By M H Ahssan
Private television channels have acquired a conspicuous presence in the country. They provide news and information, debate and discussion and a great deal of entertainment. They are rumoured to earn vast advertising revenues some of which they devote to the promotion of good causes. Their owners and managers like to say that their main aim is to serve the public interest. Those who work for them also seem eager to make that known to their viewers. At the same time, they also appear to be very dogged in the pursuit of their own commercial interests.
When a young girl dies under suspicious circumstances or rumours circulate about misconduct in high office, television reporters accompanied by cameramen are among the first to appear on the scene. They serve their viewers by providing information instantaneously and continuously. The information is accompanied by commentary and by speculation about the possible causes of what might be happening and why. The information provided is of value to the public, particularly where interested parties seek to suppress it.
But not all the information provided on television is of significant value. Much of it is trivial and ephemeral. The analysis provided is sometimes acute and incisive, but often it is empty and vacuous. There is a strain towards the presentation of information in a striking and dramatic form. Much of what takes place in our public life is ordinary and humdrum, but with some effort even the most banal happenings can be given a portentous air. Television reporters and anchors habitually adopt a breathless manner, which even the most seasoned newspaper columnist or radio broadcaster cannot easily simulate.
Like the other media, television provides both information and entertainment, but it combines the two in its own distinctive way. When Doordarshan held the field by itself, there was very little entertainment, and the information was bland and stereotyped. This has changed with the entry of private television channels into the field. Even Doordarshan is now less dull and stodgy than it used to be. Our newsreaders do not have to be grim faced as in China or Russia, and the women among them do not have to cover their heads as in Iran and Pakistan. It is good to see greater variety in dress and deportment although, personally, one regrets the passing of the sari.
While the media in general combine information with entertainment, private television channels make a special effort to present information and analysis in an entertaining way. The line between entertainment and
information is in any case never clear and, where there is acute competition to hold the viewer’s attention, it is easily crossed. Leaving aside the embarrassment and anguish caused to individuals and households, matters of public security and institutional propriety tend to be given short shrift. Newsreaders and analysts know how to simulate both grief and concern, but this loses something in credibility when their presentation is regularly interrupted by commercial advertisements that are anything but solemn or sorrowful.
What is worrying about private television is the cut-throat competition between rival channels. The competition affects the manner in which news is presented and, in the end, also its substance. It is natural that when an interesting or important story comes to light each channel should strive to be the first to present it to the public. It is also natural that it should wish to claim that its own story is exclusive. But such a claim serves mainly its own commercial interest rather than any identifiable public purpose.
The urge to stay ahead in the competition for consumer attention finds expression in the frenzy for ‘breaking news’ common among private television channels. When there is a plane hijack, a terrorist attack, a political assassination — or a successful landing on the moon — it is natural for the news editor to wish to break the news early or even to be the first to report it. Here the electronic media have an advantage over the papers and, within limits, competition provides a healthy stimulus for swift and immediate reporting.
What is presented as breaking news is not always very striking or dramatic. It is, in fact, often quite insubstantial. When something has to be shown as breaking news, there is pressure from within to present it in a dramatic way even when the matter is quite ordinary. It is, in any case, very difficult to view an event in perspective when it is unfolding before our eyes, so when there is pressure to present it as breaking news, that is how it will be presented.
I have often wondered what will happen if no momentous event occurs for one whole day or even for two successive days. If there is no breaking news, will it have to be invented? No account of unfolding events can be free from the more or less active use of the reporter’s imagination. Private television channels should not be blamed for seeking to augment their revenues, but they, on their side, should not cut too many corners. Nor should they be blamed for seeking credit for providing a useful service provided they do not make lofty moral claims about being the citizen’s shield against the authorities. It should not be too difficult for the citizen to determine what they do in the public interest and what they do for profit and, further, to see that the two are not always convergent.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Stem cell hope for neuro patients
By M H Ahssan
AIIMS Starts Trials For Treatment Of Parkinson’s Disease, Enrols Five Affected People
There may be life beyond dopamine therapy for the six crore-odd Parkinson’s patients in the country. The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has recently started stem cell trials for the treatment of Parkinson’s and the neurology department has enrolled five patients for it.
Though in the nascent stage, experts say stem cell treatment is likely to be the preferred treatment mode for neurological disorders like Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and the lot in the near future. Stem cell therapy was, in fact, the recurrent theme in the 2nd Asian and Oceanian Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorder Congress and the 7th Asia Pacific Parkinson’s Association organised by AIIMS neurology department some days ago.
Usually extracted from embryos, bone marrow or the umbilical cord, stem cells are primitive, undifferentiated cells that have the ability to grow into any tissue type. They are being hailed as the dream treatment for a wide range of ‘‘incurable’’ diseases. “We have started stem cell trials for the Parkinson’s treatment. It is a long process, where we’ll use bone marrow stem cells harvested from patients. The cells, after being regrown in the lab, will be surgically inserted into the patient’s brain. As we would be using the patient’s own stem cells, there would be no chances of rejection,” said Dr Sumit Singh, associate professor and co-investigator of the stem cell trail at AIIMS. Headed by Dr Madhuri Behari, head of the neurology department, AIIMS, the team started the trial in Jan. “We plan to inject the stem cells back into the patients in the coming month. But it is too early to predict the results,” said Dr Singh.
After Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s is the second most common neuro-degenerative disorder. It is estimated that worldwide 1% people above 65 years and 3% people above the age of 80 are affected by it. “The reason for the disease is not known, but with timely medical intervention, degeneration can be delayed. But factors like genetic composition and environmental toxins are found to be responsible for the disease,” said Dr Behari, the organizing chairperson of the meet. Deliberating on the new trends in the treatment of Parkinson’s, experts cautioned that “hype should be kept aware from hope” as trials are in progress.
Dr Rupam Borgohain, neurologist at Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences in Hyderabad, who is also experimenting with stem cells in treating Parkinson’s disease, said, “It is definitely the way to go, but it is important to keep hype away from hope. It is in the trial phase and we will have to wait. Stem cell tissues have proved to be beneficial in treating Parkinson’s in a few cases. That us hope to move forward.”
AIIMS Starts Trials For Treatment Of Parkinson’s Disease, Enrols Five Affected People
There may be life beyond dopamine therapy for the six crore-odd Parkinson’s patients in the country. The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has recently started stem cell trials for the treatment of Parkinson’s and the neurology department has enrolled five patients for it.
Though in the nascent stage, experts say stem cell treatment is likely to be the preferred treatment mode for neurological disorders like Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and the lot in the near future. Stem cell therapy was, in fact, the recurrent theme in the 2nd Asian and Oceanian Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorder Congress and the 7th Asia Pacific Parkinson’s Association organised by AIIMS neurology department some days ago.
Usually extracted from embryos, bone marrow or the umbilical cord, stem cells are primitive, undifferentiated cells that have the ability to grow into any tissue type. They are being hailed as the dream treatment for a wide range of ‘‘incurable’’ diseases. “We have started stem cell trials for the Parkinson’s treatment. It is a long process, where we’ll use bone marrow stem cells harvested from patients. The cells, after being regrown in the lab, will be surgically inserted into the patient’s brain. As we would be using the patient’s own stem cells, there would be no chances of rejection,” said Dr Sumit Singh, associate professor and co-investigator of the stem cell trail at AIIMS. Headed by Dr Madhuri Behari, head of the neurology department, AIIMS, the team started the trial in Jan. “We plan to inject the stem cells back into the patients in the coming month. But it is too early to predict the results,” said Dr Singh.
After Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s is the second most common neuro-degenerative disorder. It is estimated that worldwide 1% people above 65 years and 3% people above the age of 80 are affected by it. “The reason for the disease is not known, but with timely medical intervention, degeneration can be delayed. But factors like genetic composition and environmental toxins are found to be responsible for the disease,” said Dr Behari, the organizing chairperson of the meet. Deliberating on the new trends in the treatment of Parkinson’s, experts cautioned that “hype should be kept aware from hope” as trials are in progress.
Dr Rupam Borgohain, neurologist at Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences in Hyderabad, who is also experimenting with stem cells in treating Parkinson’s disease, said, “It is definitely the way to go, but it is important to keep hype away from hope. It is in the trial phase and we will have to wait. Stem cell tissues have proved to be beneficial in treating Parkinson’s in a few cases. That us hope to move forward.”
Indian legal regime tough on historical imports
By Kajol Singh
Apart From Customs Duty, Private Collector Has To Get Import Licence For Retrieving National Heritage
The outrage in Parliament over the upcoming auction in New York of Mahatma Gandhi’s spectacles and other personal belongings is ironic. For, the same Parliament that’s indignant now about the Mahatma’s belongings being auctioned off, showed remarkable apathy while allowing an absurd piece of law that has made bringing back anything of “historical interest’’ to the country frustratingly difficult.
According to the rules, if a private collector from India buys any such piece of “historical interest”, the legal regime, far from waiving customs duty for retrieving national heritage, inflicts on him the hassles of obtaining an import licence. Vijay Mallya faced similar hassles when he sought to bring back Tipu Sultan’s sword. So, when the government-appointed expert committee meets this week to discuss the auction of Gandhi’s belongings, it can’t just limit itself to the issue of Gandhi’s scattered heritage. It would do well to find a long-term solution to the recurring problem of import into India of pieces of historical interest or antique value.
There is little awareness of the needless curbs on the import of historical pieces because the thrust of the statutory law, Antiquities and Art Treasures Act 1972, is to prohibit their export in a bid to end the ageold loot of Indian heritage. The executive slipped while framing the rules and introduced the same curbs on imports of historical or antique items. And our MPs nodded their assent to the subordinate legislation when it came up for Parliament’s ratification. Mridula Mukherjee, a member of the committee and director of Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, was surprised at this vestige of the licence raj that puts curbs on not just the export but also the import of historical legacy.
“It makes no sense to make it difficult for private collectors to import items of historical value to the nation,” she said, adding, “The committee should examine this anomaly and recommend incentives to those who collect and preserve our heritage.”
Bapu had gifted his glasses to late Nawab Mahabat
Mahatma Gandhi had gifted his round, metal-rimmed glasses, which would come under the hammer along with his other personal belongings at an auction in New York next month, to a British army colonel in the 1930s. Now, a closer look at the auction house Antiquorum Auctioneer’s website reveals that the colonel was none other than the late Junagarh Nawab Mahabat Khan, who had fled to Pakistan after partition. The British used to call him Colonel His Highness Sri Diwan Nawab Sir Muhammad Mahabat Khanji III Rasul Khanji. The auction has provoked outrage across India with Mahatma’s great grandson Tushar Gandhi describing it as “grave insult’’. The auction house recently received a letter of provenance from his great grandson Talat Sahid Khan Babi along with the glasses for auction.
Apart From Customs Duty, Private Collector Has To Get Import Licence For Retrieving National Heritage
The outrage in Parliament over the upcoming auction in New York of Mahatma Gandhi’s spectacles and other personal belongings is ironic. For, the same Parliament that’s indignant now about the Mahatma’s belongings being auctioned off, showed remarkable apathy while allowing an absurd piece of law that has made bringing back anything of “historical interest’’ to the country frustratingly difficult.
According to the rules, if a private collector from India buys any such piece of “historical interest”, the legal regime, far from waiving customs duty for retrieving national heritage, inflicts on him the hassles of obtaining an import licence. Vijay Mallya faced similar hassles when he sought to bring back Tipu Sultan’s sword. So, when the government-appointed expert committee meets this week to discuss the auction of Gandhi’s belongings, it can’t just limit itself to the issue of Gandhi’s scattered heritage. It would do well to find a long-term solution to the recurring problem of import into India of pieces of historical interest or antique value.
There is little awareness of the needless curbs on the import of historical pieces because the thrust of the statutory law, Antiquities and Art Treasures Act 1972, is to prohibit their export in a bid to end the ageold loot of Indian heritage. The executive slipped while framing the rules and introduced the same curbs on imports of historical or antique items. And our MPs nodded their assent to the subordinate legislation when it came up for Parliament’s ratification. Mridula Mukherjee, a member of the committee and director of Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, was surprised at this vestige of the licence raj that puts curbs on not just the export but also the import of historical legacy.
“It makes no sense to make it difficult for private collectors to import items of historical value to the nation,” she said, adding, “The committee should examine this anomaly and recommend incentives to those who collect and preserve our heritage.”
Bapu had gifted his glasses to late Nawab Mahabat
Mahatma Gandhi had gifted his round, metal-rimmed glasses, which would come under the hammer along with his other personal belongings at an auction in New York next month, to a British army colonel in the 1930s. Now, a closer look at the auction house Antiquorum Auctioneer’s website reveals that the colonel was none other than the late Junagarh Nawab Mahabat Khan, who had fled to Pakistan after partition. The British used to call him Colonel His Highness Sri Diwan Nawab Sir Muhammad Mahabat Khanji III Rasul Khanji. The auction has provoked outrage across India with Mahatma’s great grandson Tushar Gandhi describing it as “grave insult’’. The auction house recently received a letter of provenance from his great grandson Talat Sahid Khan Babi along with the glasses for auction.
Jamaat-e-islami to campaign for secular party
By M H Ahssan
Even as Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) strenuously works to give shape to a political party of its own, it has decided to mobilize masses, particularly the Muslims, to vote for a group that promises to focus on comprehensive electoral reforms.
Jamaat is presently busy finalizing the profile of its political organization. “It may not be ready by the time the nation goes to polls in less than three months. But we will continue to do the kind of work we have been doing all along. We will campaign for a secular party or group of parties that has a clear vision about the country,’’ JIH’s state ameer (President) Malik Moatasim Khan told HNN.
He said that the decision to identify the party that will get JIH support would be taken sometime in March. Till then, an awareness campaign would be carried out about areas which Jamaat believes are core to bringing about a change in society.
For instance, the Jamaat would be supporting a political party that takes up electoral and political reforms as its main objectives. The other area on which the Jamaat has focused its attention is the nexus between politicians and criminals. “Its meetings would tell people how this nexus has damaged the civil society. Jamaat would also try to find out which political group is making commitment to the implementation of Supreme Court recommended reforms in the police force. The party’s outlook on caste, creed, religion and socio-economic background of people would also be checked out and made known to the masses. We would back a party that truly believes in pluralism,’’ Khan said.
JIH would also scan the parties to find out their interest in protection and welfare of the minorities, especially the Muslims. It would like to know what plans and policies the political parties have to strengthen the sense of safety and security in the community along with plans for its socio-economic development.
“During the 2004 elections we worked against the communal forces and prevailed upon the public to defeat them. Jamaat played an important role in bringing numerous Muslim organizations under the umbrella of United Muslim Forum. Andhra Pradesh is a good example of the successful efforts made by UMF,” Khan explained.
Even as Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) strenuously works to give shape to a political party of its own, it has decided to mobilize masses, particularly the Muslims, to vote for a group that promises to focus on comprehensive electoral reforms.
Jamaat is presently busy finalizing the profile of its political organization. “It may not be ready by the time the nation goes to polls in less than three months. But we will continue to do the kind of work we have been doing all along. We will campaign for a secular party or group of parties that has a clear vision about the country,’’ JIH’s state ameer (President) Malik Moatasim Khan told HNN.
He said that the decision to identify the party that will get JIH support would be taken sometime in March. Till then, an awareness campaign would be carried out about areas which Jamaat believes are core to bringing about a change in society.
For instance, the Jamaat would be supporting a political party that takes up electoral and political reforms as its main objectives. The other area on which the Jamaat has focused its attention is the nexus between politicians and criminals. “Its meetings would tell people how this nexus has damaged the civil society. Jamaat would also try to find out which political group is making commitment to the implementation of Supreme Court recommended reforms in the police force. The party’s outlook on caste, creed, religion and socio-economic background of people would also be checked out and made known to the masses. We would back a party that truly believes in pluralism,’’ Khan said.
JIH would also scan the parties to find out their interest in protection and welfare of the minorities, especially the Muslims. It would like to know what plans and policies the political parties have to strengthen the sense of safety and security in the community along with plans for its socio-economic development.
“During the 2004 elections we worked against the communal forces and prevailed upon the public to defeat them. Jamaat played an important role in bringing numerous Muslim organizations under the umbrella of United Muslim Forum. Andhra Pradesh is a good example of the successful efforts made by UMF,” Khan explained.
Couples find abortion way out of recession blues
By Sheena Shafia
Economic recession seems to be forcing couples into resorting to desperate measures, including abortion to tide over the crisis.
In the wake of slowdown and job losses, several women are getting their foetuses aborted in a bid to lessen their “economic burden”. Gynaecologists working in corporate hospitals in the city are getting an increasing number of cases since last month mostly seeking contraceptive advice or medical termination of pregnancy (MTP).
Interestingly, most persons seeking advice and going for MTP are from the software sector, they said.
“Earlier, the reasons for abortion were different. It used to be either contraception failure or an unwanted pregnancy. But now, it is ‘I cannot afford a child right now,’ phenomenon,” Dr A Manjula Anagani of Care Hospital told TOI.
Narrating a recent case, Dr Manjula said, a couple, both software professionals, got their eight-week pregnancy aborted as one of them got a pink slip. “When they had approached me, they were very sure they wanted a baby. Soon after one of them lost job, they came back and asked for MTP. I tried to convince her since she was 28 years old and any further delay would only make it difficult for her to conceive. She said she will try after a couple of years. We cannot do more than this,” Dr Manjula, who saw three such cases in the last 15 days, said.
Even more startling is the fact that some corporate firms are demanding undertaking from woman employees that they would not take maternity leave for a specific period of time.
Dr V Janaki, a gynaecologist at Niloufer Hospital and Image Hospital, said, “A feeling of insecurity and fear of losing jobs has crept in among the young workforce. I got cases wherein women told me that they signed bonds with companies for a specific period that they would not be taking maternity leave.”
“If just one partner is slogging it out to make ends meet, the men are insisting on their wives going in for MTP. Though we tried counselling them that the economic slowdown could be a temporary phenomenon, they are not ready to listen,” Dr Janaki added.
Talking to HNN, a woman, who had MTP recently, said, “I was sacked recently. Moreover, my husband had to settle for a pay cut to retain his job. Having a four-yearold child, I wanted to go in for the second one. But due to the present uncertainties, we are barely able to meet our present needs.”
Economic recession seems to be forcing couples into resorting to desperate measures, including abortion to tide over the crisis.
In the wake of slowdown and job losses, several women are getting their foetuses aborted in a bid to lessen their “economic burden”. Gynaecologists working in corporate hospitals in the city are getting an increasing number of cases since last month mostly seeking contraceptive advice or medical termination of pregnancy (MTP).
Interestingly, most persons seeking advice and going for MTP are from the software sector, they said.
“Earlier, the reasons for abortion were different. It used to be either contraception failure or an unwanted pregnancy. But now, it is ‘I cannot afford a child right now,’ phenomenon,” Dr A Manjula Anagani of Care Hospital told TOI.
Narrating a recent case, Dr Manjula said, a couple, both software professionals, got their eight-week pregnancy aborted as one of them got a pink slip. “When they had approached me, they were very sure they wanted a baby. Soon after one of them lost job, they came back and asked for MTP. I tried to convince her since she was 28 years old and any further delay would only make it difficult for her to conceive. She said she will try after a couple of years. We cannot do more than this,” Dr Manjula, who saw three such cases in the last 15 days, said.
Even more startling is the fact that some corporate firms are demanding undertaking from woman employees that they would not take maternity leave for a specific period of time.
Dr V Janaki, a gynaecologist at Niloufer Hospital and Image Hospital, said, “A feeling of insecurity and fear of losing jobs has crept in among the young workforce. I got cases wherein women told me that they signed bonds with companies for a specific period that they would not be taking maternity leave.”
“If just one partner is slogging it out to make ends meet, the men are insisting on their wives going in for MTP. Though we tried counselling them that the economic slowdown could be a temporary phenomenon, they are not ready to listen,” Dr Janaki added.
Talking to HNN, a woman, who had MTP recently, said, “I was sacked recently. Moreover, my husband had to settle for a pay cut to retain his job. Having a four-yearold child, I wanted to go in for the second one. But due to the present uncertainties, we are barely able to meet our present needs.”
The Joy And Pain Of Being An Indian Muslim
By M H Ahssan
For all Indians the resurgence of India in recent years is an occasion of pride and joy. And so it is for the 140 million minority Muslims in India. It makes Indian Muslims proud to see their country become one of the most technologically advanced nations in the world. Also, a few Muslims have achieved positions of prestige in India and there are some success stories.
However it pains Muslims to find that most Muslims continue to be marginalized and stereotyped in India and often suspect in their nationalism, not to mention their utter social, economic and educational backwardness, far in excess of the national average. An overwhelming majority of today’s Muslims are of the pro-independence generation. When someone doubts their nationalism or alleges that they may be sympathizers of Pakistan, just because they are Muslims, it causes them a lot of anguish.
In sixty years in post independence India, Muslims have continued to hear questions like, “Now that they have Pakistan, what do the Muslims want?” And then came the slogan, “If you have to live in India you have to worship Lord Rama.” Even some otherwise enlightened Hindus are heard saying that “There is a Muslim problem that will not go away.” It pains Muslims that rather than view them as descendants of great patriotic Indians of the past, such as Emperor Akbar, King Tipu Sultan, and Sufi saints like Khawaja Moinuddin Chishti of Ajmer, Nizamuddin Aulia of Delhi, freedom fighters like Maulana Azad and Ghaffar Khan, and the creator of ballistic missiles APJ Abdul Kalam, et al, today a significant number of Hindus prefer to link the entire 140 million strong Muslim community with the handful of tyrants of the medieval past like Ghouri, Ghaznavi, Nadir Shah etc, and the isolated instances of their suppression of Hindus.
It bothers Muslims that the close proximity of mosques and temples in countless cities of India is not interpreted as a sign of the coexistence of Muslims and Hindus over the centuries, but as that of the forcible conversion of temples into mosques by Muslim kings of the past. As the Urdu poet late BD Pandey, a former governor of Uttar Pradesh said:
“ Hazaaron saal ki yeh daastan. Aur unko yaad haiy sirf itna; Kay Alamgir (Aurangzeb) zaalim tha, hindukush tha, sitamgur tha.”
(Hindus and Muslims coexisting is a tale of a thousand years. And yet all they remember is that Alamgir (Auragzeb) was a suppressor of Hindus and a tyrant.)
Today after sixty years in independent India, despite their utter powerlessness and impoverishment, despite no government action against the culprits who massacred thousands of Muslims in Gujarat (2002), Mumbai (1993) and other cities in countless riots and who demolished many Muslim mosques and shrines, the Muslim Indians are neither willing to accept the epithet of Mohammadya Hindu, nor ready to give up their authentic home grown Indo-Islamic identity as the price for equal say in the affairs of their nation.
As erstwhile freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak said, “Freedom and equal rights is our birthright.” They also have no special love for Pakistan which is just another country for them. Today’s Indian Muslims want to be proactive in nation building and place great trust, not in the government but in the seventyfive percent secular Hindus who genuinely want to coexist in peace and dignity with them, remove their alienation from the mainstream of India and make them an active partner in the world class Indian nation of tomorrow.
The emergence of true grit secular leaders like VP Singh, Jyoti Basu, Sitaram Yechury, Prakash Karat, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Laloo Prasad Yadav, Arjun Singh etal on the national scene after decades of vote bank politics and the politics of political expediency gives them hope for the future. Muslims fully expect the silent majority of secular Hindus to remain silent no more but speak up and demand that the power structure take action to redress the genuine plight and deprivation of the Muslim community.
For all Indians the resurgence of India in recent years is an occasion of pride and joy. And so it is for the 140 million minority Muslims in India. It makes Indian Muslims proud to see their country become one of the most technologically advanced nations in the world. Also, a few Muslims have achieved positions of prestige in India and there are some success stories.
However it pains Muslims to find that most Muslims continue to be marginalized and stereotyped in India and often suspect in their nationalism, not to mention their utter social, economic and educational backwardness, far in excess of the national average. An overwhelming majority of today’s Muslims are of the pro-independence generation. When someone doubts their nationalism or alleges that they may be sympathizers of Pakistan, just because they are Muslims, it causes them a lot of anguish.
In sixty years in post independence India, Muslims have continued to hear questions like, “Now that they have Pakistan, what do the Muslims want?” And then came the slogan, “If you have to live in India you have to worship Lord Rama.” Even some otherwise enlightened Hindus are heard saying that “There is a Muslim problem that will not go away.” It pains Muslims that rather than view them as descendants of great patriotic Indians of the past, such as Emperor Akbar, King Tipu Sultan, and Sufi saints like Khawaja Moinuddin Chishti of Ajmer, Nizamuddin Aulia of Delhi, freedom fighters like Maulana Azad and Ghaffar Khan, and the creator of ballistic missiles APJ Abdul Kalam, et al, today a significant number of Hindus prefer to link the entire 140 million strong Muslim community with the handful of tyrants of the medieval past like Ghouri, Ghaznavi, Nadir Shah etc, and the isolated instances of their suppression of Hindus.
It bothers Muslims that the close proximity of mosques and temples in countless cities of India is not interpreted as a sign of the coexistence of Muslims and Hindus over the centuries, but as that of the forcible conversion of temples into mosques by Muslim kings of the past. As the Urdu poet late BD Pandey, a former governor of Uttar Pradesh said:
“ Hazaaron saal ki yeh daastan. Aur unko yaad haiy sirf itna; Kay Alamgir (Aurangzeb) zaalim tha, hindukush tha, sitamgur tha.”
(Hindus and Muslims coexisting is a tale of a thousand years. And yet all they remember is that Alamgir (Auragzeb) was a suppressor of Hindus and a tyrant.)
Today after sixty years in independent India, despite their utter powerlessness and impoverishment, despite no government action against the culprits who massacred thousands of Muslims in Gujarat (2002), Mumbai (1993) and other cities in countless riots and who demolished many Muslim mosques and shrines, the Muslim Indians are neither willing to accept the epithet of Mohammadya Hindu, nor ready to give up their authentic home grown Indo-Islamic identity as the price for equal say in the affairs of their nation.
As erstwhile freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak said, “Freedom and equal rights is our birthright.” They also have no special love for Pakistan which is just another country for them. Today’s Indian Muslims want to be proactive in nation building and place great trust, not in the government but in the seventyfive percent secular Hindus who genuinely want to coexist in peace and dignity with them, remove their alienation from the mainstream of India and make them an active partner in the world class Indian nation of tomorrow.
The emergence of true grit secular leaders like VP Singh, Jyoti Basu, Sitaram Yechury, Prakash Karat, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Laloo Prasad Yadav, Arjun Singh etal on the national scene after decades of vote bank politics and the politics of political expediency gives them hope for the future. Muslims fully expect the silent majority of secular Hindus to remain silent no more but speak up and demand that the power structure take action to redress the genuine plight and deprivation of the Muslim community.
The Joy And Pain Of Being An Indian Muslim
By M H Ahssan
For all Indians the resurgence of India in recent years is an occasion of pride and joy. And so it is for the 140 million minority Muslims in India. It makes Indian Muslims proud to see their country become one of the most technologically advanced nations in the world. Also, a few Muslims have achieved positions of prestige in India and there are some success stories.
However it pains Muslims to find that most Muslims continue to be marginalized and stereotyped in India and often suspect in their nationalism, not to mention their utter social, economic and educational backwardness, far in excess of the national average. An overwhelming majority of today’s Muslims are of the pro-independence generation. When someone doubts their nationalism or alleges that they may be sympathizers of Pakistan, just because they are Muslims, it causes them a lot of anguish.
In sixty years in post independence India, Muslims have continued to hear questions like, “Now that they have Pakistan, what do the Muslims want?” And then came the slogan, “If you have to live in India you have to worship Lord Rama.” Even some otherwise enlightened Hindus are heard saying that “There is a Muslim problem that will not go away.” It pains Muslims that rather than view them as descendants of great patriotic Indians of the past, such as Emperor Akbar, King Tipu Sultan, and Sufi saints like Khawaja Moinuddin Chishti of Ajmer, Nizamuddin Aulia of Delhi, freedom fighters like Maulana Azad and Ghaffar Khan, and the creator of ballistic missiles APJ Abdul Kalam, et al, today a significant number of Hindus prefer to link the entire 140 million strong Muslim community with the handful of tyrants of the medieval past like Ghouri, Ghaznavi, Nadir Shah etc, and the isolated instances of their suppression of Hindus.
It bothers Muslims that the close proximity of mosques and temples in countless cities of India is not interpreted as a sign of the coexistence of Muslims and Hindus over the centuries, but as that of the forcible conversion of temples into mosques by Muslim kings of the past. As the Urdu poet late BD Pandey, a former governor of Uttar Pradesh said:
“ Hazaaron saal ki yeh daastan. Aur unko yaad haiy sirf itna; Kay Alamgir (Aurangzeb) zaalim tha, hindukush tha, sitamgur tha.”
(Hindus and Muslims coexisting is a tale of a thousand years. And yet all they remember is that Alamgir (Auragzeb) was a suppressor of Hindus and a tyrant.)
Today after sixty years in independent India, despite their utter powerlessness and impoverishment, despite no government action against the culprits who massacred thousands of Muslims in Gujarat (2002), Mumbai (1993) and other cities in countless riots and who demolished many Muslim mosques and shrines, the Muslim Indians are neither willing to accept the epithet of Mohammadya Hindu, nor ready to give up their authentic home grown Indo-Islamic identity as the price for equal say in the affairs of their nation.
As erstwhile freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak said, “Freedom and equal rights is our birthright.” They also have no special love for Pakistan which is just another country for them. Today’s Indian Muslims want to be proactive in nation building and place great trust, not in the government but in the seventyfive percent secular Hindus who genuinely want to coexist in peace and dignity with them, remove their alienation from the mainstream of India and make them an active partner in the world class Indian nation of tomorrow.
The emergence of true grit secular leaders like VP Singh, Jyoti Basu, Sitaram Yechury, Prakash Karat, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Laloo Prasad Yadav, Arjun Singh etal on the national scene after decades of vote bank politics and the politics of political expediency gives them hope for the future. Muslims fully expect the silent majority of secular Hindus to remain silent no more but speak up and demand that the power structure take action to redress the genuine plight and deprivation of the Muslim community.
For all Indians the resurgence of India in recent years is an occasion of pride and joy. And so it is for the 140 million minority Muslims in India. It makes Indian Muslims proud to see their country become one of the most technologically advanced nations in the world. Also, a few Muslims have achieved positions of prestige in India and there are some success stories.
However it pains Muslims to find that most Muslims continue to be marginalized and stereotyped in India and often suspect in their nationalism, not to mention their utter social, economic and educational backwardness, far in excess of the national average. An overwhelming majority of today’s Muslims are of the pro-independence generation. When someone doubts their nationalism or alleges that they may be sympathizers of Pakistan, just because they are Muslims, it causes them a lot of anguish.
In sixty years in post independence India, Muslims have continued to hear questions like, “Now that they have Pakistan, what do the Muslims want?” And then came the slogan, “If you have to live in India you have to worship Lord Rama.” Even some otherwise enlightened Hindus are heard saying that “There is a Muslim problem that will not go away.” It pains Muslims that rather than view them as descendants of great patriotic Indians of the past, such as Emperor Akbar, King Tipu Sultan, and Sufi saints like Khawaja Moinuddin Chishti of Ajmer, Nizamuddin Aulia of Delhi, freedom fighters like Maulana Azad and Ghaffar Khan, and the creator of ballistic missiles APJ Abdul Kalam, et al, today a significant number of Hindus prefer to link the entire 140 million strong Muslim community with the handful of tyrants of the medieval past like Ghouri, Ghaznavi, Nadir Shah etc, and the isolated instances of their suppression of Hindus.
It bothers Muslims that the close proximity of mosques and temples in countless cities of India is not interpreted as a sign of the coexistence of Muslims and Hindus over the centuries, but as that of the forcible conversion of temples into mosques by Muslim kings of the past. As the Urdu poet late BD Pandey, a former governor of Uttar Pradesh said:
“ Hazaaron saal ki yeh daastan. Aur unko yaad haiy sirf itna; Kay Alamgir (Aurangzeb) zaalim tha, hindukush tha, sitamgur tha.”
(Hindus and Muslims coexisting is a tale of a thousand years. And yet all they remember is that Alamgir (Auragzeb) was a suppressor of Hindus and a tyrant.)
Today after sixty years in independent India, despite their utter powerlessness and impoverishment, despite no government action against the culprits who massacred thousands of Muslims in Gujarat (2002), Mumbai (1993) and other cities in countless riots and who demolished many Muslim mosques and shrines, the Muslim Indians are neither willing to accept the epithet of Mohammadya Hindu, nor ready to give up their authentic home grown Indo-Islamic identity as the price for equal say in the affairs of their nation.
As erstwhile freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak said, “Freedom and equal rights is our birthright.” They also have no special love for Pakistan which is just another country for them. Today’s Indian Muslims want to be proactive in nation building and place great trust, not in the government but in the seventyfive percent secular Hindus who genuinely want to coexist in peace and dignity with them, remove their alienation from the mainstream of India and make them an active partner in the world class Indian nation of tomorrow.
The emergence of true grit secular leaders like VP Singh, Jyoti Basu, Sitaram Yechury, Prakash Karat, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Laloo Prasad Yadav, Arjun Singh etal on the national scene after decades of vote bank politics and the politics of political expediency gives them hope for the future. Muslims fully expect the silent majority of secular Hindus to remain silent no more but speak up and demand that the power structure take action to redress the genuine plight and deprivation of the Muslim community.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
How to Elect your Leader?
By HNN Bureau
Elections provide the most opportune moments to express our preferences for socio-economic and other policies pursued by the political parties. Every time one comes around, we find a number of party workers soliciting our votes, and a little preparedness on our part can help. These questions can help us examine our preferences privately, and to engage others in discussions about the answers. Please feel free to submit your questions by writing editor@hyderabadnews.net; we will maintain this page in perpetuity for use in all future elections.
Before you cast your ballot ...
Questions for the party poll worker at your door.
An elected leader
Who is the head of your political organization?
How did s/he get to that post?
Were internal elections held to appoint him/her?
Second string
Who are the other leaders of your political party?
How well educated are they? How many have college degrees?
If elected, who will occupy the major portfolios - finance, home, human resources, education, law, and energy?
Ideological integrity
What is the distinguishing characteristic of your party?
Which parties are clearly different from yours?
Do you have any pre-poll alliances? What is the basis for such alliances? Do the alliance partners share your economic and social ideologies? Give me some examples.
Financial background and integrity
What do you (the candidate) do for a living?
Do you file tax returns regularly, and are you willing to make these records public?
Do you promise to declare your and your immediate family's assets periodically if elected?
Representing constituents
Are any candidates in your party contesting from more than one constituency? If yes, why? If elected from both, which one will s/he forfeit?
Transparent Government
What is your party's position on secrecy of public information?
Will infrastructure agreements be made public at the time they are signed?
Will the costs of acquisition and sale of land by the government be kept public?
We will add questions regularly; please email your questions to us at editor@hyderabadnews.net
Candidate Questionnaire: The leader
Understanding the heads of political parties at the time of elections
These questions may help you understand how the leaders of individual parties have attained their current positions. Check the table to the right, for more questions covering a range of issues relevant to making electoral choices.
- Who is the head of your political organization?
- How did s/he get to that post?
- Were internal elections held to appoint him/her?
- If yes, when were these elections last held?
- Where were they held?
- Who was eligible to vote?
- Could party members in distant towns and cities vote?
- Was this a direct vote by the members themselves, or was this a represented vote?
- How periodically are elections scheduled to be held?
- Have you always adhered to this schedule?
- Who won the last three elections to the post of party president?
- If they were not held, why not?
Candidate questionnaire: Second string
Election questions about prominent party members
These questions will help you learn the identities of other prominent persons in political parties besides the leader, and how power is shared amongst various people at the top.
- Who are the other leaders of your political party?
- How well educated are they? How many have college degrees?
- If elected, who will occupy the major portfolios - finance, home, human resources, education, law, and energy?
- Which constituencies are these leaders contesting from?
- Do they live in those constituencies, and if not, why are they contesting from there?
- Have any of these party leaders previously held positions in government?
Candidate questionnaire: Ideology
What do you believe, whose beliefs do you share or reject?
These questions will help you understand the ideology behind which the party is organized and how consistent this thought is.
- What is the distinguishing ideology of your party?
- Which parties are clearly different from yours?
- Do you have any pre-poll alliances? What is the basis for such alliances? Do the alliance partners share your economic and social ideologies? Give me some examples.
- What is your opinion on post-election coalitions? Is your party sufficeintly strong to come to power by itself, or are you supporting other political parties? In what sense are the coalition partners similar to you?
- Is your political party an off-shoot of a different one? If yes, what was the ideological reason for the split, and in what important ways does this faction differ from the rest?
- Have you, in the past, opposed any political party which you are now supporting? If yes, what has changed?
- Have you, in the past, switched political afffiliation after an election, i.e., moved to a party after being elected on as the candidate of another?
Candidate questionnaire: Finances
Ensuring accountable and assured management of public funds
These questions will help you understand the party's commitment to financial probity.
- What do you (the candidate) do for a living?
- Do you file tax returns regularly, and are you willing to make these records public?
- Do you promise to declare your and your immediate family's assets periodically if elected?
- Is there any conflict of interest between your business and the welfare of your constituents? [eg. a mill owner in a labour costituency, or a landlord in a farmer constoituency]. If so how do you propose to resolve this?
- Do you think other representatives from your political party should make their financial records public before the elections, and regularly thereafter if elected?
Candidate questionnaire: The local interest
Representing the constituents, not the leadership of parties.
These questions will help you understand how committed the local representatives are to the interests of their particular constituency, and whether they are able to represent you independent of their loyalty to party members and leaders from elsewhere.
- Are any candidates in your party contesting from more than one constituency? If yes, why? If elected from both, which one will s/he forfeit?
- Does your party allow elected representatives to vote according to their own preferences in the assembly/parliament, or are they required to vote as instructed by the leadership?
- Does your party use a whip to regulate votes in the assemblies? [A whip is a party functionary who passes the word on how the party members are expected to vote].
Candidate questionnaire: An open government
Transparent functioning by elected representatives and administrators.
These questions will help you understand the extent to which the party is willing to make decisions publicly, and provide you with information as to how and why the decisions are taken.
- What is your party's position on secrecy of public information?
- Will infrastructure agreements be made public at the time they are signed?
- Will the costs of acquisition and sale of land by the government be kept public?
- Will your party support a Freedom of Information Bill that includes whistle-blower protection? [ A whistle-blower is someone working for the government who reveals corruption inside it, and is often punished by the government as a consequence ].
- Will you enact legislation ro ensure AUTOMATIC cancellation of projects that use public money when the money is not used for the publicly stated intention?
We will add questions regularly; please email your questions to us at editor@hyderabadnews.net
Elections provide the most opportune moments to express our preferences for socio-economic and other policies pursued by the political parties. Every time one comes around, we find a number of party workers soliciting our votes, and a little preparedness on our part can help. These questions can help us examine our preferences privately, and to engage others in discussions about the answers. Please feel free to submit your questions by writing editor@hyderabadnews.net; we will maintain this page in perpetuity for use in all future elections.
Before you cast your ballot ...
Questions for the party poll worker at your door.
An elected leader
Second string
Ideological integrity
Financial background and integrity
Representing constituents
Are any candidates in your party contesting from more than one constituency? If yes, why? If elected from both, which one will s/he forfeit?
Transparent Government
We will add questions regularly; please email your questions to us at editor@hyderabadnews.net
Candidate Questionnaire: The leader
Understanding the heads of political parties at the time of elections
These questions may help you understand how the leaders of individual parties have attained their current positions. Check the table to the right, for more questions covering a range of issues relevant to making electoral choices.
- Who is the head of your political organization?
- How did s/he get to that post?
- Were internal elections held to appoint him/her?
- If yes, when were these elections last held?
- Where were they held?
- Who was eligible to vote?
- Could party members in distant towns and cities vote?
- Was this a direct vote by the members themselves, or was this a represented vote?
- How periodically are elections scheduled to be held?
- Have you always adhered to this schedule?
- Who won the last three elections to the post of party president?
- If they were not held, why not?
Candidate questionnaire: Second string
Election questions about prominent party members
These questions will help you learn the identities of other prominent persons in political parties besides the leader, and how power is shared amongst various people at the top.
- Who are the other leaders of your political party?
- How well educated are they? How many have college degrees?
- If elected, who will occupy the major portfolios - finance, home, human resources, education, law, and energy?
- Which constituencies are these leaders contesting from?
- Do they live in those constituencies, and if not, why are they contesting from there?
- Have any of these party leaders previously held positions in government?
Candidate questionnaire: Ideology
What do you believe, whose beliefs do you share or reject?
These questions will help you understand the ideology behind which the party is organized and how consistent this thought is.
- What is the distinguishing ideology of your party?
- Which parties are clearly different from yours?
- Do you have any pre-poll alliances? What is the basis for such alliances? Do the alliance partners share your economic and social ideologies? Give me some examples.
- What is your opinion on post-election coalitions? Is your party sufficeintly strong to come to power by itself, or are you supporting other political parties? In what sense are the coalition partners similar to you?
- Is your political party an off-shoot of a different one? If yes, what was the ideological reason for the split, and in what important ways does this faction differ from the rest?
- Have you, in the past, opposed any political party which you are now supporting? If yes, what has changed?
- Have you, in the past, switched political afffiliation after an election, i.e., moved to a party after being elected on as the candidate of another?
Candidate questionnaire: Finances
Ensuring accountable and assured management of public funds
These questions will help you understand the party's commitment to financial probity.
- What do you (the candidate) do for a living?
- Do you file tax returns regularly, and are you willing to make these records public?
- Do you promise to declare your and your immediate family's assets periodically if elected?
- Is there any conflict of interest between your business and the welfare of your constituents? [eg. a mill owner in a labour costituency, or a landlord in a farmer constoituency]. If so how do you propose to resolve this?
- Do you think other representatives from your political party should make their financial records public before the elections, and regularly thereafter if elected?
Candidate questionnaire: The local interest
Representing the constituents, not the leadership of parties.
These questions will help you understand how committed the local representatives are to the interests of their particular constituency, and whether they are able to represent you independent of their loyalty to party members and leaders from elsewhere.
- Are any candidates in your party contesting from more than one constituency? If yes, why? If elected from both, which one will s/he forfeit?
- Does your party allow elected representatives to vote according to their own preferences in the assembly/parliament, or are they required to vote as instructed by the leadership?
- Does your party use a whip to regulate votes in the assemblies? [A whip is a party functionary who passes the word on how the party members are expected to vote].
Candidate questionnaire: An open government
Transparent functioning by elected representatives and administrators.
These questions will help you understand the extent to which the party is willing to make decisions publicly, and provide you with information as to how and why the decisions are taken.
- What is your party's position on secrecy of public information?
- Will infrastructure agreements be made public at the time they are signed?
- Will the costs of acquisition and sale of land by the government be kept public?
- Will your party support a Freedom of Information Bill that includes whistle-blower protection? [ A whistle-blower is someone working for the government who reveals corruption inside it, and is often punished by the government as a consequence ].
- Will you enact legislation ro ensure AUTOMATIC cancellation of projects that use public money when the money is not used for the publicly stated intention?
We will add questions regularly; please email your questions to us at editor@hyderabadnews.net
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