Anna Hazare stands very tall by virtue of his honesty and his dedication to improving the lives of the ordinary people of India. Like all Indians, Muslims too salute him. Yet there is a cause for deep concern This is the third case of moral hysteria sweeping India in the last forty years. It was JP in the seventies, and later V.P.Singh in the eighties. Both movements soon passed into the hands of the RSS. The first led to the killings in  Moradabad, and a new political phase of the RSS, called the BJP. Muslim naivete (one cannot say broad mindedness) can be judged from the fact that its inaugural session was presided over by Mohammad Ali Currimbhai Chagla. The V.P. Singh moral brigade soon got  converted to the Ayodhaya drive to demollish Babri Masjid, Poor V.P.Singh was totally sidelined, and vilified by the RSS. Sadly the same thing can happen again. The RSS already has a candidate it calls clean and efficient  administrator. Shockingly his name is Narendra Modi. Muslims must be vigilant. If we are conned repeatedly by the same party, then there is something seriously wrong with us.

Mr. Anna Hazare’s drama was produced by Congress party to get new life out of this enactment .The Loke Pall bill will be presented in the next parliament session .no sooner Manmohan Singh agrees Mr. Hazare will be offered lemon glass by Sonia, Rahul,or Kapil Sibbal . The hero will become zero and .the great Indian nation was befooled by Indian National Congress. Four days Drama will end and the black money will have additional safety in foreign banks

Anna Hazare’s campaign for the Jan Lok Pal bill has the potential of developing into another JP movement. Jan Lokpal bill cannot but be a reality soon. Dr Man Mohan Singh will ignore it at his own peril. His plea to Anna Hazare to abandon the hunger strike is absurd in the circumstances. He speaks of his respect for Anna while remaining silent on the crux of the matter. He says his government is “dead serious” about eradicating corruption, but has failed to take any credible stance against corruption. The Prime minister is the captive of the Congress party whose very culture is synonymous with corruption. Indira Gandhi legitimized corruption by saying it is a global phenomenon. Anna Hazare has given him an opportunity to exert himself against the corrupt congressmen. He must grab the opportunity to break the shackles and take bold step of accepting the proposal for the formation of joint committee as demanded by Anna Hazare. In accepting Anna Hazare’s demand Dr Singh will only be supporting an excellent bill drafted by several eminent citizens.

IV

Nazneen O. Saherwala (Surat, Gujarat)

nazsita@yahoo.co.in

Anna Hazare in his fight through his fast unto death gained support from all the corners of the country. His campaign to exert pressure on the Government of India to enact a strong anti-corruption act as envisaged in the Jan Lokpal Bill echoed all over the country with mass support. However, the logicality of his struggle remains disputed as many doubt if the draft Jan Lokpal bill can be accepted in total can strict anti-corruption laws prevent corruption in the government institutions?  The argument and the support for the Jan Lokpal Bill is centred around the fact that India being one of the top three economies in the world is seen sinking to number 87 owing to the Rampant corruption in the government departments. Such a state of affairs, the struggle for the Lokpal bill has a long way to go even after the bill is passed. The inspired youth, supporting celebrities and the strong corporate entities should continue their efforts to tackle the menace of corruption since mere passing a bill will not suffice unless and until it is implemented accordingly.

VI

Mohd Ziyaullah Khan,Nagpur – 440013

writeziya@gmail.com

Whether Indian first or Muslim first?

Let me quench the thirst of those fools ,

Indian or Muslim - which first? They ask;

With their mind in dark, and heart in dirt,

They think to put me to the heaviest task.

I am a Muslim, when I pray to my Lord,

But my forehead graces the Indian land;

I am a Muslim, when I perform my Hajj,

But I am allowed to go by an Indian hand.

I am a Muslim, when with terror I am linked,

I am a Muslim, when many problems I face;

I am an Indian, when I fight to seek my share,

I am an Indian, when I try to compete in race.

I am an ‘Indian Muslim’: It is my final say,

Both are real: for one, the other is not a mask;

It is foolish to know which I love the most,

It is their combined glory in which I bask.

Budget of SPQEM was already 60 crore and in news I have seen it is written that SPQEM budget is increased from 10 crore to 15 crore for financial year 2011-12 which is not true. Please tell what the actual increase is for financial year 2011-12 in SPQEM scheme from 60 crore per year. Salaries of about 18000 teachers from 6000 Madarsas all over India is pending with the Govt of India which needed about 300 crore per year budget for paying salaries. Teachers of these Madarsas are on the verge of starving because their salaries are pending for last two years. For more details, see site of Islamic Madarsa Modernization Teachers Association of India’s website. www.imass.org.in.

Muslims are worried and angry the way wakf lands, which were donated by philanthropic Muslims for the benefit of the community, are being openly traded by the unscrupulous mutavallis [caretakers] and others in authority. Clandestine sell-offs of wakf properties are taking place all across the country. In connivance with the state Wakf Boards the mutavallis are misusing the properties for personal financial gains. The situation is piquant throughout India. Wakf lands are regularly targeted by real estate sharks, which approach either caretakers or members of the Boards, who in turn sell the lands for a pittance, by taking hefty cuts in the underhand deals.Many high profile deals of wakf properties came to our notice recently. The land on which Mukesh Ambani has constructed his famous 27-floor personal home Anitilia was a genuine wakf land. Mr Ambani paid a very small fraction of the land’s real market value of some whopping crores of rupees and took possession of the land through some illegal deals. On original wakf lands all across the country numerous posh residential complexes and high-rises have come up where richer non-Muslims have set up their homes. Poor Muslims can never afford to dream to occupy any place in those expensive floors. But ordeals for Muslims do not end here. After bribing mostly Hindu wakf board officials and the Muslim mutavallis-who are always ready to do away with their conscience for little monetary gains, commercial complexes have also sprung up on these wakf lands.

Yes, Qur’an has the answers

Farhana Siddiquie, Nagpur – 440013

Attorney General of India Ghulam. E. Vahanvati said, “I do not know what wrong did I commit in my last life that media is after me.” He was denying report appeared in the media he had been questioned by the CBI. Without knowing the character and groups dominating in the media nobody can solve this question. This media coined jihadi Islam, Islamic terrorism, Madrasas den of terrorists etc. A survey conducted by senior fellow Yoginder Yadav of Centre for Study of Developing Studies, senior journalist Anil Chamadia and Jitendra Kumar of media study group revealed that in media 88 percent of forward Brahmin’s are present at the police making post which decides which news would get importance and at which place it would appear in which newspaper and when it would be published. At these deciding posts 49 percent Brahmins are present. That is why media is saffron tool. Now we can analyse easily why media is after Vahanvati and why Muslims and Dalits real problem do not get media attention?

I bring to your notice that an independent fact-finding team, at the initiative of ‘The Other Media (Delhi), consisting of four human rights activists, namely Bela Bhatia, Ravi Hemadri, Sukumar Muralidharan and Vrinda Grover had visited Kashmir at the end of October 2010 in order to study the origins of the problem which had led to recent mass uprising in the valley of Kashmir and to suggest ways and means for its resolution. They met families of those killed during the preceding four months of civil unrest and assessed various shades of opinion in the valley. The team members spent about 25 days and visited several villages and towns in five of the Kashmir valley’s 10 districts. The team prepared its report entitled ‘Four Months Kashmir Valley Will Never Forget’ and released the same in a Press Conference on 26th March, 2011 at New Delhi. All segments of the media were invited to cover the conference. But to the surprise of the team no reporter, except one,  turned up and was totally ignored by the print as well as electronic media. There is already a feeling among the people of Kashmir that Indian establishments and majority of Indian media are more interested in retaining the land of Kashmir rather than to have any concern for the miseries and sufferings of its people. Human rights groups also feel that their view points in relation to Kashmir problem are mostly ignored by the media which is more prone to give wider publicity to official line.

Be it corruption or any other calamity. Its roots must be removed. But how? Every one, naturally, desires happiness. No exception at all. How can it be attained peacefully? Only by caring for others. Never by harming others or putting others to loss. Others are also like us. But then such perfect sympathy and goodwill for every one is possible if people believe in not only the Omniscience and Omnipotence of GOD but also in HIS justice too for which HE has made an eternal and un-ending Hereafter, permanent life after death (in this world on earth). In this world some people do good deeds which continue for all generations. There also are people who harm and kill millions of people unjustly. Only an unending world can provide full justice to all. There the killer of thousands can be killed thousands of times making him alive after every killing as is understood from Qur’an. Not believing in this Truth is nothing but the satanic pride and arrogance which blinds the egotists from the Power working behind quakes, floods, volcanic eruptions etc. that turn lands into seas and seas into mountains. Arrogance and ego make even educated blind whereas pure-heartedness makes even totally illiterates the best citizens.

US looks for oil in Libya

The US is after oil in Libya. There is no doubt that Gaddafi is a very cruel dictator. They call him a butcher. But question arises why the US is not interfering in Yemen and other Arab countries where there is uprising and why only in Libya? The answer is very simple. Other countries besides Libya are very poor. The US cannot gain anything from them. Libya is very rich and the US being very selfish is killing innocent people of Libya mercilessly. I think it is time for all the Arab countries to unite. They must forget the differences to face their common enemies.

No body sympathizes with Gaddafi and no body takes exception to US timely action in the interest of protecting the civilians in Libya. But if there is one thing that is evident from Obama’s Monday address to nation regarding US involvement in Libyan crises, it is that - USA thinks that high sounding words are alternative towell-defined-policy-based actions. It is amazing that Obama did not enlighten that:- (1)-  what is and what will be US policy regarding non-violent uprising for democracy as presently in Tunisia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia (or earlier in Myanmar,  Tiananmen Square  in China)  etc on one side and armed uprising for democracy in Libya, Yemen, Syria, Bahrain, Jordan etc on other side. Confusion of Obama in this regard was evident from his repeated mention of   helping the opposition (armed rebels), though UN mandate talks about merely the enforcement of no fly zone and protecting the civilians. To what extent this intentional lack of clarity of USA (regarding unqualified help to both, the non-violent and armed agitations for democracy) will destabilize the whole of Afro - Arab world and which will be a serious threat to world peace - is simply missing from the calculations of the policy makers at Whitehouse.

BJP has as usual once again exhibited loss of creditability by taking double standards on various revealings by Wikileaks. When such revealings on cash-for-votes on UPA-1 trust-vote in Parliament were exposed by Wikileaks, BJP left no stone unturned in putting Prime Minister in dock in Parliament. Now when Wikileaks has caused discomfort BJP by its exposure on Arun Jaitley, BJP has termed Wikileaks being unreliable lacking ‘proof’. It is a blessing in disguise for Indian people that ‘real’ face of present breed of corrupt and immoral Indian politicians is exposed by Wikileaks. Since beneficiaries of a dishonest political system are present in both ruling and opposition alliances with Union government not making any sincere attempts to expose benami Indian account-holders in foreign banks, people of India are curiously waiting for Wikileaks to reveal a complete list of notorious Indians having parked Indian money in Swiss Bank and other tax-heaven countries.

My vast experience in dealing with journalists (both print and electronic) due to my RTI activism revealed that there used to be an un-written conduct-code amongst media-groups for not exposing each other. Journalists from most print and electronic media refused to reveal RTI response from army (and subsequent CIC verdict) about infamous TV-shot by a renowned TV journalist of a prominent TV channel during Kargil-war which resulted in killing of some Indian soldiers, because conduct-code amongst media-groups was to hide each-others’ fault. But exposure of an allegedly ‘sold’ media through infamous Radia tapes has broken the unethical code. Now ‘India Today’ (4th April 2011) through its write-up ‘Off the Air’ has levelled serious allegations on CNN IBN on aspect of ‘delayed’ and ‘doctored (diluted)’ presentation of its sting on infamous cash-for votes scam on trust-motion in Parliament. Media is the fourth (latent) pillar of democracy where the other three are already in the dock. It is time that CNN IBN establishes its creditability by airing a special programme on serious allegations levelled by its former staffer Siddhartha Gautam who is now with rival channel ‘Headlines Today’. Accountability in media has become a necessity. It remains still a curious aspect to know reasons for sudden exit of a senior person like Prabhu Chawla from India Today group.