TNTJ DISTRIBUTED FREE NOTE BOOKS

Chennai : TNTJ Distributed note books,uniforms for
children's. More than hundreds of children benifited.
The tntj organised a massive distribution scheme all over the tamilnadu.

Bc Status Must For Muslims-Shahabuddin

Former MP Syed. Shahabuddin demanded that the Central Government should notify Muslims under the BC category and extend 15 per cent reservation to them.

Addressing media persons on Tuesday at Madina Education Centre, Shahabuddin said though they have expected much from the UPA Government when it came to power, the union Government did nothing for the welfare of minorities in general and Muslims in particular for the past three years of its governance.

He wanted the UPA Government to initiate special measures for the upliftment of Muslims in the field of education, employment as was done for the OBCs.

Arguing that the Muslim population was equal to SCs, Shahabuddin maintained that Muslim students were not getting scholarships like their SC counterparts.

Similarly, commercial banks were also not coming forward to give any education loan or extend financial help to the young Muslim entrepreneurs.

To achieve 15 per cent reservations to the Muslims, Shahabuddin said several Muslim organizations in the country have come together and formed into a Joint Committee of Muslim organizations.

The Joint Committee had been organizing agitations in a phased manner from grass root level to the national level.

He said they were planning to give a memorandum to Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and would hold a rally in New Delhi on the first day of the forthcoming Parliament session demanding BC status to Muslims. (NSS)

TNTJ EMERGES NO.1 Blood donating organisation IN TAMILNADU

Chennai: Tamilnadu towheed jamath (tntj) awarded TTK LIG ROLLING TROPHY. The award was conferred by THE MADRAS VOLUNTARY BLOOD BUREAU (MVBB). Tntj is a non politacal organisation
which does dawwah campaigns,social services.Tntj also awarded the best donor for 12 other
districts in tamilnadu.The awards are
OVERALL 1000 SHIELD : TNTJ SOUTH CHENNAI
OVER 200 SHIELD : TNTJ COIMBATORE
TNTJ TANJORE
TNTJ KANCHIPURAM
TNTJ ARAKONAM

OVER 100 SHIELD : TNTJ NORTH CHENNAI
TNTJ VELLORE
TNTJ MKB NAGAR
TNTJ VELACHERRY
TNTJ CHOOLAIMEEDU

The shield will be presented on 31st annual functionto be held at mctm auditorium
alwarpet, chennai

Caste-based reservation will harm Muslims: Aariz Mohammed

Aariz Mohammed is the Coordinator of Center for Minorities Empowerment, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India.

Andhra Pradesh is planning to introduce an ordinance to give reservation to some Muslim communities of Andhra Pradesh. TwoCircles.net editor Kashif-ul-Huda spoke to Aariz Mohammed about reservation proposal of the Andhra government and in that background legal and political aspect of the reservation for Muslims of India.

TCN: What is the proposal for giving Muslims reservation in Andhra Pradesh (AP)?
A: The first proposal to include Muslims in reservation was given in 1966. 5 biradaris within Muslims were given reservation based on their caste. They were included in the Backward Class(BC) list under Article 340, in the year 1972.

But since 1972 their reservation benefits exist only on paper. They have to get a certificate to be eligible for reservation to the local government office. They can get certificate only as Hindu castes. If they argue that they are Muslims, then they are refused certificates. Only people who are able to fight this can get the necessary documentation. So, many are not able to get the certificates needed.

In 1990s, few more Muslim communities were added in the BC list. This was accepted by Courts too. Quraish community is included in the Central’s BC list but not in State’s BC list.

In the aftermath of Gujarat genocide of 2002, when there were talk to do something for Muslims, reservation issue got discussed again. This time Congress promised 5% reservation for Muslims and Telgu Desam Party (TDP) promised 3%.

TCN: What is the rationale behind these 5% and 3% numbers promised by different political parties?
A: This was announced by political parties to cash the Muslim votes in their favour. After the Supreme Court that reservation quota can not increase more than 50% there is only 3% that could have been available to Muslims. TDP therefore announced that they will give this 3% reservation to Muslims.

Congress on the other hand announced 5% reservation for Muslims saying that even if we go few percentages beyond the 50% quote limit this is not such a big deal. Muslims voted to bring Congress back to power in Andhra Pradesh.

But the politics behind this reservation numbers is nothing but the ‘Muslim appeasement politics.’

TCN: What is the basis for this new proposal?
A: Constitution of India is clear that there should not be any discrimination based on race, gender, religion etc. But the same constitution in Article 331 and other articles have managed to discriminate based on the religion.

People think that in the Indian context, caste is equal to class. So they are introducing caste where the caste system has weakened resulting in the perpetuating of the caste system in every social group.

So, in 50 years when Muslims couldn’t benefit from reservation, we see very little caste differentiation among Muslims of AP. You can compare this with other states where Muslims were given reservation and you will find many differences among them.

Only Congress will benefit by giving this reservation to Muslims. Muslims will suffer much loss as a community because in about 25 years the caste system will stratify among them. This is what the soft Hindutva want for Indian Muslims.

TCN: Then what should be the basis for reservation for Muslims?
A: Muslims who are getting reservation based on their caste are getting benefit only on paper. Even the Sachar Committee has acknowledged that OBC Muslims are not getting certificates to get benefit for the reservation. So caste based reservation is nothing but a attempt to poll more votes in the election.

So reservation should not be a tool to erase the identity of the Muslims. In fact, Indian Muslims should get reservation based on their identity as a Muslim.

TCN: What about the criticism that creamy layers within Muslim will get all the benefits and those who really need reservation will continue to suffer?
A: Even after 50 years we still don’t have a constitutional definition of the backward class. Governments need to define who should be classified as backward irrespective of the caste, creed, race, and religion. Then more than 80% Muslims will get a share in the reservation due to their backwardness. This is a way to benefit all those who are really backward.

Government can provide for reservation based on religion alone, constitutionally it is possible. Article 331 of the Indian Constitution provides reservation to Anglo-Indian community and they all are Christian. Similarly, Article 341(3) gives reservation to untouchable among Hindus calling them Scheduled Castes (SCs). Those untouchable who are not Hindus are not considered SCs. 1950 Presidential order removed Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Christians, and Muslims from the SC list. Then in 1956 Sikhs and in 1992 Buddhists were included back in the SC list. So which religion is missing from this list?

TCN: What besides reservation Muslims can do to empower their community?
A: First of all, Muslims have the highest drop out rate among school age children. This is because they do not have enough schools in Muslim majority areas. Secondly, a large majority think that there is enough discrimination against them that they will not get any jobs so what is the use of studying.

First thing we have to do is to change our mindset. Our Holy Book started with the first word which was “read.” If we don’t do anything to make sure our community members read then what kind of Muslim are we?

Second thing is that financially Muslims here are in really bad shape. Muslims who are in better position economically should sponsor or support others. They should help in the establishment of schools in Muslim areas. They should come forward to sponsor Muslim kids for their education.

We have to have a target that in 20 years no Muslim kid will be out of school. For this to be achieved we have to put pressure on the government and also do what we can do using our own resources.

Veil remark angers Indian Muslims

Indian Muslim leaders have slammed presidential nominee for her remark on veil urging the governing coalition to drop her candidature.

Pratibha Patil's remark on the purdah (veil) system at a function in Udaipur Monday has upset Muslim leaders across India. Patil said purdah was introduced to save women from Muslim invaders, Indian Express daily reported.

"Women have always been respected in the Indian culture. The purdah system was introduced to protect them from the Muslim invaders. However, times have changed. India is now independent and hence, the systems should also change,” Patil said in a function on Maharana Pratap, a Medieval Hindu king who was defeated by the Mongol Emperor Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar.

While historians disagree with Patil's statement on the purdah system, Muslim leaders have also expressed anger asking Premier Manmohan Singh to find a new presidential candidate for the top ceremonial post in the country.

"Muslims invaders had nothing to do with purdah system in Rajasthan. Here Rajput leaders did not allow their women and daughters to go out without veils," Varsha Joshi of the Institute of Rajasthan Studies said, adding the veil was prevalent in the state even during the 11th Century, much before Muslim invaders entered India.

Mohammad Salim, state president of Jamat-e Islami Hind has also denounced the statement saying her views are similar to those of the Hindu fanatics.

"It was quite surprisingly that Patil, who is believed to be a well-read and educated person, can have such views,” Salim said.

Muslims account for nearly 14 percent of India's nearly 1.1 billion people. There is no strict rule on veil among Muslims as the practice is also found among women belonging to Hindu families.

Court finds 14 Hindus guilty in slaughter of 116 Muslims

More than a thousand Muslims, including women and children, were killed by Hindu extremists in 1989 in Bhagalpur. Almost 20 years later many trials of those involved are still underway. Sentencing for the latest trial is expected in late June.

A court in India has convicted 14 Hindus of killing 116 Muslims in October 1989 in Bhagalpur (Bihar) during some of the country's bloodiest religious rioting. Sentencing is expected on June 27.

The trial, which lasted for years, involved 24 people charged in the case. Six have since died and four are still on the run.

In 1989 Hindu extremists attacked Muslims after a procession to a Hindu holy site in Ayodhya. More than a thousand people were killed in the violence that lasted for weeks.

Men, women and children were butchered and their bodies dumped into a mass grave on which cauliflowers were planted to escape detection.

The enormity of the carnage became clear several weeks later when the bodies were found and exhumed.

Local Muslims have demanded justice ever since for what is still considered by many the worst incident of anti-Muslim violence in the history of India.

Over the years courts in Bihar have heard 152 cases relating to the killings, acquitting the accused in 119 of them. Many of those convicted in the other 32 cases were given life sentences.

For decades Ayodhya has been the scene of sectarian violence. On December 6, 1992, a Hindu mob attacked and destroyed the Babri Mosque. The rioting that followed around the country claimed an estimated 2,000 lives.- asia news