Indian Muslims adopting Hindu names to avoid prejudice

[EagleEyes]

There is irrational hate all over the world including Pakistan. So?

I see that you have editted your post. I was given the impression that you deny any prejudice & hate among muslims and hindus in India.

Also, since the topic is related to this. What is the current state of Gurkhas?

Gurkhas strike for new state
By Subir Bhaumik in Calcutta, BBC World Service, Friday 5 February 1999, published at 10:58 GMT
A 48-hour strike called by a group of eight regional parties affected life in India's eastern tea-producing Darjeeling region on Friday.

Work in the tea gardens and the movement of public and private transport in the hill region wound down as the strike caught hold.

The strike was called to press for a separate state for Nepali-speaking Gurkhas in the Darjeeling region.

Police say sporadic violence between the supporters of the strike and those opposed has flared up in a few places in the Darjeeling region.

Separation calls
The renewed demand for a separate Gurkha state in the Himalayan tea-producing region has already generated much concern in the area.

The strike is meant to further the demand for a separate Gurkha state to be created by the separation of Darjeeling from the state of West Bengal.

And the eight parties are also demanding the resignation of the Darjeeling Hill Council chairman, Subhas Ghishing, before the forthcoming council elections in March.

A spokesman for the eight-party group told the BBC that no free and fair elections can be held if Mr Ghishing and his Gurkha National Liberation Front, or GNLF party, remains at the helm of the council's administration.

The spokesman said that an impartial caretaker administration should be entrusted the responsibility to conduct the elections to the Darjeeling Hill Council.

Observers say that though the eight parties opposed to Mr Ghishing demand a separate Gurkha state, their real aim is to mobilise the Gorkhas to demand that Mr Ghishing be ousted.

The Gurkha National Liberation Front led an agitation demanding a separate Gurkha state for eight years in the 1980s before it finally settled for a Hill Council arrangement and retained power in the area.

Gurkhas strike for new state

It was published in 1999 by BBC.

 

[Tiki Tam Tam]

I would say that one has to live in Heaven (if there be such a place) where there is no prejudice.

Most problems around the world or communities emanate from Pride and Prejudice - both are false idols!

There is the Autonomous Gorkha Hill Council and they are looking after the areas of Kalimpong and Darjeeling and are quite happy about it.

So, where is the problem?

The complexity of India is that there is no binding factor, be it religion or otherwise, that can be whipped up to keep the flock in place and order.

Each entity or group or community has the right to air their views and demand their rights.

Had there be a commonality like religion, then things would possibly have been different. Or an iron clad ideology like Communism to keep people in place by force!

 

[Neo]

So, what does Daily Times have to say to that? That India is shedding secularism for Islam?

Sir I posted the article which appreared in Washington Time Online, Tuesday edition.
Here's the link: India's Muslims adopt Hindu names -- The Washington Times, America's Newspaper


Shaikh Salim (left), a Muslim, uses the common Hindu name Shankar Maity to run his food stall in Calcutta, where he was denied access to a job under his real name.

 

[Bull]

Whats this doing in members section?

 

[joey]

Neo I live in this city, most of the points raised in the article is absolutely ridiculous ask your grandpa? (who lives in calcutta?) that if in fish market calcuttians checks what bangle you are wearing before buying fish or not...and check my first reply in the first page.

Regarding that name change, dude thats a sweat shop and that becomes a benchmark of name change? (you seriously havent seen calcutta then)...anyways I'll try to look for that face in that area if i ever go there and one more thing if he owns the shop he cannot be re-cruited there, there is huge huge illegal migration problem Calcutta suffers from and many bangladeshis changes their names on regular basis (very common in construction business), and I can assure you such name changes if exists is much more less than a Iranian passing off mohammed as mark in US or a Bangladeshi running a restaurant in the banner of 'Indian Foods' in US.

Article first appearred in tonronto star..then washington times and yes normally peoples dont eat food from such stalls they are not good for health at all. So hopefully you realise what class (economically) of society such shop normally caters to and such nitty issues should not become a matter of extravanga to represent the broader society that Calcuttians believes in , If probably following to his house and asking and listening to his story wont surprise you to listen if he even says they just fought with their neighbours based on who stole my local wood to light the charcoal oven. should that be then representation of judiciary? Then again we also dont know if he changed his name for his business purpose or not or if he is a legal citizen or not. The very authority the article speaks on surprises me as well, first of all how do you zero on such a public? It is unlikely he knows any education or the reporter searches sweat shops after sweat shops in search of name changed Muslims? you find literally hundreds of such sweat shops on foothpaths of calcutta and i have seen literally hundreds of Muslims working proudly with their caps on and making the infamous tikka roll.

Muslims take their place in Indian society
TheStar.com - comment - Muslims take their place in Indian society
Aug 18, 2007 04:30 AM


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Muslims adopt Hindu IDs

Aug. 15

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The Calcuttans' attitude as portrayed in this story appears misconstrued. In the overall Indian scenario, the Muslim has always occupied an eminent place in our society. We can boast of more than one Mohammedan president. In comparison, the United States, another secular state with democratic credentials, is yet to throw up a black president. Secularism as practised in India is truly of a high order.

In Calcutta, we hold the Muslim chef or dressmaker, among other professionals, in high esteem. Restaurants Aminia, Amjadia or Nizam's continue to be patronised as much by the Hindus as by the Mohammedans as high-class eateries. Wasimullah, the tailoring shop, is frequented by the elite Hindu community out of sheer appreciation of the quality it delivers.

There is no need for the Calcutta Muslim to shed his identity. Indeed, they are very much a part of the mainstream of our societal structure, considerably more so than a Hindu, say in Islamabad.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subir Majumdar, Calcutta, India

 

[genmirajborgza786]

Fearful Muslims adopt Hindu IDs

Toronto Star

CALCUTTA–On a busy street in Calcutta's business district, he runs a food stall called "Rajib's Paratha" and is known as Rajib Mallick.

Using the popular Hindu name, no one suspects he is Rajab Ali Mollah, a Muslim who has adopted a fictitious identity to blend in with the neighbourhood's mostly Hindu office workers.

Sohrab Hossain, a Muslim student who came to the city to complete his Masters degree in English and lives in a Hindu-dominated housing complex, is known as Sourav Das among the students he tutors. To keep up his Hindu appearance he has a small idol of Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of learning, on his desk.

Every morning as she prepares to go to work as a fishmonger, Hasina Khatoon takes off her silver armband embossed with "Allah" in Arabic, puts vermillion powder on her forehead and red-white conch bangles on her wrist – symbols of a married Hindu woman – to maintain a Hindu appearance in a fish market where almost all of her customers are Hindus.

Rajab Mollah, Sohrab Hossain and Hasina Khatoon say they have adopted new identities in a Hindu-majority society where as Muslims they would face discrimination.

Analysts say many Muslims from all socio-economic backgrounds are quietly hiding their religious affiliation.

"Muslims in almost all spheres of life face a communal discrimination by powerful Hindus and they are denied many of their basic rights and freedom in an unjustified way," said Anjan Basu, a social analyst and executive editor of Pratidin, a Bengali daily in Calcutta.

Six decades after Partition, "many (Hindus) believe that Pakistan was created for Muslims and now they do not have right to live in India, which is meant for Hindus."

The Partition of India 60 years ago was a highly controversial arrangement, and remains a cause of much tension on the subcontinent today.

Basu, who is a Hindu, also said discrimination has been "institutionalized," with many Muslims being denied employment in government and private-sector offices where 90 to 95 per cent jobs are held by Hindus.

Gautam Ray, a senior journalist with Calcutta's largest Bengali daily Anandabazar Patrika, said that since the bulk of the dalits (low-caste Hindus or so-called Untouchables) converted to Islam when the religion spread in India, many upper-caste Hindus look down on Muslims as they had for generations looked down on dalits.

"The root of this communal discrimination is deeply entrenched in the society and most of these communal Hindus are not expected to change their feeling for Muslims any time soon," said Ray, who is also an upper-caste Hindu. "Muslims are often denied housing in Hindu-dominated modern residential complexes," he added.

"This communal discrimination against Muslims will not end unless Hindus themselves change their attitude. But we do not see hope of any such positive social change anytime soon."

Muslims who adopted fake Hindu identities believe they did nothing wrong by hiding their original identities.

"Ten years ago, when my house and land in the village was eaten up by a river and I came to Calcutta in search of a job, almost all street shops and restaurants in the city refused to employ me because I was a Muslim," Mollah said.

"Some said their Hindu customers could refuse to eat at their restaurants if a Muslim worked there," he said.

"But I met a Muslim man who worked under a Hindu identity to supply water to restaurants. I followed his advice, picked up a Hindu identity and soon an upper-class Hindu employed me to run a food stall."

Nearly all of Mollah's customers are Hindus and he fears his business would suffer disastrously if his customers found out he is a Muslim.

"I don't think I have done anything wrong because I know how they hate Muslims simply because of their religion," he added.

A federal commission recently found that Muslims "live in socio-economic conditions worse than many so-called backward tribal people," according to commission chief Rajendra Sachar, a former judge.

In the state of West Bengal, where the Muslim community makes up 27 per cent of the population, employment of Muslims in the government sector was below 3 per cent, the Sachar Commission reported.

Some Muslim leaders see education as the key to a better future.

"If the younger generation can educate themselves, it will be difficult for even the most communal Hindus to discriminate against a new Muslim force," said Nazrul Islam, a senior public servant and noted Calcutta writer.

"Maybe discrimination will not be wiped out completely, but an educated and powerful community of Muslims will be able to fight off the injustice, at least to a good extent."

my Mom is from Calcutta even my Dads Mom (late grandmother) in fact most of my family members is from Calcutta/meymemsingh in (in bd) bihar/U.P & i have been there in Calcutta more then 20 times till now in 2003 only i was there for a complete 3 months & i literally love the city of joy from hoogli to Darya ghat to kola ghat to collage street to bow bazaar or even barracks Muslims are very very happy there it is one of the unique places where i find a lot of commonality with Canada in the multicultural dimensions this article is definitely wrong no doubt.

 

[mustang]

There will always be discrimination toward the minority reguardless to where it is Muslims, Hindus, Christian, Jews etc . It is a common fact of human nature that Might is Right .

 

[Communist]

Fearful Muslims adopt Hindu IDs

Toronto Star

CALCUTTA–On a busy street in Calcutta's business district, he runs a food stall called "Rajib's Paratha" and is known as Rajib Mallick.

Using the popular Hindu name, no one suspects he is Rajab Ali Mollah, a Muslim who has adopted a fictitious identity to blend in with the neighbourhood's mostly Hindu office workers.

Sohrab Hossain, a Muslim student who came to the city to complete his Masters degree in English and lives in a Hindu-dominated housing complex, is known as Sourav Das among the students he tutors. To keep up his Hindu appearance he has a small idol of Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of learning, on his desk.

Every morning as she prepares to go to work as a fishmonger, Hasina Khatoon takes off her silver armband embossed with "Allah" in Arabic, puts vermillion powder on her forehead and red-white conch bangles on her wrist – symbols of a married Hindu woman – to maintain a Hindu appearance in a fish market where almost all of her customers are Hindus.

Rajab Mollah, Sohrab Hossain and Hasina Khatoon say they have adopted new identities in a Hindu-majority society where as Muslims they would face discrimination.

Analysts say many Muslims from all socio-economic backgrounds are quietly hiding their religious affiliation.

"Muslims in almost all spheres of life face a communal discrimination by powerful Hindus and they are denied many of their basic rights and freedom in an unjustified way," said Anjan Basu, a social analyst and executive editor of Pratidin, a Bengali daily in Calcutta.

Six decades after Partition, "many (Hindus) believe that Pakistan was created for Muslims and now they do not have right to live in India, which is meant for Hindus."

The Partition of India 60 years ago was a highly controversial arrangement, and remains a cause of much tension on the subcontinent today.

Basu, who is a Hindu, also said discrimination has been "institutionalized," with many Muslims being denied employment in government and private-sector offices where 90 to 95 per cent jobs are held by Hindus.

Gautam Ray, a senior journalist with Calcutta's largest Bengali daily Anandabazar Patrika, said that since the bulk of the dalits (low-caste Hindus or so-called Untouchables) converted to Islam when the religion spread in India, many upper-caste Hindus look down on Muslims as they had for generations looked down on dalits.

"The root of this communal discrimination is deeply entrenched in the society and most of these communal Hindus are not expected to change their feeling for Muslims any time soon," said Ray, who is also an upper-caste Hindu. "Muslims are often denied housing in Hindu-dominated modern residential complexes," he added.

"This communal discrimination against Muslims will not end unless Hindus themselves change their attitude. But we do not see hope of any such positive social change anytime soon."

Muslims who adopted fake Hindu identities believe they did nothing wrong by hiding their original identities.

"Ten years ago, when my house and land in the village was eaten up by a river and I came to Calcutta in search of a job, almost all street shops and restaurants in the city refused to employ me because I was a Muslim," Mollah said.

"Some said their Hindu customers could refuse to eat at their restaurants if a Muslim worked there," he said.

"But I met a Muslim man who worked under a Hindu identity to supply water to restaurants. I followed his advice, picked up a Hindu identity and soon an upper-class Hindu employed me to run a food stall."

Nearly all of Mollah's customers are Hindus and he fears his business would suffer disastrously if his customers found out he is a Muslim.

"I don't think I have done anything wrong because I know how they hate Muslims simply because of their religion," he added.

A federal commission recently found that Muslims "live in socio-economic conditions worse than many so-called backward tribal people," according to commission chief Rajendra Sachar, a former judge.

In the state of West Bengal, where the Muslim community makes up 27 per cent of the population, employment of Muslims in the government sector was below 3 per cent, the Sachar Commission reported.

Some Muslim leaders see education as the key to a better future.

"If the younger generation can educate themselves, it will be difficult for even the most communal Hindus to discriminate against a new Muslim force," said Nazrul Islam, a senior public servant and noted Calcutta writer.

"Maybe discrimination will not be wiped out completely, but an educated and powerful community of Muslims will be able to fight off the injustice, at least to a good extent."

I lived in Kolkata for a long time and it is very true. And true also in other cities or urban areas and mofussil towns.... As far as the villages are concerned, Muslims have to live in their own villages while hindus live in their own. It is very pathetic that in urban areas, the rate of discrimination is so high that often Muslims to book a hotel room or rent a house have to change names or even make fake identity cards. Otherwise, they will be denied of anything that professional people share. In traditional Kolkata, some areas like Chitpore, Park Circus and Kidderpore are those areas where only Muslims can reside whereas in other areas like Jodhpur, Jadavpore, Gariahat, Dharmatala, Kalighaat, Lansdown, Parkstreet, Tollygunge, Jatindas Park, Netaji Nagar, Bagha Jatin Sarani, Garia etc are areas which fell under hindu domination. A very few Muslims can live there due to the CPI (Marxist), ruling party of West Bengal. The ruling party has contributed much to the development of the Muslim population whereas in other states of central india, Muslims are still living in a vulnerable position and always having the fear of being wiped out by the hindus and india's army.

 

[Captain03]

it starts with the name, then traditions, then ideals, and then eventually faith

 

[roopesh]

I know this thread has seriousness and mods and senior folks are really involved. I dont think the issue is any serious. No one should hide their identity or name. Let me tell sometimes in many IT companies they mention to keep an english name so customer feel comfortable with. Syd Allaudhin Patel my friend has to mention the name as JOHN for customer sake. If he fights back they would loose the whole business. How many BPO's dont do this? It need not be christian name ..any simple name would do...hindus go with SOMU or SIVA kinda names if they are very perticular. So changing the name identity many times is with some personal intension rather than religious......

I have a serious question to pakistan ..Does pakistan govt feels they have responsibility to addess Indian muslim issues? I wonder how many Inidans would accept PAKISTAN citizenship if pakistan offers them NOW. I dont think many.

 

[Communist]

I know this thread has seriousness and mods and senior folks are really involved. I dont think the issue is any serious. No one should hide their identity or name. Let me tell sometimes in many IT companies they mention to keep an english name so customer feel comfortable with. Syd Allaudhin Patel my friend has to mention the name as JOHN for customer sake. If he fights back they would loose the whole business. How many BPO's dont do this? It need not be christian name ..any simple name would do...hindus go with SOMU or SIVA kinda names if they are very perticular. So changing the name identity many times is with some personal intension rather than religious......

I have a serious question to pakistan ..Does pakistan govt feels they have responsibility to addess Indian muslim issues? I wonder how many Inidans would accept PAKISTAN citizenship if pakistan offers them NOW. I dont think many.

The reverse is true. It is not anglicizing of names in professional industries like IT sectors, rather Hinduizing or Sanskritizing of names, I can bet, if someone makes a survey. Even those (very few, since they cannot get admission there generally) passed out IITians (i.e., Indian Institute of Technology) sadly have to hide their Religious identities and also have to avoid doing religious performances (you know what I mean) publicly within the office boundaries, lest their identities could be revealed and they could be sacked without any reason. Apart from the industries, in many top ranked academic institutions like JNU or BHU, discrimination can easily be noticed if someone just keeps his eyes open. The latest Jamia Milia case is well known, and you perhaps know, why the Vice Chancellor regretted in the convocation ceremony. The condition of Muslim women is worst and they can hardly get education. In West Bengal, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) is doing something good, though it too is not able to get rid of the hindu fascist chauvinism as the number of representatives (or Member of Legislative Assembly) is not in a logical proportion. Please, I do not expect from this 21 century generation young boys to be some brainwashed hindus. This young generation needs to open the eyes, there is many things right here to know apart from reading Gita and Manusmriti throughout the whole day. I would suggest you (if you are in india right now) to have a look at some authentic academic magazines like Economic and Political Weekly or Frontline. The sangh pariwar members are digging their own graves torturing Muslims of india everyday.

And it is very bad to divide the Muslims of india as pro-Pakistani and anti-Pakistani. Why did you make such comments? Does it mean that indian Muslims are not valid citizens and they should leave their residence to go to Pakistan?