Jamia Millia Islamia to conduct Catalan Language Course Jamia Millia Islamia’s Center for European and Latin American Studies will be presenting a small course that aims to give a first gaze into one of the most strong minority languages in Europe. The course will be held in April 2009 and there will be 3 sessions per week of 2.5 hours. The course significantly endeavours to improve the knowledge of Europe and Latin America. The course is free. However, to cover photocopying expenses, Rs. 100 will be charged. The final schedule will be sent to the participants once registered. This course is primarily designed to benefit the students and teachers of Romanic languages and those interested in the European linguistic policies. The course will give a comparative approach to the grammar and morphology of Catalan in comparison with other languages related to Latin. The course is likely to be a precursor of further studies in the language at the Centre and in Spain. Catalan is a language spoken in 4 European countries (Andorra, Spain, France and Italy) by more than 9 million people, but understood by almost 12 million. The history of Catalan starts in the Early Middle Age border between Muslim and Christian kingdoms in the Pyrenees. Once one of the most influential Mediterranean languages, Catalan is facing now the threat of minoritisation due to competition with major languages such as French and Spanish, the heritage of a long period of prohibition during Franco’s dictatorship, the lack of political support in several regions where it is widely spoken, even if moving back, the loss of prestige between the speakers and the overwhelming power of media to marginalize the already weaker languages.

For Registration and Certificate, participants are advised to contact Centre for European and Latin American Studies, Nelson Mandela House, Jamia Millia Islamia. All the participants with at least 80% attendance will be issued a certificate. For further information contact: enricdonate@hotmail.com (Spanish Visiting Lecturer) and ajayprasad@aeiou.pt (Coordinator).

Jamia Millia Islamia to host seminar on Women of South Asia: Partners in Development Jamia Millia Islamia, in collaboration with South Asia Foundation, will host a two-day seminar on Women of South Asia: Partners in Development from 30 March 2009. Nobel laureate from Bangladesh Muhammad Yunus will deliver the keynote address on 30 March at 10.00 am in the Ansari Auditorium. Activists, writers, academics from the South Asian region shall be discussing women and micro-credit, peace making, creativity, coommunication, etc. The seminar will begin with the welcome address by Vice Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia Mushirul Hasan. Special address will be given by Ms Syeda Saiyidain Hameed, Member, Planning Commission, Government of India. Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus, Managing Director, Grameen Bank, Bangladesh, will deliver keynote address on ‘Women, Micro Credit And Poverty Alleviation’. At 11.45am Mohammad Yunus is scheduled to attend Meet the Press programme. On the same day Parallel Working Group Sessions will be conducted on Women and Microcredit; Women in Education; Women in Peace making; Women’s Malnutrition and Hunger; Women and the Environment; Women and Creativity: Crafts and Textiles; and Women and Creativity: Arts and Literature. Later, Mohammad Yunus will address the Plenary Session and present his views on the South Asian Women’s Network and his advice for their future functioning. On Day 2, discussion and finalizing Action Plans and Programmes of Activity for 2009-10 will be undertaken. The seminar will conclude with valedictory keynote address by Ms. Bushra Gauhar, MNA and Chair of the Pakistan National Assembly Women’s Committee.

Reviving Babari Masjid agitation at this stage will serve no particular purpose: Syed Shahabuddin “No particular purpose would be served by the revival of Babari Masjid agitation at this stage.” This statement has come from Convenor of Babari Masjid Movement Coordination Committee (BMMCC) Syed Shahabuddin at a time when India braces for 2009 parliamentary elections. Babari Masjid Movement Coordination Committee was established in December 1986 to spearhead movement to get Babari Masjid restored to Muslims for prayers. Babari Masjid was attached in 1949 and Hindus and Muslims were legally barred from offering prayers there. However, acting on the petition of a local advocate in February 1986 a Sessions Judge at Faizabad court passed an order opening the locks of the Babari Masjid without consulting or hearing the Muslims who were the party to the case. Syed Shahabuddin, who is also a member of the All India Muslim Personal law Board Committee on Babari Masjid that is engaged in representing the Muslim side before the Special Bench of the Allahabad High Court, counseled restraint and said that those striving to restore the Babari Masjid have to wait patiently till the Supreme Court delivered its judgment on the question of title and even later as it was more than likely that the loser in the title suit will file an appeal to the Supreme Court. “The Government could implement the roadmap drawn by the Supreme Court in October 1994 only after the final verdict comes. It is now the duty of the Government to maintain the status quo until the verdict,” Syed Shahabuddin said. According to Syed Shahabuddin insofar as the Muslim side was concerned various Muslim bodies including BMMCC have committed themselves to accept the final juridical verdict on the title. However, it is unfortunate that the Hindu side – Sangh Parivar, VHP and Ram Janam Bhumi Nyas, have so far refused to make a similar commitment and had taken the stand that they shall accept the juridical verdict only if it was in their favour. This stand will create a piquant situation for the Government of the day to tackle, he said. Another prominent leader associated with the Babari Masjid movement Jawed Habeeb also demanded that it is time that the report of Liberhan Commission on the demolition of the mosque be made public. Jawed Habeeb was elected Chairman of the All India Babari Masjid Action Committee at its meeting held after about 14 years on 8 February 2009.

Bihar nod to AMU to establish branch at Kishanganj The Bihar government headed by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has approved Aligarh Muslim University’s (AMU) proposal to establish its branch in the State. Informing about the decision the Chief Minister’s Principal Secretary R.C.P. Singh said, “The AMU will establish its branch at Kishanganj district as the government has approved this after getting a proposal.” It may be noted that the government decided this after receiving a proposal from the AMU in December last year. JNU approves Madrasas for BA First Year admission eligibility By Mumtaz Alam Falahi In a move that will lessen the deprivation of madrasa students from mainstream higher education, India’s prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in New Delhi has further widened its door for madrasa students as it will now admit them in first year of BA courses. Earlier, JNU, a central university, would take madrasa students only in the second year of three-year BA courses after candidates completed first year from any other UGC-recognized college or university. The university will now accept certificates of certain madrasas equivalent to intermediate and the candidates will be eligible for JNU entrance examination and take admission in all BA courses if selected. JNU offers all major language courses in BA like French, Japanese, Chinese, German, Arabic, Korean, Spanish etc. These languages have career benefits. The list of madrasas approved by JNU administration is given below. (i) Certificate of Alimiah with at least 45% marks issued by any of the following madrasas subject to the condition that the candidate has passed English language at the level of Senior Secondary from a recognised Board/University or a three-year course conducted by Darul-Uloom Deoband. Darul Uloom Deoband, U.P. Mazahirul Uloom Saharanpur, U.P. Darul Uloom Mau, U.P. Miftahul Uloom, Mau, U.P. Jamia Athria Darul Hadith Mau, U.P. Jamia Faize Am Mau, U.P. Madrasa Alia Mau, U.P. Madrasa Muhammadia, Mau, U.P. Madrasa Faizanul Uloom Bahadurganj, Ghazipur, U.P. Madrasa Ihyaul Uloom Mubarkpur, Azamgarh, U.P. Tauhid Education Trust Ma'hadabad-Khagra Kishan Ganj, Bihar Jamia Imam Ibn Taimiya, Madinatussalam, E. Champaran, Bihar (ii) Certificate of Alimiah with at least 45% marks issued by the following Madrasas: Nadwatul Ulema, Lucknow, U.P. Jamiatul Flah, Bilariaganj, Azamgarh, U.P. Certificate of Fazilah from Madrasatul Islah, Sarai Mir, Azamgarh, U.P. Madrasa Jamia Islamia, Muzaffarpur, Azamgarh, U.P. Madrasa Eram Convent for Girls and Boys Indra Nagar, Lucknow, U.P. (iii) Certificate of Maulvi with at least 45% marks issued by the Bihar Board of Madrasa Education Omair Anas, who is doing M. Phil at School of International Studies, JNU, told TwoCircles.net that madrasa students should not lose the chance and grab the opportunity. He said he and his friends have decided to help madrasa students to get all information, guidance and coaching for the entrance test. Since entrance examination in JNU is very competitive and it requires a lot of preparation, the group of senior madrasa students already studying at JNU has decided to offer help madrasa students aspiring to take admission in the university this year. The group will arrange one month entrance preparation classes from April to May. For further enquiry following persons can be contacted: Mohammad Araif: 09718200830 Mohammad Rizwan: 09868325829 Omair Anas: omairanas@gmail.com http://www.jnu.ac.in/main.asp?sendval=Prospectus (Courtesy: TwoCircles.net)

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Kerala Finally, CPI-M expels its Muslim MP A.P. Abdullakutty CPI-M has finally expelled its sitting Member of Parliament (MP) from Kannur, A.P. Abdullakutty, for his reported allegiance to the Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan. Media reports said 7 March 2009. Abdullakutty was earlier suspended by the Kannur district leadership for anti-party activities and for publicly hailing Gujarat Chief Minister’s model of development. There were allegations that the expelled MP was siding with party’s detractors. The perceived detractor being none else than the Kerala CM himself who had been at loggerheads with state party secretary Pinayari Vijayan. Kerala CM had refused to back Vijayan against whom CBI slapped charges of irregularities in awarding a contract to Canadian firm SNC Lavalin when he was the state's power minister in 1997. Achuthanandan also kept away from Vijayan’s Nava Kerala March (New Kerala March), which started 2 February 2009. The CM, however, attended the concluding session of Vijayan’s rally on 25 February 2009 after much persuasion of CPI-M general secretary Prakash Karat and coalition partners, apparently keeping Lok Sabha elections in view. Abdullakutty convened a press conference at Kannur on 6 March 2009. He listed his achievements as MP during the past 10 years. Commenting about his dissociation with CPI-M, Abdullakutty said that after his suspension he decided not to renew his party membership. He said, “Now I am outside the party. Though I can approach the party Control Commission against the suspension, I will not. The issue is that I have no recognition within the party. If you are not respected in the party, not even a village officer is going to respect you as an MP.” He added, “CPI-M should consider inviting MPs and MLAs to party forums to ensure that there was more understanding between the leadership and legislators on various issues concerning their respective constituencies. Congress MPs and MLAs were always invitees in their party committee meetings.” Earlier, the CPI-M had censured and demoted Abdullakutty for traveling to Makkah for performing Umrah [mini Hajj] in the first week of June last year. Abdullakutty, who was an area committee member, was demoted to a simple member in the local committee after the district committee took disciplinary action against him on 19 June. The party first "charge-sheeted" him for performing Umrah in Makkah. Later, conscious of the fact that the decision could invite backlash from the Muslim community, the party claimed Kutty was punished for delivering a speech against bandhs and hartals. Abdullakutty, commenting on the party action, had then said: "Disciplinary action was initiated against me after I returned from Makkah. The so-called controversial speech is an old issue anyway. A number of leaders had aired the same view on bandhs and hartals." Abdullakutty was elected as MP for the first time in 1999. He was aged only 28 years then, and was the state president of State Federations of India (SFI). Abdullakutty has been welcomed to join the Congress Party-led United Democratic Front (UDF) in the state. He is also likely to contest parliamentary election from Kasargod, media reports said. MoS for External Affairs E. Ahamed to contest from newly-formed Malappuram seat Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) has announced that the Minister of State for External Affairs E. Ahamed will contest the current parliamentary elections from the newly-formed Malappuram Lok Sabha seat in the state. The announcement was made by IUML chief Panakkad Syed Mohammedali Shihab Thangal. E. Ahamed, 70, first became a Member of Parliament in 1991 representing the Manjeri seat. Before becoming an MP, E. Ahamed represented his constituency in the state legislature for five times. He was also the state industries minister from 1982 to 1987 in the Congress Party-led UDF cabinet headed by K. Karunakaran. The IUML also announced that former state education minister E.T. Mohammed Basheer will contest Lok Sabha polls from the Ponani seat. E. Ahamed was elected to the Lok Sabha from this seat in 2004. Basheer, 62, had been a four-time legislator. He was state education minister twice in 1991-96 and 2004-06. He, however, failed to get elected from Tirur assembly constituency in May 2006. Muslim politics takes a turn in Kerala By Arun Lakshman Thiruvananthapuram: The Muslim politics in Kerala has taken a turn with the advent of the Popular Front, a political party floated with the support of four Islamic organisations of southern India. The National Development Front, a hardline Islamic resistance movement, has taked lead to float a political party in the state. The former NDF state general secretary Nasaruddin Elamaram is named as the state president of the Popular Front. The Indian Union Muslim League was the only popular political party in the state taking the cause of the Muslim community and has been a part of the United Democratic Front for decades. IUML leader C H Mohammed Koya also served as the chief mnister of Kerala. The Muslim League which is considered soft and moderate and a public face of the Muslim community is now losing its grip with the emergence of the fire-brand Islamic scholar and fundamentalist politician Abdul Nasser Madani, who was arrested as an accused in the Coimbatore blasts case. There were cries from the human rights activists on the detention of Madani in Coimbatore central prison without trial for nine years. The NDF, which has its roots in the Jamaat Islami, was formed in the year 1993 after the Babri Masjid demolition with the aim of defending the Muslim community against the Sangh Parivar, according to its organisers. The organisation has since been trying to rope in disgruntled Muslim youths who felt the Indian Union Muslim League had not done anything concrete for the Muslim cause. The NDF has been systematically working among the Muslim community giving armed training to its cadres and has been trying to project itself as the only saviour of the Muslim community. The advent of the NDF in the social sphere of Kerala has resulted in tensions in all the corners of the state. There are already reports that the Popular Front with its support base from the NDF will not be ignored by the politicians of the state and political parties would be making a beeline towards the NDF and the Popular Front leadership during the general elections. This could turn into a problem for the Indian Union Muslim League, so far the only moderate face of the Muslim community in the state. [Courtesy: Rediff.com] West Bengal LeT accomplice Abu Taher nabbed in Kolkata The Special Task Force (STF) has succeeded in nabbing Abu Taher, an alleged associate of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), from Sealdah railway station in Kolkata. Abu Taher, 45, who was absconding for the past 10 years, was arrested on 6 March 2009 after a tip off from the Border Security Force (BSF). Taher was caught when he coming from West Bengal’s Murshidabad district by Lalgola Express. Kolkata Police joint commissioner (Special Task Force) Rajiv Kumar informed about his arrest. “Taher was an expert in making explosive devices and was staying in Bangladesh for the last few years. He is being probed whether he had ever brought explosives to India,” media reports said quoting police sources. Jammu & Kashmir Why can’t Kashmiri youths arrested as ‘terrorists’ but declared ‘innocent’ by CBI be released: Delhi HC Delhi Police Special Cell is in the dock yet again. It has been issued notice by the Delhi High Court on 6 March 2009 asking to explain why Irshad Ali and Mohammad Qamar from Jammu and Kashmir arrested as ‘terrorists’ but later declared innocent by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) cannot be released now. The CBI had given the two youths a clean chit in the case, which the Special Cell had filed in 2006. The trial court, however, last month declined the closure report filed by the CBI. This led Irshad Ali and Mohammad Qamar to approach the High Court seeking relief. The trial court rejected CBI’s closure report on the grounds that the facts submitted were not conclusive and needed a thorough trial. Currently, Ali and Qamar are languishing in Delhi’s Tihar Central Jail. The Special Cell has been asked to file a reply by April 20. Irshad Ali and Mohammad Qamar were arrested by the Special Cell on 9 February 2006 from the G.T. Karnal Road bus terminal in Delhi. Both of them were branded as terrorists having allegiance to terrorist outfit Al Badr. After arresting them the police also said that pistols, RDX explosives, detonators and other ammunition had been recovered from their possession. However, the CBI refuted the charges of the Special Cell saying that the two were innocent and had been framed. The CBI disclosed that they were in fact ‘police informers’. Andhra Pradesh With two primary suspects presumed dead, Mecca Masjid blast case is also ‘dead’ now “There will be no further investigations in the 2007 Mecca Masjid blast case in Hyderabad now as it has turned ‘cold’ with the two primary suspects being dead. The case is being investigated by the CBI but in police language the case has turned cold since we think that two primary suspects in that case are dead,” said Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram on 6 March 2009. Chidambaram, however, added that though the CBI is working on the case but as of now it is not possible to take that forward unless more clues come up. A bomb blast took place at the historic Mecca Masjid on 18 May 2007 during Friday prayers, which killed nine people. Further, the subsequent police firing on protestors outside the mosque also claimed five lives. According to the police, a resident of Hyderabad Shahid Bilal, who was also a key suspect in the case, was killed in an encounter in Pakistan just after a few weeks when the blast in Mecca Masjid took place. Shahid was alleged to have been working for Bangladesh-based terror group Harkatul Jihad-e-Islami (HuJI). Assam Assam's AUDF eyes national stage via Muslim vote By Khalid Akhter New Delhi, March 2 (IANS) A seller of perfumes by profession, he has been emboldened by his surprise electoral wins in Assam in 2006. Maulana Badruddin Ajmal is now hoping to translate the millions of Muslim votes in the country into a significant victory for his party in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. Ajmal's Asom United Democratic Front (AUDF), which won 10 assembly seats within six months of its birth, is eyeing the key high Muslim population states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra and Jharkhand besides Assam. "Since independence, political parties have not delivered what people, especially Muslims, had expected from them," said Ajmal, 50, who is the AUDF president,. "The condition of Muslims is deplorable, they have voted and tried every party but nothing has changed. I am trying my best for the political empowerment of the community," Ajmal told IANS. He said contesting from these states would facilitate the AUDF to acquire the status of a national party. According to the 2001 census, Uttar Pradesh has an 18.5 percent Muslim population, Bihar 16.5, Maharashtra 10.6 and Jharkhand 13.8. Ajmal, who has made a fortune by exporting 'ittar', or traditional Indian perfume, primarily to the Middle East, said: "Like the way we worked hard in Assam, we will do here." He said his party would also work for other marginalised sections. "Along with Muslims, we will work for the sections that have remained on the periphery after independence. The head of the party in a state can be a Hindu as well depending on the local conditions," he added. Currently, two of the 10 legislators of AUDF in Assam are Hindus. Zafarul Islam Khan, editor of Milli Gazette, said: "From what I gather through discussions with the party leadership, I can say though the core group and top leadership is Muslim, they would be working for other communities as well." The party is, however, banking mainly on Muslims, who form 13.4 percent of India's total population as per the 2001 Census. Muslims comprise half the population in 18 of the 593 districts in the country and have decisive votes in 80 of 543 Lok Sabha seats. Their population is 30.9 percent in Assam, where the AUDF put up a stunning show three years ago. Ajmal, who studied at the Dar-ul-Uloom seminary in Deoband town of Uttar Pradesh, said since the outfit was not a registered national party it would field candidates under the banner of the Uttar Pradesh-UDF, Bihar-UDF in Bihar and so on. Ajmal said his party would not have any pre-poll alliances but could tie up with secular parties after the elections expected in April-May. Political analysts are, however, sceptical and see it only as a pressure group. And then two such parties, All-India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimmen in Andhra Pradesh and Indian Union Muslim League in Kerala, have not been able to cross the territorial boundaries of their regions. Amir Ali, associate professor of political science at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), said: "Such parties mainly try to play on rhetoric, but the voter has become intelligent and does tactical voting. The Muslim voter's primary concern is to keep the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) out of power." Ali also said that such parties were likely to be branded communal and would end up helping the BJP to consolidate its vote bank. Political scientist Sudha Pai said: "It is too early to say, but if they do sustained work among the community then they might develop their vote base. Also, another factor that would matter would be the alliances that the party forms in different states." She said the party had done well in Assam and might have some impact in regions like eastern Uttar Pradesh if they take up issues like terrorism. Pai said: "If they develop a mass following, they will definitely impact parties like the Samajwadi Party and Congress, for whom Muslims have traditionally voted but have apprehensions about now." (Courtesy: IANS)

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