By IANS,

New Delhi: Hitting out at Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde's advisory for releasing "minority youth" detained wrongfully, BJP leader Arun Jaitley Saturday said the move was "unconstitutional".

Referring to the home minister's letter to chief ministers to review cases of terrorism against "members of minority communities," Jaitley said: "Obviously, he has only religious minority and not linguistic minority in mind".

"He expects the state government to set up review committees to deal with cases against a category of citizens and not all persons who have been charged of terrorism offences. This raises certain fundamental questions with regard to the propriety and the legality of the move initiated by the home minister," Jaitley said on his blog.

"The move is clearly political. There are several persons charged with offences of terror in India. The provisions have been invoked against those associated with certain radical Islamic groups," he said.

"Such a move is clearly unconstitutional. Article 14 guarantees to every citizen a right to equality. There can be a reasonable classification based on intelligible and distinctive criteria," he added.

In a letter that has generated a political controversy, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde Friday asked all state chief ministers to be "careful" while arresting minorities.

The home minister wrote to state chief ministers on detention procedures, asking them to form a panel to review cases of people jailed without trial. "Release minority youths if they are illegally detained," Shinde wrote.

"The advisory of the home minister to states to discriminate between criminals on the basis of religion is based on an improper policy. It violates the constitutional guarantee of equality... The states are not bound by such unconstitutional directives of the home minister," Jaitely said.

By IANS,

Mumbai: Muslim leaders Saturday condemned terrorism and sought special tribunals to handle issues of victimization of Muslim youths while investigating terrorism cases Saturday.

They were speaking at a state-level convention on "Protection of Democracy" at the Azad Maidan here.

Addressing the media, Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind president Maulana Syed Arshad Madni said the plight of innocent Muslim youths was well known and a matter of concern.

"The issue of minorities needs to be seriously addressed, and we all must see how this (victimization of Muslim youth) is stopped," Madni said.

He pointed out that Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde had admitted - though belatedly - that innocent Muslims were being harassed and arrested.

"Many judgements have come in several cases when innocent Muslims have been discharged or acquitted of terror charges but the prime years of their youth have been spent in jail. How do you compensate this?" Madni asked.

He said since state governments do not seriously pursue the legal action pertaining to withdrawal of false terror cases against Muslims, there was a need to set up tribunals and examine the issue.

These tribunals should comprise respected retired judicial figures and be vested with proper powers to function effectively.

He said no Muslim youth accused of terrorism should be arrested without a probe by the tribunal.

A resolution to this effect was adopted at the convention, also attended by Shankaracharya Adhikshanandji Maharaj of Puri and other religious leaders.

By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,

Ayodha (UP): Noted peace activist and priest Yugul Kishore Shashtri was arrested here today afternoon (11 January) by the Uttar Pradesh (UP) Police. On 12 of January (Sunday), he was going to organise a People’s Panchayat on the issue of attack on Shrine of Sheesh Paighambar. The shrine was attacked on 20 December 13, in which a student Zeeshan was also killed.

The Police has arrested Sashtri claiming he is ‘threat to peace and order’ in the city.

Yugul Kishore Shashtri

According to his close aide and local activist, Shah Alam, the arrest is result of his sustained campaign to expose the communal elements involved in the attack of shrine of Sheesh Paighamar and murder of Syed Zeeshan alias Danish.

“This shows the communal nature of police and administration,” said Alam. “The role of police and local administration is not been very doubtful since beginging of the investigation,” he added.

Rights groups and activists have condemned the arrest and demanded his immediate and unconditional release.

Shahstri, an ex-RSS pracharak himself and resident of Hanuman Garhi has been working on communal harmony. He has been an eyewitness of the demolition of Babri Masjid.

Related:

Shrine grave damaged, Youth Killed in Ayodhya

By Mudassir Rizwan, TwoCircles.net,

Patna: One of the most famous couplets of Allama Iqbal reads, “Khudi Ko Kar Buland Itna Ke Har Taqdeer Se Pehle//Khuda Bande Se Khud Puche, Bata Teri Raza Kya Hai (Develop the self so that before every decree//God will ascertain from you: ‘What is your wish?)”

19 year old Javed Akhtar is a fine example of a brilliant boy, who did not let poverty become a hurdle in his aspirations to become an engineer. In fact it appears as if the stars colluded to make each turn in Javed’s life smoother than before.

Javed Akhtar

Although finance still remains a major concern for Javed, who is due to start his second semester of B.Tech. at the Indian Institute of Technology – Kanpur, first the missionary school where he studied as a sponsored student, Rehmani 30 and other coaching institute proved critical in mission.

Javed’s father is a hawker, who sells boiled eggs and omelettes on a street in Patna. Javed has two more brothers and a sister. Elder brother had to leave his study midway and is now working as a receptionist at the missionary Kurji Holy Family Hospital in Patna. Younger brother and sister are studying in government schools in class XII and X, respectively.

As a bright young student, Javed studied at the Loyala High School Montfort Literacy Centre till class V. He says that at this point it had become so difficult for him to study that he was on the verge of leaving education to learn embroidery to support income.

With tearful eyes, Javed says that if it was not for the former Principal (Late) Brother Anthony of Loyala High School, who liked him a lot, he could have left studies long ago. Brother Anthony helped him get sponsorship to study at Loyala High School. Javed is also indebted to present Principal Brother TK James and English teacher Mr Jojo PK.

Javed Akhtar with his parents

While he was still in class VIII, he decided to do engineering. As he learnt about IITs, he aspired to study in one of those esteemed institutions. By the time he reached class X, he discovered about Super30 and Rahmani 30 free coaching for poor meritorious students.

With resolve to study at IIT, Javed appeared for the entrance test of Rehmani30 free coaching after class X and luckily cleared the test. “In two years at Rahmani 30, I got to learn quite a lot, particularly the fundamentals,” he tells TCN.

Young Javed says that he is really indebted to Maulana Wali Rahmani and DGP Abhayanad, who is the mentor of Rahmani30.

He, however, could not clear the IIT entrance examinations in his first attempt in 2012. Javed says that so many people had pinned hopes on him and he got worried that if he fails, all the expectations of the family would be ruined. Under extreme pressure, Javed lost his mental balance during the examinations and could not give his best.

Shattered, it took some time for him to recover. He, however, did not lose hopes and took coaching at Vision Classes, in which too he got scholarship due to his performance. Next year Javed cleared the IIT entrance examinations, and took admission at the prestigious IIT-Kanpur under OBC category.

Javed Akhtar with his father and eldest brother Jahangir

It was like Eid for the family when they got to know that Javed has cleared result. His father Khurshid Alam says, “I am a poor man and it is difficult for me to manage even the family regular chores. My son was good at studies and hence his teachers helped him a lot.” He is particularly grateful to Rahmani30 for providing his son free facilities.

Considering his economic conditions and his brilliant performance, Javed has now also got INSPIRE fellowship from second semester onwards, which will help him partially support the high tuition fees of the IIT. However, he is still in need of some financial support to help him complete four years at the IIT.

“I do not really know what will happen after four years, at the moment my main priority is to complete my BTech,” says Javed, for whom managing semester fees and other monthly expenses is not easy.

By Ram Puniyani,

The spectacular performance of Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi Assembly elections (November 2013) has changed the perceptions and anticipations about the forthcoming general elections to be held in 2014. It has also led to rethink about the equations of electoral politics in general. While BJP emerged as the single largest party and could have staked claim to form the Government, it refrained from that. AAP, after an initial hesitation, went in for opinion taking exercise, and decided to cross the obstacles of being a bit short of majority and formed the Government.

Before we go to the scenario created by the results of the elections and AAP’s forming the Government, let’s have a bit of the peep into the circumstances which led to emergence of AAP. The anti-corruption movement launched by Arvind Kejrival with Anna Hazare as the face of the movement, was a spectacle, which shook the system. It was strongly supported by all and sundry, from the Khaps, to the MBA-IT middle class to builders and traders amongst others. It had the solid backing of RSS in the major process of mobilization of the people. The upsurge came to challenge the very parliamentary system, and it was touch and go for survival of the Parliament, which survived this pressure from the Anna-Kejrival led movement. Bringing in of the Lokpal bill to curb corruption was at the centre of the movement. The future trajectory of this was interesting as there was a clear emergence of two streams from the movement. One was the stream, which wanted to target only Congress, as articulated by Kiran Bedi and the other was the one led by Kejrival, which broadened the target to corruption all around.

The latter stream led to formation of AAP and its deciding to begin it journey from Delhi Assembly elections. It took up the ‘municipal issues’ bijli, pani, (electricity, water) in particular and went whole hog to drill the point in Delhi. AAP wore its sincerity on its sleeves and was able to reach to the Aam Aadmi, in the jhuggi jhopdi’s (pavements, slums), addressing their pain and anguish about the rampant corruption at all the levels. The result was that the section of Delhi citizens unhappy due to the rising prices, and other problems of daily living shifted from supporting Congress to AAP. AAP could marginally erode the BJP-RSS base as well. Its main base was from the traditional Congress supporters. It is quite likely that many people who might have wanted to vote for them did not do so, as it was AAP’s first foray into elections. With their victory the message is clear that AAP is being seen as the major alternative to present dominant parties. This is also testified by the huge avalanche of those wanting to become members of AAP and also volunteering to work for this party.

Meanwhile so far, the electoral script was dominated by Narendra Modi, who through the sustained propaganda of ‘development of Gujarat’ built up an image of a strong leader who has delivered results in Gujarat, rose to be the Prime Ministerial aspirant, backed by BJP and its parent RSS. Modi had more or less succeeded in putting his role in Gujarat carnage under the carpet; this exercise of his has been aided by the partial presentation of facts of Gujarat by SIT and upheld by Metropolitan magistrate. Through carefully constructed public meetings and helpful media, Modi started gaining momentum as the potential victor in the next elections. The careful management of social media was on one side projecting him in the illuminating light, on the other side Team-Modi-BJP-RSS was targeting Congress and Rahul Gandhi with full blast. The proposal for the tall statue of Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel, run for unity and other events were the add-ons for Modi’s electoral campaign.

AAP’s emergence and the realization that it may not be a mere ‘one go’ phenomenon, the strategists in Nagpur head office, RSS top brass and Modi’ team have changed the strategy. Now their major fire is directed against AAP. Social media and other word of mouth propaganda is going full barrel against Kejrival, Prashant Bhushan, Yogenra Yadav and Company. Prashant Bhushan’s balanced statement that the opinion of people of Kashmir should be taken about the army deployment in Kashmir, met with a hostile response. AAP office was ransacked by Hindu Raksha Sena, whom AAP blames to be the outfit of RSS-BJP. Kejrival himself disassociated with that statement is another matter at present. The threat being perceived by the secular democratic forces, that Modi’s becoming the Prime Minister will herald the era of fascism seems to have been blunted partly at the moment due to the unprecedented response being received by AAP. How much of this is true, one is not sure. There are multiple factors working on both the sides. RSS-BJP-Modi is not going to keep quiet about the rising perceptions and image of AAP. The big Corporate see their interests with Modi coming to power, as he has kept the coffers of public money and facilities open for them, as no one else can do. The media controlled by them is also currently partly favorable to AAP.

In 1998, when BJP re-emerged as a single largest party, the opportunist political formations came to support it on various grounds. Mercifully, Modi was not there. Mercifully his right hand man Amit Shah was not there, then. Mercifully BJP did not have too much of a lead and had to accommodate the wishes of its allies, while pushing forward the agenda of RSS-Hindu Nation. This time around if Modi emerges as a single largest formation, equations will be different as now BJP has the background experience of having ruled once; Modi will have different tricks up his sleeve. While so far escaping the arm of law, he is the one who had a role in Gujarat carnage, there have been fake encounters in his state, there has been a case of snooping on a young girl and now there is an attempt to implicate the human rights defenders like Teesta Setalvad and others. So Modi is different. BJP under him will be more assertive, in case they manage to come to power.

What is the politics of AAP? The politics of parties is judged by their actions and by their pronouncements, manifestos. There is not too much of writing by AAP on its politics, it does have a vision document of sorts. It emerged out of anti corruption movement. The movement was based merely on the symptom of the deeper disease of social-economic-political system. The underlying disease of the system has not been addressed. The parties, which are for social change, for the agenda of the downtrodden and deprived have generally emerged from the longing to have a better system, have a theory. Indian National Congress had the need to engage with the British colonialism and articulated nascent Indian Nationalism; Bhagat Singh aspired for socialist state (Hindustan Socialist Republican Association). Ambedkar began with Independent Labor party as he identified the depressed classes with workers, and went on to lay the foundation for Republicanism, Republican Party of India. Muslims elite dreamt of Muslim state and had Muslim League while section of Hindu elite wanted Hindu Nation so had Hindu Mahasabha and RSS. Various socialist parties have also emerged in the recent times. AAP seems to be a different experiment. As AAP itself is a party in making, its leadership may be thinking that its ideology will emerge, through movement and through introspection. Though so far on the issues like Kashmir it has snubbed its own leader for expressing something, which expresses an ideology related to the type of Nation state we want. On Education its proposed policy is parochial. On most of the serious issues its vision document is silent. The task of party building seems be very promising and challenging both. The major question is can it overcome its superficial approach and apply itself and stick its neck out on contentious issues related to economic policy, national policy, social and gender justice. There are lots of expectations in the air, time alone will tell as to which side the party marches overcoming the initial hiccups and enjoying the immunity of ‘honeymoon period’ at the same time.

By IANS,

Patna : Muslim clerics in a Bihar district have decided not to lead or offer namaz-e-janaza (funeral prayers) of drunkards.

This decision was taken at a meeting Saturday evening by a group of Imams of Bihar's Nalanda district. They earlier said they won't conduct marriage ceremony of those who give or take dowry.

"It is a historic decision not to offer funeral prayers of the drunkards who die. We hope that it will send a strong massage among Muslims not to consume liquor," Hafiz Maulana Mahtab Alam Makhdumi said.

Makhdumi, who presided over the meeting of the Anjuman Faizane Mustafa Committee at Biharsharief, district headquarters of Nalanda, about 100 km from here, said that liquor is prohibited in Islam.

He said it was decided to first socially boycott those drinking liquor in public places.

"We have urged people that drunkards should be socially boycotted but even after that if they fail to end their habit, we will not lead their funeral prayers," he said.

Makhdumi told IANS over telephone that after much deliberations they took a final decision to end increasing trend of drinking among Muslims.

"It is a tough decision as there is no other method left to warn the drunkards," he said.

The Muslim community has welcomed this move.

"It will help discourage consuming of liquors and sereve as a warning for drunkards," said Nayiar Fatmi, a Muslim activist in Patna.

Makhdumi said that after this decision is successfully implemented in Nalanda, they would request Imams of other districts across Bihar to start similar campaigns.

Last week, alarmed over the trend of dowry among Muslims, clerics in Nalanda said they won't conduct marriage ceremony of those who give or take dowry.

"We have decided not to conduct nikah (marriage) for those who take and give dowry in the district," Qazi Maulana Mansur Alam, who heads Muslim organisation Imarat-e-Sharia of Biharsharief in Nalanda, had said.

By IANS,

Patna : The socio-economic condition of Muslims in the state of Bihar is better than that of the state's Dalit Hindus, but worse than upper caste Hindus and Other Backward Castes (OBCs), a survey has found.

"Muslims are better placed in comparison to Dalits in 31 of 37 districts of Bihar, but Muslims are at the bottom at the national level," Abusaleh Shariff, chairperson of the New Delhi-based Centre for Research and Debates in Development Policy said on the basis of a survey conducted by his centre in collaboration with the US-India Policy Institute based in Washington DC.

The report is based on the 2011 census, when the total population in Bihar stood at 10.5 crore, of which 16.5 percent were Muslims.

Twelve development indicators, including health, education and employment have been focused upon in the report to assess the condition of Muslims in Bihar.

Abusaleh, who was also associated with the much-publicised Sachar Committee report on the status of Indian Muslims published in 2006, said that like Kerala, socio-economic condition of Muslims in Bihar had improved fast, thanks to the money-order economy.

"A large proportion of Muslim migrants went outside Bihar and abroad in search of livelihood, and they send remittance that mainly have contributed to improve socio-economic condition of their families," Abusaleh said.

Abusaleh, a noted economist, said the development taking place in Bihar in the last few years also helped to improve the condition of Muslims. "But still, there is need to do more for the development of the Muslims of Bihar," he said.

According to the survey report, in comparison to 12.2 percent upper castes, 13.5 percent rural Muslims have jobs, and against 19 percent urban upper castes, 17.3 percent urban Muslims get job opportunities.

Saibal Gupta, head of the Patna-based Asian Development Research Institute (ADRI), said that the condition of Muslims in Bihar improved in recent years but more needs to be done for their development.

About nine years ago, a survey was conducted by ADRI and sponsored by the Bihar State Minorities Commission, on the socio-economic condition of Muslims in Bihar, showed that Muslims were the poorest community in the state.

That survey report said that about 49.5 percent of rural Muslim families and 44.8 percent of the urban Muslim households fall below the poverty line, 19.9 percent among them are acutely poor, and 28.04 percent Muslims in rural areas are landless labourers.

By Anjali Ojha, IANS,

New Delhi : Slow legal action against arsonists and rapists is one of the major reasons forcing victims of the Muzaffarnagar riots to stay back in relief camps as they fear they will be targeted again, National Commission for Minorities (NCM) chief Wajahat Habibullah has said.

He also said the government was "slow" in giving better facilities to the victims at the camps and steps were taken to improve the living conditions only after the media highlighted deaths due to cold.

"Unless the culprits are brought to book, how can they go back? There are over 3,000 cases, and just over 200 people have been arrested. The process is very slow," Habibullah told IANS in an interview.

The Uttar Pradesh Police has filed 566 cases of murder, rioting and arson related to the riots, considered to be the worst riot in many years, while over 6,000 people have been named as accused. But so far only 294 people have been arrested as per figures by a special investigation team looking into the riots.

Political leaders have been charged for inciting violence, including Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MP from Muzaffarnagar Qadir Rana, his brother and BSP MLA Noor Saleem Rana, another BSP MLA Jameel Ahmad, former Congress minister and MLA Saeed-uz-Zaman and his son Salman Saeed and Bharatiya Janata Party MLAs Sangeet Som and Suresh Rana.

"Our commission found six rapes cases, but not even one arrest had been made. How can they go back when they know the murderers of their families are roaming free? Confidence has to be restored in them," Habibullah, who also served as Chief Information Commissioner, told IANS.

He had stepped down from that post to become the RTI watchdog in Jammu and Kashmir. He took up his present appointment in July 2010.

Habibullah said nearly 50,000 people fled from the farm-rich region in western Uttar Pradesh after the riots.

Beginning August 27 last year, clashes between the Hindu and Muslim communities of the Muzaffarnagar, Shamli, Baghpat, Meerut and Saharanpur districts of Uttar Pradesh, claimed over 40 lives and injured 93, while dislocating thousands.

Thousands are still staying in the 28-odd relief camps set up by the administrations and in Islamic seminaries, schools and public buildings.

Asked about the living conditions in the camps, Habibullah said there is improvement.

"Government is taking steps, but they are very slow. There were some deaths due to cold, but it stopped after the issue was raised by media," he said.

At least 40 children are said to have died of cold in the relief camps.

Habibullah also said the local leaders and villagers needed to instill confidence among those living in camps so that they go back home.

"Most of the victims have gone back. They were the ones who were persuaded by their local administration, sarpanchs (village heads) to come back," said Habibullah.

"But those who are still in the relief camps have seen their loved ones being killed and their property being destroyed in front of their eyes. They have reasons to be apprehensive," he said.

Habibullah said that the "local leaders and villagers will have to go to them and assure them that they will be safe in their homes".

The minority commission chief said their teams have visited the riot-hit areas and found that the local Jat community was now feeling remorseful.

"But still there are many who are fanning hatred, but the relation between Hindus and Muslims in these villages is that of interdependence," he said.

"The Hindus are land owners and Muslims are artisans. The dislocation has affected economy there," he said.

The local administration had estimated that in Muzaffarnagar and Shamli, the communal violence has incurred a financial burden of more than Rs 100 crore on the state's exchequer.

(Anjali Ojha can be contacted at anjalo.o@ians.in)

By Bilal Bashir Bhat,

Srinagar: There is disappointment in Kashmir over the cancellation Dr Muhammad Tahir ul-Qadri’s visit to India.

The internationally reputedIslamic Scholar, who is often marred in controversies, and the chief of Minhajul Quran International Dr Muhammad Tahir ul-Qadri adjourned his visit to India after some visa issues.

After hearing this news there appears to be is disappointment amongst of his followers in India in general and in Kashmir particular.

Official sources in the Union home Ministry said that Dr Qadri's visa has been held back because of Intelligence Bureau’s note. “We have not been told on what ground the IB has not cleared it," sources added.

Canada-based Pakistani scholar Qadri was scheduled to address several meetings in India, including the three days visit to Kashmir, herein he was scheduled to address his first congregation speech on the banks of world famous Dal Lake at Dargah Hazratbal Srinagar on 20th January, followed by a speech at Govt B.Ed College at M.A. Road.

“Despite cone chilling winters we had done almost 80% of the preparations of Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri’s visit which including Banners, Advertisement in Newspapers, Posters, Invitations to the local Scholars and unfortunate all goes waste, however good news is that new schedule of his visit will be announced aftermath the parliament election,” says Muhammad Saleem Bhat a senior member of Minhaj ul Quran Kashmir Chapter.

Although it was his maiden visit to Kashmir, people of Valley have never heard this renowned scholar directly, but the disappointment among his followers and the hosts can be observed easily.

"I'm really disappointed. I'm worried the visit will never happen this year, because of forthcoming Election in India," said Javaid Ahmad a clothes trader and a graduate from Kashmir University.

“I can give all my property for a glimpse of Tahir-ul-Qadri,” said business tycoon who hails from Srinagar.

“When I heard that he (Tahir-ul-Qadri) is scheduled to visit here, I thought that it won’t be easy for the local Government to host this reputed Islamic Scholar, Yes I was Right,” said Majid a local Bookseller.

“I used to listen his speeches on Television every Night before going to bed, It would be a dream to see him face to face, but I exactly don’t know why he cancelled his visit at the eleventh hour,” said Asif, a resident of Hyderpora.

By TCN News,

Ayodha (UP): Noted peace activist and priest Yugul Kishore Shashtri was released at mid night and safely escorted till Ram Janki temple.

Shashtri was taken into ‘prohibitory’ custody here on Saturday afternoon (11 January) by the Uttar Pradesh (UP) Police claiming that he is ‘threat to peace and order’ in the city.
The scheduled programme People’s Panchayat of January 12 (Sunday) on the issue of attack on Shrine of Sheesh Paighambar. The shrine was attacked on 20 December 13, in which a student Zeeshan was also killed.

After his release, Yugal Kishore Shahstri, who has been working for communal harmony for over 23 years now, expressed his shock at the arrogant and communal actions of the administration.

According to his close aide and local activist, Shah Alam, the arrest is result of his sustained campaign to expose the communal elements involved in the attack of shrine of Sheesh Paighamar and murder of Syed Zeeshan alias Danish.

“This shows the communal nature of police and administration,” said Alam. “The role of police and local administration is not been very doubtful since beginging of the investigation,” he added.

Rights groups and activists have condemned the arrest and demanded his immediate and unconditional release. Those present in today’s programme called it a “murder of democracy.”

Shahstri, an ex-RSS pracharak himself and resident of Hanuman Garhi has been working on communal harmony. He has been an eyewitness of the demolition of Babri Masjid.

All India Secular Forum, in a press statement, said, “The communal nature of UP Government is becoming more and more obvious from quite some time. Its handling of Muzzafarnangar violence and the relief has been a painful fact, it’s a shame on our democracy, Samajvadi party claims to be secular but its actions are very opportunist and communal.”

Socialist Party of India condemned the arrest and demanded an enquiry into the murder of Zeeshan.

Shahstri, an ex-RSS pracharak himself and resident of Hanuman Garhi has been working on communal harmony. He has been an eyewitness of the demolition of Babri Masjid.

Meanwhile, at the people’s panchayat it was decided to hold a bigger people’s meeting at the district headquarter on January 16, where rights activists from across country would participate.

Related:

Shrine grave damaged, Youth Killed in Ayodhya

By IANS,

Agartala : A young Muslim woman and a Hindu man killed themselves in Tripura after their families strongly disapproved of their love affair because of socio-religious taboo, police said here Sunday.

Natasha, a 21-year-old resident of Taranagar village and a second-year student of Swami Vibekananda college in Mohanpur, was in love with her 25-year-old neighbour Sanjib Das, a driver of a private vehicle, a police spokesman said.

"When his family strongly disapproved of the love affair, Sanjib committed suicide Friday night by hanging himself from a tree near Natasha's house after sending an SMS to Natasha's mobile," the spokesman told reporters.

Later Friday night, Natasha told her mother she was going to the toilet, but within an hour her mother found her ablaze below a bamboo plant behind their house.

The girl was immediately taken to the Gobinda Ballav Pant Medical College and Hospital here with more than 90 percent burns and breathed her last Saturday night.

Taranagar is around 35 km north of state capital Agartala.

Natasha's parents were also strongly against the relationship with Sanjib, police said.

Mohanpur sub-divisional police officer Sanjay Biswas said police have found a suicide note from Natasha, saying she committed suicide because her "most loved one has left me".

Police investigation was on.

By IANS,

Merces (Goa) : Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde's letter directing chief ministers to be cautious while dealing with criminal suspects from the minority community amounted to vote bank politics and an attack on India's federal structure, BJP leader Narendra Modi said here Sunday.

The Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate and Gujarat chief minister was speaking at a pre-election rally at Merces village on the outskirts of Panaji.

"He (Shinde) says if you arrest criminals, then you make sure that Muslims are not arrested? Does a criminal have religion? Will criminality be decided on basis of religion," Modi said in his trademark rhetorical style, asking the audience to yell out responses to the questions.

After writing the letter to all chief ministers in September, Shinde last week said in New Delhi that he would write a similar letter to the chief ministers again asking them to ensure that minority community members were not unfairly treated like criminals.

"Law should be enforced in such a way that if someone is not guilty, then he should get justice. There should be no injustice because of religion," Modi said.

Claiming that law and order was a state subject, Modi said that by writing the letter on the minority issue, Shinde was attacking India's federal structure.

"Law and order is a state subject. Mr. Shinde, you have no right to teach lessons in law and order sitting in Delhi. It is a direct attack on India's federal structure," Modi said.

By Sharique Anwar,

Mary Kay Ash rightly said that there are three types of people in this world: those who make things happen, those who watch things happen and those who wonder what happened. Ariel Sharon is one of them who made things happen.

It is a different story altogether that what he did in his life was utterly against the concept of humanity. His thoughts were as tyrannical as his actions. He advocated the existence of Israel at the cost of human lives of innocent Palestinians. His ruthless killing of Palestinians and mass murder of unarmed civilians of Lebanon endorse the claim that he was wild in his war mongering approach. He crossed every limit in pursuit of his target. Not only that, he fell to such a level that he adored only his Jewish community to be the supreme creation.

While addressing the media professionals at a press conference, he once famously said, “Israel may have the right to put others on trial, but certainly no one has the right to put the Jewish people and the State of Israel on trial’’. His arrogance, belligerence and thirst for blood of innocent men, women and children during his tenures in the capacity of an Army General and a Political orator earned him the moniker “Bulldozer”.

He, time and again, proved that he didn’t care for peace, harmony and brotherhood by unilaterally declaring war against Palestine. He not only belittled but also laughed off the peace initiative of the UN at umpteen times. Almost all efforts by the UN for peace-building failed or derailed in the middle because of his strong pertness and arrogance. Someway or the other, the powerful Jewish Lobby in the US was the prime source of his daring.

He earned his repute for his hostility, war and blood-shed. He left an indelible mark in the history because of his perennial war rhetoric. History will remember him as a butcher who enjoyed the killings of innocent, peace-loving and helpless people of his neighborhoods. The alive all are bound to face warlike situation day in day out. They are refugees in their own land.

Arik, as he is known as in the political sphere in Israel, rode on the popularity and support of Western Media, breathed his last on January 11, 2014. He was 85 years old. He suffered a massive haemorrhagic stroke in 2006 which he never recovered.

Serving in the Israeli National Army IDF, he propounded the cause that Palestinian land should be distributed evenly among the new settlers coming to Israel from across the world. He is the prime culprit who masterminded the mass-murder of the helpless Palestinian refugees of Sabra and Shatila in Beirut in 1982. He allowed his army to go and orchestrate the massacre. As per the confirmed reports from different sources, more than 5000 innocent people were killed. This state-sponsored pogrom invited wide condemnation from across the globe.

However, he shrewdly managed to present the case that it was a retaliatory act perpetrated by the Christian army to take avenge of the assassination of the Lebanese President, Bachir Gamal, the leader of the Lebanese Kataeb Party. He further claimed that this was carried out to drive the PLO’s torch-bearers to bring peace to the Israeli nation. The entire world knows that it was a pure lie and truth lay somewhere else. See what I mean. This criminal act stunned the entire world.

He was on February 26, 1926 in a fundamentalist family of Jews in Britain occupied Palestine. He traced his dynastical roots are from Belarus. At the age of 17, he joined the Israeli militia who fought for Israeli war of independence and eventually became an army man. It is a bitter truth that he was a stubborn throughout his life. He was uncompromised as an Army General, as a political entity who initiated, created and supported the illegal settlements in Golan Heights and East Jerusalem and as a war-mongering Israeli Prime Minister when he unexpectedly pulled out his army from Gaza strip.

As a Prime Minster of Israel, he gave free hand to all Israeli settlers by legalising their settlement colonies. While on the one hand, he pulled out his army from Gaza strip in a gesture for peace, he ordered for the construction of West Bank barrier to disrupt the daily lives of Palestinians. In the end, it proved to be a mere eye-wash.

This strategy to build a separation wall (wall of apartheid) will collapse soon because democracy lies on the foundation of head-counts. The growing population of Palestinians (or better to say Arab Israelis, also known as Israeli Arabs in Jewish media) inside Israel will not only threaten but also challenge the existence of this separation wall in the years to come. During his political career, he served as a defence minister of Israel in the hawkish cabinet led by Menachem Begin. Begin once famously quoted that he was reluctant to give the post to Ariel Sharon because of his bellicose tendency.

Let’s wait and watch if there is any change in Israeli policy towards its neighbour after the departure of Ariel Sharon from this planet. I hope not! Ariel Sharon has gone but he has gone leaving the legacy of war, destruction and blood-shed behind.

(Originally from Jharkhand in India, Sharique Anwar is currently working in Dubai for last three years in a MNC as Sales Trainer.)

By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,

Aligarh: Sir Syed Awareness Forum organised a discussion on 'Aam Aadmi Party and the Strategy of Muslims' for the coming general elections on Sunday.

Dr. Shakeel Samdani, AMU faculty and president of Sir Syed Awareness Forum said in his that it will be premature to predict how many seats will be won by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the next Lok Sabha, but acknowledged that the rise of AAP has disturbed the arithmetic of the leading parties of the country and they are unable to understand how to face the challenge of AAP in 2014.

Dr. Shakeel Samdani delivering Presidential Remarks.

He said that the success of AAP in Delhi elections and the joining of people in large number is very important in the sense that the people are joining this party not on religious or caste considerations but as a general voter of the country. They have no vested interest while joining the party. He further said that this reflects the mood of the poor, downtrodden and suppressed minorities of the country who are very much disturbed in the country. They want the solution of deceit, frailty, non-fulfilment of promises and insensitivity of political parties. They are also worried about price rise and corruption.

Dr. Shakeel Samdani put a note of caution that the AAP should fulfil its promises to retain its popularity and the party should also have a fair, just and large hearted attitude towards minorities. And they should also keep in mind that no political party can form government in centre without Muslim support.

Retired Bank Officer, Najam Abbasi said that AAP has not cleared its policy regarding Muslims. It should immediately clear its stand on Muslim issues. He criticized the Congress led government at centre and Samajwadi Party government in U.P. and said that both these parties have forgotten their promises to the Muslims and if they do not change their attitude they will face big defeat in the next Lok Sabha election.

Rashid Usmani, Advocate and Vice President, Income Tax Bar Association, Aligarh said that Samajwadi Party must fulfil its promises regarding Muslims otherwise it will meet the same fate like Congress in Delhi. He said that both Congress and SP must sincerely solve the educational, employment and security problems of the Muslims. He reminded Mulayam Singh Yadav of his promises regarding Urdu language and reservation.

Director, Arunachal University of Studies, Arunachal Pardesh, Khalil Chaudhary said that since large number of people are joining AAP, that's why Muslims should also join AAP. This is a political movement which has no parallel in independent India. The people are joining this party above the religion and caste considerations and they want to build India like a beautiful bride. That's why Muslims should also participate in this political movement.

Social Worker, Dr. Haseenuddin said that Arvind Kejriwal and his team has got the pulse of the people that's why they got a big success, but their movement will be incomplete without the participation of Muslims. They should immediately induct a Muslim in their ministry and also send a delegation to Muzaffarnagar to inquire about the condition of riot affected people.

Former, Cabinet Member, AMU Students union, Shoaib Ali advised the AAP to formulate a national policy for every section of the society. They should also explain their attitude towards Muslim reservation, their security and the minority character of Aligarh Muslim University. He severely criticized UPA chairperson, Sonia Gandhi for not honouring her promise of restoring the minority character of Aligarh Muslim University.

In the last a resolution was passed urging all the political parties to pass Communal Violence Bill in February and also do something for reservation of Muslims. The meeting also criticized the UP government for its insensitiveness towards Muzaffarnagar riot victims.

The important personalities who attended the program are Maulna Noman Qasmi, Director, Faiza Academy, Nizamuddin, President, Aligarh Madarsa Association, Social activist, Dr. Jarrar Rizvi, Abdullah Samdani, Ateeq Ansari of Momin Conference, Dr. Anjum Taseem and Ayesha Ansari etc.

By IANS,

Patna : The property of suspected Indian Mujahideen operative Haider Ali, accused in bomb blasts in Patna and Bodh Gaya, was attached Sunday night after he failed to surrender, police said Monday.

Haider is a resident of Khiryawa village under Madanpur police station in Aurangabad district.

"A joint team of the NIA (National Investigation Agency) and Bihar Police attached the property as he failed to surrender after a special court asked him to till Jan 9," a police official said.

The joint team seized four wooden beds, iron gate, chairs, clothes and utensils from the house in the presence of Haider's mother Rehana Khatoon, he said.

Khatoon along with her two daughters makes beedis to earn their livelihood.

Haider is wanted for planning and executing acts of terrorism, including the July 7 Bodh Gaya and the Oct 27 Patna blasts.

Two days ago, the property of IM operative Tahseen Akhtar alias Monu, accused in several bomb blasts including in Delhi, Mumbai, Patna and Bodh Gaya, was attached by the NIA and Bihar Police after he failed to surrender within the stipulated deadline, police said.

Akhtar is a resident of Maniyarpur village in Samastipur district.

Last year, a cash award of Rs.10 lakh was announced by the NIA for any information leading to his arrest.

Ten bombs exploded at Bodh Gaya's Mahabodhi temple in which two Buddhist monks were injured. Three live bombs were later recovered and defused.

At least seven people, including a suspected bomber, were killed and nearly 100 injured in serial blasts ahead of the Oct 27 rally in Patna by the Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi.

The NIA has arrested four people in connection with the Patna blasts.

By IANS,

New Delhi : Congress leader Shakeel Ahmad Monday took a dig at Narendra Modi and asked BJP's prime ministerial candidate whether he was nervous about AAP's emergence.

"Modi's criticism of Congress is understandable, but of late he has started criticising AAP too. Is he really nervous by AAP's emergence?" tweeted Shakeel Ahmad, All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary in-charge of the party's affairs in Delhi.

Modi in a rally in Goa Sunday made a veiled reference to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and asked people to decide whether they need a face on TV or a guy with feet on the ground to lead them.

The AAP made a spectacular debut in last year's Delhi assembly elections and went on to form the city government after the BJP declined to do so.

Another Congress leader, Digvijaya Singh criticised Modi for his comment on former forests and environment minister Jayanthi Natarajan.

He tweeted: "Modi's comment on Jayanthi Natarajan is in a very bad taste. Should be condemned. He only knows to abuse but doesn't give his vision."

Modi criticised Jayanthi Natarajan at the same rally and said that no file moved in the environment ministry without "Jayanthi tax".

By IANS,

New Delhi : Minority Affairs Minister K. Rahman Khan Monday said the government is looking into the issue of reservation for minorities as per the recommendations of the Ranganath Misra Commission report.

"The ministry is looking into recommendations of the Justice Ranganath Misra Commission for identification of socially and economically backward sections among religious and linguistic minorities and to recommend measures for welfare," Khan said, addressing the annual conference of the state minority commissions.

The National Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities, headed by former chief justice of India Ranganath Misra, had suggested that instead of the 27 percent reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs), 15 percent be set aside for Muslims and Christians, leaving 12 percent for the OBCs.

Khan added such reservation would be in tune with the spirit of Articles 15 and 16 of the Constitution.

Article 15 of the Indian Constitution talks about prohibition of discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth, and Article 16 is about equality of opportunity in matters of public employment.

He also said that the Jain community may soon be added to the list of minorities.

"The government is actively considering the inclusion of Jains in the minority community so that the benefits of welfare schemes run by the government of India could be extended to the Jain community also," Khan said.

At present, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists and Zoroastrians (Parsis) are notified as minority communities under the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992.

By IANS,

New Delhi : Both majority and minority communities in the country should work together to maintain harmony, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Monday, adding that "aberrations" in communal harmony "tarnish the image of our country".

Addressing the annual conference of state minority commissions here, the prime minister also warned against those who "work against India's secular thought by attempting to redefine secularism".

"To maintain communal harmony, both majority communities and minorities have to work together to create an atmosphere of acceptance and harmony," he said.

"In most parts of the country, the relationship between the majority and minority communities is harmonious although there have been instances where this relationship has been put to severe test, especially of late.

"These aberrations tarnish the image of our country and our society. They cause pain and suffering to the affected people," he said.

The communal riots in Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh last year left more than 60 people dead and left thousands homeless.

Stressing that "pluralism is the keystone of India's civilization and culture" and "religious harmony, not mere tolerance, is the bedrock of India's secularism", Manmohan Singh said his government had set up a number of institutions to "ensure that minorities should not only be provided adequate safeguards, but also given equal access to development opportunities".

He said 17 State Minorities Commissions were in existence and more such commissions were being planned in other states.

The prime minister spoke about the National Minorities Development and Finance Corp (NMDFC), which provides concessional finance for self-employment activities to members of minority communities.

He said the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions (NCMEI) had been set up to protect the rights of minorities to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice.

The prime minister said the efforts of the government in the last nine years had shown "visible results but a lot more also needs to be done".

He said the government had been able "to persuade the private sector to some extent to take affirmative action in favour of minorities as part of their corporate social responsibility".

But while some minorities had benefitted from the economic development, "other minorities, especially the Muslim community in certain parts of our country, have not had an equal share of the fruits of development", he said.

This, he said, had been established by the data provided in the report of the Sachar Committee.

The government, he added, had accepted 72 of the 76 recommendations of the Sachar Committee.

"I think it is of utmost importance to remember that we have age old traditions of pluralism and tolerance. For India as a country, secularism has been a way of life practiced over centuries.

"We should be cautious of people who work against India's secular thought by attempting to redefine secularism."

By Anjali Ojha, IANS,

New Delhi : Social media has been playing a destructive role in inciting communal violence in India and time has come to check its misuse, National Commission for Minorities chief Wajahat Habibullah has said.

Habihullah also pointed out that riot control protocols have not been revised for decades.

"Social media had a key role in the Assam violence and Kishtwar (Jammu) as well. This time (in the Muzaffarnagar riots) also, social media played a major role," Habibullah told IANS in an interview.

"A mechanism is needed to monitor such misuse of social media. The sad part is riot control plans that exist at present were made by (the colonial) British rulers. It has not been modernised to suit present times," said Habihullah, who has been heading the commission since July 2010.

According to Uttar Pradesh Police, a controversial video clip that reportedly showed the lynching of two Hindu Jat boys that was circulated fanned the riots in Muzaffarnagar. But the footage was found to be actually two years old and from Pakistan, the police said.

Sangeet Som of the BJP was accused of circulating the fake video that reportedly escalated the unrest resulting in the communal riots. Som was arrested and later released.

In July 2012, during violence in Assam between indigenous Bodos and Muslims, images were circulated on the social media, fanning panic resulting in the exodus of lakhs of northeastern citizens to their home states from different parts of the country.

Similarly, riots that broke in Kishtwar in Jammu and Kashmir after Eid celebrations were also followed by postings on the social media. The situation was controlled in time and the riots were contained.

"In Kishtwar, the material on social media were noticed and controlled, otherwise the riots would have spread in the whole of Jammu and Kashmir," Habibullah said.

He also lamented that the frequency of riots in the country has increased over the past decade.

"Frequency of riots has increased. It is a cause of concern," he said.

"When (the 2002) Gujarat riots took place, the country had not had such conflict in years. Gujarat was the worst since independence... since (the 1984) anti-Sikh riots (following the assassination of then prime minister Indira Gandhi)," said the former Chief Information Commissioner, who had stepped down in 2009 to become the RTI watchdog in Jammu and Kashmir before taking up his present assignment).

"But I still believe the basic sinuses of India's culture are still intact. The sad part is we don't celebrate our differences any more. But the experience of Muzaffarnagar, when we see Hindus seeking the Muslims to come back, it gives a positive sense".

(Anjali Ojha can be contacted at anjali.o@ians.in

By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,

New Delhi: Lawyer activist and founder of the All India Muslim Agenda 2014, Shehzad Poonawalla today submitted a memorandum to the Bangladesh High Commission in Delhi along with the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of External Affairs to highlight the plight of the minority Hindu community being persecuted in Bangladesh by the activists of the Jamat e Islami and BNP, particularly after 5th January polls.

Shehzad has been in touch with local activists and journalists including groups like Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Unity Council (HBCUC) which has estimated that 485 households and 578 shops owned by Hindus in 32 districts were vandalised since the general election schedule was announced on November 25 2013.

During this period, 152 temples as per estimates, have also been damaged, prompting the National Human Rights Commission of Bangladesh to state on record that the state had failed to take adequate steps to protect the minority Hindu community. A copy of the same can be found in the petition.

Shehzad said, "The January 5 elections in Bangladesh have once again reminded the vulnerable minority Hindu community of the brutal treatment it received 43 years ago at the hands of marauding Pakistani forces and their local cohorts. The constant spate of such attacks has ended up in completely distorting the demographic profile of Bangladesh with the Hindu population dropping from 25% in 1948 to 8.5% in 2001. Many would be inclined to view this as an ongoing ethnic cleansing or genocide against the minority Hindus at the hands of the fundamentalist forces in Bangladesh."

The 26 year old Muslim lawyer has invoked International covenants on human rights to which Bangladesh is a signatory along with its constitution as also the Holy Quran to emphasise on safety of minorities in Bangladesh. He also expressed dismay that no Muslim leaders especially those belonging to Jamat e Islami Hind, a sister concern of the Jamat in Bangladesh did not exert any influence against what he termed as “un-Islamic persecution” of Hindus.

He has prayed for the following reliefs and has expressed hope that the Government if India would use diplomatic channels to ensure:

A) The Bangladesh Government does everything in its power to safeguard and protect its Hindu citizens and their homes, livelihoods and properties.

B) The Bangladesh Government must set up tribunals to try and convict all those guilty of crimes against minorities, without fear or favour and ensure justice.

C) It must take necessary steps to re-build the confidence amongst the minority Hindus, re-fill the trust deficit between communities and ensure due compensation to those adversely affected.