By Sheikh Qayoom , IANS,

Jammu: Separatist slogans were all it took to stoke communal passions, triggering riots that ravaged Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar town, left three dead and led to the resignation of the state's junior home minister who hails from the town.

Communities that have lived in perfect harmony for ages attacked one another with shotguns loaded with hatred and junior Home Minister Sajjad Ahmad Kichloo made the startling claim that mobs tried to set him ablaze.

The trouble started in the otherwise peaceful town of Kishtwar, over 200 km from here, when a procession of locals from adjacent villages entered the town Aug 9 to join others at the Eidgah grounds to offer Eid prayers.

Reports said the procession was shouting pro-azadi (independence) slogans when some Hindus resented this and started pelting stones at the procession and provoking them.

After the news about this reached those already present at the Eidgah grounds they rushed to the spot and joined the riots. Three people were killed and properties worth millions including over 100 shops were gutted.

The district administration had to seek the army’s help to bring the situation under control. Eye-witnesses said it was a free for all situation in the town for six hours during which the mobs looted a gunshop and used the looted weapons to target each other.

The state government announced a judicial probe headed by a retired hgh court judge to ascertain the facts about what went wrong in Kishtwar and who stoked communal passions there.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led by none less than its star campaigner and the likely prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, told a massive gathering in far away Hyderabad: "Kishtwar is burning. A narsamhar (bloodbath) has taken place in Kishtwar. We don't know how many have been killed there."

It cannot be accepted that Modi did not know that one Hindu and two Muslim had died in the Kishtwar clashes. Violence and madness had taken an equal toll of both the communities in the town, where Muslims form 55 percent and Hindus 45 percent of the population.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, visibly disturbed by the BJP campaign to focus attention on the Kishtwar riots, said during his Independence Day speech in summer capital Srinagar that the people of Jammu and Kashmir were being treated differently as if they were not part of India.

Abdullah cited figures of communal clashes in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Karnataka and some other states during 2012 and up to March 2013 to ask: “How many big leaders have visited those places to express solidarity with the affected people? How many of them used tweets or how many columns of newspapers were written on those clashes?”

It was an obvious dig at the BJP leadership.

Abdullah has, of late, been upping his ante against the BJP and its supporters. He has been a minister in the NDA government headed by Atal Bihari Vajpayee when his party was part of the alliance at the centre.

Abdullah's partymen believe his secular credentials cannot be questioned just because he speaks against the BJP.

“Isn’t he the same person who got a resounding ovation in the Lok Sabha when he said he is a Muslim and an Indian (during the July 2008 trust vote),” asked a senior National Conference leader.

Whatever Abdullah’s compulsions might be, the fact remains that the media attention has remained focused on the communal tension in Kishtwar during the last eight days while incidents of communal harmony and brotherhood went mostly unreported.

That the burial procession of a Muslim woman in Jammu city the other day had more Hindu and Sikh mourners than Muslims or that a Hindu bride was escorted by her Muslim brothers in violence-torn Kishtwar a few days back was generally overlooked by the media.

The resignation of junior Home Minister Sajjad Ahmad Kichloo definitely indicates the administration was out of sync with what was going to happen in Kishtwar Aug 9.

Kichloo had come to his Kishtwar home to celebrate Eid. He is the National Conference (NC) legislator from the Kishtwar constituency in the 87-member state assembly.

Instead of accepting his failure to lead the district administration that had to seek the army's help to break the communal clashes which also left private and public properties worth millions of rupees razed to the ground, Kichloo intended to achieve some kind of a political martyrdom by his resignation and the subsequent claim that rioting mobs had tried to set him ablaze - a shocking commentary on an administration whose minister says he managed to escape with his life from the rioting mobs!

Ironically, all those Kichloo claimed had tried to burn him alive were voters of his own constituency, irrespective of the fact whether they were Hindus or Muslims.

The nightmare in Kishtwar must not get repeated again, ever.

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

By TCN News,

Aligarh: A Symposim on “Murder of Democracy in Egypt” was organized by the Faculty of Theology, AMU, Aligarh, in which a large number of teachers, scholars and students participated. Prof. Saud Alam Qasmi, Dean, Faculty of Theology, AMU, gave the inaugural speech in which he condemned the brutal massacre of civilians by the Egyptian armed forces.

He also criticized the unlawful dismissal of the elected government of Dr. Mohammad Morsi. He urged that democracy and justice must be restored without any delay. He said that Muslim world should come out openly to favour democratic voices of the Brotherhood leaders and followers.

Prof. Mohsin Usmani, Former Dean, Faculty of Languages of the EFL University, Hyderabad, explained the democratic struggle of the Ikhwanul Muslimeen for decades who were always suppressed by repressive regimes. He said that Al-Sisi is following the policy of the United States to dislodge any government democratically formed by the Followers of Islam.

Dr. Arshi Khan, Department of Political Science, AMU said that the US and the West are not interested in Democracy for Muslim countries as their agenda is to create ‘failed states in Muslim territories. He said that the CIA is deeply involved in alliance with Mossad to create unstable and insecure Egypt like Iraq. Dr. Aftab Alam, Secretary, AMUTA said that Muslim countries are silent over the killings in Egypt.

Prof. Ali Mohammad Naqvi, Chairman, Shia Theology, AMU, said that the international community should come out with strong protest against so many killings of Muslims in one day, which did not happen even by the regime of Shah in Iran.

Dr. Shakeel Samdani, Faculty of Law, said that the West speaks of democracy, freedom and human rights but prefers dictators particularly in Muslim countries. Military intervention has caused the violations of democratic principles and the UN Charter.

Prof. Razaullah Khan and Prof. Abdul Qayyum, former Presidents, AMUTA and Dr. Zahid, also condemned the massacre by military regime. Prof. Ishtiaq Ahmad Zilli, Director, Shibly Academy, Azamgarh, said in his presidential remarks that the Muslim Brotherhood has been sacrificing themselves for many many decades for the purpose of the restoration of the will of the people and they would finally succeed in their efforts for making Egypt democratic and peaceful country. He said that their sacrifice would enlighten democratic forces in Gulf countries.

A resolution was passed at the Seminar condemning the suppression of peaceful democratic demonstrations and massacre of thousands of the civilians in Egypt. It also denounced the illegal arrest and detention of President Mohammad Morsi and other leaders.

The resolution also urged the Government of India, United Nations, European Union, Russia and China for taking appropriate measures at international level to protect the lives and rights of the people in Egypt in addition to holding free and fair elections at the earliest.

Interestingly while CIA and West was blamed for the wrong doings, only pass remarks of Muslim countires’ silence figured in the programme. No one unequivocally condemned the support of Saudi monarch and UAE to to the Egyptian army.

By IANS,

New Delhi: Abdul Karim Tunda, Delhi Police's big catch Friday, began his career as a carpenter, moved on to do scrap-dealing before becoming a cloth merchant. And then he took to terror.

Police say he got radicalised in the eighties when he "came in touch" with the Lashker-e-Taiba through operatives of the ISI, Pakistan's secret agency.

But he earned notoriety and came on the police radar after the Mumbai serial bombings in 1993 that followed the demolition of the Babri Masjid in December 1992.

Police say that before he got involved in the Mumbai bombings, he had constituted a 'tanzeem' - an organisation set up with the lofty aim of working for the community - Tanzeem Islah-ul-Muslimeen (Islamic Armed Organization) with one Jalees Ansari, a resident of Mumbai.

Another top Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant, Azam Ghouri, joined up with another Tanzeem floated by Ahl-e-Hadis to avenge the Babri Masjid demolition in the Indian town of Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh.

He got the moniker Tunda - Hindi for without a hand - after his left hand got severed in an accident while preparing a bomb in 1985 in Mumbai.

Born in a poor family in 1943 at Chatta Lal Miya area in central Delhi's Daryaganj, Tunda started his career as a carpenter at his native village in Bazaar Khurd area in Pilkhuwa in Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad district.

He started supporting his father who used to melt metal like copper, zinc and aluminium to earn livelihood.

After his father's death, he was the lone earner of his family so he started working in scrap dealing to earn more money, but it was not enough to met his expenses. Later he became a cloth merchant before becoming a radicalized jehadi militant.

He married thrice, including for the third time a 18-year-old girl, at the age of 65.

His younger brother Abdul Malik, who still is a carpenter, is reportedly the only immediate family member alive in India.

He also stayed in Pakistan where he is known to have imparted training on fabrication of IED and other explosives to mujahids, who are sent to India from Pakistan for jehad.

He returned from Dhaka to India to mastermind the deadly 1996 and 1998 bombings. In almost all the bombings in Delhi during 1996 and 98, Tunda's men, who were from Pakistan and Bangladesh, had detonated the bomb bombs using pencil batteries, police said.

The most devastating of these blasts was in a crowded private bus at Punjabi Bagh in Delhi in December 1997 which occurred when the bus, running between Ajmeri Gate and Nangloi, reached Rampura in Punjabi Bagh, killing four commuters and injuring 24.

Subsequently, Tunda fled to Pakistan via Bangladesh, from his home in Ghaziabad in 1998.

Tunda tried to cause serial explosions in India in 2010, just before Commonwealth Games organised here using an elaborate network of human traffickers and fake currency suppliers active in Bangladesh.

Tunda had also been associated with Rohingya operatives in the past. His association with LeT commanders Rehan alias Zafar and Azam Cheema alias Babajee is well known.

By IANS,

New Delhi: Arrested top Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist Abdul Karim Tunda, an expert in making destructive improvised explosive devices, has been involved in terror strikes over the past 20 years. Police say some of his most active phases are:

* March-December 1993: Mumbai serial bombings March 12 left over 250 dead.

Between Dec 5-6, he also carried out seven blasts in trains in Hyderabad, Gulbarga in Karnataka, Surat in Gujarat and Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh.

* December 1996-98: Blasts in New Delhi, Panipat and Sonipat in Haryana, Ludhiana in Punjab and Kanpur and Varansi in Uttar Pradesh.

One of the most devastating explosion was in a crowded private bus at Punjabi Bagh Dec 30, 1997 in west Delhi killing four commuters.

* October 2010: Police say Tunda tried to cause serial explosions in India in 2010, ahead of the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, using human traffickers active in Bangladesh.

By Abdul Gani, TwoCircles.net,

Guwahati: Rueing at the ever growing crisis of the Indian judiciary system the Chief Justice of India, Palanisamy Sathasivam who was in Guwahati to inaugurate the newly constructed building of Gauhati High Court stressed on the measures to redeem it.

The 40th CJI stressed on giving importance to women and children issues in the courts besides to bring an early solution to the year-long pending cases.

Chief Justice of India P Sathasivam (C) opening the entrance of the new Additional Building of Gauhati High Court in Guwahati on Saturday. Photo: Lal Singh

“There’s unfortunately, a growing crisis within the judiciary. The manifestation of this crisis lies not only in the ever-increasing arrears of cases in courts and the consequent delays in our justice delivery system but also in the steady decline in the reputation of the judiciary as also of the legal profession. This institution unlike the others in the democratic set up thrives only on trust and confidence reposed by the people. So, we should conduct ourselves befitting to the status we hold,” Sathasivam said addressing a jam-packed gathering in Guwahati on Saturday.

The 64 year old judge from Tamil Nadu who joined office on July 19 in 2013 further said that he is for solving the old pending cases at the earliest besides calling for a gender sensitive approach. “After joining the office I have written to all the Chief Justices of various High Courts in the county to find out all the cases which have been pending for 10 years or more and give them priority. Besides, Women and children are also to be especially dealt with,” he added.

Besides, he said that lawyers should be the guardians of the reputation and majesty of Courts and they should prevent corruption and bias entering the portals of courts. “Judicial function is no doubt a challenge to everyone who occupies that office, more so with the merging contemporary challenges. To be able to respond to such a noble assignment of dispensing justice efficiently and impartially, a judge, has to improve his knowledge and skills,” said Sathasivam who has given several land mark judgments of the country.

Stressing on the need for the sensitized judiciary he said that sometimes a judge has to go beyond than just being an active judge. “He has to be an activist judge. Where it is warranted, he has to go behind the letter of the rule, identity the principal and policy of law on which the rule is based and act in furtherance of the same,” he said.

He also gave importance on sensitizing the investigating officers, lawyers and judges to violence against women with reference to rape and child sexual abuse, family law such as property rights, inheritance and maintenance, domestic violence and sexual harassment at the work place.

By IANS,

Jammu: Curfew continued for the 10th day Sunday in Kishtwar town of Jammu and Kashmir although it was relaxed for a short duration Saturday. An indefinite curfew was imposed Aug 9 following communal clashes in the town.

Curfew was Saturday relaxed in a phased manner in Kishtwar -- in one half from 1 p.m. to 2.30 p.m., and in the other half from 3.30 p.m. to 5 p.m..

Kishtwar District Magistrate Basheer Ahmad Khan said no untoward incident occurred anywhere during the relaxation period and the situation has remained peaceful in the town for the last two days.

Meanwhile, a ministerial team headed by Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand reached Kishtwar town late Saturday to hold talks with representatives of the two communities to defuse tensions between them.

The other members of the team include Rural Development Minister Ali Muhammad Sagar, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Minister Chowdhary Muhammad Ramzan and Irrigation and Flood Control Minister Sham Lal Sharma.

The team held a meeting with representatives of the minority community late Saturday, during which the minority community put forward their demands.

The demands included hiked compensation in favour of those whose properties were destroyed during the riots, increase in ex gratia relief to the next of kin of the slain member of the community and transfer of the deputy inspector general (DIG) and a deputy superintendent of police (DSP) who were charged of partisan role during the riots.

The minority community representatives also demanded that the name of the former junior minister for home, Sajjad Ahmad Kichloo, should be included in the police complaint lodged against rioters in the town.

The minority representatives had earlier refused to meet the ministerial team in presence of the local civil and police administration.

The team agreed to the demand and met the representatives without including any one from the district administration in the meeting.

The representatives included religious, political and social activists from Kishtwar.

They also strongly opposed the separatists' demand of disbanding the village defence committees (VDCs) in the area.

The ministerial team was told any action against the VDCs would go in favour of the militants against whom the committees were set up.

Separatist leaders have accused the VDCs of using weapons during the communal riots.

The team will Sunday meet representatives of the majority community in Kishtwar.

Three people were killed and private and public property worth millions were set ablaze in Kishtwar Aug 9 during communal clashes following which an indefinite curfew was imposed in the town with the army's assistance.

By IANS,

Hyderabad: Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) plans to expand its base outside Andhra Pradesh by contesting elections in other states, announced its leader Akbaruddin Owaisi.

The 43-year-old Owaisi, a member of the Andhra Pradesh state assembly, told a massive public meeting here Saturday night that the MIM would field candidates in the next assembly elections in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat and other states.

The party, which has seven members in the Andhra Pradesh assembly and one member of parliament, has already bagged a few seats in local body elections in Karnataka and Maharashtra, he pointed out.

This was Akbaruddin's first public appearance since his release from jail in February this year in a hate speech case. The legislator had spent 40 days in Adilabad jail.

Thousands of people, especially youth, thronged Khilwat Grounds in the old city of Hyderabad to hear the young leader, who heads the party in the assembly.

The public meeting was organised to mark the fifth death anniversary of former MIM chief Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi.

Akbaruddin said his rivals conspired to finish him, but he only emerged stronger and even more popular. Referring to phone calls he received from people in various states in the last few months expressing support, the MIM leader said he would visit various states including Gujarat to bring together minorities and oppressed sections of society.

"The MIM is fighting for Muslims, other minorities and those sections of society which are deprived of their constitutional rights," he said.

MIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi criticized the Congress government for imposing a ban on his visit to Maharashtra, and said he would now send his younger brother, Akbaruddin, to visit various states. "When Modi can visit Hyderabad, why can't we go to other states," asked the MP from Hyderabad.

"No, we can't. We will not. Say no to Modi, no to BJP," he asked the audience to repeat after him.

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, at a public meeting here Aug 11, had chanted "Yes, we can. Yes, we will".

The MP said MIM would never accept union territory status to Hyderabad. He said Hyderabad, as a permanent joint capital of Telangana and Seemandhra, would also not be acceptable. He advised Congress leaders from Seemandhra to accept the division as the decision was taken by their party president.

By Abdul Gani, TwoCircles.net,

Guwahati: Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi called for a change in the judiciary system for overall growth of Indian democracy. Speaking on the occasion of the inaugural session of the newly constructed Additional High Court Building of Gauhati High Court in Guwahati on Saturday, it’s time for Indian system to give up British style of governance.

“I think accessibility for the judges and lawyers is very important to understand the ground reality of the society. I don’t think it will harm in the decision making process. I feel, in the contrary, it will help them more in their work,” Gogoi said addressing the gathering of judges, lawyers and advocates in a jam-packed make-shift auditorium in Guwahati on Saturday.

Assam CM Tarun Gogoi (L) lighting the ceremonial light during the inaugural programme of the new building of Gauhati High Court. Photo: Lal Singh.

He also said that keeping the judges in an isolated place and far from the reach of the people is a British policy. “It’s time we get rid of the British policy of governance and we should focus on developing the Indian democracy. We also need to change our mind sets for the proper growth of democracy,” he added.

Moreover, he also stressed on the importance of the Bar in creating a positive environment in the society. Talking more on democracy, he said that the state government has kept the door open for dialogue for all the militant groups to solve their problems in democratic way.

“Not the just the new building, but a fast and accurate justice will make common people happy and belief in democracy. This is very much important at the present context,” the CM added.

By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,

Mumbai: According to reports there has been a small communal skirmish in Jhula Maidan area of Mumbai over donation money (chanda) for Ganpati puja. One police constable and two others have been injured.

Jhula Maidan falls under the Agripada Police station. According to reports, some youths were collecting ‘donations’ (chanda) for Ganpati puja and when some shopkeepers allegedly refused giving money, they were manhandled and beaten.

Seeing the fights some local youths, who were playing cricket in the Jhula Maidan rushed and started beating them. Two persons and a police constable got injured in the skirmish. They have been admitted in a nearby hospital.

Hundreds of people soon gathered on the spot. Police immediately swung into action, and at the time of filing of this story, the situation was under control.

Police forces are doing the rounds in the Muslim locality to assure them and keeping situation under control.

Local Congress leaders Fayyaz Ahmed, Razzaque Qazi and Shakkir Ansari have reached the spot.

Engineer Taufique Aslam Khan of JIH meeting local shopkeepers.

Engineer Taufique Aslam Khan, state president of Jamaat e Islami Hind visited the place immediately and met local leaders. Besides local Muslim shopkeepers, he also met the jewelers and other Hindu shopkeepers and urged them to maintain normalcy and open their shops.

He later also met DCP Vinayak Deshmukh and appreciated the prompt police action that has helped in 'normalization' of the situation.

By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,

Hyderabad: City was again abuzz late Saturday. After Narendra Modi’s Bhartiya Janta Party Yuva congregation last week it was the turn of Majlis-e-Itehadul Muslimeen 5th annual Yad-e-Salar-e-Millat program, the celebrity speaker for the party was Akbaruddin Owaisi.

After creating national controversy with his rabble rousing and alleged hate speeches, MIM assembly floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi gave his first public speech after getting out on bail from jail in February.

As expected huge crowd turned up at Khilwat ground near Charminar as MIM including its president and Hyderabad M.P. Asaduddin Owaisi popularized the program since Ramzan claiming that resting Akbaruddin Owaisi will reply to Narendra Modi’s anti-Muslim comments.

Akbaruddin Owaisi in the beginning of his speech made in direct attack on Modi by praising the contribution of Hyderabad Nizam’s in developing Deccan and taking up welfare of every community, last week Modi targeted Nizam’s rule as oppression over Hindus.

MIM leader also in cinematic narrative style narrated horrors of Indian military action over Hyderabad in 1948 popularly known as police action in which 1,50,000 Muslims were killed. Narendra Modi and other BJP leaders in their Yuva congregation praised the military action as liberation day of Deccan.

He told the crowd that many youngsters are not aware of the history which is getting distorted and used against Muslim community, Akbaruddin said he felt it his duty to inform the people of the realities.

MIM’s annual program was to observe 5th death anniversary of late Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi former MIM president, Akbaruddin remembered his father as the man who scarified his whole life for the sake of empowerment of Muslim community.

He asked Muslims to give up slave and inferior status mentality and question people in power, “We should fight and struggle to protect our rights, if needed one should be ready to sacrifice anything including his life for the sake of community,” but he frequently cautioned that “fight should be taken ahead in a democratic way”.

When crowd became furious at regular intervals and started shouting reply to Narendra Modi’s puppy slang, Akbaruddin Owaisi played cautious, “Our party president told earlier that I will reply to Modi, but what should I say now. He came to Hyderabad in a disciplined manner, restrained from communal slangs and went off peacefully. People said it is because of MIM, Modi was cautious. I don’t think there is any need to give him a reply now.”

But conceding to the mood of the crowd Owaisi again said, “I have a Tsunami waving inside my heart. But there are lots of people who have laid a trap for me. I want to remind them it is birds that get into trap net, not the tigers.”

In his highly dramatized speech MIM leader told the crowd one day he will take a rally of Hyderabad Muslims to Gujarat.

Then he continued to praise his earlier rabble rousing speeches which got him into the dock and fame equally, “I have taken the voice of MIM to the national level through my speeches. It is only due to my speeches, frequent communal rhetoric from other side has stooped.”

He went on to say because of his speeches first time India felt the presence of its major minority sentiments, “It was my speeches which presented 25 crore Muslims of India as ‘Zinda Quam’ (lively community) in the nation.”

Ending his speech Akbaruddin Owaisi said every caste in India has their own political front; Muslims should also evolve their own political leadership and representation. He said that MIM will expand itself in every Muslim pocket of India.

Winding up Akbaruddin Owaisi described Muslim community as his Lila and him as the Majno, “This Majno will endure to love his Lila till his last breath.”

This is the second in four parts series on “Terror tale: The strange case of Akhlaque Ahmed Khan” which is one of many such intriguing cases where Muslim youths were arrested on mere charges and are damned to spend their youthful years behind bars as under trials.

Read Part I here: Over 14 years as undertrial on charges of conspiracy to wage war

By M Reyaz, TwoCircles.net,

Kolkata/New Delhi: A Bangladeshi national Syed Abu Nasir was arrested allegedly at the New Delhi’s Paharganj station with 2 Kg RDX and five detonators on January 7, 1999 by the Crime Branch of the Delhi Police. On the same night, Kolkata Police arrested Akhlaq Ahmed Khan, the owner of “Masoom Travels” from Kolkata.

Huge quantity of ‘incriminating’ documents, including two Passports of Abu Nasir (Several Bangladeshi residents have two Passports – one India Special and another International Passport as per bilateral agreements), copies of several passports, air tickets, several international currencies, including Pakistani rupees and Bangladeshi Takas and the idol of a Hindu goddess were shown to be recovered. It should be pointed here, that the said Travel agency is in the heart of the city, with several guest houses around.

The dilapidated entrance of Masoom Travels.

Akhlaque was produced in the Alipur Court the next day and charged with violations of the Foreigners’Act, forgery, cheating and criminal conspiracy. He was granted bail after the statutory period of 91 days period as the Prosecution failed to file charge-sheet. He was later also discharged from this case.

Delhi case: According to Delhi Police, they had “secret information” that some ISI agents were moving around Delhi with plans for serial blasts in the capital with view to wage war against the state. The Anti-Extortion Cell of DP got “specific information” on January 7, 1999 that an ISI agent was going to receive a consignment of explosives from another accomplice. The police contended that while they could apprehend Abu Nasir, another person managed to escape.

Akhlaque was meanwhile also made a co-accused along with Abu Nasir and three others Mohd. Gulab, Mohd. Nawab and Agha Khan for waging war against Government of India. Akhlaque was hence transferred to Delhi’s Tihar Jail. They were all accused under sections 3 & 4 of the Explosives Substance Act, IPC 121 (Waging, or attempting to wage war against the Government of India), 121 A, 122, 123, and for violation of section 14 of the Foreigners Act. 21 witnesses were produced.

After examining 21 witnesses, going through the evidences produced the Honorable court gave “thoughtful consideration to the arguments advanced” and concluded as regards to Gulab, Nawab and Agha Khan: “This court is unable to find any acceptable evidence connecting either of these three accused with any the existence of any conspiracy,” adding, “In fact the prosecution evidence as led before this court has failed to show existence of any conspiracy, whatsoever between any of the accused persons.”

In fact the day, it was alleged that the conspiracy was hatched in the office of “Masoom Travels,” among all the five co-accused, it was later found out that the three of the accused Mohd. Gulab, Mohd. Nawab and Agha Khan were already in a jail in north Bengal.

File photo of Akhlaque Ahmed Khan (Courtesy: ToI).

The accusation against Akhlaque, who was first arrested in a different case, though on the same day, was of being co-conspirator and for facilitating terrorist transportation as he was running a travel agency. As none of the witness testified against him, the only purported evidence against him was the two Passports of Abu Nasir allegedly found from the premise of the travel agency.

The Delhi Court observed: “It fails imagination of this court as to why and what for the Kolkata Police had seized the passports of the accused Abu Nasir from possession of Akhlaque Ahmed,” as the Kolkata Police by that time had no information regarding involvement of Abu Nasir or his arrest, according to Tapan Bose, the IO from Kolkata who arrested him.

Pointing to the fact that Akhlaque ran a travel agency, the court implied that it is but natural that copies of tickets, passports documents or in original might be found in the premise and concluded: “This court is unable to find any acceptable evidence connecting him, with accused Abu Nasir as regards existence of any conspiracy between them to commit any alleged offense.”

On the violation of the Foreigners Act, allegedly because Abu Nasir was in the country without valid documents, during the trial no evidence was brought on record by the prosecution to the effect that either of those two passports was forged or its validity had expired. As pointed earlier several Bangladeshi residents have two Passports – one India Special and another International Passport as per bilateral agreements between the two countries.

In fact it was conceded that Passports were valid and Abu Nasir had the valid documents. The Court, however, found Abu Nasir guilty of possessing RDX and detonators at the time of arrest but absolved him too of criminal conspiracy of designing, concealing or waging war against the Government of India.

The Additional Session Session Judge MR Sethi hence acquitted Akhlaque and three others, except Abu Nasir, on October 18, 2006 adding, “The prosecution has miserable failed to prove any conspiracy between accused persons implicated in the present case, regarding their having conspired to wage war against the government of India, this court is of considered opinion that no offense whatsoever appears to have been committed by accused Akhlaq Ahmed, Agha Khan, Mohd. Gulab and Mohd. Nawab. All these four persons are acquitted in the present case.”

Interestingly, the Delhi Police did not appeal against the judgement in the High Court.

Kolkata case: Although acquitted by the Delhi Court, freedom has not come to Akhlaque as within days of his arrest , another FIR was already registered in the Taltala Police station of Kolkata on January 15, 1999 against Muhammad Abdullah Salafi, Mritunjoy Das, an employee of Masoom Travel, Akhlaque Ahmed Khan, and Syed Abu Nasir. The charges against them were similar of “waging war against the Government of India, and to destabilize the democratic process in India and to promote enmity between religious groups.”

Akhaque, in particular, was accused of working as “Coordinator between groups of ISI agents and their Indian counterparts staying in different parts of India and also plays pivotal role for recruitment of new ISI agents/contacts to strengthen their operational network in India.”

According to Police, IO Arindam Mukhopadhya of Kolkata Police Special Branch had raided the premise of the Masoom Travels on January 27, 1999 around 4.45 PM and was there till over 10 PM and found several “incriminating documents.” A 20 pages long seizure list was prepared, detailing list of documents, different currency notes, including a one rupee Pakistani note, several stamps, copies of passports, other documents, several tickets, etc. as also two Passports of Abu Nasir.

As the Police had failed to file the charge-sheet within three months in the ongoing case too, after serving the statutory 90 days period Akhlaque was given the bail order in April 1999, along with two other co-accused Abdullah Salafi, Mritunjoy Das who are since out on bail, on security deposit of Rs 10,000.

However, Akhlaque did not deposit the security bond since he was anyway an accused in another case in Delhi and was serving as under trial in Tihar Jail. Meanwhile, charge sheet was filed in the case. After his acquittal in October, 2006 in the Delhi case, as he approached the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) to furnish the bail, he was not allowed to deposit the bail bond on the ground that the charge-sheet has been filed and hence he has lost his right to bail. His repeated petitions to the CMM, the session court and the Calcutta High Court was hence rejected and is consequently still in jail for over 14 years now.

The trial for the case on in a fast-track court in Kolkata and the next hearing is scheduled to be on 26 and 27 of this month.

Read about the loopholes in the case, and the defence version tomorrow.

By Mohd. Ismail Khan, Twocircles.net,

Hyderabad: Exactly a week back Narendra Modi paid a virtual PM size visit to Hyderabad to address a Yuva congregation, the hysteria created by media around his Hyderabad visit was simply perplexing.

In the end, Modi’s just 8 hour visit to the city got all the ingredients which news hungry journo will look after for, as one local English news daily puts it ‘Modi came, speak and conquered Hyderabad’, one cant speak about Hyderabad but he did conquer first three main pages of largely every local newspaper.

Narendra Modi adressing at his felicitation jointly organized by 12 backward communities under the aegis of Bechar Swami Ati Pacchhat Samaj Vikas Board.

From Telugu film personalities to local industrialists, former bureaucrats everyone was lined up to meet the PM in the waiting, but the most shocking of them was the meeting of Dalit and BC leaders with the Modi.

Influential Dalit leader and founder of Madiga Reservation Front Manda Krishna Madiga met Modi and reportedly discussed possible Dalit alliance with BJP in upcoming elections also AP Backward Castes Welfare Association leader R. Krishnaiah met him separately. Call it media frenzy or his PR agency spin but every media house carried exactly similar news items on Modi meeting industrialists to Dalits presenting him as a rainbow politician.

For Muslim community in the state more than celebrities and brother in laws of Congress and TDP politicians it was the meeting of Dalit and BC leaders which shocked them the most, as they for long has heard slogans of Dalit, BC, Muslim unity.

More than Muslims it was Dalit community who find themselves in embarrassing situation and felt agitated. But no other media who covered meeting of Dalit leaders with Modi with much fervor didn’t even try to follow up on what Dalit community felt about that meeting.

Dalit community reacts:

As Ms. Rupakar Subadra deputy secretary of Panchayat Raj Government of AP while speaking with TCN puts it aptly, “It was very shameful thing to witness; the meeting of so-called Dalit leaders has put our entire community in embarrassment. We were worried on the repercussion of that symbolic meeting on Dalit-Muslim relations.”

She goes on to say, “When they claim leader of oppressed section how can they meet a man who has been credited for organized killing of fellow oppressed sections in Gujarat.”

Krupakar Madiga was one of the founding members of Madiga Reservation Front, but later departed from the organization after some internal differences. Commenting on the meeting of his former colleague with Modi, Mr. Krupakar said, “Some Dalit and BC community members are getting trapped in the sham of Narendra Modi belonging to BC community. But it should be made clear that Modi is no oppressed section sympathizer he is just working for the interest of upper caste elite. Not only Muslims, he has plagued local Adivasis and Dalits in Gujarat to crush their identity and self-respect.”

He believes that RSS and BJP, by trying to portray Narendra Modi as BC leader, is making sure BC communities and Dalit’s gets attracted towards it, but he cautioned Dalit and BC leaders from getting played in the hands of RSS.

Dalit leader in the eye of the storm responds

Manda Krishna Madiga man in the eye of the storm within Dalit community for meeting Narendra Modi clarifies his stand. Speaking with TCN, Mr. Manda Krishna said his meeting with Modi has nothing to do with associating with Sangh politics but for pleading support for his cause that is categorization in Schedule Caste reservation.

Narendra Modi after putting garland at the statue of Dr. BR Ambedkar.

“Categorization of SC reservation can done only by central Govt. it require bill to be pass in the parliament with support of 2/3rd majority, that is the reason I met Modi to press for our community demand,” Manda Krishna said.

He said his meeting with Modi should not effect in any way Dalit-Muslim relations, “Whenever there is oppression on Muslims not only in AP but anywhere in the country I have raised my voice.”

Interestingly Mr. Manda Krishna was the man who organized a huge protest meeting of Dalits in 2002 against Modi declaring him a mass murderer. So what have changed in these 10 years? Has interest become more important than principles, according to Mr. Manda Krishna that seems to be the case.

Manda Krishna said, “For past three decades I and my community is fighting for our rights, I went to the office of every political party to support our cause, from Congress to TDP, from MIM to BJP, I represented reservation issue in every political front. Dalit-Muslim relation is a different aspect, our cause, our own interest is also important. Even I had raised my opposition to Modi in 2002, if he hurt Muslims again I will continue to raise my voice against him, but it is also important for us to pass SC categorization bill in the parliament.”

Dalits didn’t accept that argument

But famous Dalit activist and scholar Kancha Ilaiah is not ready to buy the argument of Manda Krishna Madiga. He said, “It was disappointing to see him meeting Modi to make his demands to a Hindutva poster boy. He didn’t realize that Modi has never been a pro-reservation man, his party till today is against Mandal commsion.”

Mr. Kancha Ilaiah said, by giving importance to Modi he made an illogical move and got played in the hands of BJP. “Who is Narendra right now, is he already became a PM, it was understandable if Modi held any crucial Government post and Manda Krishan or any other Dalit leader met him to press some demands, but right now that meeting was completely unnecessary.”

According to Mr. Kancha Ilaiah damage has already been done and BJP has just cashed in by presenting it as a symbolic meeting.

Jilkara Srinivas, a Dalit research scholar from Hyderabad Central University also refused to accept Manda Krishna Madiga argument of SC categorization representation. Mr. Jilkara said, “For past 18 years that demand has been there, BJP has already declared it support obviously eyeing on sub section of Dalit votes, but what was the need to represent again and again that too a Hindutva icon like Modi.”

RSS creating sham for BC and Dalit’s by projecting Modi

RSS according to Mr. Kancha Ilaiah has started a camping asking for BC community support by presenting a BC as prime ministerial candidate. By this process RSS is communizing BC vote bank.

Mr. Kancha Ilaiah who himself belong to BC community said, no national party has given proper space nor promoted any BC candidates. BJP has just seized the opportunity to get BC in their folds. He said presently in BC community, “there is huge hunger for power, even if it is going to be a symbolic power like PM it is enough for them.”

But he cautioned his fellow community members that although Modi belongs to BC community but he never did anything for their welfare, “Narendra has done nothing for BC welfare in Gujarat, there was an anti-BC riot in 1985 in Gujarat still there is no justice for those victims, there is no proper BC reservation in Gujarat, moreover there is no BC middle class in the state ruled by Modi.”

He also gave the reference to Modi’s last week speech in Hyderabad, “In his whole speech he sold dreams, didn’t even mention Dalit, BC development or reservation issue, his whole speech was purely based on Hinduized elite development plank.” Kancha Ilaiah said BC should not fall into what he calls a Sangh trap.

Mr. Jilkara Srinivas commenting on the Modi-Dalit-BC relations said Sangh Parivar is using Dalals (agents) from the oppressed communities to showcase in larger portrait the support to Sangh ideology.

He said that Sangh has used the same trick in Karnataka where eventually Dalit support went in their basket; this is what Mr. Jilakara calls ‘fashioning social psychology’ of Dalits and other oppressed sections that Sangh is their savior.

But according to Mr. Srinivas Sangh tactics till now has proved to be futile as Dalits and large sections of BC which has traditionally been against its ideology never got mobilized under Parivar’s banner. He also stated that one should not give overzealous importance to Modi and his exaggerated propagated potential to attract BC and Dalit votes, “Before coming to Hyderabad, he campaigned in the neighboring districts of Karimnagar and Nizamabad in the by elections which has huge Dalit BC Muslim population, what was his effect, apart from creating communal tensions, he couldn’t increase BJP’s vote share.”

Manne Leo Augustine is a civil rights activist, former leader of Janta Party and a close ally of George Fernandes. According to Mr. Augustine, he wasn’t surprised by witnessing Dalit leaders meeting Hindutva icon Narendra Modi. He said “It is going on for last 25 years now. Sangh Parivar is trying to get BC in their fold and even got partial success now they are eyeing on Dalit vote bank.”

The reason of BC and Dalits getting attracted towards BJP, Mr. Augustine who is now in his late 70s, puts it philosophically, “When good is silent, evil comes to force. They have been neglected by other national political parties now they are trying other side. Sangh Parivar is using Modi as tool to get the politically depressed section of BC in their fold.”

But Mr. Augustine also has his own alternate theory, perhaps he think it is Modi antics to scare away Muslims from BC base sub regional parties. He said ultimate test of loyalty comes on the day of voting, till them Muslims should not get dissuade from Sangh pranks.

By IANS,

New Delhi: Abdul Karim Tunda, Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist arrested by Delhi Police from India-Nepal border, became a bomb-maker after the 1985 Bhiwandi riot in Maharashtra to avenge his relatives' killing, police said Sunday.

His attraction towards incendiary material started in his childhood -- while he was in school and keenly observed a 'chooranwalah' doing tricks, like cracker-type fire and explosion, using potash, sugar and acid, said police after questioning him for a day.

"When he was aged 12, Tunda observed 'Chooranwalah' sprinkling acid on a mixture of potash and sugar to produce fire. He developed this principle to make bombs," Joint Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Madan Oberoi told IANS.

The 70-year-old terrorist used locally available materials like urea, nitric acid, potassium chloride, nitrobenzene and sugar to make bombs. His left hand got blown off while making a bomb in 1985 in Mumbai, after which he got the moniker of Tunda - which means one-handed man.

Police said after becoming a radicalised jehadi, Tunda started providing bomb-making training to youths. "He has been training young indoctrinated radicals to make bombs for the last 28 years," said Oberoi.

Investigators said Tunda also trained terror operatives in making improvised explosive devices (IEDs), police said.

In Mumbai, the Delhi-born, Class 7 dropout joined Jalees Ansari to form a new group Tanzeem Islah ul-Muslimeen (an armed organisation aiming to work for the Muslim community).

Investigators said in 1993 Tunda and Ansari had set off a series of bombs in Mumbai. Ansari was arrest in January 1994 and after some time he fled to Bangladesh's capital Dhaka where he started training jehadis in bomb-making.

"He has a good network in India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan. He has relations with terror organisations -- including Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, Indian Mujahideen, Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) and underworld don Dawood Ibrahim," said Oberoi.

Tunda was connected with BKI chief Wadhawa Singh, who used Tunda's network in 2010 to smuggle a consignment of explosives into India.

Tunda had an excellent network of operatives through which he sent men and material into India. He has also been sending explosives and fake Indian currency to India, he said.

One of his destructive plans, made at the behest of the BKI in 20101, was foiled.

"The explosives which were assembled outside Pakistan were to be sent somewhere in Delhi or Punjab. However, the plot failed as Tunda's operatives were arrested in Bangladesh before they could execute the plan," said a police officer.

During interrogation, Tunda told police that he met don Dawood Ibrahim in Karachi several times.

"He claims that Dawood first called him for a meet in 2000. He says that the underworld don stays in a safe house in Karachi and is guarded by the ISI (Pakistan's intelligence agency). His movement is restricted and monitored by the intelligence agency," added the officer.

By IANS,

New Delhi: Abdul Karim Tunda, whose arrest Friday is being touted as a big achievement for the security agencies, ran his own madrasas (religious schools) and was a preacher in several others in Pakistan to indoctrinate Muslim youths and children.

Police said Tunda was running two madrasas in Karachi under the name of Mehdud-Taleem-Islam-E-Darul-Funoon, for which he got a lot of donations from individuals and terror organisations.

He was also teaching in several other madrasas in Karachi to indoctrinate youths and children to join jehad.

"Apart from giving motivating speeches, Tunda was training these youths to use arms and ammunition. Every batch would have around 200 youths of all ages," said an official.

"He has great oratory skills through which he influenced people. He is a sort of motivational speaker who encouraged his disciples to join jehad," said a police officer.

Due to his ability to motivate people, he was greatly sought after terrorist groups.

Tunda told interrogators that to carry out a terror attack, "you need a man, motivation and a bomb. Tunda provided all this and that is why he was so popular among all terror outfits," said the officer.

"His job was to recruit, motivate and provide explosives to youths," the officer added.

Born in a poor family in 1943 at Chatta Lal Miya in central Delhi's Daryaganj, Tunda was running these madrasas for 18 years and training youths for 28 years.

Investigators are trying to find out Tunda's activities since 1998, when he came to India the last time.

Police is also trying to find out why was he was coming to India this time and how Pakistan-based terrorist outfits and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) carry out and control terror modules in India.

"His bomb-making skills and motivational power was the reason that led Tunda to meet Hafiz Saeed, Maulana Masood Azhar, Dawood Ibrahim and the Bhatkal brothers of Indian Mujahideen in Pakistan," said the officer.

He also recruited young poor children from Pakistan and Indian youths who fled to Pakistan to join terrorist groups like Indian Mujahideen.

Due to his preachings at various madrasas in Pakistan, he had a huge well knit network of terrorists under him in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Myanmar.

Through this network, he pushed explosives and terrorists into India through the Bangladesh border since 1998.

He was directly in touch with Hafiz Saeed and Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, and would get funds from the ISI and jehadi individuals.

He met Hafiz Saeed in 1991 and returned to India and carried out several blasts. He last met Hafiz Saeed in Pakistan just 10 days before he was nabbed.

On hearing of Tunda's works, underworld don Dawood Ibrahim met him in 2000 in Karachi for the first time.

"Thereafter, he has met Dawood for around six to seven times. He was handling Dawood's fake India currency notes network," said the officer.

By IANS,

Lucknow : Kanwal Bharti, a Dalit writer who was arrested earlier this month for his posts on a social networking website praising suspended IAS official Durga Shakti Nagpal, has alleged that Uttar Pradesh Urban Development Minister Azam Khan could get him killed.

Bharti late Sunday alleged that the minister was trying to create communal tension in Rampur in the writer's name and garner votes.

"I had made some comments on the networking site after which I was hounded, arrested... my phone has been put on surveillance and I fear that in the coming months, I might be eliminated at the orders of Azam Khan" he told mediapersons on the sidelines of a cultural event in the state capital.

Bharti said "suspicious looking" youngsters roam around his house all the time, many of them carrying pistols.

He said that in Rampur, the constituency Azam Khan represents in the state assembly, there was complete "jungle raj". Neither the law of the land nor Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav had any administrative control over the district, he said.

The writer rubbished rumours that he had links with any party and said he harboured no political ambition.

"My posts were mere expression of what I believed, and there is no law in the land to prevent me from doing so," he added.

He also criticised the state police for arresting him on grounds that his online posts could have triggered communal tension.

Asked whether he has spoken to Khan over the issue, he answered in the negative.

A Supreme Court bench, headed by Justice H.L. Gokhale, last week served notice to the Uttar Pradesh government seeking its response on the eminent scholar's arrest.

The apex court had earlier directed the state government to strictly comply with the union government advisory, spelling out clearly that a person should not be arrested without taking permission from police officials of the rank of inspector general of police (IGP), deputy commissioner of police (DCP) or superintendent of police (SP) in such cases.

By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,

Hyderabad: President of Majlis-e-Itehadul Muslimeen and Member of Parliament from Hyderabad Asaduddin Owaisi lambasted Gujarat chief minister and BJP poll campaign chief Narendra Modi in a massive public meeting organized by the party on the eve of 5th death anniversary of former party president and stalwart politician Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi.

Huge crowd turned up for the meeting as MIM since Ramzan was mobilizing cadres for the gathering as the day in their own words when ‘Sher ka Bacha Kutte ke Bache ka Jawab de ga’ (tigers cub will reply to puppy). The star speaker of the party was Akbaruddin Owaisi who after creating controversy with his alleged hate speeches was silent since getting out on bail in February.

Asaduddin Owaisi addressing the meeting

However, Akbaruddin Owaisi played safe and didn’t concentrate much on Modi issue, apart from mocking him on frequent intervals he stressed more on issues confronting Muslims nationally and internationally.

Elder brother Asaduddin Owaisi at the near end of the program took the lead and made an all-out attack on Narendra Modi.

He criticized Modi and equally the Congress for providing BJP’s potential PM candidate political space for a rise, “Congressi should have questioned Modi on his tall claims about Gujarat in his last week public meeting, but every Congressi has their tongue chewed up in cheek.”

Asaduddin Owaisi taunted Telugu Desam Party chief Chandra Babu Naidu on recent media reports that he is getting close to Modi, “Modi has made some praises for NTR and here Naidu became Modi’s fan. Did Naidu forget how he snatched CM chair from NTR? Cycle (TDP) should not go along with Lotus (BJP) otherwise your fate of 2004 will be repeated.”

Asaduddin Owaisi also got into a heave with the Congress union minister and mega star turn politician Chirnajeevi, “Chiranjeevi’s nephew and brother in law, both of them met ‘Kutte ka Bacha’, I mean the man who called us Kutte Ka Bacha.” Then he dared Chiranjeevi on his proposal of Union territory status for Hyderabad calling him a ‘kid’ in politics, “If Hyderabad is to be made Union territory than such a protest will happen that no one has witnessd in the democratic history of India. Chrianjeevi you are still a kid in politics.”

Mocking at Modi’s speech in Hyderabad, Mr. Owaisi said, “He drank four glass of water during his speech, someone messaged me that Modi must have seen Akbar’s photo before giving his speech.”

Taking a dig at Modi’s speech Owaisi demanded answer on his claim that he would have dealt strictly on killing of Indian army men on LOC, “We condemn strongly the killing of our Jawans by Pakistan, but he made politics on their killing during his speech saying he would have dealt strictly, Modi should have explained what he means by strictly. We remembers his former Lauh Purush (iron man) L.K. Advani who after parliament attack mobilized 10 lakh Indian troops on border, and finally brought them back after leaving many young men dead in harsh winter. Modi should have explained how differently he was to be from his former mentor in dealing up with Pakistan.”

At the peak of his Modi bashing Asaduddin Owaisi in his full charged voice challenged Narrendra Modi for an open debate, “Modi is challenging an old man for debate, what are you challenging PM for, I challenge you for open debate on your policies and tall claims.”

Asaduddin Owaisi than again criticized Congress Government for allowing Narendra Modi to roam around free in the country while he is stopped from entering neighboring states, “Malegaon collector wrote a love letter to me not allowing my entry on the eve of Shab-e-Barat stating I am threat to peace, as if it was me who planted bomb in Malegaon? As if it was us who fired at innocents in Dhule? During Ramzan they won’t allow us, come 15th August they won’t allow us. While Modi is free to roam across India. Are we not citizens of this country?”

He accused the administration of bias, “Establishment is stopping us from holding public meetings as they don’t have guts to listen to Muslim opposition against them.”

He said today police is stopping him from entering neighboring districts but time will come when his party will enter in Gujarat, “We went in Malegaon, we will go to Nandurbar, from there next destination is Gujarat.”

Asaduddin Owaisi also cautioned Muslims from so called secular parties who will come out just before the election to beg for their votes. He slammed Akhilesh Yadav Government in UP for what he called its hypocrisy. “You can feel sad and dismiss an IAS officer for demolition of mosque wall, but when a Muslim youth (Kahlid Mujahid) gets killed in your police custody you went silent, his relatives are sitting for past 100 days outside UP assembly demanding justice have you gone blind,” he alleged.

Paying tribute to his father Mr. Owaisi said his father was committed man who laid a base for Muslim political leadership 55 years back when people use to laugh at the concept of Muslim political identity.

Than he again went after Modi, “My father didn’t do politics for Note and Vote as done by our ‘Kutte ka Bacha’ I mean the man who said Kutta ka Bacha.”

In the election mood Asaduddin Owaisi repeatedly appealed Muslims to increase their turn out percentage during polling dates; he said if Muslims vote participation increase his party is hopeful of winning 9 seats in Telengana and 2 in Rayalseema regions. He added that his party is not against any religion, but only against the ideology of Sangh Parivar which want to crush the rights of Muslims in India.

Winding up his speech he again take knock at Modi’s Obama invocation and made the crowd chant ‘No, we can't. We will not. Say no to Modi, no to BJP.’

By Mahboob A. Khawaja,

“…war is not accessible through the understanding, rationally, intellectually, by watching a film or by reading a book. To "know" war, you have to experience it, live it, feel it in your gut the anxiety, fear, frustration, boredom, hopelessness, despair, anger, rage, etc. In truth, warriors exist in a world totally incomprehensible to those who have never had the misfortune of experiencing the horrors of the battlefield.” (Professor Camillo "Mac" Bica, School of Visual Arts, New York City and an activist of Peace and Justice (“Atrocity and War”, OpenedNews, 4/28/2010)

Wars are planned and executed by sadistic and cruel minds - the characters which cultivate fear and hatred by the mankind, certainly not by the rational people exercising human intellect, foresight, dignity and accountability in global affairs. Most could best be described as human beings equipped with monstrous ego and divided consciousness pursuing favorite perversion like the historical Russian Ivan the Terrible, who specialized in torture and killings of innocent people for fun and enjoyment. If you were to ask for the reason why did American invade Afghanistan some 12 years ago? American moral and intellectually bankruptcy would fail to reason the unreason. George W. Bush posted a 48 hrs ultimatum to the then Taliban led Government of Afghanistan to hand-over Osama bin Laden, the accused master mind of the 9/11 attacks on America. The Taliban led Afghan Government asked for proof of the accusations. America had none except theories and frustrated words. Hurriedly, American troops supported by Britain and other hired nations landed there to occupy the land of the Afghan people. NATO was instantly transformed to take up a new role but ill-defined war against Afghanistan.

Impartial observers report approximately 2-3 million civilians killed in Iraq by the US led forces; some 20, 000 or so Americans and others troops having been killed in combat operations in Afghanistan; some 30,000 – 40,000 wounded and unknown number of warriors psychologically and mentally crippled by the single act of George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Tony Blair, Rumsfeld and so many others- the dreadful and sadistic leaders of the industrialized West nations. Likewise million or so Afghani killed, displaced and countless men, women and innocent children buried in mass graves by the unknown guns and bullets of the perverted minds. How would an aggressor make peace with the victims? Do victims ever love the oppressors or aggressors? Do oppressed people ever hold peace talks with the aggressors? This week, America announced to hold peace talks with the Talibans, the group or political entity they fought for 12 years. Who is making joke to whom? American politicians insist on dismantling the al-Qaeda but according to the former US Commander in Afghanistan General McRystal, it does not exist as a challenge with only under 100 or so activists. Moreover, al-Qaeda was created by the CIA to fight against the former USSR and who else will know better about its operations than the CIA. In the 21st century informed age, the global community is well informed and knows better than what the American or Afghan politicians think about the current affairs. The human nature does not favor war as cruelty gets transformed into institutionalized insanity. This week, American television networks showing Wounded Warrior Project and asking people for donations to help the war veterans. It is authoritatively reported that 18-25 American war veterans daily commit suicide. No politicians attempt to address this humanitarian tragedy – why it is happening to the American masses. Why do few political monsters overrun other nations for their own interests?

The facts on the ground clearly speak a different language and prevalent realities. America and its allies killed millions and destroyed human habitats but could not achieve anything else. They agreed to end the military occupation in 2014. They desperately need a strategically convenient and safe passage out of Afghanistan. American leaders and Europeans are not telling the truth that the end-game will be pursued in collaboration with the Talibans, not with Hamad Karazi, the Western installed President of Afghanistan. American leaders are hiding the vital facts of the plan that they urgently needed the physical routes and help of Pakistan and Iran to manage this withdrawal of troops and war machines from Afghanistan. It all appears to be wishful thinking on the part of Americans as they have already digged crumbling holes in relations with Pakistan and Iran. How would the leaders of these two nations come out to embrace American military interests and priorities whereby, the American leaders have continued to undermine their existence with warmongering and drone attacks and moral and intellectual insults to their existence? Are the global relations a one way street? American policy makers are used to thinking big and jumping high only be hurt later on. In a knowledge-based age, do the Americans ever THINK of the facts of life versus their own policy behaviors and practices in a real world situation? What America does to others is happening within its own societal compound.

James Howard Kunstler (“America the Horror Show” 12/17/2012-CLUSTERFUCK NATION), AUTHOR OF “THE LONG EMERGENCY” ATTEMPTS TO EXPLAIN:

We live in physical surroundings that are the perfect growth medium for serial killers, mass murderers, psychopaths with no feeling, and sado-masochists preoccupied only with the ritual orchestration of their own shame and guilt in the service of inflicting pain. Let me remind you that there is a range of thought and feeling evinced in human culture that no longer exists in America. These things were called virtues. They are qualities in thought and action related to goodness and excellence, and they are in very short supply these days in the USA, though we are well-supplied with fakes and approximations of virtue -- such as the moments of sham heroism witnessed yesterday afternoon and evening by men watching televised football. What matters now is that an epochal undertow of events is dragging this enormous nation into an economic convulsion that will inevitably turn political. I don't think that our society can be redeemed in its current form. It has to pass through a tribulation that demands the reemergence of adult male humans who know how to be men in more than one dimension. And you who make it through to the other side will barely comprehend the monsters left behind, or how they made themselves that way.

While individualism is a political trait, authoritarian absolutism is a political sickness and contrary to the principles of liberty and justice. America enjoins a moral and intellectual history of the making of the nation. “These are the times that try men’s soul”, wrote Thomas Paine in the Common Sense (1776), the political vision and reference for the independence of America from Britain as a nation. Thomas Jefferson, George Washington and so many others contributed to the making of a democratic America. Not so, what was built during the historical struggle for freedom has been destroyed by George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfwaltz and Obama and so many others in coercing and demeaning it. They disturbed the soul of Paine and Jefferson and of countless fine politicians when they waged the bogus War on Terror. These 21st century authoritarian presidents defied the purpose and meaning of the US Constitution for peace and co-existence. Thomas Paine (Common Sense) made it clear that: “Society in every state is a blessing, but Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one: for when we suffer, or are exposed to the same miseries by a Government, which we might expect in a country without Government, our calamity is heightened by reflecting that we furnish the means by which we suffer.” America and its absolute politics have gone too far in their approach to wage bogus wars of terrorism against the innocent and destitute people in other lands. In the process, it lost its moral, political and superpower capacity to possess any weight and value in global affairs. For over two decades, America was run by paranoid and vengeful politicians striving to restore individualistic political credibility through the logic of power. If that was the case, Hitler and Mussolini and previous European Empires could have been successful in occupying the large parts of the humanity. Not so, they all failed because they undermined the moral and intellectual consciousness of the living mankind which the superior weapons and military power could not conquer. None seem to have the understanding of the Nature of Things: living on a planet governed by the Laws of God in which evil does not take root and evil-mongering and cruelty is certainly opposed by the mankind and punished by God - The Creator and Lord of all the worlds. Bush, Blair and Obama never fought on a actual war front, so, they have no understanding of the real warfare from their drawing rooms. They use delusional power and coercive strategies to undermine the interests of the mankind. Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Mohammad had no armies to conquer others but the Divine power of logic and persuasive communications to inspire the hearts and minds of the large segments of human societies. There are interwoven emotions of hatred and fear against America and its allies across Afghanistan and the neighboring Asian region. There is no trust, no mutual sense of respect to figure out how to deal with the future. America and its paid allies went there to kill people and they did the job. Now, they want to come out in peace and want peace talks. Nobody knows who has the peace and who could deliver it to whom. It is an absurd game of lies and deception to the well informed global mankind. Diplomacy is meant to explore all rational thinkable and unthinkable horizons to enhance peace, not wars. But the warmongers never allowed diplomacy to play its role. If diplomacy was the supreme value, there was no challenge for America to invade and occupy Afghanistan. The real aim was to exploit the abundance of Afghan’s natural resources and destroy all those who will oppose the grand American design.

President Karzai is increasingly becoming a liability on America as his terms of office will expire in summer 2014. How could Karzai hold peace talks with the Taliban or be a reliable force of futuristic peacemaking? Americans are not capable to hold multiple warfare or to have multiple dialogues with all the factions in this terribly human tragedy. Their military Generals and political leaders never seem to have any clue or intelligent foresight – how to exit from Afghanistan or bring a peaceful closure to a conflict situation. Their claims and expertise of strategic know-how are often less than being credible.. This week’s revelations by Edward Snowden are a clear reflection of this perpetuated ignorance and obvious arrogance to accept their inherent lies and professional weaknesses. The ruling elite assumes that the masses are ill informed and that American public could be duped into another 9/11 myth and its supposedly spill-over impacts. The security illusions and violations of the American liberties are fast falling apart as Edward Snowden showed courage and determination to expose the secret impulses of overriding the rights and freedom of the American people. Would the Obama administration come out in one piece to restore its integrity? Paul Craig Roberts (“Washington is Insane.” PaulCraigRoberts.org 6/17/2013), has offered a rational context to the current problem:

In the 21st century the two hundred year-old propaganda that the American people control their government has been completely shattered. Both the Bush and Obama regimes have made it unmistakenly clear that the American people don’t even influence, much less control, the government. As far as Washington is concerned, the people are nothing but chaff in the wind….Washington’s double-speak is now obvious to the world. Not only Assad, but also the Russians, Chinese, Iranians, and every US puppet state which includes all of NATO and Japan, are fully aware that Washington is again lying through its teeth. The Russians, Chinese, and Iranians are trying to avoid confrontation with Washington, as war with the modern nuclear weapons would destroy all life on planet earth….
Considering the utterly insane government ruling in Washington, if human life exists in 2020, it will be a miracle

America and its belligerent allies have caused havoc humanitarian, social, economic and political conditions in Afghanistan. The war and its consequences will not end in 2014 but will leave imprints for generations to come - the innocent men, women and children massacred and human habitats destroyed. Should America and its allies not be held accountable by the Afghan people for all the war damages? After the WW2, America and allied Europeans held the German Nazis and Japanese accountable for their crimes against the humanity. Would the ICC at Hague initiate similar actions to hold the US-British and others responsible for the war damages and crimes against humanity in Afghanistan and Iraq? Who would patch the wounds of torture and cold blood murdered committed at Belgram prison and Guantanmo Bay? Are the current peace talks a time-killing exercise aimed at face saving or gaining more time and ground to finish the job in Afghanistan and onward to Pakistan? Americans strategic psyche is desperate to be seen as a winner, not loser in Afghanistan. Would Talibans allow the American plan to take its shape? If Obama’s egoism turns into cancer to consume both gimmicks, where would the wounds and warriors be buried with honor - would it be the bombed graveyards of Afghanistan or the new secret sites in America?

More often wars have ended on their own after exhaustion and unworthy cause with or without political dialogues to make the roadmaps for the future. Would peace talks usher a new era for a different kind of future and co-existence to all concerned? If the mankind was looking towards ethical principles and some rational consideration to be in peace and harmony after the dreadful warfare in Iraq, Afghanistan and drone killings in Pakistan, it is utterly dismayed with the US politicians and policy makers. Time and again, they appear to be devoid of reason and any sense of humanity and accountability for their belligerent acts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Global politics is not a system of moral principles or intellectual and political values but often an absurd game – a cruel drama - a puppet show staged to appease the few bloody draculas - a psychopath puzzle of few insane people who had nothing useful to contribute to the mankind except drudgery, deceit, lies and inborn deceptions - the net outcome of this Thinking was the bogus War on Terrorism. It is unclear what is in-waiting for the US and its allies in 2014 to quit unilaterally from Afghanistan. “History is a weapon and tyranny is tyranny” noted late historian Howard Zinn. American intransigence in Afghanistan will not be a new exciting story in history books.

(Dr. Mahboob A. Khawaja specializes in global security, peace and conflict resolution with keen interests in Islamic-Western comparative cultures and civilizations, and author of several publications including the latest: Global Peace and Conflict Management: Man and Humanity in Search of New Thinking. Lambert Publishing Germany, May 2012).

By Zaidul Haque, TwoCircles.net,

Kolkata: Abdul Haque was earlier a caretaker of Bagmari Burial Ground of Kolkata, but for last 31 years he has served as Pharmacist of renowned research organization, Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) in Kolkata.

The man looks back and feels satisfied at his long journey.

Abdul Haque was born in Kumirmora Village of Hooghly District of West Bengal. After studying in Kumirmora School he was admitted in Chaktajpur High Madrasa. As he came from very poor family, he appealed for free lodging at the madrassa premise itself. After Matriculation he setteled in Kolkata.

Abdul Haque

In 1946 communal riot he was attacked by the mob, but was saved by some well meaning Hindu from the locality. He then decided to migrate to East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). However, soon he came back and started working as the caretaker of Bagmari Burial Ground of Kolkata at Maniktala area.

To add to his income, also out of interest, he began assisting a doctor as a compounder on aprt time basis. The doctor advised him to take on a pharmacy course, which helped him land a job in the Muslim charitable Islamia Hospital. Meanwhile he kept his former job of the care taker of the burial ground as well.

In 1964, he applied for a job of Pharmacist at the Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata where he worked till 1995. He feels nostalgic remembering working with famous scientist Prasata Mahalanbish and many other renowned scientists.

That is not all, at leisure, he writes poetry and articles on Islam and related issues., several of which have been published in many newspapers and magazines. He has also authored two books: one is the description of Holy Prophet’’s life and works `Ayna’ and another on Akherat and Duniya (this world and the here after) `Muktir Karagare’ (Prisons of Azadi).

Now 83 years old, Haque is a satisfied man and lives with his wife and four sons and daughter.

His word of advise for Muslim youth is to aspired to do well in life. He says that as a caretaker of burial ground, he never thought he could come that far, but it was the grace of the Almighty that made him successful.

By TCN News,

Aligarh: Dr. Latif Hussain S. Kazmi and Dr. Sanaullah Mir, Associate Professors in the Department of Philosophy, Aligarh Muslim University participated in the 23rd World Congress of Philosophy 2013 held in the University of Athens, Greece recently.

Dr. Kazmi presented his paper on “Islamic Ethic of Global Peace” in Islamic Philosophy Session. He stressed that Islamic ethics was rooted in the concept of Unity of God, love of God and service to Humanity. He said that the entire focus of the Islamic teachings, including Prophetic behaviour and the practices of his faithful companions, Imams, Sufis and philosophers urged Muslims to adopt Islamic ethical principles for peace, universal goodwill and service to humankind with love and care.

Dr. Latif Hussain Shah Kazmi

Dr. Sanaullah Mir presented his paper on “Value-implications of Sūfi Hermeneutics”. He pointed out that Sufis have advocated as well as appropriated the perennial hermeneutical breakthrough while a set of true statements referring to the Ultimately Real is impossible to formulate. He said that the scriptural revelations of historical religions symbolize what is Ultimately Real in their specific cultural context. So, across all cultural, philosophical and theological differences they have been unanimously oriented to moral struggle as well as spiritual transformation owing to their irresistible love of God and their quest for God-realization which truly paved the way for peace, love, catholicity, pluralism, justice and sustainable development of humanity in all spheres of life. He further highlighted that the pluralistic ethos of Sufis needed to be revisited and re-appropriated for world-peace, mutual understanding and goodwill.

Dr. Sanaullah Mir

Thinkers from different disciplines hailing from various parts of the world participated in the World Congress of Philosophy.

By Abdul Gani, TwoCircles.net,

Guwahati: Talking on the ‘interest free banking’ Dr Sharique Nisar, Director (Research & Operations), Taqwa Advisory and Sharia Investment Solutions Pvt Ltd (Tasis), said that Islamic Finance is a trillion dollar plus industry today and is emerging as one of the fastest growing areas of international finance.

Taking part in the seminar organized by University of Science & Technology Meghalaya (USTM) at 9th Mile in the outskirts of Guwahati he said currently Islamic banking and finance practices have a presence in over 75 countries of the world; these include many secular countries of Europe, North America and South East Asia. Government of India too is seriously contemplating various options for allowing Islamic Finance in the country. This is borne out from the steps that the Government has taken in this connection in the recent past.

Dr Sharique Nisar delivering his speech during the seminar at USTM in Guwahati.

On the Indian scenario, Dr Nisar said that way back in 2005, the Government of India had set up the Anand Sinha Committee under the Reserve Bank of India for studying Islamic Financial Products and in 2008 the Raghuram Ramrajan Committee recommended Islamic banking for financial inclusion of Muslim community of India. In 2008 again, Government of India called for bid in connection with reconstruction of National Minority Development Finance Corporation (NMDFC) on Shariah lines. In 2009, SEBI permitted India’s first Shariah tolerant Mutual Fund, advised by Tasis. In the same year, SEBI also permits India’s first Shariah tolerant Venture Capital Fund.

“All the above-mentioned actions indicate the cautious but systematic approach Indian policy makers are adopting in allowing Islamic financial products and services in the country. India Inc having sensed the momentum building up in favour of Islamic Finance, has started looking for strategic vantage positions to exploit the niche opportunity. Many private sector players have come up with Shariah tolerant products abroad. A few of them have launched products and services in India as well,” said Nisar who is also a visiting faculty of Islamic Finance at AMU, Aligarh; BSAR University, Chennai; and BSE Institute.

He has been offered a one year fellowship by the Harvard University USA to do research on ‘Indian financial regulations’ commencing from September 1, 2013.

Dr Nisar informed that Tasis was founded by a group of finance and investment professionals who realised the need for a credible organisation for providing guidance and support to individuals and corporates having an interest in the nascent but highly potential interest free (Islamic) finance industry in India. He said, “As the name suggests, it is an organisation providing Shariah advisory and investment solutions in India, while operating within the Indian legal framework.”

In 2009, GIC (Re), a Government of India owned company, appointed Tasis for Shariah Advisory and Government of Kerala appointed a consulting firm to seek advice on starting an Islamic NBFC.

Dr PK Abdul Azis, VC, USTM; Habibur Rahman Laskar, former Executive Director of LICI; Dr Sakia Khan, Asstt Professor, Economics, Gauhati University; AK Thakur, Project Officer, Planning Commission, GoI; and KG Deb Krori, President, Senior Engineers’ Forum (India) were among the participants at the seminar.