Topics
- Announcements (13)
- DesiPundit (33)
- Economy (5)
- Entertainment (48)
- Humor/Satire (17)
- Movies (15)
- Sports (15)
- Event (91)
- Guest Article (85)
- Featured (117)
- Health (1)
- India Elections 2009 (15)
- News & Analysis (604)
- Fanatics (57)
- General (30)
- India (297)
- Journalism (47)
- Mid-East (17)
- Pakistan (23)
- Politics (224)
- Remembering Gujarat (21)
- Terrorism (77)
- World (30)
- Photos (26)
- Picture Of The Day (23)
- Polls (1)
- Religion (183)
- Society (245)
- Book Review (24)
- Conversation (1)
- Culture & Heritage (80)
- IM Blog Roundup (6)
- Newsmakers (11)
- Videos (7)
-
Latest
Advertisements
Category Archives: Featured
Ayodhya: A No War Zone
Ayodhya means (A+Yudhya: A no war zone). It is not only holy for Hindus. Ayodhya has been a focal point of many religions, Buddhism, Jainism and Hinduism. The early places of Hindu worship of Ayodhya were of Shaiva or Vishnu provenance. The specific worship of Rama even as an avatar of Vishnu is a much later development. References to the image of Rama appear only in sixth Century. Nawab of Awadh region, where Ayodhya is located had given land for the biggest temple in the area, Hanuman gadhi. At the moment there are diverse opinions about what should be done at the site. Most of the Muslim groups have committed to respect the court verdict. The VHP etc. on the contrary are campaigning for temple irrespective of the outcome of court cases. Even before the demolition they had asserted that it is the ‘faith’ and not the law of the land which will guide their actions. Continue reading
Can India Afford To Ignore Islamic Banking?
The recent statement of MS Swaminathan, the father of green revolution in India, that Islamic banking can be a solution for farmers’ suicide in Vidarbha is apt reply to those opposing it tooth and nail by terming this banking system as anti-economic growth. The combined assets of world’s 100 top Islamic banks increased 66% in 2008, bucking the trend of slow growth in other markets. Asia’s 300 largest banks, for example, only grew assets 13.4% in the same period. In India, SEBI has permitted Shariah-compliant financial products such as mutual funds. When London, Tokya, Singapore and Hong Kong could become hub and house of Islamic finance, then why not Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai or Cochin? Continue reading
Kabir: An Icon Of A Socio-Cultural Revolution
Kabir was born into a Muslim Julaha (Weaver) family but joined the Vaishnava thinker, Ramanand, as a disciple. In the third stanza of Kabir parchai, he says “I belong to a Muslim caste. How can I obtain these prayer beads? The inner voice said to him. Take an initiation from Ramanand”. He belonged to a galaxy of saints who led a socio-cultural revolution in 16th century which laid the foundation of a unique composite culture of India. It included Bhakti movement of Hindu saints and Muslim saints who influenced one another. Continue reading
For Educating The Muslims – Muslims Must Take The Lead
Though the noble Qur’an professes the importance of education to the entire humanity, the irony is that beneath the lamp it is always dark. On actual count, due to some unfortunate course of action, Muslims are among the most educationally backward communities in India. A realistic assessment of the situation offers a prompt solution that the community needs rigorous intervention at the school level, rather than college or university level. In order to initiate and sustain such an Educational Revolution there needs to be a movement from the grass roots up to the leadership.A three tier arrangement involving the Muslims masses at the bottom, professional agencies at the middle, and the community leaders on the top will greatly take care of the educational deficiency among Muslims of India. Continue reading
Reservation For Muslims In West Bengal – Gimmick or Affirmative Action
According to the Constitution, any form of discrimination based on religion, caste, race, and gender is punishable by law. Yet no observer can deny that caste is a ubiquitous aspect of Indian social life. Caste is something that the state does not recognize and approve of, but its presence is undeniable. Sachar Committee and Ranganath Misra Commission both agree that the Muslims in the country has been neglected like anything and in many cases their position is lower than SC/ST. Both these committees have arrived at a conclusion that unless political power is gained things will go from bad to worse. Continue reading
Badshah Khan’s Hundred-year-old Message Of Peace
“There is nothing surprising in a Muslim or a Pathan like me subscribing to the creed of nonviolence. It is not a new creed. It was followed 1,400 years ago by the Prophet all the time when he was in Mecca.” – Badshah Khan
Badshan Khan’s message of peace, love, and non-violence is even more relevant and needed today than ever before, and not only to the Pathans but to the whole Muslim Ummah. Continue reading
Muslim-Hindu Relations In Jammu Province — Part 2
All the shrine custodians and Barelvi scholars I met insisted on the need for harmonious relations between the different communities, and bitterly critiqued the violation of human rights in India, including Kashmir, by Muslim and Hindu militants as well as the armed forces. They unanimously insisted that the killing of innocent people, irrespective of religion, was a grave sin in Islam, and argued for the need for a peaceful resolution to the Kashmir issue. To kill a single innocent person, no matter what his or her religion, they pointed out, is condemned in the Qur’an as tantamount to the slaughter of all humankind. Continue reading
Kulsum Sayani: A ‘Rahber’ Of Hindustani
Kulsum Sayani’s interest in social work and adult literacy began as a result of her close interaction with Gandhiji. Her father Dr Rajabally Patel was Gandhiji’s friend and also personal physician when he arrived in Bombay from South Africa. Gandhiji addressed Sayani as Beti Kulsum and wrote: “I like the mission of Rahber to unite Hindi and Urdu. May it succeed. She received the Padma Shri in 1960 and was also awarded the Nehru Literacy Award in 1969. Kulsum Sayani’s life can be a study of a holistic woman. Kulsum Sayani, who died in 1987, belonged to an era where people believed in giving their best to the nation without expecting anything back. Continue reading
Muslim-Hindu Relations In Jammu Province – Part 1
The Jammu province accounts for around 45 per cent of the total population of Jammu and Kashmir. The province consists of six districts: Doda, Poonch, Rajouri, Udhampur, Jammu and Kathua. Muslims form the majority of the population in the first three districts, and Hindus in the remaining three districts. Despite its recent history of communal antagonisms, which is further reinforced by the strong presence of right-wing Hindu organisations in the town, Jammu has not witnessed any large-scale communal riots in recent years. Continue reading
Maulana Syed Fazlul Hasan Hasrat Mohani
A freedom fighter by nature, a journalist by profession, a humble human being by instinct Syed Fazlul Hasan, popularly known as Maulana Hasrat Mohani. He stood alone in a crowd and refused to be browbeaten by Mahatma Gandhi or Mohammad Ali Jinnah. He advocated the cause of independence from the platform of Indian National Congress followed by his persistent demand from the platforms of the All India Muslim League and the Communist Party.He coined the slogan “Inquilab zindabad.” His participation in the freedom struggle of India, anti British establishment nature, social communism lineage never deviated him from his religious beliefs and practices. Continue reading