http://economictimes.
 1 Feb, 2013, 04.57AM IST, Sugata Ghosh,ET Bureau Give Islamic finance a chance
Some questions recur with unfailing regularity, are tossed around for
months, points, counterpoints emerge and slowly peter out, only to
resurface later, often before polls. Islamic finance is one such subject.
It has an academic hue, with faith and politics weaved around. Those who feel strongly about it argue why it should happen; men who matter point out why it can't, but rarely lay the way open for changes that will make it happen. The turn of events is predictable: finer points of law and taxation are discussed , letters are exchanged, the finance ministry refers the matter to the law ministry, asks RBI to take a relook at it and then, finally, the central bank throws the ball back to New Delhi. Nothing changes. For the rule makers, it continues to be an exotic, if not an esoteric, idea while most members of the Muslim community, other than those who have given a serious thought to the issue, do not pursue the matter as forcefully as they feel about many other things. There are few motherhood statements from government functionaries and regulators, who, given the obvious sensitivities, never spell out their reservations, if any, towards Islamic finance. It's quickly forgotten, leaving very few flustered. But the discourse can be shaped differently. Forget for a moment that the concept has its foundations in Sharia'h, the sacred law of Islam; that it can be a potential tool in the hands of politicians; and that its very introduction does not mean unsettling the law of the land to placate a few. Think of it as a pure, simple bouquet of financial products that's different: different as it offers another way one can own a home or buy a car; whether it makes sense to have such products; and if there's merit, how to go about selling it. As a genre of services, Islamic finance abhors the idea of making money out of money and upholds the belief that wealth is generated through actual trade and investment. It's just a different kind of commercial banking: instead of charging interest on loan, the product is structured differently — if a company wants to buy an aircraft for $300 million, the institution financing it buys the plane and transfers it to the company 10 years later after collecting instalments with a profit margin. Unlike plain vanilla loans, Islamic finance products have multiple contracts, but as a structure, it is considered in its entirety. A lot depends on how these are structured. For instance, even though Sharia'h forbids trading of loans, there are structures that can be used to 'securitise' portfolios. While India's current legal framework on lending is interest-based, Islamic finance is founded on participatory finance that entails sharing of profit or loss. If the profit earned is less than expected cash flows, then a smaller profit pool is shared — a mechanism that can lower the cost of capital. The RBI governor recently said that laws have to be amended before one goes about allowing such products. Advocates of Islamic finance think it's no big deal and one need not go through the rigmarole of standing committees and parliamentary proceedings — if the central bank can use its powers to let commercial banks open a new window. Other countries, even a few not particularly sensitive to Islamic sensibilities, have gone ahead with it. That's because they sensed that any leading financial centre should be open to various investment possibilities. So, why not India where savings have dipped? It's a valid point, but there is a widely shared perception that regulators are not keen about it. The reasons are unknown: RBI may not have the regulatory comfort, or the market may not be large enough, or there could be resistance from some political parties. Around seven years ago, RBI had almost closed the chapter on the subject with a report (briefly put up on its website). More recently, the central bank pulled up a finance firm carrying out participative finance on the grounds that it violated the fair practices code where finance companies have to state upfront the return it was paying to depositors — something not tenable in Islamic finance. The dispute is pending before the Bombay High Court. There will be resistance to changes that look dramatic. Prof Hussein Hamid Hassan, an authority on the subject, had once told this paper that when the first Islamic Bank was set up in 1975, "it was easier to say Islamic whisky than Islamic bank". But if indeed there is a savings pool awaiting Sharia'h defined instruments, institutions should have the opportunity to tap it. If high stamp duty is a deterrent — as multiple contracts make Islamic finance tax-inefficient — let the transactions take place in states where the duty is lower. The Wall Street meltdown has made regulators conservative. But it would be a pity if perceptions and political undercurrents stand in the way of financial innovation. ------------ |
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Islamic Finance in India - Give Islamic finance a chance - By Sugata Ghosh,ET Bureau - The Economic Times, Mumbai, India
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Ignoring manual, police in Dhule fired above waist - By Zeeshan Shaikh - The Indian Express
Dhule
riots and role of the police is a national shame. Both Sonia Congress
and Sharad Pawar NCP in the Maharashtra's coalition government have been
playing it cool, with their usual dumping out of Muslim outrage. Even
the state's prime English newspaper, the Times of India,
which is known for taking up social causes, has chosen to or made to
remain silent. However, unless the wider public is made aware of
the monstrosity of the police mind-set that is eating up the secular
space and has completely gone communal, both the supposedly 'secular'
political parties will not lift a finger to break the police mafia that
is holding Maharashtra hostage to a dark network of anti-national
conspiracies, that are bent to destroy India's security, unity and
pluralist polity. The events in Dhule rank with Hashimpura massacres in
their no-holds-barred police brutality. Six Muslims died of direct
police firing into the unarmed and peaceful crowd, merely gathered to watch the commotion. The perpetrators of the crimes are confident that no power can touch them. Victims can only get any justice, any relief, any security through intervention by the highest judicial authorities of the land when the mastermind of the conspiracies are brought to justice.
Ghulam Muhammed, Mumbai
<ghulammuhammed3@gmail.com>
--------------------
http://www.indianexpress.com/
Ghulam Muhammed, Mumbai
<ghulammuhammed3@gmail.com>
--------------------
http://www.indianexpress.com/
Ignoring manual, police in Dhule fired above waist
ZEESHAN SHAIKH : Mumbai, Wed Jan 30 2013, 11:43 hrs
Policemen firing to control rioters in Dhule aimed above the waist in violation of rules, new video clips with The Indian Express show.
Six Muslim men were killed by police bullets after a minor quarrel over the food bill at a roadside stall escalated into rioting in the north Maharashtra town on January 6. All the dead had injuries in the upper half of their bodies.
The video clips (see links below) show policemen ignoring people their bullets had injured. One clip shows a constable taking a self-loading rifle from his senior officer and aiming to shoot above the waist. He went through with the shot.
Video I: Dhule riots
Video II: Dhule riots
Witnesses alleged the shooting began without warning, and that all shots were above the waist. "A constable fired three shots, one of which hit Imran Ali below his collar bone, leading to his death," said a person who was present at the scene. The Indian Express could not independently verify whether the bullet that killed Imran Ali was fired by the policeman in question.
The Maharashtra Police manual lays down a strict protocol for opening fire to disperse a mob. "If the police are going to have to resort to firing there has to be a clear and distinct warning that firing will be effective. Here too, the rule is to use minimal force. So firing must aim low and at the most threatening part of the crowd with a view not to cause fatalities but to disperse the crowd. As soon as the crowd show signs of breaking up, the firing must stop," say the police's rules on crowd dispersal.
When contacted, Director General of Police Sanjeev Dayal said he had not seen these clips; however, an inquiry into the incident was ongoing.
"We need to see under what circumstances and situation the police were in at the time of firing. As per rules, if the police and rioters are at the same level then one needs to fire low. But if the other side is on a higher plane, then the situation changes. However, I would not like to comment on the incident as I have not seen the video," Dayal said.
Residents of Dhule alleged no guidelines were followed. "There was no warning before the police fired," said a person who was in the crowd in Machhi Bazar on January 6.
A clip shows policemen walking calmly past a man felled by their bullets, ignoring pleas for help from local people. As the policemen move on, more gunshots are heard.
-----------
Policemen firing to control rioters in Dhule aimed above the waist in violation of rules, new video clips with The Indian Express show.
Six Muslim men were killed by police bullets after a minor quarrel over the food bill at a roadside stall escalated into rioting in the north Maharashtra town on January 6. All the dead had injuries in the upper half of their bodies.
The video clips (see links below) show policemen ignoring people their bullets had injured. One clip shows a constable taking a self-loading rifle from his senior officer and aiming to shoot above the waist. He went through with the shot.
Video I: Dhule riots
Video II: Dhule riots
Witnesses alleged the shooting began without warning, and that all shots were above the waist. "A constable fired three shots, one of which hit Imran Ali below his collar bone, leading to his death," said a person who was present at the scene. The Indian Express could not independently verify whether the bullet that killed Imran Ali was fired by the policeman in question.
The Maharashtra Police manual lays down a strict protocol for opening fire to disperse a mob. "If the police are going to have to resort to firing there has to be a clear and distinct warning that firing will be effective. Here too, the rule is to use minimal force. So firing must aim low and at the most threatening part of the crowd with a view not to cause fatalities but to disperse the crowd. As soon as the crowd show signs of breaking up, the firing must stop," say the police's rules on crowd dispersal.
When contacted, Director General of Police Sanjeev Dayal said he had not seen these clips; however, an inquiry into the incident was ongoing.
"We need to see under what circumstances and situation the police were in at the time of firing. As per rules, if the police and rioters are at the same level then one needs to fire low. But if the other side is on a higher plane, then the situation changes. However, I would not like to comment on the incident as I have not seen the video," Dayal said.
Residents of Dhule alleged no guidelines were followed. "There was no warning before the police fired," said a person who was in the crowd in Machhi Bazar on January 6.
A clip shows policemen walking calmly past a man felled by their bullets, ignoring pleas for help from local people. As the policemen move on, more gunshots are heard.
-----------
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Omissions and commissions of the RSS led Sangh Parivar...and the letters of Sardar Patel - By Amaresh Misra - The Times of India - Blogs
http://blogs.timesofindia.
The Mainstream Maverick
25 January 2013, 09:24 PM IST
(Concluding Part of `Two Communalisms and the Season of Hate&rsquo
The remarks made by Sushil Kumar Shinde: It is symptomatic that the continuing season of hate would encapsulate the almost paranoid RSS-BJP-Sangh Parivar reaction to the charge that their cadres—and maybe leaders—are involved in terror activities. Security forces like the NIA have unearthed evidence that arms training camps—run by BJP-RSS cadres/leaders—exist in various parts of India.
RK Singh, the current home secretary of the government of India—who has on several past occasions also revealed the names of suspected IM individuals involved in terror acts—and therefore cannot be accused of any bias—has given out a list of 10 names with details about the rank and position in the RSS. This is the list issued officially by the government of India (so please don’t accuse me of any pro-Muslim prejudice):
Till now, Muslim organizations have been accused of being in a state of denial as far the involvement of IM operatives in terror acts are concerned. Now—only in the interests of fair play, justice and truth—will the same Hindutva-right-wing forces act graciously enough and admit that terrorism is not restricted to Muslims alone and the RSS ideology might have produced terrorists also?
It is important that nationalist Deobandis issued a fatwa deeming terrorism untenable as per the tenets of Islam. The BJP-RSS has not even come clean on dissociating themselves from these 10 names.
On January 24, 2013, when Arnab Goswami made a specific query about the list of 10 issued by the Home Ministry during a Newshour debate on Times Now, Rajnath Singh, the BJP President, evaded the question in a blatant manner.
The Nanded Blast and the opening of a Pandora’s Box
Back in 2006, a blast ripped apart the RSS office at Nanded, Maharashtra. It turned out that RSS/Bajrang Dal cadres were making bombs that exploded due to mishandling. Along with Digvijaya Singh, Mahesh Bhatt and Teesta Setelvad, several other secular personalities had then raised the issue that Indian security forces need to look at this other face of terror as well.
It was the late Hemant Karkare who exposed Hindutva terrorism when while investigating the 2008 Malegaon blasts—in which several Muslim youths had already been arrested—he came upon evidence that pointed towards RSS elements like Saadhvi Pragya and Dayanand Pandey. Karkare ultimately discovered the hand of Raj Kumar Purohit, a serving colonel of the Indian army, in the affair.
Apparently, RSS affiliated individuals are involved in the 2006 Malegaon blasts as well. According to the NIA, RSS members underwent training in arms in a terrorist camp at Bagli—near Indore—in January 2006.
If individuals caught by Hemant Karkare were not RSS affiliates, why did LK Advani—along with Rajnath Singh—the current BJP President—went to see Saadhvi Pragya in jail in 2008? Later, they met the then President of India on the issue.
Ideologically, the home minister and senior Congress leaders like Digvijaya Singh are entirely justified in claiming that BJP-RSS members and leaders have direct terror links. Senior RSS leaders like Indresh Kumar have been quizzed and the NIA and other security forces are collecting more data in this regard.
RSS: The Long History
The fact that RSS has indulged in violence in the past, was brought to light first during investigations in the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. Right wingers often accuse Congress leaders like Jawahar Lal Nehru for dragging in the RSS—they also say that Godse acted alone. BJP-RSS followers often pit Nehru against Patel. India’s first home minister is portrayed as someone close to the Hindutva ideology.
Patel’s letters blaming RSS and Hindu Mahasabha for Gandhi’s assassination
On August 18, 1948, in a letter addressed to Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, a Hindutva leader of national stature, who formed the Bhartiya Jan Sangh (BJS), a political forerunner to the BJP, Sardar Patel wrote: "As regards the RSS and the Hindu Mahasabha, the case relating to Gandhiji's murder is sub-judice and I should not like to say anything about the participation of the two organisations, but our reports do confirm that as a result of the activities of these two bodies, particularly the former, an atmosphere was created in the country in which such a ghastly tragedy became possible. There is no doubt in my mind the extreme section of the Hindu Mahasbha was involved in this conspiracy. The activities of the RSS constituted a clear threat to the existence of the government and the state."
18.7.48 Vallabhbhai Patel (From the letter addressed to Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee. Sardar Patel's correspondence; Vol. VI, p. 323, Navjivan-1973)
Dated September 11, 1948, Patel had this to say to Golwalkar, the then RSS Chief, in a letter:
"The speeches of the Sangh leaders are poisonous. It is as a result of this venom that Mahatma Gandhi has been assassinated. The followers of the Sangh have celebrated Gandhiji's assassination by distributing sweets."
(R.S.S. Kaal, Aaj, Udyaa" 1983, Pub. RSS, p.71) These letters present a stinging indictment of RSS and the politics spawned by its ideology.
Revelations by Rajeshwar Dayal, UP’s First home secretary
In 1998, Orient Longman published `A Life of Our Times: Memoirs of Rajeshwar Dayal, ICS’; on page 77, Dayal recounts an explosive episode that occurred during his reign as the first home secretary of present-day Uttar Pradesh:
“At a cocktail party, in early 1946, the Chief Secretary told me, almost casually that I would be the next Home Secretary of the UP I happened to be the first Indian officer named to the post which had hitherto apparently been reserved for British officers”.
Dayal goes onto write: “I must record an episode of a very grave nature. When communal tension was still at fever pitch, the Deputy Inspector General of Police Western Range a very seasoned and capable officer, B.B.L. Jaitley arrived at my house in secrecy. He was accompanied by two of his officers who brought with them two large steel trunks securely locked. When the trunks were opened, they revealed incontrovertible evidence of a dastardly conspiracy to create a communal holocaust throughout the western districts of the province”.
Dayal was shocked to discover that “the trunks were crammed with blueprints of great accuracy and professionalism of every town and village of that vast area prominently marking out the Muslim localities and habitations. There were also detailed instructions regarding access to the various locations, and other matters which amply revealed their sinister purport”.
Apparently, BBL Jaitley—the then DIG Police Western Range—had recovered the trunks from a raid on a RSS office. An alarmed Rajeshwar Dayal took the trunks straight to Govind Ballabh Pant, the then chief minister of present-day Uttar Pradesh. There, “in a closed room, Jaitley gave a full report of his discovery backed by all the evidence contained in the steel trunks”.
Soon, “timely raids conducted on the premises of the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh)... brought the massive conspiracy to light. The whole plot had been concerted under the direction and supervision of the Supremo of the organisation himself”.
Who was this Supremo? Dayal minces no words: “Both Jaitley and myself pressed for the immediate arrest of the prime accused Shri Golwalkar, who was still in the area”.
On page 94 of his book, Dayal makes the necessary connection between the activities of Golwalkar led RSS and Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination:
“...came 30th January 1948 when the Mahatma, the supreme apostle of peace fell to a bullet..."
Quoting Dayal in an Asian Age column written on September 21, 2003, Akhilesh Mittal, the now deceased veteran journalist concluded:
“These maps could have originated only in the British Surveyor General's office. The British administration was known for the passionate zeal with which they guarded maps. That these were made available to the RSS is evidence of the Anglo-RSS link ”.
Isn’t it natural for such an organization to unleash another round of hate and terror? Read the charge-sheet of Saadhvi Pragya and Raj Kumar Purohit. It clearly states the objective behind conducting blasts in Malegaon, Mecca Masjid and Samjhauta Express was long-term: to suspend India’s constitution and declare a fascist Hindu Rashtra in the near future.
Check out this Mumbai Mirror link: it showcases a telephonic conversation Raj Kumar Purohit conducted with an accomplice in which Purohit says that he has contacted Israel and Nepal’s King Gyanendra for his anti-India activities, aimed at destroying the Indian constitution.
RSS’ Anti-Democratic Character
RSS opposed the republican and democratic character of the Indian constitution. BJP had no problem in seeking an opportunistic alliance with the BSP in the 1990s. But in the 1940s, Golwalkar objected to the constitution written by Babasaheb Ambedkar, a Dalit, on the incredible ground that it did not include the strictures of the blatantly anti-women, anti-Dalit, anti-OBC Manusmriti.
In an article that appeared on page 3 of the 23rd November, 1949 issue of Organiser, the RSS mouthpiece, Golwalkar wrote:
“In our constitution there is no mention of the unique constitutional developments in ancient Bharat. Manu's laws were written long before Lycurgus of Sparta or Solon of Persia. To this day laws as enunciated in the Manusmriti excite the admiration of the world and elicit spontaneous obedience and conformity. But to our constitutional pundits that means nothing”.
Can anything be more astonishing than this? The very purpose of the Indian freedom movement and the Constitution of free India were to empower the weak and effect social change—and here Golwalkar is bemoaning about why the Indian constitution is not based on the laws of Manusmriti, that in his own words, “elicit spontaneous obedience and conformity”!
That is the reason why the RSS did not produce a single—repeat single—freedom fighter from its ranks. There is no recorded presence of RSS workers in the Non-Cooperation movement (1920-1922), the Civil Disobedience movement (1930-1934) or the Quit India movement (1942). Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekhar Azad and other freedom fighters who picked up the gun—as well as Subhash Chandra Bose—remained critical of the RSS and the Hindu Mahasabha for playing the British game of trying to divide India’s freedom movement along communal lines.
If India has to develop into a 21st Century superpower, right wing forces practicing terrorism will have to be thrown out; the attempt by Hindutva forces to suspend the Indian constitution and destroy India cannot be tolerated.
---------------------
Comments:
Sort by: Newest | Oldest | Recommended (73) | Most Discussed (37) | Agree (134)
May I know why my comments are deleted. Is it bcoz it does not agree the authors view. Does T O I censor any view which points at the govt. in power?
Mr mishra, read the history of Sikhs and you will know how much injustice was done by your dear Islamic rulers. people were cut to pieces. When appx 8 crore Hindus were killed by some people, You can't raise such issues. Anyway, RSS people do not want to waste time in unproductive activities like writing shit articles. I have better things to do with my time. I would like to devote time for my pet topics like arranging funds for education of children and micro enterprises. Your article has only given me inspiration to increase my efforts by minimum 4 times on positive side. Pl continue with your compaign and go on describing as fascists, murderers and terrorists and traitors.
Amaresh bhai, You are one gutsy patriot Indian who believe in the secular constitution as it stands today! I salute you and folks like you to hold high the esteem of Modern India of the vision of Gandhi, Nehru and Abul Kalam and B R Ambedkar. Patel was at most dubious in that he had sympathies for RSS - even after they killed Gandhiji. If it were NOT for Patel, RSS would have been banned and they could not have created the nuisance they have. India would be a much more progressive country now than it is today. Many thanks for highlighting the much needed historical facts and neccessity to remove the fascist RSS from Indian society. Thank you, MM
Such a paid article.. How come u forget to mention all the good deeds done by RSS. When sikhs are being butchered when a big tree fell, RSS came forward and helped them. When muslims are killing Hindus in old city(hyderabad) in 1995 period, it was RSS who made living possible for Hindus there. Many kashmiri pandits were killed by muslims, but this govt didnt do anything to help them, a lot of bangladeshi migrants come and kill in eastern India, still congress supports them for minority votes. U didnt find anything wrong with all this, but all u have is letters from Patel and NIA and tehelka?? For ur information, tehelka is run by congress. They got tax exemption and they write all stupid stuff against BJP. And NIA is also run by congress. Proof?? Sabarmati train blasts. According to US investigations, they r done by Al-queda. But our govt made it look like its done by RSS. Anything for votes. And i say i believe in American Investigation agency, then our agency.
Mr. Mishra the way you vomit poison on Hindu sangathan and do not write against Muslim fundamentalists what they have done to Hindus and Sikhs of Kashmir valley,bombing of cities of Dehli,Mumbai killing and injuring thousands indians,show you are neither a true Indian or secular,you are only a paid author we call such people traitors.You are actually helping BJP/RSS to make 2014 as communal issue.Since Cong. has nothing to offer due to corruption now in lakhs of crores,high inflation not before ,unemployment and bad law & order so it is to divide us on communal and caste lines
This article has flawed reasoning at multiple places. First the author gives a list of 10 people who are RSS members and involved in terrorist activities and from this claims that RSS is a terrorist organization. Let us say that there are 10 Pakistani spies who are employed by the Government of India (very likely). Does that mean that the Government of India is actually a spy organization working for ISI? In order to claim that RSS is a terrorist organization, either a significant fraction of its members (say 10%) must be involved in terrorism or its top leadership must be involved in the same and using other activities as a front. I would be extremely surprised if the author could come anywhere close to these standards. Till then, one can only say that some members of RSS are terrorists. The author should note that since people accused of assasinating Gandhiji were a member of RSS, it was banned for some time but then a court judgement found that there was insufficient evidence to prove that the organization was involved; only involvement of individuals was proved. The other thing is that RSS gives training for violence, but that is very different from terror. The RSS that I know has a uniform for its cadres (which makes them stand out) teaches them to use lathis, tells tham that the sangh is larger than the individual but the country is larger than the sangh and says that members are free to choose their political affiliation. These hardly seem the characteristics of a terrorist organization. The RSS is nationalistic, maybe fascist, maybe communal - but it is unlikely to be terrorist.
... The Mainstream MaverickOmissions and commissions of the RSS led Sangh Parivar...and the letters of Sardar Patel
Amaresh Misra25 January 2013, 09:24 PM IST
(Concluding Part of `Two Communalisms and the Season of Hate&rsquo
The remarks made by Sushil Kumar Shinde: It is symptomatic that the continuing season of hate would encapsulate the almost paranoid RSS-BJP-Sangh Parivar reaction to the charge that their cadres—and maybe leaders—are involved in terror activities. Security forces like the NIA have unearthed evidence that arms training camps—run by BJP-RSS cadres/leaders—exist in various parts of India.
RK Singh, the current home secretary of the government of India—who has on several past occasions also revealed the names of suspected IM individuals involved in terror acts—and therefore cannot be accused of any bias—has given out a list of 10 names with details about the rank and position in the RSS. This is the list issued officially by the government of India (so please don’t accuse me of any pro-Muslim prejudice):
- Sunil Joshi (believed to be dead), involved in the Samjhauta Express and Ajmer Sharif Dargah blasts, worked for the RSS in Dewas and Mhow, Madhya Pradesh, till 2003.
- Sandeep Dange, wanted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) as an accused in the Samjhauta Express, Ajmer Sharif Dargah and Mecca Masjid blasts in Hyderabad, worked as a RSS `Pracharak’.
- Lokesh Sharma, in jail for involvement in the Samjhauta Express and Mecca Masjid blasts worked as the RSS Nagar Karyavahak (city functionary) in Deogarh.
- Rajender Chaudhary alias Samunder, also in jail for involvement in the Samjhauta Express and Mecca Masjid blasts, worked as a RSS ‘Varg Vistarak’ (an important propagandist position).
- Kamal Chouhan, in jail for involvement in the Samjhauta Express and Mecca Masjid blasts, worked also as a RSS ‘Varg Vistarak’.
- Ramji Kalsangra, wanted by the NIA for the Samjhauta Express and Mecca Masjid blasts, worked as a RSS associate.
- Mukesh Vasani, arrested for his involvement in the Ajmer Sharif Dargah blasts, worked as a Godhra based RSS activist.
- Devendra Gupta, in jail for involvement in the Mecca Masjid blasts, worked as a RSS `Pracharak in Mhow and Indore, Madhya Pradesh.
- Chardrashekhar Leve, arrested for involvement in Mecca Masjid blasts, worked as a RSS activist in Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh.
- Swami Aseemanand, in jail as the main conspirator in the Samjhauta Express, Mecca Masjid and Ajmer Sharif Dargah blasts, worked for Vanvasi Kalyan Parishad, a RSS wing, in Dang, Gujarat, till 2007.
Till now, Muslim organizations have been accused of being in a state of denial as far the involvement of IM operatives in terror acts are concerned. Now—only in the interests of fair play, justice and truth—will the same Hindutva-right-wing forces act graciously enough and admit that terrorism is not restricted to Muslims alone and the RSS ideology might have produced terrorists also?
It is important that nationalist Deobandis issued a fatwa deeming terrorism untenable as per the tenets of Islam. The BJP-RSS has not even come clean on dissociating themselves from these 10 names.
On January 24, 2013, when Arnab Goswami made a specific query about the list of 10 issued by the Home Ministry during a Newshour debate on Times Now, Rajnath Singh, the BJP President, evaded the question in a blatant manner.
The Nanded Blast and the opening of a Pandora’s Box
Back in 2006, a blast ripped apart the RSS office at Nanded, Maharashtra. It turned out that RSS/Bajrang Dal cadres were making bombs that exploded due to mishandling. Along with Digvijaya Singh, Mahesh Bhatt and Teesta Setelvad, several other secular personalities had then raised the issue that Indian security forces need to look at this other face of terror as well.
It was the late Hemant Karkare who exposed Hindutva terrorism when while investigating the 2008 Malegaon blasts—in which several Muslim youths had already been arrested—he came upon evidence that pointed towards RSS elements like Saadhvi Pragya and Dayanand Pandey. Karkare ultimately discovered the hand of Raj Kumar Purohit, a serving colonel of the Indian army, in the affair.
Apparently, RSS affiliated individuals are involved in the 2006 Malegaon blasts as well. According to the NIA, RSS members underwent training in arms in a terrorist camp at Bagli—near Indore—in January 2006.
If individuals caught by Hemant Karkare were not RSS affiliates, why did LK Advani—along with Rajnath Singh—the current BJP President—went to see Saadhvi Pragya in jail in 2008? Later, they met the then President of India on the issue.
Ideologically, the home minister and senior Congress leaders like Digvijaya Singh are entirely justified in claiming that BJP-RSS members and leaders have direct terror links. Senior RSS leaders like Indresh Kumar have been quizzed and the NIA and other security forces are collecting more data in this regard.
RSS: The Long History
The fact that RSS has indulged in violence in the past, was brought to light first during investigations in the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. Right wingers often accuse Congress leaders like Jawahar Lal Nehru for dragging in the RSS—they also say that Godse acted alone. BJP-RSS followers often pit Nehru against Patel. India’s first home minister is portrayed as someone close to the Hindutva ideology.
Patel’s letters blaming RSS and Hindu Mahasabha for Gandhi’s assassination
On August 18, 1948, in a letter addressed to Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, a Hindutva leader of national stature, who formed the Bhartiya Jan Sangh (BJS), a political forerunner to the BJP, Sardar Patel wrote: "As regards the RSS and the Hindu Mahasabha, the case relating to Gandhiji's murder is sub-judice and I should not like to say anything about the participation of the two organisations, but our reports do confirm that as a result of the activities of these two bodies, particularly the former, an atmosphere was created in the country in which such a ghastly tragedy became possible. There is no doubt in my mind the extreme section of the Hindu Mahasbha was involved in this conspiracy. The activities of the RSS constituted a clear threat to the existence of the government and the state."
18.7.48 Vallabhbhai Patel (From the letter addressed to Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee. Sardar Patel's correspondence; Vol. VI, p. 323, Navjivan-1973)
Dated September 11, 1948, Patel had this to say to Golwalkar, the then RSS Chief, in a letter:
"The speeches of the Sangh leaders are poisonous. It is as a result of this venom that Mahatma Gandhi has been assassinated. The followers of the Sangh have celebrated Gandhiji's assassination by distributing sweets."
(R.S.S. Kaal, Aaj, Udyaa" 1983, Pub. RSS, p.71) These letters present a stinging indictment of RSS and the politics spawned by its ideology.
Revelations by Rajeshwar Dayal, UP’s First home secretary
In 1998, Orient Longman published `A Life of Our Times: Memoirs of Rajeshwar Dayal, ICS’; on page 77, Dayal recounts an explosive episode that occurred during his reign as the first home secretary of present-day Uttar Pradesh:
“At a cocktail party, in early 1946, the Chief Secretary told me, almost casually that I would be the next Home Secretary of the UP I happened to be the first Indian officer named to the post which had hitherto apparently been reserved for British officers”.
Dayal goes onto write: “I must record an episode of a very grave nature. When communal tension was still at fever pitch, the Deputy Inspector General of Police Western Range a very seasoned and capable officer, B.B.L. Jaitley arrived at my house in secrecy. He was accompanied by two of his officers who brought with them two large steel trunks securely locked. When the trunks were opened, they revealed incontrovertible evidence of a dastardly conspiracy to create a communal holocaust throughout the western districts of the province”.
Dayal was shocked to discover that “the trunks were crammed with blueprints of great accuracy and professionalism of every town and village of that vast area prominently marking out the Muslim localities and habitations. There were also detailed instructions regarding access to the various locations, and other matters which amply revealed their sinister purport”.
Apparently, BBL Jaitley—the then DIG Police Western Range—had recovered the trunks from a raid on a RSS office. An alarmed Rajeshwar Dayal took the trunks straight to Govind Ballabh Pant, the then chief minister of present-day Uttar Pradesh. There, “in a closed room, Jaitley gave a full report of his discovery backed by all the evidence contained in the steel trunks”.
Soon, “timely raids conducted on the premises of the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh)... brought the massive conspiracy to light. The whole plot had been concerted under the direction and supervision of the Supremo of the organisation himself”.
Who was this Supremo? Dayal minces no words: “Both Jaitley and myself pressed for the immediate arrest of the prime accused Shri Golwalkar, who was still in the area”.
On page 94 of his book, Dayal makes the necessary connection between the activities of Golwalkar led RSS and Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination:
“...came 30th January 1948 when the Mahatma, the supreme apostle of peace fell to a bullet..."
Quoting Dayal in an Asian Age column written on September 21, 2003, Akhilesh Mittal, the now deceased veteran journalist concluded:
“These maps could have originated only in the British Surveyor General's office. The British administration was known for the passionate zeal with which they guarded maps. That these were made available to the RSS is evidence of the Anglo-RSS link ”.
Isn’t it natural for such an organization to unleash another round of hate and terror? Read the charge-sheet of Saadhvi Pragya and Raj Kumar Purohit. It clearly states the objective behind conducting blasts in Malegaon, Mecca Masjid and Samjhauta Express was long-term: to suspend India’s constitution and declare a fascist Hindu Rashtra in the near future.
Check out this Mumbai Mirror link: it showcases a telephonic conversation Raj Kumar Purohit conducted with an accomplice in which Purohit says that he has contacted Israel and Nepal’s King Gyanendra for his anti-India activities, aimed at destroying the Indian constitution.
RSS’ Anti-Democratic Character
RSS opposed the republican and democratic character of the Indian constitution. BJP had no problem in seeking an opportunistic alliance with the BSP in the 1990s. But in the 1940s, Golwalkar objected to the constitution written by Babasaheb Ambedkar, a Dalit, on the incredible ground that it did not include the strictures of the blatantly anti-women, anti-Dalit, anti-OBC Manusmriti.
In an article that appeared on page 3 of the 23rd November, 1949 issue of Organiser, the RSS mouthpiece, Golwalkar wrote:
“In our constitution there is no mention of the unique constitutional developments in ancient Bharat. Manu's laws were written long before Lycurgus of Sparta or Solon of Persia. To this day laws as enunciated in the Manusmriti excite the admiration of the world and elicit spontaneous obedience and conformity. But to our constitutional pundits that means nothing”.
Can anything be more astonishing than this? The very purpose of the Indian freedom movement and the Constitution of free India were to empower the weak and effect social change—and here Golwalkar is bemoaning about why the Indian constitution is not based on the laws of Manusmriti, that in his own words, “elicit spontaneous obedience and conformity”!
That is the reason why the RSS did not produce a single—repeat single—freedom fighter from its ranks. There is no recorded presence of RSS workers in the Non-Cooperation movement (1920-1922), the Civil Disobedience movement (1930-1934) or the Quit India movement (1942). Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekhar Azad and other freedom fighters who picked up the gun—as well as Subhash Chandra Bose—remained critical of the RSS and the Hindu Mahasabha for playing the British game of trying to divide India’s freedom movement along communal lines.
If India has to develop into a 21st Century superpower, right wing forces practicing terrorism will have to be thrown out; the attempt by Hindutva forces to suspend the Indian constitution and destroy India cannot be tolerated.
---------------------
Comments:
Sort by: Newest | Oldest | Recommended (73) | Most Discussed (37) | Agree (134)
raghukash
(India)
says:
January 29,2013 at 12:17 PM IST
2 Followers
Silver : 366
May I know why my comments are deleted. Is it bcoz it does not agree the authors view. Does T O I censor any view which points at the govt. in power?
S Aggarwal (faridabad)
says:
January 29,2013 at 11:19 AM IST
Mr mishra, read the history of Sikhs and you will know how much injustice was done by your dear Islamic rulers. people were cut to pieces. When appx 8 crore Hindus were killed by some people, You can't raise such issues. Anyway, RSS people do not want to waste time in unproductive activities like writing shit articles. I have better things to do with my time. I would like to devote time for my pet topics like arranging funds for education of children and micro enterprises. Your article has only given me inspiration to increase my efforts by minimum 4 times on positive side. Pl continue with your compaign and go on describing as fascists, murderers and terrorists and traitors.
mm (NY)
says:
January 29,2013 at 03:14 AM IST
Amaresh bhai, You are one gutsy patriot Indian who believe in the secular constitution as it stands today! I salute you and folks like you to hold high the esteem of Modern India of the vision of Gandhi, Nehru and Abul Kalam and B R Ambedkar. Patel was at most dubious in that he had sympathies for RSS - even after they killed Gandhiji. If it were NOT for Patel, RSS would have been banned and they could not have created the nuisance they have. India would be a much more progressive country now than it is today. Many thanks for highlighting the much needed historical facts and neccessity to remove the fascist RSS from Indian society. Thank you, MM
Krishna Pradyumna
(Hyderabad)
says:
January 29,2013 at 01:12 AM IST
20 Followers
Such a paid article.. How come u forget to mention all the good deeds done by RSS. When sikhs are being butchered when a big tree fell, RSS came forward and helped them. When muslims are killing Hindus in old city(hyderabad) in 1995 period, it was RSS who made living possible for Hindus there. Many kashmiri pandits were killed by muslims, but this govt didnt do anything to help them, a lot of bangladeshi migrants come and kill in eastern India, still congress supports them for minority votes. U didnt find anything wrong with all this, but all u have is letters from Patel and NIA and tehelka?? For ur information, tehelka is run by congress. They got tax exemption and they write all stupid stuff against BJP. And NIA is also run by congress. Proof?? Sabarmati train blasts. According to US investigations, they r done by Al-queda. But our govt made it look like its done by RSS. Anything for votes. And i say i believe in American Investigation agency, then our agency.
zameer (India)
says:
January 27,2013 at 10:54 PM IST
You mean 9/11 already occurred in India in 1948 with
the assassination of father of the nation.
All the deadliest terrorists are Hindus trained at RSS and BJP camps.
You wrote page full of terror activities but you failed to include
punishment for the terrorists, dismantle the terrorist training camp and
did not recommended to ban RSS and BJP.
In BJP dictionary patriotism means terrorism and mainstream means
promote terrorism in the name of religion.
(Reply to zameer)-
Amaresh Misra (Delhi)
says:
January 28,2013 at 12:08 AM IST
As I write this comment, the NIA is working at
arresting top RSS leaders. First, a top RSS leader will be put behind
bars. Then he will reveal the names of others and terrorist camps. Then
we dismantle the camps. After that, we ban the RSS. All this while, we
constantly educate the people of India about the terrorist history of
RSS, how it is anti-Dalit, and anti-OBC--and ultimately anti-Sanatan
Dharma and anti-Hindu--in its very foundation. How RSS cannot be
redeemed. How cultural nationalism is another name for fascism. And how
fascism has ruined nations wherever parties affiliated to the ideology
have come to power.
(Reply to Amaresh Misra)-
kaamra (Dehli)
says:
January 28,2013 at 10:31 AM IST
Amrish,Have you heard the name of Shekh chilli ? BJP
is going to be the ruling party ,most probably headed by Narinder
Modi,who is only intrested in development.people will forget communalism
of type you are propogating.Some time i feel ,you might be working for
saffron Org.,the more you talk to hate hindus,the faster R SS will
rise
(Reply to rajan)-
Amaresh Misra (Delhi)
says:
January 28,2013 at 09:55 PM IST
You are right in saying that justice delayed is
justice denied. But these ten goons are not going to get off...they will
be prosecuted and their cases will reach logical conclusions. No more
RSS backed terrorism--we have had it.
(Reply to Amaresh Misra)-
Hey Amaru, how are u dear?? Your jan cheque is ready. I think you wrote all things that we and diggu sir discussed yesterday. so this time u know I decided to give u a bonus of 1 lacs . collect from 10 janpath, If I am not there then collect from mom.for next week's blog subject we will meet on this friday.
Rahulbaba (10, Janpath, Delhi.)
says:
January 29,2013 at 10:52 AM IST
Hey Amaru, how are u dear?? Your jan cheque is ready. I think you wrote all things that we and diggu sir discussed yesterday. so this time u know I decided to give u a bonus of 1 lacs . collect from 10 janpath, If I am not there then collect from mom.for next week's blog subject we will meet on this friday.
kaamra (Dehli)
says:
January 27,2013 at 06:52 PM IST
Mr. Mishra the way you vomit poison on Hindu sangathan and do not write against Muslim fundamentalists what they have done to Hindus and Sikhs of Kashmir valley,bombing of cities of Dehli,Mumbai killing and injuring thousands indians,show you are neither a true Indian or secular,you are only a paid author we call such people traitors.You are actually helping BJP/RSS to make 2014 as communal issue.Since Cong. has nothing to offer due to corruption now in lakhs of crores,high inflation not before ,unemployment and bad law & order so it is to divide us on communal and caste lines
(Reply to kaamra)-
Amaresh Misra (Delhi)
says:
January 28,2013 at 12:14 AM IST
So you want RSS in India; since RSS is a fascist
organization, this would mean creating Auschwitz like concentration
camps in India. Do you belong to the human race or not? Have you seen
how brutally Hitler murdered Jews and even Germans in Auschwitz like
camps? Do you want the same happening in India? Tell me one country in
the world today, that rules on the strength of the fascist ideology.
Fascism is an ideology of the 1930s. It is dead and gone. It has ruined
countries. It devours its own children.
(Reply to Amaresh Misra)-
kaamra (Dehli)
says:
January 28,2013 at 10:41 AM IST
Hinduism is another name of secularism.Since
thousands years back tens of different reigions came and
developed,either they are obserbed in Hinduism or living peacefully.like
jain,sikhs, budhists,Parsi christians and Muslims.Unfortunately Hindu
haters or traitors like you are born and create hatered among
religions.RSS,Arya smaj,Rama krishen mission came on indian soil to
reform.more and more Hindus are understanding the work of Rss and
joining this great organisation of cultural nationalism.
(Reply to kaamra)-
Amaresh Misra (Delhi)
says:
January 28,2013 at 12:34 PM IST
Please don't equate RSS with Hinduism. They are two
separate entities. For more than 80 years now, RSS has tried to emerge
as Hinduism's chief platform. It has failed. Because Majority of Hindus
are Sanatan Dharmis. And Sanatanis--followers of Jagadguru
Shankaracharya--are anti-RSS.
(Reply to Amaresh Misra)-
sane (shimoga)
says:
January 28,2013 at 03:34 PM IST
Amaresh, what is the basis of your saying
'Jagadguru Shankaracharya's followers are anti-RSS? In contra, you
had accused RSS as Brahmin majority organization in the past. Do you
mean to say Hindus don't have rights of unity even after suffering huge
disintegration, which cost every Tom, Dick and Harry across borders to
trespass and loot the country? How do you want your countrymen to be? A
scared, starving victims living as slaves in their own house?
(Reply to sane)-
Amaresh Misra (Delhi)
says:
January 28,2013 at 10:22 PM IST
I have never said that RSS is a Brahmin majority
organization. In fact, it is the other way around. RSS is a fascist
organization that ORIGINALLY wanted to usurp cultural-social leadership
of Hindus from Brahmins and Shankaracharyas (of course nowadays, no one
community can claim social leadership of Hindus). I am sure you are not
aware of how desperately RSS-VHP tried putting up their candidate as the
Shankaracharya of Badrinath. But Swami Swarupanand, who is my Guru,
and also the Shankaracharya of Dwarikapeeth, foiled their plans
(Swarupanandji now is the Shankaracharya of both Dwarika and Badrinath).
Swarupanandji is dead against RSS. Swarupanandji feels that RSS is a
fascist organization, which does not believe in God. Fascists are
atheists--they use religion for political ends, but they are themselves
irreligious. The debate between Swarupanandji and the RSS goes back to
days when Guru Golwalkar was the RSS chief. GOLWALKAR told Swarupanandji
that HE DOES NOT CONSIDER LORD RAM AS A GOD--BUT A MAHAPURUSHA. AND
SWARUPANANDJI REPLIED THAT THIS WAS EXACTLY RAVANA'S POSITION! HE TOO
DID NOT CONSIDER LORD RAM AS A GOD BUT A MAN (PURUSH)! THE ENTIRE LORD
RAM VS RAVANA STRUGGLE WAS IDEOLOGICALLY BETWEEN TWO SCHOOL OF
THOUGHTS--ONE, REPRESENTED BY RAVANA THAT DID NOT BELIEVE IN A HIGHER
POWER THAN MAN; AND THE OTHER LED BY LORD RAM, THAT MADE THE POINT THAT
THERE IS A JUST GOD WHO TAKES THE FORM OF MAN TO COMBAT INJUSTICE.
SWARUPANANDJI WARNED GOLWALKAR THAT THE RSS CHIEF WAS INCHING CLOSE TO
THE POSITION ADOPTED BY RAVANA! THEN, AFTER THE RECENT HIGH COURT
JUDGMENT ON THE AYODHYA ISSUE, MOHAN BHAGWAT AGAIN CALLED LORD RAM, A
MAHAPURUSH! RSS is fascist--both Hitler and Mussolini were irreligious.
So is the RSS.
(Reply to Amaresh Misra)-
sane (shimoga)
says:
January 29,2013 at 08:23 AM IST
Amresh, your bulky reply is still not convincing!
The concept of GOD is as infinite as GOD himself, at least in Hindu
beliefs. That is why a devout Hindu sees God in everything GOD creates.
That seems to be the logic behind worship of Rats, Monkeys, Stone,
and you name it. So the GOD appears differently to Mohan Bhagawat,
Guruji Gowalkar and Swami Swaroopanand and others, which is not an
offense in Hindu practice. This privilege includes your freedom to
criticize, even ridicule the beliefs of Hindu leaders which would have
been fatal in other religions. Still my question is why is it that a
person or an organization automatically becomes Fascist and Hitlerian
when they talk of Hindu Unity? Do you mean to say that Swami
Vivekananda, Lord Basaveshwara, Swami Dayanand Saraswathi were all
Fascists since thy all intended to unify Hindus? If there are some
fanatical elements in RSS, is it not the duty of every Hindu born to
rectify and transform into a big Nation building force, instead of
denouncing them completely as if they are representing Pakistan? Thanks
for the healthy conversation Amaresh.
(Reply to sane)-
Amaresh Misra (Delhi)
says:
January 29,2013 at 02:30 PM IST
The point is whether RSS considers itself as
religious or not. Whether its leaders consider Lord Ram as a God or just
a Mahapurush...apart from other things, this is the contentious issue.
Because if RSS-BJP-VHP consider Lord Ram as just a mere mortal man, then
the RSS has to explain why they created a psuedo-movement to built the
birthplace of Bhagwan Ram at Ayodhya? What credentials do these
irreligious fascists have? There is a sinister design behind the RSS not
regarding Hindu Gods as divine--because if they do consider Hindu Gods
as Gods, then they cannot appropriate divinity for themselves. They
cannot say that they represent the divine will of India. If RSS starts
regarding Hindu Gods as Gods, then RSS will have to submit itself under
the leadership of the Shankaracharya Swami Swarupanand! This is the crux
of the matter behind the entire Ram Mandir movement--don't you see--it
is so simple...
(Reply to Amaresh Misra)-
dharmendra narayan (New Delhi)
says:
January 28,2013 at 12:30 PM IST
Excellent Amaresh Misra, a classical reply to all
fascist forces.You asking - do you belong to human race- is a question
which everybody ask RSS minded people. Do the culture os RSS is the only
nationalism, Is this nationalism to kill people in the name of religion
and when people of same religion are there, then these RSS will divide
them on caste creed and God's knows on how many lines. Only yesterday I
was watching KBC where a dalit woman who won prizes in KBC was
untimately enter the temple of her village . Which religion which
culture this KAAMRA is talking. Human race ko baantewalon ko is dharti
par rahne ka koi haq nahi hai. Manishankar Iyer has recently said very
rightly that India kisi ki zajeer nahi hai, yeh un sabhi logoon ka hai
jo is zameen par paida hote hain.
He was echoeing same spirit which Russoue, the french revolutionist has
said in his book The social justice : The fruits of earth belongs to
everybody but the earth as such DOES NOT belong to anybody : human
equality ka isse bara example nahi ho sakta hai. In other place he
writes : Man is born free but he is everywhere in chains . RSS kaun hota
hai Insaanoon ko apni defined cultural nationalism ki chain mein sare
hindustaniyoon ko baandne wala.
Amaresh I wish we have more and more writers thinkers like you and not
like tarun Vijay, the greatest myopic man in modern day India, remaining
in fool's paradise.
(Reply to dharmendra narayan)-
Amaresh Misra (Delhi)
says:
January 28,2013 at 10:28 PM IST
I am really overwhelmed by your response and your
fundamental cognition of fascism being anti-humanity. Above, while
replying to another comment, I have described how the RSS is not just
anti-humanity--it is also irreligious. Religious and humanist Hindus
will never preach hatred against Muslims or any community. It is only
irreligious, anti-humanist, RSS types who can indulge in terrorism and
nurture the dream of dividing and ruling India LIKE THE BRITISH.
(Reply to Amaresh Misra)-
sp (new delhi)
says:
January 29,2013 at 03:46 AM IST
So True, RSS has learnt divide and rule from the
british. No wonder they did not fight the british when it was time to do
that. They were against gandhi who was fighting for India's
independance from the british. If not for the anti RSS gandhi and others
like him, India would still be under the british boot. And all these
RSS lovers would licking those boots. So much for them talking
patriotic song. It is blasphemy for them to do that.
Nirmesh Mehta (Mumbai)
says:
January 27,2013 at 06:39 PM IST
This article has flawed reasoning at multiple places. First the author gives a list of 10 people who are RSS members and involved in terrorist activities and from this claims that RSS is a terrorist organization. Let us say that there are 10 Pakistani spies who are employed by the Government of India (very likely). Does that mean that the Government of India is actually a spy organization working for ISI? In order to claim that RSS is a terrorist organization, either a significant fraction of its members (say 10%) must be involved in terrorism or its top leadership must be involved in the same and using other activities as a front. I would be extremely surprised if the author could come anywhere close to these standards. Till then, one can only say that some members of RSS are terrorists. The author should note that since people accused of assasinating Gandhiji were a member of RSS, it was banned for some time but then a court judgement found that there was insufficient evidence to prove that the organization was involved; only involvement of individuals was proved. The other thing is that RSS gives training for violence, but that is very different from terror. The RSS that I know has a uniform for its cadres (which makes them stand out) teaches them to use lathis, tells tham that the sangh is larger than the individual but the country is larger than the sangh and says that members are free to choose their political affiliation. These hardly seem the characteristics of a terrorist organization. The RSS is nationalistic, maybe fascist, maybe communal - but it is unlikely to be terrorist.
[Message clipped] View entire message
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Zeenat’s new mutiny - By Mayank Austen Soofi - LiveMint
MUTINY OR SURRENDER? WHY THE GIRL'S SCHOOL CANNOT BE NAMED AS ZEENAT MAHAL SCHOOL OR MADRASATUL BANAT? WHY VENDE MATARAM AND NOT SARE JAHAN SE ACHHA?
INDIA'S SECULAR GOVERNMENT IS OUT TO FORCE MUSLIMS TO TAKE UP
NON-MUSLIM IDENTITIES. POOR HELPLESS GIRLS ARE NOT RAISING A MUTINY
AGAINST THEIR POWERLESS FAMILIES, BUT ARE MEEKLY SUCCUMBING TO 'SECULAR'
PRESSURES TO ABANDON THEIR MUSLIM IDENTITIES IN THE HOPE OF A MIRAGE OF
A PLURALIST FUTURE THAT WILL SHRINK MUSLIM SPACE INCH BY INCH, FOOT BY
FOOT, YARD BY YARD. THE REAL MUTINY IS YET TO COME AGAINST THE LIKES OF
THE PROXIES OF WALL STREET JOURNAL'S BRAND OF SKEWED AND ZIONIST-TAINTED
JOURNALISM.
Ghulam Muhammed, Mumbai
<ghulammuhammed3@gmail.com>
------------------------------
http://www.livemint.com/
Class XII students Nazreen (right) and Ilma enter the school through Zeenat Mahal’s arched gate. Photo: Priyanka Parashar/Mint.
Ghulam Muhammed, Mumbai
<ghulammuhammed3@gmail.com>
------------------------------
http://www.livemint.com/
Delhi’s
Belly | Zeenat’s new mutiny
A turnaround in the fortunes of a
state-run girls’ school gives hope to the future of its neighbourhood
First Published: Fri, Jan 25 2013.
06 50 PM IST
Class XII students Nazreen (right) and Ilma enter the school through Zeenat Mahal’s arched gate. Photo: Priyanka Parashar/Mint.
Updated: Sat, Jan 26 2013. 03 46 PM IST
A cat’s drawn-out meow cuts through
the squawking of chickens. These sounds, typical of Old Delhi, recede as the
empty yard fills. The morning assembly at Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya (SKV)
school No. 2, Zeenat Mahal, Lal Kuan, begins with a drumbeat.
Earlier this month, the girls-only
school made a fleeting appearance in a leading daily when it was selected for
the annual Times of India Social Impact Award—because it “had gone from being
one of the worst government schools not long ago to achieving 100% pass results
for the last five years”.
All the 1,246 students are Muslim
and come from the Walled City. This Urdu-medium school not only mirrors the
academic merits of its students but is also a portrait of the locality in which
it is situated.
Like a bubble of tranquillity in the
congested Lal Kuan Bazaar, SKV is nestled among kite shops, biryani stalls,
serene mosques and crumbling houses with latticed windows and wrought-iron
balconies. As one of the 719 schools run by the Delhi government, it charges no
fee.
The yard is paved with grey tiles. A
kota stone platform is built on one side, a row of flowerpots arranged
on the other. The principal’s spacious office is reached via a roomy corridor.
The painted portraits of Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar and his much younger
queen Zeenat Mahal provide a clue to the school’s history. More than a century
old, it moved to its present site in 1950 to occupy the remnants of Zeenat
Mahal’s dilapidated mansion (actually, nothing is left of it except the two
arched gates).
Principal Chitra Gupta. Photo:
Priyanka Parashar/Mint.
Principal Chitra Gupta, 54, commutes
daily by Metro from Old Rajinder Nagar to Chawri Bazaar. She does not give off
the vibe of a tyrant—she uses the intimate beta in her interaction with
students. “When I arrived in 2007,” she says, “the teachers were demotivated
and the girls lacked confidence. That year, only 50% of our students had passed
the 10th standard board exams and 61% cleared the 12th.”
The very next year, the success rate
at both levels increased to 100%. In 2010, this SKV became No. 1 among the
city’s government-run schools in terms of the quality index, the average marks
obtained by each student.
“The magical turnaround happened,”
says Gupta, “after we looked into the root cause of the problem.”
That was the touristy Old Delhi
itself. Blinded by Jama Masjid, Karim restaurant, Ghalib’s haveli, and a
kaleidoscopic street life, visitors to this part of the Capital fail to notice
its underbelly, the daily lives of its residents. Almost all the girls at SKV,
according to the principal, come from conservative families, many of whom put
little premium on education, especially for the girl child. The fathers are
daily wagers, patri (footpath) vendors, Zardozi workers and kite makers.
The mothers are housewives. Most homes consist of just a single room. The
residents sleep in shifts. Tuberculosis is rampant.
Gupta got strict about attendance
and teachers too were asked to take classes regularly. “The school suffered
from a regular pattern of absenteeism,” says Gupta. “One girl, for instance,
constantly stayed away on Mondays. I discovered that she had TB and was
visiting a distant government health centre every Monday to get her DOTS (the
World Health Organization-recommended tuberculosis control programme) pill.”
After a number of students disclosed similar stories to her, Gupta persuaded a
health centre very close to the school to take charge of her student-patients.
For the girls, the assembly ground
and the window-lined classes are an oasis of air and sky, something that is in
short supply in Old Delhi. “In the recess, I sit in the yard and enjoy the
winter sun,” says the soft-spoken Sofia, a class XII student who lives with her
parents and five siblings in a one-room house in Farash Khana, a neighbourhood
that derives its name from the masons who were brought to Delhi to lay tiles on
the farsh (floors) of Shahjahan’s Red Fort. Squinting at the sun, Sofia,
her hair braided with a red ribbon, says, “It is impossible to study in my
overcrowded and airless home.”
The morning assembly prayer. Photo:
Priyanka Parashar/Mint
The students preparing for Board
exams are encouraged to use the empty classrooms during school holidays.
Otherwise, since the Vidyalaya has two shifts and the classrooms remain
occupied through the day, those wishing to study extra hours do so in the
principal’s office.
But there is a world beyond Zeenat
Mahal, beyond Turkman Gate, beyond Dilli Gate. Gupta faced stiff resistance
when she tried to send girls to inter-school competitions, for which they would
have to commute to schools in Karol Bagh and Rohini. Nevertheless, as more and
more students won prizes, including cash rewards, parental opposition subsided
to a point where they even let their daughters go on outstation tours. “Our
class went to Amritsar and Dalhousie in 2011,” says Nazreen, a class XII
student who lives in Lal Kuan. “It was the first time that I left Dilli-6 (Old
Delhi’s postal code) without my parents.” Her classmate Ilma adds in a
mischievous tone, “Nazreen always scored good marks but rarely uttered a word;
now she is a chatterbox.”
Singing Vande Mataram is part
of the assembly tradition at all state-run schools in Delhi but, owing to the
reservations of some Muslims, the SKV in Zeenat Mahal had always shied away
from it. Gupta delicately explained to the girls—and their parents—that the
national song is about performing an adaab (salute) to the ammi (mother).
The objections to yoga—some parents said it was a thing Hindus do—were tackled
by explaining the health benefits of deep breathing.
“It’s not about Hindus and Muslims,”
says Nahid Aslam, a teacher known for her extreme kindness and nicknamed Hamdard
Dawakhana, a popular dispensary in the area that once housed the bottling
factory of Rooh Afza. “A child should be informed about the wider world, of
which she is a part,” she says.
The story of Zeenat Mahal, on the
other hand, lacks detail in our schoolbooks. The wife of the last Mughal
emperor of India, who became the figurehead of the country’s first revolt for
independence, the uprising of 1857, she is charged with secretly corresponding
with the British and has since been dismissed with an unflattering footnote in
history. However, the new uprising taking place in her former residence could
redeem her reputation more convincingly than any sympathetic historian.
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