Journo On the Move

Kashmir: Story of failed support among Indian Muslims

2011-08-30T02:53:00.000-07:00

Zaigham Murtaza

For last sixty years, living with an apprehension to prove their political trustworthiness Indian Muslims have mostly neglected the Kashmir movement and have hardly taken any stance. Even, those who never miss any opportunity to raise their voice against discrimination and killing of the minorities in the ever-prevailing riots from time to time keep mum on the killing of civilians in Kashmir. To the dismay of Kashmiris, Muslims from rest of India and their Human Right activists failed to notice the recently found, unmarked mass graves in Kashmir.

“We are sorry but have no complaints from our brethren in India”, says Yasin Malik, a known face of resistance in Kashmir who has now adopted a Gandhian way of non-violent politics. “They keep silent for their very own people, although they find time and voices for far away Palestine, Iraq and even Libya, he complains.

Actually, the Kashmir has become a point to prove one’s patriotism in India. To side with the Kashmiris is not less than siding with the Pakistan, who is being accused for all the problems including the militancy in the region. The nationalists raise occasionally the slogans to save Kashmir in the programs that may have not a single point of relevance with the state.

“Kashmir itself is a complex problems for Indian Muslims”, says Dr. Mohibbul Haq, professor of Human Rights at Aligarh Muslim University. “So complex that causes more problems to our own peaceful life”, he says while adding that the intensity of the nationalist sentiments can be understood when saving the Kashmir and anti-Pakistan rhetoric becomes an election agenda for some groups in the states like Gujrat, Uttar Pradesh and even the south most Karnataka.

Interestingly, in Kashmir the security forces have encountered with militants with foreign nationalities, including the Afghans, Uzbeks, Arabs and Pakistanis but the intelligence reports and the data from military establishments never found any such involvements from the Indian Muslims during last 65 years of struggle in Kashmir.

Now, when the state Human Rights Commission in Kashmir is claiming that they have found 2730 bodies in the unmarked graves in Kashmir, the issue has found no buyers among the Indian Muslims. Earlier it was assumed that these bodies may have been of the unidentified militants killed in military operations, but the assumptions have been proved false as more than 500 bodies have been identified as locals and more revelations are expected after the DNA and similar test reports comes in. This also has been ignored by the Indian media which was busy in covering the anti-graft movement of Gandhian social activist Anna Hazare. Prophesising peace and Gandhian philosophy all around the world, even no Gandhian found the time to condemn the killing en masse and the people responsible.

SA Aiyer a leading columnist raises the concern over the response of the Indian people over such findings. “Even Pakistan is responsible for these killings, why aren’t people come out”, he asks, while adding that after all people killed are humans first.

Interestingly, killing of around 2000 people in the Gujrat’s infamous mayhem of 2002 is still a big issue for the near about 140 million Muslims residing in various states in India. The secular politics in the nation is more about the talks of anti-riots and victims of more than 200 riots the minorities have faced during last 65 years of Independence. But for Kashmir, there is not even a single voice of dissent. For the article we tried to contact many clerics, politicians and the social activists but no one dared to challenge the notion of patriotism bound with the sentiments for the state of Kashmir in India.

On the term of anonymity, one cleric only says that he has sympathy towards the Kashmiris but cannot make a comment as he don’t wants to be a part of any political controversy.

“You know our situation”, he says while adding that he will only attract opposing nationalists, intelligence agencies and lot more controversies at his doorstep if he talks about killings in Kashmir.

Although, the Indian Muslims fail to take any clear stand they have a general notion that both the states of India and Pakistan have ruined the fortunes of the people who once boasted to be the residents of paradise on the earth.

“The issue of Kashmir is the case of false ego and hypocrisy”, says Syed Hasan Kazim, scholar at Nelson Mandela Institute of war and conflict studies at Jamia Millia Islamia Universsity in Delhi. “If Junagarh was integrated to the nation on the grounds of Muslim ruler against the will of majority subjects, then Pakistan has a valid case on Kashmir”, he says, discussing the fact that during the integration process of the Union of India the states of Junagarh, Hyderabad and Bhopal were annexed to the Union of India on the grounds that there the population was Hindu in majority with a Muslim ruler and their decision either to go with Pakistan or remain Independent as per the Mountbatten Plan was against the will of the subjects. If such was the issue than why not the majority Muslim population under the Hindu Dogra ruler in Kashmir was allowed to decide their own fate.

For last sixty five years the issue has been at the core of the controversy in Indian subcontinent leaving the two nations, India and Pakistan having fought the 4 wars and busy in anti-insurgency operation. But, it seems that the Indian Muslims have submitted there will to the majority voices, who want a tight hold on Kashmir at any cost, even if there are more 70,000 bodies are found, the official number of people get killed during last 6 decades of violence in the state.

Myths of Women Political Empowerment

2011-06-15T23:41:00.000-07:00

You can tell the condition of a nation by looking at the status of its women.
- Jawaharlal Nehru

History of democracy in India ways back to during the 6th century BC with the historical evidences to the existence of republics (The Ganas and the Sanghas). Diodorus, the Greek historian without offering any details mentions the existence of small independent Democracies, with Licchavi prominently highlighted.
The official existence of Panchayat bodies in India also dates back to the ancient times. The historical books, the ancient scriptures and epics talk about the existence of Panchayat bodies. “The multitude of ethnicities and people provided for the autonomy and self-determination of the villages, city-states, republics and constitutional kingdoms through the observance of Dharma. The villages ruled by their elected representatives and were, therefore, autonomous and self-governing administrative units having the power to manage their educational, economic social, administrative and other requirements”.
With the advent of British rule in India, the Panchayati Raj system eroded which could only be revived after the Independence in 1947 and that too took so many years. During the decades of 1950 and 1960 several states adopted the Panchayati Raj system or the local self governments. In 1992, the system was given a constitutional cover by the 73rd amendment to the Constitution of India.
With all the golden scribes on Democracy the Indian political system all carries the blot of partiality and marginalization of the females. Although, at Panchayat level the women are shielded with quota system and certain number of seats are reserved (ranging from 33% to 50% varying from state to state) for them in local Panchayat bodies or the three tier system of local self government (the village Panchayat for rural, the municipal bodies in urban area, the block level and district Panchayat bodies), the women have failed to secure an independent position in the socio-political system.
The disparities exist not only in the field of education, jobs and the status in society but also in political arena. Provisional data released for the census of 2011 In 2011 India counted only 914 girls aged six and under for every 1,000 boys. Also the census data suggests the big gender gap. The data shows male literacy rate of 82.14% whereas the females lag behind with a wide gap of almost 20 percent at 65.46%.
Economically too, women are still dependent on males as most of them are not allowed to work outside their homes. Female employment rate varies from state to state (4.4% to 48.8%) and in northern states shows the poor trends with total of 31% of the total workforce in India.
Politically, they may have found representation at the lower levels, but that too is conditional (with actual powers vested in the hands of male members of the family). At the top women have failed to gain an equal opportunity status despite some individual and exceptional performances and have seen a stiff resistance from the political blocks and the parliamentarians for the proposed women representation Bill.
Even the voting trends show the poor rate of participation of women in the political process. Almost half the women remain aloof of the polling booth are forced to do so. At non-reserved seats, hardly any women dare to pose a challenge to male candidates. Very rarely, women win an election at non-reserved seat.
At Panchayat level the condition is worst as most of the elected females are either illiterate or bound to the shackles of patriarchies. At most of the time either the father, brother or the husband participates in the proceedings meant for the elected members of local bodies. Even officials have failed to curb the practice and even sometime they are supportive to the practice. Women are being used as a rubber stamp and their thumb impression has no freewill of its own.
It doesn’t mean that everything is wrong with the system. There have been some extraordinary outcomes from the existing system itself. There are the examples when the women representatives in local bodies have been an agent to real change. There are names like Changuna Raoji Sinalkar, sarpanch of Ranmala village in Maharashtra who made a path breaking success in the implementation of government policies, Anjibai who won the best sarpanch award in 2007 and 2009, Chhavi Rajawat of rajastha who probably is the first MBA sarpanch in India.
But these are just few to count. Majority falls into the second category of powerless, illiterate and unaware. They can be brought to the mainstream of success but this needs a stiff effort. They need to be made aware of their rights which they really deserve. Unless and until they are educated and trained for the actual participation, the objectives of reservation cant be met.
This can be achieved through awareness generation, capacity building, constant training and education. The target s cannot be achieved overnight, neither one should expect a drastic change in near future, But a start is to be made and should be made today. With every day passing the condition will only worsen and the vision of equality, justice (social and political) mentioned in the constitution of India will only further go blurred.

Solution to environmental Hazard named Plastic

2011-06-15T04:15:00.000-07:00

Plastics along with the convenience to our life have brought lot of miseries for the environment. As a non-degradable material used plastics are choking our daily life. Only option available is recycling the plastics to make them usable, thus lessening the burden on environment.
Causing lot of civic problems ranging from choking the pipelines and drains to the waste management for the municipal bodies all over the world. The basic problem is that the plastics if burnt in open cause lot of pollution, if they are left they don’t decay.
• If plastic doesn’t biodegrade, what does it do? It “photo-degrades” – a process in which it is broken down by sunlight into smaller and smaller pieces, all of which are still plastic polymers, eventually becoming individual molecules of plastic, still too tough for anything to digest.

• For the last fifty-odd years, every piece of plastic that has made it from our shores to the Pacific Ocean, has been breaking down and accumulating in the central Pacific gyre.

• In Handbook of Environmental Health, published by CRC Press in 2002, Herman Koren claims, “By the year 2000, 9.4% of the waste was plastic, or approximately 39.4 billion lb. Since 1960, plastic production has grown at two to three time the rate of the gross national product. More than half of all discarded plastic is packaging.

• Michelle Allsop highlights the danger of waste plastic to marine animals in Plastic Debris in the World’s Oceans, published by Greenpeace in November 2006 when she states, “Ingestion of marine debris is known to particularly affect sea turtles and seabirds but is also a problem for marine mammals and fish. Ingestion is generally thought to occur because the marine debris is mistaken for prey. Most of that erroneously ingested is plastic."
The plastic When compared to other materials like glass and metal, plastic polymers require tough processing to be recycled. Plastics have low entropy of mixing, which is due to the high molecular weight of their large polymer chains. A macromolecule interacts with its environment along its entire length, so its enthalpy of mixing is large compared to that of an organic molecule with a similar structure. Heating alone is not enough to dissolve such a large molecule; because of this, plastics must often be of nearly identical composition in order to mix efficiently.
When compared to other materials like glass and metal materials, plastic polymers require greater processing to be recycled. Plastics have low entropy of mixing, which is due to the high molecular weight of their large polymer chains. A macromolecule interacts with its environment along its entire length, so its enthalpy of mixing is large compared to that of an organic molecule with a similar structure. Heating alone is not enough to dissolve such a large molecule; because of this, plastics must often be of nearly identical composition in order to mix efficiently.
When different types of plastics are melted together they tend to phase-separate, like oil and water, and set in these layers. The phase boundaries cause structural weakness in the resulting material, meaning that polymer blends are only useful in limited applications.

Another barrier to recycling is the widespread use of dyes, fillers, and other additives in plastics. The polymer is generally too viscous to economically remove fillers, and would be damaged by many of the processes that could cheaply remove the added dyes. Additives are less widely used in beverage containers and plastic bags, allowing them to be recycled more often
Also it is a tough task to collect bottles from scraps, home & industrial wastes and recycle them only to be used again.
Plastic recycling is gaining popularity all over the globe, although in India it needs to be kick started. It will not only solve the environmental and civic problems to much of the extent but can also provide livelihood to many.
How to recycle the plastics
Interestingly, the most commonly used plastic are easier to recycle. The soda and water bottles, medicine containers, and many other common consumer product containers fell in this category. Made up of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PETE) these bottles and containers can be recycled to furnished products like fiberfill for winter coats, sleeping bags, life jackets etc. The recycled plastic can also be used for making the furniture, home utilities, gardening baskets, auto accessories, combs, tennis ball felt etc.
PETE is assigned number 1 by The Society of The Plastic Industry (SPI) to allow consumers and recyclers to differentiate types of plastics while providing a uniform coding system for manufacturers (1 to 7 surrounded by triangle of arrows. This sign is displayed mostly at the bottom of the product.
The class 1 plastics are easy to recycle, can be converted into by products conveniently. The process is easy, cost effective and the technology involved is readily available at nominal costs.

The model for social sector
The social organizations can
• Take a social initiative to motivate the people to use bio-degradable plastics as well as bring in the habit of collecting the plastic wastes in homes for recycling.
• Awareness generation against the use of plastics and its hazards for the environment.
• Social organizations can work on the collection of the plastics and forwarding them to recycling units
• Also, they can take initiatives for the production of recycled plastics, manufacture goods from recycled plastics and marketing of such products.
The Outcome
• The livelihood: The unemployed youth, the poor, the destitute and rag pickers can get a sustainable livelihood.
• The environmental impact:
a) The action will bring awareness against the use of plastics in the project implementation area.
b) The participation of communities will bring curb the mismanagements of plastics.
c) The plastics recycling will help the environment to sustain
Conclusion:
For sustainable development solutions, we all will have to take the responsibilities and that too at the earliest. If we don’t act we will run fast towards the dooms day and that won’t be natural, rather all the disaster will be men made.
We all need small but effective solutions based on community involvement. These can be locally based social interventions. We will have to develop the models where each individual have the role to contribute and a duty to share. The plastic recycling may not bring drastic change to the health of environment but it can at least ensure that we are conscious for the cause. We together can bring change and someone has to come up with initiative, Small but effective.

Myths of education in Karnataka

2011-05-23T22:33:00.000-07:00

With 54,529 primary schools attended by 252,875 teachers and 8.495 million students Karnataka may have the haven for primary education, but the state’s total literacy rate of 67.04% suggests the different story. The government endeavors like Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan and the School Chalo Campaigns have failed to erase the blot of illiteracy from the state. Interestingly, almost half of the female population in the state is still illiterate.

This eighth largest state in India boasts itself for the literacy rate slightly higher than the national average and the structure of higher education that is better than many of the states and union territories in India. This is one side of the story. Education is still a daydream for much of the tribal population, the scheduled castes, the poor and the marginalized people.

In its report due to be submitted to the Karnataka High Court, a committee headed by the former NHRC member Shivraj Patil to study the causes of child marriages the committee said poverty, illiteracy and lack of awareness were the prime reasons behind the social evils in the state. This admittance came when most of the government bodies were boasting the raise in the levels of literacy and living standards of the people of Karnataka.

Recent census data also suggest the poor state of education in the state, specially of the SC, SC and the minorities. Karnataka can claim that their position is far better them many other states but it is only a cosolation. Specially when we claim that the state is the home to the prestigious institutions of higher and technical educatin, home to the IT industry and much more, the slow progress in primary education is a dangerous sign.

Need of Urgent Action

Reasons behind the illiteracy on the same side are poverty and lack of awareness. Also, the social practices contribute a lot to raise the problem. There is an urgent need to address the issue. To meet the millennium development goals of 2015 education can be the best tool.

How the problem can be met out?

Total literacy cannot be achieved, until and unless each and every citizen is involved in the process. The deprived, marginalized and the poor shall be given equal opportunities. Also, there is an urgency to run an awareness program to address the issue so that the social stigma can be broken.

Street Children:They Need Care too

2011-05-07T00:00:00.001-07:00

The State shall, in particular, direct its policy towards securing:

>That the health and strength of workers, men and women, and the tender age of children are not abused and that citizens are not forced by economic necessity to enter avocations unsuited to their age or strength;

>That children are given opportunities and facilities to develop in a healthy manner and in conditions of freedom and dignity and that childhood and youth are protected against exploitation and against moral and material abandonment.

Abstract from Art 39 (Constitution of India)

Children are the foundation stones of the Human development. Abusive childhood doesn’t causes problem for an individual but also for a society. The notion of a healthy, crimeless and developed society loses its relevance if so many numbers deprived of the opportunity to grow live within its boundaries as the studies suggest that India is home to almost 20 percent of the 100 million populations that falls under the category of homeless street children.
The term ‘street children’ is usually applied to children under the age of 18, who either live or make a living on the streets. Some may have family connections, but others are simply abandoned or choose to run away from home, often due to domestic violence .Estimating the number of street children is extremely difficult due to the transient lifestyle they lead as well as the debates surrounding the precise definition of the term. Recent UNICEF estimates are as high as 100-150 million around the world.
Street children are highly concentrated in countries with struggling economies, but are also present in developed countries. Regardless of their location, they face hardships and exploitation. Street children are generally deprived of their right to education and have little or no access to the formal education system. The majority of them are illiterate and have either never been enrolled, or have dropped out of the formal education system, and it is difficult to secure funding for the kind of informal education which suits street children’s lives.
According to an estimate 33% of the total street children are below 10 years of age, while another 40% fell into the age band of 11 to 15 years. These children, who may have played an important role in the national and human growth, are living a miserable life. Exposed to various abuses, trafficking, and poor health, they need special care to be the part of mainstream.
Although various agencies have been trying to address the problem but no one has come up with a viable solution. A solution which may help these children to live a normal life and a normal life, that’s the fundamental right of every citizen.

An Aspirin a day!

2011-01-21T00:55:00.000-08:00

Aspirin, a commonly available headache pill is in news for its ability to curb certain type of cancers but our own specialists are suggesting that improper dosage of aspirin can lead to health disasters.

AN aspirin a day minimizes the risks of certain type of cancers, according to the recent research conducted in Britain. Brit researchers have claimed that aspirin reduces the overall death rates fell by 34 per cent for all cancers and 54 per cent for gastrointestinal cancers and longer the people were given the drug, better was the protection.

The British researchers also claimed that those who took the low dose of aspirin around the age of 45 or 50 for 20 to 30 years benefited the most and it may be because cancer rates rise with age.

Previously aspirin was found to a good solution for heart attack cases. A 75mg dose can prevent heart attacks and strokes even in people who have not been diagnosed with cardiovascular problems.

This research has further boosted the sales of already very popular aspirin on local counters. People are asking it even without any prescription slips.

“It is a very commonly sold drug”, says Rajiv Singh who runs a pharmacy. “People frequently ask it for common fever and aches”.

But the medical experts flout the idea of consuming aspirin without proper medical guidance. They believe that research may have been done in closed environment and is an objective study. This should not be generalized as the frequent consumption of aspirin can lead to major health problems.

“Aspirin dilutes the blood and hence reduces the chances of heart attack”, admits Dr. A.K Singh a Surgeon. “But I will never recommend aspirin to my patients so generally”, he says adding that it may risk their life and prove hazardous, specially in case one gets injured.

Also, the medical experts warn for not consuming an aspirin occasionally. “The frequent use of aspirin may help in cancers but certainly it will give birth to some new problem”, says Dr. Ashish Asthana, a professor in microbiology.

“All the allopathic prescriptions have one or the other side effect and you cannot avoid them in any condition”, he adds.

Time to connect with Egypt

2011-01-13T04:51:00.000-08:00

Indian Universities can help in the development of Urdu in Egypt feels Professor Yusuf Amir, HoD Urdu in Al-Azhar University of Cairo

CCS University will share its experiences on Urdu as a teaching subject and its literature with one of the oldest Universities in the world, the Al-Azhar of Cairo and are also planning for the educational exchange programs among themselves.

India shares warm historical relations with Egypt as the land of one of the oldest civilizations and also with a good number of Urdu knowing population. The department of Urdu, running in Al-Azhar University wants cultural; exchange with Indian universities in order to enrich its knowledge about the language and India, where Urdu was born.

“Although it is a new language but is quite popular among the masses world-wide and in Egypt too”, says Professor Yusuf Amir, who heads the department of Urdu in Al-Azhar. “The language bridges the gap between the people of various countries residing in Egypt and it can further ensure better communication among such people with those of Egypt ”, he says while adding that Indian Universities can help them in the development of curriculum and popularizing Urdu.

At Al-Azhar major Urdu literature and poetry is being translated to Arabic and vice versa. Now the university is looking for educational exchange programs. Along with Aligarh Muslim University, the Jamia Millia Islamia and the Maulana Azad Urdu University, the CCS University is also on the radar of Egyptian University. Reciprocating to the desire of Professor Amir, the CCS University has also shown the interest in the plan.

“It will be good both for them and our students too”, said Dr. Aslam Jamshedpuri about the educational exchange program. “ If we can serve for Urdu what another opportunity better then this will come to us”, he adds.

Presently, long with the University of Al-Azhar, which started teaching Urdu language way back in 1962 in the department of languages, five other universities run various courses in Urdu. With more then 400 research scholars in the language, Urdu is quite popular among Egyptian students. The language can ensure better ties with the major Arab country and with Al-Azhar, which is often termed as the cradle of knowledge for Islamic world and their relations with the rest of the world.

At last, CCS Students to get their Degrees

2011-01-05T04:23:00.000-08:00

Finally, the wait of degrees for more then 10 Lakh students CCS University may come to an end, as the administration has decided to distribute the academic testimonials to all those who have been waiting for years.

CCS University will host the annual convocation of February 12 and the University academic council wishes to end the backlog of degrees that has been pending towards the university from the session on 2006-07. Since then, more then 10 Lakh students have passed their respective degree courses from the campus and the affiliated colleges. Interestingly, none of these have been issues the degree certificates.

“The backlog kept on piling year after year and there have been so many reasons behind this”, says Prabhat Ranjan, the University Registrar. “The reasons includes the shortage of staff, the software solution and many more to count on”, he adds.

Approximately 3 Lakh students queue up for their pass out certificates for graduation, post-graduation and professional courses every year. For the last four sessions, students have been handed the provisional certificates and that too on the request. But, university wishes to end the backlog during the current session and want to finish of the responsibility on or before February 12, the date fixed for the annual convocation. University staff is working day and night to finish the task in time.

“This year, University will surely handover all the degrees pending with us”, claims S.C Piplani, the University PRO.

CCS University is one of the biggest state universities in India, but is also infamous for irregular sessions and academic negligence. Recently, CCS University has lost its B++ rating of NAAC, the National Academic Accreditation Council. Now, CCS not only wants to retain its lost pride, the NNAC grading but also wishes to regularize the sessions. This move will not only get back things back to the track but also it will benefit the students who are waiting anxiously for their degree certificates.

A Social (Business) networking

2011-01-02T22:58:00.000-08:00

Local small business entrepreneurs in Meerut are rushing to popular social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, Orkut and myspace for business promotion and expansion.

With rising number of Internet users in India, the local corporate groups and entrepreneurs are busy in exploiting the social sites for their business development.

With more then 10 million net users in India, 650 million global users and many more joining in everyday, Internet family is growing with a fast pace. An average time the Internet users devote is also on a rise. To exploit this growing trend for the net, more and more business organizations are turning to it for their business advantage. Not only they are placing their personalized advertisement but also they are using social sites to grow their network.

“I have found more then 25 clients on the Facebook for my small apparel business” says Shahzad Ahmed. “My network is growing and I can hope to reap the harvest in a better way”, he adds.

Actually the mathematics of social sites is very simple. People look for like-minded people through auto generated friend suggestions and placing the personalized advertisement that are free on many social sites. Also people are targeted through personal messages.

“ Whenever I have a new design or a new product launch, I inform all the members of my network about it,” says Rajiv Singh, a kitchen plastic ware manufacturer. “ I do it for suggestions and feedback, also I get some clientage from it”, he adds.

Another reason being quoted for the social business networking is that the net users devote much of their time with such sites. An average net literate spend at least an hour a day on social networking, according to a recent survey.

“Also it is convenient, cheaper and effective medium to reach your target audience”, says Naveen Jain, a brand promotion manager with an MNC. “Those who cant afford costly ad-campaigns and brand promotion exercise have a best option to join a networking site’, he adds.

Not only for brand promotion, feedback or clientage by the entrepreneurs, consultants and vendors are also using social sites, as it allows them to keep a regular touch with their customers and sharing the business tips.
“Almost half of my customers remain available on social sites for most of the day”, says Pradeep Mitra, a financial consultant, who claims that the social sites have helped him to grow his clientage. “I even share ideas with many of my group members”, he adds.

Teachers discard Morals, favor Realistic Approach

2010-12-28T23:25:00.000-08:00

Educationalists in Meerut initiated a debate over shaping the moral conduct of children and the society and refused to take over the responsibility, saying that their duty is to make the student realistic, so that he may sustain in the present corrupt scenario

Educationalists sparked a new debate over the inclusion of Moral education in teaching plan after some participants flouted the idea as outdated and irrelevant in a seminar organized on Monday at Western UP Chamber of Commerce in Industry.

Organized by the department of education of the Apex institute of Management and Research, in the seminar “Teacher’s Role in the Context of Present Social Scenario”, the seminar was to discuss the future role for the students who want to pursue the career as a teacher. But a Professor R.P Bhatnagar, the ex-head of the department of education in CCS University and now the member in many panels related with higher education, sparked a new row by suggesting the audiences to discard the concept of morality and ethics from the educational process.

“It is not the duty of a teacher, rather let the student pick for himself the set of morals whatever suits them”, said Professor Bhatnagar from the dais. “Teacher should focus on clearing the concepts related with the subject”, he suggested while adding that the excess of morality in a student leads him to a failure. Also he suggested that students should rather be practical in order to sustain in the present scenario where the whole system is corrupt.

The idea of professor Bhatnagar was applauded and supported by most present on the dais. Most of them supported the idea that the teacher should look for the mental and educational development only.

“Let the family and society shape the morality as it is their primary duty”, said Dr. Suraksha Pal, the Dean and head in the department of education in CCS University. Although she accepted that teachers too have some role to play in shaping the morals for society, but he comes last in the hierarchy comprised of family, neighbors and the society along with them.

Interestingly, most of the scholars and academicians supported the idea to discard the concept of moral education. Very few opposed and that too in a very weak tone.

“It is a sort of illusion”, claimed Dr. Ganga Sharan Sharma, ex-head in the department of education at N.A S College. “May be Professor Bhatnagar was frustrated with the system”, he added while claiming that Professor Bhatnagar in his times always favored morality and now his words are more in sympathy for his obedient disciples
Whatever may be the reasons, but Professor Bhatnagar has raised a question that need to be answered. Society looks towards the teachers to shape the moral values and if they are not ready to accept the responsibility, then who, is the major concern now.

Living with ajab ghazab identities

2010-12-25T23:21:00.000-08:00

How correct was Shakespeare when he said, “What’s in the name”, if we go through the words by which certain places and persons are tagged with denotes their identity.

Who may not be confused to listen the Ajab , Ghazab and Vichitra names (which means strange) to identify a person, but these are among the popular names in western UP, where in almost every village there is one or the other Ajab Singh or Vichitra Kumar. To add on these typical rural names there are words like Lathait (cane stick) Singh, Jhunde (wild grass) Singh. There are Buddhu (fool), jumma (Friday) and also Bundu, Chandu, Chhajju, Rajju, Bijju, Natthu and Billu who even themselves cannot explain the meaning of their name, but they are called like this only.

“Often people were not used to take a trouble to find a name’, says Dr. Mohammad Ghazi, a linguist adding that in older times people were simple and often named their child on the day or the month they were born like Muharram (first month of Urdu Calendar) Ali, Sawan (a month in Hindi calendar) Lal and Kartik (another Hindi month) Singh.

Not even the human beings even places carry some strange tags for their identity. A village carries a name Bawli which in Hindi is denoted to a person who has lost his mind. There are Mundali, Dhikoli, Jhunda Mafi, Lawad, Nagli, Chhollas, Jharcha, Nangloi, Kudey Mafi, Munda Pande, Chhajlait, Jirauli, Wawai and Ikrotia. These words may not be found in any dictionary or encyclopedia of any language but they exist in this very world.
“Name of places are not same as they were originally named”, says Ramnath Sharma Raman, a poet and a historian. “Actually the name get distorted with times and linguistic errors’, he adds.

Whatever may be the reasons but the human and destination chronology often confuses our minds. But we are like this only and not today but for ages. These are the colors of life and our culture. So next time you go through such a name just take it as a ray from iridescence and never try to mingle your mind behind the meanings

Teachers, please end the rule of stick

2010-12-24T00:38:00.000-08:00

For long educationalists are constantly trying to chalk out a system where the students shall be allowed to grow naturally without fear and burden of studies, but most of these approaches are child centric, ignoring the behavioral and psychological studies of the teachers.

Some three thousand years ago, Greek philosopher Plato drafted a plan, thought to be the first human effort to comprehensively design the education system and the curriculum. Since then, various scholars have drafted hundred of plans, but rarely anyone talked about the behavior of teachers or their psychoanalysis.

“Teacher is an axis of any educational system”, claims Professor Suraksha Pal, while suggesting that the education system should be learner oriented. “If the teacher has some behavioral problem, he will spoil the entire system, she adds. In addition she suggests that education system should be learning oriented instead of teaching oriented and the teacher should be an impressionist.

Most of the educationists while suggesting the reforms in system favor no-punishment format in schools, as they feel that punishments are not the solution but the problem itself. Jeremy Bentham (1748) called the punishment as revenge. He suggests that teacher should be reformative in action and not punitive.

"Imparting an education is a two way communication process", says Dr. Shivali Agrawal, a Professor in Political Science. "Teacher is as important as the student. But I feel that punitive measures are avoidable and also that no teacher feels happy while punishing his student", she adds.

But question remains intact that how to deal the students and does the punishment become inevitable in certain cases and does the teacher loses the ground of morality, once he punishes his ward.

"After all teacher is also a humane", says Professor Beer Singh, an expert in human psychology. "Sometime he can get irritated with students behavior and minor issues shall be neglected.” He adds while suggesting that the teacher should learn to control his emotions and in no case he shall go violent against the kids.

No safe road in Meerut

2010-12-21T22:54:00.000-08:00

There is no safe road to pass through in Meerut, a city with highest density of private registered vehicles in western UP region and the worst roads to drive.

With almost two Lakh registered two wheelers and approximately 30,000 registered private cars, roads in the city remain clogged with traffic all around the day. To worsen the traffic situation more then 3500 tempos and auto rickshaws run on the city roads., along with 400 hundred city transport buses150 school buses. The city roads almost crumble every day with the burden of 4 Lakh veicles on them.

Interestingly, to manage this traffic on roads the traffic department has sanctioned the staffs of only 100 men out of them just 60 are available in present date. For these sixty men there is just one traffic car in the name of resources.

On an average the accidents cost at least one life a day on the city roads and another 5 are injured. According to the traffic department most of those who fell prey to accidents are found violating the traffic norms. The records of emergency admissions at Lala Lajpat Rai Medical College suggest that most of the victims were under age and were driving the two wheelers. Also most of those who lost their life were not wearing the helmets.

This data suggests that neither the traffic department is well equipped nor the citizens are properly educated in traffic rules and regulations. Although the officials responsible for the smooth functioning of the traffic claim that they do more then enough to minimize the accident risks.
“We focus mainly on educating the youth about the traffic norms”, claims Sudheer Kumar Singh, SP (Traffic) while adding that they have a traffic park to educate the children about the road signs and the rules. Also he claimed that his staff works round the clock for the smooth running of transport on city roads.

But the blood-bathed roads of city seem to falsify these claims and suggest that the traffic department is ill equipped to guard 1400 kilometers of municipal, cantonment and PWD roads through which the citizens run day and night.

“At most of the busy road crossings one may not find even a constable to guard”, says Dr. Dinesh Singh, a professor in CCS University. “ The population of the city is rising day-by-day and so the traffic, but not the number of traffic policemen”, he adds.

How I got my name?

2010-12-08T03:58:00.000-08:00

Everything is in a name as is the only attribute that a man can claim to be his own and attribute it to his identity and the very first gift he receives from his family and the society.
Jean Jacques Rousseau, a famous philosopher says that man owes nothing to himself, even his name that is often given by the family and attributed to him by the society. One can have many names but his identity will be attributed to the one that gets the recognition from the society.

“I don’t know how I got my name”, says Sandeep Mishra alias Sandy. “My mom started calling me Sandy and so my neighbors”, he says adding that now only his office mates know his original name and even close relative are e unaware of Sandeep.

There are many people like Sandeep and some of them have even forgotten their real names. Ask them, and they will tell they name by which they are referred with even if they hate they word.

“People call me chavanni’, says Raju, a boy working at a tea stall. ‘I hate this word but cant do anything and I have grown habitual of it”, he adds.

Very few people know how and why they got the distinguished name for themselves and many of them even remain unaware of its meaning. Some of them puzzle all through their life for the reasons, why they were tag specifically. But the name is name and no one can survive without this label, from whatever source he may have attained it.

“In our times a priest used to suggest the names or the elders in the family made the choice”, says Jarnail Singh, who got his name because his grandfather wanted him to be high ranking official in army and for him General was Jarnail.

Naming a child once was a sacred ritual and the names originated from the sacred texts, attributed to Gods and Goddesses and saints. War heroes, the kings and queens and the divine characters had followed them as the second choices.

But the time has changed so the method of naming a man. Joint families exist no more and rarely the priests are consulted. Professor google and other search engines have replaced the age-old system. Those who are not tech savvy, they rely upon their knowledge about film stars, the star players and the famous politicians to name their child, and the name game goes on.

The "Secular" Traditions: Indian Marriage

2010-12-03T22:50:00.000-08:00

A wedding ceremony or a festive jubilation in India are the best places where one can find the deep roots of harmony along with the shared traditions of various communities and cultures bonded together.

No community in India can claim the cultural homogeneity for itself as one or the other tradition they follow may have been inherited from others and with the time have become the integral part of our jubilations at various occasions, including festivals and marriages.

For instance, the rituals of Mehndi are followed by most of the Indians, irrespective of their caste, religion, or ethnicity at their matrimonial delight. Mehndi ceremony has emerged as one of the most important pre-wedding ritual, a funfilled delight mainly observed at bride's family. Although originated in ancient India, the art of decorating skin can be found all over the world, but not as ceremonious as in Indian subcontinent.

“In India, Pakistan and Bangladesh mehandi has achieved the status of a saced rite that is inevitable, interestingly no Arab marriage celebrates mehndi, where Islam claims its origination”, says Naqi Mehdi a scholar. “The celebrations have come up in the present form by the intermixing of cultural values of the Persians, Indians and later with turks and Arabs, who had migrated to India he adds.

Intersetingly the tradition has strenthened the secular fabric of India,often boasted as the Ganga Jamuni Tahzeeb. Signifying the strenghth of love, mehndi is not the only tradition that is being shares across the communities.

“The rituels of Haldi, the Choori pahnai , Muh dikhai, Joota churai and much more to count , Indian marriages are celebrated more or less on the same pattern”, says Avnita Singhal, a social worker. “I was attending my friend’s marriage who is a Muslim, and I was ammused to see that everything happening was more or less similar to ours with minor alterations”, she says.

Not only the marriages, the festive jubilations also have much alikes that can confuse anyone to take the one festivel as other.The fireworks, sweet distribution and the gatherings of Shab e Barat can be placed with that of Diwali without much changes to observe. Similary Nauroz clebrations among the Parsi families and also the Muslims who claim their Iranian origin are almost that of Holi where colors and sweets add values to the festive mood.

“We can not change our past, including our shared heritage and cultural values as we have lived together for years and have shared all our good and bad with each other”, says Dr. Kamlesh Mahajan, a Professor in socilogy. “ It is not fair to call them a Hindu ritual or Muslim ritual, rather they are our very own Indian ritual, she adds.

The crossbonding is so evident that the search for origination is like searching a needle in the straw heap. Interestingly, no one bothers about it, and just want to enjoy the traditions.

“I don’t want to discuss, from where the traditions have come in but as far as they add colors to the celebrations, and didn’t voilate the norms of society, law and religion, they must be accepted openheartedly”, says Maulana Mahzar Abidi, a cleric. “If a ritual itself has shedded its communal identity, who are we to paint it in the name of a religion”,

The tones of Maulana Mahzar are also carried in the voice of Pandit Ramnath Sharma, a poet, who believes that religion and customs, although seem to be integral but have very less to do with each other, and says “We are human and the entire development we notice is the joint venture of humanity and not the race. It is our strength as a specie that we are the superior of all races and as Indian, the best from rest of the world“.

School Phobia

2010-12-02T22:38:00.000-08:00

India registers one of the highest dropout rates in schools at primary level and it is often credited to the faulty system and the fear among students.

Fear of punishment and lengthy homework force many of the students to leave their studies midway suggests some surveys. Fear of homework and punishment for unfinished work create school phobia among the kids. Most of try easier ways to escape this phobia.

"I left my studies after my teacher humiliated me during the assembly for my unfinished homework", says Ravi alias Chhotu who now works with a motor mechanic. "For last two years I am here and have no regrets for leaving the studies", he adds.

Another student Amol (name changed) tried a different trick to escape the punishment for his incomplete homework. He made a hoax call to the school, claiming that he is from Mumbai and has placed a bomb in school premises. Later through surveillance police traced the origin of the call, the whole story was revealed.

"Sometime teachers try solve the problems their own way", says Dr. Seema Sharma, a child psychologist. "They lack the skills to tackle the child and this results in much bigger problems", she adds.

Experts in the field of education suggest orientation program for the teachers too. As says Dr. Shivani Singh, a professor in Education
"Teachers shapes the society and before he starts his job, he himself should be in a good shape.

Innovation is Fashion

2010-12-02T02:25:00.000-08:00

If you believe that to be fashionable, one needs money, then its time to change your thought as little innovation can add colors to your life and you feel lot ahead of others.

In the era when people have gone mad for the brands, homegrown fashion must have become the utopian concept; instead it is quite popular, especially with the youngsters. Youth in the city seems to be celebrating the ‘Think Hatke’ euphoria. Surprisingly youth go beyond general imagination while creating a fashion trend. For instance necklace being as wristband, rubber band as bracelet can shock even the fashion industry legends.

“Brands cannot give the variation, whereas I don’t believe in being stereotyped”, says Rajat Jain, a student. “I have found a way in innovation and I try to find a fashionable accessory in everything I find on street and even at home”, he adds.

It looks as if there is an innovative fashion designer in every individual. They do it as if it is a child play and comes out with new designs and trends.

“Material is available everywhere and one need to arrange them in order to get something new” claims Shaheen Zehra, perusing Business course. “ I just arrange and re- arrange a set of beads to get a new necklace everyday” she says.

There are many others who remain away from the fame of being an originator but many of such stuff becomes quite popular. One such occurrence comes from the village Mundali in western UP. Ashraf Abbas, a local crafted a necklace from the seeds of Melia Azedarach (Bakayan). An exporter who ordered him 50000 more such necklace instantly picked up the innovative creation.
Another local, Iram claims that she fixed her ear rings into her necklace and everyone was anxious to know the shop, from where they can get it. “My ear ring need to be repaired and I was just inspecting that, when an idea came to me”, she says. I just plucked the outer leafs from it and fused them with my chain to get a new necklace”, she says.

What is My Crime?

2010-02-10T01:16:00.000-08:00

He is just fifteen and his new address is Moradabad District Jail. He may have been preparing for his exams along with his brother, who may be his cell partner for the same crime and has a same story.

His only crime is that his family wasn't rich enough to pay their school fees that may not be more then two hundred rupees. For the purpose they found a job with the person who was involved in the business and manufacturing of pesticides. It is the story of a boy who belongs to the so called rich and fertile area of Western UP. Raju ( changed name) may even not find a guaranter to bail him out because his family lacks the resourses and even a social repute. He has been arrested by Gajraula Police in JP Nagar District from his village Shahbazpur. IT is the very same story of the state where government is busy in publicising about the social welfare state and the so called developement. May be the state Cheif Minister Behan Mayawati ji may not have time to read about these poor victims of destiny but surely there may be many such stories all around.

These lads are only the victims whereas the real culprit has flown away. Some day he may be arrested and soon will be bailed out. But the future of Raju and his brother will surely find no bright light from this day.

Save Ganga and Save the Wetland

2010-02-03T09:17:00.000-08:00

Ganga, considered as one of the holiest river in India is dying of its divine attributes. Those who pray Ganges as their deity river often leave its banks dumped with all sort of garbage. Very few people know about the bio diversity and the wild associated with the holy river.
Just about 80 kilometers from national capital Delhi is Garhmukteshwar. It is here at Brijghat is situated the Wetland notified area that stretches up to Narora, a place famous for India's Nuclear facility. This total area of approximate 25690 kilometers is the house to famous Gangetic Dolphin, deadly Crocodiles, Ducks and birds all total in 89 as notified by the wild life. All these poor creatures are at the mercy of Mr. Humane. Devotees come to Ganges, take bath and behind they leave polythene, detergents and all sort of rubbishes they can. Industrial Garbage that pour into the river at various points right from Haridwar add more worries. At Brijghat nearby Gajraula Industrial area and its units have left all the the problems to care for the environmentalists.
Sanjiv Pal a local man running Paryavaran Sachetak Dal Says that recent count says that there are only 49 Dolphins left in this notified belt. Crocodiles are extinct and even it is a rare scene to get some homely birds, he adds.
Another feedback comes from VP Baghel, another environmentalist. He says that Ganges is not only the worry. Nearby Hastinapur Century notified area is on papers. One can hardly find a wild animal here. Biodiversity is only good to talk in seminars and in reality no one cares.
Although on 2nd february the small band of environmentalists tried to generate some curiosity. They organized a march from Brijghat to Narora and tried to convince the local people that it is for their good only they are talking to save the wetland and Hastinapur Century.
We need no external interference nad we should be allowed to take care of our self says Rajesh Goel another one from Gajraula. The area should
be treated as the Jungle and should be scheduled by the Parliament he demands.

Making of the film: Pakeezah

2009-08-04T06:42:00.000-07:00

“What Shahjehan did for Mumtaz, the same was repeated by Kamal Sahib for Mina Kumari. Surely Pakeezah is a Tajmahal of Kamal for his beloved Mina Kumari”
:-Tajdar Kamal Amrohi

Not all critics may accept these boasting words of a son but it is also true that very few will dare to challenge the quality and the status of Kamal Amrohi as a filmmaker. Pakeezah is not his only successful endeavor. Right from the start of his carrier as a dialogue writer with Sohrab Modi for “Pukar” (1939) he never turned but, else he started a journey towards perfection which is reflected in Pakeezah.
The story as claimed by team Pakeezah, originated in the mind of Kamal Amrohi himself. He was so much enthusiastic with the idea and committed to the film that he ignored all the predictions and words from his well wishers. Almost everyone was against the venture. Every single thing whether it be music or the story were all said to be outdated by the financers, the distributors and even the team members. Even the forecast were made about the film and everyone said that the venture is marching ahead to be doomed. It was only Kamal who was sure about the success. One of them said that the film may not complete but if any way Kamal manages to do so the film will be a blockbuster, and this was the only forecast that came true regarding the film.
These regular forecasts forced Kamal to change the title of the film. Film was started as Pakiza (a courtesan with a pure heart) in 1960 which was renamed “Lahu Pukarega Asteen ka” three year later to be dumped and to be restarted only in 1970. It took almost forteen years to complete the film. The title ‘lahu Puakrega Asteen Ka’, was again rejected by Kamal. He was in belief that his film may not have a better title then Pakiza. Although on a suggestion from a numerologist he agreed to add ”AH” as a suffix, to be pronounced as PAKEEZAH; as it is in Urdu dialect. Kamal was happy with the change as there was no such a big difference in Pakiza and Pakeezah.
After all controversies and problems he faced Kamal finally was able to give a film that will remain a landmark of world cinema. His personal problems with Mina Kumari, with hid distributors and financer and with his team are now a history. There was a time when distributors forced him to change the music as for them it was out dated. It was the time when cracking but ear throbbing sound tracks were the leading chartbusters. Sweet melodies of Ghulam Muhammad could not attract any distributor. One of them said, ‘who will listen to these ugly, outdated soundtracks? These may have been hit in older times but audiences need some cracking.’ What do you mean by cracking? The Indian version of Pop or Jazz was the reply. No matter it has some meaning or not. Who cares for lyrics? Everybody wants music, go and get it.’
Baba Jaan may have made certain changes to the music but he had personal attachment with late Ghulam Muhammad. ‘If he may have been alive he may done so. How will I face him on the Day of Judgment, Reports Tajdar about Kamal’s problems?
There are many incidents that may end up in a long-lasting trivia about the film. Film completed in 1971 and once it was on the screen it had rocked the world. The critics had no word to say now. Those who had recommended the change in music of Pakeezah had no idea why it had outnumbered the sale of hip-hop music. Was it the revival of classical age?M

Bahenji ! No Blame game Please.

2009-05-19T07:36:00.000-07:00

After the recent jolt by the voters Mayawati and her party BSP are in a great shock. She is blaming Muslims for her set back that may either had left her as a PM of India, as she had dreamt. But why only Muslims, why doesn’t she blame herself for her failure.

None other but Mayawati herself is to be blamed. She over estimated her success in the assembly polls held some two years ago in Uttar Pradesh. Instead of consolidating her position she started day dreaming. What have she done for the state during her rule and especially for the Muslims that she is so annoyed?
Muslims had overwhelmingly supported her during the last elections but she did nothing for the welfare of the biggest minority in the state. Instead he credited her success to her social engineering formulae and Brahmin-Dalit support. She ignored the fact that without Muslims her successes haven’t been possible, especially if Muslims had gone with Samajwadi Party who lost about ninety seats with the margin of less then thousand votes. What she did for Muslims can be estimated by going through these facts.
1. She nominated five of her men to Rajya Sabha and none of them was a Muslim. In the name of minority a non-Muslim was appointed and not from the U.P but of Punjab
2. More then hundred of her men were appointed chairmen and deputy chairman to various corporations granting them all the status of state minister but the Muslims were less then one percent of the total.
3. Only two or three Muslims could find their place in the state cabinet which was almost shameful in comparison to the Muslim support to her party who even voted for her non-Muslim candidates in the name of secularism which Brahmins may never have did.
4. The scholarships for the students were curbed almost to half of which worst affected were Muslims. Also no action was taken against the culprits o scholarship scam.
5. No development work was undertaken in the Muslim localities. Even in the areas like Bijnore district where party bagged seven out of eight assembly seats.
6. The Madarsa modernization plan was put to cold bag and no step was taken for the reform in minority education.
7. Urdu teachers were deprived of their jobs for which hey have to run door to street and found themselves engaged in the court proceedings. The worst affected were the Muslims again.
8. Mayawati cannot count even a one new school, college or hospital in Muslims localities of the state.
9. In the name of revenge Kanya Vidhyadhan scheme was abandoned. Most of the beneficiaries to the scheme were Dalits, Backwards and the Muslims
10. No development work was undertaken during her regime except that of Ambedkar Park and statues.
Now for what she is blaming the Muslims is above understanding of a common Muslim like me. Along with the above mentioned reasons her administration filed to deliver some better from the previous one. She was crowned with much higher expectations to curb the crime rate and corruption in the state and to bring it back on the right track that a stable government can only do. In the name of crime control no FIR’s are being lodged. No registration of crime can only result in the juggling of statistics and not in the real change.
India needs Prime Minister with a vision for the country not a juggler or merely a demagogue. For the purpose Mayawati has to go very long. I don’t mean that she cant be a Prime Minister. She can but she has to make some extra ordinary efforts. Merely by blaming others and claiming herself a daughter of Dalit being hurdled by bourgeois isn’t enough. This will only lead to further decline. Even the Dalits who are better educated then ever and more liberalized in thought will not tolerate this for long. If their expectations remain unfulfilled they will surely go for an alternative. In such condition whom will she blame?

Bye Bye Bihar Politics from Centre

2009-05-16T11:27:00.001-07:00

People are fed up of hate politics and the era of political blackmailing is over. The mandate of election2009 is quite crystal clear. There is no place for political bargainers and the people want to break their deals without any mediator. These elections have also brought to an end the bargaining power of politicians, especially from Bihar.
For last few days we were hearing a lot about the kingmakers but the public has turned them to pawns of no use. I am afraid what will Lalu ji, Ramvilas Paswan and Nitish Kumar will do now. They are left with no job. For last few days they were doing quite well in media and earned lot of media space. Surely this will continue for few more days. This time not for good but they will be in news for their sympathetic condition. Ramvilas Pasvan was running the Ministry of Steel and fertilizer as his private ownership. Similar was with Lalu ji. Now they will have to run street to square for at least three years, jobless and without media attention. Till the next assembly elections in Bihar the Kingmaker duo cane play chess because they will still have a spare time after meditation and brainstorming sessions over their defeat in Bihar. Lalu ji will face more problems because now they are left with no limelight. Even the shadows depart in bad times. Lalu is now government less, ministry less and relatives less creature (as Sadhu etc. were cunning enough to leave him alone)
There is a suggestion for Lalu ji. He can open a Charvaha School in Patliputra where he can revise his election management lessons. He can ask for the help from his associates from Railway ministry who had projected him as media guru.
There is one more regional Satrap from Bihar Nitish Kumar must surely be thinking about his spoken words of last few days. He was asking for the special status for Bihar in lieu of his support (although practically this was more an offer of special status for himself). He is surely a loser now. Had he opted to go with UPA and had put some restrictions on his actions and words (including a famous handshake with Narendra Modi) he must have been the happiest man today. Like Lalu he also missed the train. Lalu may have been well adjusted by UPA respectfully hadn’t he dumped the Congress in Bihar coalition. Even his act must have ignored but he was to dig his own grave later by uncontrolled flow of his words. He may regret now and may find some plac3e in the new government but surely he has no ethical right to do so. Similar is with Paswan and Nitish.
This may end up in the political death of bargaining Bihar. For the first time in the History of democratic India, Bihar will have no say in the central politics. Surely no rail will run through Bihar nor any ministry, and all thanks to the outspoken Bihar leadership.
The Bihar will be the real loser, the state that is in grave urgency of development. Nitish may have some reasons to satisfy himself (the Bihar government and the good M.P count) but this is not enough for the poor Bihari people who have often been embarrassed by their political leadership. The Bihari leaders to their credit only have a long tongue and demagogy that in turn have ruined the state over years. It will be wrong to say that they weren’t given any opportunity. They got more then they deserved but they didn’t use it for the people’s welfare, rather they used it for their personal gains.
Now the time has come when these people should understand the people’s demand. Especially Lalu ji and Paswan should use their time for strengthening themselves with people’s support. The defeat they have faced should be treated as an ample opportunity to reconsolidate their positions; otherwise they will be lost into the pages of history as many of the signs of the world’s oldest democracy Patliputra

Election Everyday !!! What an Idea Sir ji !!!

2009-05-15T02:32:00.000-07:00

Elections are wrongly considered as a burden on economy. This democratic ritual helps the nation to bring out the black money with the politicians. Also most the donations made by the businessmen belong to the same category. The political parties make huge expenditure and so the candidates that in turn boost the economy. Also the government expenditure generates the cash flow into the market that is much needed in present economic conditions. After the General elections of 2009 market will certainly be relieved of the pressures of cash liquidity problem and global slowdown.

No matter who makes the government but one thing I like about Indian general elections is that it provides an ample opportunity to the poorest of the people to bargain. Politicians may remain at the top for five years but at last they are on kneels to lure even a single vote to consolidate their position. For the purpose along with human efforts they have to throw away all their prestige, pride and money.
It is often claimed that elections are a burden on economy but I strongly oppose the notion. Even I am in favor that there must be at least one election a year. Not many will agree with me but I have many reasons to prove myself. I agree that the Nation bear a big expenditure in the name of elections. A big amount is wasted in the head of security, official mobilization, and maintenance of machinery. Also office hours are lost and many offices remain close as officials are busy in election duty. All this is true but the real fact is that it all is compensated right within the election period.
With the efforts of election commission there has been a curb on election expenditure made by the candidates. In spite of all these efforts a huge amount is pumped into the arena. Much of it is a black money and elections have become an instrument of money laundering. This is not a bad idea to bring out the money specially during the global slowdown. Surely these general elections have helped the economy. The condition may have been better it there have been relaxations by Election Commission of India.
I love to see the politicians serving food to the poor of the poorest which in other times they may not even like to sit by them. The downtrodden and the exploited people exploit these politicians to say that even they have their share in this land. They get good food to eat at least for four five days in these five years. They are handed some money, although illegal but enough for a week of merry making. They don’t go for a work. Despite they consider it a leisure time which is almost a dream for them.
If we consider the economic prospective, expenditure made on elections never go waste. This money rather joins the growth cycle. It is always good for economy to have an inflow of cash. This will surely boost the economy in the time of global meltdown and will solve the problem of cash liquidity in the market. Also the money laundering factor helps the national income. The huge amount of money dumped in the basements of the rich politicians and politician turned businessmen comes out. This money never becomes part of national growth if there are no elections.
Ethically it may be wrong and for election commission it may be unlawful. But who cares for the law? Think it in the broader prospective. For the five years laws are drafted and violated by these so called leaders. In the times of horse trading of M.P’s why not poor get their share? They get it only for the once and only during the elections. Let them enjoy and try to provide them more and more such opportunities. Let us pray for the fragmented mandate and for the new elections in next six months.

Communal Indian politics Harmful

2009-05-15T02:15:00.001-07:00

Real secularism and not opportunism is in favour of India as a nation. Hardliners neither survive long nor do they achieve high positions. A secular ideology and having harmonious relations with fellow citizens can only lead the country to development..

COMMUNALISM HAS hit hard General Elections 2009 in India and there was a clear divide among the voters on communal lines, especially in the constituencies where opponents were of different religion. It is a harmful symptom as a communal divide may divide the country.
It won’t be wrong to call Indian politics a pure reflection of Machiavellism. Indian politicians draft and redraft their own definitions. The worst thing is that the same manipulation has been inherited and perfectly obeyed by the voters.
Secularism may have different meanings around the globe as in India. One of the meanings we perceive is the one which asks us to follow our own path but without encroaching on others’ territory. In Indian politics, these very definitions have been perceived in different manipulated forms.
Recently, we came to know that opposing BJP and allies is pure secularism. No matter you share the same platform with the BJP or Shiv Sena for as much time, but to be called secular one just need to switch the flanks. Overnight the party will be declared secular despite its past allegiances.
Kalyan Singh is the new face of secularism and the new one in the making is Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Just wait for three more days and there are many surprise gifts for the voters who have just voted for India.
Although it was a good experience for a person like me to see the supporters of Kalyan Singh voting for Zafar Alam of the Samajwadi Party, a Muslim. It is not a usual scene in Indian politics. Our politicians have fragmented it and a clear demarcation line on communal lines is visible all over.
Somehow, I am proud of the Muslims as they usually vote for their Hindu leaders. The only reservation they have is about the parties like the BJP or the Shiv Sena, rest they have no objections regarding the caste, color, creed or religion. On the other hand, I am upset about the role of majority.
Being a secular and having harmonious relations with the minorities is more in their favour. It is not just a claim but I can prove my point. Just go through the past results. The secular Hindu leaders have not only been victorious from Muslim-dominated localities but have also secured a distinct position.
Real secularism and not opportunism is in favour of India as a nation. Hardliners neither survive long nor do they achieve high positions. Not many remember Vinay Katiyar and his fate. A one-time icon of hard-line Hinduism, he was denied in the city of Lord Rama (Faizabad/Ayodhya) itself. Murli Manohar Joshi is another example. We will continue with the debate and I am hopeful that one day many will join me in the movement of secularizing India at the ground level.

http://www.merinews.com/catFull.jsp?articleID=15769309

An Obituary to AMU Central Canteen

2009-04-29T10:27:00.001-07:00

She is no more. Our beloved AMU central canteen has passed away. No way had she deserved such a silent death but it happened. Our Cleopatra was silently killed and no one came to her rescue. All her lovers left her in last time.
I cannot understand what happened to all those admirers who used to shed their love over her? Mercilessly she was poisoned by the authorities. The administrators ignored her status and the people remained tight lipped!!! It is unbelievable.
Last time I attended her, she was looking healthy and young as ever, surrounded with many of her admirers. This will happen in no time is out of my mental sphere. The more I try to look into the matter, more I am confused.
May be the met her fate in the same way all the beauties used to. This brutal world is the admirer of outer beauty. In this materialistic world no one is there to look after an aged. Once the beauty is lost women has no value. But she wasn’t a prostitute. She loved all out of grace. Her love was like a torrential rain, equal and just for all.
But I think she may have been misunderstood. Girls were jealous of her beauty and so did many of the people. Authorities couldn’t bear up her burden. In today’s mean world no one has time for real parents so how can we hope for the part time care takers to come up for her rescue. If the care taker is an imported man with different culture surely we should not expect anything from him. In this case the care taker of the house is a man with different culture and he has nothing to do with our golden traditions, I think so. If he had some love our beloved shouldn’t have died this way. Alas… it is too late. All we can do is to pray for the demised soul.

Inna Lillah e Wa Inna illaha Raj’un

AMU Central Canteen

2009-04-23T06:12:00.000-07:00

IN ALIGARH Muslim University and not with me, surely you are missing something. Life has different shades and colours in my company. The iridescence of love, the shadows of sorrow, the blunders of a carefree life and illusions about the future - one can experience every single aspect of his existence. Some love, some ignore but no one hates me.
Philosophers say that ’Beauty never lasts long’, whereas my perception is, ’Beauty is forever’. I am an exemplary figure to prove that age erodes neither your qualities nor your beauty. If you are humble enough you will not only be admired by all but every one will love you and I can assure that I am the humblest; always ready to welcome everyone with open arms. Since my existence I have not only been the centre of attraction but any beauty queen can feel jealous of my ever-growing list of admirers. Whether she be Cinderella, Mona Lisa, Cleopatra or even Mumtaz or Aishwarya, all pale when compared with me.
My affair with Ashfaq is a decade old but this doesn’t effects my relations with Nusrat, Qasam, Mansoor, Yasser, Anas, or Jawed.
For Nusrat, I am a best friend who gives him relief from his depression; for Mansoor, Qasam and Jawed, I am a best friend to enjoy a ’time pass’ with and for Anas and Aqeel, I am the one to understand their thoughts. Even Nasser, a dishwasher, spares some moments to share along with his friends. I love his childish games. He may not have gone to school for one but with me he tries to learn the lessons of life.
I have space for everyone in my heart. Just come to me and feel the difference in your life. No depression, no tensions, just the funny emotions; inspiring everyone to lead a happy life.
I was not always as I am today. In my early days at Aligarh, I was thought to be a part of the elite section. With time, I changed my nature and attitude. Now I find that I have some better reasons to survive. For years I have been witnessing severe changes around myself but I stood tall, infallible and I will survive in times to come.
I am the old Picture gallery now known as your beloved AMU Central Canteen.

28 Jun 2008 http://www.merinews.com/

http://potpourri.merinews.com/catFull.jsp?articleID=136594

An Ode to Communal Harmony

2009-04-23T06:01:00.000-07:00

IN THE locality I was born one can hardly find another Muslim family. After completing my primary education from Gajraula, I left for Meerut where for the first time I was forced to believe that I am a Muslim. It was the time that I felt the heat of communalism around me.
Probably in my generation, I am the last and lucky enough to taste the fruits of Ganga-Jamuni tahzeeb, which my ancestors had sown and nurtured. My father admitted me to a school run by Catholic Christians. With temple in my neighborhood and a Gurudwara nearby it was a perfect place to learn the lessons of communal harmony which my father always favoured. He was well versed in Quranic scriptures as well in Ramcharitmanas and was usually invited for participation in Akhandpath. Encounter with co-religionists only occurred at Eid or during Muharram when we visited our native place. Some of my classmates were Muslims, hailing from Amroha, a town nearby. I don’t remember any debate or discussion regarding my religious identity during those days.
With our arrival in Meerut, I was forced to discuss my identity for the first time. So deep rooted was the communalism in the area that even the children of secondary level talked in the context of Hindu-Muslim separatism. Those harsh comments and questions still stir my mind. Although majority their still believed in harmony but the handful of communal agents had polluted the entire environment. Otherwise, there is no reason for a child in an age of fantasies, talking about the most awkward issue.
It was like going to hell, when I discovered that my town is also changing nature with the changing wind. Sometime later I found that a low intensity communal virus had found a refuge in my locality. These were the days of Ram-Mandir movement. Frequently, my stand on Babri Masjid was probed. Thanks to my mother who provided me the moral and ethical support in those days, otherwise such people had forced me to accept the new religion, which may have been inhuman according to my family.
Usually I try to ask Allah about the fate of such people and for what reason they are not being punished.
It’s alright that they may find a political refuge but where is divine justice? I am a proud Indian Muslim and never compromise with my ideology. But it is really hard to be from minority these days. It may dishearten some but it is true. I still believe that majority of people are good but their silence has created a vacuum that poisonous communalism has filled. This majority is the real culprit. Why these people remain silent before the handful of people and allow them to take charge of our free will?
Memories of my childhood still bring happiness to me and a hope too that someday will come when people may find refuge in those old peaceful days. These types of conditions have always existed. We have faced the tragedy of partition for the same reasons. If we can’t learn from our past let heaven decide our fate. We as a nation have no right survive with such inhuman nature. To sustain we need peaceful co-existence and for self immolation just a step ahead towards destiny.

http://potpourri.merinews.com/catFull.jsp;jsessionid=31A930D325E134B4528F5D4511998608?articleID=142868

AMU: Deptt of Mass Comm..oopppsss sorry Photography

2009-04-20T08:59:00.000-07:00

It is officially called, Department of Mass communication and Journalism, Aligarh Muslim University but... the batch of 2007-2009 has proved that it is not more then a department of Photography and orkutting. Wow what a department. Enter to read news paper, to watch Tv and net surfing. Rest of the time everyone is free for leasure. Cant beleive??? ok just here are some sample photographs to prove my point. I dont remeber how many of us were regular with our lab studies but every one had a good hand at camera and all of us tried hard to get maximum out of it... Ha haha another example of masti kii pathshala...No class only mastii..oooopssss

Muharram in Syed Nagli

2009-04-20T08:20:00.000-07:00

Syed Nagli is one of the very first place to witness the Muharram mourning in Northern India. The very first mourning for the grandson of Prophet Muhammed (swa) took place some 600 years ago. Oldest of the Hussainiyas in Syed Nagli, Azkhana Musmmat Fatima dates back some 150 years back. Mir Ghalib Ali Baquiri was behind the construction of this Hussainiyah. In an urgent need of renovation this was the first place from where the very first Muharram possession took place. It was most probably when Hakim Yakchasm, accompanying general Bakht Khan in the mutiny of 1857 insisted to do so. Presently this Hussainiyah is the centre of Azadari in the town.
Mir Ghalib Ali, Mir Zafar Ahsan, Mir Ghulam Rasool are among the dignitaries buried in the graveyard just adjacent to this Hussainiyah.

Where Dreadly Scorpions turn Saint: Dargah Shah Wilayat

2009-04-15T10:47:00.000-07:00

Dargah Shah Vilayat at Amroha may be a place of curiosity for many. Scorpions turn saint here. Unlike their tendency to sting at a very first instance they lye cool and calm. It is said that Hazrat Sharafuddin Shah Vilayat a Naqvi Syed from the reputed iraqi family, migrated to India during the Sultanate era. He encountered one more Saint Hazrat Shah Nasruddin. Nasruddin wasn't in favor to have a man who may divert some of his disciples. He asked Shah Sharafuddin to leave the place which was turned down by him. Nasruddin said in anger, your grave may be guarded by deadly scorpions. OK, it will but they all may live in peace and may not harm anyone, replied Shah Vilayat. I am here for the sake of love and humanity and love finds place for itself. His words came true. The grave is really guarded by scorpions but they live in peace with humans aside, just like saints. Surprised? no matter, just come here and see

and will need an evidence...

The Filmsaaz Experience

2009-04-15T10:19:00.000-07:00

A date with Muzaffar Ali have been a long lived dream for a man like me. I had wanted to meet him earlier. I had some questions in mind regarding his well known endeavour, Umrao Jan. For long I had been trying to pen down a note on the portrayal of courtesans in Indian cinema in cultural prospective. Filmsaz 09 at AMU provided me an opportunity but I missed. I had submitted a film 'Mahatma" based on the story by Bhishm Sahni, which I had made as part of my studies. To my utter surprise the film got me an award which I had never expected. Film for me was a big failure, after I had some problems with my lead character, Ashfaq Hamidi. Once I had decided to drop the film but later finished it just as a rough task. It is not film that may attract many and never finished as i had liked. But every failure is a new lesson to life and so is Mahatma. It will always inspire me to do something better and with my own picked team in future at least once, I will try to go for good film.

A change in outlook

2009-04-15T10:08:00.000-07:00

Although it wasn't my first tour to Agra but when did I visited Taj has faded out of my memories. It was some 18-20 years back when I was here with my school mates from St. Mary's Convent, Gajraula. This time too I had my classmates with me but this was totally a different experience. Life has changed a lot in these years. Now I have different sentiments and a totally different approach towards life. At that time a small lad jumping around the campus and living in forced discipline had no worries about life nor did I understood the importance of Taj. But the life flows on quietly, not same as that of water in Yamuna. There are quite more waves, some smooth and more of them violent experiences of life... This is all about our existence

The Taj: Lovers Paradise

2009-04-08T10:43:00.000-07:00

Much have been written about the beauty of Taj Mahal. This marvelous monuments is a unique example of architecture. It also represent the Persian excellence in the field.

Taj Mahal stands on the other banks of River Yamuna, just opposite to the mighty Red Fort of Agra, which was the centre of Mughal administration,until the seat of governance moved to Delhi in 1637 as the new Mughal capital. It was built by the fifth Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan in 1631 in memory of his second wife, Mumtaz Mahal, princess of Persian origin. She had died while she was accompanying her husband in Burhanpur expedition, while giving birth to a child. He loved Mumtaz so much that he ordered to built a great mausoleum in her memory.

Construction began in 1631 and was completed in 22 years. Twenty thousand people were deployed to accomplish the task. Even the material was imported from central Asia and is said that 1000 elephants were used for the purpose of transportation to the site. It was designed by the great Iranian architect Ustad Isa.

zaigham murtaza

Dargah of Hazrat Salim Chisti ( R.A): Fatehpur Sikri

2009-04-08T10:13:00.000-07:00

The Dargah of Hazrat Saleem Chiti (r.a) is the main attraction at Fatehpur Sikri. It is said that it was his love for this great Sufi Saint, that forced Akbar to built this marvelous fort. A good place to visit but take care in summer, as no one is allowed to wear shoes in the Holy premises of Dargah. On a hot Sunny day one may find it difficult to pass through, almost burning red sand stone flooring. Best time to visit is either in morning Sabefore 12 pm or just after 5 pm. It is a marvallous building, carved of white marble; just the another one in the city of Taj. In the campus one may find a cemetry with graves of the beloved ones of imperial court and the close associates of pious int.
Salim Chishti (1478- 1572) was one of the famous Sufi saints of the Chishti Order, in India. Salim Chisti was the descendant of the famous Khawaja Moinuddin Chishti whose tomb is in Ajmer, (Rajasthan).
The Mughal Emperor Akbar came to the holy man's camp, deep in the desert, seeking a male heir to his throne. Salim Chisti blessed Akbar, and soon the first of three sons was born to him. He named his first son Salim (later emperor Jahangir) in honor of Salim Chisti. )*1

(source: wikipedia*)

zaigham murtaza

Taj Mahal and the river Yamuna

2009-04-06T02:25:00.000-07:00

As river Yamuna flows through the backyard of Taj Mahal, it also suggests the purpose of builting this grand structure here. Taj Mahal is situated in an area where water and red sand stone is available in large quantity. Along with Taj, the most beautiful view one may find here is the Yamuna river, flowing since ages and witnessing the history. One more thing to watch is the Agra fort on the same side of Taj Mahal. It is said that Shah Jehan the mighty emperor, also the man behind the construction of Taj in his last days was made captive in Red Fort of Agra made a wish . In a wish to his haughty son Aurangzeb, he asked him to keep in a room where Taj was clearly visible to him till his last breath.

Buland Darwaza : Fatehpur Sikri

2009-04-06T02:11:00.000-07:00

Buland Darwaza or the grand gate is the main entrance of the fort of Fatehpur Sikri (35 km from Agra). It was built by Akbar and is still the highest entrance gate made in India. A beautiful mix of Persian architecture with Rajputana style of India it is one of the most beautiful and mighty structure ever built.

zaigham murtaza

Mir Syed Ali Zafar Baquiri al Termezi

2008-12-27T04:43:00.000-08:00

He had great ability to organize, to mobilize, and to lead. He had courage to fight for right. He lived a dignified life and died with honor. Never compromise with his ideology and never let the way to corruption in his life, Syed Ali Zafar is recognized well long after he left this world.
Born in the family of repute he started his life as an engineer in UPPCL. Was the founder member of Hydro Electric Employees Union, PWD Employees Union of UP and lot more to count upon in Private organizations and PSU’s. Till life he remained a devoted cadre of INTUC.
He was the third of six sons to Maulvi Syed Mir Murtaza Hussain al Baquari al Termezi.
Also he is well remembered for his social behavior and the work done for the downtrodden people. His memories remain alive with people all around the country for all the services he made to them. He is no more but his teachings and the ideology stand tall infallible grand light tower that guides us to do better.

Maulvi Mushtaq Hussain alias Vaqarul Mulk

2008-12-25T05:29:00.000-08:00

He was an able administrator, a good manager to liaison with and a man with multi-facial personality. He was born in Amroha, but through his administrative skills he found a job of Tehseeldar with Nizam of Hyderabad, who later promoted him as one of his able minister.
Maulvi Mushtaq Hussain alias Nawab Waqar Ul Mulk was later found by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan to assist him in his great academic mission to liberalize the Muslims of Indian subcontinent i.e. Aligarh movement. At Aligarh he proved to be the man of worth. He was the one who insisted the likes of Nizam to loose big buck from their enormous wealth for the mission. His academic and administrative skills made him the man who can never be forgotten by the Aligarh community.
At home in Amroha very few people know about him. Although, a beautiful gate stand tall in his sweet memory as Waqar Gate near railway station but his last rest place lye ruined.
His ancestral graveyard, known as Allhu Ka Bada at Bijnore road is a place where no one will ever consider a revisit. Place looks more like a ditch than a resting place of a majestic administrator. Heavily encroached, this graveyard is under threat of demolition by land mafia. A recent revelation about his resting place is that it has been sold out. None other but his own descendents have done the act that may leave his grave bulldozed some day.

Mir Mubarak Ali Khan

2008-12-23T04:53:00.000-08:00

Mir Mubarak Ali Khan alias Mubarak Shah was the father of two great legendary characters of the medieval history, the genius Abul Fazal and Faizi. Both the brothers were acknowledged for their genius in languages, literature, history and languages. Akbar included both of them to his inner coterie of Navratnas. Mir Mubarak Ali was an academician of repute. He had travelled all long from Iran and founded a school in Azampur village, which is not even a reflection of golden shadow associated with its past.

Tomb of Talib khan

2008-12-23T04:39:00.000-08:00

He was one of the great warriors in the ranks of Mughal legend Akbar. He was made in charge to the Khader area, Azampur and Saundhan. His primary duty was to check the invasion of Kathers and Ahars, who had been a prime threat to Delhi Sultanate. Since the early days of the establishment, Delhi Sultanate was never let to ease by these earlier inhabitants of the area.

His Status

The inscription about his status, The Ayat ul Kursi( Q'uranic scripture) and his relations With Akbar and Mughal Court

Azampur: Graveyard of Dehi Sultanate

2008-12-20T02:53:00.000-08:00

Some 27 kilometers from Gajraula in the plains of river Ganga, is situated a small village named Khawdi. Readers may think why I am talking about this distant hamlet, but surely you all will enjoy my tour to this historic place. Mandi Dhanaura was once an important trade place for agro products and specially the pulses and sugar. Situated on Gajraula- Bijnore road this place is 18 Km to west of NH24 and Khawdi is situated on a connecting road to Sherpur village.
During the battle of Mahabharata it is said that the ally of Kauravas and a great warrior Jarasamha was killed at this place to the hand of Bhim, a Pandava. Muslims have another reason to worship this place. It is the shrine of Baba Ratan Sen which attracts lot of devotees every year. He is said to be the first Indian to pay the pilgrimage to Mecca in the times of Prophet Mohammed. Locals proudly narrate a story. He was the witness to the event of partition of Moon by the holy Prophet. He was so amused to the event that he decided to visit the epicenter of the incident. In the quest to enquire the reality he reached Mecca and met the Holy Prophet, they say. For the local residents he is probably the first Indian Muslims.
This is not an end to the history. Mubarak Shah, the father of Abul Fazal and Faizi, the navratnas of Mughal Emperor Akbar settled t a place nearby, presently known as Azampur. Mubarak Shah had traveled all long from Persia. He established a Madaris here which has now been limited to ruins. People call it the Birbal ka school and they believe that the dust of the place has the supernatural power of intelligence. They use it as medicine for mentally challenged Childs. Abul Fazal and Faizi spent there childhood in this village only and received there primary education in this very, the Birbal ka school.
Later both the brothers due to their extraordinary skills found themselves employed with Mughal court. Later they summoned there teacher Mahboob Shah to the court and on their acknowledgement he was engaged as treasurer to the royal treasury. One can found a marvelous tomb in Azampur on the grave of Mahboob Shah.
Another legendry warrior of Akbar, Mir Syed Talib Ali Khan was also from Azampur Khawdi. Akbar himself attended his funeral and ordered to build a beautiful tomb on his grave. The tomb of Talib Khan and a mosque in a village have a foundation stone with inscriptions related to Jalauddin Muhammad Akbar, the emperor of Delhi. Another great legend from the village is Firoz Khan whose grave lie unnoticed out side the Akbar Mosque.
Actually I was in Mandi Dhanaura for my personal work when someone asked me to report something about Khawdi and Azampur in media. It may have been an awesome feeling to visit such an important place but sorry to say I was much disturbed. The inscriptions related to Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar were severely damaged by some ignorant people. The place was illegally encroached and as usually seen in India, no one was vigilant enough to stop the damage. The tomb of Talib Khan paid heavy price due to the Inscription in Persian and a Quranic scripture, as there was a rumor that this was an address to a treasure hidden by the former General of Mughal. Local Administration has no Idea about the place and locals are unaware about its importance. Only a warning signboard by Archeological Survey of India at the tomb of Mahboob Shah can be seen. Although what ASI has done here is also in controversy. One of the residents Rafiq Warsi told me that ASI had took over the place some year back and left their task unfinished. Also they demolished the outer boundary of the shrine of Mubarak Shah, the father of Abul Fazal and Faizi in the name of reconstruction. Till date no repair ahs been undertaken by ASI, despite many letters has been written by the family of Rafiq Shah.
One another upset came one year later. Again I had to visit a place for wrong reasons. On a call from one of my informer when I visited Khawdi, I found that on the shrine of Baba Haji Ratan Sen an annual Urs was being observed. On the occasion some dance party had been called and the whole night in the name of entertainment C-grade stuff was being offered. The bar girls almost naked were on the stage and the rest was below standard to be mentioned in words.
Now the locality is well known for criminals, the mafia and the hideout for anti socials. Everyday mourning is being observed by the souls of the demised legends of the place. May be they wish for the return of golden days of the past and moreover to end the bad days to their last resting place.

My love for Amroha

2008-12-19T05:45:00.000-08:00

My affection with Amroha dates back to my birth. Famous as the land of peace, Amroha has always been fertile land for culture, arts and literature. This ancient town was mentioned by Ibn Batoota as a beautiful city in his Safarnama.
One may find the deep rooted Ganga- Jamini Tahzeeb in Amroha. A place here Dargahs and the Khanqahs spread all around the city. People here are culturally embedded to each other in such a way that it is not easy to distinguish their religious and sectarian identity.
For me it one of the most beautiful moments of life to see the Hindu poets like Masoom Tandon, Pt. Ramnath Sharma Raman and Pt. Bhuvnesh Sharma reciting the couplets in praise of Prophet Mohammed, Imam Hussein and Maula Ali. Although I have some personal reservations regarding the fascist connections of Pt. Ramnath Sharma and Vimal Kishore Vandematram, yet their personal behavior with me was always affectionate. Same is in the case of Dr. Ashok Rustagi, his wife Dr. Bina Rustagi both academicians and one of my most affectionate local guardian. Among other non –Muslim elites I would mention Shiv Swarup Tandon, Hari Singh Maurya, Neeraj Sharma, Paras Amrohi and late Rajveer Yadav. These all are the name to which I am a great admirer in the city, despite of their cultural and religious background.
Some of the places I liked most are the Shrines of Sufi Saint Hazrat Sharafuddin Shah Vilayat, Shah Nasruddin, Bhoore Khan Shaheed, Shah Abban Bade e Chisht, Shah Abdul Hadi and also much talked Sri Vasudev teerth.
At the very first time I was attending the Muharram possessions in the year 1998 to my utter surprise I found everybody directly involved in the mourning. Whether a Hindu or a Sikh, Christian or a Muslim Sunni, Jamati or a Shia. Josh Malihabadi had once said
Insaan ko bedar to ho lene do, Har Qaum pukaregi hamare hain Hussain. I was just witnessing that bedari. Similarly I planned a story shoot at Vasudev teerth, where I found that most of the visitor to the place was Muslim women and children. This place is also unique in character as one may find a shrine of Meera Saddo, a Gurudwara and an ancient temple side by side in a same campus. For almost six years I have covered Amroha, ranging from cultural, socio-political and religious aspects and I have found a place marvelous. Thank to God I was born in Amroha, as the fact makes my character more secular, peaceful and tolerable.

Gajraula; place of my mentorship

2008-12-18T05:10:00.001-08:00

Let me introduce you all to the place, where my childhood days saw me rising to the glorious heights.Jai Bharat Bal Vidhya Mandir was the first school where I was enrolled but soon I found myself in the premices of St. Mary’s Convent School, which was just established by the missionaries of charity and I was among the first ten students registered with the school
Gajraula is located at 28°51′N 78°14′E / 28.85, 78.23 It has an average elevation of 207 metres (679 feet).its a major industrial town specially developed by the govt of uttar pradesh.As of 2001[update] India census, Gajraula had a population of 39,826. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Gajraula has an average literacy rate of 57%, lower than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 67%, and female literacy is 46%. In Gajraula, 19% of the population is under 6 years of age.
About the history of Gajraula, there are no proper evidences but a myth is often qouted. Gaj is a Sanskrit synonumn for elephant. It is said that a local village market was famous for the trading of elephants and their shout ( raula) was often heard here, so the place came to be known as Gajraula.It was a part of Khader locality under the Sambhal pargana during the Mughals regime. What makes a place important is its geographic location. River Ganges flow nearby (6-7 km). A crossroad for two important roots till date. Bijnore-Badayun road bisects Delhi Lucknow highway at Gajraula. Important historical places nearby are Garhmukteshwar (18KM)an important Hindu pilgrim place, Brijghat (12KM), Hasanpur (12 KM), Azampur (20 KM), village of Abul Fazal and Faizi the navratnas of Mughal emperor Akbar, Mandi Dhanaura( 16 KM), Bachhraun (10 KM) and Amroha (27 KM).
Historically, the palce has witnessed many battles and karavan of magestic rulers passed through the place. Some of the incidents of Mahabharata are associated with the place. Balban crushed the rebellion of the Kather Rajputs here. Salar Masood Ghazi crossed the river Ganges over here. Marathas after the huge loss in the battle of Panipat to Ahmed Shah Abdali returned here and paid the last rituels of their martyrs on the bank of river Ganges. During the great Mutiny of of 1857 place witnessed various highs and lows of the great effort to get rid of the foreign rule.
Now a days Gajraula is known worldwide for its industrial outfits. Jubilant Organosys, Umang Dairies, TEVA Drugs, Insilco limited are few to mention. Plantation and nursery has grown as a cottage industry on a large scale.It is also a place associated with Chetan Chauhan( a veteran cricketer, politician and Industrialist), Rama Shanker Kaushik( a samajwadi thinker and senior politician), Syed Ali Zafar (trade unionist and a social worker), along with many others who have registered themselves as a trendsetter in various fields.
Also the gunjia-peda and kheer in Gajraula are well admired by taste lovers. Sri Ram Mandir, Tigri Dham are the must visiit palces and one can find lot of food with different tastes at the chain of dhabas along the National Highway 24.

And the great efforts of my Mother; Syeda Aziz Fatima

2008-12-17T06:59:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I wonder what I would have become had I lost my mother instead of my father. I was just seven at the time of my father's untimely departure from this world.The shattering memories of those days of struggle are keenly alive in my memory. It was a battle for survival for all of us, especially for my three younger sisters. As for my mother,Aziz Fatima; no one could have expected such resistance to hardship from a lady like her, coming from a mere hamlet, who had hardly ever seen the doors of an educational institution. But she is a lady of faith and high spirit and she made all the impossible things possible for us.I remember how every night she used to tell us stories that had lessons in morals, dignity, struggle and heroic deeds. Through them all was our biggest lesson: never give in to hard times, they never last long. Although she never received formal education, she somehow arranged convent education for us. I should also praise her efforts to become compatible with contemporary times. A person who was only familiar with Urdu and fluent in the Arabic scriptures of the Holy Qu'ran, she was almost illiterate in English or Hindi. But she overturned her status with time. Today, she is at ease with both these languages. All this was the result of her hard work and the urge to learn with us.Her philosophy regarding life was very simple yet very important. She used to say, "Humanity is the best religion and love for all is the true faith; cooperation, intelligence and hard work are the best tools to sustain us; neither bad days nor good ones last long, so always be practical and learn to live with the times."This praise belongs not only to my mother but also to all the women of every home. A mother is God's precious gift. I strongly feel that humanity has survived despite all calamities only due to the sincerity and goodness of mothers.

My Grandfather; Mir Maulvi Syed Murtaza Hussain al Baquiri al Termezi

2008-12-17T06:27:00.000-08:00

It wasn’t a grand occasion but was also not less then it. Mir Maulvi Syed Murtaza Hussain was informed about a birth of a son to Mir Syed Ali Zafar Baquiri, his third son. Although my birth place was Amroha but there were similar celebrations in Amroha, Syed Nagli (my native village) and Gajraula (where my father was posted in UP State Electricity Board as Cable Engineer).
Maulvi Murtaza Hussain had witnessed all the highs and lows of his life till the. He was the witness of the great National movement to get rid of foreign rule. He had witnessed the communal drift, the partition of the country and migration of his compatriots to the new political state i.e. Pakistan.
Maulvi Saheb was regularly advised to leave the country and secure a good future in Pakistan by he denied the proposal every time. He was a cool man who believed in destiny. He also had a deep affection to his land of ancestors, their graves and belongings that he may never had met in Pakistan. Despite of heavy losses, annexing of his land holdings and loss of pension he opted to live in the land of his birth. The place which was guaranteed by his forefather Mir Syed Mohammed Baquiri, Haji al Harmain al Termezi al Hussaini, as a best refuge against economic and natural dangers. He was right to believe in himself because despite of all the hardships he faced, he managed to bring up his children in line with his family legacy.
His grandfathers were also the man great character. Mir Syed Ghalib Ali al Baquiri, his great grandfather was a learned man and was the landlord. During British regime he was delegated the magisterial powers to settle the local disputes. But during the great mutiny of 1857 he3 opted to go with the rebellion. Bakht Khan, the leader of mutiny found refuge in his home along with Shahzada Mirza Firoz Bakht, the son of Mughal Emperor Abu Muzaffar Sirajuddin Mohammed Bahadur Shah Zafar, after the failure of mutiny. The duo remained for three days along with their soldiers until a betrayer from Hasanpur informed the Nawab of Rampur and the local British resident. Mir Ghalib Ali was stripped of his land holdings and magisterial powers. He was convicted on the charges of rebellion and was awarded a capital punishment by lower court of Moradabad. The charges were later lifted off by the Privy Council but he was denied to regain his status as landlord and a local magistrate.
Murtaza Hussain was second of his three brothers Mir Syed Mujtaba Hussain al Baquiri and Mir Syed Mujahis Hussain al Baquiri. His primary education was from a seminary, a local Howza and later he specialized in comparative religion and polity. A brave man and a learned scholar Mir Murtaza Hussain al Baquiri al Termezi led a dignified life facing the threats from time and his own people but he never lost his calm. The tradition follows in the family till date. His sets of high moral conduct, sound character and social behavior still stand as a light house for the highly esteemed family of Mir Syed Ghalib Ali al Baquiri al Termezi

Syed Nagli : Life begins here

2008-12-17T05:34:00.000-08:00

Syed Nagli, now exist as an important town of JP Nagar district of UP in India. A town with mixed population now provides basic amenities to the villages nearby and is emerging as an important trade place. At the time of my birth it was just a small village but historically it is an ancient village with rich cultural heritage. The Nagliets have proved their importance from time to time and many characters have left the deep scars on the pages of history.
It was some time the period when Sikander Lodi ruled over north India with Delhi as his capital when a family migrated from Termez (Uzbekistan) found a refuge in the forests near Sambhal(a town near by). The family was headed by Syed Mir Mohammed Baquiri, Haji Al Harmain, al Temezi al Hussaini. He soon found Sikander Lodi with him, who was on an expedition. When he met Termezi, he took him as a Sufi Mystic but soon realized that the person he met was not only highly educated but also a man of high spirit and military excellence.
Lodi was in one of his most difficult times and he grabbed the opportunity as a golden chance.He asked Termezi to lead an expedition against his rebel son and the ruler of Narwar Kot near Gwalior. First Termezi refused but couldn’t resist the will of a ruler. He left his family with a will. Later a finger with a ring was dispatched to the family as a symbol of his martyrdom by the ruler. The finger was buried and a place was come to be known as Mazar Syed Ungli (finger) after a tomb was built by Lodi as thanks to the deceased martial.
Mir Mohammed al Baquiri al Termezi will still remain with the people as a footnote on his lineage book (Shajra) whish find its root with Prophet Mohammed (SWA), via 5th Imam Mohammed Baquir (AS), the great grandson of Hazrat Ali ibn Abu Talib (AS). He quotes in his will that his descendants may never be harmed by any deadly animal nor they will find themselves in a misery, unless and until they leave this place; later to be known as Said Nagli.
Although many people left the place in search of livelihood and higher education but none from his lineage separated himself from the roots. Many of them touched the heights of glory in the field of Sciences, Politics, Arts, literature and Administrative skills. I will devote a chapter to those great names from my native place who made Nagliets feel proud of them and at the end they all rest in peace on this holy land of great martyr, Syed Mir Mohammed Baquiri Haji al Harmain al Termezi al Hussaini; My beloved Syed Nagli

My Birth Place, Amroha

2008-12-17T04:54:00.000-08:00

It was a small hamlet and not a place to be recognized but my parental village Syed Nagli, located in the heart of west Uttar Pradesh may have surely rejoiced on my birth i.e on 8th April 1980. I can claim myself a truly global in terms that I have no specific geographical identity attached to my life. Although I belong to Syed Nagli, small village in JP Nagar district; I was actually born in Amroha, a land of peace. Now you will not expect more twist regarding my native place but I have one more thing to mention. I belong to Syed Nagli, was born in Amroha but mut childhood playground was Gajraula, another industrial town on NH24 near Moradabad.

About my ideal, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan

2008-12-16T03:48:00.000-08:00

Legendary Educationist

and Social Reformer of Modern India

The remarkable Aziz-un-Nisa, on her part asked the big-built Sayyid Ahmed to forgive a man who had injured him (Sir Sayyid had been “bent upon revenge”)....And when at age 38 she lost her eldest son she simply said, ‘Khuda ki marzi’ (It is God’s will), unrolled her prayer mat with tears running down her cheeks knelt down to beg for God’s solace.
(Rajmohan Gandhi about her maternal aunt in “Understanding the Muslim Mind, Penguin, pg. 20-21, ch.2)

History witnessed the “Making of a Legend” long ago in the court yard of Red fort in Delhi. Rise of British supremacy over Majestic Mughals wasn’t alone. Time was waiting anxiously for the another revolution; to witness the fall of Muslim might in the battlefield (great mutiny of 1857) and the ‘National Renaissance’ with the emergence of leader like Sir Syed. “He was the first Indian Muslim to react to the modern age”, said Sir Mohammed Iqbal. Moreover, how right was he to summarise Sir Syed and simply to call him; ‘The Moderniser of Islam”.
Aziz-un-Nisa along with her father Khwaja Fareed (maternal grand father) served as the mentors of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan. Born in 1817 in Delhi, his father Muttaqui was on pension from Mughal court. But he was raised in the family of Khwaja Fareed, Mughal courtier who had early sensed the rise of British supremacy over India and had started serving for them. It was Khwaja Fareed who arranged his early education in mathematics, Arabic and medicine. Brought up as the children of other Ashraaf (noble elite of Delhi) the childhood of Sir Syed had much to enjoy along with the restrictions of manner and etiquettes that an Ashraaf had to follow. The set of high standards of ethics and moral conduct were the integral part of his life with a pride of lineage that had its root in the family of Prophet (PBUH).
Along with this at least three incidents shook him to the depth of his heart and the aftermath of the storm found him calculating his potential to lead the humanity. Untimely death of his elder brother made him aloof of bright clothes and he grew beard on his face. Soon he lost his father making his family deprived of the pension from Delhi Darbar. This left him no other option but to find a job. Contacts of Khwaja Fareed found him serving as a functionary, first as a reader and later as Munsif in the court of Britishes. Lastly it was the failure of ‘Great Mutiny of 1857’, that linked his emotions with Qaum (term mostly served for Muslims, although sometimes for Indians too). The fall of Indians, the personal loss to his family and the sorrows that gripped the nation and fate of his beloved Qaum (community) to the hand of new rulers shocked him. For the rise of Britishes and fall of Muslims he was sure and mentally prepared. What he hadn’t expected was the miseries and the communal torn out among the Indians. As says Jawaharlal Nehru, the British hand fell hard on the Muslims as they were believed to be the real culprits of the peasant uprising. They were subjected to discrimination and degraded behavior from the new rulers. They fell to the mercy of Raj (British rule in India) and removed from the administrative responsibilities.
It was the irony of the fate that had tagged the Qaum with the labels of unreliable and traitors. They were ethnically cleansed from the armed forces and the well wishers of the Raj replaced them. The land holdings were ceased and they were deprived of their rights to cultivate their own land. But the epicenter of the earthquake was somewhere else. The first composite effort to get rid of the slavery ended up with the divisions among the community. The sad demise of communal harmony along with prestige of the Qaum had left his mind unsettled with never ending storm.
Qaum was in a desperate need of a reconciler to sustain as the subjects under Raj. None could have served better for the purpose, then Sir Syed. While posted in Bijnore in 1857 he had saved many Britishes including the collector, Shakespeare to fell prey to the mutineers. His relations with the Raj had strengthened with the times. He persuaded the plight of his beloved Qaum before the new regime and brokered the peace along with concessions for the miserable subjects. Although not good ones to rise high but these concessions proved enough to sustain.
The Qaum could rely upon him because for his services as Britishes conceived him as the “Foremost loyal Mohammedan”; and for the Qaum, He was frank enough to remind the Britishes of their errors in his famous memorandum of 1858, Asbab- e-Baghawat-e-Hind (the causes of Indian revolt), thus establishing himself as a free and fair broker between the subjects and the rulers.
It was during this period his mind and energies diverted towards the cause for which he was destined; as the great ‘Educationalist and Reformer’. In 1858 while he was posted in Moradabad, the locals made a plight to the miseries of Muslims. It was a time when self respected Ashraaf in him wanted to leave the country to live a dignified life elsewhere. The plight changed his plans and an educationalist was born; with a vision to awaken the slept minds. A school was founded here followed by another one in Ghazipur. The real battle was still to be fought; not against the external foes but with the enemy within own flanks. It was the fanatic Ogre challenging, armored with weapons like ignorance, false pride, jealousy, ego and prejudice. To add troubles this monster was reminding the Qaum of its past glory, spreading hatred against the modern sciences and education.
Greatness of the mission not lies in the end but is vested in the means used. Those who fight against the opposite winds and stood tall against the narrow-minded walls of sect, race and religion emerge as the masters of Humanity and so was Sir Syed Ahmed Khan. Labeled him as Infidel (kafir) and traitor his own people opposed him; although few but there are people like Malik Hafiz who term him as a ‘Father of Indian Separatism’. Also he was hailed as the ‘Father of Modern Renaissance’; but this man named Syed Ahmed Khan raised himself above all praise and criticism. He stands grand, tall and infallible.
With a mammoth task ahead he was short of resources and his own people were raising the hurdles before him. First job was to bring back the lost confidence of the self respected Qaum, says his close friend, Urdu poet Hali. A wall was raised to one side of which were the people lost in their past glory and the ego; other side was for the people enjoying the rewards of aiding the Raj against the mutiny and talking of the Nationalism. Sir Syed’s first task was to bring the Qaum out of the self created isolation towards the mainstream. He did this with perfection. He never put his ear towards the hue and cry of the fundamentalists and silently continued with his job. He was courageous enough to remind the Qaum about their short comings. For fundamentalists the English and their institutions were not limited to rule but to spread Christianity at large. Modern sciences and English were the tools of cultural pollution for the self declared leadership i.e. Clergy. Sir Syed never opposed the clergy neither he deviated his mission away from the religion but was not in favor of fundamentalists to rule over the cause of the community. But can be applauded for he never imposed his religious and political ideology over his institutions and the Qaum.
Meanwhile the Muslims of India encircled with prejudice and hatred towards the Britishes considered their method of education to be the system enacted by Satan and of more destructive impact then that of a military failure. It was some alike the world wide phenomenon, where people failed to keep pace with the changing time had tried to find refuge behind the fanatics. It was Sir Syed who dared to stir the thoughts and claimed, ‘The main factor behind their success is their perfection in modern sciences. If they can, why cant we the Indians.’
They (Indians) had not come up to the West’s standards. ”Hindustanis had the potential, to become, if not superior, at least the equal of England”, he wrote in a letter to his friend Graham from England on Oct 15 1969, where he was on his first visit and was very much amused by the progress that Europeans had made. He was surprised to see that even servants and maids were highly educated. Their manners, laws and way of living everything impressed him. When he sought ‘the cause of England’s civilization”, he found that “All the arts and sciences are in the language of the country. “ If Indian sought to better themselves they should get translated all the arts and sciences to their language. “, thus reminding his earlier stand. The Translation society had come up much earlier in 1864 later renamed as ‘Scientific Society’ with the same motive he was talking in his letter.
The siblings of educational revolution sown during the Moradabad days in his brain came flourishing in the advance environment of England He was designing a set of social reforms in his mind. MAO was mere a tool, real mission lay somewhere ahead of it. On December 24, 1870 first issue of the journal, Tahzeeb-ul-Akhlaq was published and circulated and two days later a committee took over the charge for Aligarh College. It was like a two sided attack on ignorance, illiteracy and social evils, developed due to the age long rusty feudalism, and the feeling of false pride of lineage and races. The first blow was hard enough to stir the thoughts to the depth of heart and minds.
Sir Syed was not only calling for modern education but also for the religious freedom. Unlike the clergy he was talking about the Ijtihad (independent judgment) while practicing the religion. He was talking about monogamy and abolition of slavery. “Oh my God! How dare he?” were the first reaction. Fatwas (religious opinion) were issued against him. Not less then his head were the desires. How will he face the forces ready to fight nail and teeth, to curtail his mission? Such were the talks in the air and he emerged invincible.
M.A.O was to impart education in English; may be due to the lack of proper translations of subjects in vernacular languages. This was yet another obstacle to convince the Qaum about the fair deal he was trying to make. English was seen with hatred not only among the common masses but also with within the spheres of Ashraaf. Not merely due to its connections with the spoilers of “Muslim Might” but also as a pollutant of culture, English wasn’t acceptable to his Qaum.
The standoffishness of the Muslim youth from college education was to worry him as their participation was much low in 1872. Commented William Hunter in Indian Mussalmans, “There is scarcely a Government office in Calcutta in which a Mohammedan can hope for any post above the rank of a porter, messenger, and filler of ink-pots and mender of pens.” Even the primary education was limited to seminaries or Madarsas, which failed to cater the modern needs. With the shift of power in new hands i.e. Britishes the old system of education had become useless. Qaum was in catch twenty positions as clergy was criticizing it as the medium for worldly desires and the oppressor of religious obligations; while new system demanded the zealous youth equipped with progressive thought and English education
Yet another stumbling block awaited as majority of Muslims were living below poverty line. They were opposed to the idea to find jobs with the Britishes at the cost of their self respect. Regardless of the fact that majority of Indians had adopted themselves to the new system; Muslims had confined themselves in self immolating isolation? They were housed with poverty, illiteracy and social evils to face the inevitable miseries, multiplying with the ruined thoughts and social degradation.
The journals like “Reformer” or “Tahzeeb-ul-Akhlaq” were confined to the reforms amongst the Qaum, but the doors of M.A.O were opened to all fellow Indians, regardless of caste, color and creed. M.A.O was a laboratory to experiment with his ideas and Sir Syed proved what he had said. He wanted to see no sectarian drift among his Qaum. The Sunni’s and the Shiite’s could be seen praying side by side, dining on the same table and living in the same room. He was regularly talking of the communal reconciliation and did it at M.A.O. Cow slaughter was banned on the campus. Hindus were welcomed open heartedly with exemptions from religious practices compulsory for Muslim students. In 1887 three of the eleven management committee members and in 1894 two of the seven teachers were Hindus. Along with others Raja Jai Kishan Das was among the prime policy deciders. The tradition continues till date.
Call for the Muslims to educate themselves and keep aloof of politics was straight away discarded by the majority. He said, rise economically and socially with education as a tool and they said without politics no rights can be obtained. Not many turned to his call and result was a very few numbers for M.A.O to start with. To run the college Sir Syed had to walk door to door; to raise the funds and to convince the parents about the safe future of their wards. All the functionaries of the Raj weren’t generous enough to help him bringing ideas to reality. No one believed in his potential and ability to fulfill his dreams. Humiliated more than once and opposed every time, Sir Syed never took insult as personal, neither a self –respected Ashraaf in him forced his ego to withdraw from the high esteemed mission.” “Remember one thing that when I overtook the task, there was criticism all around against me, abuses were hurled against me, life had become so difficult for me that I aged before my age, I lost my hair, my eyesight, but not my vision”, admitted Sir Syed in one of his article in 1911.
Criticized for ignoring the education for girls he was right enough to advocate the education for at least a fixed number of men. In a community where few dared to accept the modern education, idea of educating girls may have brought more troubles. It is easier to convince an educated mass then an illiterate individual. What educationalist Sir Syed was denying, a social reformer was pleading to impart. He never denied education for girls but kept it aloof for some time. On the other hand he was asking his Qaum to grant the rights what women deserve. He opposed polygamy and said,” it is permissible with restrictions in some given condition”. He even opposed the cruelty against them and said, “The act is not permissible in any civil society”.
Sir Syed may not have even met Raja Ram Mohan Roy, but he did not for his Qaum then the much talked compatriot. He served his whole life, energy, health and wealth for his noble mission; at the cost of his self respect and dignity what he had been gifted by his ancestors. Personal ego didn’t even value for a penny for visionary like him. M.A.O was just the milestone and he had to cover the lot of ground; attain the much higher goal and re-install his nationals above the greater heights of humanity.
“The aim of Syed was not merely to reconcile the Muslims to the government but also to reconcile them to this country and to the Hindu community”, said Dr. Bhagwan Das of Moradabad in one of his speech. Yes he wanted to see his Qaum to rise above the narrow boundaries of communalism, racialism and sectarianism. For him these feelings lead to self destruction. The races who want to rise high and rule the world should raise their moral conduct and behavior, says Islam as perceived by Sir Syed. He was not in a search of immediate relief but was trying to look for the permanent solutions to the Qaum’s problems. Instead of looking towards the majority and the rulers he asked his men to stand up and make themselves self sufficed in all terms. “Development is hurdled by conflicts so leave them behind and optimize your efforts for the development of humanity”, he said.
“I may be dreaming like Sheikh Chilli but we aim to turn this M.A.O college into a university similar to that of Oxford or Cambridge”, he claimed in 1911 and soon his dreams came true. The logic behind high rising buildings and investment in beautiful architecture though criticized in his time was, “I don’t want them to feel inferior for not studying in the prestigious Western Institutions. They may always hold their head high, he said.
He never asked for any reward nor did he wish any recognition. In turn for his memorable services he just asked to, ‘stand up against selfish motivation. It is exactly the thing I have fought against and I want you to stand once again. Stand erect, be counted and at that time I would like you to bow before Almighty Allah.
Today Sir Syed Ahmad Khan rest in peace and find sustenance in presence of Allah as Qura’n assures about those carry the Holy war, but his mission is still incomplete. The conditions haven’t changed yet since his time. The same age old ignorance, illiteracy and fundamentalism grip his beloved Qaum. He may not come but he has left a vision that still enlightens the humanity. Humanity needs more then one Sir Syed, who may lead the society towards perfection; the perfection which he had dreamt. In the words of Allama Iqbal, “glow with the sunbeams of desire,” and to learn from the wave which says to itself,

When I am rolling I exist
When I rest, I am no more