Once elected, he will be the first Muslim leader to occupy the Speaker’s post in Karnataka.
Former minister and five-time legislator UT Khader. Credit: DH Photo
Former minister and five-time legislator UT Khader is all set to be the Speaker of the Sixteenth Legislative Assembly of Karnataka.
Khader will file the nomination for the Speaker’s post by 10:30 am today, Congress sources said. His election to the post will be formalised on Wednesday. The ruling party’s nominated candidate is generally, unanimously elected as the Speaker. Once elected, he will be the first Muslim leader to occupy the Speaker’s post in Karnataka.
While the names of senior Congress leaders RV Deshpande and HK Patil were being considered, sources said neither of these leaders was interested in the post.
Khader served as the Deputy leader of the Opposition during the previous BJP-led government. A five-time MLA, he first contested in the 2007 bypolls from the erstwhile Ullal constituency (now Mangaluru), after his father UT Fareed’s demise.
Fareed was a four-time legislator from the same constituency and his demise necessitated the bypolls. Ever since, Khader has consecutively won from Mangaluru constituency.
In the 2013 Siddaramaiah-led government, he was first the health minister and later in held the Food and Civil Supplies portfolio. In the Congress-JD(S) coalition government in 2018, Khader held both the Housing and Urban Development portfolios.
Khader, who holds a bachelor’s degree in law, started his political career as a district functionary in the NSUI way back in 1990. The former minister is also a sports enthusiast. He is into Motor Sports, cricket, hockey, tennis and volleyball.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Top Karnataka Stories / by Shruthi H M Sastry, DHNS, Bengaluru / May 23rd, 2023
“I appeal to the youth of this country that they sit at the feet of this goddess (Nishat un Nisa Begum) to learn the lessons of independence and perseverance.” Famous Indian writer Brij Narayan Chakbast wrote this in 1918 about the freedom fighter Nishat un Nisa Begum.
People knew more about her husband Maulana Hasrat Mohani, who coined the slogan Inquilab Zindabad (Long live revolution). Historians have kept Nishat, like many other women, at the margins of historical narratives. She existed not as a protagonist but as a supporting actor in a play that had her husband as the protagonist.
This happened even though Hasrat admitted that he would have remained an apolitical editor if he had not married her. Maulana Abul Kalam Azad likened her to “a mountain of determination and patience.” Mahatma Gandhi also acknowledged a key role in the Non-Cooperation Movement. By no stretch of the imagination, she was a dependent woman and owed her existence to Hasrat.
Born in Lucknow in 1885, Nishat was home tutored, as was the custom of those times. She knew Urdu, Arabic, Persian, and English. Even before she married Hasrat in 1901 was teaching girls from backward sections of the society at her home. Marriage exposed her to the world of politics. Nishat and Hasrat were among the first Muslims in India to join Bal Gangadhar Tilak’s extremist group of Congress and open a Swadeshi shop in Aligarh. In 1903, the couple started a nationalist Urdu newspaper ‘Urdu e Mualla’. The British did not like it and jailed Hasrat in 1908. After his release, the couple resumed the newspaper. The newspaper had only two employees – Nishat and Hasrat.
Hasrat was again jailed during the First World War. Nishat, who like other Muslim women of her times, used to take a veil, came out in public to defend her husband in the court trial. She wrote letters to leaders, and articles in newspapers, and removed her veil while visiting courts. To go out of one’s house without a purdah was a courageous act.
Hasrat’s friend Pandit Kishan Parshad Kaul wrote, “She (Nishat) took this courageous step at a time when the veil was a symbol of dignity not only among Muslim women but among Hindu women as well”.
In those times Congress and other organizations used to raise public funds to help the families of jailed freedom fighters. Nishat declined to accept her share from it. Pandit Kishan Parshad recalled later that in 1917 when he once visited her in Aligarh he saw her living in abject poverty. Being a friend of Hasrat, he offered her money. Nishat told him, “I am happy with whatever I have”. She later asked him if he could help her in selling the Urdu books printed by their defunct press.
Kishan Parshad told Shiv Prasad Gupta, another prominent freedom fighter from Lucknow about Nishat’s condition. Gupta didn’t take a moment to write a cheque to purchase all the books from Nishat.
When Edwin Montagu visited India in 1917, Nishat was among the representatives of the All India Women’s Conference (AIWC) to meet him. In the meeting, she demanded that all the freedom fighters be released from jail.
Nishat had abandoned the purdah for good. In 1919, she attended the Amritsar Congress session after the Jallianwala Massacre and impressed everyone with her passionate speeches. A Muslim woman, without purdah and participating in politics at par with her husband, she was noticed as a “comrade of Hasrat.”
Nishat and Hasrat were sure that asking for concessions from the British was futile. They moved a resolution for Purna Swaraj (Complete Independence) and not a dominion status at the Ahmedabad session of Congress in 1921 as the party’s goal. Nishat spoke in support of the motion. The resolution was defeated as Mahatma Gandhi opposed the idea. Eight years later, Congress adopted the Purna Swaraj as its goal.
Hasrat was again jailed in 1922 and this time Nishat attended the Congress Session at Gaya without him. She eloquently opposed the participation of Congress members in the Legislative Councils. She said those who wanted complete independence from British rule could not dream of entering the assemblies formed by them.
According to Prof. Abida Samiuddin, Nishat’s politics did not depend on Hasrat alone. She was the first Muslim woman to address a Congress Session. Her work for the popularisation of Swadeshi, the All India Women Conference, correspondences with the nationalist leaders, articles in newspapers, public speeches, and other political activities are proof that she carried her identity in the Indian Freedom Struggle. She was active in workers’ movements till her death in 1937.
source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Stories / by Saquib Salim / May 14th, 2023
Jilani died during treatment at Lucknow’s Nishat Hospital in Qaiserbagh and is survived by daughter Maria Rehan, sons Najafzafar Jilani and Anaszafar Jilani, and wife Azra Jilani. The family resides in Qaiserbagh. Jilani was buried at the Qaiserbagh graveyard late Wednesday evening.
All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) secretary and senior advocate died at a Lucknow hospital on Wednesday after a prolonged illness followed by a fall in May 2021 during which he suffered brain haemorrhage. He was 73.
Jilani, a former Additional Advocate General for Uttar Pradesh, was the convenor of the Babri Masjid Action Committee and had argued in the Ram Janmabhoomi case in different courts over decades.
Jilani died during treatment at Lucknow’s Nishat Hospital in Qaiserbagh and is survived by daughter Maria Rehan, sons Najafzafar Jilani and Anaszafar Jilani, and wife Azra Jilani. The family resides in Qaiserbagh. Jilani was buried at the Qaiserbagh graveyard late Wednesday evening.
“He had multiple health issues for which he was being treated. He had a urinary tract infection which had spread to his lungs. His kidney and brain were also affected. All these issues started after he fell in May 2021 and suffered brain haemorrhage,” said a family member.
Jilani, a native of Malihabad town, was among the decorated alumnus of Aligarh Muslim University, from where he got his law degree.
He will be remembered for his soft-spoken nature and his in-depth knowledge of law, said his colleagues and peers.
Senior advocate SFA Naqvi said, “He was among the most soft-spoken and kind-hearted people I knew. There was a grace about him which is hard to put in words. But his arguments were never soft in court, and he had the law on his fingertips. We have lost a pioneer in law, and he will be missed.”
“During his time as the Additional Advocate General, even when I was arguing against him, he forgot all about it once we were outside the court. Then, we would go back to being friends. He always kept what happened in court to the courtroom only,” added Naqvi.
After the Supreme Court verdict in the Ram Janmabhoomi case in November 2019, Jilani had remarked, “The judgement has just been pronounced, it says a lot of things about the Constitution and about secularism. We are very dissatisfied with this judgement. Article 142 does not let you do this.”
After a special CBI court on September 30, 2020 acquitted all 32 surviving accused in the Babri Masjid demolition case, citing lack of evidence, Jilani had told The Indian Express , “The verdict is wrong. It is against the law and evidence (in the case). It is an erroneous judgement. However, a judgement is a judgement. We will avail the remedy available. The remedy is with the High Court. It has the power to reverse the judgement and we will go to the High Court.”
Advocate Rakesh Chaudhary, former president of the Oudh Bar Association, Allahabad High Court, said that Jilani had a great equation with everyone in the court. “He was a very helpful person, who never took anything personally. He had great sportsmanlike spirit,” said the lawyer.
Sarah Haque, a Delhi-based lawyer who worked alongside Jilani on the Babri Masjid case before the Supreme Court, said he was one of the kindest and most respected members of the Bar. “His demise is a huge loss to the legal fraternity. He was extremely passionate in his craft and made commendable efforts towards the pursuit of justice,” she said. “His attention and commitment to the Babri matter was laudable and he will be remembered forever.”
source: http://www.indianexpress.com / The Indian Express / Home> News> India / by Asad Rehman, Lucknow / May 18th, 2023
Skiltec Ace Global Human Resources in association with Etisalat Academy UAE launched the Global Talent Enhancement Program in Mangaluru, here at the Ocean Pearl Hotel in the city on Friday, May 5.
The event was attended by prominent personalities Syed Mohamed Beary, Vivek Alva, Farhad Yenepoya among others along with Dr. Mahammed Almarzooqi, Sr. Director Special Projects and Planning Etisalat Academy.
Syed Mohamed Beary, Founder and CMD, Bearys Group and Chairman and Managing Trustee Bearys Education, in his keynote address said skillset is one of the most important things that needs to be developed among the students and youngsters.
He also said that skillset in the modern times are missing the human touch and that spirituality should be taught to the younger generation as it is equally important.
He further stressed about how it was crucial to teach application of mind to the students which play an important role in their overall development and growth.
Vivek Alva, Managing Director, Alva’s Group of Institutions also extended support to the project adding that the project is set play a crucial role in providing employment and developmental opportunity to the fresh graduates from local institutions.
He also added that while the institutions create and groom talents, placing them at right and employment opportunities was also important.
Farhad Yenepoya of the Yenepoya Group of Institutions, in his address noted that for any educational institution, skilling its students was one of the most important and difficult task as students from several backgrounds and different skillset come under one roof. He also hoped the program would be beneficial for the fresh graduates in the region and would give them greater opportunities for their growth.
Mohammed Haris, Trade Commissioner, UAE Arab Asian Chamber of Commerce also spoke during the event and wished the project luck while also assuring of extending support through his organisation.
Dr. Mahammed Almarzooqi presented an introduction of the Etisalat Academy and spoke about the program and how it would help the local educational institutions and students.
Dr. SM Rasheed Haji, President, Bearys Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Mumtaj Ali BM, Chairman, Misbah Group of Institutions, Rahul Haridas, Channel Partner Manager, Etisalat and Evangelyn Brigaudit, Client Relations Manager, Etisalat Academy were also present as Guests of Honor during the event.
Skiltec Ace Global HR’s Director, Mohamed Ali Uchil welcomed the guests and representatives of various colleges who were attending the event.
Evangelyn Brigaudit presented a visual presentation explaining the program and Etisalat Academy.
source: http://www.english.varthabharati.in / Vartha Bharati / Home> Karavali / by Vartha Bharati / May 05th, 2023
Maulana Yaseen Akhtar Misbahi, a renowned Islamic scholar who was affiliated with the Ahle Sunnat Barelvi organization Raza Academy, passed away on May 7th, Sunday.
Misbahi was a prominent figure in the Indian Muslim community, who held several important positions throughout his career. He served as a member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board and was in charge of the Darul Qalam Madrassa. Additionally, he founded the Qadri Mosque in Zakir Nagar, New Delhi and was previously an Urdu journalist who edited the Kanzul Iman monthly magazine in Delhi.
During the Shah Bano case in 1985, Misbahi was elected as the vice president of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, where he advocated for the protection of Shariat. He led various political and social demonstrations to safeguard the rights of Indian Muslims.
Furthermore, Misbahi was a prolific writer who authored numerous books on various Islamic and Muslim issues in India.
source: http://www.muslimmirror.com / Muslim Mirror / Home> Indian Muslim> Religion / by Muslim Mirror Staff / May 08th, 2023
Healthvarsity LLC, the GCC region’s biggest online learning platform for health professionals, using AI and blockchain technology, was launched in Dubai on Wednesday by one of the region’s pioneers in healthcare and medical education.
Headquartered and registered in Dublin, Ireland, Healthvarsity is the brainchild of Dr. Thumbay Moideen, Founder president of Healthvarsity and Thumbay Group, the Dubai-based international business conglomerate, with operations across a wide range of verticals, including education and healthcare.
Designed to positively impact healthcare professionals by helping them progress in their careers, the new EdTech venture offers currently more than 200 courses-which can be paid for in cryptocurrency. The platform aims to expand the reach and accessibility of well-defined programs for up-skilling doctors, nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists and aspiring medical students, among others. Going forward, the platform will also introduce features such as an AI-based Virtual Instructor, AI-based Virtual Mentor and AI-based Virtual Assessor.
Dr. Moideen, Founder President of Healthvarsity, introduced the platform to 200 stakeholders and guests attending the official launch ceremony today at the Palazzo Versace Hotel, Dubai.
Guests of honour present at the ceremony included Dr. Richard Grose, Dean for Global Engagement, Professor of Cancer Cell Biology, Queen Mary University of London, UK, and Mrs. Wendy Palmer, Director, Global Studio, Deakin University, Australia. They were among a panel of international experts who took part in a multi-stage process to design the Healthvarsity audio-visual courses and full curriculum.
Speaking at the launch ceremony, Dr Moideen said: “Healthvarsity embodies the highly engaged, focused, interactive and unique learning that has been a hallmark of medical education programs for decades. The interconnected world that we live in has experienced unprecedented growth in recent times, and preparing healthcare professionals to succeed in this challenging environment demands a flexible and real world-based approach to education.”
“Healthvarsity will, thus, provide a powerful channel for communicating ideas to and engaging with new and wider audiences, nurturing lifelong journey of enquiry and discovery and achieve better career outcomes using latest technology.”
Healthvasity courses are available in the English language for all users, at different designations and levels of education and professional experience, from students to administrators, doctors, and other healthcare professions. After the initial registration, users can select courses optimally meeting their professional requirements from several options, including diploma, advanced certificate courses, master classes and self-study programmes. On completion of each course, they receive a certificate on blockchain to maintain security and authenticity.
Healthvasity offerings are differentiated by multiple course styles, including recorded webinars, guided tours, case studies, test preparation, demonstrations, and leaders’ insights.
Mrs. Wendy Palmer, Director, Global Studio, Deakin University, Australia, “We are honored, excited and proud to partner with Healthvarsity to lead the transformation in medical education. With unique set of courses, the platform will provide not only provide easily accessible tool for professionals and learners in refining their skills and increasing the accuracy of their work, but will also bring together renowned academicians of the world on one platform to make the Halthvarsity the center of engagement for research, innovation, education and collaboration in the years to come.”
Fee structure for students, and revenue model for instructors, are built on a robust and forward-looking economic model. Partnering local banks, payment gateways, ‘Learn now and pay later’, Healthvarsity offers easy and flexible payment methods for learners to make healthcare education more accessible, and economically sustainable, to enable future investment and growth.
Dr. Richard Grose, Dean for Global Engagement, Professor of Cancer Cell Biology, Queen Mary University of London, UK: “We are excited to join forces with Healthvarsity to equip health professionals, learners in the region, and beyond, with the essential skills they need to achieve better career outcomes. Learners across the world have embraced online learning at a greater pace since the beginning of the pandemic. And, therefore, expanding our range of partnerships with some of the region’s pioneers in medical education and research, we look forward to continuing to deliver transformational, relevant learning to everyone.”
The panel responsible for designing the Healthvarsity courses and curriculum also included experts from University of Arizona (USA), Medi-AI (Australia), Skills for Health – UK, e-Integrity (UK), Learna (UK), AIN Shams (Egypt), Raaonline (India), The Behavioral Training Institute (Ireland), IBCCES (USA), Arlington Medical Academy (UK), Gulf Medical University (UAE), Thumbay Labs (UAE), Advanced Laparoscopic Training (United Kingdom), Newcastle Australia – Singapore, AIO Compass (Japan).
About Healthvarsity
The Healthvarsity registered in Ireland, aims to positively impact healthcare professionals by helping them progress in their careers. The newly established ed-tech venture is a brainchild of the visionary leader in Healthcare and Medical Education, Dr. Thumbay Moideen.
Healthcare and alternative medicine are growing sectors, and the demand for working professionals in these segments has seen a meteoric rise in recent times. Accredited health courses provide students with the skills, knowledge, and experience to stand out and develop the tools they need for a rewarding career. The objective of this platform is to make healthcare education more accessible, engaging, and beneficial for people everywhere. Healthvarsity courses are organized to help focus on learning with a more comprehensive study of key topics related to health, wellness and beyond.
Healthvarsity will provide professional development, career-focused education, and in-demand healthcare programs in a self-paced online format. Enrolling in online courses is an excellent way to demonstrate commitment to a healthcare specialization.
About Thumbay Group
Founded by Dr. Thumbay Moideen in 1997, Thumbay Group is a diversified international business conglomerate with operations across different verticals. These include education, healthcare, medical research, diagnostics, retail pharmacy, health communications, retail opticals, wellness, nutrition stores, hospitality, real estate, publishing, technology, media, events, medical tourism, trading and marketing & distribution. Headquartered in Dubai, the group presently employs around 3,000 people.
Thumbay Group is committed to provide quality care to the community. The Thumbay Hospital Network, which today has the distinction of being the biggest chain of private academic hospitals in the region, treats patients from as many as 175 countries. Thumbay Group’s Healthcare Division operates eight academic hospitals, ten family clinics and medical centers, five diagnostic labs, and 46 retail pharmacy outlets.
Thumbay Group’s pioneering role in the GCC has helped establish the UAE as a regional hub of futuristic medical education, state-of-the-art healthcare, and cutting-edge research.
source: http://www.english.varthabharati.in / Vartha Bharati / Home> Gulf / by Vartha Bharati / May 03rd, 2023
Kaneez Fathima, who played an active role in anti-Hijab movement in Karnataka, has again won from North Gulbarga in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly elections, the outcome of which saw Congress winning comfortably in the southern state.
She has defeated Lingayat youth leader Chandrakant Patil of BJP in a close fight.
Fathima secured 80,973 votes with a vote share of 45.28 per cent, while Patil got 78,261 votes making it one of the closest contests in the state.
She told local media that “Congress government will reverse the ban on wearing of hijab in schools and colleges.”
Fatima, 63, entered public life a few months before the 2018 Assembly Elections and after the death of her husband Kamrul Islam, who was a six-time minister and MLA.
Fathima had won earlier election with 5,940 votes and this time, it was a tough contest. In 2018, she was also pitted against 9 Muslim rivals, including Nasir Hussain of JD(S).
A Hijab wearing Kaneez Fathima had agitated against the Karnataka government’s ban on hijab inside the government institutions. The ban was upheld by the Supreme Court.
She was also at the forefront of the 2020 anti-CAA protests in Karnataka.
During the Hijab movement, Kaneez Fatima said that “wearing Hijab was a basic right. “In independent India, we have got the freedom to live freely. We cannot ask anyone questions about clothes. Girls should not be stopped from attending colleges on this issue,” he said.
The Gulbarga North has 60 percent Muslim population.
From the outcome of the Assembly elections, it’s clear that the polarization along religious lines does not benefit only one party. Other parties have also gained from it.
The Karnataka Legislative Assembly has 224 seats. The BJP was accused of creating a Hindu-Muslim divide during the campaigning. However, the Congress that won the election, seems to have been benefitted most due to this.
Interestingly, Karnataka’s education minister who was defending the move to ban hijab in colleges has lost the election.
In 1978, the maximum number of 16 Muslim candidates won the Karnataka assembly elections. After that this is the third time when a large number of Muslim candidates got victory in the elections.
Muslims constitute more than 13 percent of the total population in Karnataka. This time nine Muslims have been elected to the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, two more than the previsious time.
In 1978, there were 16 Muslim members in the Karnataka assembly.
Most Muslims who won elections are from the Congress party. The JD(S)’s 23 Muslim candidates lost their elections.
The Assaduddin Owaisi-led outfit AIMIM contested two seats and secured only 0.02 per cent of the votes and did not win.
There are at least 19 seats in Karnataka, where the Muslim vote is more than 30 percent.
The victorious Muslims are:
Asif (Raju) North Belgaum, he defeared BJP’s Ravi B Patil by 4231 votes.
Kaneez Fathima defeated BJP’s Chandrakant B Patil by 2712 votes.
Rahim Khan (congress) defeated Suryakant Nagamarpalli of JD(S) by 10780 votes and won from Bidar
Rizwan Arshad defeated BJP’s N Chandra by 23,194 votes From Shivajinagar
NA Haris defeated BJP’s K Shivakumar by 7125 votes from Shanti Nagar.
BAZ Jameer Ahmed Khan won Chamarajpet by defeating Bhaskar Rao of BJP by a margin of 53,953 votes.
HA Iqbal Hussain defeated Nikhil Kumaraswamy of JD(S) by 10715 votes From Ramanagaram
UT Khadar Fareed defeated BJP’s Satish Kumpala by 22790 votes from Mangaluru
Tanveer defeated BJP’s Satish Sandesh Swamy by 31120 votes from Narasimharaja.
source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Story / by Malick Asghar Hashmi, New Delhi / May 14th, 2023
Ariba Khan from the Indian National Congress, and Municipal Councillor from Abul Fazal Enclave in Jamia Nagar, New Delhi, speaks to Aatika from TwoCircles on her political journey, challenges for minorities in India and the similarities between the politics of BJP and AAP.
Background & Political Journey
Ariba is the daughter of Asif Mohammed Khan, a former congress MLA from Jamia Nagar Okhla. However for Ariba electoral politics is a new terrain. She’s a graduate in English literature with a post-graduate diploma in guidance and counselling.
Ariba was pursuing her studies and was involved in social work when the opportunity to get into politics came along. Given her privileged background, Ariba admits that it’s beneficial to be familiar with the process, but it does not help one thrive in politics.
“If you are given an opportunity and you have a voice and resources to make a difference, then one should be up for it and that is what I did.”
View on AAP’s politics.
“The past few years, since BJP has come into power, it’s been a disaster.” She says whether it is the economy or religion, BJP has continuously caused severe damage. Ariba laments that the economic situation is going to worsen, due to the recent Adani-Hindenburg scandal.
But being an emerging political leader from Delhi, she views AAP as her biggest challenge. She criticises the AAP government on various accounts, such as their insensitivity for the victims of the Delhi Pogrom of 2020, for the Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s comments against the Markaz during Covid-19, for their lack of solidarity with the CAA-NRC protest, and the silence on Bilkis Bano case because of Gujarat elections.
“Kejriwal created a facade that they are saviours of Muslims. And he was able to persuade the innocent voters through the freebies,” says Ariba.
In reference to the North East riots, she also accuses AAP for showing double standards in their unabashed support for leaders like Manish Sisodia and Satyendra Jain despite corruption allegations against them, but not backing Tahir Hussain who was suspended from the party, even before he was proven guilty.
Ariba adds that the compensation amount announced for the victims has not been disbursed till date. “Although the electricity is free up to 200 units, the charges of 200 units are still Rs. 3.5 per unit as against Rs. 2.5 per unit during the Congress government in Delhi,” says Ariba highlighting another key concern.
For all these reasons, she believes that the Muslims have been dissuaded from AAP which has resulted in electoral gains for the Congress in the recently held MCD elections.
On her Constituency
According to Ariba, one of the biggest challenges is the issue of unauthorized colonies in her constituency of Abul Fazal Enclave. “Since these colonies do not contribute to tax revenue for the Municipal Council of Delhi, it becomes a challenge to procure funds for development works”, says Ariba.
Many issues of sanitation, garbage dumps resulting in road blockages, etc. continue to cause trouble to people residing in the area. She believes that her job as an MCD councillor should therefore be to ensure access to basic health and education by having more MCD schools, dispensaries, public toilets, etc.
Challenges as a Young Muslim Woman
On being asked about her experience as a young woman in politics, Ariba says “Mansplaining is a constant annoyance. A few people believe that a woman can’t handle things the way men do.”
So far, she’s happy with the respect she has received as a woman candidate but is also hopeful about the things to change for the better in the times to come.
Future of Congress and Bharat Jodo Yatra
Ariba thinks the four month long Bharat Jodo Yatra led by Rahul Gandhi in twelve states, will have a strong impact on the future political discourse of India. The Yatra passed from Badarpur which touches her constituency. Apart from logistical management, she had to coordinate with the faculty and students of Jamia University for their participation in the Yatra.
She reckons the Congress party is and will remain the true voice of the minorities in India. When being asked about political prisoners, she says “Those who are in jail including Sharjeel Imam, Umar Khalid, Shafa-ul-rahman and others, I stand with them, we raise our voice against this injustice under this dictatorial regime.”
She warns people to not view AAP as an alternative to BJP, as it was Priyanka Gandhi and leaders like Salman Khurshid, who led from the front during the protests of CAA-NRC and Violence in Jamia, but AAP shied away from taking any positions. “AAP has also compromised the status of 123 Waqf board properties by not putting up a resistance against the Centre”, says Ariba.
Minorities & Secularism
On being asked about Dalit Muslim unity against the BJP, Ariba believes that its only a small section that is with the BJP, as even Hindus are coming together to oppose this radicalisation, because it should not be about just one section as the entire population needs to stand up against the rising intolerance.
“We live in a country, where if we stop being secular, we won’t survive. It’s the essence of being an Indian,” says Ariba.
Aatika S is a fellow at the SEEDS-TCN mentorship program.
source: http://www.twocircles.net / TwoCirlces.net / Home> India Politics / by Aatika S / May 12th, 2023
Representation of Muslims in the Karnataka Assembly has marginally increased in this election compared to the last.
As many as nine candidates were declared elected on Saturday, compared to the seven in 2018. That was a steep fall from the 11 Muslim MLAs who were elected in 2013. All of them are from the Congress.
The JD(S) said 23 of its 211 candidates were Muslims, but none won.
BJP did not field any Muslims.
Those elected include:
-Rahim Khan from Bidar
-U.T. Khader from Mangaluru
-Tanveer Sait from Mysuru
-Asif (Raju) Sait from Belagavi north
-Rizwan Arshad from Shivaji Nagar
-B.Z. Zameer Ahmed Khan from Chamarajpet
-Kaneez Fatima from Gulbarga north
-Iqbal Hussein from Ramanagara
-N.A. Haris from Shanti Nagar.
All of them have been re-elected, except Asif (Raju) Sait and Iqbal Hussein, who are entering the Assembly for the first time.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Elections> by The Hindu Bureau (headline edited) / May 13th, 2023
In the run-up to 2024, with the pendulum poised between a secular or theocratic state, we need to revisit this forgotten chapter of history.
In the end, only three Indians spoke against Partition: Mahatma Gandhi, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (centre) and Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan (right). (Express Archives)
The hall of the Bharatiya Bhasha Parishad on Calcutta’s Shakespeare Sarani was fully packed when I arrived for the Hashim Abdul Halim Foundation International Seminar. The Foundation is named after a man who was the speaker of the West Bengal Assembly for 29 years. The Iran Society which brings out the journal Indo Iranica is located in his ancestral home. Fuad Halim and Saira Shah Halim, along with their group, were the spirit of this event.
The overhead banner read “Muslims for a United India — Unvisited Histories: Remembering the Azad Muslim Conference, April 27-30, 1947”. Each word of the banner was part of my life although I had never thought of framing it in this way.
In 1947, my family was forcibly evicted from our ancestral place, Panipat, where we had lived for 800 years. No one asked them if they wanted to go to a newly carved country named Pakistan. The women of my family left notes pasted on their front doors, “We are going for a short time; we will return”. Keys were handed to neighbours, tears flowed on both sides. All they could carry were bundles and potlis. They were mostly women; the men of Panipat worked in nearby cities. They would join later. Young men who were studying abroad did not “opt” for the new country until it became inevitable. Seventy-six years later in 2023, I live in Delhi, near the campus of a university, Jamia Millia Islamia. Those who established it in 1920 were fortunately not evicted; they stayed on amidst the communal frenzy because they believed in a united India.
That day I heard speaker after speaker in a hall which remained packed for almost eight hours. They spoke on topics like ‘The Case for a South Asian Union’, ‘1857 Joint Heritage Joint Martyrdom’, ‘Muslims against Partition – Carrying Forward the 1857 Legacy’, ‘Challenging the Two Nation Theory: Maulana Azad and Nationalist Muslims’, ‘The Two Nation Theory: One Thought of Hindu Mahasabha RSS and Muslim League’, ‘Muslims who opposed the Partition of India’, ‘Allah Bux Soomro and Muslim Politics’. These were academics from universities across West Bengal, plus a few from the US and the UK.
The Azad Muslim Conference was the cord that held it all together. It was organised in Delhi in 1940 for three days, its objective: Advocacy for composite nationalism and for a united India, and unequivocal opposition to Partition and the Two Nation Theory. Participants were from the Krishak Praja Party, the Jamiat, Majlis e Ahrar ul Islam, All India Momin Conference, Khudai Khidmatgar, All India Shia Political Conference, Anjuman i Watan Baluchistan and others. Wilfred Smith, a world-renowned orientalist from McGill University in Canada wrote that this conference represented the vast majority of India’s Muslims. The Bombay Chronicle reported that the Muslim attendance was five times that of any event organised by the Muslim League. Allah Bux Soomro, twice premier of Sindh, was its leading light. Born in 1900 in Shikarpur, his fierce commitment to a united India led him to return the honours bestowed on him by the Empire. An equally unequivocal opposer of the two-nation theory was Maulana Abul Kalam Azad. He was born in Mecca, lived in Kolkata and joined the struggle with the guerrilla movement of Jugantar with Rash Behari Ghosh and Shyam Sundar Chakravarty. Azad spoke from every platform, the highest being his addresses as President (twice) of the Indian National Congress , against Partition and for a united India. In his first presidential address in 1923, he spoke for Hindu-Muslim unity, even if it meant a delay in attaining Swaraj.
Three years after the AIMC, Allah Bux Soomro was assassinated by an assailant said to belong to the Muslim League.
As the conference proceeded, layer after layer opened up and, to reword John Keats, I felt as if a “new planet swam into my ken”.
In the last decade, I have heard the following refrain from many quarters: “They demanded Pakistan. So why are they here? The Muslims — expunge, expel, exorcise them.”
Questions: Who asked us? Was there a plebiscite? Was there a “rai shumari”? Who made it happen? Elite Muslims, colonial masters — who suffered?
In his excellent work, Muslims Against Partition, Shamsul Islam writes, “The people of India, Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, unitedly challenged imperialist power. This unprecedented unity naturally unnerved the firangis and made them conscious that their rule could flourish only if Hindus and Muslims were divided along communal lines.” The Minister of Indian Affairs, Lord Wood wrote to Lord Elgin, ‘We have maintained our rule in India by playing off one part against another.’ John Lawrence, Administrator of the East India Company, wrote, ‘If Muslims and Hindus have quarrelled, so much better for us; let them slaughter each other…’”
In the end, only three Indians spoke against Partition: Mahatma Gandhi, who said “over my dead body” but succumbed to the Congress; Maulana Abul Kalam Azad who stood his ground and Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, who wrote to Gandhi, “We Pashtuns stood by you and had undergone great sacrifices for attaining freedom. But you have deserted us and thrown us to the wolves.”
In the run-up to 2024, with the pendulum poised between a secular or theocratic India, we need to recall this forgotten history. In the current din of Muslim hatred is heard the rasping voice of the Minster of State for Law and Justice. At Delhi’s Maharashtra Sadan, he said, “There are very few tolerant Muslims; those who pretend to be tolerant do so to grab the offices of the Vice President, the governor as well as vice-chancellors. As soon as they retire they start spitting poison. They wear the mukhota (mask) of tolerance; tolerant Muslims can be counted on fingers. The basic structure of the nation is Hindu Rashtra.”
I’m ending with two lines from Hafiz Shirazi, quoted in S Abid Husain’s prophetic work, The Destiny of Indian Muslims: “If sorrow raises its dire legion/ To overwhelm people of faith / The Saqi and I will join hands /To wipe it off the face of this earth.”
The writer is former Member, Planning Commission
source: http://www.indianexpress.com / The Indian Express / Home> News> Opinion> Columns / by Syeda Hamid / May 11th, 2023
