By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,

Muzaffarnagar: The misery of riot victims of Muzaffarnagar and surrounding districts continue as about 70000 people still continue to live in relief camps, with little government support even after two weeks.

To make the situations worse, forest department has now slapped cases against those in the Malakpur camp in Shamli on charges of encroachment. About 9000 people are still living in tent houses in this camp alone.

According to Lucknow based civil rights group Rihai Manch (Forum for the Release of Innocent Muslims imprisoned in the name of Terrorism), forest official of Kairana Division Narendra Kumar has filed a case against thousands of Muslims living in this camp.

What has been shocking is that although largely ignored by media as more and more civil society groups are meeting the victims and preparing the fact finding reports, accusations of rapes and gang rapes, often in front of the hapless relatives are surfacing.

According to Rihai Manch fact finding team, Mukeem and Wasila from village Laakh alleged that their 12 year old daughter was raped and then cut into pieces and burnt by pouring acid on them. Earlier a fact finding report by ANHAD too had testimonies of gang rapes. According to Shabnam Hashmi of ANHAD an estimate 100 women have been raped.

The fact finding team of Rihai Manch comprised of Asad Hayat of Awami Council for Democracy and Peace, Rajeev Yadav, Shahnawaz Alam, Lakshman Prasad and others of of Rihai Manch among others.

Rajeev Yadav and Shahnawaz Alam, spokespersons for Rihai Manch, alleged that the united Jat solidarity above partisan politics worked in a well planned conspiracy against the Muslims in the riots.

By IANS,

Bangalore : Karnataka BJP's prominent minority face and former minister Mumtaz Ali Khan Thursday quit the party and joined the Congress here protesting against Narendra Modi being nominated as BJP's prime ministerial candidate.

He also resigned from the legislative council.

Khan told reporters at the Congress office that the Gujarat chief minister had not expressed regret for the 2002 incidents in his state.

A retired sociology professor, he was minister for minority affairs, Haj and Wakf in the ministry headed by B.S. Yeddyurappa, the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) first-ever in south India.

By IANS,

New Delhi : The Supreme Court Thursday sought the Uttar Pradesh government's response on a plea seeking a CBI probe over a sting suggesting alleged discrimination in giving relief material to the Muzaffarnagar riot victims.

The sting also hinted at the alleged interference in the district administration's response to the violence by some people present in Lucknow.

An apex court bench of Chief Justice P. Sathasivam, Justice R.P. Desai and Justice Ranjan Gogoi sought the response from the state on a petition filed by the NGO Common Cause and another petitioner advocate M.L. Sharma.

Seeking the response from the state government, the court said that the issue raised in the two petitions were "serious" and it would look into them.

"We have seen them, we can't take them lightly. That is why we are seeking your response," the court told the state government.

The court also said that it would take "action" on the report that some advocates who had gone to a riot-affected village impersonated as members of a committee set up by the apex court.

The court said that it would look into all the pleas, as one of the counsel sought a court monitored probe by a special investigation team.

"When we have transferred proceedings from Allahabad High court to ourself, do you think we will leave it like that," Chief Justice Sathasivam told the counsel.

Meanwhile, the central government in its update on the steps taken after the violence said the home secretary Sep 25 sought an update from the Uttar Pradesh chief secretary and asked any help was required from the health or food ministries.

The state government in its affidavit told the court that it had taken several steps for the relief and rehabilitation of those affected by the violence that started Aug 27 and were living in relief camps in Muzaffarnagar and Shamili.

The court was told that 41 such camps were in Muzaffarnagar and 17 in Shamli.

The state government said in Muzaffarnagar district 32 people had died during the riots and two of the dead were still to be identified.

The government said it had also paid compensation to the families of those killed in the violence.

The court would next hear the matter Oct 17.

By Naseer Karaje,

Sharjah: Middle East's largest and world second largest International Book Fair (SIBF), opened its doors on 6th November and it will end on 16th November at the Expo Centre Sharjah, UAE.

The main aim of this event is to promote and encourage reading habits of the books by providing a common platform to various publishers to display their collection of titles to what is now becoming a niche segment.

In this fair, the books published from the world well known publishers and writer’s books in different languages were displayed & kept for sale.

The Sthuthi Publications, from Mangalore is the only one Kannada publisher who has spread the Kannada flavor in this book fair by displaying their various books for sale in this fair. Sthuthi Publications has gain the credit of only one publisher who had displayed books in Kannada language in this desert.

Their famous publications like ‘Safala Jeevana, Anthar dristi and Shanthi gagi Vivaha books along with the Prasthutha fortnightly magazine were displayed.

The non-resident Kannadigas who visited this fair are excited to see books in their mother language for display and sale. The Sthuthi Publications has gained word of appreciation from Kannadigas for displaying Kannada literature in this international fair.

By IANS,

Lucknow : The Congress Wednesday accused Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav of conniving with the BJP and raising issues related to the Ayodhya temple, ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

Yadav was doing so to deflect the attention of the people from serious issues facing Uttar Pradesh, Congress spokesman Maroof Khan said in a statement.

"Samajwadi Party leaders are trying to incite communal passions and casteist feelings while Congress wants a positive, development-oriented discourse in the run up to the Lok Sabha polls slated for 2014," he said.

Leaders who made no contributions during the freedom movement were now sermonizing on Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Patel, the Congress leader said.

Khan asked Mulayam Singh Yadav not to shed crocodile tears on issues like the Ayodhya temple and India's history, but explain why so many riots were taking place during the Samajwadi Party rule.

"Mulayam Singh Yadav should explain why despite being in power on many occasions the guilty behind the Meerut, Maliana, Hashimpura, Peer Batawan, Aligarh, Moradabad and Muzaffarnagar riots have not been booked till now," Khan asked.

By Zaidul Haque, TwoCircles.net,

Kolkata/Birbhum: Women wing of Jamaat e Islami organized an awareness conference on November 10 in the Birbhum district of West Bengal.

Several clerics and women speakers participated in the programme.

Naima Ansari

District president of JIH Selim Reza said that even though there is anti-dowry law, still women suffer from this archaic system. He added that the cases of domestic violence and physical assault in on rise.

He said that Islam teaches us to lead a good life in society.

North Bengal president of JIH women wing Naima Ansari said, women should gather sufficient knowledge about Islam and that is the only way to remove the malpractices from our society.

State President of JIH Md Nuruddin inspired them by his long speech.

More than 700 women was participated in this conference. Women wing of JIH has been organising such awareness campaigns.

By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net,

Bhopal: Irked by near total neglect the leaders of the five NGOs (non-government organizations) working for the welfare of survivors of the Bhopal gas tragedy, the world's worst industrial disaster in December 1984, have launched their campaign to educate the gas-affected voters in the walled city about the NOTA, (None of the Above), option of rejecting all candidates in the poll-bound Madhya Pradesh where polling for the state Vidhan Sabha (Legislative Assembly) is scheduled for November 25.

A decision to this effect was announced by the NGOs here on Wednesday at a Press Conference. At present Madhya Pradesh along with four other states is in the thick of electioneering for the state legislature. In the state it is traditionally a two horse race for political power viz. ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, (BJP), and Congress, the main Opposition party, which are jostling with each other to woo the voters.

Representatives of NGOs working for the welfare of survivors of Bhopal Gas Tragedy displaying their NOTA decision in the ensuing Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh

Rashida Bee, president of the Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmchari Sangh, said that the two principal parties, BJP and Congress have equally denied the gas victims their legal rights to adequate compensation and both have provided support to the offending multinationals – Union Carbide and Dow Chemical.

Balkrishna Namdeo, president of Bhopal Gas Peedit Nirashrit Pension Bhogi Sangharsh Morcha, said that the BJP and the Congress have mainly been in power at the state and the centre in the last nearly three decades. The forthcoming elections are an opportunity for the over 8 hundred thousand voters from gas affected families to oppose the betrayal by both these political parties.

Rachna Dhingra of the Bhopal Group for Information and Action said that in the light of documentary evidence of harm caused to the interests of the gas affected people by both the political parties, the NOTA option was best suited for the gas affected people.

“We will distribute pamphlets, address public meetings and present the charges against the governments under both the parties and tell our people about the NOTA option”, said Nawab Khan, president of the Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Purush Sangharsh Morcha.

Safreen Khan of Children Against Dow Carbide said that many second generation survivors are angry at the treatment meted out to their families by governments run by both the parties. “It is indeed sad and telling that our first step in to democracy is the NOTA button”, she said.

What have the two main political parties namely BJP and Congress done for the Bhopal Gas Victims in the last 29 years? A brief comparison of the two parties’ contributions for the gas victims is listed as follows: -

Meanwhile, it may be recalled here that on the intervening night of December 2-3, 1984 Union Carbide pesticide manufacturing factory had spewed poisonous Methyl Iso-cyanate gas whereby 3000 people had perished virtually instantly and over the years more than 25000 have kissed death and the sad saga is still continuing uninterruptedly. About half a million are suffering from the side effects of the poisonous gas and several thousand people have been maimed for life.

By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,

Kolkata/Berhampur: Without naming President Pranab Mukharjee, former Railway Minister and TMC MP Mukul Roy criticized him for not doing anything for the minority concentrated Murshidabad district, although he was the Finance Minister for a long time.

President Mukharjee represented Murshidabad’s Jangipur Constituency in the Lok Sabha for a long time, which he vacated on his nomination for the President-ship. His son Abhijeet Mukharjee now represents the Jangipur Constituency.

Mukul Roy speaking during an election's rally in Murshidabad.

Roy said that Musrhidabad has traditionally been the Congress strong hold, but still 66 years after independence, nothing much has changed in the district.

The former Railway Minister and All India Secretary of Trinamul Congress was speaking in a Municipal Election campaigning at FUC ground, Berhampur, Murshidabad on 13th November, 2013.

He also criticized present Railway Minister of State Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury for failing to start his project even after one year in office.
He also said that in six months’ time UPA government will go and a new government will come to power. Suggesting formation of some third block, the TMC MP said that his party will play instrumental role in the new government.

State President of Trinamul Congress Minority Cell Advocate Idris Ali, however, aimed his gun at the “34 years of misrule of the Left Front Government,” for ignoring the Muslim populated district of Murshidabad.

The lone TMC MLA from Murshidabad’s Sagardighi Assembly Constituency and State Minister of Food Processing and Horticulture Subrata Saha said that the people of Murshidabad will now defeat both the Congress and the CPIM in the coming Municipal election will be held on 22nd November, 2013.

By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,

New Delhi: In the last Delhi Assembly elections 99% of the winners had won with votes less than 40% of the registered voters, while in Rajasthan 98% of the winners won with votes less than 40% of the registered voters.

On July 8, 2013 while speaking at a seminar on Electoral Reforms in Thiruvananthapuram, the Vice - President of India, Hamid Ansari expressed his concern over the extremely low percentage of representativeness in our Parliament and State Legislative Assemblies. "A perceptive observer of our electoral scene has rightly focused on what he calls the 'paradox' of a deepening representative democracy coexisting with a thinning of the very idea of representation," he had said.

Association for Democratic Reforms and National Election Watch have conducted an analysis regarding the vote share and representativeness of the MLAs who got elected in the 2008 Assembly Elections in the five states of Delhi, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Mizoram.

According to the data analysed by ADR and NEW, Dr. SCL Gupta from Sangam Vihar constituency and Parvez Hashmi from Okhla constituency had won with the lowest percentage of votes out of the total electorate (14%) in Delhi.

Similarly, Ramswaroop from Kotputli constituency and Anita from Nagar constituency won with the lowest percentage of votes out of the total electorate (14%) in Rajasthan.

In Madhya Pradesh, 93% of the winners won with votes less than 40% of the registered voters, while Bhanwar Raja Manavendra Singh from Maharajpur constituency and Ahirwar Ramdayal from Chandla constituency won with the lowest percentage of votes out of the total electorate (12%).

Highlights of the report are as below:

DEFINITION
· Representativeness=(Total Votes Polled for Winner)/(Total No.of Registered Voters)
· Vote Share=(Total Votes Polled for Winner)/(Total No.of Valid Votes Polled)

Delhi

Representativeness:
1. 99% of the winners won with votes less than 40% of the registered voters.
2. Dr. S.C.L. Gupta from Sangam Vihar constituency and Parvez Hashmi from Okhla constituency won with the lowest percentage of votes out of the total electorate (14%).

Vote Share:
1. 47 winners out of 70 (67%), won with less than 50% of the votes polled.
2. Dr. S.C.L. Gupta from Sangam Vihar constituency won with the lowest vote share of 27%
3. Sheila Dikshit, Chief Minister of Delhi, won with a vote share of 52% and representativeness of 29% from New Delhi constituency.

Rajasthan

Representativeness:
1. 98% of the winners won with votes less than 40% of the registered voters.
2. Ramswaroop from Kotputli constituency and Anita from Nagar constituency won with the lowest percentage of votes out of the total electorate (14%).

Vote Share:
1. 161 winners out of 200 (81%), won with less than 50% of the votes polled.
2. Ramswaroop from Kotputli constituency and Anita from Nagar constituency won with the lowest vote share of 21%.
3. Ashok Gehlot, Chief Minister of Rajasthan won with 55% vote share and 31% representativeness from Sardarpura constituency.

Madhya Pradesh

Representativeness:
1. 93% of the winners won with votes less than 40% of the registered voters.
2. Bhanwar Raja Manavendra Singh from Maharajpur constituency and Ahirwar Ramdayal from Chandla constituency won with thelowest percentage of votes out of the total electorate (12%).
3. Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh won with the highest representativeness of 45% from Budhni constituency.

Vote Share:
1. 186 winners out of 230 (81%), won with less than 50% of the votes polled.
2. Bhanwar Raja Manavendra Singh from Maharajpur constituency won with the least vote share of 19%.
3. Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh won with a vote share of 62% from Budhni constituency.

Chhattisgarh

Representativeness:
1. 91% of the winners won with votes less than 40% of the registered voters.
2. Mahesh Gagda from Bijapur constituency won with the lowest percentage of votes out of the total electorate (13%).

Vote Share:
1. 72 winners out of 90 (80%), won with less than 50% of the votes polled.
2. Ravi Shankar Tripathi from Bhatgaon constituency won with the lowest
vote share of 28%.
3. Raman Singh, Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh won with the highest vote share of 59% and a representativeness of 47% from Rajnandgaon constituency.

Mizoram

Representativeness:
1. 90% of the winners won with votes less than 40% of the registered voters.
2. K. Liantlinga from Aizawl South-I constituency won with the lowest percentage of votes out of the total electorate (26%).

Vote Share:
1. 37 winners out of 40 (93%), won with less than 50% of the votes polled.
2. John Rotluangliana of Mamit constituency and K. Liantlinga from Aizawl South-I constituency won with the lowest vote share of 32%.
3. Lalthanhawla, Chief Minister of Mizoram won with a vote share of 40% and a representativeness of 35% from Serchhip constituency and with a vote share of 35% and a representativeness of 29% from South Tuipui.

The following table shows the percentage of representativeness in these five states:

Table 1: Representativeness of five states for assembly elections (2008)

Table 2: Vote share of the five states in the assembly elections (2008)

By Sheikh Qayoom, IANS,

Srinagar : The whirlwind anti-election campaign by hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani is hitting hard mainstream opposition parties in Jammu and Kashmir though there is no love lost between Geelani and the ruling National Conference.

After the authorities lifted house arrest restrictions on Geelani last month, the votary of Kashmir's merger with Pakistan has been touring towns and villages asking people to stay away from the coming elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

Interestingly, this time the People's Democratic Party (PDP) led by former chief minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed and the People's Conference of Sajad Gani Lone are at the top of the octogenarian separatist leader's 'political hit list'.

During his largely attended public rallies in northern and southern towns of the Kashmir Valley, Geelani spoke against the mainstream political parties, targeting the PDP and the People's Conference in specific terms.

His criticism of the National Conference remained generic.

While south Kashmir districts of Pulwama, Shopian, Kulgam and Anantnag are political strongholds of the PDP as most of its legislators in the 87-member assembly are from these districts, Sajad Gani Lone is expected to field candidates for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections in Kupwara and Baramulla districts in north Kashmir.

In Shopian town, Geelani targeted PDP patron Mufti Muhammad Sayeed's role as the country's home minister in 1989-90 while he criticised all mainstream political parties, including the National Conference, in general terms.

During the 2002 and 2008 assembly elections in the valley, Geelani's parent organization Jamaat-e-Islami was widely perceived as being soft vis-a-vis the PDP.

There has been a general perception that during those elections the Jamaat's ground level cadre voted for the PDP to dent the National Conference's prospects of forming a government.

National Conference patron and central Minister Farooq Abdullah is on record as having said that the Jamaat rank and file helped the PDP in both 2002 and 2008.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah recently said that Geelani's attack on the PDP and the People's Conference besides the National Conference proves "there is no fixed match between the separatists and our mainstream opponents".

National Conference critics in the PDP and other parties have accused Geelani of indirectly helping the ruling party by specifically targeting the PDP and the People's Conference.

"It is hard to believe that Geelani would strike a deal with the government for lifting his house arrest restrictions, but there is a definite pattern to his anti-election campaign," a senior PDP leader said.

Supporters of the hardline leader argue that the main agenda of the senior separatist leader was to oppose the elections irrespective of whose power prospects are affected by his campaign.

While his campaign is unlikely to influence voter participation in rural and far flung areas in the Lok Sabha and assembly elections in 2014, voter turnout in towns is likely to get affected.

Srinagar city has been recording very low voter turnout ever since separatist violence broke out in the state in the early 1990s.

Low voter boycott in Srinagar in 2014 is likely to favour the National Conference that has won all eight assembly seats in the 2008 assembly polls when not many people in the city came out to exercise their franchise.

The PDP has been blaming the National Conference for using low voter turnout in the city to its advantage by ferrying "mobile voters from one polling booth to the other" during earlier election boycotts.

National Conference supporters dismiss the allegation, saying the PDP has so far failed to get a foothold in Srinagar despite its best efforts.

Whatever way one looks at it, Geelani's 'freedom from house arrest' could 'arrest' the power prospects of National Conference opponents in the coming elections.

(Sheikh Qayoom can be contacted at sheikh.abdul@ians.in)

By IANS,

Srinagar : An opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) legislator's security guard was arrested Thursday for opening fire at civilians in north Kashmir's Bandipora district, an officer said.

"Altaf Baba, PSO (personal security officer) of Bandipora MLA Nizamuddin Bhat, was arrested today (Thursday) for firing at and injuring two people in Bandipora," the officer added.

The victims, identified as Abdul Majid Khan and Mudasir Ahmad, were admitted to a hospital after the incident.

By Zaidul Haque, TwoCircles.net,

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who put off industrialists by her oppositions to Tata Nano project in Singur as opposition leader, has urged the industrialists to see the state as the final destination for investments, since West Bengal serves as gateway not only to the seven north-eastern states, but also to Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan.

Banerjee was speaking in a program of BizBridge Engineering and Manufacturing Expo organized by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) at Milan Mela Ground, Kolkata on 13 November. She invited the industrialists to invest in Bengal for its good environment and work culture.

Mamata Banerjee addressing in CII program at Milan Mela.

Banerjee urged the industrialists to work on public-private-partnership (PPP) model. She said that the state has the required skill and labour for the industry and to further increase the skilled labour force, her government is starting a number of industrial training institutes (ITIs) and Polytechnic Colleges in every block.

She said that her government has formulated clear stand on industry, garment and land policy. There are many plots of lands available at Baruipur, Bolepur, Goaltor, Banarhat in the state. She said that the state has excess electricity and that now even several foreign companies have shown interest in investments. She said that Japan has agreed to start industries in Durgapur.

She further said that her government has formed clear cut land acquisition policies and to speed up the work her government has initiated single window clearance for fire protection, environmental, electricity.

She pressed for larger integration of the north-eastern states and their industrialization.

Mamata Banerjee launching of book at CII program at Milan Mela.

Mamata Banerjee also released an industry related booklet on `Green Industrialization in West Bengal: A road Map’ of CII.

The state Minister of Business and Industry Partho Chatterjee, Vice President of CII Sumit Majimder, Eastern Zone Chairman of CII Sudhir Deoras, Saugata Banerjee and many others industrialist was present in this programe.

By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,

Bhopal: Announcement by NGOs fighting for the justice of Bhopal gas tragedy survivors, to camping among the victims for exercising NOTA option in the assembly election has raised some apprehensions.

People sceptical of this drastic move believe that if this campaign gets good response then it will indirectly help BJP and could curtail winning chances of Muslim candidates.

Representatives of NGOs working for the welfare of survivors of Bhopal Gas Tragedy displaying their NOTA decision in the ensuing Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh

According to five NGOs running this campaign there are around 5 lakh victims effected with gas tragedy, mainly concentrated in three constituencies, Bhopal North, Bhopal Central and Narela. All are Muslim dominated where community’s percentage is around 40-45%.

Using the newly inserted None Of The Above (NOTA) option in the EVM voter can reject all the listed candidates. Election Commission, which was compelled to introduce this new option after Supreme Court orders, has made it clear that even if majority of electorate exercise NOTA option the candidate who secured larger number of given votes will be declared elected.

Abdul Jabbar a veteran activist from Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Udyog Sangathan who is leading the campaign for justice in judiciary from past two decades told TCN that he has his own apprehensions about NOTA campaign, “This kind of pressure tactic can work in village but not in a city where lot of people have different ideologies divided in different camps. If NOTA are used as an option than groups which we don’t like at all will be benefited.”

Then he went on to explain his worry, “Nearly 44% of gas victims are Muslims, even if 24% accepts your campaign then it will have an adverse effect. There are chances that in Muslim dominated constituencies BJP will win.”

On the other hand NGOs campaigning for NOTA defends their decision saying that they don’t differentiate between communities or parties.

Ms. Rachna Dhingra of Bhopal Group for Information and Action, who is leading the campaign with four other NGOs, told TCN that NOTA is a nice way to express anger of victims against both principal parties.

“Since last three months as part of our ‘No Justice No Vote’ campaign we wrote to both BJP and Congress, but they didn’t even bother to respond. We waited for their manifesto release and found nothing in it for Bhopal gas victims. So now NOTA remained last option to make them listen to victims,” Ms. Dhingra said.

Pro-NOTA NGOs is of the hope that if they get a good response especially in three most effected constituencies of North, Central and Narela than they will have bargain power in the next Lok Sabha election over Bhopal parliamentary seat.

They are making a desperate attempt to revive Bhopal gas tragedy in the electoral politics which seem nearly lost in the present political context.

Whereas Abdul Jabbar fears that if a ‘Jan Andolan’ gets into vote politics than it cannot achieve much successes, “If we activist give a call for protest 2,000 people will assemble, and if a politician does the same hardly 200 will appear, as they know motives behind it. Now if we turn the movement to electoral politics then we face possibility of losing faith among victims.”

Mr. Jabbar said that both Congress and BJP has done nothing for the victims, both are evil, but an action from their part should not benefit anyone of them, “I am not a supporter of Congress, I do not support NOTA campaign nor oppose it, but I have an apprehension that BJP will benefit.”

If campaign for NOTA gains momentum and generates good response among the victims than three constituencies will witness major action, Bhoapl North where Arif Aqeel is fighting to retain the seat for fifth term. Presently he is the lone Muslim MLA in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly, Bhopal Central where young Muslim politician Arif Masood is testing his luck on Congress ticket, and Narela another Muslim dominated constituency which doesn’t have any Muslim candidate from a major party.

Related:

Irked Bhopal gas victims launch campaign to opt NOTA button in MP Vidhan Sabha polls

By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,

Ahmedabad: If former Gujarat CM Shankar Singh Vaghela is to be believed, RSS-BJP combo are behind all terror acts in the country, right from Godhra to the recent Patna terror blast just before the Narendra Modi’s grand ‘hunkar’ rally.

Speaking to media persons on Tuesday, Vaghela said that the “BJP is conspiring to divide society for political gains.” He alleged that the “one common strategy running from Godhra to Patna” is to “engineer killing of Hindus and Muslims for political polarization.”

Vagehla was an active Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) member before joining the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP). He was briefly Chief Minister of Gujarat from 1996 to 1997, and floated his own party that later merged with the Congress. He was also the Textile Minister in the UPA I government.

According to media reports, Vagehla alleged that all that mattered to BJP is “grabbing power,” and it does not bother them whether those killed are Hindus or Muslims.

Citing example of Patna terror cases, where some Hindus besides alleged Indian Mujahedeen members have been arrested, Vagehla also alleged that the RSS and BJP are financing the Indian Mujahedeen for carrying out acts of terror.

Pointing to Gujarat made watched, Vaghela went on to point to the “Gujarat hand” behind the conspiracy.

He also suspected that the same forces were behind the Ahmedabad serial blasts of 2008.

Asked to elucidate his wide spread accusations, Vagehla reminded the media persons that he has been with them (RSS and BJP) and hence he knows them as well as their strategies.

By CM Paul, TwoCircles.net,

Guwahati: The Chancellor of Urban University Rome, Cardinal Fernando Filoni conferred honorary doctoral degree on Archbishop emeritus Thomas Menamparampil of Guwahati today, 14 November.

It is a recognition of Abp Menamparampil’s outstanding contribution for promotion of cross cultural thought, inter-cultural relationships, providing health and education for poor, especially marginalized youth, and peace promotion in areas of ethnic conflict, especially in northeast India.

The prelate’s keen interest in indigenous cultures, Asian civilizations, promotion of eroding cultural and ethical values, and involvement in institutions of higher learning especially Assam Don Bosco University has been noteworthy. He was also instrumental in initiating some 50 schools, and 5 hospitals in Assam.

Over a period of two decades, the Salesian prelate and his Joint Ecumenical Peace Team successfully led seven major peace and conflict resolution initiatives — Bodo-Adivasi in 1996, Kuki-Paite in 1998, Dimasa-Hmar in 2003, Karbi-Kuki in 2003, Dimasa-Karbi in 2004, Bodo-Muslim at Udalguri in 2010 and Rabha-Garo in 2011.

The archbishop who worked more than 60 years in northeast was honoured along with Professor Gerald Anderson of Hamden Connecticut, USA, who had earlier been heading a Theological Institute in the Philippines and was responsible for many publications.

The programme began with Holy Eucharist celebrated in the University Chapel presided over by Cardinal Filoni marking the inauguration of the academic year (2013-2014).

It was followed by the commencement of the academic year ceremonies held in the Urban University Auditorium (Aula Magna) at 10.45 am with greetings by Vice-Chancellor Prof. Alberto Trevisiol IMC and presentation of the doctoral candidates by Prof. Gianni Colzani.

After conferring of the Doctor ‘honoris causa’, the candidates gave their acceptance speeches.

Dr Henderson spoke on “A new missionary age,” and Abp Menamparampil spoke on St Paul’s statement “I have an obligation to All Peoples” (Rom 1:14).

In his speech Abp Thomas urged that “we develop in ourselves the sense of mission that St. Paul had when he said ‘I have an obligation to all peoples.’ The Apostle was sure that he would exclude no one from the universal concern he had for all communities, neither the most advanced nor the least, neither those already good, nor those who fail in their efforts. St Paul kept taking the Good News to new communities, approaching each one with great respect and was sensitive to each one’s cultural heritage and ethnic pride.”

The origins of URBANIANA University date back to Pope Urban VIII who decided to establish the Urban College on 1 August, 1627. Since 1966, the Urbaniana has accepted the affiliation of Seminaries and Institutes of Philosophy, Theology, Missiology, and Canon Law from all over the world.

Today, the University has about 1400 students.

By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,

Patna: There was a communal skirmish in Bihar’s Gopalganj district after reports of some groups damaging the Muharram’s Tajiya.

The clash took place in the Maniyara village under Khuchaekot police station, in which at least two persons have been seriously injured. They have been referred to the Gorakhpur Hospital. One of the injured person's name is Md Nazir.

Meanwhile, and FIR has been lodged against Shibala Chowdhry and Shambhu Chawdhry of the opposition party, besides 20 others.

SP Vinod Kumar told TCN that while the Muharram procession was going on,, clashes began over some trivial issue, but the situation is now under control. He also informed that three persons have been arrested and a case has been registered.

At the time of filing this reports, peace talks were on between members of two communities.

By Ram Puniyani,

History is not just the past. It is a potent weapon for various political agendas in the present. It can be clearly seen in the use of history in rise of Hindu-Muslim rightwing in India. As far as presently dominant Hindu national politics is concerned, this abuse of history can be seen in the type and period of History used. When Meenaxipuram, conversions of dalits to Islam took place in 1981, the message taken up was that of Islam’s spreading in India as a ‘threat’. With the rise of Ram Temple movement, the indication was towards the Muslim kings’ destroying Hindu temples and insulting Hindu religion. The Babri demolition and consequent violence had the underlying propaganda of temple destructions by Muslim kings. At the same time a slogan came up ‘Muslaman ka do hi sthan: Kabristhan ya Pakistan (only two places for Muslims: Pakistan or graveyard), asserting that India is meant only for Hindus. As we move a bit more towards Gujarat carnage 2002 we see the projection of ‘terrorism’ and Muslims on one hand and the projection of Miyan Musharraf as the symbol of Indian Muslims. In Maharashtra Shivaji was projected in various ways to show the tyranny of Muslim kings. Currently serials like Bharat ka mahan Saput Rana Pratap, and Jodha Akbar also give the same message.

Lately the present history, history of Modern India is under the chopping block of communal forces. On one hand the projection of Sardar Patel, with emphasis on his being anti-Nehru and the other various conjectures of this period are being dished out. It is being asserted that Congress ‘facilitated Partition’ (Narendra Modi while talking in Kheda in Gujarat). This is a very motivated statement. As a matter of fact the two major leaders who were handling the negotiations at that time, on behalf of Congress, were Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Patel. Mr. Jaswant Singh’s book on Jinnah, taking one sided view blames Nehru-Patel for partition. It was banned by Modi in Gujarat, as he won’t brook any criticism of Sardar Patel. Here with a forked tongue, two things are being said at the same time, Patel eulogized for his contribution and Congress being blamed for partition, unmindful of the fact that it was Nehru-Patel duo, which was acting together on the issue of India’s partition.

That way the tragedy of India’s partition is like a big canvass, and most of the commentators look at the part of the canvass which suits their politics and put all the focus on that. This focusing on one part of canvass, selective historiography, is due to the motives and political understanding of these commentators. Seeing the whole process will tell us a different tale. The partition tragedy cannot be located just in the final phase when the negotiations between British rulers, Muslim League and Congress were going on. Partition process was the culmination of a long process, which began with the aftermath of anti-British revolution in 1857. The first factor in the process of division was the British decision to implement the policy of ‘Divide and rule”, thereby to introduce communal historiography. The second major factor was the persistence of feudal classes despite the beginning of industrialization and modern education. These feudal elements, the declining classes, felt threatened by the rising, nascent democratic nationalism, as represented in the formation of various organizations of industrialists, workers and educated classes and the formation of Indian National Congress. These declining classes, Hindus and Muslims landlord-kings, were together in the beginning. One major step in the direction to break them along religious lines was Lord Elphinstone’s encouragement to Muslim landlords, Nawabs, and to recognize them as representatives of Muslims. This led to formation of Muslim League in 1906. In tandem with this Punjab Hindu Sabha came up in 1909, Hindu Mahasabha in 1915 and RSS in 1925. These communal organizations started getting support from section of educated elite apart from some upper castes and traditional traders. These communal organizations were against democratic nationalism and articulated religious nationalism.

The third and major theoretical expression for partition comes from the ideologue of Hindu Mahsasabha, Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, who said that there are two nations in the country, the Hindu nation and Muslim nation. The separate country for Muslims was articulated by Chowdhary Rahmat Ali in 1930, Pakistan. This got politically consolidated in 1940 with Jinnah’s demand for a separate country in the form of Pakistan (West and East). Fourth important step in the direction was the fact that the demand of Pakistan suited the designs of British colonialist’s long term plan to have a base in South Asia. As Communism, Soviet block was progressing and inspiring leaders of many national movements, like China Vietnam in particular, colonialists wanted to counter this by having a political base in South Asia. In India, Soviet Union inspired the communist and socialist movement. People of the caliber of Nehru, Jaya Prakash Narayan and others were with Congress Socialist Party, an in-house organization within Congress. Seeing the influence of socialist ideology on the major leaders of national movement, the colonialists and imperialists were keen that India should not remain united. There keenness of partition encouraged the demand of Pakistan.

Congress at this point of time found itself in a trap. On one side the stalwarts of National movement, Gandhi and Mualana Azad were opposed to the partition in the deeper political way. Nehru and Patel; experienced the blockades put up by the Muslim League in interim government. The choice before this duo was either to go on with a Cripps mission plan, which gave very little power to the center, or to go for partition and have a strong Center in India. The calculation of Nehru was that without the centralized economy; country cannot progress. The Bombay plan, economic blueprint of industrialists, wanted the state to provide for heavy industries, as industrialists realized that they are not capable for setting up large industries. This was parallel to the vision of Nehru, who envisaged land reforms and industrialization to take India forward. Sardar Patel had the vision of the strong center so he was also not for the loose federation of states as provisioned by Cripps mission.

To blame Congress of facilitating India’s partition is nowhere close to the truth. But the way History, even the modern Indian history, is being bulldozed for the political convenience, and the eagerness to grab power come what may, sacrificing the truth, is not a big deal for the communal politicians.

--
Response only to ram.puniyani@gmail.com

By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,

Bettiah/Patna: Bihar Police is scaring people of booking them under serious criminal offenses and declaring them as 'rioters' for participating in Muharram procession, if that results in incitement of communal tension.

In a veiled threat, garbed as appeal, district police has said that once booked for such serious offenses of rioting, accused would remain under constant Intelligence watch and they may not be able to apply for any government job or contest elections.

It should be mentioned here that in the month of August, on the occasion of Nag Panchmi, Lathi-wielding men of Mahabir Akhada carried provocative placards that and incitement that resulted in communal clashes.

Bettiah police has hence issued public interest appeal urging people to not to carry any arms, fire sticks or inflammable materials in the Muharram processions, failing which they may be booked under sections 152, 153 (A), 153 (B), 188, 295 (A), 296 and 298 of the IPC, Bettiah police has made it clear.

To restrain people from participating in any such provocative processions, police has brought out appeals, pasted all over the places in the town and villages warning them of prolong judicial process, disqualification from jobs, not being able to marry in respectable families, and worst of all constant gaze of Intelligence Agency after being declared a 'rioter'.

Bettiah police has further appealed to the larger public to not pay heed to rumors and to immediately inform the police if they find anyone spreading rumors.

Several processions that traditionally have been carried out during Muharram has been denied persimmon this year. There seems to be palpable anger amongst the youth for putting restrictions on the religious processions they have been bringing out every year.

Meanwhile, there was a communal skirmish in Bihar’s Gopalganj district after reports of some groups damaging the Muharram’s Tajiya. The clash took place in the Maniyara village under Khuchaekot police station, in which at least two persons have been seriously injured.

By IANS,

Srinagar : Authorities imposed strict restrictions in some areas of the summer capital Srinagar Friday to prevent Shia Muharram processions.

A senior police officer said restrictions under section 144 of criminal procedure code were imposed in Khanyar, Nowhatta, M.R. Gunj, Habba Kadal and Safa Kadal areas here.

"The restrictions have been imposed to prevent miscreants from creating any law and order problem in the city," the officer said.

Shia Muslim mourners traditionally take out Muharram processions coinciding with the 10th day of the Muslim month of Muharram to commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Hussain, the grandson of Prophet of Islam.

Imam Hussain was martyred this day 1435 years ago along with his family members in Karbala town of Iraq.

Since the beginning of separatist violence in Kashmir in the early 1990s, authorities have been disallowing Muharram processions by Shias in Srinagar to prevent miscreants from triggering sectarian clashes.

By IANS,

Lucknow : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Friday questioned the six-month extension given to the Justice Vishnu Sahay Commission probing the communal riots in Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh.

Party spokesman Vijay Bahadur Pathak alleged the extension was meant to shroud the real culprits behind the riots that killed 63 and rendered thousands homeless in Muzaffarnagar and adjoining areas.

"The commission has already spent three months in probing the matter. It has recorded over 300 testimonies and the government should clear the air on why was the extension required," the BJP leader said.

The BJP also accused Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav of implicating its legislators and party leaders in riot-related cases.

"National Security Act (NSA) was slapped on our legislators Sangeet Som and Suresh Rana, but it has been revoked and both have been given bail by courts," Pathak said while charging the Samajwadi Party (SP) of trying to gain political mileage out of the "unfortunate riots".

Pathak also said the commission's findings were now as good as dumped, because by the time the extension period comes to an end, the country would be in the process of forming a new government after the Lok Sabha 2014 polls.

The home department of the Uttar Pradesh government Thursday issued formal orders for a six-month extension to the Justice Sahay Commission.

Justice Sahay sought an extension and wrote to the government on the need of more time as more than 650 affidavits have so far come to the commission and an equal number were pending.

The commission, which has a camp office at Muzaffarnagar, is now being given an office in the state capital Lucknow.