By IANS,

Lucknow : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Friday submitted a chargesheet in the murder of Deputy Superintendent of Police Zia-ul-Haq, who was killed in March this year by a mob in Pratapgarh district of Uttar Pradesh.

Sources said the name of independent legislator from Kunda and former UP minister Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiyya did not figure in the chargesheet.

Officials privy to the investigation said 14 people have been chargesheeted in the matter. The CBI, however, has demanded a polygraph test on Raja Bhaiyya, for which an application was moved in a special CBI court Thursday.

Sources said the former UP minister has consented to taking the lie detector test.

Parveen Azad, widow of the slain UP cop Haq, had alleged that Raja Bhaiyya was behind the murder of her husband. She had filed an FIR naming Raja Bhaiyya in the case. Raja Bhaiyya, who was then the food and civil supplies minister of Uttar Pradesh, was forced to quit after the incident.

The CBI was handed the probe by the state government. Close aides of Raja Bhaiyya have been arrested in this case, and the former minister was also questioned by investigators.

The legislator claimed that he was innocent, and had nothing to do with the killing of either Haq or the earlier murders that day of Balipur village head Nanhe Yadav and his brother Suresh Yadav.

Haq, who was deputy superintendent of police of Kunda tehsil, rushed to Balipur village March 2 with a team of policemen after the murder of village head Nanhe Yadav and his brother Suresh.

An angry mob attacked the police team in the village, and Haq was deserted by colleagues. One of the bullets fired in the melee struck Haq.

Haq's widow alleged that much political pressure was brought to bear on her husband, and that he had earlier considered resigning his job.

By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,

New Delhi: Only 11 Muslims have made it to the final list of this year’s National Defence Academy & Naval Academy (NDA) out of total 636 successful candidates.

The UPSC has declared the result of the written part of the National Defence Academy & Naval Academy Exam(II), held on 19th August, 2012 in order of merit of 636 candidates and the Interviews held by the Services Selection Board of the Ministry of Defence for admission to the Army, Navy and Air Force wings of National Defence Academy for the 130th Course and Naval Academy for the 92nd Indian Naval Academy Course (INAC) commencing from July, 2013.

Last year, among 694 successful candidates for Army/Navy, there were 13 Muslims in the list. In 2009, however, only three Muslims could make it to the list out of 463, while in 2008 out of 456 successful candidates, only five were Muslims. In 2007 also there were only four Muslims out of 520 successful candidates, while 9 Muslims were among the 653 qualified candidates in 2006.

Successful Muslim candidates for Army/Navy

Sl.No.- Rank Name
1. - 46 - Tabish Hasan
2. - 146 - Mohd Salman
3. - 153 - Noorus Samad Rehmani
4. - 175 - Suhail Ahmad
5. - 180 - Adil Hussain
6. - 214 - Md Kasim
7. - 244 - Nawaz Ashraf
8. - 399 - Faisal Khan
9. - 493 - Jamsheed Nasir
10. - 538 - Shahbaaz A Malik
11. - 633 - Yusuf Shoukat Hussain Saloda

By IANS,

Jammu/New Delhi: An army soldier was killed in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district Friday after an Indian post along the Line of Control (LoC) came under heavy fire from Pakistani troops, an army source said in Jammu.

The ceasefire violation took place within two days of Nawaz Sharif being sworn in as prime minister of Pakistan.

The source said that the killed soldier has been identified as Lance Naik Bachan Singh. Indian troops returned the Pakistani firing, he added.

"An Indian post, Khalsa 2, along the LoC in the Saujian sector (about 260 km north-west of Jammu) came under fire from Pakistani troops at 1.35 p.m. today (Friday). The firing, in which heavy machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades were used, lasted for about an hour during which an Indian Army soldier was killed," the army source said.

A Brigadier was injured May 24 when an Indian post in the Nowgam sector of Kupwara district in Kashmir Valley was fired at by Pakistani troops in violation of the ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan.

Over two dozen ceasefire violations by Pakistan have taken place this year. In 2012, the number of ceasefire violations were 117 against 61 in 2011. The firing by Pakistan across the Line of Control mainly takes place to provide cover to infiltrating militants.

Nawaz Sharif, who has assumed office as prime minister of Pakistan, had Thursday affirmed to progressively pursue normalcy in ties with India while seeking solution to Kashmir and other outstanding issues.

He had said that neighbours will be focus of his immediate attention.

By Mohd Ismail Khan, TwoCircles.net,

Hyderabad: Two National Investigation Agency (NIA) sleuths in safari suits with small notebooks in hand were waiting at Al-Shifa clinic making furious calls from their cell phones. Dr. Ibrahim Ali Junaid who was out to visit his diabetic patient has to again rush back to his clinic to meet new age Indian terror investigation officers.

Two NIA officers, both Muslims started shooting questions at Dr. Junaid on Dilsukhnagar blasts; they asked whom he think could be behind Dilsukhnagar bomb blast? A surprised, Dr. Junaid answered them in negative. As one officer was busy in informal interrogation other was busy in writing notes. After Dilsukhnagar, officer started asking him questions about Abdul Majeed who was falsely implicated along with Ibrahim Ali Junaid in Mecca Masjid bomb blasts case.

NIA officers asked Dr. Junaid when did Majeed leave India? Where does he live in Saudi Arabia? Is he involved in any activities? Getting mentally harassed Dr. Junaid looked at NIA officers with distress and told him politely, “Majeed’s family lives in Hyderabad, you should ask them directly, they will be in better position to answer all your doubts about Majeed.”

Taken by surprise, the NIA officer smirked and before leaving told Dr. Junaid, “this kind of talks can be informal, don’t always take it officially.”

This is how Ibrahim Ali Junaid, a Unani doctor by profession and an acquitted man in Mecca Masjid blast conspiracy case still has to struggle every day to keep that terror tag at bay.

After cursing little at those NIA officers for ruining his good busy day, Dr. Junaid settles in his arm chair and gets back to his work, treating his patients mostly from neighborhood. In between his busy medical practicing schedule Dr. Junaid arranged some time for an interview with TCN to trace down how all that terror labeling began, for this quite profession centric man.

Agitation for Protecting Waqf property made his first encounter with terror label in 2002. Dr. Junaid recalls an attempt was made in his locality by land sharks to encroach the Wakf property of a grave yard by installing a Ganesh statue. Dr. junaid who was an intermediate student at that time, along with other Muslim youths of his neighborhood protested and forced land grabbers to retreat. In 2003 events took a violent turn when land grabbers made another attempt but this time a well-planned one, at the height of Ganesh festival they installed the statue at grave yard’s Waqf land, this time with the help of local BJP MLA Indra Sena Reddy.

Dr. Junaid and other Muslim youths demonstrated vehemently against BJP MLA. “We protested against second attempt of installing that statue even facing brutal police force. We even protested vehemently against local BJP MLA which annoyed him a lot,” he said. That local BJP MLA threatened those youths of consequences on their protest.

Soon in January 2004 as threatened by the BJP MLA, Dr. Ibrahim Ali Juanid along with five other youths of his neighborhood had to face consequences; all of them were arrested in a conspiracy case to assassinate MLA Indra Sena Reddy, and waging war against the nation.

“I along with other youths of locality was arrested and kept in illegal detention for three days. During that period police used to beat me with gas pipes, iron rods and even used to pull my beard to mock at me,” recounts Dr. Junaid, his first taste of police brutality in their secret dungeons.

After three days of illegal custody Dr. Junaid who has just finished his 12th standard was produced before the court and spent next three months in jail for a case which according to him, “was a revenge from local BJP MLA who wanted to teach those protesting Muslim youths a lesson.”

Continuous police surveillance, police’ objections on civil rights activism :

Getting out on bail Dr. Junaid didn’t lose his hope on future, a bright student he appeared for highly competitive Unani medical entrance test and secured seat at historic Unani medical college near Charminar.

But Dr. Junaid said he witnessed worst kind of police harassment during his studies at Unani Medical College. “After getting out on bail, police harassment didn’t end, one police officer used to follow me till college, and other use to stand outside my class room. I even used to find officers outside my house, keeping tab on my activities, in 2005-06 the police harassment was severe,” he told TCN.

Keeping in view the police harassment he was going through, in 2006 Dr. Junaid started working with human rights and civil rights organizations to help people who were denied justice. His activism work, however, didn’t get down well with the police. “Police officers many times objected to my attempts to get involved in civil rights activism. Once I went to State Human Rights Commission to file a petition against AP police for their alleged involvement in Sohrabuddin fake encounter. But one officer intercepted me at the Commission and warned me from filing petition against police officers,” he said.

Witnessing Mecca Masjid Blast :

In 2007 when Ibrahim Ali Junaid was in his BUMS final year, his life’s biggest catastrophe struck him. On May 18th he was offering Juma prayer at Mecca Masjid which was located in front of his college, when suddenly he heard huge explosions, and what followed was beyond his imaginations.
“There was pool of blood with injured and dead bodies everywhere and people crying for help. I never witnessed such kind of scene before, it was just like something we heard happening in Palestine or Kashmir. Suddenly I saw one of my professors lying on the ground injured with his ear completely blown up. I picked him up and took him to the hospital, and helped other injured in getting into ambulance.”

When Dr. Junaid returned home after admitting his professor and other injured in the hospital he was heartfelt on the events of the bomb blast. Ibrahim Ali Junaid on 19th May accompanied a human and civil rights fact finding group to Mecca Masjid blast site, and the very next day on 20th May Special Investigation Cell (SIC) gave him a notice and called him for questioning regarding investigation of the blast.

Dr. Ibrahim Ali Junaid at his chamber in Hyderabad.

SIC interrogation in Mecca Masjid blast case:

“Some time I feel there is utter blind bias and poison in the heart of police force against the Muslim community. Within days of the blast, they made Muslim youths which were there usual suspects again a target in the name of Mecca Masjid blast investigation,” said Dr. Junaid, who was called by the SIC four times during that period for interrogation regarding Mecca Masjid blast investigation. After this mental harassment became unbearable Dr Junaid held a press conference and refused to attend fifth round of interrogation, “When I refused to attend them fifth time Investigating officer told me ‘we will get you any time’.”

In SIC interrogation office Dr. Ibrahim Ali Junaid observed it was more like a mental torture than interrogation. font color="red">During interrogation investigating officers rather than asking questions used to give hours of lecture to Dr. Junaid that Muslims are terrorists, and then used to jump on the obscure question of who could be behind Mecca Masjid bombing.

Dr. Junaid reply was, “I told those officers that it is their duty to do the investigation that is why government pays them, not for asking illogical questions and wasting time.”

When officers in SIC kept on repeating the same set of questions, Dr. Junaid says, he told them directly: “Why don’t you officers investigate involvement of RSS and VHP, in their speeches they always declare war against Muslims.”

On this answer, a senior IPS officer took out his revolver and threatened him of consequences on speaking like that against RSS and VHP, alleges Dr Juanid, adding that the same IPS officer had told him, “You Muslim crooks are the real terrorists, RSS is a group of real patriots.”

During interrogation investigating officers rather than asking questions used to give hours of lecture to Dr. Junaid that Muslims are terrorists, and then used to jump on the obscure question of who could be behind Mecca Masjid bombing.
He was returning from Delhi after a study tour and was arrested by SIC officers at Yakutpura railway station.

Illegally detained and tortured, forced to give confession in Mecca Masjid bombing:

Dr. Junaid was kept under seven days of illegal detention and “tortured like an animal,” every cruel method we heard happening to dissenters in Communist China was done to him in a democratic nation; from electric shock on genitals, to beating for hours hanging him upside down. He had to bare all the abuses in the name of religion, police even forced him to recite ‘Jai Sri Ram’ in order to have a break from torture, he says.

“In those seven days police continuously forced me to give a confessional statement accepting my involvement in all the bomb blasts. I still failed to understand police officers who knew well I was innocent; but could not understand why they were forcing me to confess a crime I didn’t commit; to leave the blast investigation in cold storage by making me a scapegoat, whom were they trying to protect?” he still ponders.

After his family approached the Andhra Pradesh High court with Habeas Corpus petition, police had to present him before the magistrate. He was prosecuted by the city police in a conspiracy case of unleashing terror strikes in the city, but was presented before the media as a major arrest behind Mecca Masjid and twin blasts investigation.

Dr. Junaid was sent into Charlapally central prison and forced into Narco analysis test in Bangalore, which caused an impact on his brain nervous system. “I was a bright student from the beginning but after that forced Narco test, my brain became weak, I can feel the impact, I wrote my MD exams few months back and failed, first time in my life,” says a pensive Dr Juanid, memories of those tortuous days still afresh in mind.

Dr. Junaid spent six months in prisons before getting out on bail. When he got out from prison Junaid found out that his college had cancelled his admission and refused to allot permission for writing his final year examinations.

Feared with losing an academic year he had to knock the door of the High Court. It was only after the intervention of the HC that he was allowed to appear for his final year examinations.

Even after acquittals in terror cases police harassment continues:

In 2009 Dr Juanid was acquitted of all terror charges by the local court, and after few months he got acquittal in 2004 BJP MLA assassination case too. The city police were left embarrassed when a CBI enquiry, subsequently taken up by the NIA, arrested RSS workers in the Mecca Masjid blast case.

In January 2012 Andhra Pradesh Government allotted 3 lakh rupees as compensation and gave a ‘character certificate’ to Dr. Ibarhim Ali Junaid acknowledging the wrongs done by their police force in prosecuting him in a bogus terror case.

But Dr. Junaid said that the character certificate is of no use to him, as police harassment never ends for him. In state elections police came to his house and pressurized him to ‘bind over’ which was generally done to rowdy sheeter’s during sensitive days.

Dr. Junaid says that after every blast anywhere in the nation he starts feeling insecure, as police start knocking on his doors questioning details about the obvious suspects. “I am experiencing police harassment since 2003, now even in 2013 their prejudice attitude remains the same, after the Dilsukhnagar blasts SIT officers started calling me for questioning.”

Now sitting in his private clinic trying to solve the dilemma of his life, Dr. Junaid feels major portion of his life went wasted revolving around torture cells, courts and prisons; the only thing which kept him motivated and positive was his firm belief that Allah who never denies justice, he says.

Dr. Junaid, who just one week back got married, hopes to start a new life, and want some peace of mind without any tags of suspicion. It is being observed that even for a citizen of democratic nation rights are not assigned it has to be acquired. But for Dr. Junaid, a citizen of largest democratic nation, even acquiring peace in his life is a long pain sticking struggle.

By Dr. Syed Ahmed, for TwoCircles.net,

Imphal: Like elsewhere, World Environment Day was observed in various parts of Manipur on June 5, 2013. The State-level observance was held this year under the theme ‘Think, Eat, Save.’ The day was also observed in various parts of the State by government departments, NGOs, civil society organizations and other bodies.

Islamic Research & Da’wah Centre (IRDC), based at Babupara, Imphal, also observed the day by launching Green Masjid Campaign in the Muslim inhabited areas of Manipur in association with the Directorate of Environment, Government of Manipur.

Mufti Salatur planting a tree sapling

The campaign was formally launched by planting tree saplings at M.M. Masjid at Sangaiyumpham, in Thoubal District. The function was attended by the Director of IRDC Mufti Salatur Rahman, Associate Professor of D.M. College of Science Dr. Raheijuddin Sheikh, Pradhan of Sangaiyumpham Part-I Mrs. Alipjaan Begum, Member of Gram Panchayat Md. Ramijuddin, Imams of Masjids Moulana Nursafi and Moulana Ibocha, local elders, students and members of IRDC.

Convener of the campaign Dr. Raheijuddin Sheikh stated the purpose of organizing the campaign in his speech. He said, “The Green Masjid Campaign aims to mobilize Muslims to plant trees around the masjids to improve the natural surroundings. To achieve the aim we are going to take the help of the Imams of masjids. The Imams are requested to give environmental awareness to the Muslims in their mohallah from an Islamic perspective.”

“It is going to be a year-long campaign. If necessary we will continue further. Saplings of trees will be distributed to the Muslim localities to plant in the surroundings of the masjids. The Imams of the masjids will have to lead the localities in planting and looking after the trees. We will be assessing the growth of the trees after five year. The masjid which has the best growth of the trees will be given cash reward of Rs. 50,000,” he added.

Sheikh also highlighted the importance of planting trees based on modern science. He said, “Modern science has shown that trees are key components to global ecosystem. Trees act as natural filters of our air. Through the process of photosynthesis trees absorb carbon dioxide, which is a key greenhouse gas and principle contributor to global warming, from the atmosphere and store the carbon in their trunk, branches, leaves, roots, soil and foliage, while releasing oxygen back into the atmosphere. Trees improve biodiversity and provide habitat for wildlife, check soil erosion, help in conversing water and controlling temperature, besides the ascetic benefits. It is because of all these benefits that trees have always been a key symbol of the environmental movement.”

He thanked Director of Environment Department Dr. M. Homeshore Singh for sponsoring the tree saplings and extending support to the campaign.

Addressing the gathering, Mufti Salatur said, “Allah has created everything, including the plants and animals, with specific purposes. Thus it is our duty to look after and protect all these creations. Prophet Muhammad had also stressed the importance of conserving the nature. He had said that whoever plant trees Allah will give him reward to the extent of their fruit. A popular Hadith says if you have a sapling, if you have the time, be certain to plant it, even if Doomsday starts to break forth. He also said that those who reclaim and cultivate dry and barren land will be rewarded by Allah. It is said that Prophet Muhammad organized planting of trees and of date groves. We have to follow the traditions of the Prophet.”

Mufti Salatur urged the Imams of the masjids to make the Muslims in the mohalla aware about the importance of conserving the environment citing example from the traditions of the Prophet. “The young children should also be given proper knowledge about the various issues relating to our environment. They should be encouraged to develop the habit of planting trees and nurturing them,” he added.

“We should start by planting trees in the surroundings of the masjids. Everybody who comes to masjid for prayers should look after the plants by giving water and other needs. This way we can conserve our environment,” Mufti Salatur further said.

A Tribute on Imam Rohullah Khomeini’s 24th Death Anniversary: September 22, 1902 - June 3, 1989

By Kaleem Kawaja,

Without doubt Imam Rohullah Khomeini of Iran was one of the brightest lights of Shia Islam in the last one hundred years. Among other things it was he who slowed down the rapid spread of the cultural and psychological domination of the West among Muslims restoring self-respect in the minds of Muslims everywhere on the globe. To quote from the editorial of Washington Post following his death in 1989:

“Khomeini taught us a few unpleasant lessons too. One is that the rigid right-left pattern that we superimpose on the politics of every country we behold around the world, does not fit some of them at all. Another lesson is that there are some political figures who stand well outside the reach of blandishments and pressures we have come to believe the leaders of all systems, however inimical to us, will respond to.”

Following the demise of the Ottoman Empire in early twentieth century and the repeated humiliation of Muslim armies in wars with Israel in mid twentieth century, the Islamic model was in universal decline. The Western model was considered the only relevant one for progress. Many Muslims started having serious doubts in the Islamic model as a hope for the future, even though they considered it a good religious faith. It was Khomeini who implored Muslims to reflect on the progressive nature of Islam and have faith in its re-emergence as a force in the future. He explained to them that the Islamic ideal is as compatible with science, technology, modernization and democracy as the Western model. He persuaded them to stop following the Western system blindly, yet he told them to incorporate the good elements from the West into the Islamic model. Similarly he demonstrated the hollowness of
Communism.

At first blush the outside world perceived Khomeini to be either a zealot or an ascetic. About a year after he assumed power in Iran in 1979 it was widely believed that soon either the Communists or the military will push him and the clerics aside. For a man who had spent the last fifty years studying and teaching Islamic theology, Khomeini turned out to be a shrewd, skilled and determined politician and administrator. First, he neutralized the ardently pro-western elements in the Irani army, replacing them with nationalists. Next he persuaded the army to eliminate the God-less Communists.

In about four years the Islamic revolution gained complete control of Iran. The vast majority of Iranians returned to the Islamic-friendly way of life. People who talk of the violence that occurred in the first year of the Islamic revolution in Iran, need to look at the French revolution, the Russian Bolshevik revolution and the Chinese revolution et al. A revolution that completely changes the direction of society and has a vast number of enemies is not a Sunday picnic.

However, Khomeni was not infallible. Prolonging the Iran-Iraq war after Iraq was convincingly defeated and taking the US Embassy personnel hostages in Iran and holding them for over a year, were some serious mistakes. That unnecessarily generated hostility to Iran’s Islamic Revolution in the West.

On the balance though, Khomeni can be credited with significant achievements in the remarkably short span of ten years that he was in command in Iran. Despite theocratic pressures on him from some of his own clerics, he declined to adopt Shia-supremacist attitudes or attitudes unfriendly towards Sunnis. Many Muslims in far flung countries, namely Russia, China, Britain, France, North America, Australia and African counties, reverted back to pride in their Islamic heritage and developed enough confidence to be proud of the Islamic philosophy. After almost a hundred years, the Western writers, intellectuals and leaders started paying attention to Islam.

Khomeni achieved this universal acceptance of Islam not by rhetoric but by the actual practice of Islam’s progressive and egalitarian features. A few years after coming to power, he organized the elections of the Iranian parliament, which became the true governing body where all affairs of the state and policies are discussed publicly. The Friday prayers became another forum of public discourse on the policies of the state.

Despite his near hysterical popularity in Iran, he refused to rule and preferred be a guide to the government. He steadfastly refused to allow any member of his family to either join the government or the ruling clerics in a dominating role. He allowed equal opportunities to women to take part in Iran’s political and social life, encouraging them to speak out on issues. He especially asked the men in power to honor Islam’s concept of equality of genders and made sure that women became members of the parliament and were placed in some senior political positions.

Finally, in an act of statesmanship, he ordered the constitution of Iran, which he had himself prepared, to be reformed to allow a multiparty system and reduce the influence of the clergy. He even proclaimed that the leader of the nation should be well versed in politics, economics, jurisprudence and theology and not just a senior cleric. Yet, he refused to name a successor and asked his followers to choose one from among them. Khomeini was a sort of Pope, a real leader that Muslims had not seen for a very long time. Like Lenin he represented something which would go very far and would have a very wide impact on the whole world.

The secret of Imam Khomeni’s charisma was his record of selfless struggle of the causes of downtrodden Muslims all over the world, be they African, or Middle Eastern or Asian or European. He had a clear vision of the Islamic ideal and what it can do for the dispossessed.

Today, 24 years after Khomeini's passing away the political system in Iran is experiencing some turmoil because of the power struggle among his followers, the divisive political games that some of them are playing, the restrictions that some politicians in power have placed on Iran's democratic and electoral system, and their encouragement of sectarian policies.

……………………………

The writer is a community activist and can be reached at kaleemkawaja@gmail

Social activist Shabnam Hashmi also expresses her solidarity with the Rihai Manchi.

By TCN News,

Lucknow: As the indefinite dharna of the Rihai Manch outside Uttar Prdesh Assembly completes 18 days today, Revolutionary Cultural Front of Jawaharlal Nehru University today staged a play ‘Batla House’ at the venue of the demonstration in solidarity with the protest.

Rihai Manch (Forum for the Release of Innocent Muslims imprisoned in the name of Terrorism) is on indefinite dharna demanding arrest of police officers involved in Khalid Mujahid's murder, issuing the RD Nimesh commission report and the action taken report on it, and the immediate release of innocent Muslim youth imprisoned in the name of terrorism.

Riyaz of the RCF-JNU said that the staging of this play at the venue of a dharna demanding justice for Khalid Mujahid was important as both in this case and in the Batla House ‘fake’ encounter we see the violent and criminal mindset of the state.

In 2008 on 19th September, on 4th floor of L-18, Batla House in Delhi’s Jamia Nagar area, two youths of Azamgarh were killed in a shootout, which was later claimed to be an encounter by special cell of Delhi police. In this shootout, one of the officers of Delhi police Inspector Mohan Chand Sharma also lost his life. However, from the very first day Human and Civil Rights’ organistions and activists are demanding an independent judicial enquiry into the shootout. The post-mortem report of the deceased also pointed towards the encounter being a fake one.

Social activist Shabnam Hashmi was also today present in solidarity. Expressing her support for the cause, she said that terrorism has become the whip of Hindutva forces, by using which state implicates innocent Muslim youths and create fear amongst minorities. She reminded that whenever there is demand for probe into cases of such arbitrary arrests or encounter, respective state governments flinch as they are scared to accept this truth.

Criticizing the state government’s move of withdrawing cases in hush, without proper preparation that led to different courts putting aside such decisions, chairman of the Rihai Manch Advocate Mohamamd Shoaib said that such moves are only meant to mislead Muslims and are not meant for any concrete steps towards keeping their poll promises of withdrawing cases against innocent Muslims who are languishing in jails for years.

Rihai Manch has been able to complete their indefinite dharna for the 18 days now. Several social activists and different organisations from across the country and world have expressed their support for the Manch’ dharna demanding justice for Khalid Mujahid and release of innocent Muslim youths languishing in jails in fabricated cases of terror.

Khalid along with Tariq Qasmi was arrested by Special Task Force (STF) on 20 December 2007 from Barabanki. Huge explosives were also shown as recovered from his possession. STF claimed that he was involved in the serial blasts which occurred in Gorakhpur, Faizabad and Lucknow. Later, Nimesh Commission was constituted headed by Justice R D Nimesh who in its report raised fingers over STF's claim about the place of arrest.

Khalid had died under mysterious circumstances on his way back from Faizabad near Ram Sanehi Ghat on May 18. He was declared brought dead by the doctors at district hospital in Barabanki. Later, on the complain of his uncle Zahir Alam Falahi, a case was registered against 42 police officers including former DGP Vikram Singh, ADG Brijlal and others who were on duty during the time of Khalid's arrest.

By IANS,

Lucknow : Parveen Azad, the widow of a police official who was killed by a mob, Saturday said she was not disappointed by the recently filed chargesheet of the CBI in which former Uttar Pradesh minister Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiyya has not figured.

Zia-ul-Haq was killed by a mob in Balipur area of Kunda town in Pratapgarh disrict in March this year. Azad had later alleged that Kunda legislator Raja Bhaiyya had a hand in the killing of her husband, who was the then circle officer (CO) of Kunda.

Pointing out that this was the first chargesheet filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation, Azad said she would hold on to hope till the last.

She added that the investigation agency has sought a polygraph test of Raja Bhaiyya, which was a solace to her.

"All is certainly not over," she said, adding that she would not like to comment on the probe of the CBI.

Azad, a medical student, said she was "very hopeful" that the CBI would work honestly, and that she would not rest until the guilty are booked.

By IANS,

New Delhi : Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's supporters Saturday protested outside senior BJP leader L.K. Advani's house in the national capital. Advani has skipped the party's conclave in Goa due to ill-health.

About 50 Hindu Sena workers holding a 'Narendra Modi's Army' banner shouted slogans like 'Narendra Modi Zindabad' and 'Bring Modi as prime minister' outside Advani's house on Prithviraj Road in central Delhi.

The protesters demanded that Advani, 85, allow Modi to assume a greater role in the party.

"We have gathered outside Advaniji's residence to request him to give full support to Narendra Modi to become the next prime minister," said Shiv Kumar, a protester from Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh.

A police officer said: "No one was detained, after protesting for about half-an-hour they dispersed."

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Prakash Javadekar told reporters in Goa's capital Panaji, where the three-day party conclave started Friday, that Advani will miss the party's entire national executive meeting due to "ill-health".

Advani's absence comes amid reports that the he was upset about a decision to make Modi the head of the 2014 general election campaign committee.

The former deputy prime minister had suggested the formation of two campaign committees, one for the upcoming assembly elections in five states this year-end, led by Modi, and another for the 2014 general elections.

A final decision on who will spearhead the party's campaign in the general elections is expected to be announced Sunday.

Advani, along with Atal Bihari Vajpayee, led the formation of the BJP, the successor of Bharatiya Jana Sangh, in 1980.

By IANS,

Thiruvananthapuram : Middle East-based businessman from Kerala M.A. Yusuf Ali Saturday announced that the proposed convention centre at Kochi, which was embroiled in a controversy, would go ahead as planned.

Last month, the owner of the Emke Group had announced that he would withdraw from the project after allegations of land encroachment were made against him.

"After receiving support from various political parties in the state and being the goodwill ambassador for investment in Kerala, I have decided to go ahead with the project. The work will begin in three months' time as two more sanctions are to be procured from the state government," said Ali at a press conference here.

The 10.59 hectare land for the convention centre at Kochi was leased to the entrepreneur in 2010 after a tender was floated by the Cochin Port Trust. The same year, the board of trustees approved the proposal unanimously in a meeting.

However, last month a section of the media had reported that the land lease was improper. Soon more reports followed that said the Rs.1,600 crore mall built by Ali in Kochi was on an encroached parcel of land.

"I was deeply pained by these reports. Even the Arabic newspapers carried this news and soon people who knew me started asking me questions. However later, some reports refuted the claim," Ali said.

He added that the proposed convention centre would have a luxury hotel and service apartments.

"The lease is for 30 years. If it is not renewed after that it would become the property of the Cochin Port Trust," Ali said.

By IANS,

Panaji : Condemnation of the recent rebel attack on a Congress convoy in Chhattisgarh reflected strongly in a resolution on security passed Saturday by the BJP's national executive here, as the party blamed the Congress for the escalating Maoism and terrorism.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman, while conveying details of the resolution to the media, indirectly also blamed the Congress for last month's attack on its own leaders in Chhattisgarh.

"We have condemned the Naxal attack in Chhattisgarh. The NIA probe has now raised suspicion on the Congress leaders, saying some of them were talking on phone with the Maoists. What do we need to say," Sitharaman said.

She also said that the Congress-led government at the centre at present and previous Congress governments were to be blamed for not being able to arrest the menace of terrorism and Maoism in the country.

"The BJP has a multi-pronged strategy, spread over 10 years. If we come to power, we will fight these problems," she said.

The resolution on "security and self-pride" passed by the party blamed the Congress for giving communal tone to the issue of terrorism.

"Our fight against terrorism is not a fight against any religion, but the Congress has tried to make the issue communal, trying to appease one community," Sitharaman said.

By IANS,

Panaji : Two days after claiming that building a Ram temple at Ayodhya was not a priority for the BJP, party spokesperson Nirmala Sitaraman Saturday said that the issue was "very close" to the saffron party's heart.

Sitaraman, who was addressing the media on the sidelines of the party's national executive meeting here, also said that the party would decide on an action plan only after the judiciary adjudicates on the issue.

"The BJP believes in it and it is one of core issues which are very close to our hearts. Obviously we have to respect the court and wait for the court's verdict," Sitaraman said.

On June 6, party spokesperson Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told reporters here that the temple issue was not a "priority" for the party, especially in face of other pressing issues like price-rise, corruption and bad governance of the government.

"The priority before the party is price-rise, corruption and bad governance of this government," Naqvi had said, when asked why party leaders had been silent on the Ayodhya temple issue.

Sitaraman, however, said: "It is important for us to speak about it and to work once the courts are clear with it. To say that it is on the priority today and it is not on the priority tomorrow is not right.

"It is important for us to speak about it and to work once the courts are clear with it."

By IANS,

Panaji : The ties between BJP and ally JD-U appear to be fine for now as Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said Saturday that he was not concerned if Narendra Modi is made the chief of the BJP's campaign committee.

Sources close to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Rajnath Singh said he called the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) leader and discussed the possibility of appointing Modi as the in-charge of the party's campaign committee.

According to the sources, the Bihar chief minister said he was concerned only with the prime ministerial candidate of the BJP, who would be the face of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

Nitish Kumar has vociferously opposed Modi as the NDA's prime ministerial candidate, saying that the Gujarat chief minister does not have "secular credentials".

Modi has been blamed for the 2002 Godhra riots in Gujarat. However, no charges have been proved against him so far.

BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitaraman meanwhile dismissed any discussions with any ally at this point of time.

"There have been no talks with any alliance partners," she said.

Leaders from the party are indicating that a major announcement is likely to come Sunday. However, they refused to divulge any details, but added that leaders of party's parliamentary board may have an informal meeting Saturday night.

By IANS,

Dubai : A group of Indians who were lured into a manpower supplying company run by two Bangladeshis in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province were beaten up after they complained about their situation to Indian officials.

The group of around 200 workers, who had arrived in Saudi Arabia two months back, said the two Bangladeshis visited them at their site Friday and assaulted them for complaining about their plight to Indian embassy officials and social workers, the Arab News reported Saturday.

The workers, both skilled and unskilled, had shelled out between Rs. 90,000 and Rs. 150,000 to a Mumbai-based recruiting agent, Fahad Enterprises, and are from Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh.

They were promised jobs in the Al-Babtain Plastic Factory in Dammam, capital of the Eastern Province, but instead ended up in the manpower supplying company of the two Bangladeshis who forced them to do menial jobs like cleaners in various locations across the province.

They said that after they complained, a group of five men barged into their accommodation Friday and beat up all of them.

The attackers also took with them one of the workers, Himanshu, who used to help aggrieved workers, they alleged.

They also also threatened the Indians with dire consequences if they did not report for work.

By Abdullah,TwoCircles.net,

Mau, UP: A seminar on ‘Ali Sardar Jafri: Ideological and Artistic Aspects’ was held at Community Hall, Nagar Palikla, Mau by Halqa-e-Abad-o-Saqahat yesterday in which the literary works of Ali Sardar Jafri was discussed by learned scholars.

Presiding over the seminar Mr. SMA Kazmi, Former Advocate General of UP said that the poetry of Ali Sardar Jafri is purely political and revolutionary. This was up to the independence of the country. After independence his poetry takes another turn and we find that the revolutionary trend lessened and his focus was on social values and the fight against traditional values. He further said that even poet is not aware about his qualities but such types of programs highlight the qualities of the poet and his contribution to the society.

Dr Shakeel Samdani addressing the seminar

Prof Ali Ahmad Fatmi, former head of Departmentof Urdu, Allahabad University said that Jafri’s poetry is full of revolution and ‘razm’, due to which some critics have not given much importance to Jafri’s poetry. At that time the trend was not of razm but of bazm, not of inquilab but of slow voice (dheeme lehje) due to which there was opposition of Jafri. Jafri was more intellectual than a poet. He also discussed the poetry and intellectualism of Taraqqi Pasand Tahreek.

General Secretary of United Muslim Organization and Professor of Law at the Aligarh Muslim University, Dr Shakeel Samdani discussed in detail about Urdu language, literature and Muslim issues. He said that the language which has produced great poets and scholars like Sardar Jafri is declining day by day in North India.

Book being released by Dr. Shakeel Samdani and Mr SMA Kazmi

In addition to the discussion on poetic and scholarly work of great personalities we should also discuss the ways and means to preserve and develop the Urdu language which has produced intellectuals, freedom-fighters, social workers, lawyer and nation builders added Dr Samdani. He reminded the audience that the word Inquilab, Zindbad and Murdabad were given by Urdu language.

Due to the government apathy and discrimination Urdu is being wiped out from schools, colleges and universities. Now the time has come to revive Urdu language. Regarding education Dr. Samdani said that the literary graph of Muslims has increased in the recent past. We should try our best to provide them good jobs also and that is only possible through reservation in public and private sector both. In the last Dr. Samdani exhorted the audience to preserve Urdu language by subscribing one Urdu daily. He also told the masses that there are many websites in English and many English newspapers are being published by the Muslims through which they can get correct information.

Prof Shaheena Rizvi while discussing the literary and poetic contributions of Jafri said that Jafri started his rebellion from his home when he refused to learn traditional Islamic teachings in the Madarsa. Dr. Afaq Ahmad Afaqi of BHU presented a paper on Jafri’s poem ‘Subahe- Farda’.

On this occasion a book entitled ‘Uttar Pradesh Teachers Eligiblity Test: Urdu Litrature (UPTET) was released which is compiled by Mohd.Huzaifa and published by International Publications, Mau, UP.

Shamim Ahmad discussed the activities of Halq-e-Adab-o-Saqafat.

The program was conducted by the secretary, Nafees Abdul Hakim and Mr. Rehan Asrari thanked the guests. The program was attended by a large number of poets, writers, social workers and students including Dr. Munawar Anjum, Dr. Shakeel, Dr. Intiyaz Nadeem, Uzair Girhast, Manager Sir Iqbal Public School, Tauqeer, Advocate, Abdullah Samdani, Zaki Mahfooz, Meer Hamza, Faizur Rehman, Anwar Ahmad, Syed Ullah Shad etc.

By IANS,

Panaji : A day after Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi was appointed chairman of the BJP's election management committee, a party legislator from Goa lambasted him for backing a religious conference which propagated a "Hindu nation".

Dramatist and BJP legislator from St. Andre constituency, Vishnu Wagh, questioned Modi's secular credentials in the Monday edition of 'Goa Doot' newspaper, the saffron party's mouthpiece.

"How could Modi send a congratulatory message to this convention which is openly demanding that India should be made a Hindu nation? Our constitution says India is a secular country and Modi has sworn to uphold the same constitution when he was elected chief minister of Gujarat," Wagh said in his column 'Bahujan Mat' in the regional vernacular daily.

Wagh was referring to the four-day conference organised by the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti at the Ramnathi temple complex, 35 km from Panaji, June 6-10. Interestingly, the conference coincided with the three-day BJP conclave, which included a two-day meeting of the party's national executive that endorsed Modi's appointment.

The Hindu Janajagruti Samiti conference was attended by over 250 delegates who debated a variety of issues related to Hinduism and ways to make India a Hindu state.

Wagh said it was shocking that Modi's written congratulatory message was read out during the conference, which was also attended by Sri Rama Sene chief Pramod Muthalik, who was instrumental in the attack on boys and girls in Mangalore's pubs some years back.

"It is shocking that Modi's congratulatory message was read out at a conference that openly speaks of doing away with secularism. What was Modi thinking when he sent it to them?" Wagh said.

Modi's written message to the organisers of the conference said: "Only by protecting our culture, the flag of dharma and unity can be kept intact. Organisations inspired by nationalism, patriotism and devotion for the nation are true manifestations of people's power".

Modi, who has faced flak from the opposition and civil rights groups over his role during the 2002 post Godhra riots, had also said in his message: "Even though every Hindu conducts himself with love, compassion and intimacy with god, giving precedence to non-violence, truth and 'sattvikta', repelling demoniacal tendencies is in our destiny. It is our tradition to remain ever alert and raise a voice against any type of persecution."

Modi's ascent in the party at a national level Sunday, triggered the resignation of BJP patriarch L.K. Advani from all posts help by him Monday. BJP president Rajnath Singh has rejected Advani's resignation.

Ulemas stress on the need for learning English and European languages.

By Manzar Imam, TwoCircles.net,

New Delhi: The stories of bearded ulemas delivering speeches in English are no more new. The trend was set in 1994 when Maulana Badruddin Ajmal Qasmi started training graduates of madrasas in English, computer and other contemporary subjects at Markazul Ma’arif Education & Research Centre (MMERC) at South Delhi’s Jamia Nagar area.

Few early batches that successfully completed the two-year diploma started expanding the initiative and now there are five such centres of learning and training in different parts of the country.

Maulana Salman Nadwi speaking to the audience.

The Institute of Higher Studies (IHS) is one such centre being headed by Maulana Mohammad Inam Qasmi Nadwi. At the completion of the two-year diploma of the first batch, the IHS held a convocation programme on 6 June to give certificates to successful candidates.

Speaking on this occasion Mohammad Umar Gautam, chairman of Islamic Da’wah Centre and former Director of MMERC Delhi appreciated the effort of Maulana Badruddin Ajmal for establishing MMERC, part of Markazul Ma'arif, a well-known registered NGO, whose products are now rendering valuable services in the United States of America, the United Kingdom, South Africa and other African countries. Iman (faith) is the biggest need of humanity and Da’wah the biggest duty of believers, said he.

Maulana Syed Salman Husaini Nadwi, a teacher of Hadith at Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama, Lucknow presided over the programme. In his presidential address he said that peoples were sent guides in every age in their own tongue so that the message of the Creator could be easily communicated. After the finality of messengership with Prophet Mohammad this duty of guidance became the shared responsibility of the ummah of Prophet Muhammad. It is therefore necessary that ulama should learn different languages to communicate the message of Allah to people speaking different languages.

Maulana Inam Qasmi Nadwi, director of IHS is seen addressing at the convocation programme.

He further said that language was a medium, not the message. It is therefore important for countering the challenges coming from different sources of media and academia that ulama must understand those issues so that they can provide better explanation.

Maulana Essa Mansuri, chairman, World Islamic Forum, London; Maulana Burhanuddin Qasmi, editor of Eastern Crescent, Mumbai; Maulana Hamid Hasan, rector, Madrasa Islamia Arabia Khadimul-Uloom, Muzaffarnagar; Prof. Abdul Allam Mujibi, formerly associated with the Department of English, Jamia Millia Islamia; Shah Ebadur Rahman Neshat; Chaudhary Iqbal; Markaz alumni Muhammad Sadaqat Qasmi (World Assembly of Muslim Youth), Mufti Obaidullah Qasmi, Manzar Imam, Abdul Malik, Sikandar Azam and others were present in the programme.

Maulana Inam Qasmi Nadwi, director of IHS coordinated the programme starting with a brief introduction of the Institute.

(Manzar Imam is a freelance journalist based in Delhi.)

By Shaik Zakeer Hussain, TwoCircles.net,

Bengaluru: Six months ago, when Omar Mukhtar received a phone call from his elder brother, asking him to get ready to pack his bag, the 24 year old young man from Karnataka’s coastal town of Mangalore was overwhelmed with joy.

Omar’s brother works in a construction company in Dammam, Saudi Arabia and was the first of the four siblings to migrate to the oil rich Kingdom almost six years ago. After clearing the family debt and when life felt like it’s all settled down, he started helping his other brothers to emigrate one by one.

“In our part of the town, there are only two things that a man wants to be; businessman or work in the Middle East,” Omar said. Unlike his brothers, he wanted to start his own business. But being born in a lower middle class family, his desire was farfetched and soon realized that he had to put it at bay, at least for some time.

“So I decided to work in Saudi Arabia for a few years and then come back and start some business.”

But unknown to Omar, Middle East had started to go through a radical transformation. The uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya had brought down decades of old oppressive regimes and other countries in the region were going through the same volatile phase. Though Saudi Arabia weathered the first wave of the popular uprisings, but the Monarchy, fearing similar forms of dissent, announced a series of benefits for its citizens, including reforms in its labour laws.

According to a study conducted by the Saudi Central Department of Statistics and Information, the country’s overall unemployment rate stood at 12.2 per cent last year.

Viewing unemployment among nationals as a “long-term strategic challenge that needs to be handled effectively”, the country introduced the Nitaqat programme. The new law made it mandatory for local companies to hire one Saudi national for every 10 migrant workers and deport workers not employed directly by the Saudi citizens who have sponsored their visa. Ironically, the country’s employment is dominated by foreign expats; majority of who are from India, in the ratio of nine in every ten employees.

“Last month, my brother called again, but this time to inform me that my visit has to be cancelled for now,” Omar said disappointingly. He was supposed to search for a job, after arriving in Saudi Arabia, but the new law, he says has made the process excruciatingly difficult. He is now concerned, if his brothers don’t have to face any problems there.

Some 180,000 foreign workers have left the kingdom since April 1 under an amnesty that allowed them to try to sort out their papers or leave without paying a penalty, a Saudi based newspaper reported on Sunday. Frustrated Indonesian workers even set fire to a part of their consulate in Jeddah, expressing their anger at the long wait seeking to correct their status as illegal foreign workers.

The world’s largest oil exporter was a goldmine for millions of workers from across countries like India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and other parts of Asia, but changing tides and geostrategic factors have left them all in lurch. As for Omar, he now wants to look for a job here in India and says, if ever things calm down, he would want to try his fortune again.

By TCN News,

Lucknow: The indefinite dharna of Rihai Manch (Forum for the Release of Innocent Muslims imprisoned in the name of Terrorism) outside the Uttar Pradesh Assembly demanding arrest of police officers involved in Khalid Mujahid's murder, issuing the RD Nimesh commission report, and the immediate release of innocent Muslim youth imprisoned in the name of terrorism has completed 20 days today.

For last nine days they are relay fast as well. Today on the 20th day victims’ family members in the Rampur CRPF camp fake terrorist attack sat on the relay hunger strike.

Khalid had died under mysterious circumstances on his way back from Faizabad near Ram Sanehi Ghat on May 18. He was declared brought dead by the doctors at district hospital in Barabanki. Later, on the complain of his uncle Zahir Alam Falahi, a case was registered against 42 police officers including former DGP Vikram Singh, ADG Brijlal and others who were on duty during the time of Khalid's arrest.

Khalid along with Tariq Qasmi was arrested by Special Task Force (STF) on 20 December 2007 from Barabanki. Huge explosives were also shown as recovered from his possession. STF claimed that he was involved in the serial blasts which occurred in Gorakhpur, Faizabad and Lucknow. Later, Nimesh Commission was constituted headed by Justice R D Nimesh who in its report raised fingers over STF's claim about the place of arrest.

By TCN News,

Bhopal: The Social Democratic Party of India, (SDPI), has said that by declaring Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as chairman of its Election Campaign Committee for the 2014 polls, a move considered just short of making him the prime ministerial candidate, the Bharatiya Janata Party, (BJP), has unfolded its real face once again.

SDPI national president A. Sayeed in a statement said that Narendra Modi has been a symbol of communalism and capitalism, which his decade old rule or rather misrule in Gujarat has very well revealed, and BJP backed by fascist RSS steadily stands behind him.

A. Sayeed

Sayeed said the 2002 Gujarat pogrom wherein thousands of Muslims were massacred in the state under Narendra Modi’s rule is a big blot on him which can never be washed away. The aura of development in Gujarat is all phoney and fake as the rural poverty in the state is 51 per cent. There is no real development in Gujarat but with his cocky attitude Modi impresses that he is all-knowing and tries to paint a rosy picture to befool people, he added.

He pointed out that on the contrary vital statics about Gujarat speak otherwise as the living standards of the common people was still "abysmal". The test of every system is whether the standard of living of the masses is rising or not. Modi was no doubt successful in projecting an image of 'Gujarat Shining' under him. But the stark reality is very different. No doubt Modi has given huge concessions to big industrial houses, giving them cheap electricity, land, etc. and has built roads, etc. But what about the standard of living of the masses, Sayeed questioned?

The statement stated the figures about Gujarat are very dismal. They include: 1. Child malnutrition at 48 per cent in Gujarat is higher than the national average, far higher than the poorest African sub Saharan countries of Somalia and Ethiopia where the rate is about 33 per cent; 2. The infant mortality rate in Gujarat is 48 per thousand, which is the 10th worst in India; 3. More than a third of Gujarat's adult men have a body mass index of less than 18.5, the 7th worst in India; 4. Gujarat has a high maternal mortality rate; 5. Education, health and income levels in Gujarat is placed after 8 other Indian states.

It is a sad day for one of the oldest civilisation in the world that India is seeing the elevation of person accused of supporting a large scale massacre in 2002. He is so arrogant that he has not even bothered to acknowledge the brutality and sufferings. His arrogance is derogatory to the growth of our great nation. History will never forgive the supporters of this man who does not even have a family of his own and he seeks to rule the Great Indian family of a 100 billion. His speeches are taunting and far from being civilised. Does this man love anyone other than himself? Do we really have no one better than him, well if yes, then it is a rather dark prediction for this nation, the statement added.

Sayeed said that it is a pity that LK Advani, the father figure of BJP, seems to feel slighted by the very party that he helped create. Had it not been for his rath yatra, the party could never have hoped to have emerged onto the national scene in such a big way from two to 182 seats in the Lok Sabha. Advani helped demolish Babri Masjid in his quest for the Prime Minister-ship. He tore up the country's all inclusive social fabric, he even tore up the BJP for his self interest. Perhaps its some divine intervention that has brought him to his present dismal state!

He hoped that in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections the electorates would give a befitting reply and stop Modi in his tracks before he could unleash his destructive policies at the national level to bring miseries to millions of people of this great country called “Bharat”.