case against one of his senior Ministers, Maya Kodnani, as well as various leaders of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad.
Since it is reasonable to assume that a man of Mr. Modi’s intelligence and authority must have been aware of what his political associates were doing then, the SIT needs to establish why he never saw fit to get the police to act against them or the others against whom cases are now being filed. Was the de facto legal protection that was provided to rioters and their ringleaders the product of oversight, indifference, callousness, or complicity? This is a question the people of Gujarat, and the whole of India, want an answer for. H
By: Abdul Hafiz Lakhani
lakhani63@yahoo.com
Letters To The Editor
Shiv Sena Must Be Banned
Dear Sir, I was very happy to receive Media Scan for the first time. The list of the contents talks all about the standard of selecting articles for the magazine. This is an appreciable work done by you apparently without being influenced by any party of ideology. The concerns expressed in the cover story “Shiv Sena vs. India” represent the voice of common Indians. It is beyond our perception why the elements all set to divide India are allowed free rampage in the country. Their organizations must be banned and force be used to suppress them or India will splint into one another part.
Aamir Md Aamir Badr, MANUU, Hyderabad
India Should Not Ignore Neighbours
Sir, I do not agree with the point of the Media Scan mentioned in the editorial of March issue that India should give more concentration on dealing with the internal threats like ULFA, Abhinav Bharat and other separatist organizations in Kashmir without being concerned about the deteriorating situation in neighbouring countries. In my opinion India should consider terrorist outfits operating from neighbours in Indian soil more dangerous than a few going against the government. Anyway, the editorial is good.
Rajesh Shukla, Uttar Pradesh
Media Plays Hypocrite
Dear Sir, Today, the media does not fulfil its claim of being unbiased. Most of the times it plays the role it should while taking no side in news articles, but sometimes it does fail; especially if there is an ideological issue. “Two Leaders, Hero and Terrorist” (March issue, Media Diary) serves as an example in this regard. Many Muslim extremists allege that media shows prejudice towards them: any bad act of theirs is being presented as if it were the biggest blunder ever committed in the world. I do not believe in their theory. But after reading that there is much hue and cry in the media over the President of Sudan Omar Al Bashir backing Arab militia who killed black Africans in Darfur while at the same time there is no objection if Tony Blair says it openly that he would again support Iraq war, I have grown some suspicion whether media is adopting a hypocritical attitude. Why Blair, responsible for killing of thousands of innocents, is not condemned?
Abdul Qadir, via email
Why Non-Muslim Names With IM?
Sir, I was surprised to read the news item that “IM Operative Anita Arrested!” (Media Scan, March). Whenever the name India Mujahideen is referred to the image of an outfit controlled only by Muslims comes to mind. It is but some Muslims who in the name of so-called holy war of jihad have shattered the world peace and consequently everyone feels their security threatened. But to my amazement, Anita Das, Richard Agins, Tommy Ojiaga, Eron and Calossen, apparently non-Muslim names were arrested in connection with the IM. I would like to point out that either with the non-Muslims names IM Muslim operatives are busy destabilising India-and government should be cautious in this regard-or IM seemingly is a Muslim name but the organization is controlled by non-Muslims. Most probable is that the extremist elements from both the sections have been on work to destroy peaceful atmosphere of India as they do not like that the country progress. Terrorist do not have any particular religion.
Saba Qamar, Bangalore
Shahid Azmi’s Murder Raises Security Concerns
Dear Editor, This is with reference to “Shahid Azmi Laid His Life for Justice”. The brutal murder of Shahid Azmi in his office is a blow to justice. Unless all the criminals behind this nefarious act are punished there is no guarantee that such patriots will not lose their precious lives of the hands of anti-nation elements. If Shahid would receive threats and he had lodged a complaint in this regard, why adequate security was not provided to him? There is some point in the allegations that he was killed with the consent of the police as he is the person to have collected most evidences that police fabricated documents to trap innocents in terror cases.
Waseem Ahmad, Mumbai
Sena Should Stop Regionalism To Win Voters
Sir, Shiv Sena should learn a lesson from its decline in politics. Well, it managed to rule Maharashtra in the guise of protectors of Marathi manoos but not for long. It was abandoned by public once they realized that the party considered only political interests and not their welfare. One more thing which prompted people to abandon Shiv Sena is that it plays divisive politics; something that the majority does not like. It is expected from Sena that it will leave its traditional politics if it wants to gain power in future.
Shahzad Aalam, Bihar
Dear Sir, I was very happy to receive Media Scan for the first time. The list of the contents talks all about the standard of selecting articles for the magazine. This is an appreciable work done by you apparently without being influenced by any party of ideology. The concerns expressed in the cover story “Shiv Sena vs. India” represent the voice of common Indians. It is beyond our perception why the elements all set to divide India are allowed free rampage in the country. Their organizations must be banned and force be used to suppress them or India will splint into one another part.
Aamir Md Aamir Badr, MANUU, Hyderabad
India Should Not Ignore Neighbours
Sir, I do not agree with the point of the Media Scan mentioned in the editorial of March issue that India should give more concentration on dealing with the internal threats like ULFA, Abhinav Bharat and other separatist organizations in Kashmir without being concerned about the deteriorating situation in neighbouring countries. In my opinion India should consider terrorist outfits operating from neighbours in Indian soil more dangerous than a few going against the government. Anyway, the editorial is good.
Rajesh Shukla, Uttar Pradesh
Media Plays Hypocrite
Dear Sir, Today, the media does not fulfil its claim of being unbiased. Most of the times it plays the role it should while taking no side in news articles, but sometimes it does fail; especially if there is an ideological issue. “Two Leaders, Hero and Terrorist” (March issue, Media Diary) serves as an example in this regard. Many Muslim extremists allege that media shows prejudice towards them: any bad act of theirs is being presented as if it were the biggest blunder ever committed in the world. I do not believe in their theory. But after reading that there is much hue and cry in the media over the President of Sudan Omar Al Bashir backing Arab militia who killed black Africans in Darfur while at the same time there is no objection if Tony Blair says it openly that he would again support Iraq war, I have grown some suspicion whether media is adopting a hypocritical attitude. Why Blair, responsible for killing of thousands of innocents, is not condemned?
Abdul Qadir, via email
Why Non-Muslim Names With IM?
Sir, I was surprised to read the news item that “IM Operative Anita Arrested!” (Media Scan, March). Whenever the name India Mujahideen is referred to the image of an outfit controlled only by Muslims comes to mind. It is but some Muslims who in the name of so-called holy war of jihad have shattered the world peace and consequently everyone feels their security threatened. But to my amazement, Anita Das, Richard Agins, Tommy Ojiaga, Eron and Calossen, apparently non-Muslim names were arrested in connection with the IM. I would like to point out that either with the non-Muslims names IM Muslim operatives are busy destabilising India-and government should be cautious in this regard-or IM seemingly is a Muslim name but the organization is controlled by non-Muslims. Most probable is that the extremist elements from both the sections have been on work to destroy peaceful atmosphere of India as they do not like that the country progress. Terrorist do not have any particular religion.
Saba Qamar, Bangalore
Shahid Azmi’s Murder Raises Security Concerns
Dear Editor, This is with reference to “Shahid Azmi Laid His Life for Justice”. The brutal murder of Shahid Azmi in his office is a blow to justice. Unless all the criminals behind this nefarious act are punished there is no guarantee that such patriots will not lose their precious lives of the hands of anti-nation elements. If Shahid would receive threats and he had lodged a complaint in this regard, why adequate security was not provided to him? There is some point in the allegations that he was killed with the consent of the police as he is the person to have collected most evidences that police fabricated documents to trap innocents in terror cases.
Waseem Ahmad, Mumbai
Sena Should Stop Regionalism To Win Voters
Sir, Shiv Sena should learn a lesson from its decline in politics. Well, it managed to rule Maharashtra in the guise of protectors of Marathi manoos but not for long. It was abandoned by public once they realized that the party considered only political interests and not their welfare. One more thing which prompted people to abandon Shiv Sena is that it plays divisive politics; something that the majority does not like. It is expected from Sena that it will leave its traditional politics if it wants to gain power in future.
Shahzad Aalam, Bihar
Women Reservation Bill
The women reservation bill recently approved by the Rajya Sabha has more to it than meets the eye. There is apprehension among political parties like SP, RJD, BSP, TCM, AIUDF, and MIM that the 33% reservation provided in the bill, in its current form, will actually benefit in reality only the upper caste women while other women due to educational backwardness will be deprived of it.
For the bill to become an act it is a long and tough process of being approved by the Lok Sabha and at least 50% state assemblies. However, the probability in this regard is getting stronger than ever as the three main political parties, the Congress, the BJP and the Left parties are supporting it.
Interestingly, these parties who are supporting the bill have not given anywhere close to 33% tickets to female candidates either in LS or state assembly elections earlier. The few tickets given to women candidates are allegedly to be the ones from where there is a little chance of a victory!
Women have always been victims of under representation even in the countries where there is no gender discrimination. In the developed countries of Germany and the Netherlands the percentage of women in politics is just 5%.
It will be a giant step in the right direction by the Indian parliament if it succeeds in giving equal opportunities to its female population representing every caste, community and religion. This should be the reason to support the bill. Any other political advantage should not be considered to support this bill.
In the present Indian society it does seem to be too ambitious to claim that that the bill will really benefit ‘all women’. There is valid fear that only the females from upper castes will be the beneficiaries as it is they who are educated, have political awareness and venture in this field.
As for women from the Dalit community, other lower castes or educationally and socially backward Muslims, their women do not have basic education let alone political awareness. The situation has much to be attributed to our traditionally upper castes controlled society and anti-minority approach of the governments.
The Schedule Castes and the Schedule Tribes were the marginalized sections of the Indian society when the long awaited dream of freedom was fulfilled. Special privileges and reservations were constitutionally sanctioned for their social uplift. But even after all this reservation for the STs and SCs the desired change in living conditions of these people has not happened.
Muslims, the largest minority of India, also are no better. In proportion to their population, which is at least 14%, even their males are underrepresented. In the 15th Lok Sabha general elections merely 29 Muslims were elected which is less than 6 per cent of the total. It is often seen that a Muslim-dominated constituency is declared reserved for SC or ST blocking the way for an easy victory for Muslims. It is a reality which justice Sachar has pointed out in his report depicting the plight of Muslims.
The leaders from the community fear that once this women reservation bill is passed more Muslim dominated constituencies will be declared reserved for women. Consequently, any upper class woman will bag that seat. With the exception of a few, Muslim women are not active in politics.
To ensure that dalit and Muslim women actively participate in politics they, in the current situation, need reservation. There must be a quota for them within the 33%. This will be the ideal way of giving representation from every section of the society.
If the goal is to empower women then all such matters need to be included in the bill. If the bill also includes quota for Dalits, Muslims and backward class women within the 33% reservation then the bill would achieve its purpose. The dream of true representation of all sections of society in parliament will become a reality. Only then can India truly call itself the largest democracy in the world.
For the bill to become an act it is a long and tough process of being approved by the Lok Sabha and at least 50% state assemblies. However, the probability in this regard is getting stronger than ever as the three main political parties, the Congress, the BJP and the Left parties are supporting it.
Interestingly, these parties who are supporting the bill have not given anywhere close to 33% tickets to female candidates either in LS or state assembly elections earlier. The few tickets given to women candidates are allegedly to be the ones from where there is a little chance of a victory!
Women have always been victims of under representation even in the countries where there is no gender discrimination. In the developed countries of Germany and the Netherlands the percentage of women in politics is just 5%.
It will be a giant step in the right direction by the Indian parliament if it succeeds in giving equal opportunities to its female population representing every caste, community and religion. This should be the reason to support the bill. Any other political advantage should not be considered to support this bill.
In the present Indian society it does seem to be too ambitious to claim that that the bill will really benefit ‘all women’. There is valid fear that only the females from upper castes will be the beneficiaries as it is they who are educated, have political awareness and venture in this field.
As for women from the Dalit community, other lower castes or educationally and socially backward Muslims, their women do not have basic education let alone political awareness. The situation has much to be attributed to our traditionally upper castes controlled society and anti-minority approach of the governments.
The Schedule Castes and the Schedule Tribes were the marginalized sections of the Indian society when the long awaited dream of freedom was fulfilled. Special privileges and reservations were constitutionally sanctioned for their social uplift. But even after all this reservation for the STs and SCs the desired change in living conditions of these people has not happened.
Muslims, the largest minority of India, also are no better. In proportion to their population, which is at least 14%, even their males are underrepresented. In the 15th Lok Sabha general elections merely 29 Muslims were elected which is less than 6 per cent of the total. It is often seen that a Muslim-dominated constituency is declared reserved for SC or ST blocking the way for an easy victory for Muslims. It is a reality which justice Sachar has pointed out in his report depicting the plight of Muslims.
The leaders from the community fear that once this women reservation bill is passed more Muslim dominated constituencies will be declared reserved for women. Consequently, any upper class woman will bag that seat. With the exception of a few, Muslim women are not active in politics.
To ensure that dalit and Muslim women actively participate in politics they, in the current situation, need reservation. There must be a quota for them within the 33%. This will be the ideal way of giving representation from every section of the society.
If the goal is to empower women then all such matters need to be included in the bill. If the bill also includes quota for Dalits, Muslims and backward class women within the 33% reservation then the bill would achieve its purpose. The dream of true representation of all sections of society in parliament will become a reality. Only then can India truly call itself the largest democracy in the world.
BAD TIMES FOR GODMEN
The sex scandal video clip of the self-styled godman Swami Nithyananda has come as an evidence as to what else not is done in the ashrams besides religious teachings and spirituality. The video features Nithyananda performing lewd acts with a Tamil Actress.
Laudably, the episode received strong condemnation from every one not excluding the electronic and print media. Rather, it was a TV channel that first broadcasted the objectionable video which exposed a part of the real ongoings in the name of religion at several places. But the stand of a section of the print media in the issue is startling.
Besides providing updates about day to day occurrences locally and globally, the media is also bound to point out the spoilers of the society’s atmosphere. It is doing. But sometimes it also fails or it does not do intentionally.
The scandal of the Swami is a stigma on the face of our Indian society. As it involves a woman, the feminists are supposed to be in the frontline against it. It was not expected that the newspapers which gave vast coverage to the Women Reservation Bill and blackened pages supporting it, would be clearing doubts about Swamiji; in other words protecting those who misbehave with women.
This is at the time when Karuppa Lenin, the former devotee of Nithyananda who claims to have shot the video to expose the guru, have openly said that Swamiji would “misbehave” the “beautiful” women and “force” them to perform lewd acts. He also handed over a CD containing the “raunchy bedroom” scenes of Nithyananda to the Chennai police commissioner.
Meanwhile, advocate Lakshmanaperumal has filed a complaint in Salem court that Swamiji had cheated him of Rs 25,000. It was when he approached Nithyananda on February 12 and the guru promised to cure his wife’s migraine problem. The advocate says that guru did ask some exercise to be done but in vain. He has asked the court to book Swamiji for cheating.
These points could have been highlighted by the media to ensure that such things do not take place in future. But they could not find the place they should have. Instead, the media devoted vast space to the defending statements of Nithyananda.
The famous English daily Express published a story on its front page with Swami accepting that it was him and the Tamil actress Ranjitha in the video. However it claims that Swamiji who spoke to it “from an undisclosed location in spiritual retreat of Haridwar” added that “she used to take care of me. And during the period when the video was shot, I was unwell and in a state of trance. That’s why I’m seen acting like a child. It’s no aggression.” Express has put a headline supportive for Swamiji, “Swami Nithyananda says he was in a ‘trace’ in controversial video clip”. It has given a quote of him in distinguishing letters “I have not committed any crime. I’d return to my (Bangalore) ashram after completing my engagements at the Kumbh.”
Notably, the religious entities of Hinduism are supposed to abstain from cardinal pleasure and they cannot be the real leader until they cut themselves off from the world. It is usual that media refers to the teachings of a certain community, their beliefs and mostly actions of some of its members and hastens to say that these are the working factor behind the spread of terrorism.
The reporter of another newspaper which claims to analyse the news visits the Ashram of Swamiji located in Bidadi at Ramanagaram district, 40 km from Bangalore city, and then reports, “Women at the ashram told me how the ashram made them feel secure, which was why they chose to remain committed to the development of the organization.”
This is only a fraction from among such reports appearing in different newspapers. If one goes through them, it will be crystal clear the spirit of journalism has eluded somewhere. Would this not encourage the repetition of such actions if media, which plays a pivotal role in shaping the mind of people, ignores the misdeeds of the so-called religious personalities? The media shouts slogans for women’s empowerment and their safety. Then why it not stands firm against the misconducts showed by Swamiji towards his female devotees.
Laudably, the episode received strong condemnation from every one not excluding the electronic and print media. Rather, it was a TV channel that first broadcasted the objectionable video which exposed a part of the real ongoings in the name of religion at several places. But the stand of a section of the print media in the issue is startling.
Besides providing updates about day to day occurrences locally and globally, the media is also bound to point out the spoilers of the society’s atmosphere. It is doing. But sometimes it also fails or it does not do intentionally.
The scandal of the Swami is a stigma on the face of our Indian society. As it involves a woman, the feminists are supposed to be in the frontline against it. It was not expected that the newspapers which gave vast coverage to the Women Reservation Bill and blackened pages supporting it, would be clearing doubts about Swamiji; in other words protecting those who misbehave with women.
This is at the time when Karuppa Lenin, the former devotee of Nithyananda who claims to have shot the video to expose the guru, have openly said that Swamiji would “misbehave” the “beautiful” women and “force” them to perform lewd acts. He also handed over a CD containing the “raunchy bedroom” scenes of Nithyananda to the Chennai police commissioner.
Meanwhile, advocate Lakshmanaperumal has filed a complaint in Salem court that Swamiji had cheated him of Rs 25,000. It was when he approached Nithyananda on February 12 and the guru promised to cure his wife’s migraine problem. The advocate says that guru did ask some exercise to be done but in vain. He has asked the court to book Swamiji for cheating.
These points could have been highlighted by the media to ensure that such things do not take place in future. But they could not find the place they should have. Instead, the media devoted vast space to the defending statements of Nithyananda.
The famous English daily Express published a story on its front page with Swami accepting that it was him and the Tamil actress Ranjitha in the video. However it claims that Swamiji who spoke to it “from an undisclosed location in spiritual retreat of Haridwar” added that “she used to take care of me. And during the period when the video was shot, I was unwell and in a state of trance. That’s why I’m seen acting like a child. It’s no aggression.” Express has put a headline supportive for Swamiji, “Swami Nithyananda says he was in a ‘trace’ in controversial video clip”. It has given a quote of him in distinguishing letters “I have not committed any crime. I’d return to my (Bangalore) ashram after completing my engagements at the Kumbh.”
Notably, the religious entities of Hinduism are supposed to abstain from cardinal pleasure and they cannot be the real leader until they cut themselves off from the world. It is usual that media refers to the teachings of a certain community, their beliefs and mostly actions of some of its members and hastens to say that these are the working factor behind the spread of terrorism.
The reporter of another newspaper which claims to analyse the news visits the Ashram of Swamiji located in Bidadi at Ramanagaram district, 40 km from Bangalore city, and then reports, “Women at the ashram told me how the ashram made them feel secure, which was why they chose to remain committed to the development of the organization.”
This is only a fraction from among such reports appearing in different newspapers. If one goes through them, it will be crystal clear the spirit of journalism has eluded somewhere. Would this not encourage the repetition of such actions if media, which plays a pivotal role in shaping the mind of people, ignores the misdeeds of the so-called religious personalities? The media shouts slogans for women’s empowerment and their safety. Then why it not stands firm against the misconducts showed by Swamiji towards his female devotees.
Haleem
Ingredients:
Mutton/Chicken: 1 kg
Broken Wheat: ½ kg
Chana Dal: ¼ kg
Urad Dal : ¼ kg
Masoor Dal: 100 gm
Moong Dal: 100 gm
Rice: 100 gm
Onion Paste: 1 bowl
Ginger: 100 gm
Garlic: 100 gm
Turmeric: ½ teaspoon
Coriander powder: 1 ½ tsp
Red chilli powder: 2 tsp
Clove: 5 pieces, cardamom :3 nos, cinnamon: 3
Curd: ¼ litre
Tomato: 1/4kg (about 5)
Green Chilli, Green Coriander & Mint Leaves: to taste
Salt: to taste
Oil: ¼ kg
Lemon: 2
Ghee: 100gm
Method:
Wash the broken wheat and cook it well in a cooker.
Wash the chana dal and soak it for half an hour.
Wash all the other pulses & rice and cook them well with the chana dal.
Heat the oil.
Add cardamom, cloves and cinnamon.
Add some finely sliced onions and sauté until golden brown.
Add the onion, ginger and garlic paste to the oil and sauté it well.
Add salt, red chilli, turmeric and coriander powder.
Add meat to it and fry well .
Add chopped tomatoes and stir it well.
Add curds.
Simmer till the meat is well cooked.
Mix the cooked pulses & broken wheat and grind them well.
Mix this to the yakhni (cooked meat) and cook it well.
Keep it on dum.
Cut green chilli and green coriander finely.
Cut the lemon into four pieces.
Garnish Haleem with lemon, fried onions, chopped coriander, ghee and green chillies.
Serve hot .
Mutton/Chicken: 1 kg
Broken Wheat: ½ kg
Chana Dal: ¼ kg
Urad Dal : ¼ kg
Masoor Dal: 100 gm
Moong Dal: 100 gm
Rice: 100 gm
Onion Paste: 1 bowl
Ginger: 100 gm
Garlic: 100 gm
Turmeric: ½ teaspoon
Coriander powder: 1 ½ tsp
Red chilli powder: 2 tsp
Clove: 5 pieces, cardamom :3 nos, cinnamon: 3
Curd: ¼ litre
Tomato: 1/4kg (about 5)
Green Chilli, Green Coriander & Mint Leaves: to taste
Salt: to taste
Oil: ¼ kg
Lemon: 2
Ghee: 100gm
Method:
Wash the broken wheat and cook it well in a cooker.
Wash the chana dal and soak it for half an hour.
Wash all the other pulses & rice and cook them well with the chana dal.
Heat the oil.
Add cardamom, cloves and cinnamon.
Add some finely sliced onions and sauté until golden brown.
Add the onion, ginger and garlic paste to the oil and sauté it well.
Add salt, red chilli, turmeric and coriander powder.
Add meat to it and fry well .
Add chopped tomatoes and stir it well.
Add curds.
Simmer till the meat is well cooked.
Mix the cooked pulses & broken wheat and grind them well.
Mix this to the yakhni (cooked meat) and cook it well.
Keep it on dum.
Cut green chilli and green coriander finely.
Cut the lemon into four pieces.
Garnish Haleem with lemon, fried onions, chopped coriander, ghee and green chillies.
Serve hot .
IMPACT OF VIOLENCE ON WOMEN, CHILDREN IN KASHMIR: Tale of Dardpora widows and orphaned children
Violence in all its manifestations affects every aspect of life. Here in the story below our correspondent Amin Masoodi analyses how it has left its affect on the children and women of the village Dardpora, Kashmir.
In the strife-torn Kashmir valley reeling under relentless violence for more than two decades, Pahari dominated village Dardpora, translated as “abode of pain”, in the frontier district of Kupwara, some 130 kms. from Capital city Srinagar still presents a grim picture of the effect of violence particularly on women and children even after more than a decade.
Violence especially during the 1990’s, a period in which Kashmir valley witnessed unabated bloodshed rendered Dardpora a village of widows. The-ill fated village has the dubious distinction of being the village with the most widows and orphans in Kashmir valley.
At least 130 women were rendered widows and 340 children orphaned due to the unabated violence in this ill-fated village during 1990’s.
Distress and despair are writ large on the faces of these widows and their orphaned children, who lost their fatherhood at a very tender age. Victims of official apathy, the orphaned children and widows have been left to the mercy of Almighty God in absence of any support from any quarter.
Listen to the woeful tales of victimized families and you would be stunned. Except for the words of sympathy from non-government organizations and civil societies who make tall claims of safeguarding the interests of poor and needy, these families have not received any sustainable support to help them live a life and educate their children.
Abject poverty over the years has forced a good chunk of orphaned children to abandon education and to do manual labour to help their mothers earn a living.
Instead of pen and paper, the orphaned children carry tools like plough and screwdrivers in their hands to earn a living.
“I had a dream to become a pilot and fly an aeroplane . My dreams are shattered and I am washing vehicles to earn a living for my ailing mother,” said orphaned Shahzad Ahmad, with moist eyes adding that many people interviewed and photographed him but nobody has come forward to help.
Begum Jan has four children and a daughter-in-law. Her husband Shamsuddin Poswal was killed in 1992 who according to her was later attributed to Albarq militant outfit by the security forces.
“I have five children to take care of as my elder son Mohammad Younus was killed in firing the same year. My children could not study further after my husband, who was the only bread earner in the family, was killed by security forces. In absence of support from any corner, my children abandoned education and are doing manual labour to help earn a living,” says Lal Jan in a muzzled voice.
Like Begum Jan, scores of widows have painful stories to narrate. In absence of help from government and non-government agencies, the widows do household chores in neighbouring villages to make both ends meet.
“We have been left to the mercy of Almighty God. Over past few years, many people came here and photographed us and our muddy houses but nobody helped us financially,” lamented Lal Jan adding that even the separatists did not ever bother to help.
The trauma for the victimized families of Dardpora does not end here. Nearly a hundred girls who lost their fathers in militancy-related incidents have attained marriageable age but there is nobody to take them in marriage.
Many orphaned girls in this village have attained marriageable age but nobody is ready to marry these helpless girls. A couple of years before, a girl sought my help in getting married as her father, the only breadwinner of the family, was killed by the Army 12 years ago. She told me that if nobody comes to her help she would be forced to take some wrong steps,” a senior citizen told Media Scan adding that with the help of some village elders they managed her marriage in the neighbourhood.
Naseema Begum, the widow of Qasim Khoja, who has five daughters, narrates her woeful tale. “My husband was killed by the Army in early Nineties and since then I have been virtually begging to feed my family. My two elder daughters are about 30 years of age but I am not able to marry them,” she said.
Many other widows lack resources to marry off their grown up daughters. Gul Jane said, “I have two daughters who are of marriageable age. But I don’t have resources to get them married. I want to die only after the marriage of my daughters.”
A senior citizen Abdul Rashid said, “On an average Rs 10,000 to Rs 12,000 are being spent here on a marriage. Economically it is a backward village and to arrange Rs 10,000 is an uphill task for the villagers. I humbly appeal to people from across the valley to come forward for helping these girls,” adding that if somebody wants to donate he should either come here and donate the money personally or give it to some credible organizations.
Apart from this, locals said that there are some 50 young widows too who need attention. “More than a hundred women lost their husbands due to violence and at least 50 of them are as young as 20-25 years of age. They too need attention,” said Gulzar Ahmad, who teaches at a private school.
According to a Social Welfare Department (SWD) official, most of the victimised families do not get any help from the department for the reasons that they are the kith and kin of militants. “The SWD pays only to those families where the heads of families were killed either by militants or in the cross firing as in the guidelines, the families of militants are not entitled to State relief,” he said.
The extent of official apathy to the village can well be understood by the fact that even in the present age of Information and technology the village barely 25 kilometers from the Kupwara township lacks electricity, proper water supply and has only one middle school.
After the armed anti India insurgency broke out in Kashmir, a large number of youth crossed the line of control to take up arms.
Dardpora was one of the favourite crossover routes to Pakistan administered Kashmir, says Mir Ghulam Rasool a retired school teacher in Dardpora.
“As many people would take this route to cross over to the other side, the youth of Dardpora were also vulnerable, perhaps the reason for so many causalities in the village.” Mir says.
Mir claims the villagers are too poor to help the widows and the large number of widows scares away those who come to help.
By: Amin Masoodi
In the strife-torn Kashmir valley reeling under relentless violence for more than two decades, Pahari dominated village Dardpora, translated as “abode of pain”, in the frontier district of Kupwara, some 130 kms. from Capital city Srinagar still presents a grim picture of the effect of violence particularly on women and children even after more than a decade.
Violence especially during the 1990’s, a period in which Kashmir valley witnessed unabated bloodshed rendered Dardpora a village of widows. The-ill fated village has the dubious distinction of being the village with the most widows and orphans in Kashmir valley.
At least 130 women were rendered widows and 340 children orphaned due to the unabated violence in this ill-fated village during 1990’s.
Distress and despair are writ large on the faces of these widows and their orphaned children, who lost their fatherhood at a very tender age. Victims of official apathy, the orphaned children and widows have been left to the mercy of Almighty God in absence of any support from any quarter.
Listen to the woeful tales of victimized families and you would be stunned. Except for the words of sympathy from non-government organizations and civil societies who make tall claims of safeguarding the interests of poor and needy, these families have not received any sustainable support to help them live a life and educate their children.
Abject poverty over the years has forced a good chunk of orphaned children to abandon education and to do manual labour to help their mothers earn a living.
Instead of pen and paper, the orphaned children carry tools like plough and screwdrivers in their hands to earn a living.
“I had a dream to become a pilot and fly an aeroplane . My dreams are shattered and I am washing vehicles to earn a living for my ailing mother,” said orphaned Shahzad Ahmad, with moist eyes adding that many people interviewed and photographed him but nobody has come forward to help.
Begum Jan has four children and a daughter-in-law. Her husband Shamsuddin Poswal was killed in 1992 who according to her was later attributed to Albarq militant outfit by the security forces.
“I have five children to take care of as my elder son Mohammad Younus was killed in firing the same year. My children could not study further after my husband, who was the only bread earner in the family, was killed by security forces. In absence of support from any corner, my children abandoned education and are doing manual labour to help earn a living,” says Lal Jan in a muzzled voice.
Like Begum Jan, scores of widows have painful stories to narrate. In absence of help from government and non-government agencies, the widows do household chores in neighbouring villages to make both ends meet.
“We have been left to the mercy of Almighty God. Over past few years, many people came here and photographed us and our muddy houses but nobody helped us financially,” lamented Lal Jan adding that even the separatists did not ever bother to help.
The trauma for the victimized families of Dardpora does not end here. Nearly a hundred girls who lost their fathers in militancy-related incidents have attained marriageable age but there is nobody to take them in marriage.
Many orphaned girls in this village have attained marriageable age but nobody is ready to marry these helpless girls. A couple of years before, a girl sought my help in getting married as her father, the only breadwinner of the family, was killed by the Army 12 years ago. She told me that if nobody comes to her help she would be forced to take some wrong steps,” a senior citizen told Media Scan adding that with the help of some village elders they managed her marriage in the neighbourhood.
Naseema Begum, the widow of Qasim Khoja, who has five daughters, narrates her woeful tale. “My husband was killed by the Army in early Nineties and since then I have been virtually begging to feed my family. My two elder daughters are about 30 years of age but I am not able to marry them,” she said.
Many other widows lack resources to marry off their grown up daughters. Gul Jane said, “I have two daughters who are of marriageable age. But I don’t have resources to get them married. I want to die only after the marriage of my daughters.”
A senior citizen Abdul Rashid said, “On an average Rs 10,000 to Rs 12,000 are being spent here on a marriage. Economically it is a backward village and to arrange Rs 10,000 is an uphill task for the villagers. I humbly appeal to people from across the valley to come forward for helping these girls,” adding that if somebody wants to donate he should either come here and donate the money personally or give it to some credible organizations.
Apart from this, locals said that there are some 50 young widows too who need attention. “More than a hundred women lost their husbands due to violence and at least 50 of them are as young as 20-25 years of age. They too need attention,” said Gulzar Ahmad, who teaches at a private school.
According to a Social Welfare Department (SWD) official, most of the victimised families do not get any help from the department for the reasons that they are the kith and kin of militants. “The SWD pays only to those families where the heads of families were killed either by militants or in the cross firing as in the guidelines, the families of militants are not entitled to State relief,” he said.
The extent of official apathy to the village can well be understood by the fact that even in the present age of Information and technology the village barely 25 kilometers from the Kupwara township lacks electricity, proper water supply and has only one middle school.
After the armed anti India insurgency broke out in Kashmir, a large number of youth crossed the line of control to take up arms.
Dardpora was one of the favourite crossover routes to Pakistan administered Kashmir, says Mir Ghulam Rasool a retired school teacher in Dardpora.
“As many people would take this route to cross over to the other side, the youth of Dardpora were also vulnerable, perhaps the reason for so many causalities in the village.” Mir says.
Mir claims the villagers are too poor to help the widows and the large number of widows scares away those who come to help.
By: Amin Masoodi
POLLYWOOD: PAKISTAN'S DUAL ROLE IN COMBATING TERRORISM
The arrests of some prominent Taliban figures by the Pakistani government have come under criticism from a former U.N. envoy to Afghanistan Kai Eide. He said that the arrests have put a stop to secret U.N. contacts with the insurgency just when the talks were starting to gather momentum. Some days ago, the arrest of Mullah Baradar during Marjah Operation Moshtarak was called a big triumph over the Taliban.
But what unfolded later was not encouraging. Baradar, who once was considered the right hand of Taliban chief Mullah Omar, had a break up with Omar and the subsequent news was that Baradar would be arrested by the Taliban. And it was Baradar whom ISI had arrested. The arrest had even infuriated Afghan President Hamid Karzai. A Karzai adviser has said that Baradar had given the go-ahead for taking part in a peace conference Karzai is hosting next month.
Interestingly the ISI, which executed his arrest revealed it only after a week, some say after assuring that Taliban will change their locations and hence will not receive any harm from this arrest.
The attitude of Pakistan towards combating terrorism either on its soil or in the neighbouring Afghanistan has always been questioned. Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI has been alleged to support Taliban and train them while the Pakistani government always claims to leave no stone unturned for rooting out the terrorist organizations. It receives a considerable fund from United States in this way.
Seeing the changing situation in Afghanistan which gives a dangerous indication of Taliban recapturing the country, India initiated talks with Pakistan despite the fact that the latter had released the 26/11 alleged mastermind Hafiz Saeed. Some analysts believed that through this step India wanted Pakistan to check Taliban from harming it.
Media Scan in the last month editorial had suggested India not to worry from the situation and give priority to taking all its citizens into full confidence. There is a fear that if the situation takes a bad turn and Taliban expands their activities towards India, as threatened earlier by Mullah Omar, many Muslims from a certain state will cooperate with them. However, if a country is united and internal conflicts do not find any place in it no one can dare raise an eye to it.
Now, it has become clear that Pakistan and Taliban cannot alienate themselves from each other. Pakistan will never go against Taliban who consider it an Islamic country and avoid damaging its interests.
Recently a 10-point formula issued jointly by the Afghanistan Taliban and another extremist outfit Hizb-e-Islami, testifies to the fact. The formula talks about giving great importance to Pakistan and puts immense stress on preserving the interests of Pakistan.
“A particular place be specified for talks and the most important ally Pakistan should be taken into confidence (before talk),” reads the notice. It also says that “common interests of Pakistanis and Afghans be given attention and preferred”. What it depicts is that neither Pakistan nor the Taliban are against each other.
These are some of the provisions which find place in the formula besides the demand to NATO and allied forces to get out of Afghanistan immediately, unconditional talks, exclusion of all Afghanis from black list, release of all Afghan political and war prisoners, recognition of both the outfits as legal and permit for reopening their offices, assurance of maintaining peace between different Afghan groups, establishment of an Uboori government and seeking assistance from Islamic countries to ensure security of all the groups including the Northern Alliance.
Now when the Afghan ground situation is finally emerging clearly, the key player in the game has been accused of treachery. Pakistan on one hand wants to show the world, as usual, that it is serious towards fighting terrorism but on the other hand what it practices goes against this claim. The world waits to see till when they will continue this way.
By Staff Writer
But what unfolded later was not encouraging. Baradar, who once was considered the right hand of Taliban chief Mullah Omar, had a break up with Omar and the subsequent news was that Baradar would be arrested by the Taliban. And it was Baradar whom ISI had arrested. The arrest had even infuriated Afghan President Hamid Karzai. A Karzai adviser has said that Baradar had given the go-ahead for taking part in a peace conference Karzai is hosting next month.
Interestingly the ISI, which executed his arrest revealed it only after a week, some say after assuring that Taliban will change their locations and hence will not receive any harm from this arrest.
The attitude of Pakistan towards combating terrorism either on its soil or in the neighbouring Afghanistan has always been questioned. Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI has been alleged to support Taliban and train them while the Pakistani government always claims to leave no stone unturned for rooting out the terrorist organizations. It receives a considerable fund from United States in this way.
Seeing the changing situation in Afghanistan which gives a dangerous indication of Taliban recapturing the country, India initiated talks with Pakistan despite the fact that the latter had released the 26/11 alleged mastermind Hafiz Saeed. Some analysts believed that through this step India wanted Pakistan to check Taliban from harming it.
Media Scan in the last month editorial had suggested India not to worry from the situation and give priority to taking all its citizens into full confidence. There is a fear that if the situation takes a bad turn and Taliban expands their activities towards India, as threatened earlier by Mullah Omar, many Muslims from a certain state will cooperate with them. However, if a country is united and internal conflicts do not find any place in it no one can dare raise an eye to it.
Now, it has become clear that Pakistan and Taliban cannot alienate themselves from each other. Pakistan will never go against Taliban who consider it an Islamic country and avoid damaging its interests.
Recently a 10-point formula issued jointly by the Afghanistan Taliban and another extremist outfit Hizb-e-Islami, testifies to the fact. The formula talks about giving great importance to Pakistan and puts immense stress on preserving the interests of Pakistan.
“A particular place be specified for talks and the most important ally Pakistan should be taken into confidence (before talk),” reads the notice. It also says that “common interests of Pakistanis and Afghans be given attention and preferred”. What it depicts is that neither Pakistan nor the Taliban are against each other.
These are some of the provisions which find place in the formula besides the demand to NATO and allied forces to get out of Afghanistan immediately, unconditional talks, exclusion of all Afghanis from black list, release of all Afghan political and war prisoners, recognition of both the outfits as legal and permit for reopening their offices, assurance of maintaining peace between different Afghan groups, establishment of an Uboori government and seeking assistance from Islamic countries to ensure security of all the groups including the Northern Alliance.
Now when the Afghan ground situation is finally emerging clearly, the key player in the game has been accused of treachery. Pakistan on one hand wants to show the world, as usual, that it is serious towards fighting terrorism but on the other hand what it practices goes against this claim. The world waits to see till when they will continue this way.
By Staff Writer
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