My blogging experience in 2010: Indian Muslim blog stepping into seventh year

Despite prophecies that blogging is dying and indications that netizens are now preferring facebook and twitter rather than writing blog posts, as a blogger it was a satisfying year for me.

It was the sixth year of my blogging and though I wrote considerably less compared to past, I felt that I wrote some of my best posts this year. Apart from politics, social issues, communalism, religious harmony and off-beat pieces, I also wrote about Muslim issues.

I always feel that Muslims can [and should] be more introspective and attentive towards the community affairs as they can afford to be more critical than others. Not just critical posts but also positive stories. I also did nearly half-a-dozen movie reviews.

This blog will soon be in its seventh year. I'd begun blogging in 2003-2004 but quit shortly after. Then again I started afresh in 2005 with this blog and since then it has been a terrific experience. I have written almost 600 posts so far on this blog alone.

Of course, the blogging scene is not quite hot as it was back in 2006-2007. But I enjoy it as much. On an average I wrote barely a post or so every week in 2010. Earlier I have written up to 167 posts in a year that amounted to almost one post every two days but then I realised the importance of quality and thoughtful blogging.

And I was surprised to see that for most part of the year this blog was at the top position in the category of Indian blogs in at least two categories including the personal blogs category at Indiblogger's ranking list with the highest rank of 87, ahead of those who were once considered celebrity bloggers. May be it appears kiddish excitement but I like it.

So I am not doing that badly even though I seemed to have lost steam a bit this year. There is a prophecy that blogging doesn't have much future as netizens are tweeting more or speaking their mind in facebook status messages where friends comment immediately and you get satisfaction of getting likes rather than critical and negative comments on blogs.

However, I don't buy much of it and intend to continue my blogging journey. I hope that in 2011 I will write more regularly and refine this blog further. Here is a list and links of the selected and best articles as per category which I wrote in the bygone year [2010]:

National Issues
Blame the bureaucrat for corruption and not just politician Read
Inefficient administration causing mishaps: Fix responsibility on guilty bureaucrats Read
Empowering Eves or Elites: On women's reservation at needs at ground level Read
Welfare Vs Warfare: How to tackle Naxalism Read
Is Indian police a force to safeguard the rich? Read



Indian Muslim society: Critical articles and Positive news 

Culture Vs Constitution: Now the Muslim Khaps Read
Darul Uloom turning Fatwa Factory & Triple Talaq Read
Anisa Sayyed: Ticket checker to shooting champion Read
Educational revolution among Indian Muslims Read
Triumphant Shireen steps into University without veil Read
Born in 1890, going for Haj in 2010: Munni Begam Read
Denying admission to Muslim students and other discrimination Read

Movie reviews
I watched a lot of movies this year though I couldn't review all as I saw some of them a few days after release. The movies about which I wrote included My Name Is Khan, Ishqia, Salman Khan's flop film Veer, Ajay Devgn-starrer film on the life of Haji Mastan titled Once Upon a Time in Mumbai, Salman's blockbuster Dabangg and Rajinikanth's Robot.

MNIK was definitely a bold movie with an emotional message while Ishqia and Dabangg brought back heartland to Indian cinema. Robot was Southern superstar Rajinikanth's film that grossed over Rs 25 crore in North India also.

Politics and political analysis
Decline in influence of Rajputs in Indian Politics Read
Nitish Kumar's victory in Bihar: How and Why? Read
Cong responsible for Maharashtra mess, not Shiv Sena-BJP Read
Reaction of Urdu media on Babri Masjid verdict Read
Ayodhya verdict and my reflections Read

Communal Harmony
Hindu saints stand for man fasting for Batla House probe Read
Muslim youths' rally for return of Kashmiri Pandits Read
Sai-Taj Darbar: Harmony among Hindus, Muslims Read
Hoardings in Harmony Read
The mosque that briefly turns temple every year Read

Urdu poetry, Literature
Urdu's egoist poet gone: Khuda Hafiz Abdullah Kamaal Read
The Shaharyar of Urdu literature Read
The glorious tradition of Tarahi mushairas Read
Mushaira in Delhi: Famous poets regale audience Read
Urdu language in Roman script in South India Read
Mahlaqa Chanda, a pioneering and forgotten Urdu poetess Read

Communalism, Fundamentalism, Terrorism and Media criticism
21 killed but not termed Terrorist strike Read
Sangh Parivar: Cultural nationalism, hardline Hindutva or Terrorism Read
Investigation & Media's role in Terror cases Read
'Pro-Muslim' RSS irked right-wing the fanatics Read
How RSS & other right-wing outfits escape terror tag Read
Fanatic Muslim killer Sudhakar Rao's arrest ignored Read
Recruiting Hindu warriors: New radical outfit rears head in Central India Read

Caste Issues: Discrimination with Dalits
Parents protest lower caste women cooks Read
Children hit for sitting on mat reserved for Upper Caste kids Read
Man says dog untouchable after lower caste family fed it Read

Weird, off-beat and features
The Horse's grave in India: Blend of local Hindu, Muslim cultures Read
Worshipping 'Kansa' in North India Read
Rise of Urdu media: Aalami Sahara, Zee Salaam channels launched Read
Celebrating Mughal Emperor Akbar's birthday Read
'My Papa is an ice-cream seller' Read

So that was the roundup for Year 2010 on anindianmuslim.com. Hope you enjoyed it.

Finally Sahara group's Urdu news channel launched in India

After years of wait, a standard 24/7 Urdu news channel has been launched in India. The Sahara group's channel Alami Sahara that has made its debut recently and is now on air, has been launched almost 10 years after Ramoji Rao's ETV Urdu.

While ETV was a complete infotainment channel, Sahara is a dedicated news channel. I have been watching Alami Sahara for the last few days and it seems to have filled the void in Urdu broadcast media in India. The standard and presentation of its news and current affairs programmes gives it a clear edge.

The selection of guests for panel discussions is done quite professionally. News stories and special stories are also quite different and watchable. Currently the special programmes on Muharram are being telecast and they are certainly made painstakingly.

Your cable operator may not be showing it yet, but there are a few websites where you can see it live and free. While ETV Urdu is in a different league, DD Urdu is not shown in most parts of the country just like other DD channels which are ignored by cable-walas. 

The latest channel Zee Salam [launched a few months back] is more focused on religion and cultural aspects. However, Alami Sahara which is the fourth national Urdu TV channel in the country, focuses mostly on news and current affairs. The news bulletin is broadcast every hour like other news channels. 

The pace at which Sahara group's Urdu empire is growing has been surprising as it has overtaken Rashtriya Sahara Hindi newspaper in terms of number of editions as well as circulation.

 To a section it is worrying how one group commands such strong readership & influence among Indian Muslims due to its newspaper, Urdu weekly, monthly Bazm-e-Sahara & now the first nonstop Urdu news channel from India.

Sahara has broken new grounds in Urdu media in India. It has been an unbelievable journey, especially when most established publication groups including Shama Group, Biswin Sadi and Blitz left the field, claiming lack of readership and purchasing power among Urdu speakers.

Clearly there is a market for Urdu publications and channels, provided, the product is good and the publishers must stop treating the Urdu reader as a ghettoised man who only wants to read or watch about Palestine or minority politics. The success of Roznama Sahara and The Sunday Indian's Urdu version have proved it.

The channel had been 'soft-launched' without much publicity but it is grabbing eyeballs. The pronunciation or what we often call 'sheen-qaaf' is good. Hyderabad's Munsif group is also ready with its channel but Sahara has clearly taken the lead.

[*Alami means International in Urdu]

Celebrating Mughal Emperor Akbar's birthday in Bihar

Emperor Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar [1542-1605]

Mughal emperor Akbar's birth anniversary was celebrated recently. This news, which was published in newspapers in Bihar had caught my attention sometime back but I couldn't write about it then.

The organisation, Akhil Bharatiya Ashok Sena, that organised the function to mark the '468th birthday of Shahanshah Akbar' is headed by Shakya Ranjit Maurya, who lives in Patna. The event was unique in many ways. 

Firstly, in India, most anniversaries are either observed by Centre and state governments or organisations. In some cases, seminars or symposiums are organised in universities.

But personalities who are identified by their caste groups or religious sects are more commonly remembered. Even otherwise there is no dearth of famous personalities in India but often lesser known persons are remembered while those who don't fall into the confines of caste, region or religion are forgotten.

Claiming personalities & Caste pride
Ironically, Maithili Sharan Gupt is mostly remembered by Vaishya Community though he was a poet of high literary standing. And most functions to remember Chandrashekhar Azad are organised by Brahmin organisations.

Kayastha websites and organisations also claim Amitabh Bachchan, Subhas Chandra Bose, Lal Bahadur Shastri and Vivekanand among the heroes of community. Though Amitabh Bachchan is claimed by Allahabad and UP-walas also.

In fact, freedom fighters are also appropriated in accordance with their caste, regional and religious affiliations. Many social groups that don't have a famous personality to identify with, look for names in history and celebrate their anniversaries, so that they can hold their heads high and inspire the children of their community.

Maharana Pratap, Mahatma Phule and Maulana Azad

It is this reason that Maharana Pratap, a symbol of valiance, became signifying Rajput pride and the Meo [Mev] Muslims have now begun identifying themselves with Hasan Khan Mewati. However, a personality like Akbar who is termed as 'Akbar the Great' can't fit in such confines.

In fact, it's rare for non-Dalits to hold a function recalling contribution of Mahatma Phule or BR Ambedkar. And equally rare for a non-Muslim organisation to hold functions in memory of Hasrat Mohani, Rafi Ahmad Kidwai or even Maulana Azad.

Caste, Community, Regional and Religious Identities in India

It is not just caste group or religion, however, region and community sub-groups also claim heroes. Bundelkhandis and Jhansi residents take extra pride in the Jhansi ki Rani Queen Laxmi Bai. Rajendra Prasad is not just a leader of Bihar but Kayastha groups claim him as a great Kayastha leader.


Shivaji is a demi-god in Maharashtra but in neighbouring Gujarat he is not the same sort of hero, as he had attacked Surat. So there is a conflict on this level also. For some personalities there are multiple claimants while some others are forgotten.
 
Those who don't fall in any such category and have less following are not remembered. Phiroz Shah Mehta or Dadabhai Naoroji will remain in text books as the number of Parsis is dwindling.

Akbar and his contribution

Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar, of course, is in a different league, as a king, who ruled India centuries ago. Though a Muslim, he was perhaps not as 'pious'. He even initiated a new religion 'Din-e-Ilahi'. Nevertheless Akbar remains one of the most important figures in medieval India.

Akbar's contribution towards communal harmony, inter-faith dialogue and his governance apart from shaping the geographical boundaries of modern India is known to anyone. Had he been linked to a 'biradari' or clan, the particular group would be remembering him every year without fail.

However, it's not the case. And in this context, it is more important that an organisation remembered him. At the All India [Akhil Bharatiya] Ashok Sena's programme, speakers recalled the Mughal ruler's 'sulah-i-kul' policy as well as his progressive thoughts, social reforms and steps towards bringing order in the country.

Read similar posts on this blog published in the past

1. Maithili Sharan Gupt, a poet of Vaishyas!
2. Freedom fighter Chandra Shekar Azad or Chandra Shekhar Tiwari

Nitish wins Bihar: Trend of Muslims voting for BJP or NDA alliance

Yeh kya ho gaya bhai!

The resounding victory of Nitish Kumar's JD(U) led coalition in Bihar has surprised even the most sympathetic psephologists. Most exit polls had indicated that the NDA was poised to win Bihar but this sort of thumping majority was not predicted.

It was clear that a section of Muslims would vote for JD(U). The reasons were simple. Nitish Kumar looked sincere, he kept the state riot-free, his decision to reopen the Bhagalpur riot cases closed by Lalu Yadav, and remaining steadfast on his commitment to let the AMU campus open in Bihar despite the open opposition of BJP's youth wing BJYM, earned him respect among the community.

Muslims fear nothing more than a communal riot. During Congress regimes in North India, large-scale riots used to occur in cities with substantial Muslim percentage. In each communal riot, tens of thousands would not only be snatched of their means for livelihood but also lost whatever little they had and took them at least twenty years back.

First Congress exploited this fear of riots. In fact, BJP had begun to get a fraction of Muslim vote and its vote share among Muslims would have risen long ago, had the massacre in Gujarat not taken place. Besides, the BJP-led Centre's inaction and the party's refusal to regret the events in Gujarat, turned Muslims even more wary.

No wonder almost everywhere Muslims made it a mission to vote for the candidate who appeared in the strongest position and capable of defeating the BJP. In Orissa, Navin Patnaik failed to keep a check on BJP and the latter's sister organisations.

The anti-Christian violence perpetrated by VHP and Bajrang Dal, later forced him to dump the party. However, in Bihar, the BJP cleverly played second fiddle. The Saffron think-tank was aware that Bihar has one of the highest Muslim concentration (17%) and has regions where Muslim population goes up to 50% or even more so it was prudent to use Nitish's charisma.

While Nitish Kumar succeeded in keeping his secular image intact, perhaps the Sangh Parivar also kept a measured stance as successive failures to form government in the Centre made them review their strategy. The lumpens were kept in check and Hindu remained on the backburner.

The decision to open Bhagalpur riot cases earned Nitish Kumar goodwill. But it was his tough stand of not allowing Narendra Modi for campaigning in Bihar, that proved crucial. Indian Express' editor-in-chief Shekhar Gupta mentioned how a Urdu teacher at a rally told him that Nitish is 'sher ka bachcha' as no one else could do it elsewhere.

The tag of lion for not letting Modi into the state, is not unusual. Apparently this had caused enough strain in the coalition but Nitish stuck to his stand. Gujarat carnage is etched in collective Muslim consciousness as it was first large-scale riot shown on live television.

Meanwhile, the other Modi, Sushil Kumar Modi, as Deputy Chief Minister has all along maintained the image of a moderate. It is this sort of moderation which is expected from a right-of-centre party that aims to govern a nation of 110 crore.

The lack of development and the poor governance had dented the image of the state. In fact, the word 'Bihari' had turned into a derogatory term. This affected all Biharis irrespective of caste and creed as it hurt their pride. But during Nitish Kumar's regime, crime was controlled and law-and-order restored. Things were looking up and as a result he has received unexpected support from all quarters.

Right now the BJP is buoyed with its success. But the truth is that the NDA coalition has won Bihar over the plank of development. Any responsible government has to be inclusive and must ensure that all segments of population are looked upon as equal partners in shaping the destiny of nation or the state.

Despite having several polished and mature leaders at the national level ranging from Sushma Swaraj to Arun Jaitley, there is no dearth of communal and lumpen elements in the party who have an open communal agenda.

In Bihar, Nitish Kumar could rein them in. The BJP and the Bajrang Dal-VHP cadre also remained subdued as victor was in sight because of the alliance. But the million dollar question is whether the BJP change the course at the national level and emerge as a right-of-centre but moderate political party?

Let's see.

Similar posts on this blog in the past:
1. BJP and Muslims.
2. 'Pro-Muslim RSS' had irked radicals

Darul Uloom Deoband turns into a Fatwa Factory: Triple Talaq and Women's rights in Islam

Due to Darul Uloom Deoband's historic role and its Ulama's recent social initiatives, one could have ignored a couple of controversial fatwas but the latest fatwa has once again proved that there is something seriously wrong with the seminary, especially the Darul Ifta or the 'Fatwa wing'.

It is no longer an aberration when the Darul Uloom opines that even if a person has uttered the word 'talaq' thrice and his wife couldn't hear it, the divorce takes place.

In fact, the query was about whether the marriage is annulled when a person has said 'talaq' thrice over phone when the wife has heard and it happened in the presence of a witness.

But in the reply, the seminary went ahead and answered something which had not been asked. The mufti said that it is not required whether the wife has heard it or not, or whether there is a witness around. The talaq is valid. Even when the wife has not heard [she is not aware].

I am sorry but this fatwa is unjust, it is clearly against women, it is irresponsible and against the spirit of religion. 'Talaq is valid even if the wife hasn't heard the word thrice, the talaq is valid', is the Times of India report. And though fatwa is a mere opinion that is not binding, it sends a message particularly when it comes from such an institution.

While on one hand, Ulema in many countries accept that 'three talaqs' in one go ought to be considered as one, the Indian Ulama continue to behave irresponsibly. It ruins countless marriages and puts a sense of fear among women.


Fatwa: Darul Ifta's reply to Query number 27275

 Several major Muslim countries have banned the 'triple talaq'. The pronouncements have to be at regular intervals, so as to give the couple a chance of reconciliation. As marriage is a contract, talaq is an option but Islam discourages it, and it is considered a repulsive act though acceptable when it becomes impossible for a couple to live together happily.

Recently, there was a Deoband fatwa in reply to a query from a man who had jokingly typed the word talaq thrice during an internet chat session with his wife and in this case also Darul Ifta had said that the divorce had taken place.

Whether a man is drunk or the wife has not heard it, it is all the immaterial and the Ulama not just pronounce talaq, they in fact seem almost eager to pronounce talaq on every question relating to marital dispute between husband and wife.

Is it a joke? Sorry it's too serious to be a joke. It affects lives, hurts clans and it also serious dents the image of Muslims. When there is no dearth of Ulema, who claim that 'putting out the word talaq in one sitting' is raj'i talaq which is not permanent and woman can return to her husband, the Ulama remain admant.

On one hand, the Deoband Ulema had chartered an entire train and taken it to Hyderabad to deliver the historic fatwa against terrorism, held anti-Terror conferences across the country and now they regularly issue diktats that Muslims must not slaughter cows in India, as it hurts our Hindu brethren. These things have earned them goodwill.

They go the extra mile to ensure that there is political correctness in their approach and statements. However, when it comes to internal issues of the community, particularly, the state of women, they remain rigid. There is no thought given to what leading Sunni scholars have said about the practice of 'triple talaq' and its misuse.

Ideally there should not be any institutionalised clergy in Muslims. However, there is one and perhaps it is needed to an extent. But with its narrow interpretation of Islamic principles, the leading institution has shown itself in poor light.


News in Urdu daily Siasat, Hyderabad published on November 16.


The practice of seeking answer to every issue on website and obtaining online fatwas has created lot of controversies earlier also. In the past, mischief-makers have also misused it by asking frivolous queries and also sought answers on delicate issues, twisting them latter to tarnish the image of the seminary. But now Deoband itself seems scoring self goals with the unique fatwas.

Not just Shias, Sunni majority countries from Indonesia in the far East to Turkey and even Pakistan, have held 'triple talaq' as unlawful. What prevents the Ulama to join heads and think over it? Social movement and proactive role of Muslim community is a must in achieving this objective.

Either it's Deoband or any other institution, it is not above criticism. Ulema must introspect. It is timely that they should go away with their illogical and irrational interpretations. Not just them, the prestige of the community is also at stake.