Ahmad’s book, Caste and Social Stratification Among Muslims in India, is celebrated as pioneering work in the field.
Imtiaz Ahmad (1940-2023). Photo: Twitter/@syedurahman
New Delhi:
Imtiaz Ahmad, renowned scholar who taught political sociology at the Jawaharlal Nehru University in India, has died. He was 83.
Ahmad’s book, Caste and Social Stratification Among Muslims in India, is celebrated as pioneering work in the field.
Ahmad got his BA and MA degrees from the Lucknow University in 1958 and 1960 respectively. He started as a senior research analyst at the Institute of Economic Growth at the Delhi University in 1964 and two years later, became a lecturer in sociology in the same university.
After three years as visiting professor of anthropology at the University of Missouri in the US, Ahmad joined JNU as associate professor in political sociology in 1972. He became a professor in the department in 1983 and taught there for three decades.
Among his numerous publications are those which throw light on Muslim empowerment, minority rights, the role of education among Muslims, how Islamic ideologies mesh with social realities, how Muslim women are studied in India and communalism.
Ahmad also wrote critically on the Gujarat riots of 2002 in particular and communal politics in general. His work has been lauded as having shed light on the composite culture of India.
source: http://www.thewire.in / The Wire / Home> Education> Society / by The Wire Staff / June 19th, 2023
A minor planet in the solar system, which earlier bore just the number 5718 CD4, has now been named after Kollam based scientist, Dr Sainudeen Pattazhy, reports Ramesh Babu.
Pattazhy was surprised when a representative of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, run by the space agency NASA, telephoned him on Wednesday evening. “I’m not a space scientist and initially thought someone was pulling my leg,” he told Hindustan Times. “But the official explained that my name was chosen after going through my research papers.”
Pattazhy, who teaches zoology at a local college, has carried out pioneering research on many environment related issues such as the phenomenon of ‘red rain’ —which occurred in Kerala in 2001—the control of mosquitoes, the eco biology of ‘sacred groves’, and the health hazards posed by mobile phone towers.
Pattazhy’s suggestions on the health hazards posed by mobile towers are still pending with the Union Ministry of Environment. According to him, the radiation would affect people residing within 300 metres of the towers.
The minor planet — to be henceforth known as ‘5718 Pattazhy’ — was discovered by US-based space scientist Dr R Rajmohan in 1989. There are around 400,000 ‘minor planets’ or asteroids in the solar system, of which 185,685 have well defined orbits and have been allotted numbers by the International Astronomical Union (IAU). Around 14,000 of them have been given names.
“It seems the discoverer of the planet forwarded my name after going through my work,” said Pattazhy, adding that he had no idea why he was chosen.
source: http://www.hindustantimes.com / Hindustan Times / Home> India News / by Ramesh Babu, Thiruvananthapuram (headline edited) / May 02nd, 2008
Princess Gulbadan was born in 1523, exactly 500 years ago. From a young age, she was a precocious child – very intelligent and curious about the incidents that were happening around her. The book narrates her life within the zenana.
The lifestyle of people who lived 500 years ago, especially those belonging to the Mughal dynasty, has been vividly brought to life in the pages of a book written by British author Rumer Godden. The title of the book is Gulbadan, Portrait of a Princess at the Mughal Court. The story is essentially a biography of Princess Gulbadan, youngest daughter of Babur, founder of the Mughal Empire in India.
The author consulted a variety of sources to gain information to write this fascinating book. Among her sources was a translation of the Humayunnama into English by Annette Beveridge, a well known Oriental scholar who also translated the Baburnama.
Rumer Godden, who authored the biography of Gulbadan lived in India and grew up with her sisters in Narayanganj (now in Bangladesh) where her father, a shipping company executive, was posted. Later Godden lived in Calcutta (now Kolkata) and in Kashmir for several years.
According to the biography, Princess Gulbadan was born in 1523, exactly 500 years ago. From a young age, she was a precocious child – very intelligent and curious about the incidents that were happening around her. The book narrates her life within the zenana.
When she was a small girl, her father Zahiruddin Mohammad Babur was ruling in Kabul. The Mughal dynasty had not been established in India. As a child she used to play with her brothers and sisters. Her brothers included Humayun, Kamran, Askari and Hindal, and she had three sisters.
The toys that the children possessed included small statues of horsemen, archers, farmers and others made of wood, painted in gay colours. With these they conducted imaginary battles. Another popular activity was to fly kites. From the highest ramparts of her father’s fort, it was a great pleasure to fly kites. Buffeted by strong winds, the kites would soar high in the sky and be made to dance under the skillful control of the children.
Babur was a very active ruler and would often be away from his fort for days and months. If he was not fighting battles, he would go on hunting trips. Little Gulbadan would miss her Baba very much. She was proud that her father was an important man and respected by everyone. From the topmost ramparts she would sometimes see rising clouds of dust far away in the fields. This sight would excite her. For it meant that horsemen were approaching. Perhaps her father was returning. Or at least a messenger from her father was coming bearing a letter.
This peaceful and happy life of childhood ended when Babur passed away. By then the family base was in India. There followed a period of hardship for the family because Humayun was not the strong and decisive leader that Babur had been.
The worst happened when Sher Shah overthrew Humayun. In one of the battles between Sher Shah’s troops and the Mughal contingent (which also included women and children of the royal family), the latter were forced back to a river from where they could not retreat any further. In a wild battle many innocent lives were lost including that of six year old Princess Aquiqa, the only daughter of Humayun.
She fell into the river and her body was never found. It was a sad day for the entire family and they were all grief stricken.
Many years later when Gulbadan was an adult, her nephew Emperor Akbar instructed her to write a biography of her father Babur and brother Humayun. By this time she wielded great influence in the imperial household and was much loved both by Akbar and his mother. Her biography of Humayun later became a famous work of literature.
She was an educated, pious, and cultured woman. She was fond of reading and she enjoyed the confidences of her brother, Humayun, and nephew, Akbar. A copy of the manuscript of her handwritten biography is kept at the British Library in London. Rumer Godden has written about the life of the Princess in a simple style which is delightful and informative.
source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> Featured News / by Abhijit Sen Gupta / May 29th, 2023
Syed Ubaidur Rahman is an author based in New Delhi who seems to have completely dedicated his life for preserving Indian Muslim history. In the last five years he has authored at least five books, three of which have been highly acclaimed. Among these are ‘Forgotten Muslim Empires of South India: Bahmani Empire, Madurai, Bijapur, Ahmadnagar, Golconda and Mysore Sultanates’, ‘Ulema’s Role in India’s Freedom Movement’, and ‘Biographical Encyclopaedia of Indian Muslim Freedom Fighters’. His objective is to systematically preserve Indian Muslim history. In this interview, we discuss his work and the obstacles he has encountered. Following is an excerpt from his interview.
MM: Why you are trying to preserve Indian Muslim history?
SUR-This is a bitter truth that as a community Muslims are good in forgetting their heroes. If I ask you to name a couple of heroes here from south India, there may not be many people who would be able to name more than a couple of names. And certainly not about the Bahmanis or the Adil Shahis or Nizam Shahis. This is a tragedy of Himalayan proportions and we are paying the price for our ignorance when our own history is being threatened with completely being erased not by other people or other organizations or the government, but by ourselves.
Books on Indian Muslims history penned by Syed Ubaidur Rahman
MM: Muslim history was usually written in Urdu language. Why did you find the need to write in English
SUR: That assumption might not be true. Books have been written on the history of South India, including Bahmani Empire, Adil Shahi, Nizam Shahi, Qutb Shahi and Mysore Sultanates, though in very small numbers. However, most of them are out of print. Haroon Khan Sherwani, a renowned historian from Hyderabad had written an excellent book on the history of Bahmani Empire, besides also writing in detail on the history of the Qutb Shahis of Golconda Sultanate, however, unfortunately these books are out of print and nowhere available. I don’t find any meaningful book written either on the Bahmani Empire or the subsequent Deccani sultanates in Urdu. There are many good books written on the Mysore Sultanate, especially on the life of Tipu Sultan and the best of them are in English. Muhibbul Hasan’s biography of Tipu Sultan is English and it is among the best.
MM: Why you wrote on the history of South Indian Muslims?
SUR: There is no denying the fact that there is a huge population of Muslims down south. However, unfortunately, unlike Muslims in North India, the history of South Indian Muslims, their ruling dynasties and the Muslim empires hasn’t been documented in as much detail as it was needed. Even in the case of north India, the focus has always remained on the history of Mughals who ruled the country for close to three hundred years. The history of the Delhi Sultanates and its different dynasties has been rather very well documented. But other than the Mughals and the Delhi sultanates, not much has been written on different dynasties that have ruled different regions in the North including the ruling dynasties of the Sharqi Sultanate that was based in Jaunpur or the Muslim sultanates of Bengal, that were very powerful and existed for centuries. Similarly the history of ruling Muslim dynasties of sultanates of Gujarat, Malwa and Khandesh hasn’t been given much attention.
I am trying to document the history of Muslims in medieval India and my book ‘Forgotten Muslim Empires of South India’ is the first volume of the series. This book documented Bahmani Empire, Adil Shahi Sultanate of Bijapur, Nizam Shahi Sultanate of Ahmadnagar, Qutb Shahi Sultanate of Golconda and Mysore Sultanate that was founded by Hyder Ali.
The next volume will cover the history of Sultanate of Gujarat, Sultanate of Malwa and also the sultanate of Khandesh, besides a detailed chapter on the Nizams of Hyderabad, inshaAllah.
I must add here that the history of the Muslims in South India is as dazzling as the Delhi Sultanate or the Mughal Sultanate. At one point in early fifteenth century, the Bidar based Bahmani Empire was the most powerful empire not just in South India but across the Indian Subcontinent.
MM: What do you feel about the rewriting of history project in India
SUR: There is no denying that among the many serious challenges facing the Indian Muslim community at the moment, the foremost is preserving their history and heritage. Without any iota of doubt, this has become all the more important given the fact that there are efforts to rewrite Indian history now. And the most important period they intend to rewrite is the medieval period. This project, spearheaded by the Indian Council of Historical Research titled ‘Comprehensive History of India’, is expected to have at least twelve volumes. They have emphasized that while writing these volumes they will not be depending on ‘Euro-centric’ resources and would go by vernacular resources. However there isn’t much literature available on history in vernacular languages even regarding important political events of the medieval period. It may sound completely bewildering to many, but there is no reference at all in any medieval Indian texts regarding the numerous raids conducted by Mahmud of Ghazni deep inside India. Abraham Eraly believes the Indian chroniclers of the time didn’t consider those events worth recording as they were more interested in penning ‘inane romances’.
MM: What is the impact of your work till now?
SUR: It is a rather very short period of time to make any impact felt. It will take time to reach a wider audience and create awareness about our own history and heritage. However, my books on the freedom movements including ‘Biographical Encyclopaedia of Indian Muslim Freedom Fighters’ and ‘Ulema’s Role in India’s Freedom Movements’ have helped create awareness about the Muslim community’s major contributions in India’s different phases of the freedom movement. Without the involvement of the Muslim community, especially the clergy or ulema, the dream for an independent India would have remained a mere pipedream.
Similarly, my latest book ‘Forgotten Muslim Empires of South India’ has brought the history of Muslim kingdoms, sultanates and empires in South India in focus. Many people, who call themselves well-read, have admitted to me personally that they never had any idea that there was a Muslim sultanate in Madurai. Not many thought that a powerful empire ruled a huge swath of land in South India, an empire that stretched from coast to coast. Bijapur’s Adil Shahi sultanates, in the 17th century had taken over the remnants of the Vijayanagar Empire and had become a huge empire in itself. Besides, the beauty and splendour of the Bahmani courts or the courts of the subsequent sultanates was dazzling. The rich history of the Muslims in south India is mesmerising and a revelation of sorts for not just people in the north, but in South India itself.
source: http://www.muslimmirror.com / Muslim Mirror / Home> Indian Muslim> Interview / by Syed Ubaidur Rahman / May 28th, 2023
Renowned Urdu writer Abul Lais Javed passed away today in Al Shifa Hospital at 5.15 pm after prolong illness, according to a close family friend.
Author of several books and a retired Bihar Government senior employee, he was unwell for the last many months and was suffering from prostate cancer and other ailments.
He was 85 years old.
After retirement, Abul Lais Javed settled in Abul Fazal Enclave with his family and devoted his time to writing Urdu books.
Very recently, he wrote a book on history of Akbarpur in Sasaram his hometown.
Namaz-e-Janaza and tadfeen is to take place on Tuesday at 9 am in Shaheen Bagh graveyard, said a reetired Jamia school teacher Mohammed Shamim, very close to the family.
He was admitted in Al Shifa for the last one week. He was a resident of H17 Abul Fazal Enclave.
source: http://www.theokhlatimes.com / The Okhla Times/ Home> Local / by the okhla times / May 22nd, 2023
Dr Rakhshanda Roohi Mehdi, prominent fiction writer and a teacher of Syed Abid Hussain Senior Secondary School, Jamia Millia Islamia New Delhi has bagged the prestigious Hamid Saeed Khan Award of Madhya Pradesh Urdu Academy for her Urdu short story collection titled “Monsoon Store” and will receive Rs.51,000/- as award money.
This award recognizes the efforts of progressive women and the exceptional achievements of women who have broken barriers and demonstrated outstanding skills in their respective fields.
JMI Vice Chancellor Prof. Najma Akhtar congratulated Dr Rakshanda Roohi for her great achievements and wished her good luck for her future endeavours.
Dr. Rakhshanda said, “I am deeply honored and grateful to have been selected for this award. I am passionate about my writing and this award truly reflects what I believe in – a woman’s courage and her strong role in improving lives. I am committed to continue my efforts and empower women in the society”.
Apart from “Monsoon Store”, Rakhshanda has also penned another Urdu short story collection “Magar aik shaakh e nihaal e gham”. She has also written “Aik khwab jaagti ankhon ka”, a Hindi short story collection and one Book on Sufism named “Alakhdas.”
She has also translated two novels namely “Aakhri Swariyan” and a Pakistani novel titled “Naulakhi Kothi” in Hindi from Urdu.
Earlier, DD Urdu has broadcasted a tele film “Chilman k paar” which was based on her story named “Bahut sambhala wafa ka paiman magar…”.
A play “Kahan hai Manzil e Raah e tamanna” on her story has been staged in Ram Lal Bhawan New Delhi.
In addition to this, she has authored many articles which have been published in renowned magazines and newspapers. She is a regular participant of talk shows and story narrations of All India Radio and DD Urdu.
She has been honored with many other awards for her literary work.
source: http://www.ismatimes.com / Isma Times / Home> Country> National / by Afzal Shah Madudi (headline edited) /May 03rd, 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
Ebrahim Ismail Ebrahim served time on Robben Island as a political prisoner alongside Nelson Mandela.
Dr Aboubaker Ebrahim Dangor is known for his ground-breaking physics research.
National Orders winners (Photo | Presidency | South Africa Twitter)
Johannesburg :
Two South African Indian-origin citizens, the late struggle icon Ebrahim Ismail Ebrahim and scientist Dr Aboubaker Ebrahim Dangor, were among the many recipients of National Orders when President Cyril Ramaphosa hosted the annual event in Pretoria on Friday.
National Orders are the highest awards that South Africa country bestows on its citizens and eminent foreign nationals who have contributed towards the advancement of democracy and have made a significant impact on improving the lives of South Africans.
The National Orders also recognise the contributions made by individuals towards building a non-racial, non-sexist, democratic and prosperous South Africa as envisaged in our Constitution.
Popularly known as ‘Ebie’, Ebrahim passed away after a long illness in December 2019, shortly before his autobiography ‘Beyond Fear — Reflections of a Freedom Fighter’ was released by his wife Shannon.
Ebrahim served time on Robben Island as a political prisoner alongside Nelson Mandela, Ahmed Kathrada and others.
After his father was arrested twice for defying laws that restricted the movement of Indians in South Africa, he joined the liberation struggle at the age of 13.
Ebrahim often shared how he had been inspired by the Satyagraha style of Mahatma Gandhi, which he used in his passionate representation of the ANC in global conflict situations in Sri Lanka, Palestine, Rwanda, Kosovo, Bolivia and Nepal.
After his release, Ebrahim went into exile to continue his work with the ANC, but was abducted by apartheid-era security police from neighbouring Swaziland, tortured and sentenced to a second term on Robben Island. He obtained two university degrees while on Robben Island.
After the release of all political prisoners and the election of Mandela as South Africa’s first democratic president, Ebrahim served in various capacities, including as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Parliamentary Counsellor to Mandela.
Ebrahim’s citation said he was receiving the Order of Luthuli in Gold for his lifelong commitment to the liberation of all South Africans. “He lived by the courage of his conviction and became a formidable opponent to the repressive apartheid government,” it read.
Shannon Ebrahim described her late husband as a “gentle giant, even to his family.”
“He inspired us with his undiluted moral values, his absolute commitment to transform South Africa for the better (even beyond political liberation), and his willingness to engage warring factions in conflicts around the world as a peacemaker. He was the essence of humility and never expected recognition for any of the hardships he endured throughout his life in the cause for freedom,” she said.
His one hope was that South Africans would read his memoir “Beyond Fear” to better understand what revolutionaries of his generation went through to bring about a new South Africa, his wife added.
“(Our children) Sarah, Kadin and I miss him dearly, but will always cherish his legacy,” she said.
“Dr Dangor was awarded the Order of Luthuli in Silver — for his admirable and distinguished contribution to the field of science through his ground-breaking research in physics,” his citation read.
Dangor has been based in the UK since he went there to continue his studies after getting his first Honours degree at Wits University in 1961.
He could not return home permanently because the white minority apartheid government denied entry to his wife from Bermuda, as she was of Black descent.
Widely published in academic journals, Dangor has also overseen scores of doctorate candidates in his career.
“It is particularly humbling for me that the first recipient of the Award was Nelson Mandela, our first post-apartheid president. I hope that being the recipient of this award will encourage the youth in the sciences in South Africa,” Dangor said.
Dangor’s niece, Zubeda Dangor, founder and director of Nisaa Institute for Women in Johannesburg, said he was very shy and did not like the limelight.
He could not attend the ceremony and his award was accepted by his grandnephew Mohammed Raees Dangor.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> World / by PTI / April 30th, 2023
Vidhana Parishad Speaker Basavaraja C.Horatti releasing Book on ‘Contribution of Muslims in Kannada literature’
Basavaraja C.Horatti, Hon’ble Speaker of Vidhana Parishad of Karnataka Government has released a new book in Kannada, Kannada Sahityadalli Muslim Samvedane which means ‘Contribution of Muslim Writers to Kannada Literature’.
The book was released at a colourful function at the ‘Cochin Kannada Cultural Festival 2023’ which was promoted by joint auspices of Kannada Sangha Cochin, Kasaragod District Kannada Journa lists Association, Karnataka Border Area Development Authority, and Karnataka Working Journalists Association.
Kannada speaking masses in Ernakulum and various parts of kerala and Karnataka attended the festival in large.
The convention featured symposium, many cultural programs and a parade.
source: http://www.muslimmirror.com / Muslim Mirror / Home> Indian Muslim> Literature / by Muslim Mirror Network / May 08th, 2023
Muslims in Indian Cities: Trajectories of MarginalisationEdited by Lauren Gayer and Christophe Jaffrelot (London: Hurst & Company.
This book puts together researches on Muslims in India in a dozen Indian cities bringing out their sociological as well as topographical profiles. Various case studies in the volume locate Muslims in Indian cities and examine the ‘ghettoisation thesis’ and look into the Muslim localities and the way they relate to the wider reality of their city. The studies employ both qualitative and quantitative methods; some provide ethnographic profiles of the urban settlements. The profiles outline the marginalization of Indian Muslims in terms of economic deprivation aggravated by physical insecurity and their increasing socio-spatial segregation.
The studies clarify that Muslims in India do not form an internally homogenous block. The research is able to disaggregate the community in terms of caste and class as well as in terms of urban/rural divide. The Dalit Christians, the Dalit Muslims are not officially recognized and therefore do not benefit from the state’s affirmative action extended through reservations. The charitable donations in the form of zakāt lead to some redistribution, but this does not replace or make up for state intervention.
The ‘Unwanted in My City’—the making of a ‘Muslim Slum’ in Mumbai (Qudsiya Contractor) is an account of the formation of a Muslim Slum as a peripheral life space in Shivaji Nagar in terms of the ethnography of everyday life. The focus is laid on how the blurring of the boundaries between the everyday spatial practices of the state and the Hindu right takes place via the experiences of the people. The paper further describes how these exclusionary practices are countered by the Muslim community.
There is an unintended (not so negative) consequence of the process of ghettoization in the ‘riot-city’ of Ahmedabad (Christophe Jaffrelot and Charlotte Thomas). It placed Muslims in a majority position, where they could elect their representatives and, secondly, the regrouping of Muslims from different backgrounds has endowed the local commoners with a local elite who could campaign around safety and organize themselves for self-help development involving education. This account has parallels in the city of Ramganj, Jaipur (Gayatri Jai Singh Rathore), where the lower class were able to mobilize themselves to address issues in the field of education and politics by starting up schools and creating their own political party. Such mobilization could earn official recognition as well as gains in education and political awareness.
The account of the Shiʿa of Kashmiri mohalla, Lucknow (Gilles Verniers) highlights how the draining away of the new Shiʿi elite has contributed to the marginalization of those who stay behind. This transformation may be interpreted against the backdrop of the Shiʿa–Sunni divide. Those who emigrate escape their minority status and disperse without identity within the wider population. Another city, Aligarh, also riot-prone on account of the Hindu–Muslim divide, has a heterogeneous Muslim population and defies simple conclusions regarding its residential pattern. In some sense, Aligarh’s Muslim population in Shah Jamal is compared with Ahmedabad. Aligarh represents the political and economic domination of the Hindu community, yet the city connects symbolically with Islam and the Indian Muslim community. The interface between the majority and the minority communities of the town is susceptible to political violence. Each round of communal conflict is followed by further fragmentation of the old city: Hindus living in Muslim-dominated areas and Muslims living in Hindu-majority localities emigrate, thereby supporting the communal segregation of the town.
The story of Muslims being pushed to the social periphery in Bhopal (Christophe Jaffrelot and Shazia Wulbers) resulted in the marginalization of Urdu and forced the old elite to join new professions, but they failed to remain well-represented in the elite groups. This decline is analysed in relation to the influx of Hindu newcomers and the rise to power of the Hindu nationalists, which spurred the communal riot in 1992. Against the background of Muslims’ suffering discrimination in the job market, they also harbour a feeling of victimization which confines them within the old city. This produces a situation where the Muslims in the walled city lag behind, while the mainstream population expands southward in Bhopal.
One variation upon the above account is to be found in Hyderabad (Neena Ambre Rao and S. Abdul Thaha), where Muslims seem to be ‘landlocked in the walled city’. In the background of its characteristic history, its economic and intellectual elites have left the scene. The political elite, however, seems to persist as the old city became a stronghold of the MIM (Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen) which has a decisive influence in the municipal elections. The riots during the 1980s to 90s stimulated the unmaking of the Hindu–Muslim mix areas, thus the old city became communally ‘pure’ in its Muslim population. The old city, being high on communal security, decays on account of its poor living conditions and lack of government provisions. The emerging elite that pledges to represent the people is hardly able to keep its promises regarding the improvement of the area. However, a growing awareness is built around the importance of education, leading to the emergence of the newly educated middle class. These changes in various directions internally produce a tension: on the one hand, MIM dominates politically, and on the other hand, Muslims suffer discrimination outside the old city. This situation awaits a proper assessment.
The account (by Laurent Gayer) of Abul Fazl Enclave in South Delhi shows that the middle-class Muslims who opt to settle in the area, represent a case of self-segregation rather than ghettoization. The area offers, in the perception of the community, greater physical and residential security. Living in a mixed locality, outside, evokes the issue of security in the experience of the community. This needs to be seen in the wider context of the experience of risk. At the same time parents send their children to schools outside the locality, in an attempt to follow a ‘counter-segregative’ strategy. This calls for a multifaceted interpretation in the making of an enclave in the locality.
The story of Muslims in Cuttack in the State of Orissa is different from the usual account, where Muslims feel unsafe and insecure in communally sensitive areas. The Muslim communities in Cuttack are able to coexist with non-Muslims through the practice of an age-old tradition of bhaichara (brotherhood). In spite of the feelings of security and stability, a majority of Muslims of Cuttack are socially marginalized. The account of Cuttack outlines its history as well as the emergence of syncretic cultural traditions at the popular level. At the same time, the story of backwardness and under-representation of Muslims in various spheres of society directs attention to the dynamics of internal reasons for social inequality, a case of a minority within the minority. One such section of the community, the Muslim butchers (qasai), engage in community initiatives and organize themselves against the apathy of the state as well as the caste hierarchy of the community. An interesting exception to the story of marginalized Muslim localities in urban India is brought out from Kozhikode, in the state of Kerala. Radhika Kanchana points out how the enclave of the Muslim community is part of the city’s foundational design and the medieval practice of spatial groupings of different communities on the basis of occupation and social status. The locality of Kuttichira remains a Muslim cluster without the negative tag of decline or marginalization. Here, Muslims choose to extend into the city’s mixed localities without leaving their specific cultural and geographic identity.
Aminah Mohammad-Arif’s account of Muslims in Bangalore, in relation to the data gathered from Shivaji Nagar, questions the notion of a ‘ghetto’ insofar as different communities belonging to different classes respond to different interests and do not exhibit a common pattern arising out of a self-conscious choice of living in ghetto. This is influenced by Shivaji Nagar’s religious diversity that spawns interactions across the communal divide.
In conclusion, the editors discern complex patterns in the state of marginalization among India’s urban Muslims. Ghettoization has its own dynamics. Socially, a new middle class is emerging along traditional economy lines but also beyond, say in the areas of agribusiness, information technology, pharmaceuticals, real estate, etc. Successful Muslim entrepreneurs hail from the lowest sections of Muslim communities. In some places ‘petro-dollar’ colonies have emerged. The trajectories of marginalization represent different patterns of segregation: mixed areas, enclaves, slums and ghettos. These patterns are formed along the lines of voluntary and enforced segregation. The element of choice becomes difficult to interpret especially where considerations of insecurity and discrimination are taken into account.
The collection of essays is helpful in providing a contemporary account of India’s urban Muslims and the extent to which the patterns respond to the way the Indian state, the majority community and the dynamics of the internal urge to move upward intertwine. The diverse accounts add to the social mosaic of Muslims in India. The volume is an important reference for researches on Muslims in contemporary India.
by: Mohammad Talib, Journal of Islamic Studies, Volume 26, Issue 1, January 2015, Pages 88–91
source: http://www.academic.oup.com / Oxford Academic – Journal of Islamic Studies / by Mohammad Talib / September 29th, 2014
