By TCN News,

Ahmedabad: On behalf of thousands of survivors of the 2002 genocidal pogrom that took place in Gujarat from February – May 2002, the Citizens for Justice and Peace expresses deep disappointment and anguish at the verdict of the Magistrate Court, Judge BJ Ganatra accepting the dismissal of serious criminal charges of criminal conspiracy against chief minister Narendra Modi and 59 others.

The Supreme Court appointed Special Investigation team (SIT) had filed a closure report in this case, despite finding many of the serious allegations in the Zakia Ahsan Jafri complaint dated 8.6.2006 to be true. The Judge on 26.12.2013 accepted the closure report of the SIT.

Amicus Curiae in this unique case, senior advocate Raju Ramachandran had differed significantly with the SIT and opined that there was enough evidence to prosecute Modi under Sections 153(a), 153(b) and 166 of the Indian penal Code. The CJP said it will continue to assist Smt Zakia Ahsan Jafri in appealing to the higher courts for justice. The 3-4 tiered system of justice in India is designed to correct wrongs and we are confident that the serious charges of criminal conspiracy, abetment, murder, arson etc will finally result in the prosecution of the powerful. Meanwhile it remains a trying time for survivors and human rights defenders who stand firm in their fight for justice.

A detailed analysis of the 450 page judgement will be made available by the CJP within a week. Meanwhile, the CJP would like to state that the detailed construction of criminal conspiracy and abetments presented before the Magistrate’s Court on legal and factual grounds was completely ignored by the Court despite substantive evidence from the investigation papers.

Counsel for the Complainant, relying on statements recorded by the SIT, documentary and other evidence existing on the record of the Trial Court, had argued, in detailed oral arguments presented to the Court, between June-September 2013, that though the law requires establishment of only a prima facie case of serious suspicion for framing charges against Modi and other accused in offences of cognisable nature, but, in fact, there exists more than ample evidence, which is not only sufficient for framing charges but also for proceeding with the trial and for convicting Modi and other accused on charges of conspiracy and abetment for committing murder, arson and brutal massacre throughout Gujarat.

The widespread violence that engulfed Gujarat spreading to 19 of the State’s 25 districts – 14 very seriously - post the tragic burning to death of 59 persons in the S-6 Coach of the Sabarmati Express is perhaps the worst ever record of reprisal communal violence in post-Independence India. It was not simply the number of lives lost, though the number — perhaps 2,000 — is not insignificant. It was the cold-blooded manner in which they were taken, as armed militias with high level government sanction, ensured a high level brutality in the killings, mutilation, rapes and burnings. Over 200 girls and women suffered sexual violence, 18,000 homes and 1,200 hotels were gutted. The unfortunate pattern behind the reprisal killings was that the loss of life and property was that of the minority.

Since 2002, when the National Human Rights Commission filed its Interim and Final Reports and 2003 and 2004 when the Hon’ble Supreme Court first pulled up the State government for absence to ‘observe its Raj Dharma' and accused it of criminal negligence:“The Neros in Gujarat fiddled as Gujarat burned”. Serious allegations of top level criminal conspiracy in masterminding the violence have been made against the chief functionaries of the government.

The NHRC concluded in its Report dated 31.5. 2002 that “there was a comprehensive failure of the State to protect the Constitutional rights of the people of Gujarat”. The Supreme Court of India, while severely indicting the Gujarat government, transferred two trials outside of Gujarat i.e. BEST Bakery and Bilkees Bano. The Supreme Court has been well aware of the larger conspiracy behind the 2002 carnage and the Court's orders, one after the other, in different cases related to the 2002 carnage, have reflected this. Various orders passed by the Supreme Court, including the path-breaking directions in the Best Bakery case and other important developments, ultimately led to the formation and reconstitution of the SIT on 26.3.2008 to further investigate nine of the crucial trials relating to the 2002 carnage.

Of the 300 violent incidents all over the State of Gujarat that took place with sinister precision and conspiracy, two of the worst in terms of intensity took place within Ahmedabad (Naroda Patiya and Gulberg Society) with over 200 brutal massacres, including daylight rapes and burnings the day after the Godhra train burning on 28.2.2002. At the Gulberg society where Mrs Jafri and her husband lived, a total of 69 persons were massacred in cold blood after young girls and women had also been raped. Over 200 distress phone calls, including several to the commissioner of police, Ahmedabad and chief executive of the state had brought no relief. By August 2002 the Government itself had recorded 185 cases of attacks on women of which 100 were in Ahmedabad city and 57 attacks on children of which 33 were in Ahmedabad alone. Totally, 225 women and 65 children were killed.

Evidence from the State Intelligence given to the Chief Election Commission (CEC) in August 2002 revealed that communal incidents had taken place in 993 villages and 151 towns spread over 153 assembly constituencies (out of a total of 182 in the state). By Aug 2002 (as recorded in the Report of the Women’s Parliamentary Committee) as many as 132,532 persons had been displaced / forced to leave their houses & were living in 121 riot relief camps of which 58 were in Ahmedabad city. By 1st June 2002 (as recorded in the Report of the Women’s Parliamentary Committee) there had been 4954 cases (2023 urban and 2931 rural) of residential houses having been completely destroyed. There were a further 18,924 cases of partially damaged houses (11,199 urban & 7095 rural) - i.e. more than 23,000 houses had been destroyed or damaged by the rioters. Thereafter a further 5000 urban houses and a 1000 rural houses were destroyed or damaged.

It was the sinister planning and systematic nature of violence that led the widow of the slain former parliamentarian, Smt Zakia Ahsan Jafri, assisted by Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP),to file a complaint dated 8.6.2006 of criminal conspiracy and abetment to commit mass murder, violate established criminal law and police manual norms, destroy records and evidence against the chief executive of the State- Narendra Modi and 59 others.

After the complaint of Smt Jafri was filed on 8.6.2006, when the Gujarat police refused to register a case of serious offences of cognizable nature, Smt Jafri and Citizens for Justie and Peace (CJP approached the Gujarat High Court with prayers to order registration of FIR and transfer of investigation to the CBI. When the High Court rejecting the Petition, Zakia Jafri and Citizens for Justice & Peace (CJP) approached the Supreme Court. Notice was issued on their Petition (SLP No. 1088/2008) on 3.3.2008. Thereafter, vide Order dated 27.4.2009 the SIT, which was already probing in other incidents, was asked “to look into” the Complaint dated 8.6.2006. An Amicus Curiae was also appointed to assist the Court in this crucial case. The SIT submitted its final report to the Supreme Court in May, 2010 stating that while several of the allegations were found to be true, no criminal prosecution could be initiated. The Supreme Court had then directed the Amicus Curiae to assess evidence collected by SIT and give an independent view. In his final report, the Amicus Curiae recommended the prosecution of A-1 Narendra Modi under Sections 166 and 153a and 153b of the Indian Penal Code.

Inspite of enough material on record to frame charges against Modi and other accused, the SIT chose to submit a final report. The Supreme Court directed that the said report of SIT will be considered by the Trial Court. The Supreme Court also protected the right of the complainant to access the records collected during investigation and file her protest petition. (This is a right under Indian law but was specifically outlined by the Supreme Court in its final judgement dated 12.9.2011). Despite the voluminous evidence collected by the SIT during investigations and the clear-cut assessment of the Amicus Curaie, the SIT filed a closure report on 8.2.2012 and refused to provide the Investigation papers to the Complainant in contempt of the Supreme Court's order. The Ld. Magistrate granted the Complainant her right to the Investigation Papers on 10.4.2012 but it took Zakia Jafri & CJP another year to access all the Investigation reports of the SIT submitted to the Supreme Court. The SC directed this on 7.2.2013 after which the Protest Petition was filed on 15.4.2013.

Existing statements and documentary evidence were clear indicators of a high level criminal conspiracy and abetment to ensure that mass murder and other offences are committed against innocent citizens. Detailed arguments were made by the advocates for the Petitioner between June-August 2013 pointing out from the material on record that a strong case for framing charges against Modi and other conspirators is made out for the trial to proceed and that at this stage what the law requires is only establishing a prima facie case of strong suspicion.

Evidence that exists against Narendra Modi and 59 powerful accused include :-

· Deliberately concealing knowledge of the provocative, anti-Muslim sloganeering by kar sevaks at the Godhra station when the Sabarmati Express reached five hours late on 27.2.2002, which information had been sent to him directly by DM/Collector Jayanti Ravi and willfully failing to take stern action and allowing violent incidents to escalate after the train left Godhra by about 1.15 p.m. especially at Vadodara station where a Muslim was attacked and killed and at Anand where the train stopped hereafter ensuring that the state allowed a hate-filled and threatening atmosphere against Muslims build right up to Ahmedabad where the train finally reached around 4 p.m. and where bloodthirsty slogans were being shouted. FIRs in 19 brutal incidents against Muslims are recorded on 27.2.2002 in Ahmedabad itself. Curfew was not imposed despite these incidents resulting in deaths breaking out.

(Evidence of this :- Fax Message Sent by DM Jayanti Ravi and Message of the SIB are available @ .Annexure III, File XLI at Serial Nos 1 and Annexure IV, File IX, Serial Nos 241-in the SIT record)

· Conspiring with the Vishwa Hindu Parishad to plot and allow reprisal killings all over Gujarat. The first phone call that Modi makes after DM Ravi’s fax reaches him is, not to appeal for peace and calm, but phone secretary VHP, Gujarat, Dr Jaideep Patel and direct him to Godhra. The Conspiracy between Modi and the VHP is hatched and unfurled to cynically ensure state-wide reprisal killings. Phone call records show these phone calls between PA to Modi AP Patel and Jaideep Patel immediately after the chief minister receives news of the Godhra tragedy. Phone call records made available by Rahul Sharma (IPS, Gujarat) also show that Powerful Accused were in touch with the chief minister’s office (CMO) and the landline numbers of the chief minister.

(Evidence of this :- Page 5-6,Annexure Volume IV to Protest Petition contains AP Patel’s Phone Records and at Annexure IV, File V and VI in SIT Papers; Conspicuously, the SIT records statements of all officials of the chief minister’s office (CMO) following CJP’s submission of the phone records to the Supreme Court but does not record A.P. Patel’s.).

· Cynically, and illegally allowed Post Mortems Illegally out in the Open at the Railway Yard, Godhra where the burnt and mutilated corpses were laid in full view of an aggressive and irate crowd of RSS and VHP men and women, who were gathered there in violation of Curfew Orders @ Godhra. Deliberately allowing photographs of the burnt corpses to be taken and widely circulated by the RSS-VHP and media in general, despite it being prevented under law; Modi dispatching Accused Nos 2-Ashok Bhatt to oversee illegally conducted post-mortems; Modi was himself present when these post-mortems were conducted out in the open @ the railway yard in front of a mob of RSS and VHP men;

(Evidence of this :- Phone call records between Modi and Bhatt, former health minister (since deceased) are evidence of how the latter was dispatched to Godhra; the Godhra Sessions Court judgement 69/2009/ 86/2006. 204/2009 @ Page 105; This was handed over to the Court on 29.8.2012 comments on the illegality of the post mortems and also has a vivid photograph showing the bodies lying in the open in the Railway Yard at Godhra; Section 223, 4(vi), Volume III Gujarat Police Manual lays down specific legalities to be followed for post mortems that specifically direct no photographs of gory bodies being allowed.).

· Directing that the unidentified bodies of Godhra train victims should be handed over to Jaideep Patel, a non-governmental person, that too belonging to a supremacist and communal VHP to be brought to Ahmedabad where aggressive funeral processions in full public view were allowed. Modi directed this at a meeting at the Collectorate in the evening of 27.2.2002 before he returned to Gandhinagar. Jaideep Patel was allowed to be present at an official meeting at the Collectorate. Jaideep Patel is a co-conspirator and also facing trial for mass crimes in the ongoing Naroda Gaam case. Modi is specifically guilty of allowing the escalation of violence from Godhra to other parts of Gujarat and taking decisions contrary to law.

(Evidence of this :- DM Jayanti Ravi’s statement to the SIT dated 15.9.2009 @ Annexure I Volume I, Sr Nos 19 in the SIT record, clearly states Jaideep Patel was present at the meeting at the Collectorate though Modi and Jaideep Patel, both denied it)

· Specifically instructing his top policemen and administrators not to act evenhandedly in the days to follow and “allow Hindus to vent their anger.” Two senior bureaucrats present at the meeting have stated that cabinet ministers were present at a meeting that went on well past midnight. Haren Pandya, a minister in Modi’s cabinet in 2002 had given evidence of this to the Concerned Citizen’s Tribunal headed by Justice Krishna Iyer and PB Sawant in 2002 itself. Later in 2009 a serving officer from the state intelligence, Sanjiv Bhatt also gave the same evidence before the SIT and the Supreme Court.

(Evidence of this :- (i) Statement of Haren Pandya to the CCT dated 13.5.2002 @ Internal Page 82 Volume II of the Concerned Citizens Tribunal Report in section on State Complicity @ Annexure III, File, I, D-2, D-3, D-4 of the SIT Record/Papers.; (ii) On 27.10.2005, in the Fourth Affidavit, R.B. Sreekumar before the Nanavati Commission dated 27.10.2005 stated that K. Chakravarthi, DGP Gujarat (A-25) had given information of the same words being uttered by A-1 Modi at the meeting on 27.2.2002 ; (iii) On 11.07.09 Statement of Shri R.B. Sreekumar, formerly Addl.DG (Int.), Gujarat to the SIT (Annex I, Vol I Sr. No.5, SIT Papers/Record) where he confirmed this; (iv)On 12.08.2009,Statement of Shri Vitthalbhai Pandya, father of Late Haren Pandya, R/o, Paldi, Ahmedabad (Annex I, Vol I Sr. No.12, SIT Papers/Record) where he stated that his son Haren Pandya had told him about attending the meeting at the residence of A-1 on 27.2.2002 in the late evening as also of the provocative instructions given by A-1; (v)
On 28.8. 2009, Justices P.B. Sawant and Justice Hosbet Suresh gave two separate statements. Both eminent Judges, retired Supreme Court and High Court respectively, also stated that three serving IPS officers, Sami Ullah Ansari, Himanshu Bhatt and Vinod Mall also deposed before them in person requesting anonymity but confirming that such illegal instructions were issued.(Annexure I Volume I Sr.Nos 16 & 17 of the SIT Record/Papers); (vi) On 30.10.2004,Mr. Rahul Sharma stated in his deposition on oath before the Nanavati Commission that when he spoke to his superior officer DGP, Gujarat, A-25 Chakravathi on 1.3.2002 at about 10:22 p.m. to request to make more force available for him at Bhavnagar, the DGP told Mr. K Chakravarti also told him that “the bureaucracy had been completely neutralised”.
Amicus Curiae Raju Ramachandran has clearly stated in his Interim and Final reports before the Supreme Court (20.1.2011 & 25.7.2011) that Evidence regarding the unlawful and incendiary words spoken at the meeting of 27.2.2002 should be tested in a trial.)

· Modi allowed violence to continue unabated until early May 2002 when KPS Gill was sent by PM Vajpayee to the state; the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), April and July 2002 and Central Election Commission (CEC) were misled about the spread and intensity of violence. This was willful subversion of the justice system. The Subversion of the Home Department under A-1 in which co-accused, Gordhan Zadaphiya, MOS Home, A-5, Ashok Narayan, ACS Home, A-28, and K Nityanandam, Secretary, Home, A-34 played an active part included deliberately misinforming the Ministry of Home Affairs of the Government of India about the extent and spread of violence:- Correspondence exists to reveal how senior VHP and RSS men were being kept out of the FIRs and charge sheets related to serious massacres being filed by the Ahmedabad Crime Branch; how violence was recurrent and was being allowed with even ministers like Bharat Barot directly involved.

(Evidence of this :- the NHRC and CEC Reports as also the correspondence between the NHRC and chief secretary Subha Rao, also an accused (Accused Nos- 27) are clear testimony of this subversion; ACS Home Ashok Narayan’s letters to DGP available in SIT record show the subversion in keeping names out of FIRs etc)

· Hate Speech was indulged in by Modi himself, on 27.2.2002 and right until the infamous Becharaji speech made top set off his election campaign on 9.9.2002 and also cynically permitted by the Home Department under him to spread poison and incite violence against Muslims and Christians. The State Intelligence under ADGP-Int RB Sreekumar had specifically recommended prosecution of the VHP for a series of incendiary pamphlets but this was ignored. SP Bhavnagar, Rahul Sharma too had recommended the prosecution of Sandesh, the Gujarati mainstream newspaper for publishing false and provocative photographs and reports. Both the NHRC and Editor’s Guild had also strongly recommended prosecution of those guilty of hate speech. Modi had, instead sent congratulatory letters to those newspapers who had spread lies and venom. RB Sreekumar, Rahul Sharma and Sanjiv Bhatt are among the officers persecuted by the Gujarat government under Modi (home minister).

(Evidence of this :- Modi’s speech and its transcript is clearly communal; Gujarat’s Intelligence department responding to the National Commission for the Minorities (9.9.2002) clearly assessed the deleterious impact of the speech ; Official letters of then ADGP Sreekumar dated 16.4.2002, then SP Bhavnagar, Rahul Sharma and then CP Vadodara all strongly recommending prosecution of VHP’s hate pamphlets and the Sandesh newspaper –all part of the SIT record--were ignored by the political head of the GOG Home department, Modi. Ashok Narayan’s statement to SIT dated 13.12.2009 available in the SIT Record @ Annexure I Volume I states that Modi was extremely dismissive of these repeated requests for prosecution)

· Modi is guilty of ordering the Destruction of Crucial documents including Wireless Intercepted Messages, Vehicle logs, Police Control Room records and others on 30.3.2008, four days after the Supreme Court appoints the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on 26.3.2008. He has headed the Home ministry portfolio since that date.

(Evidence of this :-(Pages 70-77 of the Compilation that consists of documents from the SIT Record; Annexure IV, File I Sr Nos 23)

By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,

Guwahati: Kerala based Indian union Muslim League (IUML) formed the state unit in Assam. Shahanshah Jehangir, IUML National Secretary In charge of Assam, presided a meeting of the Assam IUML State committee formation in the state capital on 26 December.

About 200 political activists from various districts attended the meeting. Kasiruddin Sheikh and Mufti Abdul Matin Osmani were unanimously elected as the first state president and general secretary.

S Jehangir dubbed it as “historic moment,” when IUML is formally reviving its presence in north-east. He stressed that the Kerala Muslim model in politics and education must be emulated in Assam

IUML had played key role in the establishment of the Darul Huda Islamic University in Assam.

IUML also to soon form state level units in Manipur and Meghalaya as well.

New state President Kasiruddin Sheikh is hopeful that IUML will play active and positive role in the politics of Assam and will work to safeguard the interests of the Muslims in the state.

By IANS,

New Delhi : Arvind Kejriwal, the anti-corruption campaigner and champion of people's rights, became Delhi state's new chief minister as he capped an amazing run with his fledgling Aam Admi Party formed 13 months ago.

History was made when Kejriwal took oath as Delhi's seventh chief minister at the Ramlila Maidan, watched by tens of thousands of excited supporters and on live television around the country.

Soon after taking oath, he told the "15 million citizens of Delhi" that he and his party would try to usher in "alternative politics", run a "government of the people" but had no "magic wand" to solve all problems.

Along with Kejirwal were sworn in six of his relatively youthful ministers by Delhi Lt Governor Najeeb Jung amid a crescendo of cheers and claps from his white cap-waving sea of supporters and voters who reposed faith in him and his promises to "change the system".

The 45-year-old Kejriwal's AAP won 28 seats in the 70-member Delhi assembly after the Bharatiya Janata Party failed to form a government despite winning 31 seats as it lacked majority in the house.

The AAP has the legislative backing of the eight-member Congress, which was routed after ruling Delhi for 15 long years.

By IANS,

Siliguri (West Bengal) : The toll in the blast at Jalpaiguri in West Bengal rose to six, with one injured man dying of his injuries early Saturday, police said.

Twenty-two-year-old Rafikul Islam was grievously wounded in the explosion Thursday at Bajrapara. He died at the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital at 2 a.m. Saturday.

Three others injured in the blast are still battling for life in two hospitals in northern West Bengal.

Five people died on the spot when an Improvised Explosive Device placed in a culvert went off Thursday in the Bajrangpara area, under the jurisdiction of Kotwali police station.

Kamtapur Liberation Organisation (KLO), which has been demanding a separate state from parts of northern West Bengal and Assam, was suspected to be behind the explosion.

The KLO, however, has denied involvement in the blast.

By IANS,

New Delhi : Delhi's new Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who has always been wedded to secular values, Saturday thanked gods of India's four major religions - Hinduism, Islam, Christianity and Sikhism - for the "miracle" that brought him and his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to power.

At least thrice in his inaugural speech at the crowded Ramlila Maidan, he thanked god for the AAP's maiden electoral victory.

"I thank the Supreme Father, Ishwar, Allah, Waheguru," said the Haryana-born Kejriwal who went to missionary schools and grew up in a family wedded to religious values.

Speaking after being sworn in as Delhi's seventh - and youngest - chief minister, he said to cheers from the crowd: "This victory is really a miracle, we could not even have thought two years back such a revolution would come, that we would be able to uproot the corrupt parties and real democracy would be established.

"This victory is not because of us, it is a miracle, and I thank 'Bhagwan, Ishwar and Allah'," he said.

He again remembered god, seeking divine blessings to fulfill his responsibility.

"The way expectations of people of Delhi have raised, we feel scared at times. I pray to god... The results are not in our hands, but god may give us good sense, and courage so that we don't make any mistake, knowingly or unknowingly," he said.

Making another reference, he thanked god for the support the movement got from public.

"When Anna Hazare was fasting, people from all across the country came on to the streets. I wondered how it happened, it must have been a miracle of 'Bhagwan, Allah, Ishwar'," he repeated.

In a 2006 speech while accepting the Ramon Magsaysay award in Manila, Kejriwal disclosed that he went to church while studying in missionary schools and there were regular discourses on Hindu moral teachings in the family.

The Kejriwal family also religiously observed Hindu rituals and festivals.

"Up to my 10th or 12th class, I was extremely religious," he said in the speech. "I used to spend a lot of time praying, while lying down in bed, in the morning when I got up, any time I get during the day."

Religion did take a back seat while he was in college but he went down the spiritual path again as an adult.

By IANS,

Mumbai : Multi-faceted actor Farooque Sheikh's life came to an abrupt end late Friday night in Dubai following a cardiac arrest. He was 65.

The talent, who delivered impeccable performances in films like "Umrao Jaan" and "Chashme Buddoor", as well as in TV shows and on stage, will be remembered by his colleagues and confidantes for his innocent charm, uninterrupted honesty to his craft and his unmatched humility, colleagues and friends in the industry said.

He is survived by his wife and two daughters, with whom he was on a vacation in Dubai.

His body will be brought to Mumbai for the last rites once the relevant formalities are completed in Dubai, said Deepti Naval, the late actor’s co-star of many films.

From his big screen debut with the widely acclaimed "Garam Hawa" in 1973 to films like "Shatranj Ke Khilari", "Bazaar", "Umrao Jaan", "Chashme Buddoor" and "Saath Saath"; TV shows like "Shrikant", "Chamatkar", "Ji Mantriji" and "Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai"; and a long-running play like "Tumhari Amrita" - Farooque's body of work was creatively rich.

Filmmaker, M.S. Sathyu, who launched him in films with his movie “Garam Hawa”, says the actor was a great discovery.

“He was a very respectful and a good gentleman. He was extremely talented and versatile. Good talent is spotted on intuition, and Farooque was indeed a great find," Sathyu told IANS.

Deepti and Shabana Azmi, with whom Farooque worked in multiple projects, were distraught at the news of his demise.

"I am in a state of shock. He was one of the finest actors in the film industry. He was the one who has always encouraged me to work," a teary Deepti told IANS.

His college friend and colleague Shabana, who has been his co-star of 21 years in their popular play "Tumhari Amrita", directed by Feroz Abbas Khan, said: "I can't believe he's gone so suddenly and so cruelly...We were close friends from before we worked together. We were in college together. I can't believe he's gone."

Born March 25, 1948 in Baroda, Sheikh started as a theatre actor and later went on to exhibit his natural flair for acting in both parallel and mainstream cinema. If he convincingly played a nawab in "Umrao Jaan", he essayed the role of a common man in "Chashme Buddoor" with equal aplomb.

He featured in just over 50 films, but it was enough for him to make an impact.

Furthermore, his finesse at creating a balance between the two worlds continued till the end - he was seen in the box office blockbuster "Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani" and the critically acclaimed "Club 60".

"Your subtle, nuanced and genius body of work will live on forever," filmmaker Karan Johar posted on his Twitter page once the news of Farooque's death came out.

Hindi films' megastar, Amitabh Bachchan described the late actor as a "true gentleman, a wonderful colleague", who had "a quiet honesty about him" and who had "an absence of any kind of pretence in his demeanour, or towards his work".

Farooque even won the 2010 National Film Award for best supporting actor for the film "Lahore".

His life was "passionately dedicated to his art", said internationally acclaimed filmmaker Shekhar Kapur about the actor, who was not just appreciated for his craft, but also for the warmth and love he exuded as a person.

There were many who vouched for his excellence as a human being.

Mahesh Bhatt tweeted: "The warmth of your smile lingers in our memory", while Divya Dutta remembers having told him: "The warmth and genuiness you exude is unparallelled".

"His smile was straight from the heart," she added.

It is that smile and the craft, captured in several movies that his fans and future generations will remember for years to come.

By TCN News,

Washington DC: Coalition Against Genocide (CAG), a broad alliance dedicated to justice and accountability for the Gujarat pogrom of 2002, has expressed serious concern over the Indian state government's lack of response to the month long hunger strike by Gurbaksh Singh Khalsa, a Sikh farmer from Haryana.

Mr. Khalsa, a former prisoner turned activist, has undertaken this hunger strike to draw attention to the continued detention of Sikh prisoners convicted in the post-1984 cycles of state repression and political violence even after they have completed their sentences.

"In India a life sentence is usually reviewed after 14 years but the Sikh prisoners are not getting this review. Treating the Sikhs different than the others will increase the feelings of discrimination among the Sikh minority which will not be healthy for the Indian society." said Rajinder Singh Mago, a member of CAG. CAG is requesting the government of India to take prompt action on the demands by Mr. Khalsa, Sikh leaders, and national and international human rights bodies.

"A number of Sikhs were falsely arrested, charged and convicted. Many of them are still in jails despite their old age. It's my personal opinion all such prisoners - whichever community they may belong to - should be set free now," said Sukhdev Singh Bhaur, general secretary of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), the top Sikh religious administration in Punjab.

Rights attorneys say authorities are selectively rejecting reviews of Sikh inmates incarcerated during the Punjab militancy. Human Rights Watch, in a statement to CNN, called upon Indian authorities not to let prisoners remain behind the bars beyond their sentences, noting that "(t)here were serious human rights abuses during the Punjab insurgency."

International rights groups have accused both the Indian state and Sikh militants of engaging in serious violations of human rights during the insurgency which peaked in the 1980s. Hundreds of men including those who either were members of militant groups or were suspected to have been sympathetic to such groups were annihilated by the security forces often in cold blooded "encounter killings." In addition violations committed by security forces against unarmed civilians included illegal detentions, torture, and summary executions - all of which have never been subjected to rigorous legal scrutiny, and no formal processes of legal redress undertaken.

Coupled with this, successive administrations in India have willfully turned a blind eye to the culpability of powerful politicians in the Congress Party who had organized and actively participated in the widespread killings of Sikhs in 1984 following the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The impunity enjoyed by the powerful culprits involved in the anti-Sikh pogrom of 1984 remains the norm, and is the main source of distrust and alienation many Sikhs feel towards the Indian state. The precedent set by the Congress Party in defending and protecting the perpetrators of the 1984 pogrom has caused immeasurable damage to democracy as we can see how yet another perpetrator of mass murder is being touted today as a potential prime minister.

CAG supports the courageous efforts of non-violent movements for justice seeking justice for all political prisoners in India - from Chhattisgarh to Gujarat, Orissa to Punjab - who are languishing in jails without due review of their cases, many of whom have already served their long sentences.

CAG also reiterates its demand that those involved in the anti-Sikh pogrom of 1984 be brought to justice. The lack of judicial deterrence has encouraged a wave of mass killings including the pogrom of Muslims in Gujarat, Assam and Muzaffarnagar, and that of Dalits in villages like Laxmanpur Bathe in Bihar. In the latter case the Patna High Court outrageously overturned the convictions of 26 persons including 16 who were awarded death sentence for killing 58 Dalits.

REFERENCES:

CNN: Sikh farmer on hunger strike in India for prisoners' release

Times of India: Gurbax Singh's hunger strike, Dal Khalsa writes to Amnesty International

Sikh American Organizations Stand with Gurbaksh Singh on 36th Day of His Hunger Strike; Demand Rule of Law in India

Human Rights Watch: Bring Charges for Newly Discovered Massacre of Sikhs, April 25, 2011

By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,

Aligarh: Several students of the Aligarh Muslim University are disappointed with President Pranab Mukharjee for not mentioning concerns of University in his speech on his recent visit to the campus.

President of India attended the inaugural function of five-day long XXXVII India Social Science Congress at Kennedy Auditorium, Aligarh Muslim University on “Building on Ecologically Sustainable Society” few days ago.

AMU Vice Chancellor presenting a memento to Mr. B. L. Joshi, Governor, UP

A students’ organisation Sir Syed Minority Foundation of India, General secretary Md. Perwez Siddiqui said in a press conference that the AMU fraternity was impatiently waiting for the President and expected him to announce some “gift” from him. He also inaugurated the Social Science Cyber Library.

Perwez was disappointed that the President Mukharjee did not even mention the name of AMU founder Sir Syed Ahmad Khan in his whole speech.

Minority status of AMU is pending in the Supreme Court and several students had expected some positive announcement from the President.

AMU Vice Chancellor, Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Zameer Uddin Shah had also forwarded 10000 signatures of students in support of minority character collected by Sir Syed Minority Foundation and a booklet named “Quest for Justice.”

Perwez was disappointed that the President did not even acknowledge that in his speech.

Related:

President Pranab Mukharjee inaugurates 37th Indian Social Science Congress at AMU

By IANS,

New Delhi : Journalists and family of social activist Khurshid Anwar, who allegedly committed suicide after being charged with rape, Saturday blamed social media and certain news channels for carrying out a campaign against him.

Anwar, 55, executive director of NGO Institute for Social Democracy, allegedly committed suicide Dec 18 by jumping off his third-floor residence in Vasant Kunj after two news channels aired video clips in which a woman accused him of rape.

The 23-year-old woman, who hails from Manipur, was working with the NGO. She accused Anwar of sexually assaulting her on the night of Sep 12 after a party.

"The entire tape of the programme (in which the allegations were made) should be shown, as they also contain Anwar's version of events which were cut," Om Thanvi, editor of Jansatta newspaper said at an open forum at the Press Club of India here.

He accused social media and certain TV channels of carrying out a campaign against Anwar.

Senior journalist Annapurna Jha said Khurshid Anwar became a victim of "media trial".

Asking the media to introspect, she said the social media was a vastly unregulated space.

Anwar's brother Ali Javed said the side of the story that Anwar had to tell should also have been shown on television.

"The law should take its course," he said.

By IANS,

Jammu : Opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) patron and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed Saturday welcomed the DGMO-level talks between India and Pakistan.

He asserted the sanctity of the ceasefire agreement between the two nations must be respected at all costs.

Addressing a public meeting in the border town of Arnia in Jammu district, Sayeed said the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMO)-level meeting between the two countries was a follow-up action of the meeting held between Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif in New York in September.

"The DGMO-level talks between India and Pakistan with a commitment and focus on maintaining truce along the Line of Control (LoC) is a praiseworthy move," he said and stressed on evolving a mechanism to avoid ceasefire violations and hostilities at the border in future.

"Both the countries have realised there is no alternative to peace," he said while mentioning statements of Punjab (Pakistan) Chief Minister Shahwaz Sharif, brother of Nawaz Sharif, on strengthening India-Pakistan ties.

Terming the ceasefire on borders as the most significant step taken by both the countries for sustainability of peace process, he said truce should be maintained at any cost for the safety and normality of lives of people living there.

"People of Jammu and Kashmir have high stakes in peace because they are the worst sufferers of hostility between the two neighbouring countries.

"Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, is an ardent supporter of improvement of relations with India. So, I am confident whosoever will form the next government in India will also take effective steps to further strengthen relations with Pakistan," he said and argued that to emerge as an economic power, India has to normalise relations with Pakistan.

Reiterating that PDP, as a credible regional power, would facilitate betterment of India-Pakistan relations, Sayeed said his party played this role successfully during its tenure in the government.

He asserted the biggest achievements of PDP was it created conducive atmosphere for initiating peace process and taking confidence-building measures to normalise relations between the two nations.

Victims of 1950 riot at various areas of Barpeta district of Assam share their experience.

By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,

Guwahati: Even at the ripe age of 98 years, Kalimuddin has been living his life with a ‘scar’ which will never be erased. A farmer at Bogulamari village in Barpeta district in Assam along with several hundred others could not forget the horror of a fateful Saturday in 1950.

He is a witness, rather a victim of the riot which took place in several places in lower Assam. “It was a terrible moment for all of us. Thank God that we are still alive. How can we forget that episode,” said Kalimuddin, who was bit surprised when this correspondent wished to know about that incident.

Riot victim 98 year old Kalimuddin (2nd from right), Narendra Nath Sarkar (extreme left) and others in their village.

Now, he along with the neighbouring people who have seen the ghastly face of brutality of the riot do not want of such repetition at any cost. However, they express grief that no proper documentation was made of that incident which has definitely changed the fate of many forever.

He was a class VIII student of Langa Keramatia Madrassa in their neighbourhood when around 500 people from their area fled to East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) to get rid of the rage of the rioters through river route.

“It was just another beautiful morning till we heard the hue and cry of people and saw a mob in all white dress chasing the villagers. We saw some of our neighbours being butchered. All of us ran towards the river Beki (a tributary of river Brahmaputra). We stayed there on the bank for a couple of nights before leaving for East Pakistan on boats,” recalled Kalimuddin.

He even remembered of seeing the body of one Ibrahim Ali, one of the elders of the village, lying on the street when they were running for their lives. “What what could we do?” he added.

They reached Tangail district of present Bangladesh after travelling 18 days where they were provided food and shelter by the locals initially. But later they had to work for Rs 0.05 in a day or so.

This way a section of people stayed there for almost one and half years, meanwhile another section immediately made their way back to their native land. “This is where the problem started as these people who returned after almost more than a year were not included in the NRC (National Register of Citizen) later, although they were born and brought up in here only,” said Jaynuddin, a local of Bogulamari area who has also seen the riot.

However, in such a hostile environment there were always hope of harmony. These people who were Muslims were targeted by an anti-social elements in the area were found a place of peace in their Hindu Bengali neighbours.

“We are grateful to our neighbours like Narendra Nath Sarkar who and his family members took care of the cattle and our properties. There were many like them who really helped us in saving our lives from the miscreants. That is why we could come back and get our properties back. We take pride in our relationship. No outside enemy can damage it,” said Jaynuddin adding that altogether around 500 people were killed during the riot.

Sarkar also repents at the incident. “It was very unfortunate. We could do nothing much but saw them flee. Our hearts cried seeing their plight. We have always wanted to stay together peacefully but sections of anti-social elements create trouble,” Sarkar said.

Many like Kalimuddin and Jaynuddin could not even continue their studies even after their return to their place of birth.

After struggling for decades to survive, these unfortunate people have another major hurdle in their path in the form of natural calamities. The population which comprises of farmers are facing tough time with the ever increasing river erosion. Most of them have even given up doing jute and other corps due to this problem.

There are many who have become daily wage earners losing all their agriculture lands to the river.

By M Reyaz, TwoCircles.net,

Muzaffarnagar/Shamli: In the wake of the government orders to vacate all relief camps in few days, the victims of the September riots in Muzaffarnagar and surrounding districts are in desperate situations as they can’t decide where to go.

Police vacated Loi camp yesterday. Today police force led by SDM and other district officials have so far vacated camps at Neem Kheri, and are forcing closures of several other camps. As this story is being filed, this correspondent got calls from anxious residents in Bhora relief camp in Shamli district that there is heavy deployment of police force and they are forcing the victims to vacate the camp and threatening them to use force. But the PAC team was chased away.

Neem Kheri camp

A force led by SDM has just arrived at the Bibipur camp in Shamli forcing them to evict.

The government’s apathy was marked by the force being used against the victims to vacate camps and are now literally thrashed and being asked to stay away even from the land they bought. Too afraid to return to their ancestral villages, largely because the perpetrators of the crime are still free and residing in same villages, the victims are not sure where to relocate in this chilly winter.

Under pressure from the state government, largely due to consistent media reporting in last few weeks, local administration has now retorted to coercion and blackmailing, and are suggesting to the residents of camps to vacate camps immediately if they want compensation soon.

In front of media, Muzaffarnagar District Magistrate Kaushal Raj claims that he is not using any force, but only “pursuing” them to move to safer places as camps. As a sham government says that they have built temporary camps in Budhana Tehsil, which is “well equipped” for winter, and hence urging the victims of the riot to move there. However, a mere visit to the Budhana, will tell you that the camp is desperately inadequate, to shelter not more than few hundred. Moreover, administration is just forcing them to vacate and there seems no arrangement to reach safer places.

Forced to vacate lands they purchased: In last few days, Loi camp – one of the biggest camp – that sheltered most affected victims of riots from nearby Fugana mainly, had almost been shut. A local property dealer, Yameen bought about 10 bighas of land from a local Hindu near the bus-stop of Neem Kheri for ‘plotting’ and sold them of to victims of the riot from Loi camp. The land would be able to provide shelter to about 60-70 families. The site is very close to Parsauli Police Check Post.

Neem Kheri camp

Some of the hapless victims, who have got compensation or had means, bought pieces of land and were readying to build houses there. When TCN visited the site on December 30, about 15 families had meanwhile put up tents to stay temporarily till they build their houses. As Loi camp was closed completely many more families shifted there.

However, today, as this story is being filed, TCN got calls from Neem Kheri, victims crying and whining that all tents from Neem Kheri have been forcibly removed. These villagers are unsure now where they will spend their nights in this chill. There are several small children, some who were born in camp itself.

It should be mentioned here that the UP government had earlier forced the victims to sign affidavits in lieu of compensation that clearly mentioned that the victims would not return to their homes. The affidavit has since been abandoned after facing flak from the Apex Court.

Land bought by riot victims to make houses near the Neem Kheri bus stop.

Constantly under media glare, local administrations appear desperate and do not want the victims to stay in cluster, and are hence retorting to demolition of camps. They suggesting that those victims either move to the Budhana Tehsil in government camps, temporarily shift in relatives’ houses, or buy new land for houses.

Police came to evict the Neem Kheri camp yesterday as well and as the victims resisted some of them of them were beaten badly. One Mustaqeem from Fugana, who was earlier in Loi camp, and whose wife was even gang-raped, was thrashed by police when he resisted.

But today’s Neem Kheri’s forceful evacuation is astounding as victims had bought land and had made tents in their own properties. The justification of the government is that until houses are ready, they should reside in safer camps.

By IANS,

Bhopal: The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of Madhya Pradesh Police arrested four members of the outlawed Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) in Ujjain, an official said Wednesday. A large cache of ammunition was also recovered.

Police arrested Javed Nagori, Abdul Aziz, Mohd. Abid and Mohd. Wahid late Tuesday from the Mahidapur area in Ujjain district of Madhya Pradesh, about 200 km from the state capital, on the basis of information provided by Abu Faisal. He was one of the seven SIMI members who escaped from Khandwa Jail last October, and was re-arrested Dec 25, 2013.

ATS chief Sanjeev Shami said 900 gelatin rods, 600 detonators, a pipe bomb and two bombs that were still being assembled were recovered after the arrest of the four.

Seven arrested SIMI members broke free from the Khandwa Jail of Madhya Pradesh in October. Two of them, including Faisal, allegedly a vital link between the Indian Mujahideen and SIMI, were later re-arrested. The others who escaped from jail remain untraced.

By IANS,

Lucknow: Newly-appointed Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police Rizwan Ahmed Wednesday said he would push for prompt implementation of the commissioner system of policing in select towns and cities on a top priority-basis in the coming days.

Talking to IANS, the top cop, who rose to the post superseding four others thus bagging the top post in world's largest police force, said he had already, as director-general (railways), submitted a proposal to the state government on the commissioner format of policing for cities like Kanpur, Varanasi, Agra and Allahabad, as also state capital Lucknow.

Ahmed is a 1978-batch Indian Police Service officer.

"The ground work has been completed, and the state government is favourably disposed to the new format. I am sure things will move soon in the right direction" he told IANS.

Listing another priority during his brief, two-month term (he is set to retire Feb 28), the new DGP said he would sensitise policemen to the problems of the people, and ensure that they were more caring and careful in dealing with members of the public.

Admitting that his was a brief tenure, Ahmed, known for his proximity to ruling Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh, said he would try to do whatever was best for the state and its populace.

The new police chief has been given the charge of ensuring communal peace. His mission is to promptly contain communal flare-ups, if any.

Many senior officials, however, aver that he has little time on his hands, too little to effect lasting changes.

"The state needs a long-serving top cop to initiate far-reaching changes. This (appointment) is a stop-gap arrangement, just the political leadership sending a message to the minorities in the state," a senior police official said.

Ahmed is the first Muslim police chief in the state.

This is also the first time that both top posts in the state government - that of chief secretary and director general of police - are held by Muslims.

The leadership of the Samajwadi Party, under fire for its handling of the Muzaffarnagar riots and its aftermath, faced pressure from party cadre to have a Muslim face as the top police official.

By IANS,

Agra : A busy road crossing on the Mahatma Gandhi Road in Agra is to be named after Mirza Ghalib, the doyen of Urdu poetry who was born here in 1797.

District Magistrate Zuher Bin Sagir announced that the "Naal Band Chauraha" on the Mahatma Gandhi Road here would be named after the famous poet. Procedural formalities have been initiated and the municipal corporation chief Indra Vikram Singh has been told to complete the process speedily.

Lovers of Urdu poetry, late actor Farooque Sheikh and many activists had demanded that a proper memorial dedicated to the poet should be built and a road or a crossing should be named after him.

Two days ago, after a condolence meeting for late actor Farooque Sheikh, who only a fortnight ago with actress Shabana Azmi had presented the play "Tumhari Amrita", a high mound overlooking the Taj Mahal was named after Mirza Ghalib, a wish Farooque Sheikh had long cherished.

Taj Literature Festival organising committee members Harvijay Bahia, Ashok Jain and others have welcomed the naming of a road crossing after Mirza Ghalib.

They said that more programmes would be organised to promote Urdu "adab" and cherish the memory of Mirza Ghalib, Meer Taqi Meer and Nazir Akbarabadi, the three pillars of Urdu heritage, and all three associated with Agra.

By M Reyaz, TwoCircles.net,

Muzaffarnagar: Four months after the riots that broke on September 7, Uttar Pradesh police has failed to arrest a single perpetrator, although in most of the cases, accused were from same village and neighbours and hence identified with names.

Over 6000 persons have been named as accused, but so far only 294 people have been arrested. Shockingly most of them are living freely in their villages, without any fear of police, although cases include serious offenses of rapes, murder, arson, rioting, etc. Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the riots, however, today issued arrest orders against 22 accused in six riot cases.

But it seems that the government is retorting to coercive methods to force victims of the riots withdraw cases. Police appears to be protecting the perpetrators of the riots, more than the victims.

File photo of Loi camp. It has been closed now.

One of the most affected villages was Fugana where over 400 cases have been registered. Most of the complainants are, however, living in different relief camps and are too scared to even visit their village. They, however, get calls repeatedly by police to come to the police station for ‘investigation,’ and often they are asked to narrate the incident and testify, in front of the perpetrators.

30 year old Mustaqeem from Fugana, says that his statement has been recorded at least four times at the Fugana Police Station, but still police keeps calling him to be present. His wife was gang raped during the riots by several men. She identified four men - Pushpendra, Rupesh, Sanjeev and Ramvir among many others. None of them has been arrested although they all are apparently living in villages.

He alleges that police keeps asking him derogatory questions from him, often when in presence of perpetrators.

File photo of Neem Kheri camp. This too has been closed now.

He was living in Loi camp till a week ago and few days ago shifted to Neem Kheri, but today seems to have no place to go now as that camp too has been closed today. On Tuesday evening when he had resisted police against eviction, he was even beaten up by police.

Mustaqeem also alleged that the accused have been threatening him to withdraw cases.

Similar is the story of Naseem Ahmad, whose wife too was gang-raped and who too have been getting threats and is being pressurised to withdraw cases.

Another resident of Fugana, 45 year old Nasedin too has filed an FIR naming Renu, Anil, Pushpendra and Satpal as accused. He too has been reportedly called several times by police and is getting threats from accused.

Police calls and repeatedly ask the complainants to testify in front of the accused and if they fumble or feel ashamed to answer to derogatory questions, police allegedly threaten them to withdraw cases. Although there is no confirmation, but there are reports that several complaints have been withdrawn.

Fugana SHO KP Sharma did confirm that accused too were called for “cross-examinations,” but had no explanation as to why they have been not arrested so far, although charges against them are of serious nature.

The victims of the September riots in Muzaffarnagar and Shamli have maintained that they have lost all faith and trust and at no cost will they go back to their ancestral villages, even though it means losing properties and land there. One main reason for their fear is that none of the perpetrators in riot cases have been registered so far.

Uttar Pradesh Government has been maintaining all along that the victims should go back to their villages and hence they want all camps to be closed soon. Some of the Muslim organisations too have been supportive of the government on this. Samajwadi party Supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav went on to suggest that the inhabitants of refugee camps are agents of the BJP and Congress.

However, when the perpetrators of the riots, most of whom were neighbours, are roaming freely and living in same villages, it is indeed difficult for the victims to go back. State government has failed completely in confidence building measures in the aftermath of the riots. Even four months after the riot, there is hardly any action onto hundreds of cases of serious charges like rapes, murder and burning houses and properties, etc.

Related:

Muzaffarnagar riot victims have NOWHERE to go as police force them out of land they bought

By N. Jamal Ansari,

The race to control the India Islamic Cultural Centre, New Delhi (IICC) is hitting up. Election process for 2014 for its management committee is underway.

India Islamic Culture Centre (IICC) is not an ordinary body. It is the focal point of the meeting of Muslims who matters. It was established with an aim to provide facilities to creative people of the Indian Muslim community to interact, discuss and analyse the issues faced by the community and nation as earlier India’s foreign policy was heavily pro-Arab and the fact can be understood from recalling that India was the first ever country to recognise Late Yasir Arafat as the head of Palestine. One of the main motive behind the establishment of IICC was to send positive message to the Muslim countries about Indian Muslims.

It may be recalled that the end of 14th Hijra was an important event in the history of the Muslims world. India is the home of Muslims too and population-wise it is second largest Muslim concentrated country in the world. Hence, no doubt large scale celebrations were held in India too on the completion of 14th Hijra. Being a democratic country, the government of India also took keen interest in the celebration on various levels.

During the centenary celebrations, some eminent persons in national capital, New Delhi, Opined for the need of a centre to highlight Islamic Culture. Some of the old boys of the Aligarh Muslim University and many renowned personalities played a positive role in establishing the centre.

Mrs. Indira Gandhi paid much attention to the establishment of IICC as she was convinced that the centre will promote communal harmony and understanding among the followers of different religions and thus will be helpful for the national integration. It was Mrs. Gandhi who laid the foundation stone of IICC on 24th August 1984.

No doubt IICC has catered to the needs of Indian Muslim and tried to keep up the tradition of composite culture. But with the passage of time, a strange trend has emerged in its election process to float “Panels”.

In the present election currently going on almost four panels are working to attract the members of IICC. It may be noted that almost all members of the IICC are distinguished people of their respective fields. There should be difference in the election of a municipality, gram panchayat or student union an educational institution and the prestigious IICC. Panel based election seem to be a channel to avoid the fair election process itself. It snatches the liberty from the voters their right to elect suitable persons. For example, there may be black sheeps in a panel but the voter may vote it out due to few other persons included in it. In my view the biggest negative point is that panel politics generates groupism which is anti-creativity. I think that esteemed members of the IICC should avoid panel politics to protest and preserve the functional aspect of the IICC.

My second point is that the IICC should not be allowed to take shape of a club. It is not a club but a Centre which should be allowed to function as a centre of excellence for thinking and concerned people. Through panel politics, there is chance that some people may be elected to the IICC management who may not have suitable talent and creativity for that. I am trying to save the interests of IICC from these people.

In my view the election process of the IICC should be very transparent and without any lobbying. As the lobbying is turning out it to be like a business deal we must accept that no institution, IICC or any other such centre should be turned to a coffee breaking point. As far as panelist are concerned, they themselves realize that creation of panels is sending a wrong message to community and media. It seems that IICC is presently gripped by internal politics. We should avoid such situation as it is denting prestige of the IICC.

Finally, the electors of the IICC management should ensure to support and vote to the candidates who have proven track record of serving the interests of the community and nation, who have composite culture, brotherhood and missionary zeal in their veins. There are candidates who have already proved their worthiness in other fields, we should give them a chance to come on the centre stage of the IICC. Persons who are not any panel may be move suitable as it is sure that they are not part of any internal politics.

We should not forget that IICC is not only our meeting point but our dream, a creation house, a place to dwell on our problems and aspirations and a dream to come true. Hence, we must ensure its smooth functioning on the lines of the desires of founders and make it a centre without any internal politics compounded by promise to handover it to next generation.

(The Writer is Director of Centre for Studies on Muslim Politics (CSMP) and can be reached atjamal.ansari.999@gmail.com )

By TCN News Desk,

Today is the floor test of new CM of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal. Since he is too busy to give appointment to TCN, our news desk held a mock interview with him where he answers every question using maxims of prominent people. Following are the excerpts of the interview:

1. AAP has bagged 28 seats in the state election and you have become 7th CM of New Delhi. How is it to become a politician from an activist?

A.K. : I believe in what HL Mencken once said, “A good politician is quite unthinkable as an honest burglar”. Therefore I wish to remain as aam aadmi only.

2. After assuming office you might have understood that according to your manifesto there are many undefined problems. Will you be able to solve them?

A.K. : I believe in what Robert A. Humphrey once said, “An undefined problem has an infinite number of solutions”. Don’t worry, we will certainly fulfill what we have said in our manifesto.

3. You are showing great intensity in work soon after assuming office. Are you going to work with the same spirit and intensity in future?

A.K. : I believe in what Will Rogers once said, “Even if you are on the right track , you get run over if you just sit there”. We have assumed office to work and definitely we will deliver till we are in office.

4. You are in power till the Congress supports your party. What if they revoke their support?

A.K.: I believe in what Don Ward once said, “Others can stop you temporarily, only you can do it permanently”. That will stall implementation of our manifesto only till we come to power in future elections.

5. Congress and BJP are in politics for number of years. AAP is like a child to them in politics. What do you want to say on this?

A.K.: Don’t forget what William Wordsworth once said, “The child is father of the man”. At times it becomes very difficult for father to control his child. The whole world is watching the changed political situation in Delhi.

6. AAP has promised many things before elections. Will you be able to fulfill all of your promises by changing the running system?

A.K.: Once James Baldwin has said, “Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced”. I don’t have magic wand with me to change everything. We will try to fulfill promises as much as we can.

7. You started well by declaring that you will announce a number to public to report about corrupt officials. That will certainly help in containing corruption but still you have a long distance to go to make New Delhi a corruption free state.

A.K.: My answer to this lies in what Marquise du Deffand once said, “The distance is nothing, its only the first step that is difficult”.

8. What do you like to say on the allegation put forward by Nitin Gadkari that there was a deal between AAP and Congress?

A.K.: This allegation was raised just before my oath. Such allegations will keep coming till we are in the politics and aam aadmi loves us because FC Hayes has rightly said, “The wind blows strongest against those who stand tallest”.

9. What was your first advice to AAP ministers once you assumed the office?

A.K.: I repeated what Caroline K Simon has once said, “Look like a girl, act like a lady, think like a man and work like a dog”.

10. BJP Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi is projecting development carried out in Gujarat and is promising to change the whole India into a developed country. What do you want to say on this?

A.K.: I would like to remind him what Leo Tolstey once said, ”Everybody thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself”.

11. When your party won over Congress in the state elections then Rahul Gandhi had said that they have to learn from AAP. What message you would like to give to Rahul Gandhi through TCN.

A.K.: I would advise Rahulji what Confucius once said, “To see what is right, and not to do it, is want of courage or of principle”.

12. Do you think AAP can form government at centre in future?

A.K.: Buckminister Fuller has rightly said, “There is nothing about a caterpillar that tells you its going to be a butterfly”. Do you have any doubt?

13. You came to recognition due to Anna then parted ways and formed AAP. Today you became CM and proved that you are smarter than Anna.

A.K.: Anna is my guru. Guru always remains guru. Remember what R.H. Grant has once said, “When you hire people that are smarter than you are, you prove you are smarter than they are”.

By Abdul Hannan Siwani Nadvi,

Emergence of AAP is a good for Indian democracy in the long run. Those, who were fed up with destructive politics that had instilled fear and hatred in the minds of Indian people against each other, got a sigh of relief with the extraordinary performance of AAP in Delhi, heart of India.

Selection of newly born AAP reaffirms this thinking that majority of society, if it is directed through positive way, has faith in peace, development and transparent administration, instead of corrupt, biased and communal thinking.

The ideology of AAP appeals to each community of the country. People say, once bitten, twice shy, therefore, Muslims and their leadership are watching this development very closely from all angles before to take a final call.

If AAP's policy remains transparent, Muslims and other marginalized classes get their shares in APP's government fairly and administration displays its work with positive mind, then this newly born party will get Muslim's support.

As is evident, policies of some parties are not in favour of each community of India. Congress under new leadership did not work much to get support and confidence of Aam Admi. Though Mr. Rahul Gandhi is the future of the Congress party, it seems he is unable to display any constructive and courageous decisions especially towards Muslims since he is active in politics.

AAP's rise is a warning sign of huge shift of policy in political arena. It is being seen as an alternative of Congress and BJP. Those parties who love playing communal and religious card to attain power will suffer huge loss, if AAP manages to offer a better environment.

The path, however, adopted by Mr. Arvind Kejriwal and his party is not easy. It is full of challenges and tough times. There are various fields that will pose huge difficulties in making policies. Cleaning of society from corruption and crimes are not an easy task, tough times ahead. The classes, groups and sections whose voices never heard in previous governments, have high expectations from this new government of AAP. Keeping party and party leadership clean, free of corruption and free of bigot thinking will never be easy for this new leader of Indian politics.

Since the Aam Admi believes in work on ground, AAP's future strategy will decide which way the camel sits.

Anyhow, let us join hands to support, courage and welcome Mr. Arvind Kejriwal, Chief Minister of Delhi, who fought with all odds and reached to this stage in an atmosphere when India's integrity, unity, democratic and secular fabric are on target.

Will he and his party protect India's integrity, unity and its secular fabric? Will he get success in providing a transparent system to each community of the country irrespective of skin, colour and religion?

Let us wait and watch with cautions.

(Auhtor is currently in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and can be contacted atahannan111@yahoo.in )

By IANS,

New Delhi : Rights groups here Thursday held a protest against the Uttar Pradesh government's forcible eviction of victims of the Muzaffaranagar riots from relief camps where they had sought shelter.

"The Uttar Pradesh government has crossed all limits of callous governance and cynical political calculation by ordering the eviction of riot-hit people from the relief camps," Manisha Sethi of Jamia Teachers Solidarity Association (JTSA) told IANS.

The Akhilesh Yadav government has been frugal in its aid to the victims, Sethi said, adding: "It is ridiculous how they are dismantling the flimsy tents which were at least providing the people with a mode of shelter against the bitter cold."

The protest was held outside UP Bhavan in the national capital.

"Eyewitnesses in Loi, Neem Kheri, and Bhora camps have reported heavy deployment of police force and forcible closure of these camps by bulldozing the tents, hearths and beating up the residents," said Bhavna Sharma of Act Now for Harmony and Democracy (ANHAD).

"The UP government is now peddling the lie that people are either moving out voluntarily or are being relocated to another camp," added Sharma.

The group also submitted a memorandum to the Uttar Pradesh Governor Banwari Lal Joshi asking him to intervene and stop the demolition of the relief camps.