Communal tension in Assam, 33 killed

Kishalay Bhattacharjee

Saturday, October 04, 2008, (Darrang and Udalguri)

In Assam, around 33 people have been killed in violence, which began as a village quarrel over theft of some livestock.

As communal tension between Bengali Muslims and non-Muslims spread across villages of Assam's Darrang and Udalguri districts, the government's effort appear grossly inadequate.

The Bodo villagers -- armed with bows and arrows -- are visibly angry at government inaction.

"They came in lakhs and attacked. No one helped us. The Congress government wants this vote bank, they think without Muslims they will not win. So they are helping them," one of the villagers said.

It's the first day of Durga Puja but a Puja Pandal has been turned into a relief camp due to violence. There's very little relief and people are traumatised.

"We, the indigenous people, are being victimised by others but the district administration is helping them. They invade us and attack us," said Pradip Malakar, a teacher.

Everyone is a victim in this riot.

"It's a conspiracy. They don't want Muslims to be in BTAD area. We will sacrifice our lives for the sake of Allah," said another villager.

Though the Army has been called in, the presence is too thin to instill any confidence.

And as tension spreads there's an unending flow of terror stricken people into relief camps.
source: ndtv.com

Security agencies worried over madrassas

NEW DELHI, July 13 – Security agencies are working overtime these days along the Indo-Nepal border, the reason being the growth of large number of Madrassas that have come up in a disproportionate way and are not proportional to the Muslim population in the area. Some of the Madrassas or Islamic seminaries are believed to be the safe houses for the militant groups who were trying to set up the bases in the Himalayan kingdom and operate from there, a top security official said. “Setting up of Madrassas is nothing wrong. But what is worrying us is the Madrassas are not proportionate to the Muslim population in the area,” he said. On the Indian side the Islamic seminaries have come up in Uttar Pradesh’s Basti, Siddharth Nagar and Balrampur districts while in Nepal, the Madrassas are concentrated on Jhanda Nagar and Barhi-Krishna Nagar areas. “It is a known fact that ISI has a good base in Nepal and we suspect that many of the Madrassas have been abetted and assisted by the agency to spread their nefarious design in India,” the official said. UP and Uttarakhand share 863 km border with Nepal. Unlike clearly demarcated Indo-Pak border in Jammu and Kashmir, the situation along the Indo-Nepal border is different where the border is porus. Besides, there is conventional movement of people from both sides of the border as Nepal and India share good relations and friendship. “We maintain vigil on the movement of people along the border. But fool-proof vigil is not possible due to the nature of the border,” he said.With National Security Advisor M K Narayanan’s confirmation about ISI’s involvement in the attack on Indian Embassy, security agencies are particularly worried over the fact that ISI has intensified its anti-India activities in recent past. The story of IC 814 Indian Airlines plane, which was hijacked in 1999 after it took off from Kathmandu, was still fresh in everyone’s mind as also how the ISI acted behind the scene and helped the hijackers. Last month the SSB, which guards the border, tipped off its Nepalese counterparts about a fake currency racket operating from their side. Nepalese authorities promptly acted the specific report and busted the gang. “Such gangs are also being assisted by the ISI,” the official said. Despite change of guards in Kathmandu, the Nepalese security agencies so far have been working in close coordination with the Indian security agencies at the ground level. “This is a very sensitive border because Nepal is a friendly country. Fortunately, despite the change of government in Nepal, we are still maintaining good relations with our Nepalese counterparts,” the official said. – PTI source: assam tribune

Samajwadi MP says 7 will vote against UPA

Samajwadi MP says 7 will vote against UPA
A Ganesh Nadar

July 09, 2008 19:38 IST
Munawwar Hasan, the Samajwadi Party member of Parliament from Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh is among those from his party who refuse to toe the party line on backing the United Progressive Alliance government on the Indo-US nuclear deal.

Hasan is clear that he will vote against the government, and refuses to change his view even at the cost of losing his party membership.

He has chosen to oppose the party line and vote against the Government, and says he is not going to change his view even at the cost of loosing his party membership.

He told rediff.com, "I am opposing the nuclear deal with the Americans. America is against the interests of Muslims. Muslims hate Americans. If this deal goes through, then Americans will make a lot of money.

"They will use the money to make bombs and then bomb Muslims with it. We are not going to let that happen. We are against the Americans. We are not interested in the power part of the deal, we are opposing the fact that it's a deal with the United States."

Hasan is also very clear where his interests lie. "We are on the same side as UP Chief Minister Mayawati. We support her on this. Apart from this, I do not have any other problem or differences with the Samajwadi party or its chief Mulayam Singh Yadav."

Hasan said apart from him and Jai Prakash, MP from Mohanlalganj, there are five other MPs who will vote against the government. But, "I will not tell you their names now, you will know when the confidence vote is taken," he said. source: http://www.rediff.com/news/2008/jul/09ndeal16.htm

CPM demotes Muslim MP for Umrah

As per the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) brand of 'secularism', backing Muslims on the Amarnath shrine land transfer issue is the order of things. But when it comes to allowing a party MP from the same community to practice his religious beliefs, the knives are brought out against him.

The CPM has censured and demoted its Kerala MP Abdullah Kutty for travelling to Mecca for performing Umrah two weeks ago. The young MP from Kannur, who went to Mecca in the first week of June, invited the wrath of the party's State unit for "defying" the party's ideology.

The district committee took disciplinary against him on June 19 and demoted him to a simple member in the local committee. Prior to the action against him, Kutty was an area committee member.

Incidentally, the party first "charge-sheeted" him for having performed the religious ceremony in Mecca. Later, conscious of the fact that the decision could invite backlash from the Muslim community, the party claimed Kutty was punished for delivering a speech against bandhs and hartals.

But talking to The Pioneer over phone, Kutty said: "Disciplinary action was initiated against me after I returned from Mecca. The so-called controversial speech is an old issue anyway. A number of leaders had aired the same view on bandhs and hartals."

He added, "The timing of the party's disciplinary action against me has made people believe that I have been convicted for performing Umrah. But the party denies that the action was caused by my having undertaken the religious trip."

Kutty refused to comment further, saying, "I am a dedicated party member and can't clarify all your queries since I have been censured."

Party insiders feel that Kutty has been penalised by CPI(M)'s State secretary and Politburo member Pinarayi Vijayan for his allegiance to the rival faction, led by Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan. source: http://www.indiannotion.com/index.php/newslinks/18094

Ram Vilas Paswan - A Secular Fraud

Ram Vilas Paswan at AFMI Convention - A Secular Fraud

By Mustafa Kamal Sherwani
Indian political fabric is characterized by three realities: one the secular fraud, second the fascist reality and the third a pendulum known as Muslims helplessly swinging between the two. Any approach to the Indian Muslims problems, or the appraisal of India ’s political scenario from any angle other than this can never lead to a comprehensive analysis regarding what positive measures are needed to change the situation for a better future. The unbroken chain of experiences accumulated till date is more than enough to convince even a man in the street, let alone the community’s intelligentsia, that ‘the fraudulent secularism’ and ‘realistic communalism’ are complementary to each other, and they are used as a decoy to permanently keep the gullible Muslim masses in a state of permanent enslavement, and as a tool to circumvent the emergence of Muslim political leadership. How long these unscrupulous secularists will be allowed to thrive on the blood of Muslims is for the community’s opinion makers to deliberate upon.
When I read the news about the Minister of Steel and President of Lok Jan Shakti Party, Mr Ram Vilas Paswan being invited by the American Federation of Muslims from India(AFMI) in its International Conference in New York to be held from 4-6 July, it brought to my mind the flashes of a similar convention held at Banglore, India in late 90s which I had the privilege to attend. The prominent participants included Mr. H.D.Deogora and Mr. Ram Vilas Paswan.. I fully remember that to the thunderous applause of the audience which was dominated by AFMI members, Mr. Paswan had declared, “ our these American brothers give me tremendous moral and financial support because I protect the interests of Indian Muslims and check the B.J.P. and other communal forces from coming to power.” Much to the bewilderment of Muslims, the same Mr. Paswan was seen in the B.J.P.-led N.D.A. government . Such a self-proclaimed defender of Muslim rights was the cabinet Minister when the Muslim pogrom occurred in Gujrat, but his conscience did not force him to resign at least to retain the slightest semblance of his secular credentials. It is a forgone conclusion once again that he will be the Minister in the next L.K.Advani-led B.J.P. government, if it comes to power.
However, he is not alone in this nefarious game of power struggle which is revolving around the helpless and disorganized Indian Muslims in the name of ‘secularism’. Be it U.P. Chief Minister Mayawati, Chandra Babu Naidu and many others- all got Muslim support in the name of defeating B.J.P. but aligned with it and the hapless community could do nothing. Their dirty realpolitik remains unbridled because they are perpetually being nourished by Muslims both within and outside India without any accountability. It is an irony of fate that Muslims are seeking their empowerment through Ram Vilas Paswn and his ilk and attach with their predicament the already empowered Dalits. Amongst ‘Dalits’ it is the struggle for power and leadership, whereas for Muslims it is the struggle for security and survival.
Those who club them together in the name of ‘marginalized sections’ or other aspects of empowerment, are suffering from a total misconception that Muslim political leadership can develop under a non-Muslim. There is an outcry that Muslims are a leaderless community, but none attempts to analyze the situation in the realistic perspective. Muslims are the only community in India for whom secularism is a fraud and ‘ equality before law’ the greatest farce. And the future holds out no bright prospects till we continue to be befooled by these secular hypocrites, and make a division line between ‘ secularism’ and ‘fascism’. Whenever some small endeavour is made to develop Muslim leadership by Muslim political groups , the whole process is scuttled by this ‘defeat B.J.P.’ slogan. B.J.P. is getting stronger and stronger not because of its inherent strength but because of the power struggle of these mischievous secular forces who trap the Muslim community through the hallucination of fascist outfits, and none of them has ever come to the front when communal terror is unleashed. How long this political drama will continue and how long these secular thieves will be allowed to bleed Muslims and how long such a vast community will survive in an atmosphere of terror, and how long it will remain in their destiny to forget all positive facets of life , are the most serious questions .
Amongst all the mentioned names of non-Muslims who are going to attend this Convention, the only one having unblemished secular credentials is Teesta Setalvad. She may genuinely be called as the real defender and relentless crusader of Muslim rights who faced all the grave dangers in fighting for Gujrat victims’ justice, but she will never exploit the community through political arena. Moreover, I am sure, if she contests elections and solicits Muslim support, she will not get it because countless brokers and middlemen will propagate that she is B.J.P. agent and is contesting to divide secular vote. It is the greatest misfortune of Indian politics, and more so of my community. If our affluent groups like AFMI are sincere for Indian Muslims, they will have to find the traces of secularism and Muslim empowerment in the persons like Teesta Setalvad and not the secular frauds like Ram Vilas Paswan. source: http://www.khabrein.info