Counter attack. Thats too easy.
Our police is for our own security, not for our killing every month.
Hard evidence about Indian police firing at innocents!
- Thread starter Awesome
- Start date
Counter attack. Thats too easy.
Our police is for our own security, not for our killing every month.
Him and other billions of muslims in India fought for the land. This gives them every right to stay there and die there. Now the only way to seek freedom in the land for which they fought for is to fight for its independence, but again with that atmosphere they dont have guts to fight anymore.
Those who had the guts, fought and created an independent nation.
Webby,
Then suggest what India should?
If people are rioting should the police ask each and every person what religion they belong to ?
If it is Muslim,then Muslim world complains, dont shoot.
If Jews,Israel complains dont shoot.
If Christians,America complains dont shoot..
etc....etc...
Where do they stop? Shoot only if they are Hindus? So that the press dont not point that the killed are Hindus and hence the world does not discuss it?
Lets not give "moral points" to respective police forces. We all very well know that South Asian police are not western types. They are not the ones who believe in "customer service". Pakistan,Bangladesh,India or Nepal they are one and the same.
And your personal opinion should be taken as reality? If Indians are killed for being Muslims, wonder why are still choose to live in India?
As far I remember in 1971,lakhs of refugees poured in India because Pakistanis were killed for being Bengalis, wonder why we dont see this phenomena?
Why do we have Indian Muslims refugees to Pakistan,where they will given "great" respect?
It's been 60 years since partiton... what's stoping them?
Ababeel
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Is 'Riot Free India' A Possibility?
By Ram Puniyani
15 September, 2005
Countercurrents.org
After the tabling of Nanavati Commission report (August 2005), we have once more seen the face of our polity in the mirror, the defects and flaws in implementation of democratic ethos are there for us to give a serious thought once more. The first thing, which emerges, is about the sequence and the major victims of the communal violence. Starting from Jabalpur riot (1961), Hindu-Muslim riots have gone on and on, the last one being the horrific anti-Muslim pogrom in Gujarat, in the aftermath of burning of Sabarmati express at Godhra. These riots have been projected as Hindu Muslim riots but the statistics tell a different tale. In the data released by the ministry of Home affirms that prior to the Babri demolition, the percentage of Muslim victims in these riots had been 80%. (In the total population Muslims are 12.6%). Post Babri demolition the ratio might have become more adverse to Muslims.
The second minority to be on the target has been the one dealt in the report mentioned above, the Sikh community. In the single and intense anti Sikh pogrom (1984) around 3000 Sikhs were butchered in most merciless fashion. The third on the firing line has been the Christian community, amongst them particularly the nuns and priests, working in the remote areas. In this violence the most horrific case has been the burning alive of Pastor Graham Stuart Stains along with his two sons, Philip and Timothy (Ages, 11 and 7). Apart from this glaring act many a nuns and priests have been done to death, and an additional tool of community humiliation, rape, has been used against the nuns at places.
The inquiry commissions have been instituted off and on, not all of them have been satisfactory for various reasons. But surely some of them have been outstanding in their approach from judicial and human rights angel. Justice Jagmohan, Madon and Shrikrishna being few examples of that. In most of the anti Muslim riots the investigation commissions have shown the RSS links of some organization floated at times by RSS swayamsevaks for the specific purpose of the riots, apart from the deeper role of RSS ongoing program of 'Hate minorities propaganda', which keeps going on ceaselessly through its vast and frighteningly organized network of trained, indoctrinated swaymsevak.
In the anti-Sikh pogrom the PUCL report was a work of outstanding quality. Various reports on this riot did put the blame on second rung of Congress leadership, while the top leadership occupying the throne, was apparently too grieved to discharge the constitutional duty at that time.
The anti-Christina violence has been investigated only once at official level, Wadhva Commission after the murder of Pastor Stains. This commission while not totally satisfactory in some aspects did point the finger to Dara Singh, who was convicted initially for the death sentence, which later was reduced to life imprisonment. This commission report did point out that the allegation that Pastor Stains was 'converting' is totally baseless. It is not the place the debate whether or not preaching one's religion is a crime or a perfectly valid legal and social activity. Apart from this many a human rights groups have come out with significant reports on this issue and practically all of them conclude that the propaganda of conversion activity is a manufactured myth and that one can see the hand of RSS affiliates, Vanavasi Kalyan Ashram, Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal's in all such acts of violence. The writer of these lines also happened to be part of few of these committees and needless to say one is amazed as to how cleverly RSS has laid and continues to lay the mines to trap the missionaries working in remote areas.
The second most disturbing general observation is that while on one hand it is the innocents who are killed in the communal violence, the perpetrators and planners of the riots generally go unpunished, many a times their social and political prestige also goes up. Shiv Sena, a close cousin of BJP, was the leading force in Mumbai riots. Its supreme leader, Balasaheb Thackeray, was elevated as Hindu Hriday Samrat (Emperor of Hindu Hearts) after leading the Mumbai riots. Narendra Modi was given the same prefix, after he "successfully" presided over the Gujarat carnage. Dara Sing was also anointed, Hindu Dharm Rakshak (Protector of Hindu Faith). And seems to be the lone exception who is in the jail for his crime. What connects these different events of anti-minority violence? Is there a method in the madness, which grips the section of society? One cannot fully generalize from these acts of violence but some observations do stare us in the face. The first one is the strengthening of the communal forces in the area where the riots take place. Starting from the decade of sixties various add on factors have also been aiding in the communal violence, like settling the business rivalry, grabbing the land by the builder lobby. The major aftermath of communal violence has been the electoral strengthening of those who have led the riots. Congress in 1984, Shiv Sena in 92-93 and BJP in post 2002 elections. These parties improved their electoral performance. Some do say that BJP lost the 2004 elections at national level due to Gujarat, but one wishes this conjecture were right. In Gujarat BJP did emerge as a more powerful force.
The biggest common factor, which underlies the communal violence and, which needs bigger highlighting is the intense demonization of that particular community prior to the riots. This acute demonization rides on the ongoing chronic demonization, which is part of the program of communal outfits. In case of anti Sikh riots it was a temporary phenomenon, where every Sikh was made to look like Bhindranwale, a terrorist. In case of Muslims it is an ongoing process, which began before the partition tragedy and keeps building itself by the day. In case of Christians the propaganda was intensified in the mid nineties and violence followed in due course. The major players in the anti minority violence have been the RSS along with its progeny and the Congress. While RSS and its progeny has well-oiled machinery for spreading hate on sustained basis for Congress it was a one go affair in the anti Sikh pogrom.
It is not to exonerate Congress for its other acts of omission and sometimes commission, which either let the violence go on and sometimes even initiate and perpetuate it. The crucial difference is that RSS combine has specialized in demonizing the minorities. As far as Muslims are concerned, the building blocks of demonization are constituted by the communal history, the bunkum about temple destructions; forcible conversions and torture of Hindus, particularly atrocities on Hindu women. From contemporary social phenomenon four wives twenty children and the fanatic nature of Islam. Lately what has been propagated is that all terrorists are Muslims, due to the teachings of Maadrassas and nature of Islam. Most of these have been shown to be totally baseless at worst and small fragment of the larger canvass of truth at best. Needless to say that fragment of truth is more dangerous than a lie.
About Sikhs, their being terrorists, became a fodder for the popular understanding for quite sometime. That Christian missionaries convert is equally rooted in the popular imagination today. Again what is common in most of the components of social common sense is the uniform projection of the whole community. Few Sikhs indulged in terrorism, all Sikhs are looked at as terrorists. Few Muslims took up the terror tactics; all Muslims get dubbed as terrorists. Muslim Kings destroyed temples like Somanth, for wealth or for insulting 'our' religion is irrelevant here. 'Let's avenge that historical phenomenon', list the places to be destroyed one after the other. Christian Missionaries do conversion activity, let's burn them in remote places while at the same time pressurizing them to admit 'our' children in their schools and colleges in cities! We will not go in to the motives behind this propaganda and its totally manufactured character here, what we have to see is that the germs of this understanding. This 'call a dog as mad', to prepare ground to kill it, is widely being practiced in a systematic and 'socially approved' fashion. One has a firm understating that punishing the guilty is the first prerequisite for future riot prevention. The other most essential step, which is crucial for riot free India is effectively combating the outpourings of Hate Spreading factories. The demonization of minorities seems to be the ground on which violence stands and sustains itself. No measures for the riot free India can be complete without bringing to halt the stereotyping the minorities and effectively neutralizing the 'hate other' propaganda.
By Ram Puniyani
15 September, 2005
Countercurrents.org
After the tabling of Nanavati Commission report (August 2005), we have once more seen the face of our polity in the mirror, the defects and flaws in implementation of democratic ethos are there for us to give a serious thought once more. The first thing, which emerges, is about the sequence and the major victims of the communal violence. Starting from Jabalpur riot (1961), Hindu-Muslim riots have gone on and on, the last one being the horrific anti-Muslim pogrom in Gujarat, in the aftermath of burning of Sabarmati express at Godhra. These riots have been projected as Hindu Muslim riots but the statistics tell a different tale. In the data released by the ministry of Home affirms that prior to the Babri demolition, the percentage of Muslim victims in these riots had been 80%. (In the total population Muslims are 12.6%). Post Babri demolition the ratio might have become more adverse to Muslims.
The second minority to be on the target has been the one dealt in the report mentioned above, the Sikh community. In the single and intense anti Sikh pogrom (1984) around 3000 Sikhs were butchered in most merciless fashion. The third on the firing line has been the Christian community, amongst them particularly the nuns and priests, working in the remote areas. In this violence the most horrific case has been the burning alive of Pastor Graham Stuart Stains along with his two sons, Philip and Timothy (Ages, 11 and 7). Apart from this glaring act many a nuns and priests have been done to death, and an additional tool of community humiliation, rape, has been used against the nuns at places.
The inquiry commissions have been instituted off and on, not all of them have been satisfactory for various reasons. But surely some of them have been outstanding in their approach from judicial and human rights angel. Justice Jagmohan, Madon and Shrikrishna being few examples of that. In most of the anti Muslim riots the investigation commissions have shown the RSS links of some organization floated at times by RSS swayamsevaks for the specific purpose of the riots, apart from the deeper role of RSS ongoing program of 'Hate minorities propaganda', which keeps going on ceaselessly through its vast and frighteningly organized network of trained, indoctrinated swaymsevak.
In the anti-Sikh pogrom the PUCL report was a work of outstanding quality. Various reports on this riot did put the blame on second rung of Congress leadership, while the top leadership occupying the throne, was apparently too grieved to discharge the constitutional duty at that time.
The anti-Christina violence has been investigated only once at official level, Wadhva Commission after the murder of Pastor Stains. This commission while not totally satisfactory in some aspects did point the finger to Dara Singh, who was convicted initially for the death sentence, which later was reduced to life imprisonment. This commission report did point out that the allegation that Pastor Stains was 'converting' is totally baseless. It is not the place the debate whether or not preaching one's religion is a crime or a perfectly valid legal and social activity. Apart from this many a human rights groups have come out with significant reports on this issue and practically all of them conclude that the propaganda of conversion activity is a manufactured myth and that one can see the hand of RSS affiliates, Vanavasi Kalyan Ashram, Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal's in all such acts of violence. The writer of these lines also happened to be part of few of these committees and needless to say one is amazed as to how cleverly RSS has laid and continues to lay the mines to trap the missionaries working in remote areas.
The second most disturbing general observation is that while on one hand it is the innocents who are killed in the communal violence, the perpetrators and planners of the riots generally go unpunished, many a times their social and political prestige also goes up. Shiv Sena, a close cousin of BJP, was the leading force in Mumbai riots. Its supreme leader, Balasaheb Thackeray, was elevated as Hindu Hriday Samrat (Emperor of Hindu Hearts) after leading the Mumbai riots. Narendra Modi was given the same prefix, after he "successfully" presided over the Gujarat carnage. Dara Sing was also anointed, Hindu Dharm Rakshak (Protector of Hindu Faith). And seems to be the lone exception who is in the jail for his crime. What connects these different events of anti-minority violence? Is there a method in the madness, which grips the section of society? One cannot fully generalize from these acts of violence but some observations do stare us in the face. The first one is the strengthening of the communal forces in the area where the riots take place. Starting from the decade of sixties various add on factors have also been aiding in the communal violence, like settling the business rivalry, grabbing the land by the builder lobby. The major aftermath of communal violence has been the electoral strengthening of those who have led the riots. Congress in 1984, Shiv Sena in 92-93 and BJP in post 2002 elections. These parties improved their electoral performance. Some do say that BJP lost the 2004 elections at national level due to Gujarat, but one wishes this conjecture were right. In Gujarat BJP did emerge as a more powerful force.
The biggest common factor, which underlies the communal violence and, which needs bigger highlighting is the intense demonization of that particular community prior to the riots. This acute demonization rides on the ongoing chronic demonization, which is part of the program of communal outfits. In case of anti Sikh riots it was a temporary phenomenon, where every Sikh was made to look like Bhindranwale, a terrorist. In case of Muslims it is an ongoing process, which began before the partition tragedy and keeps building itself by the day. In case of Christians the propaganda was intensified in the mid nineties and violence followed in due course. The major players in the anti minority violence have been the RSS along with its progeny and the Congress. While RSS and its progeny has well-oiled machinery for spreading hate on sustained basis for Congress it was a one go affair in the anti Sikh pogrom.
It is not to exonerate Congress for its other acts of omission and sometimes commission, which either let the violence go on and sometimes even initiate and perpetuate it. The crucial difference is that RSS combine has specialized in demonizing the minorities. As far as Muslims are concerned, the building blocks of demonization are constituted by the communal history, the bunkum about temple destructions; forcible conversions and torture of Hindus, particularly atrocities on Hindu women. From contemporary social phenomenon four wives twenty children and the fanatic nature of Islam. Lately what has been propagated is that all terrorists are Muslims, due to the teachings of Maadrassas and nature of Islam. Most of these have been shown to be totally baseless at worst and small fragment of the larger canvass of truth at best. Needless to say that fragment of truth is more dangerous than a lie.
About Sikhs, their being terrorists, became a fodder for the popular understanding for quite sometime. That Christian missionaries convert is equally rooted in the popular imagination today. Again what is common in most of the components of social common sense is the uniform projection of the whole community. Few Sikhs indulged in terrorism, all Sikhs are looked at as terrorists. Few Muslims took up the terror tactics; all Muslims get dubbed as terrorists. Muslim Kings destroyed temples like Somanth, for wealth or for insulting 'our' religion is irrelevant here. 'Let's avenge that historical phenomenon', list the places to be destroyed one after the other. Christian Missionaries do conversion activity, let's burn them in remote places while at the same time pressurizing them to admit 'our' children in their schools and colleges in cities! We will not go in to the motives behind this propaganda and its totally manufactured character here, what we have to see is that the germs of this understanding. This 'call a dog as mad', to prepare ground to kill it, is widely being practiced in a systematic and 'socially approved' fashion. One has a firm understating that punishing the guilty is the first prerequisite for future riot prevention. The other most essential step, which is crucial for riot free India is effectively combating the outpourings of Hate Spreading factories. The demonization of minorities seems to be the ground on which violence stands and sustains itself. No measures for the riot free India can be complete without bringing to halt the stereotyping the minorities and effectively neutralizing the 'hate other' propaganda.
Ababeel
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How to Exterminate Muslims in India?
Dalit Voice, Editorial, May 16-31. 1999
Muslims ruled over Spain from 712 AD to 1492 AD for 780 years, yet today there are no Muslims in Spain though every aspect of Spanish life has a touch of Islam. Spanish language has many Arabic words, its music has an Arabic tone, its culture has more Arabic influence than the European, and proper nouns in Spanish often have the Arabic prefix al. From 1492, when the last bastion of Muslim political strength Grenada fell, the Muslims of Spain were on the decline and its culmination took place after 120 years when the last batch of Muslim die-hards left Spain in 1612. From that year, Islam vanished from the Spanish horizons.
A particular noteworthy point is that during this period of Islamic decline from Spain, the entire civilised world was ruled by Muslims. The Ottoman Turks had conquered Constantinople in 1553, and were ruling the entire Balkan Peninsula, Egypt was ruled by the powerful Mamiukes, Persia was at its political pinnacle under the Abbasi rulers, and India was ruled by the Moghals. Still Islam vanished from Spain and none of these great Muslim armies did anything to protect the Muslims of Spain. How Islam was ejected from Spain had been a subject of keen study by lndia's Hindu Nazis in the 30s and 40s of this century. They studied this aspect to be copied in India and to counter this possibility, the Muslim leaders also studied this to prevent a repetition of the Spanish methods because Muslims (forming 11.35% of the population as per 1981 census) as lndia's single largest minorities have become the biggest headache to the upper caste Hindus. But the present-day Muslims are totally ignorant of the history of Islamic decline in Spain and hence of the designs surrounding it.
Through this we intend to shed a little light on this subject so that the thinking section of the Muslims and their sympathisers may do some more research on this subject. As in India, Spanish Muslims had three categories: (i) the descendants of the original Arabs, (ii) descendants of Arab fathers and Spanish mothers and (iii) Christian converts to Islam. Immediately after the fall of Grenada many of the original Arabs to save their lives (not property, as they were not permitted to carry their wealth) left Spain to Tunisia and Morocco; many died on their journey by the attacking Christian hordes. Rest of the original Arabs who opted to live in Spain itself were subsequently branded 'foreigners" (as in India) and destroyers of Spain. The other category of Muslims viz. the descendants of Muslim fathers and Christianmothers and converts from Christianity opted to live in Spain believing in the declaration of King Ferdinand that complete religious freedom would be guaranteed. (in India also, we are told that Muslims enjoy full religious freedom and minority rights). The attacks by Christian on their lives and property during the earlier years was pardoned as a temporary phenomenon.
Compare it with the development that took place in India after the partition (1947). But these attacks on Muslim life and property in Spain did not abate but continued for about 50 years with lesser intensity in a sporadic manner, just as it is happening in India today. In the earlier years, the Indian Muslims resisted and fought back. There were mini-battles in the streets, but gradually there were one-sided attacks and every time Muslims were the losers. Of late, the Hindu police itself is let lose to kill the Muslims in India.
While the organized Christian groups were committing such massacres, Ferdinand's Govt, in Spain adopted the policy of eliminating Muslims from the services and adopting the following measures:-
Arabic was removed from administration,
schools attached to mosques were debarred from teaching academic and secular subjects like science, history, mathematics and philosophy. Only religious teaching could be imparted,
Lessons in history were faked by which the Muslim rule was dubbed as barbaric. Contribution of Muslims to the development of Spain was avoided,
Muslim houses were made objects of constant searching by police on allegations of arms hoarding and secret meetings,
Original Arab Muslims were projected as enemies of Christians and destroyers of Spain.
Christian converts were persuaded to reconvert to Christianity on the ground that their ancestors were forced to become Muslims and as there is no more coercion, they should revert to Christianity.
Muslims who were from Muslim-Christian parentage were branded as bastards and ridiculed and persuaded to revert to Christianity.
Marriages performed in the Islamic manner were directed to be registered with the judicial officers.
Islamic law was declared illegal. Every method followed in Spain is being experimented in India with better precision and timing.
Thus Muslims in Spain were made objects of ridicule, condemnation and continuous attack. Burning of Muslim houses and shops was encouraged to destroy their economy. Mock ceremonies of reconversion of Muslims to Christianity were held and publicized. In India, Hindu Nazis of all hues-Arya Samaj, Ramakrishna Mission, Vishwa Hindu Parishad etc,. are doing the same. The first two generation of Spanish Muslims adopted passive methods to save their religion by teaching Arabic to their children at home and mosques, and telling them orally about the realities but gradually they lost the zeal. When marriages were ordered to be celebrated only through Govt. agencies, Muslims in early stages performed dual marriages - one with the Govt. authorities and again privately in their homes in the Islamic manner. Gradually the second ceremony was given up as even such a private ceremony was banned.
During this period, Muslim masses gradually fell out of the grips of the Muslim leadership and Muslim elites started flocking to Turkey, Tunisia, Morocco and Egypt where they were received with sympathy. Poor Muslim masses were left uncared for. This is exactly what is happening in India. The richer, English-educated Muslims are getting Brahminised. They have become imitators of upper caste Hindus as they live not in Muslim localities but in Hindu areas. The poor Muslims (they form 95% of the Muslim population) live in ghettos and being better followers of Islam, they are left high and dry. Hence they are getting killed in all anti-Muslim riots.
The seeds sown in the first half of the century in Spain started yielding results in the second half. There was no political leadership, no organization to protect Muslims and enlightened personalities to save the situation. Religious leaders knowing nothing but Islamic' theology tried their best to save the situation, but against heavy propaganda by the Govt. agencies, lures and offers to reconverts, ignorance of Islamic values by the masses and sense of inferiority nurtured in the minds of Muslim masses were too big a force to be undone by the theologians. This needed a political leadership and an organization with arms to counter, but there was none. Those who spoke of invoking the help of Muslim powers of Turkey and Egypt were feared and exposed before the authorities (by the Muslims themselves) to be condemned. Without willing fighters, other Muslim powers could not help. Those who had settled in Turkey and Egypt advised the authorities there to desist'from such a thought as otherwise atrocities on Muslims of Spain would increase. An Ahmed Shah Abdaii was needed but th@'@ was none. And the Muslim masses joined the "mainstream" of Spanish life and the mullahs finding no job for their preaching gradually left Spain. And the last batch to leave Spain consisted of the diehard mullahs in 1612
In India also the political leadership of the Muslims became a tail of the Hindu parties led by the upper castes. Only the theological leadership like that of Moulana Hasan Ali Nadvi has tried to maintain the cultural identity of the Indian Muslims.
This "Spanish experiment" is being tried with greater energy and efficiency in India. Urdu, which is as Islamic in India as Arabic was in Spain, is being eased out. Muslims are voluntarily holding on to madrasas. English-educated richer Muslims are away from the Muslim masses. We saw this at the Tablighe Jamat International conference held in Bangalore (DV, March 15, 1985). They are not going to Muslim countries, but are taking refuge in their psychological and physical seclusion. Any move to organise them to protect the Muslim life and property is branded as communal. Any Muslim flirting, if not supporting the upper castes, is called a "nationalist Muslim". The gulf between the Muslim masses and educated rich Muslims is widening every day. Mass killing of Muslims is considered something natural by the Muslim leadership itself. Whenever it is raised at international Islamic platforms such actions are called interference in the internal affairs of India. Muslims history is deleted from the syllabus. Names of Muslims who died for India are avoided. A great martyr who died for India like Tippu Sultan is unknown to youngsters, whereas the name of Tantia Tope, who fought not for India but for his pension, and Jhansi Laxmi Bai, who fought for her adopted son's heirship to the throne, is brought on the lips of every Indian. No Muslim gets awards for his contribution to science, medicine, music, art or gallantry. Even those who fought from the ranks of the ruling Congress Party like Moulana Azad, Kidwai, Syed Mahmood, Humayun Kabir etc. do not have a road or extension named after them. But there are half-a-dozen in the names of each upper caste leaders in our towns and cities. History is being re-written. ("Falsifying Indian History", DV editorial, April 16, 1985). Muslims are killed daily and their houses and shops burnt. The doors of the Army, police and administration are closed to them. And yet Muslim organizations to protect Islam are coming up like mushrooms. Everybody wants to protect Islam and nobody wants to protect Muslims. We are really worried.
A study of the Ruling Class policies reveals that it has great similarity with the one followed by Ferdinand and Isabelle in Spain. The only difference is that the Hindu upper castes are more sharp and sophisticated because of the limitations imposed in the 20th century by the checks exercisable by the United Nations Human Rights Charter and international public opinion.
The systematic and daily anti-Muslim riots resulting in loss of life and property, and above all the sense of fear in the hearts of every Muslim, elimination of the martial Muslims from the Defence, paramilitary and police forces and brahminising of these forces, closing the doors of appointments in Govt. services and public undertakings, Brahminisation of education and mass.media like radio, TV and advertisement, elimination of Urdu as official language from those areas which form the presentday States of Punjab, Haryana, UP, Bihar, parts of Madhya Pradesh, Maharastra, Andhra Pradhesh and Karnataka overnight in 1947-48, gradual closing of Urdu schools are all examples of positive anti-Muslim policies.
On the brahminical psychological warfare side comes the cries of Personal Law amendment, now diluted as common civil code, greatness of the Indian (Hindu) culture, projection of notorious anti-Muslim personalities like "Mahatma" Gandhi, B. G. Tilak, Madan Mohan Malaviya, Veer Savarkar, Lala Laipat Rai as heroes of India to belittle the contribution of Muslims for the development and progress of the country, re-writing of Indian history, describing Muslim professions like beef-selling as a sin and glorifying cow protection policies, introduction of mechanical slaughter of animals to throw out of job butchers, declaration of import and export business carried on by Muslims as smuggling are policies through which vulnerable Indian masses are misguided, resulting in a psychological anti-Muslim bias. Muslim electoral constituencies are divided horizontally and vertically so that they don't have an effective voting power anywhere and thrusting upon them ultra-secular Muslim leaders who have started worshipping Hindu idols and such scenes being systematically televised. Unfortunately Muslim leaders, who are dejected with the Govt., repose much confidence in Hindu masses and hope to secure their help ignoring the fact that the poor Hindu (Dalit) masses are as much victims of such a propaganda. And as on this day only seeds are being sown. The harvest is yet to come. When the harvest reason comes, what will be harvested in India is repetition of Spain, unless the Muslims resort to counter measures soon.
It is high time the Muslim/ intelligentsia rises to the occasion to undo the repetition of the history of Spain in India. Islam has always been protected by the Muslim masses and not by the classes. Rich Muslims, who are not even 5% of the Muslim population (with minor exceptions) are joining the upper caste exploiters. They may talk of Islam but they have forgotten the fellow Muslims. Please note: religion does not protect its followers, but followers protect the religion. Remember if Islam has to be saved in India, Muslims have to be saved.
Dalit Voice, Editorial, May 16-31. 1999
Muslims ruled over Spain from 712 AD to 1492 AD for 780 years, yet today there are no Muslims in Spain though every aspect of Spanish life has a touch of Islam. Spanish language has many Arabic words, its music has an Arabic tone, its culture has more Arabic influence than the European, and proper nouns in Spanish often have the Arabic prefix al. From 1492, when the last bastion of Muslim political strength Grenada fell, the Muslims of Spain were on the decline and its culmination took place after 120 years when the last batch of Muslim die-hards left Spain in 1612. From that year, Islam vanished from the Spanish horizons.
A particular noteworthy point is that during this period of Islamic decline from Spain, the entire civilised world was ruled by Muslims. The Ottoman Turks had conquered Constantinople in 1553, and were ruling the entire Balkan Peninsula, Egypt was ruled by the powerful Mamiukes, Persia was at its political pinnacle under the Abbasi rulers, and India was ruled by the Moghals. Still Islam vanished from Spain and none of these great Muslim armies did anything to protect the Muslims of Spain. How Islam was ejected from Spain had been a subject of keen study by lndia's Hindu Nazis in the 30s and 40s of this century. They studied this aspect to be copied in India and to counter this possibility, the Muslim leaders also studied this to prevent a repetition of the Spanish methods because Muslims (forming 11.35% of the population as per 1981 census) as lndia's single largest minorities have become the biggest headache to the upper caste Hindus. But the present-day Muslims are totally ignorant of the history of Islamic decline in Spain and hence of the designs surrounding it.
Through this we intend to shed a little light on this subject so that the thinking section of the Muslims and their sympathisers may do some more research on this subject. As in India, Spanish Muslims had three categories: (i) the descendants of the original Arabs, (ii) descendants of Arab fathers and Spanish mothers and (iii) Christian converts to Islam. Immediately after the fall of Grenada many of the original Arabs to save their lives (not property, as they were not permitted to carry their wealth) left Spain to Tunisia and Morocco; many died on their journey by the attacking Christian hordes. Rest of the original Arabs who opted to live in Spain itself were subsequently branded 'foreigners" (as in India) and destroyers of Spain. The other category of Muslims viz. the descendants of Muslim fathers and Christianmothers and converts from Christianity opted to live in Spain believing in the declaration of King Ferdinand that complete religious freedom would be guaranteed. (in India also, we are told that Muslims enjoy full religious freedom and minority rights). The attacks by Christian on their lives and property during the earlier years was pardoned as a temporary phenomenon.
Compare it with the development that took place in India after the partition (1947). But these attacks on Muslim life and property in Spain did not abate but continued for about 50 years with lesser intensity in a sporadic manner, just as it is happening in India today. In the earlier years, the Indian Muslims resisted and fought back. There were mini-battles in the streets, but gradually there were one-sided attacks and every time Muslims were the losers. Of late, the Hindu police itself is let lose to kill the Muslims in India.
While the organized Christian groups were committing such massacres, Ferdinand's Govt, in Spain adopted the policy of eliminating Muslims from the services and adopting the following measures:-
Arabic was removed from administration,
schools attached to mosques were debarred from teaching academic and secular subjects like science, history, mathematics and philosophy. Only religious teaching could be imparted,
Lessons in history were faked by which the Muslim rule was dubbed as barbaric. Contribution of Muslims to the development of Spain was avoided,
Muslim houses were made objects of constant searching by police on allegations of arms hoarding and secret meetings,
Original Arab Muslims were projected as enemies of Christians and destroyers of Spain.
Christian converts were persuaded to reconvert to Christianity on the ground that their ancestors were forced to become Muslims and as there is no more coercion, they should revert to Christianity.
Muslims who were from Muslim-Christian parentage were branded as bastards and ridiculed and persuaded to revert to Christianity.
Marriages performed in the Islamic manner were directed to be registered with the judicial officers.
Islamic law was declared illegal. Every method followed in Spain is being experimented in India with better precision and timing.
Thus Muslims in Spain were made objects of ridicule, condemnation and continuous attack. Burning of Muslim houses and shops was encouraged to destroy their economy. Mock ceremonies of reconversion of Muslims to Christianity were held and publicized. In India, Hindu Nazis of all hues-Arya Samaj, Ramakrishna Mission, Vishwa Hindu Parishad etc,. are doing the same. The first two generation of Spanish Muslims adopted passive methods to save their religion by teaching Arabic to their children at home and mosques, and telling them orally about the realities but gradually they lost the zeal. When marriages were ordered to be celebrated only through Govt. agencies, Muslims in early stages performed dual marriages - one with the Govt. authorities and again privately in their homes in the Islamic manner. Gradually the second ceremony was given up as even such a private ceremony was banned.
During this period, Muslim masses gradually fell out of the grips of the Muslim leadership and Muslim elites started flocking to Turkey, Tunisia, Morocco and Egypt where they were received with sympathy. Poor Muslim masses were left uncared for. This is exactly what is happening in India. The richer, English-educated Muslims are getting Brahminised. They have become imitators of upper caste Hindus as they live not in Muslim localities but in Hindu areas. The poor Muslims (they form 95% of the Muslim population) live in ghettos and being better followers of Islam, they are left high and dry. Hence they are getting killed in all anti-Muslim riots.
The seeds sown in the first half of the century in Spain started yielding results in the second half. There was no political leadership, no organization to protect Muslims and enlightened personalities to save the situation. Religious leaders knowing nothing but Islamic' theology tried their best to save the situation, but against heavy propaganda by the Govt. agencies, lures and offers to reconverts, ignorance of Islamic values by the masses and sense of inferiority nurtured in the minds of Muslim masses were too big a force to be undone by the theologians. This needed a political leadership and an organization with arms to counter, but there was none. Those who spoke of invoking the help of Muslim powers of Turkey and Egypt were feared and exposed before the authorities (by the Muslims themselves) to be condemned. Without willing fighters, other Muslim powers could not help. Those who had settled in Turkey and Egypt advised the authorities there to desist'from such a thought as otherwise atrocities on Muslims of Spain would increase. An Ahmed Shah Abdaii was needed but th@'@ was none. And the Muslim masses joined the "mainstream" of Spanish life and the mullahs finding no job for their preaching gradually left Spain. And the last batch to leave Spain consisted of the diehard mullahs in 1612
In India also the political leadership of the Muslims became a tail of the Hindu parties led by the upper castes. Only the theological leadership like that of Moulana Hasan Ali Nadvi has tried to maintain the cultural identity of the Indian Muslims.
This "Spanish experiment" is being tried with greater energy and efficiency in India. Urdu, which is as Islamic in India as Arabic was in Spain, is being eased out. Muslims are voluntarily holding on to madrasas. English-educated richer Muslims are away from the Muslim masses. We saw this at the Tablighe Jamat International conference held in Bangalore (DV, March 15, 1985). They are not going to Muslim countries, but are taking refuge in their psychological and physical seclusion. Any move to organise them to protect the Muslim life and property is branded as communal. Any Muslim flirting, if not supporting the upper castes, is called a "nationalist Muslim". The gulf between the Muslim masses and educated rich Muslims is widening every day. Mass killing of Muslims is considered something natural by the Muslim leadership itself. Whenever it is raised at international Islamic platforms such actions are called interference in the internal affairs of India. Muslims history is deleted from the syllabus. Names of Muslims who died for India are avoided. A great martyr who died for India like Tippu Sultan is unknown to youngsters, whereas the name of Tantia Tope, who fought not for India but for his pension, and Jhansi Laxmi Bai, who fought for her adopted son's heirship to the throne, is brought on the lips of every Indian. No Muslim gets awards for his contribution to science, medicine, music, art or gallantry. Even those who fought from the ranks of the ruling Congress Party like Moulana Azad, Kidwai, Syed Mahmood, Humayun Kabir etc. do not have a road or extension named after them. But there are half-a-dozen in the names of each upper caste leaders in our towns and cities. History is being re-written. ("Falsifying Indian History", DV editorial, April 16, 1985). Muslims are killed daily and their houses and shops burnt. The doors of the Army, police and administration are closed to them. And yet Muslim organizations to protect Islam are coming up like mushrooms. Everybody wants to protect Islam and nobody wants to protect Muslims. We are really worried.
A study of the Ruling Class policies reveals that it has great similarity with the one followed by Ferdinand and Isabelle in Spain. The only difference is that the Hindu upper castes are more sharp and sophisticated because of the limitations imposed in the 20th century by the checks exercisable by the United Nations Human Rights Charter and international public opinion.
The systematic and daily anti-Muslim riots resulting in loss of life and property, and above all the sense of fear in the hearts of every Muslim, elimination of the martial Muslims from the Defence, paramilitary and police forces and brahminising of these forces, closing the doors of appointments in Govt. services and public undertakings, Brahminisation of education and mass.media like radio, TV and advertisement, elimination of Urdu as official language from those areas which form the presentday States of Punjab, Haryana, UP, Bihar, parts of Madhya Pradesh, Maharastra, Andhra Pradhesh and Karnataka overnight in 1947-48, gradual closing of Urdu schools are all examples of positive anti-Muslim policies.
On the brahminical psychological warfare side comes the cries of Personal Law amendment, now diluted as common civil code, greatness of the Indian (Hindu) culture, projection of notorious anti-Muslim personalities like "Mahatma" Gandhi, B. G. Tilak, Madan Mohan Malaviya, Veer Savarkar, Lala Laipat Rai as heroes of India to belittle the contribution of Muslims for the development and progress of the country, re-writing of Indian history, describing Muslim professions like beef-selling as a sin and glorifying cow protection policies, introduction of mechanical slaughter of animals to throw out of job butchers, declaration of import and export business carried on by Muslims as smuggling are policies through which vulnerable Indian masses are misguided, resulting in a psychological anti-Muslim bias. Muslim electoral constituencies are divided horizontally and vertically so that they don't have an effective voting power anywhere and thrusting upon them ultra-secular Muslim leaders who have started worshipping Hindu idols and such scenes being systematically televised. Unfortunately Muslim leaders, who are dejected with the Govt., repose much confidence in Hindu masses and hope to secure their help ignoring the fact that the poor Hindu (Dalit) masses are as much victims of such a propaganda. And as on this day only seeds are being sown. The harvest is yet to come. When the harvest reason comes, what will be harvested in India is repetition of Spain, unless the Muslims resort to counter measures soon.
It is high time the Muslim/ intelligentsia rises to the occasion to undo the repetition of the history of Spain in India. Islam has always been protected by the Muslim masses and not by the classes. Rich Muslims, who are not even 5% of the Muslim population (with minor exceptions) are joining the upper caste exploiters. They may talk of Islam but they have forgotten the fellow Muslims. Please note: religion does not protect its followers, but followers protect the religion. Remember if Islam has to be saved in India, Muslims have to be saved.
Ababeel
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Open Letter to Speaker of Lok Sabha on Communal Riots
Shri Somnath Chatterjee
Hon’ble speaker
Lok Sabha
Parliament House
New Delhi
24 February 2007
Esteemed Sir,
We, under the banner of the Millat Bedari Muhim Committee (MBMC) Aligarh, welcome the steps taken by Government of India to rectify the wrongs done to the victims of the Sikh pogrom of 1984. We are fully with you in providing full justice and relief to the helpless victims.
At the same time, we are sorry to observe that the culprits of hundreds of anti-Muslim riots are still at large. Muslim community suffered immensely during these communal orgies, in which their life, property and honour was shattered. Thousands of them are still awaiting justice. In fact, they very much regret that they are sufferers of ineffective and biased administration machinery down the line.
About 28 commissions investigating various anti-Muslim riots have submitted their reports and recommendations. Yet, none has been implemented or even placed before the Parliament. The Muslims of India feel alienated and isolated. Their faith and confidence in the justness of the Indian state is diminishing. In the Gujarat Genocide 2002 the government at the Centre and the State connived to unleash terror upon Muslims.
It is, therefore, high time that the Government of India takes action on the recommendations of the above said commissions set up to investigate various anti - Muslim riots in the spirit with which it has acted on the report of the Nanavati Commission.
Crimes against Muslims are not mere sporadic incidents but a consequence of a persistent virulent campaign in text books, media, administration etc. It is a blot on the face of Indian democracy that the Muslims are targeted because of their religion.
Sir, we vehemently demand the dismissal of Modi Government in Gujarat which has several times been indicted by the Supreme Court of India, imposition of President’s Rule to cleans the state administration of its
bigotry, punishing the culprits for committing crimes irrespective of their religious belief and other administrative/legislative measures to prevent communal violence in future.
Sir, we cannot have double standards – the unfortunate victims of state sponsored terrorism must get justice now. It is high time that the recommendations of Sri Krishna Commission on Mumbai riots are implemented and the victims of Maleyana and Hashimpura also get long-awaited justice expeditiously.
You are honourable Speaker of the Lok Sabha. We demand that you use your good offices in evaluating the implementation of the Communal Violence Bill in letter and spirit. Further, we request you to impress upon the government to publish the reports of the 28 Commission withheld so far from public.
Thanking you in anticipation.
President,
The Millat Bedari Muhim Committee
Hasan Manzil, Iqra Colony Chauraha, Sir Syed Nagar, Aligarh (U.P.)
E-mail : mbmc_amu@rediffmail.com Cell No. 0-99970 67778 Fax No. +91 571 2705828
Shri Somnath Chatterjee
Hon’ble speaker
Lok Sabha
Parliament House
New Delhi
24 February 2007
Esteemed Sir,
We, under the banner of the Millat Bedari Muhim Committee (MBMC) Aligarh, welcome the steps taken by Government of India to rectify the wrongs done to the victims of the Sikh pogrom of 1984. We are fully with you in providing full justice and relief to the helpless victims.
At the same time, we are sorry to observe that the culprits of hundreds of anti-Muslim riots are still at large. Muslim community suffered immensely during these communal orgies, in which their life, property and honour was shattered. Thousands of them are still awaiting justice. In fact, they very much regret that they are sufferers of ineffective and biased administration machinery down the line.
About 28 commissions investigating various anti-Muslim riots have submitted their reports and recommendations. Yet, none has been implemented or even placed before the Parliament. The Muslims of India feel alienated and isolated. Their faith and confidence in the justness of the Indian state is diminishing. In the Gujarat Genocide 2002 the government at the Centre and the State connived to unleash terror upon Muslims.
It is, therefore, high time that the Government of India takes action on the recommendations of the above said commissions set up to investigate various anti - Muslim riots in the spirit with which it has acted on the report of the Nanavati Commission.
Crimes against Muslims are not mere sporadic incidents but a consequence of a persistent virulent campaign in text books, media, administration etc. It is a blot on the face of Indian democracy that the Muslims are targeted because of their religion.
Sir, we vehemently demand the dismissal of Modi Government in Gujarat which has several times been indicted by the Supreme Court of India, imposition of President’s Rule to cleans the state administration of its
bigotry, punishing the culprits for committing crimes irrespective of their religious belief and other administrative/legislative measures to prevent communal violence in future.
Sir, we cannot have double standards – the unfortunate victims of state sponsored terrorism must get justice now. It is high time that the recommendations of Sri Krishna Commission on Mumbai riots are implemented and the victims of Maleyana and Hashimpura also get long-awaited justice expeditiously.
You are honourable Speaker of the Lok Sabha. We demand that you use your good offices in evaluating the implementation of the Communal Violence Bill in letter and spirit. Further, we request you to impress upon the government to publish the reports of the 28 Commission withheld so far from public.
Thanking you in anticipation.
President,
The Millat Bedari Muhim Committee
Hasan Manzil, Iqra Colony Chauraha, Sir Syed Nagar, Aligarh (U.P.)
E-mail : mbmc_amu@rediffmail.com Cell No. 0-99970 67778 Fax No. +91 571 2705828
Its simple.
No need to shoot humans beings.
If you can acquire $10 billion aircrafts and build a tank 3 times expensive than the Russian ones...please ask your Defence Ministry to purchase some riots equipment and train your soldiers... or better... give people what they want. Put your self in their shoes.. there is no need to defend the one which does not need to be defended.
Also please in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal police or soldiers dont kill their people by firing on the chest.
Thanks.
Ababeel
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Ghettoisation of Muslims in India: Trends and Consequences
Posted February 17th, 2006 by kashif
Ghettoisation of Muslims in India: Trends and Consequences
Imran Ali and Yoginder Sikand
A major issue afflicting Muslims in some parts of India is that of enforced ghettoisation. Periodic anti-Muslim riots and pogroms, sometimes instigated by state authorities in league with fiercely anti-Muslim Hindutva groups, have forced Muslims in several places to shift to separate localities for safety. The most stark demonstration of this process is the case of Gujarat, where, in the wake of the anti-Muslim holocaust of 2002, Muslims were forced to flee to separate areas to save their lives. In such places migration has been forced, for that has been the only way for many Muslims to save their lives. In other cases, even in places where there have been no riots, many Muslims prefer to live in Muslim-majority localities for fear that anti-Muslim violence can break out at any time. Living in their own localities gives them a sense of security.
Many middle class Muslims, too, prefer living in such areas although the levels of infrastructural provision are poor and even though they can afford living in more â₆poshâ₉„¢, â₆upperâ₉„¢ caste Hindu-dominated areas. Often, ghettoisation is promoted by the fact that Hindu landlords simply refuse to rent out their houses to Muslim tenants.
Ghettoisation has crucial consequences for the economic and educational conditions of Muslims and for relations between the different communities. This fact emerges in a study on Indian Muslims in which these two authors are presently involved, and jointly undertaken by Action Aid and the Indian Social Institute, New Delhi.
As this survey discovered, typically, Muslim ghettos are deprived in terms of government provided infrastructure, possessing few good schools, roads, sewage facilities etc.. Ghettoisation also leads to a steep reduction of opportunities for social interaction between members of different communities and, consequently, to the strengthening of an insular mentality, because of which the community is not able to properly articulate its views and concerns before the wider public. It also strengthens the hold of conservative religious forces.
No study of Indian Muslim economic and educational conditions can ignore the impact of the process of ghettoisation that is evident particularly in urban areas today. For this purpose, the Action Aid-Indian Social Institute study took up the case of Delhi and Ahmedabad in order to examine patterns of shifting residence among Muslims. In Delhi, the Muslim-majority localities of Basti Hazrat Nizamuddin and Mehrauli were selected for sampling, while in Ahmedabad Juhapura, the cityâ₉„¢s largest Muslim settlement, was selected. In Delhi 304 respondents were interviewed, and in Ahmedabad the figure was 243.
55.6% of the respondents interviewed in the above-mentioned localities of the two cities have been living in the area for less than 10 years. This indicates a high level of migration or ghettoisation in recent years. 15.4% of the respondents were staying in the area for the last 10-20 years and 17.2% for more than 20 years. 45.7% of the respondents had moved in from Hindu-dominated localities, and 22.3% from areas with a mixed Hindu-Muslim population. Only 13.2% responded that they have moved in from Muslim dominated areas. This clearly implies that fear and insecurity was the most important reason for their shifting of residence from one locality to another. 31.4% of the respondents answered that they had migrated in search of better livelihood options. On the other hand, 42% of the respondents answered that the reason for their migration to Muslim-dominated areas was fear of anti-Muslim violence or the fact thereof.
There are significant differences between Delhi and Ahmedabad in this regard, which owes to the fact of the state-sponsored anti-Muslim genocide in Gujarat in 2002, which resulted in the deaths of some 4000 Muslims and destruction of Muslim property on a massive scale. Prior to this, too, there have been several anti-Muslim pogroms in Gujarat, including Ahmedabad, which had led to a process of Muslim ghettoisation some three decades ago. Thus, while 33.9% of the respondents in Delhi said that they were relatively new migrants, living in their present localities for between 0-10 years, the corresponding figure for Ahmedabad was 82.7%. This indicates the massive scale of enforced ghettoisation in Ahmedabad in recent years, a fact which holds true for almost all other towns in the state of Gujarat. While 26.3% of those interviewed in Delhi had been residing in their present locality for 11-20 years and 29.6% for over 20 years, the corresponding figures for Ahmedabad are 1.6% and 1.59% respectively.
While 14.8% of the respondents in Delhi said that they had migrated from Hindu-dominated localities, the corresponding figure in the case of Ahmedabad was 84.4%. 54.9% of the respondents in Delhi answered that they had migrated to the locality in search of better livelihood options, 6.9% for educating their children and 6.3% because of communal riots and insecurity. In Ahmedabad, on the other hand, the corresponding figures were 2.1%, 0% and 86.8%, indicating that anti-Muslim terror was the major factor in causing inter-locality migration in the city.
Migration and consequent ghettoisation seems to have had a particularly deleterious impact on the economic conditions of the respondents in Ahmedabad. Some 52% of the respondents in Ahmedabad said that their economic conditions had markedly declined after migration, and the corresponding figure for Delhi respondents was 5.3%. On the other hand, in Delhi 60.5% respondents said their living conditions had improved after migration, and the figure for Ahmedabad was just 7.4%. Respondents were asked if they go out of their area of residence, particularly to those inhabited by Hindus, in search of employment. 77.7% responded in the affirmative, and only 16.6% reported in the negative.
A large number of Ahmedabad respondents said that while before their migration that had frequent and fairly cordial relations with non-Muslims, this had markedly declined after migration. 68.1% of Delhi respondents said they had friendly relations with Hindus, and the figure for Ahmedabad residents was only 2.9%. Many Ahmedabad respondents said that they feared and suspected Hindus, this being a result of the recent anti-Muslim pogrom and the enormous clout of Hindutva fascist groups in Gujarat. They also said that the infrastructural conditions in their new localities are far poorer than in the areas where they previously lived, attributing this to anti-Muslim discrimination on the part of government authorities.
Ghettoisation of Muslims appears to have an extremely deleterious impact on their overall economic and educational conditions. 32.5% of the children of the respondents were not attending any school. Of those children who were going to school, 6.0% were attending Urdu-medium schools, 17.7% English-medium schools, 15.4% Hindi-medium schools, and only 5.1% were enrolled in madrasas. Only 15.7% of the respondents said that religious instruction was being imparted in the schools in which their children were enrolled. A majority of the children were going to government schools, and the proportion of those in private schools was only 27.8%, indicating the high levels of poverty among the respondents. From these figures it emerges that the majority of parents in these localities prefer to send their children to regular â₆mainstreamâ₉„¢ schools rather than to madrasas and Urdu-medium schools, contrary to widely-held notions as often depicted in the media.
Almost a fourth of the respondents were unskilled labourers. 39.1% of the respondents interviewed reported an annual income of Rs.10,000 or less. Only 5.5% of the respondents claimed an annual income of Rs. 60,000 and above. Despite the overall poverty and deprivation of most of the respondents, a significant 36.9% of them claimed that their economic conditions had improved somewhat after migration. On the other hand, 25.8% stated that their economic conditions were better before their migration, while 14.3% of the respondents felt that there had been no change in their economic conditions after migration.
In a religiously plural society, inter-community interaction at the personal as well as economic level are of utmost importance in preserving communal harmony and peace. Obviously, therefore, the trend towards increasing ghettoisation of Muslims in several places is a disturbing phenomenon that needs to be seriously and urgently addressed.
Posted February 17th, 2006 by kashif
Ghettoisation of Muslims in India: Trends and Consequences
Imran Ali and Yoginder Sikand
A major issue afflicting Muslims in some parts of India is that of enforced ghettoisation. Periodic anti-Muslim riots and pogroms, sometimes instigated by state authorities in league with fiercely anti-Muslim Hindutva groups, have forced Muslims in several places to shift to separate localities for safety. The most stark demonstration of this process is the case of Gujarat, where, in the wake of the anti-Muslim holocaust of 2002, Muslims were forced to flee to separate areas to save their lives. In such places migration has been forced, for that has been the only way for many Muslims to save their lives. In other cases, even in places where there have been no riots, many Muslims prefer to live in Muslim-majority localities for fear that anti-Muslim violence can break out at any time. Living in their own localities gives them a sense of security.
Many middle class Muslims, too, prefer living in such areas although the levels of infrastructural provision are poor and even though they can afford living in more â₆poshâ₉„¢, â₆upperâ₉„¢ caste Hindu-dominated areas. Often, ghettoisation is promoted by the fact that Hindu landlords simply refuse to rent out their houses to Muslim tenants.
Ghettoisation has crucial consequences for the economic and educational conditions of Muslims and for relations between the different communities. This fact emerges in a study on Indian Muslims in which these two authors are presently involved, and jointly undertaken by Action Aid and the Indian Social Institute, New Delhi.
As this survey discovered, typically, Muslim ghettos are deprived in terms of government provided infrastructure, possessing few good schools, roads, sewage facilities etc.. Ghettoisation also leads to a steep reduction of opportunities for social interaction between members of different communities and, consequently, to the strengthening of an insular mentality, because of which the community is not able to properly articulate its views and concerns before the wider public. It also strengthens the hold of conservative religious forces.
No study of Indian Muslim economic and educational conditions can ignore the impact of the process of ghettoisation that is evident particularly in urban areas today. For this purpose, the Action Aid-Indian Social Institute study took up the case of Delhi and Ahmedabad in order to examine patterns of shifting residence among Muslims. In Delhi, the Muslim-majority localities of Basti Hazrat Nizamuddin and Mehrauli were selected for sampling, while in Ahmedabad Juhapura, the cityâ₉„¢s largest Muslim settlement, was selected. In Delhi 304 respondents were interviewed, and in Ahmedabad the figure was 243.
55.6% of the respondents interviewed in the above-mentioned localities of the two cities have been living in the area for less than 10 years. This indicates a high level of migration or ghettoisation in recent years. 15.4% of the respondents were staying in the area for the last 10-20 years and 17.2% for more than 20 years. 45.7% of the respondents had moved in from Hindu-dominated localities, and 22.3% from areas with a mixed Hindu-Muslim population. Only 13.2% responded that they have moved in from Muslim dominated areas. This clearly implies that fear and insecurity was the most important reason for their shifting of residence from one locality to another. 31.4% of the respondents answered that they had migrated in search of better livelihood options. On the other hand, 42% of the respondents answered that the reason for their migration to Muslim-dominated areas was fear of anti-Muslim violence or the fact thereof.
There are significant differences between Delhi and Ahmedabad in this regard, which owes to the fact of the state-sponsored anti-Muslim genocide in Gujarat in 2002, which resulted in the deaths of some 4000 Muslims and destruction of Muslim property on a massive scale. Prior to this, too, there have been several anti-Muslim pogroms in Gujarat, including Ahmedabad, which had led to a process of Muslim ghettoisation some three decades ago. Thus, while 33.9% of the respondents in Delhi said that they were relatively new migrants, living in their present localities for between 0-10 years, the corresponding figure for Ahmedabad was 82.7%. This indicates the massive scale of enforced ghettoisation in Ahmedabad in recent years, a fact which holds true for almost all other towns in the state of Gujarat. While 26.3% of those interviewed in Delhi had been residing in their present locality for 11-20 years and 29.6% for over 20 years, the corresponding figures for Ahmedabad are 1.6% and 1.59% respectively.
While 14.8% of the respondents in Delhi said that they had migrated from Hindu-dominated localities, the corresponding figure in the case of Ahmedabad was 84.4%. 54.9% of the respondents in Delhi answered that they had migrated to the locality in search of better livelihood options, 6.9% for educating their children and 6.3% because of communal riots and insecurity. In Ahmedabad, on the other hand, the corresponding figures were 2.1%, 0% and 86.8%, indicating that anti-Muslim terror was the major factor in causing inter-locality migration in the city.
Migration and consequent ghettoisation seems to have had a particularly deleterious impact on the economic conditions of the respondents in Ahmedabad. Some 52% of the respondents in Ahmedabad said that their economic conditions had markedly declined after migration, and the corresponding figure for Delhi respondents was 5.3%. On the other hand, in Delhi 60.5% respondents said their living conditions had improved after migration, and the figure for Ahmedabad was just 7.4%. Respondents were asked if they go out of their area of residence, particularly to those inhabited by Hindus, in search of employment. 77.7% responded in the affirmative, and only 16.6% reported in the negative.
A large number of Ahmedabad respondents said that while before their migration that had frequent and fairly cordial relations with non-Muslims, this had markedly declined after migration. 68.1% of Delhi respondents said they had friendly relations with Hindus, and the figure for Ahmedabad residents was only 2.9%. Many Ahmedabad respondents said that they feared and suspected Hindus, this being a result of the recent anti-Muslim pogrom and the enormous clout of Hindutva fascist groups in Gujarat. They also said that the infrastructural conditions in their new localities are far poorer than in the areas where they previously lived, attributing this to anti-Muslim discrimination on the part of government authorities.
Ghettoisation of Muslims appears to have an extremely deleterious impact on their overall economic and educational conditions. 32.5% of the children of the respondents were not attending any school. Of those children who were going to school, 6.0% were attending Urdu-medium schools, 17.7% English-medium schools, 15.4% Hindi-medium schools, and only 5.1% were enrolled in madrasas. Only 15.7% of the respondents said that religious instruction was being imparted in the schools in which their children were enrolled. A majority of the children were going to government schools, and the proportion of those in private schools was only 27.8%, indicating the high levels of poverty among the respondents. From these figures it emerges that the majority of parents in these localities prefer to send their children to regular â₆mainstreamâ₉„¢ schools rather than to madrasas and Urdu-medium schools, contrary to widely-held notions as often depicted in the media.
Almost a fourth of the respondents were unskilled labourers. 39.1% of the respondents interviewed reported an annual income of Rs.10,000 or less. Only 5.5% of the respondents claimed an annual income of Rs. 60,000 and above. Despite the overall poverty and deprivation of most of the respondents, a significant 36.9% of them claimed that their economic conditions had improved somewhat after migration. On the other hand, 25.8% stated that their economic conditions were better before their migration, while 14.3% of the respondents felt that there had been no change in their economic conditions after migration.
In a religiously plural society, inter-community interaction at the personal as well as economic level are of utmost importance in preserving communal harmony and peace. Obviously, therefore, the trend towards increasing ghettoisation of Muslims in several places is a disturbing phenomenon that needs to be seriously and urgently addressed.
Bull
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Pakistan has 2 PMs leaving in exile, B'desh has poltiicans running for their lives, 2 were caught by Indian border guards, Nepal has a king killed....are you comparing those countries to India.
It is amazing to see how youtube is being used as propaganda, not surprising anyway, here are some of my observations, as i cannot access youtube,
If it is related to hyderabad blasts,
1> Initially police told peoples to maintain harmony.
2> There was a tableeghi jamaat conference going on shortly form that mosque, that place has strong shia presence and sunni as well.
3> As soon as blast some peoples started some sort of stone pelting and attack on some shops (as shown in TV), stone pelting on police was done as well.
4> Police fired, and i think killed 2 or 3 peoples? dont remember correctly, later on AP chief minister did asked for sorry on this incidents behalf.
If the police is to blame, the illiterate rioters is to blame as much, There is nothing muslim-hindu in this, check out how police is handling rajasthani problem, many hindus died, check out nandigram killings, so that time it becomes a non-issue eh? dhimmitude?
If this is the case of Nandigram firings,
1> The police recieved order from their beloved marxist bastards.
2> CPM elements gained acces sin nandigram village through the entry of police and used their weapons.
3> Really innocents died without even rioting, around 40 ro so died.
4> Case is going on against CPM govt in high court.
5> Aftereffects being, Nandigram SEZ called off.
Lastly, indeed there needs to have much more from Indian police then there are problems with politics as well, Supreme court has already asked centre to come yup with a police reform policy in 11th plan for their autonomous performance.
Lastly peoples who are integrating this incidents and thinking they can use calculus to get the overall picture is just de-ilusioned, much like shaukat aziz, saying since pakistan is 7xtimes smaller than india, pakistans economy is better than india as its gdp is more than indiasgdp/7 .
If it is related to hyderabad blasts,
1> Initially police told peoples to maintain harmony.
2> There was a tableeghi jamaat conference going on shortly form that mosque, that place has strong shia presence and sunni as well.
3> As soon as blast some peoples started some sort of stone pelting and attack on some shops (as shown in TV), stone pelting on police was done as well.
4> Police fired, and i think killed 2 or 3 peoples? dont remember correctly, later on AP chief minister did asked for sorry on this incidents behalf.
If the police is to blame, the illiterate rioters is to blame as much, There is nothing muslim-hindu in this, check out how police is handling rajasthani problem, many hindus died, check out nandigram killings, so that time it becomes a non-issue eh? dhimmitude?
If this is the case of Nandigram firings,
1> The police recieved order from their beloved marxist bastards.
2> CPM elements gained acces sin nandigram village through the entry of police and used their weapons.
3> Really innocents died without even rioting, around 40 ro so died.
4> Case is going on against CPM govt in high court.
5> Aftereffects being, Nandigram SEZ called off.
Lastly, indeed there needs to have much more from Indian police then there are problems with politics as well, Supreme court has already asked centre to come yup with a police reform policy in 11th plan for their autonomous performance.
Lastly peoples who are integrating this incidents and thinking they can use calculus to get the overall picture is just de-ilusioned, much like shaukat aziz, saying since pakistan is 7xtimes smaller than india, pakistans economy is better than india as its gdp is more than indiasgdp/7 .
Maddy
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You sound as though u know them personally. I would assume you are well connected.
And Woo, what's with the 'WE' in "We kill people if they riot." I suggest you speak for yourself when make you such self-esteemed comments.
Samudra Garu, i guess we belong to the same state perhaps even the very city. These people are our fellow citizens. But, I am by no means impressed by the way the situation was handled by the cops. It may take ages for the police to catch the culprits and bring them to justice, considering Indian courts. And, we have cops shooting at unarmed civilians. Such an action is sure to create home grown anti-state elements at best.
In any case, whether a riot or not, if at all the use of fire power is justified (which I dont think was the case) the police should'nt have shot above the waist. People lost their lives too this insanity.
PS: Second guess i think ur from AP, currently based in maharastra :p
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