अलिग सीनियर्स और शिक्षकों के नाम एक जूनियर का खुला ख़त:

आदाब (90 डिग्री), जनाब।

मुसलमानो में दोहरे मापदंड की ऐसी स्थिति बन चुकी है जिससे उच्च शिक्षा प्राप्त से लेकर अंगूठा छाप तक ग्रस्त और लोग उनसे त्रस्त हैं। ‘दलाल’ का सर्टिफिकेट तो हम पहले से छपा कर रखते हैं, बस उसपर नामVictoria Gate, AMU भर भरना रहता है। अब ये स्क्रीन शॉट ही देखिए, ज़फर सरेशवाला कोई है, उसपर हमारे सीनियर हज़रत की प्रतिक्रिया। इसके ठीक विपरीत अपने ही इदारे के जिम्मेदारों द्वारा हो रहे भरष्टाचार, धांधली पर कभी किसी ‘तथाकथित और सर्वमान्य सीनियर’ हज़रत की तरफ से कोई आपत्ति या प्रतिक्रिया आम तौर पर नहीं आती। जनाब, पूरी दुनिया सरेशवाला के कृत्य और विचार से अवगत है, आप दुनिया को उससे अवगत क्यों नहीं कराते जिसकी ज़िम्मेवारी सर सय्यद ने आपके हवाले की थी और क़ौम-ओ- मिल्लत की रहनुमाँ के तौर पर सींचने के लिए अपने जीवनकाल में ‘इख्वानुन्नफसा’ की स्थापना की थी। सय्यद ने ‘असबाब बग़ावत-ए-हिन्द’ लिख कर अंग्रेजों के मुंह पर वो तमाचा जड़ा की अँगरेज़ बिलबिला कर रह गए लेकिन सर सय्यद के किरदार और क़लम को नकार नहीं सके। वो आपका/हमारा किरदार दुनिया को क्यों नहीं परोसते। हमारी कमज़ोर आवाज़ दुनिया के खिलाफ उठती भी है तो अमुवि प्रशासन की धांधलियों के खिलाफ क्यों नहीं उठती। इसके विपरीत ‘दायें और बाएं महाज़’ पर हमारा प्रहार इतना ज़बरदस्त क्यों होता है। अमुवि आज एक ऐसे मोड़ पर खड़ा है जहाँ से शायद सबकुछ बदल जाये, इस बदलाव की ज़िम्मेदारी मेरी, आपकी और पुरे मिल्लत इस्लामिया पर जायेगी। अपने आपको भी ज़िम्मेवार मानते हुए मैं कुछ सवाल अपने सीनियर और अमुवि के शिक्षकों से करना चाहता हूँ और मैं चहुंगा की वो भी मुझसे पूछें: Continue reading “अलिग सीनियर्स और शिक्षकों के नाम एक जूनियर का खुला ख़त:”

Indian Media has a Responsibility

This is a recent debate on Zakir Naik on NDTV, a supposedly balanced news channel. While it’s ok to question his ideology but to let Tarek Fatah join the discussion will only mislead the common public. Tarek puts India in the same league as Pakistan with his emotional outbursts.

Indian media needs to be careful when it invites people like him. He may comes across as a liberal but is a confrontationist.

In Focus – Noorul Uloom Education Society

Saiema Mansoor SchoolNoorul Uloom Education Society (NUES) has been working tirelessly yet surely to brighten up lives in rural UP. They tend to achieve this through a healthy mix of education and culture. The underprivileged rural population in neighbourhoods of Western UP, which constitutes mostly Muslims, has greatly benefitted from the society’s efforts.

Extreme poverty has been the single biggest factor contributing to low education in villages of India. In many cases, illiteracy often leads to such social evils as gambling, drinking, dowry and superstitions. This means they can be easily exploited too. The state of women’s education is even worse. An educated girl makes it harder to find a suitable match, one that comes at an affordable dowry too. This exactly was the premise for NUES when they established Saiema Mansoor Public School at Parsana in district Hathras. The institution, accredited by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) till standard 12th, caters to poor and illiterate rural families. Continue reading “In Focus – Noorul Uloom Education Society”

A tipping point in Pakistan

A CII meeting in progressGiven the track record, and growing influence of regressive conservatives in Pakistan, this news item was unusual. The Pakistan Senate’s Functional Committee on Human Rights has recommended that the Council of Islamic Ideology [CII], be dissolved. The CII was established in 1962 by the semi-benevolent dictator Field Marshal Ayub Khan, when he forced through his new Constitution, to recommend ways by which all laws could be in conformity with religious doctrine.

Demanding dissolution of a Constitutional body is hardly routine, but the tipping point seems to have been CII’s suggestion that husbands should be allowed “light” violence against “errant” wives, with the decision on quantum of crime and punishment being left, naturally, to the husband.

It is true that CII’s recommendations are not mandatory, but they affect public discourse. This preposterous instance of misogyny and, indeed, misogamy, made headlines across the world, eliciting ridicule mostly. But ridicule is an inadequate response. Continue reading “A tipping point in Pakistan”

Young Ayesha has a dream

ayesha
Ayesha Sewing her Dreams

Rudauli is a town 40 kms away from district Faizabad. Amongst its inahabitans is Mohammad Salman who lives in a thatched house in Ghosiana. Salman was taking care of his family as a tailor until paralysis hit him. For three years now he has been confined to bed. To make matters worse the hospital bills at Lucknow’s KGMU hospital piled up. So much that the family has no more money for his medication.

Salman’s wife is working as a domestic help to make ends meet. His eldest daughter Kaneez Fatima got married three years ago. Kaneez’s seventeen years old brother Ali took up tailoring after his eighth standard. Fifteen years old Aasmaan Baano is the youngest in the family. She too stopped going to school after her eight standard due to lack of funds. Continue reading “Young Ayesha has a dream”

Government Welfare Schemes for whom?

Every government in India has either created new welfare schemes or continued with existing ones. That these schemes have failed to reach the masses can be gauged from the following four stories.

“I’ve only heard of schemes”darbhanga

Salauddin Qureshi’s family seems to be living a normal life. The truth is otherwise.

Living in the Urdu Bazar area of Darbhanga, Bihar, Qureshi, like many others, sleep every night on hope. His modest one room abode is home to eight members of the family. Salauddin finds it difficult to manage meals but makes sure that his children attend a barely functional government school.

Government schemes have not reached this family and neither is the government listening to Salauddin’s woes. The village head has nothing for him and the society shows no respect. “In such circumstances, I struggle to find a job,” says Salauddin. “If I miss one day of work, my kitchen stops. It’s not easy to earn two meals a day and at the same time send your kids to school!”

“Girls are not a burden but poverty has forced us to think differently! I wish God ends  this life and spare us from further misery. I’m not a pessimist but somebody has to come forward and see our plight. So far I’ve only heard of schemes – we’ve never benefited from them. I send my kids to school so that they learn a few wordly tricks and get out of this mess.”

Salauddin’s wife Shajra Khatoon shares her own struggles. “The day seems to last a eternity. Till the time he is not back from work, I keep thinking whether the kids will have anything to eat for the day. As adults we can control our urge but how does one handle hungry little souls in your arms. Sometimes it’s mere request and assurances that the kids have in place of a meal.” Continue reading “Government Welfare Schemes for whom?”

मीम-भीम गठबंधन: भारतीय राजनीति नए तजुर्बे की तैयारी में।

bsp-aimimअसदउद्दीन ओवैसी की पार्टी AIMIM का उत्तर प्रदेश विधानसभा चुनाव 2017 मायावती की पार्टी बसपा के साथ गठबंधन कर लड़ने के नाम भर से समाजवादी पार्टी के मुस्लिम नेताओं के पसीने छुटने लगे हैं। सपा वरिष्ट नेता आज़म खान साहेब का प्रधानमन्त्री नरेंद्र मोदी पर कल का बयान इसी बौखलाहट का ‘सपा-बीजेपी’ ‘आंतरिक गठबंधन’ का हिस्सा हो सकता है।

भले बिहार में ‘मजलिस’ कुछ खास नहीं कर पायी हो और बिहार चुनाव लड़ने से मुस्लिम बुद्धिजीवी वर्ग का कुछ हिस्सा ‘मजलिस’ पर थोड़ी देर के लिए ‘बीजेपी’ के साथ ‘सांठगाठ’ का आरोप मढें हों पर सचाई ये भी है अगर मजलिस ने 24 सीटों पर लड़ने का एलान नहीं किया होता तो महागठबंधन मुसलमानो को ’33’ सीट किसी हाल में नहीं देती।उदहारण बिहार विधानसभा के तुरंत पहले हुए एमएलसी का चुनाव था जब लालू यादव की पार्टी राजद ने 12 सीटों के अपने हिस्से में से एक सीट भी मुसलमान को नहीं दिया था और 8 सीटें यादवों को दे दीं थीं। जदयू ने भी बड़े भाई के पदचिन्हों पर चलते हुए अपने 12 सीटों में से सिर्फ एक सीटिंग सीट मुस्लिम उम्मीदवार को दिया था।महागठबंधन, सपा, बसपा जैसी पार्टियां ही नहीं बल्कि ‘नौटंकी बादशाह’ अरविन्द केजरीवाल की नयी नवेली पार्टी भी बहुत अच्छी तरह से जानती है की बीजेपी को हराना है तो मुसलमानो को झक मारकर इन तथाकथित ‘धरनिर्पेक्ष’ पार्टियों को वोट देना होगा। Continue reading “मीम-भीम गठबंधन: भारतीय राजनीति नए तजुर्बे की तैयारी में।”

I am an Indian and I am a Muslim

From being addressed as a traitor, to a Pakistani, and of course the usual ‘terrorist’ tag, thanks to the hatred some of my countrymen have against Muslims; I bear it all each day. Twitter, day in and day out is filled with hate messages from the hardliners who demand a certification of patriotism from me, just because I am a Muslim. Feels sad. But then, that is what it is! Just a mere ‘feeling’. I pull up my socks again and get out there on the virtual battlefield to fight my Indianess. I really do not need to do so but I still choose to do it.

It amuses me that individuals with no claim to fame of contributing anything for India indulge in dirty name callings when I raise my voice against intolerance. The usual is, people like these need to be sent to Pakistan. Hell, no! Why should anyone have the right to decide on my choice of country? Why should anyone have the right to question my belongingness to India? And most importantly, why should anyone have the right to dictate terms to me! Continue reading “I am an Indian and I am a Muslim”

Minority Status for AMU – Why it is necessary?

Victoria Gate, AMU

The recent affidavit filed by the Centre to Supreme Court regarding Minority status to AMU will be quite damaging in the final outcome of the case pertaining to it. Representing Government of India, the Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi told a bench of Justices (J S Khehar, M Y Eqbal and C Nagappan), “It is the stand of the Union of India that AMU is not a minority university. As the executive government at the Centre, we can’t be seen as setting up a minority institution in a secular state.”

It’s important first of all to understand the meaning of Minority status. Article 30 of the Indian Constitution states that:

“(1) All minorities whether based on religion or language shall have the right to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice.

(2)The state shall not, in granting aid to educational institutions, discriminate against any educational institution on the ground that it is under the management of a minority, whether based on religion or language.”  Continue reading “Minority Status for AMU – Why it is necessary?”

ISIS is a common threat

ISIS

When India reassumes its engagement with successor states of the Safavid, Ottoman and European empires to its west up to the Nile and the Sahel in north Africa, it will renew dialogue with a region that has not had a good night’s sleep for at least two centuries. Analysis is not an advent of any blame game. The fault, as that crusty realist Shakespeare noted, may lie in ourselves, rather than our stars, but the destiny of men also has its profound cycles across the cartwheels of time. The past is littered with skeletons of nations which once ruled as much as the world as they could reach, and then imploded, leaving those who suffered colonisation to search for a new beginning within the debris. This search has never been easy, or short. All interventions disorient. Every collapse destabilises.

The one great incubation of the 20th century is that it has made the 21st a more egalitarian age. We should be careful, however, about how far we stretch the meaning of a more egalitarian spirit. It does not necessarily mean an equitable transformation towards democracy. But the era of acquisitive, or even domineering, empires is over. Great powers have to be more subtle in their manoeuvres, more guarded in their expectations. Only foolish powers, super or medium-sized, make non-negotiable demands. Continue reading “ISIS is a common threat”