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Category Archives: Politics
Scent in an Islamic Garden
‘Scent is the food of the soul, and the soul is the vehicle of the faculties of man.’ –Hadith attributed to the Prophet of Islam One has heard of literary history, social history, to some extent even economic history culled … Continue reading
Patriotic Music in India and the Muslim Contribution
AS we celebrate our 63rd Republic Day, let’s take a look at some Muslim contribution to patriotic songs in India over the years. The list is not exhaustive and considers only the more popular ones. 1 ‘Watan ki raah mein … Continue reading
Posted in Politics
Tagged independence day india, patriotic songs india muslim, republic day india
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Asrar-ul-Haq Majaz – A Journey of Love, Hope and Nationalism
THE year was 1935. The union hall of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) was brimming with students and the atmosphere was electric. A young man in sherwani stands up. He runs his hand through his long locks, and recites his poem … Continue reading
Posted in Politics
Tagged amu-tarana, asrar-ul-haq, awara, Inquilab, Lucknow, majaz, taaruf, Urdu-Poetry
1 Comment
A Journey to the Heart of Islam
Mecca is one place that every Muslim is supposed to visit once in a life. I was lucky enough to go for Umrah, early this year. Continue reading
March but silently
How many times? How many times they will repeat the same drill? Bomb blasts, pick up Muslims, media rushes in to declare them as “masterminds”, kill a few in “encounters” or they will die a “custodial death.” When police, media, … Continue reading
Quiz: A Mughal firman
We all are familiar with famous Mughals. So let’s play a quiz and see if you can figure out which emperor may have issued this royal firman. Translation is below the picture. … therefore in accordance with holy law we … Continue reading
Baba Ramdev: Yogi or Commissar?
Baba Ramdev has been probably most successful of God men of recent times. He claims to have a following of over a billion people. Baba in a short span of time has built a multi million empire, his Trust is owning series of Ashrams, ayurvedic drug factories, yoga training centers and many such things, in India and abroad. In our country where currently rational thought and scientific thinking has been pushed to the back foot, the claims that his methods are scientific go unchallenged by and large. As per him he can cure Cancer, AIDS and what have you. Generally the ‘divine’ people have to be standing for peace and harmony. One recalls that in the wake of 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, Baba had exhorted Indian Government to attack Pakistan, and that he will fund the war against Pakistan. He is trying to ride on two horses, the one of spirituality-religion and the other of entrepreneur-politician, at the same time. Continue reading
Height Of Absurdity: Take Education Sportingly, But Treat Sports Like War
India has, of late, joined the leading nation of the world in making school education somewhat easy and simple. These steps are largely appreciated as unnecessary pressure on children was wreaking havoc among them and reportedly driving many teenagers to suicide. But may one ask as to what has prompted sports to become more serious than war––not to speak of education. After all games are best form of entertainment and people play or watch them to get relaxed. But, in this age of capitalism sports are causing more tension and rancour not only in the mind of players, but all those involved in it as well as those who watch it in the field or television sets.he corporate bosses, The match-fixers and betting mafia, who actually play the matches without taking to the field, have made the whole business extremely nasty, especially in the sub-continent. Continue reading
Parties in India: Between Family-run And Cadre-based Ones
There are two types of parties in India. The first category is that which has dynastic control over the leadership and the second is cadre-based parties. Perhaps there is no scope for the third. Though Nehru-Gandhi family often becomes the favourite whipping boy of the opinion-makers and academics, the truth is that leaders of all the political parties, except the cadre-based ones, have promoted dynasty politics. The cadre-based parties of India come from two totally opposite political poles: the Left and the Right. Lastly, in India there is a bizarre cocktail of a cadre-based party with strict family control. That is called Shiv Sena––and now its off-shoot, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena. They can never come to power in any state alone, as they have their own inherent weaknesses. Continue reading
Vagaries Of First-Past-The-Post Electoral System
The Janata Dal (United)-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance with just 39.1 per cent votes managed to get around 85 per cent of seats––206 in the House of 243––while the Rashtriya Janata Dal-Lok Janshakti Party combine of Lalu Yadav and Ram Vilas Paswan ended up getting just 10 per cent seats when they actually got over 25.3 per cent votes. RJD got 18.6 per cent votes while LJP 6.7 per cent. Congress, which got 8.37 per cent votes, won just four seats. How could this happen when even in 1952 and 1957 Bihar Assembly elections, the then ruling Congress did not win so much seats notwithstanding the fact that there was no formidable opposition party in the state then? Continue reading