An Indian Muslim 'celebrates' Diwali in an alien land, remembers the childhood

I am not in my City and that has made such a big difference!

It's Diwali and here I am sitting far away from my friends. Will not visit any home tomorrow.

Have no friend to greet here and can't enjoy the holiday either. Though a few SMS I have received, haven't sent many.

No Gujhias. No sweets. A friend called me to tell that my 'mithai ka dabba' is lying in office, and he is going to take it home.

Diwali is the biggest festival in India. Though Dussehra fascinated me more in the childhood because of the huge effigies burnt, Diwali was no less exciting.

I always had more Hindu friends than Muslims and never felt left out during any of the festivals.

The neighbours would come and place 'diyas' at our door and in the verandahs. The mithais would come from every flat.

The young ladies of the nearby flats who were younger would come and touch my mother's feet also. We were the only Muslim family there.

That was an intriguing sight to the new neighbours who would find it strange why rest of Hindu families had this special relationship with a Muslim household. And by the next year, a couple of Eids later, they would also become as close to us as others.

[Who cared about any cultural differences or Hindu-Muslim divide then? Ultimately what matters is friendship and relations...]

As a kid I was not much into bursting crackers but phuljhadis, 'saanp' [the small black tablets which were burnt and unending spirals emerged from them] and chakris were always brought for me. Occasionally Anars also but no patakhe. [Please don't say Phatake or fatake, it really turns me off].

Once though to impress a girl I did set fire to a 'bandar bomb' holding it in my hand. Fortunately the cracker took sometime before it exploded. I got a scolding from everybody in the locality. [I was 12 or perhaps 13]. Boyhood bravado!

Rush of memories. So many incidents, which you relive, when you are free. What else to do! Here I am blogging on Diwali eve. Anyway, just.to refresh our memory. Diwali is celebrated to mark the return of Rama Chandra Ji to Ayodhya after 14-years.

So Happy Dipawali to All of You, who have come to this blog. And also to those who haven't :)

Sher Ali: The revolutionary Indian freedom fighter who assassinated the Viceroy

Shams Ur Rehman Alavi

Do you know that a Viceroy was killed on Indian soil during the freedom movement?

Though many other revolutionary freedom fighters are remembered, the name of Sher Ali who was behind the assassination, is mostly forgotten.

In fact, Sher Ali's name barely finds a mention. Forget textbooks, the voluminous studies also have his name just in footnote.

It was in February 1872, when this revolutionary who had been sent to Andaman Islands [Kala Pani], assassinated Lord Mayo, the viceroy who was on a visit to the Andamans where the freedom fighters were kept incarcerated.

Richard Bourke, the 6th Earl of Mayo and Viceroy of India, was visiting the Andaman along with high ranking officials and security personnel, when Sher Ali stabbed him to death. When asked why he murdered the viceroy, the man from Tirah valley of Khyber said that 'Khuda ne hukm diya, is waste kiyaa'.

He was charged with murder and hanged on Viper islands the next year. Revolutionaries wanted to overthrow the imperial rule through force, as the felt it was by deceit and military might that the East Indian company had snatched their liberty. It was one of  the few ways in sight for the ordinary Indians to take on the power of the foreign imperialists, then.

We have read how Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Chandrashekhar Azad assassinated Saunders. Also, about Madanlal Dhingra, who in England assassinated William Hutt, there is little focus on the role of Sher Ali. 

Today, the assassinations are seen differently but it was colonial era, Indians were treated as second class citizens, they were exploited and brutalized, the freedom fighters were fighting the imperialists in different ways. But the fact remains that Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, Chandrashekhar Azad and Madanlal Dhingra are heroes in India. Their sacrifices are taught in texts, every child is aware of their role, and annually they are paid homage. However, nothing has come in way of Sher Ali.

1. Here is the Link to the Wikimapia image [the map] of the coast of Andaman where 135 years ago this incident had occurred.
2. Also, a link to the Times of India editorial page article on Sher Ali.

On the 150th anniversary of 1857

[Above photo of Sher Ali on the left and the place on Viper Isles where he was hanged]

AIMPLB's strange stand & HC's welcome decision on Triple Talaq

One of the most representative of Muslim organisations in the country, All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) that has 201 members in the board and represents almost every Muslim sect, seems stuck in a time warp.

On issues where the Board needs to take a stand and speak up, it disappoints the community. And whenever it issues a statement it is retrogressive and irrational. Just see their reaction to the Supreme Court's verdict asking for compulsory registration of marriages. SR Ilyasi says it should be optional and that Qazis already register marriages. So what's the problem. Can't there be a mechanism through which the same registration form is forwarded to the authorities?
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MEANWHILE

The Hight Court judgment that the divorce is invalid if the husband pronounces talaq in anger or fails to communicate it to his wife, is certainly laudable. Justice BD Ahmed's verdict says that the 'harsh abruptness of triple talaq has brought extreme misery to women.

"It (triple talaq) is an innovation which may have served a purpose at a particular point of time in history but, if it is rooted out such a move would not be contrary to any basic tenets of Islam or the Quran or any ruling of the Prophet Muhammad," said Justice BD Ahmed.

Triple talaq is one sitting remains a sword hanging on the head of Muslim women. Muslim organisations and clergy remains absolutely oblivious to the plight of women and the problem faced by children in such broken families. I wish the AIMPLB had issued a statement on Triple Talaq as well. But they keep their eyes close to the real issues.

Tehelka's landmark sting 'Operation Kalank' on Mass Murders: Gujarat pogrom

A shocked nation watched in disbelief the revelations about Gujarat riots on Television.

Now it is time all those caught on camera are charged with conspiracy and murder.

Leaders, and if not leaders, then individuals and NGOs must get case registered against him.

If not through police, then through private complaint in the courts, in form of PILs and we should get these bloodthirsty killers pay for their sins against humanity. So that never again any group of politicians could dare to plot such killings.

1. They had given free hand for three days to VHP, Bajrang Dal activists to target Muslims across Gujarat, claims the STING OPERATION.

2. Babu Bajrangi, Madan Dhanraj Chawal admit killing tens of Muslims in cold blood in Ahmedabad including a pregnant woman whose stomach was ripped open with sword. Such hate just because she was a Muslim!

3. After cutting MP Ehsan Jafri's hands and feet they then phoned Home Minister Govardhan Zadaphia, 'We have done it, now manage the rest and save us'.

4. Arvind Pandya says Modi is hero of Hindutva and talks of bombing Muslim residential areas. Dynamite was used in explosions and later after the pogrom was over.

5. Policemen worked as hitmen for VHP, BD and killed Muslims with their service revolvers. VHP's Anil Patel killed 60 in Sabarkantha. Patel is Pravin Togadia's close confidante. He said it on camera that police supported him in loot, murder, everything and named police officer, ND Solanki.

6. VHP leader Ramesh Dave says IPS officer DCP SK Gadhvi worked like a sharp-shooter for rioters and killed Muslims in cold blood with his revolver. He promised killing Muslims and one after the other shot five Muslims.

7. Mangilal Jain said on record (on camera) that we just felt 'maaro sab miyon ko' [kill all Muslims]. He [Jafri] called Sonia Gandhi, Narendra Modi and everybody but still couldn't live, nobody came to save him.

8. Madan Dhanraj Chawal said yes 'We grabbed him, kicked, cut his hands with swords, then butchered him and burnt him'. 'Ang ang kaat diya aur jalaa diya'. Said Chaval, the accused of Gulbarg Society attack.

9. Shiv Sena leader Babu Bajrangi says that police allowed them to enter Naroda Patiya, he said on camera.

10. Arvind Pandya, the head of the team of lawyers that is defending Gujarat Government before the Nanavati Commission, says, "Government was ready, people were ready and it was good fortune of Hindutva people'.

11. Sabarkantha government lawyer Bharat Bhatt admits paying money to get 'samadhaan' and help in closure of cases. 'I mislead Muslims', he admits in cases of riot victims. 'I told my Hindus, don't laugh in front of me or keep mum when I scold you in front of others'.

[That's the 'Criminal' Judicial System in Gujarat, which is at work. Certainly we hope that the Supreme Court is watching. ]

12. He says that Hindus have two heroes--Kalyan Singh and Narendra Modi.

13. Mehsana's government lawyer Dilip Trivedi, who is also a VHP general secretary, says that all has to be 'managed'. 'Judges have to be bought and managed all over Gujarat, witnesses bought and everything needed is done to get the riot accused, acquitted'.

These and endless revelations aired on Aaj Tak (by Tehelka investigation team) have revealed the kind of planning that was done for the genocide.

Reacting to it, Uma Bharti said that this is Moditva, not Hindutva. She termed the acts as 'kalank' on Hindutva. Kudos to Tehelka and Aajtak for daring to bare the facts. Government of India needs to take notice. Especially regarding the 'Terrorist' men in Khaki, Gadhvi, Solanki and others of their likes.

Read all at Tehelka. Meanwhile, the Tehelka team led by Tarun Tejpal deserves a salute for the expose. Kudos to the Correspondent Ashish Khetan for bringing all the conspirators on camera and make them admit to their crimes against humanity.

Boy holds gun at RSS function: What he is aiming at?

The photograph shows a child, a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh [RSS], holding a rifle.

What he is aiming at, I have absolutely no idea. Is this the age for a boy to be handed the weapon?

All fundamentalist organisations irrespective of the region and religion, indoctrinate early.

I just hope that the boy who is associated with Sangh quite early in his life, doesn't believe that all Muslims are his enemies!

Is it wishful thinking?