http://www.twocircles.net/2009aug12/call_second_freedom_struggle.html A call for second freedom struggle Submitted by admin4 on 12 August 2009 - 7:09pm. ArticlesIndian Muslim By Kashif-ul-Huda, TwoCircles.net 15th August is the celebration of an independent India. Schools, colleges, and government offices mark the day by parades, speeches, and unfurling of the Tricolours. For children it is a holiday and a day when they get lots of candies. It has been 62 years since we gained independence from the British and this month we should contemplate what we have achieved and where we as a nation want to go. India is proud of its democracy and collectively Indian voters have always made the right choice. Recent Lok Sabha elections yet again proves that Indian public is very mature when it comes to exercising its democratic rights. India has also made lot of progress in the economic front. This prosperity is visible in the way we dress, eat, and live. Modern gadgets have changed our lives and we do not lag behind the world leaders in adopting latest technological advancements. We should be proud of our journey as a nation since 1947, though there have been many shameful incidents along the way. As we start playing a bigger role on the world stage we have to look inwards and see how strong we as a nation are. Problems that we inherited middle of the last century still persist with us today. We still have problems of illiteracy, poverty, corruption, bureaucratic redtapism, law & order breakdown, etc. We have also failed in improving our society as various social evils like casteism, communalism, dowry deaths, child marriages still exist, laws notwithstanding. What we need as a nation is a road map developed with consensus. A road map to where we want to be as a nation. A collective goal for all of us, a future that everyone has a stake in, a target that everyone aspires towards. We all have to buy this idea of India which will be beneficial to all Indians regardless of religion, caste, language, or region. India that provides free & quality education to all its children in a language of their choice, provides jobs to those who are willing to work, improves law & order machinery so that the weakest amongst us can seek justice without fear, improves administration so that it breaks from its colonial mind-sets and understand that it is here to serve people and not the political party in power. A system that is transparent and with built-in accountability is the only way to ensure that it will be responsive to the needs of a big and diverse country like India. How can this ambitious goal be achieved? For this we have to go back to about a hundred years ago and take lessons from India’s freedom movement. We need visionary leaders of this century. Leaders like Ali Brothers, Mahatma Gandhi, Maulana Azad, BR Ambedkar, Jawahar Lal Nehru. Movement is led by big leaders but it also need grass root level leaders who can go door to door and explain the importance of the movement. Importance of Urdu journalism in stroking the fires of freedom movement can not be underestimated. Media in India now is more widespread and reaches a large proportion of population, they need to join in this second freedom struggle to educate and motivate Indians. This movement should work with the government but should be independent of it, so that it can monitor the administration and make it responsive to the needs and aspirations of the people. We as individuals have to understand the duties and responsibilities of being a citizen. It is correct to petition and protest when government fails in its duties but it is also important that we hold on to our end of this arrangement by fulfilling the duties expected of us as a citizen of a country. We have to follow the law all times, we have to take care of fellow human beings, we have to see how our actions are affecting others and correct our behaviour if it is harmful to the community and the country. .call for second freedom struggle Submitted by gopi thomas (not verified) on 12 August 2009 - 8:23pm. While the society has progressed, and abject poverty has been eliminated, we still have many more miles to go. This is a journey; no destination is final; aspirtions cange as a country and peope progress. However, by naming it a second freedom struggle , we are putting the blame on others; or even worse, indicating that we have to be free from our own leaders or our democracy. This is dangerous. What we need is a movement; a grass roots movement, focused on development, focused on our people, eliminating bureaucracy, enforcing transparency, ensuring equal opportunity

http://intellibriefs.blogspot.com/2009/08/for-us-body-india-is-same-a... August 15, 2009 For US body, India is same as Somalia and Afghanistan http://www.rediff.com/news/2009/aug/13us-body-places-india-on-watch-l... Obviously incensed after being denied visas to visit India, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom

http://deshgujarat.com/2009/08/15/muslims-attack-jamnashtami-processi... Muslims attack Janmashtami procession in Ahmedabad Muslims attack Janmashtami procession in Ahmedabad By our correspondent Ahmedabad, DeshGujarat, 15 August, 2009 Police lobbed five tear gas shells to disperse the Muslim mobs who were pelting stones over minority Hindu population in Ahmedabad’s Muslim dominated Shahpur area on Saturday evening. The trouble started when Muslims attacked a Janmashtami procession that was passing near a Muslim place of worship and then started pelting stones over Hindus who are in minority in this area. After Hindus reacted to this, Muslim mobs started pelting stones from all the directions in Nagorivad area. Around three to four persons received minor injuries during the clashes. The situation was brought under control and heavy police deployment has been arranged. It should be mentioned here that Shahpur area was originally a Hindu dominated locality of Ahmedabad. But thanks to Muslim mafias, and property riots sponsored by them, Hindus had to sell their properties and ultimately the whole area started becoming Muslim dominated. Last year, Muslims had burnt a Hindu temple in Shahpur area. Feedbacks Received to “Muslims attack Janmashtami procession in Ahmedabad” sunny(london

http://www.khabrein.info/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=25... BJP is incomplete without Muslims: Shivraj Singh Chauhan By Khabrein.Info Correspondent, Bhopal, Aug 16, 2009: Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan said in a program that the BJP is incomplete without Muslims. He said that the party does not differentiate between Hindus and Muslims on religious ground. Sushma Swaraj, a senior BJP leader while speaking on the occasion said that Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) is not anti-Muslim party but this party is against those who spread hatred and divide society. The Minority Morcha of the party is the ambassador of Sadbhavna Mission among Muslims. She was speaking at the concluding session of the seminar of working committee of Minority Morcha. She said that the Muslims should be nationalist and should be proud of being Indian Muslims. Urdu is the language of this country and you should speak this language without any hesitation. She said the party workers should go among Muslims. Go there even if they don’t welcome you, Shushma said. The worker should say the Muslims that the party is not against the Muslims; the party is against those thinking who refuses Vande Mataram. Giving the example of six year tenure of Shivraj Singh Chauhan in Madhya Pradesh Shushma said that there was no any discrimination against Muslims. If the Muslims have any problem with the BJP Government they should said, it will be solved as soon as possible. Sivraj Singh Chauhan, chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh said that the BJP is incomplete without Muslims. The party like Congress has never differentiated between Hindu and Muslims on the basis of religion. He assured that the safety of every citizen will be ensured in the BJP Government. There will be no any difference between poor and rich. He appealed the party workers to go among Muslims, solve their confusion and win their hearts. ...and I am Sid Harth

http://www.ptinews.com/news/232678_Separatists-slam-PM-for-his-remarks Separatists slam PM for his remarks STAFF WRITER 21:10 HRS IST Srinagar, Aug 16 (PTI) Separatists today described Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's remarks that the recent elections in Jammu and Kashmir had showed that the separatist ideology had no place in the state as unrealistic and ridiculous . Singh's remarks were in line with the traditional rigid Indian policy towards the Kashmir problem, said a spokesman of the hardline faction of the Hurriyat Conference, headed by detained Syed Ali Shah Geelani, here. The remarks are ridiculous and unrealistic, he said slamming the Prime Minister. Addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the Independence Day yesterday, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said people of the state had participated vigorously in both the elections (assembly and parliamentary). This is a proof that there is no place for separatist thought in Jammu and Kashmir, he had said. ...and I am Sid Harth

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Debate/Do-something-substantial-f... Do something substantial for minorities 10 Jul 2009, 0233 hrs IST, In the budget, Pranab Mukerjee made provisions for minority welfare and for opening two campuses of Aligarh Muslim University in Malappuram and Asghar Ali Engineer, Centre for Study of Society & Secularism Murshidabad. Well, it is a welcome move, given that something is better than nothing. However, the amount provided for matric and post-matric scholarships is a mere trickle, given the Muslim population in India — about 150 million. For the past sixty years hardly anything was done for Muslims who are equal to Dalits in backwardness, and now according to the Sachar Committee data, are trailing behind them. Earlier Congress governments hardly did anything to pull Muslims out of their backwardness though they kept on voting for the Congress. What is more regrettable is that Lalu Yadav and Mulayam Singh who also depended on Muslim votes, were equally guilty. The real measure of democracy is what it does for the most marginalised sections. Mahatma Gandhi also said the real test of development would be the benefit that accrues to the last man in society. Seen in that perspective, all central as well as state governments have failed to do anything worthwhile for minorities. Indira Gandhi had appointed the Gopal Singh High Committee in the early eighties which preceded the Sachar Committee. However that committee’s report was not even tabled in Parliament. And shockingly enough V P Singh who became PM during the end of the eighties had not even heard of it! The irony is that even for such symbolic acts, the BJP immediately screams ‘appeasement of Muslims’! And most of the middle classes swallow this ‘appeasement’ theory. This is also one of the factors in discouraging the Congress government from going beyond symbolism in doing something substantial for the minorities, especially Muslims. However, this election has shown that Congress must emerge from the fear of BJP propaganda and its anti-minorityism as masses of Indian people have clearly rejected communalism, at least of the extremist variety. The Centre should boldly come out with a substantial programme for uplift of the Muslim masses. That is the government’s democratic duty. ...and I am Sid Harth