Opinion - Naxalism should be addressed as a socio-political issue, not as a law and order problem

Photo: Nishpaqsh

Starting from the Garibi Hatao (Poverty Alleviation) to “Poverty is a state of mind”, Antyodaya (serving the last man in the queue) to "sabka ka saath sabka vikash‟ (Collective efforts, inclusive growth), all of it looks like poll platitudes. Since independence many governments and political leaders have come and gone but nothing has changed in India‟s infamous Red corridor. 

In metros, people run miles to burn fat while nature's own people "the Tribal‟ do the same in search of a meal. And this is the difference between India's poorest countryside and affluent cities. The 40-year-old Maoist rebellion started due to mass poverty and Delhi's acceptance of corporate neoliberalism. 

Expropriation of land, forest, rivers and other natural resources at the cost of poor peasants, tribal community, who live by these natural resources is widespread. The intense reflection of this inclination is clearly visible today in Indian economy's neo-liberal developmental phases which started in 90s. Moreover, for 200 years British had ruled and exploited India, but during that particular period Indian elite was somehow able to maximise their wealth. 

After independence, capitalist class of India carries forward the rapacious legacy of British colonialism over the 8.6 percent of tribal population. Successive governments, multinational companies such as TATA, Jindal Steel, Mittal etc have been grabbing mineral rich lands of the 106 million people. It impoverished, dispossessed and exiled tribals in their own land and pushed them into Maoist movement. Exploitation of tribals by the government officials and police is rampant. 

Photo: Nishpaqsh

There is a large scale corruption on the grassroots in the states like Jharkhand, Odisha and Chattisgarh. And the poor tribals are the worst victims of corruption and it also gives impetus to Maoist insurgency. Public Distribution Service (PDS) for food security, the much talked about developmental programme, works under police stations instead of gram panchayat in the Bastar region of Chhattisgarh. "There are schools but there is no body to teach,‟ this one sentence sums up the education system. According to a report by Times of India, “CRPF men have died due to malaria and heart attack than have fallen to Maoist attacks in the 106 Naxal-affected districts in the country. Diseases, not Maoists, kill most CRPF men in Red zone.” 

(http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Diseases-not-Maoists-kill-most-CRPF-men-in-Red-zone/articleshow/46522966.cms) 

It shows government has no responsibility to provide good healthcare to security personnel in Naxal affected places, forget about common man. Sometime media exaggerates the police brutalities, but rape, loot etc happens under the nose of security forces. Recently, media reported that in Basaguda block of Chhattisgarh police gang-raped 13 innocent women. Maoists and their brutal attacks are not justifiable at all. Violence in any form is condemnable but these brutalities also deserve equal condemnation of people.

However, State should also start engaging with people. Economic disparity and growing distance between poor and rich needs to be filled to counter Naxalism . The downtrodden still face the discrimination from upper caste people. Government needs to make sure that tribals enjoy equal participation in electoral process, especially contesting polls.

Schemes like MGNREGA should not be side-lined as it generates employment and increases wages for the deprived section of the society. Government should initiate a practice through which rebels and state can work out a solution. Once upliftment of the socio-economic condition of the rebels is achieved, Maoism in India will be vanished. For this India needs good governance in every sector without any loopholes. State should tackle the Naxal menace as a socio-political issue instead of a law-order problem.

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Disclaimer: The opinions, beliefs and views expressed by the various authors and forum participants on this website are personal and do not reflect the opinions, beliefs and views of Nishpaqsh

The writer has lived in Bastar, Chhattisgarh for a long time and has expressed this opinion as per his/her experience on the grassroots.  

Opinion: Fatwa against 'bharat mata ki jai' but Darul Uloom is the same insitution which declared 'Jihad' against Britishers during freedom struggle

Source: thenutgraph.com

One of world's most reputed Islamic seminaries Darul Uloom‬ ‎Deoband‬ has issued a ‎fatwa‬, a religious ruling, on chanting of 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai', saying the slogan goes against the tenets of ‎Islam‬. If we go through Islamic texts, Qur'an and sayings of Prophet Muhammad, they teach the entire humanity to be fair, love each other, display compassion towards your mother-land but at the same time they strictly prohibit depiction of any personality or even your mother-land as a deity or goddess.

What people must understand is that Darul Uloom doesn't issue a fatwa on its own. For a fatwa to be issued, it first needs a Mufti (expounder of Islamic law) or a group of Muftis who thoroughly reflect upon the issue. These scholars go through religious texts and issue Fatwa to the one who sought for it. In other words, Darul Uloom usually doesn't issue a fatwa on issues highlighted by the politicians unless someone goes to the seminary for seeking a ruling. Blaming Darul Uloom for issuing the ruling is futile as one must have gone there to seek Islamic view point over the ongoing controversy. After the fatwa has been issued it’s up to Muslims to follow it or not. Darul Uloom, unlike ‎RSS‬ and other pseudo-nationalists, doesn't force people to accept its ruling.

One can easily understand the Fatwa doesn’t prohibit saying “Hindustan Zindabad” which means ‘Long live India’ rather it specifically prohibits chanting ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jay’ because therein ‘Bharat Mata’ is taken as a deity, a goddess. That is how simple it is.

Darul Uloom is the same institution which during freedom struggle had declared ‘Jihad’ against the Britishers. You might have not read this in history books but it is among those institutions that has raised the call for India’s freedom struggle. Many of its Ulamas (Teachers/Scholars) fought for ‎India‬, sacrificed their life for this country. Most of these unsung heroes raised the banner of revolt against the English government, fought face to face with the Britishers and many of them passed a good part of their lives in jail.

No doubt, Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, known as frontier Gandhi, has once said, “We used to make plans, sitting in Darul Uloom, for the independence movement as to how we might drive away the Britishers from this country and how we could make India free from the yoke of slavery of the English”.

Keeping itself away from politics Darul Uloom now aims to preserve the Islamic culture and educate the children and the youth in the knowledge of Islam. Fatwa, the seminary issued, must be taken positively as it caters to the beliefs of Muslims. Suppose, if a Muslim living in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia or in any ‪‎Muslim‬ majority country depicts his mother-land as goddess, Islamic ruling would prohibit that act too. This is why, Darul Uloom humbly says, “India is without doubt our country. We and our ancestors were born here. We love our country, but we do not worship it”.

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Disclaimer: The opinions, beliefs and views expressed by the various authors and forum participants on this website are personal and do not reflect the opinions, beliefs and views of Nishpaqsh

The ugly and contorted face of social media (frustrated Indian)

Photo for representational purpose

We live in revolutionary times of social media where information flows without any boundaries or restrictions, where people can bluntly share their opinion and reach out to large audiences. Indeed, this needs to be acknowledged and appreciated. The social media has given voice to motley sections of our society and is not successfully deciding the agenda for national discussions and debates.

One does not need to stress a lot as fresh examples are scattered everywhere. Be it the Malda incident or police brutality at RSS headquarters in jhandewala, the credit should be given to none other than social media opinion makers and obviously the common user who forced attention of our mainstream media and politicians towards these incidents.

However, there is an ugly side of this ‘revolution’ of our generation. More often than not we end up consuming content which is biased, exaggerated and worst of all doctored. We, at Nishpaqsh, have utmost trust and belief in the value of non-partisanship and objectivity and thus we felt that it is our duty as citizens of this country to put light on such malicious practices and spread awareness among our readers.

The Frustrated Indian, a website run by group of some talented individuals who have impeccable writing skills and strong opinions, is engaging in some provocative acts since last few days which we observed. A social media platform which started as a facebook page and gradually gained popularity today has more than 6.5 lakhs likes and produces some quality content online.

However, it also has a history of posts that incite hatred towards a particular section that kindle equally hateful and violent responses from its readers.

One such post which came after India vs Bangladesh world T20 showed the heights of insensitivity. The post we are talking about is that of a photograph of Bangladesh cricket team supporters crying in frustration after it lost against India after having dominated the match throughout. The photograph had this caption “I am not a sadist but I like it when they cry. Cry cry you brats”. Now, there is nothing violent about the post but it does portray a sick mind-set of the admin.

This was an example for lack of maturity and responsibility. Now, there is a much more dangerous attribute to this second post by Frustrated Indian. After the unfortunate murder of Dr Pankaj Narang in Vikaspuri area of Delhi, this page tried to give the incident a communal and political angle and joined the league of internet trolls which blamed a particular community for the violence. Some absurd comparisons were made with brutal Dadri lynching incident too.

It crossed the limits in a manner that a relative/close associate of Dr Narang had to intervene and post on social media that they did not blame any particular community for it and were more hurt because his death was used by many for their political advantage. Read the full text:

Tushar Narang- The death in the family always hurts. What hurts more is when people use it as political agendas and pit two already volatile communities against each other. Hold responsible the people indulged in the act, not the whole community. Those who killed him (Dr Narang) weren’t out to kill Hindus, they were degraded scum who I am sure wouldn’t have given second thought about killing someone belonging to their own religion.

We have seen two ugly sided to this page and now the third one is where they spread manufactured/doctored content on the internet. In a recent post, they used a screenshot of Kanhaiya kumar’s tweet in which he is criticizing Honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech. The screenshot shows Indian cricketer Hardik Pandya taking a pot shot at Kanhaiya by replying to his tweet. However, one thing to note is that the ‘blue tick’ which can be seen on Hardik’s original twitter profile is missing. Some more observation will show that on absolutely none or very seldom instances Pandya has tweeted using Hindi font.

The first reaction would be to think that it was probably a fake twitter profile which the admins misunderstood to be the real one. Further research will show that the username of the profile in screenshot is same as the original profile obviously sans the blue tick. This leaves no doubt that it is a photoshopped image.

Our motive is to educate the social media users and alert them about such malpractices. Stay safe from these vultures, stay unbiased. Jai Hind!

Looking for best articles on JNU and Kanhaiya? We have compiled a list for you!

Photo- Livemint

The Jawahar Lal University has been in the news for quite long now and its student leader Kanhaiya Kumar is now being seen as a promising political leader by many. Whilst a section of people have accused the varsity and its students of practicing anti-national activities, the teachers and students have shunned any such allegations.

The entire issue has sparked a fierce debate on social media and opinions are mostly in absolute contrast with each other. There are multiple articles written on it and we have tried to compile what we thought were the best of all those. Keeping the motto of Nishpaqsh in mind, we have tried to balance different opinions and remain unbiased.

We will keep updating the list as more articles keep coming out.
 

A quick history of sedition law and why it can’t apply to JNU’s Kanhaiya Kumar - NewsLaundry

It is rather odd that in the world’s largest democracy, citizens should be deemed seditious not for not loving the nation, but for not loving the government — a prerequisite to keeping any government on its toes.

http://www.newslaundry.com/2016/02/16/a-quick-history-of-sedition-law-and-why-it-cant-apply-to-jnus-kanhaiya-kumar/


What a university means: Are there limits to academic freedom? - Telegraph

Article 19 of the Constitution guarantees to every citizen the fundamental right to freedom of speech, assembly, association, movement and residence. There are specific limitations and exceptions to that right mentioned in other parts of the Constitution and in certain laws enacted by Parliament. But none of those exceptions take away the fundamental right.

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1160304/jsp/opinion/story_72617.jsp#.VuGdBfl97IV


From Hyderabad to JNU: A Battle for India’s Soul - kashmirObserver

This is not a debate about nationalism, Kashmiri separatism or the independent thinking spaces that great universities like JNU represent. What is unfolding, from Hyderabad to Delhi, is a battle for India’s soul. It is not enough for the BJP to capture the reins of power in the name of universally appealing slogans like development and fighting corruption.

https://kashmirobserver.net/2016/opinions/hyderabad-jnu-battle-indias-soul-3897


JNU: A Hub Of 'Breaking India' Politics - Swarajya

Under the garb of expression of free speech, dissent and democratic rights, JNU has become a hub for promoting secessionist tendencies in Kashmir, Tamil Nadu, the Northeast — especially Nagaland and Manipur — encouraging pro-Maoist sentiments as well as organising programmes that aim to foment communal tension primarily between Muslims and Hindus as well within the Hindu fold on caste lines.

http://swarajyamag.com/politics/jnu-a-hub-of-breaking-india-politics


JNU and the need for a new politics beyond Left and Right - NewsLaundry

The slogans raised in JNU asking for India’s demise took things too far, in that they breached the limits of freedom of expression by couching their demands in language which looks to be an immediate incitement to violence.

http://www.newslaundry.com/2016/02/23/jnu-and-the-need-for-a-new-politics-beyond-left-and-right/


Why create false revolutionaries? The other side of Kanhaiya kumar - Swarajya

And then I faced the wrath of a public urinating male chauvinist like you in JNU who claims himself a revolutionary! I could not find any trace of communist ideology in your behavior.

http://swarajyamag.com/politics/why-create-false-revolutionaries


A Letter To PM Modi From 'Anti-National Sickular Presstitute' Barkha Dutt - NDTV

In a country that took pride in giving even Ajmal Kasab, a 26/11 perpetrator, a fair trial, a young man whose worst crime (and that's if you stretch it) is that he could not stop a handful of other students from raising some admittedly disturbing slogans - has been slapped and pushed around in court in the presence of a police that failed or perhaps refused to protect him.

http://www.ndtv.com/opinion/a-letter-to-pm-modi-from-anti-national-sickular-presstitute-barkha-dutt-1279441


Open Letter to Barkha Dutt from a Social Media Sanghi communal troll - OPIndia

Is it so unbelievable that a terrorist who orchestrated a deadly terrorist attack on Indian soil would agree, even endorse “Bharat ke tukde honge, Inshallah Inshallah” slogans raised at JNU?

http://www.opindia.com/2016/02/open-letter-to-barkha-dutt-from-a-social-media-sanghi-communal-troll-2/


An Open Letter to DSU’s Umar Khaled From a JNU Alumnus - TheQuint

By the way – if you are not already aware – it seems you were also the mastermind of plans to disintergrate India!! And while I tried to defend you amidst Rahul-Shivshankar-aka-wannabe-Arnab’s assumption-filled sweeping generalisations, I thought to myself, “Damn this DSU pest! 25 sey zyada log inkey events mein aatey nahi! Yeh India todney lagey!!”

http://www.thequint.com/jnu-sedition-row/2016/02/20/an-open-letter-to-dsos-umar-khaled-from-a-jnu-alumnus


Umar Khalid, my son: Because to rebel is to affirm and renew one’s humanity - IndianExpress

Umar is the son every parent should desire and be proud of. Because he is one who can disagree, who can have the courage to rebel against his parents, who can break free from the cage of identity his family or community or religion has built for him — one who can prove his humanity by transcending the boundaries others fear to cross.

http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/umar-khalid-my-son/


As tears are shed for Umar, other sons like Hanumanthappa die for the country unsung - IndianExpress

Can you please elucidate how Umar and his comrades were following humanitarianism by vowing to destroy and divide the very country that is responsible for their survival in a premier university?

http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/the-adoption-of-umar-khalid/


Offical fact-finding report of DM submitted to Delhi Government

On 9th Feb around 3 pm, it came to the notice of administration that the poster of the event was captioned "Against the Brahmanical collective conscience, against judicial killing of Afzal Guru and Maqbool Bhatt in solidarity with the Kashmiri people for their democratic right to self determination.

http://www.delhi.gov.in/wps/wcm/connect/DoIT_Revenue/revenue/home/jnu+report+2016/jnu+report+2016