By TCN News,

Gulbarga: Right to education awareness campaign was organised by Students Islamic Organisation (SIO) Gulbarga city. The main objective of the campaign was to bring awareness among the masses regarding benefits provided to poor people, weaker section & disadvantaged group under right to education(RTE) act, especially regarding free 25% seats (pre-school or 1st std) reserved for these children in private schools.

Various activities were taken up to bring awareness in general public. Handbills were distributed, announcement were done in almost 40 (forty) mosques, field work was carried out in Shaik Roza area to guide needy people, posters were used and street play was organised in a slum near MSK mill area.

Also, public was guided about admission process through these activities. Social networking sites were also used for this purpose at individual level. Also, More than 120 people enquired about RTE through helpline numbers provided by SIO Gulbarga in handbills and posters.

By TCN News,

New Delhi: The Academy of Professional Development of Urdu Medium Teachers (APDUMT), Jamia Millia Islamia organized a 10-day Orientation Programme of Urdu Teachers of Himachal Pradesh from January 25 to February 3, 2014.

Prof. Shamim Hanfi, Professor Emeritus, Jamia Millia Islamia was the Chief Guest and Prof. Jograj Yog, Deputy Director, Principal, UTRC, Solan and Incharge UTRC, Lucknow was the Guest of Honour in the Inaugural Session of the Orientation Programme.

Many areas and aspects of Urdu language and literature teaching were covered during 10-day Orientation Programme like teaching of Urdu script, pronunciation, methodology of promoting Urdu vocabulary, introduction of Urdu fiction genres, teaching of text, Poem, importance of language in teaching, methodology of spoken skill, introduction of Urdu poetry genres, important Urdu moments and trends, continuous and comprehensive evaluation and information & technology among others.

The Orientation Programme was attended by 30 Urdu teachers from different regions of Himachal Pradesh.

A number of eminent scholars and experts delivered Lectures in the programme like Prof. Ghazanfar Ali, Prof. Jograj Jog, Prof. Zubaida Habib, Prof. Khalid Mahmood, Prof. Shoaib Abdullah, Prof. Suhail Ahmad Farooqui, Prof. Wahajuddin Alvi, Prof. Noman Khan, Prof. Abdur Rashid, Dr. Raza Haider, Prof. Ahrar Husain, Prof. Shahper Rasool, Dr. Ahmad Mahfooz, Dr. Kausar Mazhari, Dr. Imran Ahmad Andaleeb, Dr. Nadeem Ahmad, Dr. Maula Bakhs, Dr. Mushtaqu Sadaf, Dr. Wahid Nazeer, Dr. Hina Afreen and Dr. Naushad Alam.

Prof. Atiqullah, former HoD, Urdu, Delhi University was the Chief Guest of the Valedictory Session which was held on February 3, 2014.

By Sheikh Qayoom, IANS,

Srinagar : The much-hyped creation of new administrative units in Jammu and Kashmir - the infrastructure for which will alone cost Rs.1,500 crore - appears to have created more problems than it has solved for the ruling National Conference (NC)-Congress alliance.

There was high-voltage political drama when Chief Minister Omar Abdullah threatened to resign if the Congress members of the cabinet sub-committee formed to recommend the new units did not do so before Feb 1.

The Congress ministers said the decision to create the new units was politically motivated to favour the NC in the Muslim majority Valley while the Congress stood to lose in the Jammu region. The ripples generated by Abdullah's threat reached New Delhi and the Congress high command called the party's state leadership to defuse the deadlock.

NC patron and Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy sources Farooq Abdullah invoked 10 Janpath's intervention to defuse the situation.

In extended deliberations, the Congress ministers were told to include their own recommendations in the sub-committee's report for "addressing the aspirations of all the three regions of the state".

Finally on February 1, Abdullah announced the "historic decision" to create 659 new administrative units consisting of sub-divisions, tehsils, nayabats (naib tehsils) and block development offices.

What is otherwise expected to help better governance through decentralization of powers to the grassroots level appears to have stirred a hornet's nest here.

Areas that have been given new nayabats are angry because they believe they deserved tehsils and those given block development offices are fuming because they believe they also deserved a tehsil.

And villages where none of the new units are to be set up are up in arms.

Dozens of protesting delegations from different districts of the Valley have been holding protests in summer capital Srinagar on a daily basis since February 2 seeking setting up of new administrative units at their places. On Wednesday alone, 10 delegations held demonstrations here.

The controversy over the new units has come handy for the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said the NC, having failed on all fronts, now intends to create a new political discourse during which villages are now pitched against each other seeking the new units or opposing those who got them in preference to others.

How does a fund-starved state like Jammu and Kashmir sustain the new units? From where do huge funds come for creating infrastructure for the new offices? Who'll pay for the manpower required to run the new units?

These are questions which need to be answered despite the chief minister saying the new units would not put any extra financial burden on the government.

But then, But then, Urban Development Minister Nawang Rigzin Jora of the Congress has pointed out that apart from spending Rs.1,500 crore on creating infrastructure, an additional Rs.260 crore will have to be spent every year on salaries and other allowances. To put this in perspective, the Kashmir government already finds it difficult to meet the annual Rs.15,000 crore salary bill of its 400,000 employes, perhaps the largest - given its population - in any Indian state.

What must add to the burden of the state exchequer is the fact that together with the the new units, the state government has also decided to make the basic revenue offices of the patwaris co-terminus with the panchayats.

This means the new administrative units across the state would now be over 2,100 and not just 659 because making the patwaris co-terminus with panchayats would take their number itself to 4,098. At present, the revenue administration of two to three villages in each panchayat is supervised by one patwari.

Much more than the improvement the new administrative units might bring to governance in the state, their dispensation has become a status symbol which no village or area is prepared to do without.

Would the protests seeking new administrative units change the political idiom in the state? Would separatism and mainstream politics take the backseat as Jammu and Kashmir goes to national and state polls in 2014?

Hardliners like senior separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani said: "Giving chocolates and toffees in the shape of promising new administrative units would not deter Kashmiris from their cherished goal of freedom."

Going by the public jubilation in the areas where the new administrative units have been announced and the anger in those where they have not been announced, Kashmiris appear to have got a new agitation slogan: "Tehsil laingay, varna jaan daingay", (We will get a new tehsil or we will give our life).

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

By IANS,

New Delhi : The government has no reports of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency approaching riot-affected youths in Muzaffarnagar, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said Thursday.

"As per available information from central intelligence agencies, they do not have any input to suggest that Pakistan's ISI contacted youths of families belonging to the minority communities who were affected during the communal riots in Muzaffarnagar," Shinde said in a written reply to a question from BJP's Prakash Javadekar in the Rajya Sabha.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) later slammed Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi for telling a "lie", and said he owed an explanation to the nation.

"Rahul Gandhi's lie has been exposed. The home minister has said there is no such report. Who told Rahul Gandhi that ISI is contacting the minority youth," Javadekar questioned.

Rahul Gandhi, in a rally before the assembly polls, had said he received intelligence reports of terror outfits approaching Muslim youths in the riot-hit areas.

"He also said he has met the youths and tried to convince them. Who did he meet? Nobody shared intelligence inputs and Rahul Gandhi met nobody," he said.

"He (Gandhi) owes an explanation to the nation about this lie," the BJP leader said.

By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,

Guwahati: With Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi’s visit scheduled to be on February 8 in Guwahati, the saffron party’s minority wing is all set to raise the issue related to the minorities, especially the religious minority which consist more than 30 per cent population in the state.

According to BJP Minority Morcha more than 20, 000 people from the Muslim community will join the rally from different parts of the state.
“The level of betrayal by the Congress seems to have crossed all limits. People belonging to Muslim community are fed up with the fake promises of the Congress party over the years. So, they have realized that time has arrived for the change and BJP can bring that,” said Syed Mominul Awwal, president of minority morcha said.

Awwal also said that with the much hyped Modi’s public rally on February 8, people from different political parties and from other sections have already joined the saffron party. “Around 15, 000 people have already joined the BJP and many more will join the party in the next couple of days from nook and corners of the state. This trend well indicates that the people of the state have confidence in BJP and Modi,” he said.

Earlier, the minority morcha of BJP had also alleged of misuse of Waqf properties in the state. “We will raise the issue of the development of minorities in the state. BJP believes in overall development of all the communities,” Awwal added.

By TCN News,

New Delhi: Popular Front Chairman KM Shareef in his statement released today expressed his deep resentment over what he termed as “the conspiracy of inaction on the Communal Violence (Prevention) Bill hatched by both the ruling and opposition parties.”

Shareef suspected that government intention in introducing the bill was not genuine as it was obvious from the poor defence it had put up for the bill. “This is a conspiracy in which both the government and opposition successfully played their part and shows their inclination to bow before the bullying communal forces,” he said.

Almost seven decades after independence, inhuman attacks against religious and linguistic minorities and backward classes are still a regular occurrence and unarguably one of the major threats to our great nation. Minorities, human right advocates and tens of thousands of voiceless victims pinned hopes on the bill. It added, “Although defective the bill they thought would stop the sporadic killings which has become a great blemish on the nation and will be a major step to deliver criminal justice.”
He also said it was shocking that left parties had joined hands with communal forces against the bill.

“It proves that they too do not have much to offer to solve one of the gravest threats to the country. The same thing happened when new draconian provisions were added to law UAPA in the wake of Mumbai attacks despite the warnings against its potential misuse from human right activists,” he added.

He called on the people India of to react to this betrayal in the upcoming General Election and continue their fight for its passage in the parliament.

By Saiyed Danish, TwoCircles.net,

New Delhi: As hundreds of incensed protestors gathered at Jantar Mantar to protest against the brutal beating and killing of Nido Taniam, the 18 year old youth from Arunanchal Pradesh, what could be easily noticed was the absence of ‘Delhi’ crowd.

Even as Delhi’s chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and Law Minister Manish Sisodia gave their assurances to set up a committee and ensured that the “culprits get punished” and school curriculums teach kids about North East culture, the microscopic attendance of north Indian youths was clearly a setback to the attempts of integrating all struggles by weaving different identities fighting for human rights and justice into one. Except few representatives of Delhi based student organisations from JNU, DU and JMI, there was an acute of solidarity coming from the north Indian people on the issue.

“I am shocked to see the absence of the Delhiites. Where are they? Why are there only people from North East? Is it because it is not their issue? Are we not one country?” asked Tabio, a youth from Arunanchal Pradesh, furiously as he spoke to TCN.

“I am 27 year old but when I come to Delhi from my home in North East my parents treat me like a 6 year old person. They keep calling me to give me advices and directions where and where not to go in Delhi. It is because they are fully aware of the rampant xenophobia in this city. I am shocked to see that this city, which was supposed to be tolerant in nature for being a converging point of different cultures and identities of India, has reduced itself to such bestial forms of hatred and hooliganism,” he added.

While the prime minister has extended his condolences to the family and relatives of Nido stating the “matter is of national shame” in a letter addressed to Nido’s family, the sister of the deceased youth, while reading aloud a letter from Nido’s parents has demanded “suspension and action against two police personnel who took my son back to the crime spot and allowed the mob to beat him again” and “capital punishment” for the culprits who thrashed Nido to death.

Arunanchal Students’ Union Delhi (ASUD), which looks after the interests of North East students in Delhi, has made it sure that they would not let the issue be politicized. However, Rahul Gandhi’s visit two days ago and Kejriwal’s a day later has left some protesters believing that until the safety of North East people does not becomes a political issue nothing fruitful will happen.

“I want to say that we have to make this issue a political one. We have to fight politically for proper presentation in Parliament and government bodies and educational institutions and then only such racist attacks will stop,” said Pratish, a protestor.

Yesterday, Yeshi Wangchuk, General Secretary of ASUD was invited by BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi to talk but the North East student delegation which went to meet him returned dissatisfied as Modi discouraged them to go to Jantar Mantar and instead met them behind closed doors at Gujarat Bhawan to solve the issue.

“He was not very much receptive at the meeting. He went on mentioning his own achievements instead of listening to our problems. We are not sure if he will take any action,” said a female member of the delegation.

By IANS,

Mumbai : A court here Thursday sent Indian Mujahiddeen co-founder Yasin Bhatkal and his aide Asadullah Akhtar, alias Haddi, to police custody till Feb 18 in connection with the July 13, 2011 Mumbai blasts.

Anti Terrorist Court special Judge Y.D. Shinde passed the order after the two were produced before him amid tight security.

Both Bhatkal, 31, and Akhtar, 27, were arrested Aug 29 last year. They were flown to Mumbai late Wednesday night for the court hearing.

Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam told the court that the accused were actively involved in assembling the explosives used in the blasts which killed 27 and injured over 125 others in crowded areas of Dadar, Opera House and Zaveri Bazar.

They were brought to the court handcuffed as the prosecution was apprehensive that they could flee while being ferried to and fro from the Arthur Road Central Jail.

While granting the custody, Shinde allowed the lawyers of the accused to meet them with prior intimation to the investigation officers.

Bhatkal, who has no lawyer, has been extended state legal aid, while Akhtar is being represented by lawyers of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind.

The two are also accused of involvement in three other cases in Pune.

While Bhatkal is an accused in Feb 13, 2010 German Bakery blast and the unsuccessful Dagdusheth Halwai Temple attack conspiracy case, Akhtar is booked for the 2012 Jungli Maharaj Road low-intensity serial blasts.

By IANS,

Srinagar : Senior separatist leaders Shabir Ahmad Shah, Muhammad Nayeem Khan and Mushtaq-ul-Islam were arrested here Friday after holding a seminar in remembrance of JKLF founder Muhammad Maqbool Bhat and parliament attack convict Afzal Guru in a hotel here, police said,

As these separatist leaders came out of the hotel in city centre Lal Chowk after the event, police took them into custody and took them to the nearby Kothibagh police station.

The seminar had been organised to remember the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) founder Bhat, who has hanged in Delhi's Tihar Jail Feb 11, 1984 and Guru, who was executed in the same jail Feb 9, 2013.

A senior police officer said the separatist leaders had been taken into preventive custody to maintain law and order in the city.

All separatist groups have called for a protest shutdown on Feb 9 and Feb 11 to mount pressure on the state and the central governments to return the mortal remains of Bhat and Guru to their family.

Both Bhat and Guru had been buried inside the Tihar Jail in Delhi.

Shah, Khan, Islam and another senior separatist leader, Azam Inquilabi broke away from the moderate Hurriyat group headed by Mirwaiz Umer Farooq last year and formed their own separatist conglomerate known as the Hurriyat Conference Jammu and Kashmir (HCJK).

By IANS,

New Delhi : Parveen Amanullah, Bihar's first woman Muslim minister who quit the cabinet two days ago, Thursday joined the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), saying she wanted the AAP to govern Bihar.

Amanullah, who was the social welfare minister in Nitish Kumar's cabinet, resigned from the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) and the government Tuesday. She formally quit the Bihar legislature Wednesday.

"I have been in talks with the AAP for a month and have finally decided to join the party," Amanullah told the media here.

She said she was happy to join the AAP and become a part of the promised change in the country.

"The people of Bihar need to understand that if they really want the policies made by the government to favour them, it is important to vote the AAP to power in the state.

"It is not just poor governance but also the absence of transparency and several other drawbacks that compelled me to (give up) the ministership and the JD-U," said Amanullah.

Amanullah, a former RTI activist, is the daughter of diplomat-turned-politician Syed Shahabuddin and the wife of IAS officer Afzal Amanullah.

Speaking on the occasion, AAP leader Sanjay Singh said there was a great need of people like Amanullah who can play a major role for the party in Bihar during the general election.

By TCN News,

New Delhi: “We are not ready to accept another setback on the historic women’s reservation bill,” 33% Now, an alliance of 35 plus organizations, asserted today, demanding the immediate passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill.

Women’s group are concerned about the uncertainties that the bill, which has been in the making since 1996, will be pushed back into if not passed in the last session of the current Parliament itself.

Women comprise nearly 50 per cent of India’s population yet continue to be under-represented in all aspects of politics including as elected representatives in the Parliament and Legislative Councils. The marginalization of women from politics is clear as today, only 10.9 per cent of the parliamentary seats are held by women and women make up less than 1 percent of ministers and 4 percent of the negotiators in major development processes.

The organizations in the next two weeks will advocate with various political leaders, involve youth through online campaign and have a dharna on 12th February at Jantar Mantar.

The demand for action came from Ms. Jagmati Sangwan, Ms. Shabnam Hashmi, Dr. Ranjana Kumari, Ms. Annie Raja, General Secretary, Ms. Shobha Ozha, National President, All India Mahila Congress and Ms. Rekha Mody.

All political parties need to come together and pass the bill and the members of the Lok Sabha to follow the lead of Rajya Sabha, where the bill was passed in 2010.

The organizations called on political parties to remember that they have a responsibility to the women of India to ensure that women’s rights as outlined in the Constitution of India are upheld. They demanded that these parties start taking this responsibility seriously by taking action to facilitate the immediate passage of the Women’s reservation Bill in the LokS abha.

33% Now:

The 33% Now is an alliance of leading Institutions working in the field of women’s rights and social action. The goal of the alliance is to advance women’s equality and empowerment by getting Women’s Reservation Bill passed by the LokSabha.

More about the campaign:

The demand for women’s reservation bill being passed in the current session of the Lok Sabha, is also being rallied through a strong online and mobile push to connect the youth, particularly women.

A number of partners have been brought together for online advocacy engagement. There is a petition underway on Change.org; a toll-free hotline has been set-up by Gramvani for people to express solidarity for the demand.

The online aspect of the campaign which is very focused on generating a debate on the bill as an instrument of women representation and voice at the national level is called #ready2lead and builds on the existing recall of #33percentNow.

The idea is to support the digital presence among the youth to make the 33% Now network’s offline work of campaigning visible.

Online petition: http://www.change.org/petitions/sonia-gandhi-pass-the-women-s-reservatio...

Petition mobile number: 01166030033

Members include:

· All India Democratic Women's Association(AIDWA)
· All India Democratic Writers Association
· All India Mahila Congress
· All India Progressive Women's Association(AIPWA)
· All India Students' Federation (JNU)
· All India Women’s Conference
· ANHAD
· BAHAI office of Public Affairs
· BGVS
· Center for Social Research (CSR)
· ChetnaVikas- Jharkhand
· EKTA- Tamil Nadu
· Guild of Service
· HimmatMahilaSmooh- Haryana
· HNYKS- Haryana
· Hope For The Suffering
· Institute for Social Development- Odisha
· Integrated Development Foundation (IDF)- Bihar
· Jagori
· MahilaRajsattaAndolan (MRA)- Maharashtra
· Ms. MalathiSubramanium- Independent Researcher
· Ms. UshaMehra- Author
· Ms.Sunila Singh- Independent Consultant
· National Federation of Indian Women
· Oxfam India
· PRIA
· Rajasthan University Women's Association (RUWA)
· Stree Shakti
· The Hunger Project
· The Young Citizen of India- Gujarat
· VasavyaMaliyaMandali (VMM) -Andhra Pradesh
· WomenPowerConnect(WPC)
· Young Women's Christian Association(YWCA)

(A Plan, Policy and Law Needed to End the Racial Discrimination)

By Madhu Chandra,

The death of 19 years old Nido from Arunachal Pradesh at Delhi on 31st January after shopkeepers have beaten and two girls from Manipur attacked at Kotla Mubarak following day, are the realities of ongoing discrimination to the people from North East at India’s national capital. The ruling government at Delhi changed and so the police heads, but the mindsets of the people and the law enforcing agents remain unchanged. The cry and the protest continue that the plight faced by the people of North Easterners will be heard and brought to the end once for all.

The research report of racial discrimination conducted by the Jamia University and published recently in the national news papers has revealed the unprecedented plights faced by the community in national capital. 81% of the North East communities living in Delhi and NCR confessed the discrimination from their fellow county men and women in colleges, universities, work and market places. This report synchronises with two other research reports done by North East Support Centre & Helpline in 2009, where 86% of North East people are discriminated and faced the sexual harassment. The second research on North East Migration and Challenges in Mega Cities reveals another reality of changing trend from sexual harassment to racial discrimination, which means, if you have mongoloid face, you will be discriminated and treated unequal with other fellow country men and women. Nido’s death is one of the realities of the new trend.

These research findings have also proved that nothing has changed the plight of racial discrimination and sexual attack on North East men and women, even after many assurances given by the Delhi and Union Government.

In most of the crimes like such as this, the role played by Delhi police is matter of worried and concern. To be very honest, the mindset of Delhi police, particularly those on the ground reality has not changed. They are racist in their mindset and performance of their duty. This is the most worrisome while dealing the plight faced by the North East people at Delhi. In most of the cases, the perpetrators get out of reach because such mindset police personnel.

The women from North East India continues to face the sexual harassment, most suffer and beared silently in fear of social stigma and loosing of their carries. They face from their fellow colleagues at their work places, colleges and institutions, only a few dares to face the social stigma and the carrier challenges to come out openly and report to the police. Bearing the pain silently will encourage the perpetrators to commit more crimes, which can also be to any women irrespective of which region they belong to.

New trend of the plights faced by the people from North East India is slightly changing from sexual attack to racial attack. One having the Mongoloid feature could cost your life in India’s national capital. This has been going on for years and the government kept promising to ensure safety to the community, which will be forgotten in a day when a nation issue arises and they will come up with new promises when the crime like Nido’s repeats.

Sheila Dikshit, then the Chief Minister of Delhi has been heavily blamed for the sexual crime and racial attack on women and North East communities in Delhi. Now the ball is in the court of the staring Chief Minister Kajeriwal. The entire North East communities wait and watch, whether the Kajeriwal will give the lip service and put the promises into the reality to end the unprecedented plight of racial discrimination and sexual harassment to the men and women from North East India.

The peak of Migration from the North East region to national capital and other mega cities in search of better education and job opportunities in recently years continues and it is predicted the number will increase, which means that 200,000 North Easterners in Delhi will increase their number in near future. As the population increases, the plight of racial discrimination and sexual crimes against the men and women from North East India will likely continue.

North East Support Centre & Helpline was setup with a group of people voluntarily and they continue to render voluntary service to the victims and to the communities without any financial support from any end. To be very honest as a founding member and former Spokesperson of Helpline, it is very difficult and demanding task. Now, the student bodies from different states of North East India and tribes have come forward to fight together. All sections of the society must come together to end the plight faced by the people from North East India.

How do we handle and attempt to bring to the end?

First, the most important, there is an urgent need to bring a law and policy to tackle the problem of racial discrimination. Repeated assurance by the government without adopting any specific policy and enacting any law has been the lip service for the government and law enforcing agencies. In order to bring a suitable policy and enact a law dealing the racial attack and discrimination, the Union and Delhi government must invite social scientist, experts and social workers from North East India and others to conduct a series of consultation to help drafting the bill.

Second, the silent spectators of North Eastern state governments on the plights faced their people in national capital and other mega cities. All the states must adopt a collective policy otherwise in their state level to end the plights faced by their people. Unfortunately and in spite of repeated appealed to all North Eastern states to come up with a plan and policy dealing the crisis faced by their people in mega cities, but it has been not dumped so far.

Third, the perpetrators do not differentiate the differences between North Eastern states or communities or tribes, when they plan to attack men and assault women. But the response is to encounter the attack and assault depend on the tribe or community or the state the victims belong. This has been the struggle for North East Support Centre & Helpline. One can turn off from one and turn on to other. A collective effort is the need of the hour.

Four, silent suffers must break out. Keeping silent when one is attacked or taken sexual advantage, it must be reported to the Grievance Cell at the work places, which is a mandatory as per the directive from Supreme Court of India. The offender will only take advantage of you when you keep silent and they will take advantage from others as well.

Madhu Chandra is one of the founding member and former Spokesperson of North East Support Centre & Helpline. He is currently based at Kakching, Manipur.

By TCN President,

Hyderabad: A close content for Students Union election in Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU) saw Danish Khan elected as President and Mudabbir Hassan as Joint Secretary. There were only two posts available for contest.

The polling was held today at Indoor Stadium, University Campus. Long queues were seen at elections booths, before noon. Police personnel and Intelligence Officers were deputed along with University Security Guards.

According to Dr. Abdul Wahid, Chief Returning Officer, 20 Booths are arranged to cater 1855 students. Out of them 1043 used their votes with percentage of 56 Voting is organized to elect 2 posts of MSU i.e., President and Joint Secretary.

Danish Khan, MA MCJ, Shahadat Hussain, MBA & Mohammad Arif were the candidates for the post of President. Danish Khan won by 36 votes and his opponent got 485 votes.

Muddabir Hassan, Polytechnic & Md. Waseem Khan, MSW were the candidates for Joint Secretary. Mudabbir Hassan won by just 15 votes and his opponent got 497 votes.

This was the second election of students union and the whole voting process was recorded by video camera first time. University appoints Prof. S. A. Wahab, I/c Director IMC, Dr. Vanaja M., Deputy Proctor and Mr. Azhar Hussain Khan, Deputy Registrar as observers. Dr. Mohammad Fariyad, Dr. Shamim Ahmed and Dr. Dodda Seshu Babu were the returning officers of election. Other post were filled unopposed.

By TCN News,

Aligarh: A seminar on "Sir Syed Ahmad Khan: Life, Achievements, Ideas and Relevance & Felicitation Function" at Muktakash, Exhibition Ground, Aligarh was organised by Sir Syed Awareness Forum.

“Sir Syed made a one point agenda of his life and that was the emancipation of his community and he devoted all his life for this cause and the legacy of Sir Syed is being carried forward by Sir Syed Awareness Forum (SAF),” said Brig (Rtd) Syed Ahmad Ali, Pro Vice Chancellor, AMU, who was speaking as Chief Guest.

Dr. Shakeel Samdani presenting memento to PVC Brig S. Ahmad Ali.

He also said that whatever work you do, you should do it with perfection and should take pride in it, adding that people should fix target in their life and must go by their targets.

He further said that the target of the Vice Chancellor Lt. Gen (Rtd) Zameeruddin Shah is to put the university on number one position of India by 2017 and we have taken stead fast steps in this direction and gradually we are moving towards attainment of our common objective and if all the Aligarians including teachers, students and old boys contributes in it, the university will be number one in India by 2017 and it would be greatest homage and tribute to Sir Syed, if we make his institution number one.

Ayesha presenting the paper. Sitting Dr. Shakeel Samdani, Brig S Ahmad Ali, Prof Rabbani and others.

While praising SAF he said that it is a matter of great pride and happiness that SAF is organizing this seminar on Sir Syed since 2009 with constant dedication. Brig. Ali also appreciated and commended the “tireless efforts” of Dr. Shakeel Samdani and his forum and said that the activities of Dr. Samdani is not only confined to Aligarh but is spread over all the country.

Recipient of SAF award 2014 for medicine, Prof Urooj Rabbani, Chairman, Dept of Cardiology, AMU and renowned Cardiologist thanked the organisers for their “generosity” in felicitating him.

Memento presentation by Dr. Shakeel Samdani and S. Ahmad Ali.

Inaugurating the seminar, Dr. S. Javed Akhtar, Director Finance, ACN Group of Institutions, Aligarh said that Sir Syed was a man of multi qualities and with his meagre recourses, he managed all his work and planted a seed, which now has become a fruitful tree.

Expressing his thoughts at seminar, Elected Member of AMU Executive Council, Dr. Jameel Ahmad said that Sir Syed created an 'Aligarian Culture' which is still living in all of us. He appreciated the efforts of SAF and said that he is ready to contribute whatever he can for this noble cause.

PVC addressing. Sitting Dr. Shariq, Dr. Shakeel Samdani, Prof . Urooj Rabbani and others.

Founder of SAF and the coordinator of the seminar, Dr. Shakeel Samdani said that the best tribute to Sir Syed Ahmad Khan is to remember and highlight his contribution towards society. He not only spread the message of education but he also spread the message of tolerance, kind-heartedness and secularism in India. By establishing MAO College at Aligarh he inspired the Indians to focus more on education than any other thing.

Appreciating and acknowledging the efforts of Lt. Gen(Rtd) Zameeruddin Shah, he said that his vision and mission is very clear and by strengthening Mallappuram and Murshidabad Center and establishing Center at Kishanganj he carried forward the mission of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan and for this he will be remembered in the history and his name will be written in golden words.

The main attraction of the program was the presentation of Ahadith by Sumayya Samdani. Ayesha Samdani presented a paper on the Life and Work of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan. Dr. Jarrar Rizvi and M. Sabir Rahi also spoke on this occasion.

Audiance

The program was conducted by Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Shariq Aquil. Secretary of the Forum Mansoor Ilahi welcomed the guests. Mina Mahmood spoke about the objectives of the forum while Haider Abbass proposed the vote of thanks.

SAF Award 2014 was presented by the Chief Guest to Prof. Urooj Rabbani, (Medicine), Haji Aslam Ansari (Social Work), Vishnu Kumar Banti (Communal Harmony), Farrukh Beg (Music), M. A. Shewan (Urdu Journalism) and Er. Fasahat Ali (Sports).

Several other important personalities from Aligarh and other parts of the country participated in the programme.

By IANS,

Mumbai : The decks were cleared for the release of the Bollywood movie "Ya Rab" Friday after its producers told the Bombay High Court that certain objectionable scenes and dialogues have been deleted.

The Jamiat Ulama-e-Maharashtra (JUeM) had filed a public interest litigation before the court Wednesday challenging the release of the movie on grounds that it portrayed madrassas as schools of terror.

The matter came up before a division bench of Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice M. S. Sanklecha Thursday, said petitioner and JUeM spokesman Gulzar Azmi.

At the hearing, counsel for the movie producers informed the court that the objectionable portions have been replaced and hence there is no material at present calling for a stay on the release.

Accordingly, the court declined to grant a stay on the release of the film.

However, the matter has been adjourned till Feb 13 to enable the JUeM approach the court afresh after suitably amending the petition if any objectionable material is found in the movie, said Azmi.

Besides the depiction of madrassas as schools of terror, the JUeM questioned the portrayal of madrassa 'aalims' (teachers) allegedly brainwashing their students to prepare them for Jihadi activities, Azmi had said in the petition.

He said are upset by this "blatant, fictitious and wrongful depiction of 'madrassas' and the teachers" who impart teachings to the Muslim students there.

"In fact, a 'madrassa' not only imparts quality education, but also gives shelter to orphans. They are not centres of any such anti-national activity. There are no incidents anywhere in the state where any terror act or anti-national activities are associated with a madrassa," Azmi argued.

"The exhibition of such gross untruths on the big screen can create general disturbances and also lead to communal disharmony," he maintained.

His lawyer Ansar Tamboli said that the censor board has already rejected the film by not issuing it a certificate for exhibition. Later, the film-makers went to the review board where it was rejected.

"It was only after they appealed to the Film Certificate Appellate Tribunal that they finally secured permission to release the movie with a U/A certificate. But we shall oppose the release in the present form," said Tamboli.

Directed by Hasnain Hyderabadwala, "Ya Rab" is being promoted and released through veteran film personality Mahesh Bhatt's company, Vishesh Films.

By TCN News

New Delhi: Popular Front Chairman KM Shareef in his statement released today expressed his deep resentment over the conspiracy of inaction on the Communal Violence (Prevention) Bill hatched by both the ruling and opposition parties.

In a statement issued, Shareef suspected that government intention in introducing the Bill was not genuine as it was obvious from the poor defence it had put up for the Bill. This is a conspiracy in which both the government and opposition successfully played their part and shows their inclination to bow before the bullying communal forces.

“Almost seven decades after independence, inhuman attacks against religious and linguistic minorities and backward classes are still a regular occurrence and unarguably one of the major threats to our great nation. Minorities, human right advocates and tens of thousands of voiceless victims pinned hopes on the Bill. Although defective the Bill they thought would stop the sporadic killings which has become a great blemish on the nation and will be a major step to deliver criminal justice.”

He also said it was shocking that left parties had joined hands with communal forces against the Bill. It proves that they too do not have much to offer to solve one of the gravest threats to the country.

He called on the people India of to react to this betrayal in the upcoming General Election and continue their fight for its passage in the parliament.

By TCN News

New Delhi: Interfaith body Forum for Democracy and Communal Amity (FDCA) has written to the Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde asking him to take immediate steps for restoration of normalcy in communal violence hit Muzaffarnagar and Shamli districts of Uttar Pradesh.

In a letter written in late January FDCA listed seven-steps to create conditions conducive to the return of those displaced by the riots, to their hearths and homes. According to some estimates about 50,000 people were displaced as a result of the anti-Muslim violence in those districts in September 2013.

FDCA team which visited the camps in January said that 540 FIRs have been registered in connection with the violence in which 6000 persons have been named. But so far only 208 have so far been arrested.

Text of the letter

To,
Shri Sushil Kumar Shinde
Honourable Home Minister
Ministry of Home Affairs
North Block, Central Secretariat, New Delhi, 110001

The Forum for Democracy and Communal Amity (FDCA) was established in July 1993. The main objective of the Forum is to promote harmony and the spirit of common brotherhood among all the people of India transcending religious, linguistic, regional or sectional diversities; assist in the prevention of conflicts, riots and other acts of communal violence; and help the victims of such conflicts or violence to rehabilitate themselves and seek redressal of their grievances.
2. The FDCA held a meeting in New Delhi on 30 December, 2013, to discuss, in general, the existential threat of communalism to Indian society and polity, and to consider, in particular, the possible role it can play to restore peace and harmony in the riot affected districts of Muzaffarnagar and Shamli in Uttar Pradesh. At the end of the meeting, a decision was taken to dispatch a delegation of FDCA to this area in order to study the current situation and the needs of the riot affected people.
3. Accordingly, a 7-member team of FDCA visited the riot affected areas for three days (on January 4th, 5th and 10th, 2014) and met victims, their families, community leaders and senior members of the local administration. The team’s report, which is in the process of being prepared, will be released to the press and made available to the authorities of the Central and State Government and to other concerned as soon as it is ready. However, on the basis of the oral presentation of their findings by the team members in a meeting of the FDCA held in New Delhi on 20 January 2014, the Forum calls upon the Central and the U.P. Government to take the following measures on an urgent basis:-
Conditions must be created to enable those uprooted from their homes in the riot affected villages to go back to the villages. They have the fundamental right under the Constitution to safe and peaceful stay at their homes and occupation of their properties. This will also be the most effective means of restoring communal harmony and amity in the riot affected areas of these two districts. Finally, it will restore confidence among the Muslim population not only in the rest of U.P. but also in India.
4. The following steps should be taken in order to create the conditions conducive to the return of those displaced by the riots, to their hearths and homes:-
(a) A suitable job should be given to a family member of deceased;
(b) The State Government should forthwith withdraw the condition that those who have been provided compensation of Rs.5 lakhs will have to surrender this amount if they go back to their homes;
(c) Those who have not been or are not qualified to receive this compensation but have fled their homes out of fear, should be provided, both as a means as well as an incentive, for returning and resettling in the homes/shelters from where they have fled out of fear of life. A sum of Rs.3 lakhs per person could be the appropriate level of such assistance;
(d) An additional incentive should be given as temporary employment until cultivation by those who have land is resumed and the landless on return are able to find jobs. For this, a fund of Rupees five Crores should be created urgently either by the State or the Central Government or by both of them jointly. The operation of the fund should be entrusted to a committee consisting of local representatives of affected people, social activists of the area concerned and a qualified officer of the State Government of reasonable seniority.
(e) The State Government should deploy an appropriate number of personnel to liaise with the Gram Pradhans of the affected villages for locating and inviting those displaced to return to their villages. For this, help should be taken of the volunteers of the NGOs active in this area. The FDCA itself will be happy to designate a team for this purpose;
(f) In spite of these measures, the displaced families may not return to their villages so long as justice is not done to them and those directly involved in perpetrating the violence are freely roaming around in the affected villages. It is, therefore, essential that most of those against whom FIRs have been lodged should be arrested without delay and those involved in violence and arrested should not be released without a court order.
(By all accounts, 540 FIRs have been registered in connection with the violence in which 6000 persons have been named. Out of this, only 208 have so far been arrested. This is hardly conducive to restoring confidence and doing justice to the riot affected people).
(g) Immediate steps should be taken to make special arrangements for the education of the displaced children and special examinations should be conducted, if necessary, to ensure that these students do not lose their academic year.

Signed by:

1. Professor Muchkund Dubey (President, FDCA)
2. Mr. Kuldip Nayar
3. Justice (Retd) Rajinder Sachar
4. Advocate N.D.Pancholi (Life Member FDCA)
5. Mohammad Salim Engineer (Acting General Secretary, FDCA)
6. Mr. Nusrat Ali (Member FDCA)
7. Professor Prem Singh (Delhi University)
8. Professor K.B.Saxena (Council for Social Development)
9. Professor Imrana Qadeer (Council for Social Development)
10. Mr. Shafi Madani (Social Activist)
11. Dr. Javed Jameel (Writer and Social Activist)
12. Father M.D.Thomas (Social Activist)
13. Mr. Muhammad Ahmed (Social Activist)
14. Ms. Rakhi Gupta (Social Activist)
15. Dr. Rakesh Rana (Bundelkhand University)
16. Mr. Alaauddin (Social Activist)
17. Dr. Ashwani Kumar (Delhi University)

New Delhi
January 27, 2014

By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,

Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has called for an integrated and pragmatic approach is required to harness the vast water resources of the Brahmaputra and its tributaries for sustained economic development of the State and the region as a whole, while inaugurating the 2nd Assam Water Conference at Assam Water Research and Management Institute at Basistha in the city Thursday.

“An integrated approach is needed to harness the water resources and to make use of the precious resources in a judicious manner for the benefit of humanity,” said Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi. The focal theme of this year’s conference is ‘Sustainable development of water resources in North East Region’.

Gogoi said the twin problems of flood and erosion have to be tackled in a scientific manner using latest technology and knowhow. “More than floods, erosion poses a serious problem. About 4 lakh hectare of land has been eroded away. While the pressure on land has been rising due to increasing population, vast tract of land has been eroded leaving many homeless. This is a serious matter and needs to be tackled by the scientists and experts,” said Gogoi, adding that the Government is planning to reclaim land in a big way to rehabilitate the displaced people.

The Chief Minister stressed on a coordinated effort with the neighbouring states and countries to tackle the menace of flood and erosion.

Gogoi underscored the need for harnessing water resources for judicious use in agriculture, irrigation, industries, power and other sectors. “We must not misuse or over exploit the precious water resources. It will wreak havoc on us. We must make use of it in a judicious manner to maintain an ecological balance,” he added.

The Chief Minister said development of the Brahmaputra as national waterway would ensure cheap and easy mode of transportation of passengers and goods.

Speaking on the occasion, Minister for Water Resources, Rajib Lochan Pegu said dam must be multipurpose with flood moderation component given due importance. The department has given a final shape to the formation of Brahmaputra River Valley Authority and has sought assistance from Government of India and World Bank.

Chairman, Central Water Commission AB Pandya, in his keynote address, said the vast water resources of the Brahmaputra have to be harnessed in a scientific manner using latest technology for the benefit of the people. Pandya called for an integrated approach to tackle the perennial flood and erosion problem. “A basket of measures has to be taken to tackle the flood situation in Assam. Proper land use planning, use of latest technology like geo-tube, common area development can help to tackle the problems of flood and erosion,” he said.

Chief Secretary, Jitesh Khosla, said new innovative ideas, knowledge and expertise have to be applied to tackle the pressing problems of water management in Assam and the North East region. “The two-day water conference aims at bringing about an integrated approach to water management through application of better technology,” he said.

Secretary, Water Resources, Haren Kakati delivered the welcome address.
Experts and scientists from different parts of the country and abroad are participating in the two-day water conference.

Earlier, Chief Minister Gogoi inaugurated a technical exhibition showcasing the latest technologies, developments and solutions available in the areas of water resources. Gogoi also released a souvenir brought out on the occasion.

By IANS,

Patna: Bihar Police Friday gave a clean chit to state Minorities Welfare Minister Shahid Ali Khan over his alleged connection with two agents of the Indian Mujahedeen or Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence.

"Police inquiry found it was not true. Minister has no connection with two suspected IM or ISI agents," ADGP Ravinder Kumar said at a press conference called especially to clarify police stand on the issue after TV channels started broadcasting Khan's connection with terror suspects.

After the hue and cry over Khan's alleged connection with two IM agents following the surfacing of a central security agency letter, Kumar said Khan's alleged connection with two terror suspects was found not true.

He added the inquiry was conducted by superintendents of police of Motihari and Sitamarhi districts.

"A letter in this connection was not sent by IB but SSB to Special Task Force (STF) and it was STF that conducted inquiry into it and allegation was not found true," Kumar said.

It was reported that a letter in this connection was sent by IB to Bihar Police.

Kumar said it was wrong to say a letter in this connection was sent to the Bihar Police headquarters.

Kumar said the two terror suspects were found to be residents of Sitamarhi and Motihari but their connection with IM or ISI was not established.

Khan told IANS here the allegations against him were baseless and it was part of an attempt to defame a Muslim, whether he is a minister or a common man.

Meanwhile, opposition Bharatiya Janata Party has demanded resignation of Khan over the issue.

By TCN News,

Chennai: Islamic Foundation Trust (IFT), Chennai presented “M.A. Jameel Ahmed Award” to two prominent personalities of Tamil Nadu on February 1, 2014 at Rajah Annamalai Hall, Chennai.

The Chief guest, great Tamil Scholar Dr. Silampoli Chellappan presented the award to Human Rights Activist Prof A. Marx for his remarkable contribution in the field of Human Rights services since 30 years and Mr. S. Ahmed Meeran for his remarkable contribution in the field of Education. Further he felicitated the awardees and congratulated IFT for instituting this award. He also told that he was proud and happy to be the Chief Guest and it was his privilege to award the outstanding activists in the field of Human Rights and Education.

Prof. A. Marx served as a Professor of Physics for over 37 years. He was born on October 4, 1949 at Papanadu, Tanjavur District. His father Mr. Antony Samy went to Malaysia and was one of the founders of socialist movement there. Prof Marx could not go to school till his 4th grade, then he pursued his studies the government run schools, colleges and universities. Since 30 years he has be striving to protect Human Rights. Now he is the State President of Peoples Union for Human Rights (PUHR) for Tamil Nadu Chapter and National Executive Member of National Confederation of Human Rights Organisation (NCHRO). He has penned more than 50 books mostly in the field of Human Rights. Islaamiyarukku Ethiraana Kattukathaikal (the allegations against Muslims), Naan Purinthu konda Nabikal (The Prophet: I understood), etc. are some of his important books.

Mr. S. Ahmed Meeran, Chairman of Unity Group of Schools, Chennai. He is a B.Com. graduate, worked in Telephone department, then he resigned from the government service in 1981 and started Travels business. In 1985 he started “The Professional Couriers”, now it is one of the top courier services in the country. He dedicated himself for the services to humanity in general and for Education in particular. He provides scholarship every year for the hundreds of poor and needy students pursuing higher studies in the field of Art, Science, Engineering, Medical, etc. He is also the Secretary of Organisation of Muslim Educational Institutes and Associations of Tamil Nadu (OMEIAT). This organization is also supporting the poor and needy Muslim students for their higher studies.

Moulana M.A.Jameed Ahmed was the founder of Islamic Foundation Trust.
Link:

http://www.ift-chennai.org/