The 60th Birthday of India
Mirza A. Beg
Written, Wednesday, August 15, 2007
The American Muslim, Monday, August 15, 2007
http://www.theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/the_60th_birthday_of_india/0014418
Cross-Cultural Understanding, Friday, 17, 2007
http://ccun.org/Opinion%20Editorials/2007/August/17%20o/On%20the%2060th%20birthday%20of%20India%20By%20Mirza%20A.%20Beg.htm
The Tuscaloosa News, Tuesday, August 21, 2007 http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20070821/NEWS/708210323/1013/TL06
Indo-Canada Outlook, September 2007, Vol. 2, Number 2 http://www.indocanadaoutlook.com/the_sixtieth_birthday_of_india_by_mirza_a_beg.html
The 60th Independence Day of India is a happy occasion for not only India, but those who value democracy. Birth anniversary of a nation is important. The concept of Nation and Country often cohabitate and become one, but it requires effort. Country is a geographical expression of the boundaries within which people decide to sublimate their future as one. They do not give up their individuality, but aspire to contribute their gifts for the benefit of all. It is not an allegiance to the majority, who are some times wrong, but an allegiance to the constitution that embodies and gives substance to the idea of the nation.
There have been times that this concept has been severely tested, and the nation came up askance. The anniversary was still important but leaden with sadness. Riots and sectarian conflicts, often ignited by the political parties for electoral gains, even pogroms against weaker sections by the fascistic parties in power were not punished. The essence of a nation is how it treats its entire population, particularly the weaker sections.
The heart of the nation is the Judiciary; the guardian of the justice system, justice for all, irrespective of power in money or numbers. The executive often takes short cuts for maintenance of power and tends to harm the idea of the nation and does end up harming the nation when the judiciary fails.
India at 60 has matured. The higher judiciary has always asserted itself; the political system is trying harder to be a government and guardians of the rights of all the citizens. Lower rungs of judiciary have a long way to go. A limited economic pie pits interests of some against the others and a system burdened with caste considerations tends to fray.
Though the visionary first Prime minister of India, Nehru is not appreciated as much for his vision these days, it was he with his colleagues who laid the foundation of infrastructure of industry and great educational institutions. It took time for it to mature and yield results. Thanks to that vision, India has arrived. With a booming expanding economy better educated people are finding more and better jobs. The distribution of educational opportunities is stilted and needs to be better spread. Efforts are under way, as the government as well as the deprived communities have realized the benefits of education.
Even in the dark days, India has consistently nurtured its great conscience keepers who do not fall prey to crass nationalism but beckon their fellow citizens to the pristine idea that gave birth to the nation. The nation is listening and growing and moving towards a better tomorrow for all. So it is a happy birthday indeed. In accordance with the sentiments of Nehru, it is indeed a tryst with destiny, and we have not yet given our full measure, though Indians have some times deviated and succumbed to the baser forces, with the present government, we are back on the right course again.
Mirza A. Beg can be contacted at mab64@yahoo.com or http://mirzasmusings.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Friday, August 10, 2007
Islam v/s Gangsters 070810
Islam does not Condone Gangsters
Mirza A. Beg
Friday, August 10, 2007
The American Muslim, Monday, August 13, 2007
http://www.theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/islam_does_not_condone_gangsters/0014407
Pine Magazine, Wednesday, August 15, 2007
http://pine-magazine.com/content.php?id=910
The attack of Tasleema Nasreen in Haydrabad, India and threatening her life is one more example of the impotent rage by religious bigots, because they find themselves incapable of living the ideals of their religion, and meeting the intellectual challenges.
I have not read the writings of Tasleema Nasreen, a citizen who has been chased from her native Bangladesh, currently living in India. Therefore I have no opinion on her writings. For the sake of discussion let us assume that what her detractors say is correct about her writing. It should not be difficult to prove her wrong by writing rebuttals, most of all by living the humane tenets of Islam. They do not seem to have faith in their own capabilities, or the greatness and grandeur of Islam to with stand small pin-pricks.
They find the low road of violence easy to take. It is uncivilized and un-Islamic, behavior, of brawn over brain. Intimidation and extortion are the only values they understand and practice. They neither read nor understand the humane attitude of the Prophet Muhammad, who did not attack those who insulted him, and there were many in Mecca at the time, who did. He returned the insults with visits to the sick with kind words. When he returned triumphant to Mecca, he did not punish any one who had not been guilty of cruel violence.
They obviously are in violation of the Indian penal code for attack on Ms. Nasreen and threatening her life, but emotionally they have insulted Islam much more than the detractors of Islam or Ms. Nasreen ever could, because they sully the name of Islam by acting in its name.
It is unfortunate that while India is making great strides towards modernity, many in the provincial legislators are criminals or support criminal behavior. Bal Thakary in the name of Hinduism has held the whole state of Maharashtra and its great city Mumbai (Bombay) hostage as his fiefdom and has engineered riots where hundreds of people have been killed. Modi, who is still the chief minister of Gujarat has used the levers of power to kill and deprive minorities of their constitutionally guaranteed rights.
With this backdrop when three Muslim legislators from Hydrabad condone threats on the life of a woman whom they accuses of insulting Islam or Yaqub Qureshi from UP feign to put up a bounty for the killing of Danish editorial Cartoonist, the Indian government and the legal system finds itself hamstrung and fears accusations of the persecution of minorities.
These people are not only insult to their own religions they are an insult to the rule of law under the elegantly designed Indian constitution. They exploit the raw baser emotions of the populace for self aggrandizement. Tolerance of opinions is the hallmark of civilization and great religions. By not bringing such criminals to the bar of justice, not only the religions are insulted, but most of all it injures the Indian Republic and the rule of law. The country as a whole and the weaker sections of the society eventually pay grim price.
I urge the Government of India and the state governments to bring the legislators from Hydrabad and all others who indulge in patently illegal and unconstitutional activities to the bar of justice.
Mirza A. Beg can be contacted at mab64@yahoo.com and http://mirzasmusings.blogspot.com/
Mirza A. Beg
Friday, August 10, 2007
The American Muslim, Monday, August 13, 2007
http://www.theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/islam_does_not_condone_gangsters/0014407
Pine Magazine, Wednesday, August 15, 2007
http://pine-magazine.com/content.php?id=910
The attack of Tasleema Nasreen in Haydrabad, India and threatening her life is one more example of the impotent rage by religious bigots, because they find themselves incapable of living the ideals of their religion, and meeting the intellectual challenges.
I have not read the writings of Tasleema Nasreen, a citizen who has been chased from her native Bangladesh, currently living in India. Therefore I have no opinion on her writings. For the sake of discussion let us assume that what her detractors say is correct about her writing. It should not be difficult to prove her wrong by writing rebuttals, most of all by living the humane tenets of Islam. They do not seem to have faith in their own capabilities, or the greatness and grandeur of Islam to with stand small pin-pricks.
They find the low road of violence easy to take. It is uncivilized and un-Islamic, behavior, of brawn over brain. Intimidation and extortion are the only values they understand and practice. They neither read nor understand the humane attitude of the Prophet Muhammad, who did not attack those who insulted him, and there were many in Mecca at the time, who did. He returned the insults with visits to the sick with kind words. When he returned triumphant to Mecca, he did not punish any one who had not been guilty of cruel violence.
They obviously are in violation of the Indian penal code for attack on Ms. Nasreen and threatening her life, but emotionally they have insulted Islam much more than the detractors of Islam or Ms. Nasreen ever could, because they sully the name of Islam by acting in its name.
It is unfortunate that while India is making great strides towards modernity, many in the provincial legislators are criminals or support criminal behavior. Bal Thakary in the name of Hinduism has held the whole state of Maharashtra and its great city Mumbai (Bombay) hostage as his fiefdom and has engineered riots where hundreds of people have been killed. Modi, who is still the chief minister of Gujarat has used the levers of power to kill and deprive minorities of their constitutionally guaranteed rights.
With this backdrop when three Muslim legislators from Hydrabad condone threats on the life of a woman whom they accuses of insulting Islam or Yaqub Qureshi from UP feign to put up a bounty for the killing of Danish editorial Cartoonist, the Indian government and the legal system finds itself hamstrung and fears accusations of the persecution of minorities.
These people are not only insult to their own religions they are an insult to the rule of law under the elegantly designed Indian constitution. They exploit the raw baser emotions of the populace for self aggrandizement. Tolerance of opinions is the hallmark of civilization and great religions. By not bringing such criminals to the bar of justice, not only the religions are insulted, but most of all it injures the Indian Republic and the rule of law. The country as a whole and the weaker sections of the society eventually pay grim price.
I urge the Government of India and the state governments to bring the legislators from Hydrabad and all others who indulge in patently illegal and unconstitutional activities to the bar of justice.
Mirza A. Beg can be contacted at mab64@yahoo.com and http://mirzasmusings.blogspot.com/
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