Speaking for the first time on the issue after the Union Cabinet approved the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020 on July 29, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has praised it as a system that will generate “future-ready” citizens. In his video address at a conclave on Transformational Reforms in Higher Education under National Education Policy, the PM asserted that, “No section of the country said that the policy has any bias. It is a matter of happiness” 

The PM added that “national interest” was a key factor of the NEP as “Every country equates education to its national interest and moves forward.” He said it was a timely replacement long due. The NEP 2020, has replaced the 34-year old National Policy on Education (NPE), 1986. In attendance at the conference was HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriya Nishank.

The PM, while applauding the entire policy, and Dr Kasturirangan, the man in charge of creating it, made special mention of the multiple ‘entry’ exit’ points and using ‘mother’ tongue as a medium of instruction. The government hopes now to increase Gross Enrolment Ratio in higher education to 50% by 2035 and add 3.5 crore seats.

The PM also made special mention of using a child’s ‘mother tongue’ as a medium of instruction “wherever possible’ for upto class five. However the Centre’s plan had already been called “painful and saddening”, by Tamil Nadu chief minister, Edappadi K Palaniswami. An ally of the BJP, CM Palaniswami (AIDMK), had demanded a ‘reconsideration’ of the three-language policy, with states being allowed the constitutional independence to implement their own. The opposition DMK had opposed the elite bias in the proposed policy changes. 

Palaniswamy clearly said there will not be any deviation from the two-language policy in Tamil Nadu, which has been followed for several decades. “Tamil Nadu will never allow the Centre’s three-language policy. The state will continue with its dual language policy (of Tamil and English),” he said.

While Prime Minister Modi, on Friday,  said that the “NEP was approved after extensive discussions over 3-4 years and deliberation over lakhs of suggestions,” there have been voices saying they were not even consulted. Education is a subject on the Concurrent List of the Indian Constitution, that allows for instance of regional variations and emphasis respecting the cultural and linguistic diversity of the country. Earlier central education policies were also not necessarily adopted by various states of the Indian union.

The West Bengal Government has already formed a six-member committee to study the New Education Policy according to news reports. Vice-Chancellor of Jadavpur University Suranjan Das, retired professor and TMC MP Sougata Roy and educationist Pabitra Sarkar will also be a part of this review committee. The state education Minister Partha Chatterjee slammed it as a “copy of the system prevalent in western countries”. Chatterjee told the media that the committee will scrutinise the NEP, seeking views of school teachers and varsity professors on the matter, and submit a report to the state by August 15. The WB govt will then convey their “ opinion on the new policy to the Centre,” said Chatterjee. He had earlier said that the Union government had formulated the NEP without taking the states into confidence, and without placing the matter for discussion in Parliament. “I wonder how they (Centre) can think of enforcing it without any discussion in the Parliament or with the states. This is unilateral,” he had been quoted in the news report.

Recently the teachers organisations such as the Federation of Central Universities (FEDCUTA)  had stated that  these “reforms” and restructuring pushed by the Government aimed at selling education as a commodity. Instead of strengthening and repairing the public-funded higher education system, the Government has been pushing privatisation and commercialisation of education at a frightening pace through a slew of regulations such as Graded Autonomy, Autonomous Colleges, HEFA for loans instead of grants, Tripartite MOU, Institutions of Excellence, HECI Bill etc, all of which aim to push Higher Education Institutions into a self-financing model increasingly at the mercy of market forces.

And long before this, Communist Party of India (Marxist) CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury had written on the issue to Minister for Human Resource Development Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank in July 2019. Commenting on the draft NEP that was available then, Yechury had noted that certain aspects were potentially problematic.  The CPI(M)  had stated that the DNEP “completely contravenes with the powers of the state governments and therefore, the constitutional scheme of Federalism and should be withdrawn forthwith.”

The party had also said that the DNEP seemed to be ensuring the “centralization, commercialization and communalization of the Indian education system and structures. Instead of arriving at a balance between Quantity, Quality and Equity in the education system, this DNEP is promoting a more elitist and pro-corporate thrust.”

It had added that “scientific temper is on a decline and civic values are facing vicious attacks from an environment that is actively promoting obscurantism, deepening social divisions and encouraging backlash against the already-marginalised sections. Educational institutions are unable to retain academic talent and secure a just and equitable environment for students, teachers and researchers. Student-suicides are on the rise. Religious education in the garb of Shishu Mandirs, Ekalavya Vidyalayas and Madrassas are proliferating even as the Union Government orders the closure or merger of public-funded primary and pre-primary schools.”

The Congress has said that the “National Education Policy (NEP) has been formed without any consultation with stakeholders or parliamentary discussion.”

National Education Policy (NEP) has been formed without any consultation with stake holders or parliamentary discussion. #IndiaDeservesBetterNEP pic.twitter.com/Iv0sV5ix5V

— Odisha Congress (@INCOdisha) August 7, 2020

Related: 

Dravidian TN speaks out against NEP, no to 3-language formula
21st century brand of India’s Language Policy – NEP 2020
Modi and Sangh shape education in their own mould

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At 8.03 p.m. last evening, even as one crude set of Uttar Pradesh based IPS officers made news for calling themselves Ram Bhakts and ‘pledging that a Ram Mandir will bne built’, the IPS Officers Association went public in a tweet stating clearly and firmly, “We disassociate ourselves clearly from the act of a senior IPS officer as shown in the Video and re-iterate that this is against the ethos of neutrality, fairness and uprightness that the Indian Police Service stands for.” This tweet has been re-tweeted over 2,000 times. The reported video of the police officer has been viewed 56,000 times.

It was a senior IPS officer in Uttar Pradesh on Friday stoked a controversy after a video clip of him taking pledge for the early construction of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya went viral on social media. In the 21-second clip, Surya Kumar Shukla, along with half a dozen other people, is seen taking a vow to build the temple. “We Ram bhakts, as part of this programme, take the pledge that a grand Ram Mandir be constructed at the earliest… Jai Sri Ram,” the video showed them saying with one arm raised.

Mr. Shukla is currently Director-General, Home Guards, an 1982-batch IPS officer and the second senior-most IPS in the State, states the U.P. Police website. The controversial incident took place during a private function organised in a room of the Public Administration department of Lucknow University on January 28 by the Akhil Bharatiya Samagra Vichar Manch, which claims to be a social organisation. Though it was a closed-door affair, the title of the seminar indicated that it was held to chalk out a solution to the Ayodhya dispute: Ram Mandir Nirman Samasya Evam Samadhan.

Apart from Mr. Shukla, some Hindutva activists and members of the Muslim wing of the RSS were also present on stage. So was Advocate Hari Shankar Jain, who was in 2014 felicitated by Amit Shah, then U.P. in-charge of BJP, for taking on the Samajwadi Party government for its move to withdraw terror cases. Mr. Jain, a counsel for the Hindu Mahasabha in the Ayodhya dispute, also helps Hindus fight legal cases through his organisation, Hindu Front for Justice.

While the government has sought an explanation from Mr. Shukla, he clarified that his presence at the event was being misinterpreted and the short clip was selectively made to go viral without considering what he said prior to it.

“As a responsible officer, we cannot say or do anything like this. It is being shown as though we are going for a forcible construction of a mandir. This is misinterpretation,” Mr. Shukla told reporters. Talking about the pledge, Mr. Shukla said the vow was being taken to create an atmosphere of communal harmony and not for the construction of the Ram Mandir.He said he attended the seminar as it was being held for an intellectual discussion on how to resolve the “Ram Mandir issue peacefully”.“I had said [at the event] that this issue is sub judice in the Supreme Court, so it would not be proper for me to give a speech on it or present detailed views. So I did not give any speech,” Mr. Shukla said.

Retired IPS officer S.R. Darapuri told The Hindu that Mr. Shukla’s act was a “direct violation of the IPS code of conduct” and also punishable as he had participated in a political event and made his communal biases known. Other officers like Bhola Nath, a retired IG welcomed this affirmation of neutrality.

Congress spokesperson Akhilesh Pratap Singh said both officials and criminals were being influenced by the BJP under the rule of Narendra Modi and Yogi Adityanath. “An alliance has been formed between the three. And these BJP people, along with the criminals and officials, think themselves above the law,” Mr. Singh said.

The IPS Association has condemned the incident saying that it is “against the ethos of neutrality, fairness and uprightness that Indian Police Service stands for”.
Other twitter responses:

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While Akhlaq was killed on the night of  September 28, 2015, Srinivas was killed on the night of 23rd February 2017 according to Indian Standard Time (IST). Since the killings happened at night, Indian newspapers covered neither of the crimes the day after. While Akhlaq’s mob lynching was covered on 30th September 2015, Srinivas’s murder has been covered by Indian Newspapers on 25th February 2015. In this post, we present a pictorial comparison of how Indian Newspapers covered the two crimes. Let’s start with Times of India, Delhi edition on the day after Akhlaq was lynched.

The front page of Times of India on 30th September 2015 could only afford a tiny space on the left column on the front page of its newspaper regarding Akhlaq’s mob lynching. How did Times of India, Delhi Edition, cover Srinivas’s murder?

Times of India dedicated a front page lead story for the murder of Srinivas Kuchibhotla. Next, let us look at Hindustan Times, Delhi Edition, coverage of Srinivas’s murder.

Again, a front page lead story. How did Hindustan Times cover Mohammad Akhlaq’s mob lynching on 30th September 2015?

As one can see, Mohammad Akhlaq is nowhere to be seen on the front page of Hindustan Times, Delhi Edition, on 30th September 2015. In fact, this incident was relegated to the 3rd page. Let us look at Mail Today front page next on 25th February 2017 to see how they covered Srinivas Kuchibhotla’s murder.

Mail Today, being a tabloid newspaper, featured it as one of its lead stories. How did Mail Today cover Mohammad Akhlaq’s lynching on 30th September 2015?

Mail Today not only skipped Mohammad Akhlaq’s mob lynching on 30th September 2015 on its front page but they failed to feature it anywhere at all on that day. They wrote about it on 1st October 2015 and that too in one of their inner pages. In fact, the only newspaper that did justice in their news coverage to these hate crimes was Indian Express. Here’s a comparison of their coverage of Akhlaq’s murder vs Srinivas’s murder.

From the above examples, one can see a clear bias in the coverage of Mohammad Akhlaq’s mob lynching vs the coverage of Srinivas Kuchibhotla’s murder in the US. Why this bias? Why did Indian media have to wait for a pan-national outrage to feature Mohammad Akhlaq in the news cycle? Why wasn’t adequate space given to Mohammad Akhlaq in newspapers the day after he was brutally murdered? Is it because Indian media is hesitant in highlighting right wing hate crimes? These are some of the troubling questions that Indian media needs to answer.
 

The post Media Bias: It’s ‘Hate Crime’ in the US but not Back Home, in India appeared first on SabrangIndia.

गलत आंकड़े दिखाकर लोगों को गुमराह करने वाली खबर में टाइम्स ऑफ इंडिया जैसे प्रतिष्ठित संस्थान ने शायद भूल सुधार करने की भी कोशिश नहीं की। दरअसल चुनावों को लेकर ओपिनियन पोल शुरू हो चुके हैं जबकि ये ओपिनियन पोल अधिकांश गलत ही साबित होते रहे हैं। ओपिनियन पोल को लेकर लंबे समय से सवाल खड़े होते रहे हैं। साथ ही आरोप लगते रहे हैं कि इनके जरिए वोटरों का रुझान बदला जाता है।  

टाइस्स और वीएमआर का यह सर्वे इस साल के चुनावों में बीजेपी को 202 सीटें दिलवा रहा है। वहीं सपा और कांग्रेस गठबंधन को 147 सीटें दिलवाई हैं। इसमें बीएसपी को 47 सीटों पर समेट दिया है वहीं अन्य को 7 सीटें दी जा रही हैं। 

Courtesy: National dastak
 
 

The post टाइम्स ऑफ इंडिया ने 47 सीटें जीतने वाली बीजेपी को 2012 में दे दीं 155 सीटें appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Of late, the name of PV Sindhu has been at the forefront of discussion in social media and other platforms. When the people all over the world were taken aback by her sporting capabilities, most of the Telugu people were busy ‘googling’ her caste, thus giving a glimpse of their culture, traditions and their ‘broad-mindedness’.

Two years prior to this, a tribal girl Malavath Poorna becomes the youngest girl in the world to successfully climb the world’s highest mountain, Mount Everest. The mainstream media which took cognizance of this news attentively, let it disappear into oblivion with the same speed. After two years, the Telugu society once again bestowed laurels and praise on Venkata Sindhu for winning the prestigious Olympic Silver. Infact, she deserves every bit of it. As someone on whom there were not much expectations, Sindhu’s game, apart from being a treat to watch for many also generated considerable interest about her caste. Some people who were beside her in the road-show in Hyderabad went to the extent of flabbergasting that this medal was only possible because of them. While these people waved their hands endlessly till they pained, they made sure that even Sindhu doesn’t get a break from waving hands. In the meantime, both the Chief Ministers of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh – satirically known to the outside world as ‘iddaru chandrulu’ – competed against each other to felicitate Sindhu while driving her across the city in an open top van showering flowers all over the way.

Both Poorna and Sindhu came out with flying colours in their respective sports in their respective times. But, caste and capital are very much necessary to make a mark in mainstream sports without which you are a nobody in contemporary sporting scene. At a disastrous time when you will be considered a threat to the internal security of this country and your patriotism questioned if you choose to support a country of your choice, you will be forced to take a stand either/or with respect to India/Pakistan in the sporting arena. In this way, celebrating Sindhu’s win is a testament of such mentality of human nature.

Two years ago, none other than the Chief Minister of Telangana made a public announcement infront of the press about the decision to award 20 lakh rupees as prize money along with a three roomed house and five acres of land having both water and electricity connections. Along with her, her coach was also given some amount as prize money. After the Olympics, the phenomenal craze and limelight Sindhu has been getting forced me to probe as to what the status of Malavath Poorna is right now. I spoke to her father. He is not educated. Though they were given money, her father has no clue about the three roomed house and five acres of land. He has no idea on which table in the Collectors office would the file be lying. Born in a hamlet, no one amongst the seven generations prior to her, either side, would have seen such huge amount of money, ever.
The character of the welfare state and the conspiracy behind this were clearly understood after India won an Olympic medal. The welfare state made it clear again that, in this deeply hierarchical society: it will put people to the place where they belong to.

The class and caste character of the state was clearly visible for every one to see after Sindhu won the Olympic medal. Both the Telangana and the Andhra Chief Ministers competed to felicitate Sindhu, with money, land and many other incentives. Governments of Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and others, including famous businessmen, sportspersons and film stars were at the forefront in rewarding Sindhu. Along with crores of rupees, Sindhu was given swanky cars, bungalows and government jobs. Delhi’s Chief Minister offered two crores of rupees and a Group 1 Officers’ job to Sindhu. The same Kejriwal showed his class character when he offered a peon’s post in his office to Rohith Vemula’s brother who is a graduate.

21 year old Sindhu won the only Silver Medal in the 2016 Rio Olympics for India.

Why and how is Poorna different from Sindhu? 

Born in the last step of this laddered caste society and forced to eat the leaves from the forest, what is the necessity for Malavath Poorna to climb the highest and the dangerous mountain in the world? Sometimes, the temperatures fall as low as -36C and the air also freezes making breathing very difficult. What aim of hers would be the driving force to make her way to the top of Mount Everest amidst lost and disfigured human bodies, breakdown of blood vessels in brain, loss of control of the nervous system and the possibility of heart attack any moment?

Ignoring the life threat she has while climbing the highest point on earth, why would she proudly hold the photos of Ambedkar and Sankaran and shout ‘Jai Bhim’ by holding her breath. She very well knows that dangerous valleys exist behind the highest mountain. She got to know about the valley of difference after she climbed down the mountain and when the Olympics got over. She is recently getting to know that the flat earth, as taught by her teacher, is not just flat but is riddled with deep valleys, ridges and high mountains which are symbolic of the differences created by caste and religion and which still go strong even today, like the Great Wall of China. She is clearly able to see and imagine the colourful world which the silver medal has brought for Sindhu. Yes, Poorna is a world champion. If she loses in the process, she is another unknown corpse. For the first time in history, a tribal girl, who faced discrimination and oppression for generations, unfurled the photos of national icons at a height of 8848 metres above the sea level.

Opportunities and successes were not much difficult for PV Sindhu who inherited the sporting capabilities of both her parents and a privileged social background. The game Sindhu chose does not require extraordinary capabilities. If you have a healthy and an agile body, the skill to move fastly and a strong wrist, a win in this game is not that difficult. Even if Sindhu would have lost this time, she still has chances of winning the game later. Amidst all these favourable and unfavourable conditions, Sindhu started her Olympic quest and soon she tasted the success by easily winning match after match. The irony here is that when people across the world became huge fans of her game, Telugu people back home were busy searching for her caste and region in Internet. Some others decorated her forehead with Kapu jewels and Vysya diamonds. Many people equalized her sporting capabilities by offering her crores of rupees while she was still inside the court. After Poorna came back after chasing Mount Everest, Ranganayakamma wrote an article where she opines that climbing trees and hills in the name of sports is not an extraordinary talent and it is very much a naturally evolved skill and that it should not be given so much of priority. When PV Sindhu is being decorated with jewels and diamonds along with crores of rupees being offered, Ranganayakamma didn’t yet respond. PV Sindhu comes from an elite family and Ranganayakamma doesn’t have the courage to take on PV Sindhu’s elite social status.

The story of Poorna: 
Lakshmi and Devidas belong to Parkala village in Sirikonda Mandal of Nizamabad district. They have two children – Poorna and her brother. She is the only literate in her family. Seven generations on either side of her family had no access to food twice a day. Poorna, who is studying ninth class in the Social Welfare hostel and often suffers from lack of proper nutritional food, wrote her death note herself before she left for chasing Mount Everest. She practiced very hard for the same. Finally, she started off to climb Mount Everest. She very well knows that she is the only woman child in her family. In such an emotionally charged atmosphere, she first moved from the village to the city and finally from the city to the mountain, knowing very well that she might not even come back to her family and village. The ninth class girl has taken an adventure upon herself to climb the 8848 metres high Mount Everest. This struggle to climb Mount Everest didn’t turn out to be difficult for her in front of her struggle for livelihood and a decent, respected life, which even generations prior to her are struggling for. She knows for a fact that a little drift in her concentration would leave her dead and take away the possibility of seeing her family members for one last time. She could clearly see the highs and lows, hardships and losses in life after climbing Mount Everest.

Poorna is the youngest person to climb Mount Everest at the age of 13.

The world doesn’t know that this is the highest peak in the world until the British measured its height during the colonial rule. Three officials disappeared during the process of measuring the height of this peak. George and Andrew who climbed Mount Everest for the first time 90 years ago didn’t return and their whereabouts were not known to anyone even after decades after the incident. Though the Nepalese people look at Mount Everest with mystic reverence, it has been a death bed for many adventurers who wanted to conquer the world’s tallest peak. Many people have tried climbing Mount Everest in the last one hundred years while 280 mountaineers are recorded to be dead, most of whose corpses are yet to be found. More than 300 people died in the process. In fact, this is a death game. In such a situation, many people give a deaf ear to the possibility of death in a hurry and passion to chase their dream. Whatever might be the aim of Tenzing Norway when he started off the exploration of climbing Mount Everest for the first time, many people lost their address in the process of climbing Mount Everest.

But, Malavath Poorna made it clear to the world in chilling cold that her aim has an address and that the address is Ambedkar. Now, everyone else is trying to continue the same spirit.

Role models for girls and socially excluded: 
Both Poorna and PV Sindhu have shown a direction to the new generation. Both of them have left hope and confidence that lakhs of girl children who don’t get to come out of their mothers’ uterus, will have the guts to say, “Please let me live. I want to become another Poorna/Sindhu.” But, what did our rulers do? The Prime Minister of the country invited these athletes to Delhi over a cup of tea, clicked a picture which he posted on twitter. The Chief Minister of Telangana, who gives away land worth thousands of crores of rupees to modern cities and big business corporate has not yet given the promised 5 acres of land for Poorna, whose family doesn’t own an inch of land till now.

The ruling class weighs merit on the basis of caste: by placing one of them on the international level and throwing the other in an untouchable Dalit hamlet. As she accepts her apparently ‘divine’ fate of born into a lowered caste, Ekalavya’s sister Malavath Poorna is only left with insults. Though the society has transformed into a modern one from a primitive one, the Ekalavya’s of Mahabharatha are still bearing the brunt of this caste Hindu society. The ‘divine’ fate was imposed upon people very cleverly.

Sindhu was given cheques, cars, bungalows and many other gifts right on stage while the ruling castes made sure that the promises made to Poorna by none other than Telangana Chief Minister, were not yet fulfilled even after two complete years. Even today, the Government has no clue as to where it can show land to Poorna’s family while Poorna’s innocent father has no idea if the promises made will be fulfilled at all. The file containing the details of Poorna must have been thrown into a dust bin. Successfully climbing the 8848 metres high Mount Everest is a dream come true for mountaineers around the world. Many have even diminished the possibility of death while climbing only to finally give in to the jaws of death in the race. Malavath Poorna put her life at risk to successfully climb Mount Everest. The very little material gifts from the rulers will help her build her future over the foundations of her successful climb of Mount Everest. Fate has made her much more strong and resilient. Poorna resembles Mount Everest with exuberating confidence while the ruling classes are nothing but dwarfs infront of her.
 
(The article was originally written in Telugu by Gurram Seetaramulu and then translated into English by Rahul Maganti._

Gurram Seetaramulu is a poet, editor, writer and political analyst. He has finished his doctoral research, working on oral literary history of Dalit societies at the School of Interdisciplinary Studies in the English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU), Hyderabad. He is engaged in translation of Telugu Dalit literature into English and has presented papers at national and international conferences. His email: seetaramulu@gmail.com  Rahul Maganti is a freelance journalist based in Vijayawada.

Courtesy: India Resists
 

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अब्बा, एक वक्त मैं अपना बहुत कुछ गंवाने के बाद पूरी तरह परेशान हो गई थी जब मैं लगातार खुद से पूछ रही थी कि मेरे ही पिता क्यों…! उन्हें ही क्यों…! लेकिन यह आपके बताए रास्ते का हासिल है कि वाकयों को उसके बड़े दायरे में देखो और अपनी जिंदगी को भी बड़े फलक पर देखो। मैंने महसूस किया कि मेरी तरह तो हजारों हैं, मर्द, औरतें और बच्चे, जिन्होंने अपने सबसे करीबी और अजीज लोगों को खो दिया और वे भी यही पूछ रहे हैं कि क्यों उन्हें ही..!

बड़ी तादाद में बच्चे अनाथ हो गए और बड़ी तादाद में मां-बाप अपने बच्चों से महरूम हो गए। मैंने यह भी महसूस किया कि मेरी तरह के कुछ लोग गोधरा और कश्मीर में भी हैं। उनकी तकलीफ हमसे जरा भी कम नहीं है। उनका नुकसान हमसे कम नहीं हैं। उनकी मासूमियत भी हमसे कम नहीं है। इसलिए मैं उनसे पूछती हूं जो सत्ता में हैं। उन्होंने उस कत्लेआम को होने दिया था। और फिर समय-समय पर इंसानियत के खिलाफ अपराध होते रहे। और तमाम विनम्रता और संजीदगी के साथ मैं खुदा से पूछती हूं कि क्यों वे नहीं जो नफरत का पाठ पढ़ाते हैं? क्यों वे नहीं, जो सांप्रदायिक असहनशीलता फैलाते हैं? क्यों वे नहीं, जो उसकी बनाई दुनिया के खिलाफ हिंसा का प्रचार करते हैं?

मेरे प्यारे अब्बा, मुझे आपकी बात याद है कि दुनिया में बहुत दुश्मनी है, लेकिन बहुत सुकून, मेलजोल और प्यार भी है। दुनिया में दुख है, तकलीफ है, लेकिन सुख समृद्धि और आगे बढ़ने के रास्ते भी हैं। दुनिया में जंग और बर्बरता है, लेकिन भाईचारा, सुकून और शांति भी है। यह इस बात से तय होता है कि आप कहां से और कैसे इस दुनिया को देखते हैं।
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यह आपकी उम्मीदों और सकारात्मक सोच के साथ तैयार मेरी शख्सियत है कि मैंने देश में प्यार, भाईचारा, सुकून और सांप्रदायिक सौहार्द के हालात को देखना पसंद किया है, चुना है। मैंने यह भरोसा चुना कि गुजरात में हमने जो हिंसा और सांप्रदायिक असहनशीलता देखी, वह महज एक तात्कालिक विचलन थी और उसके गम जल्दी ही गुजर जाएंगे। आपस में बांटने के एजेंडे के साथ नफरत का कारोबार करने वाले हारेंगे और भारत में लोग अपने मजहब और नस्ल, रंग और जाति, सियासी बुनियाद या आदर्श की परवाह किए बिना एक दूसरे के साथ आएंगे, आपके और आपकी तरह के लाखों लोगों के उन सपनों के लिए जो एक, प्रगतिशील, समृद्ध, धर्मनिरपेक्ष और गर्व करने लायक भारत में बसता है।

मेरे प्यारे अब्बा, आपकी दी हुई सबक मुझे यह ताकत देती है कि मैं गुजरात कत्लेआम के दौरान हजारों बेघर हो चुके लोगों, औरतों और बच्चों की मदद के लिए आगे बढ़ूं, जो जिंदगी के बेहद असह्य और तकलीफदेह हालात में जी रहे हैं। मेरे दिल में किसी खास व्यक्ति या समुदाय के लिए कोई कड़वाहट नहीं है। मैं आपके दामाद नाज़िद हुसेन के साथ हूं और अपनी काबिलियत के मुताबिक बेसहारा लोगों की मदद के लिए बहुत बेहतर काम कर रही हूं। हमारे साथ कई लोगों, संस्थाओं और संगठनों की भी मदद है। हम लोगों के पुनर्वास, उनकी सुरक्षा की गारंटी और गुजरात में इंसान सुनिश्चित करने के लिए काम कर रहे हैं।
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हमें हिम्मत दीजिए अब्बा! और इस देश को भी हौसला दीजिए, जिसके सम्मान के लिए आपने बिना किसी भेदभाव और बिना किसी स्वार्थ के जिंदगी भर काम किया। हमें आशीर्वाद दीजिए और राह दिखाइए, ताकि हम हम आपके दिखाए रास्ते को साफ-साफ देख सकें, उस पर चल सकें। दया और संवेदना का रास्ता, एकता और अखंडता का रास्ता, शांति और सौहार्द का रास्ता, ताकि हम गुजरात की उस त्रासदी को दोहराए जाते नहीं देखें।
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शुक्रिया… हम आपसे प्यार करते हैं… हम हमेशा आपसे प्यार करेंगे… हम हमेशा आपको याद करेंगे…!

(समाप्त)

अनुवाद- अरविंद शेष

अब्बा, हमें हौसला और हिम्मत देना- 2

अब्बा, हमें हौसला और हिम्मत देना- 1
 
 

The post अब्बा, हमें हौसला और हिम्मत देना- 3 appeared first on SabrangIndia.

आपकी लाइब्रेरी में कानून, साहित्य, दर्शनशास्त्र, इंसानियत, धर्म, राष्ट्रीय एकता और आपकी अपनी कविताओं की हजारों किताबें जो आपने अपनी अगली पीढ़ियों के लिए संभाल के रखी थीं, वे आपको समझने के लिए काफी थीं। वे सब खाक में तब्दील कर दी गईं। आपके दफ्तर में अब गौरैया नहीं हैं, उनके घोंसले जला दिए गए। मुझे याद है कि आपने अपने दफ्तर में गौरैयों को घोंसला बनाने, अंडे देने, उनके चूजों को उड़ान भरना सिखाने के लिए कितनी मेहनत की थी। आप अपने दफ्तर की एक खिड़की हमेशा ही खुला छोड़ देते थे, तब भी, जब हम सब समूचे घर को बंद कर कहीं बाहर गए होते। सिर्फ इसलिए कि गौरैया हमारे घरों में आजादी से आवाजाही कर सकें। जब वे गौरैया घोंसला बनाने के दौरान कुछ गंदगी फैलाती थीं, तो दिन में कई-कई बार आप अपने दफ्तर की सफाई खुशी-खुशी करते थे। जब उन गौरैयों को नन्हे चूजे होते थे, तो आप घर के पंखे चलाने वाले बिजली के स्विच पर टेप लगा देते थे, ताकि गलती से वे चल न जाएं। पंखों से चूजों के घायल होने की बनिस्बत आप गरमी को बर्दाश्त करके काम करना पसंद करते थे। हम आज भी उन गौरैयों को याद करते हैं।

मुझे याद है कि एक युवक कालिया जब अपने पांवों के जख्मों की तकलीफ से तड़प रहा था, तो आप उसे डॉक्टर के पास ले गए और खुद उसके घावों की मरहम-पट्टी की थी। उसने बताया था कि जिस वक्त कोई उसे छूने तक के लिए तैयार नहीं था, तब आपने उसे कुर्सी पर बिठा कर खुद नीचे बैठ उसके पांवों को देख रहे थे और तब वह खुद को शर्मिंदा महसूस कर रहा था। उन सालों के दौरान आपने जिनकी मदद की, उनमें से दर्जनों लोग आपकी रहमदिली और उदारता की याद दिलाते हैं। उनमें से कई यह भी जानते हैं कि कैसे आप उन्हें घरों का रंग-रोगन करने, दरवाजों को पेंट करने, किचेन या टॉयलेट या घर में गैराज को नई शक्ल देने के बारे में बताते थे। यह सब इसलिए नहीं कि वह जरूरी था, बल्कि इसलिए कि आप चाहते थे कि वे अपनी जिंदगी को बेहतर बनाने के लिए खुद कुछ काम करें। वे सभी आपको याद करते हैं।

अब्बा, मैं जानती हूं कि अगर आप चाहते तो अपनी वकालत की प्रैक्टिस और अपने सियासी कॅरियर के जरिए काफी पैसे कमा सकते थे। लेकिन इसके बजाय आपने हमारे हिंदुस्तानी स्वभाव के मुताबिक बिल्कुल सादा रहन-सहन और ऊंचे खयालातों की जिंदगी चुनी। अगर आप चाहते तो एक बहुत ताकतवर और रसूखदार सियासतदां हो सकते थे। लेकिन इसके बजाय आप अपने गुरु और आदर्श महात्मा गांधी के मूल्यों के साथ बने रहे और आपने देश के लोगों के लिए काम करने का रास्ता चुना। सांप्रदायिक एकता और सौहार्द, राष्ट्रीय एकता और इंसानी गरिमा पर आपकी लिखी कविताएं आने वाली पीढ़ियों को रास्ता दिखलाती रहेंगी।

यह आपकी उम्मीदों और सकारात्मक सोच के साथ तैयार मेरी शख्सियत है कि मैंने देश में प्यार, भाईचारा, सुकून और सांप्रदायिक सौहार्द के हालात को देखना पसंद किया है। मैंने यह भरोसा चुना कि गुजरात में हमने जो हिंसा और सांप्रदायिक असहनशीलता देखी, वह महज एक तात्कालिक विचलन थी और उसके गम जल्दी ही गुजर जाएंगे।
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आपने न जाने कितने दिलों को छुआ। ज्यादातर हिंदुओं और मुसलमानों ने साथ आकर आपके लिए दुख जताया। आप शांति के एक दूत थे, इंसानियत और इंसानी गरिमा के पैरोकार थे। खुद को हिंदू मानने वाले चंद भटकाए गए लोगों ने गुजरात और गुलबर्ग सोसाइटी में आपके और हजारों मासूम निर्दोष लोगों के साथ जो किया, उस पर हमारे ज्यादातर हिंदू दोस्तों ने अफसोस और शर्मिंदगी जताई। गुनाह का एहसास और उसका बोझ अपने दिल पर लिए ये दोस्त अक्सर हमारे पास आकर गुजरात कत्लेआम के लिए हमसे माफी मांगते। मगर जैसा आप भी करते, उसी तरह हमने उन्हें कहा कि आप वे नहीं हैं जिन्हें इसके लिए बोझ महसूस करना चाहिए।

यह हिंदुत्व नहीं है। उस कत्लेआम के लिए यह हिंदुत्व जिम्मेदार नहीं और इस पर आरोप नहीं लगाया जाना चाहिए। भटकाए गए कुछ अतिवादी दरअसल चरमपंथी हैं और चरमपंथ के पीछे चलने वालों का अपना ही मजहब होता है। हिंदू दरअसल मासूम, रहमदिल, भगवान से डरने वाले और कानूनों के मुताबिक चलने वाले नागरिक होते हैं, ठीक उन मुसलमानों की तरह जिन्हें उन चरमपंथियों ने गुजरात में निशाना बनाया और मार डाला। हमने यहां और सभी जगहों पर अपने सभी दोस्तों को यही बताया है। हम उन्हें प्यार करते हैं, उनकी और हमारी तहजीब के लिए उनकी नेकनीयती की इज्जत करते हैं। यही तो आपने भी किया था। हम उनके सराकारों को साझा करेंगे और इस समाज और देश में फासीवाद और नफरत का जहर फैलाने वालों के खात्मे के लिए काम करेंगे।

(जारी)……

अब्बा, हमें हौसला और हिम्मत देना- 1

The post अब्बा, हमें हौसला और हिम्मत देना- 2 appeared first on SabrangIndia.

मैं पूर्व सांसद एहसान जाफरी की बेटी हूं, जिन्हें गोधरा घटना के बाद शुरू हुए गुजरात कत्लेआम के दौरान 28 फरवरी, 2002 को उनके ही घर में बर्बर तरीके से जला कर मारा डाला गया। मेरे लिए आज भी यह यकीन करना मुश्किल है कि अब वे नहीं हैं, उन्हें इस तरह बेवक्त हमसे दूर कर दिया गया, बेहद क्रूरता और बर्बरता के साथ। चूंकि उन्हें जिंदा जला दिया गया और हमें उनका शरीर भी नहीं मिला, तो मैं अब भी उनकी मौत के बारे में नहीं सोचती। गुजरे तमाम दिनों के दौरान मैं भरोसे और नाउम्मीदियों, भाईचारे और इंसानियत में अविश्वास, हमारी विरासत के मूल्यों और ज्ञान के साथ-साथ गुजरात में अधर्म या अनैतिकता और कत्लेआम के सरेआम नाच के बीच बेतहाशा झूलती रही। इस बीच मैंने अपनी जड़ों और मजहब का सामना किया। मगर मेरे पिता से मिले सबक और मेरे परिवार को मिली ताकत का शुक्रिया कि मैंने फिर से अपना भरोसा और संतुलन हासिल किया है। बहुत थोड़ा ही सही, मैं अपने दुख से उबर सकी हूं।
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बहुत थोड़ा, क्योंकि आज भी मैं अपने जज्बातों पर काबू रखने में नाकाम हो जाती हूं, जब मैं यह सब सोचने लगती हूं कि तलवार से कैसे उन्हें चीर डाला गया, वह आग जिसमें उन्हें जिंदा जला दिया गया, वे लोग जिन्होंने उन्हें मार डाला। लेकिन अब मैं आपके साथ अपने पिता की उन यादों को साझा कर सकती हूं कि वे मेरे लिए क्या थे, अपने परिवार, देश के लिए उन्होंने क्या-क्या सहा और कैसे हम सबको उन्होंने फख्र करने लायक बनाया।
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वे मेरे हीरो थे। जिस पल भी मैं आंखें बंद करती हूं, मेरे बचपन के दिनों से लेकर मेरी शादी और विदेश जाने तक की मेरी जिंदगी के तमाम दौर किसी रील की तरह बार-बार दौड़ने लगते हैं। उस जिंदगी में वे हर पल मेरे साथ थे, और अब जब मैं यह चिट्ठी लिख रही हूं, वे मेरी हिम्मत और हौसले की शक्ल में मेरे साथ हैं।
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मेरे प्यारे अब्बा, मैं आपसे बहुत प्यार करती हूं। हम सब आपसे प्यार करते हैं। हम सब आपको बहुत याद करते हैं। हम सब आपकी प्रतिबद्धता, आपके भरोसे, आपकी हिम्मत, आपके मूल्यों और त्याग के लिए आपका शुक्रिया अदा करते हैं। आपने हमें निस्वार्थी बनना और केवल खुद के बारे में नहीं सोचना सिखाया। अम्मी उस वाकये को याद करते हुए कभी नहीं थकतीं जब आप अपने पुराने घर के एक कमरे में सो रहे थे, तो एक लालटेन बिस्तर पर गिर गया था और बिस्तर में आग लग गई थी। उसी बिस्तर पर आप और अम्मी एक ओर सो रहे थे। अचानक महसूस होने पर आप जैसे ही जगे और आपने आग देखा, तो तुरंत बिस्तर पर से भागने के बजाय आपने अम्मी को जगा कर बचने के लिए कहा। लेकिन जब वे जगीं और आग देखा, तो तुरंत ही दरवाजे की ओर भागीं। उन्हें यह ध्यान नहीं रहा कि आप कहां थे और उन्हें क्या कहने की कोशिश कर रहे थे। अब इसके चालीस साल से ज्यादा गुजर चुके हैं, लेकिन अब भी वे उस वाकये को याद करती हैं और अफसोस से भर जाती हैं कि आग देख कर दरवाजे की ओर भागते हुए उन्होंने आपका हाथ क्यों नहीं पकड़ा।
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लेकिन अट्ठाईस फरवरी को उस वक्त वे घर में ऊपर थीं, जब आप पर बर्बरता ढायी गई और जिंदा जला दिया गया। आप तब उन सैकड़ों मर्दों, औरतों और बच्चों को बचाने की कोशिश कर रहे थे, जिन्होंने हिंसक और कातिल भीड़ से जान बचाने के लिए आपके घर में पनाह ली हुई थी। वह अफसोस अब उनके लिए बर्दाश्त करने के काबिल नहीं है। उन्होंने देखा कि कैसे एक अलग हालात में चालीस साल पहले का वह वाकया फिर से सामने आ गया।          (जारी)…..

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I am the daughter of the former Member of Parliament, Ehsan  Jaffri, who was brutalised, burnt  in his own house and killed on February 28 during the Gujarat violence that took place in the wake of the Godhra incident. It was hard for me even to believe that he is no more, that he was taken away so untimely and with such cruelty and brutality. As he was burnt and we did not find his body, there is no closure for me on his death. During the past 5 months I have swung wildly between the extremes of faith and hopelessness, brotherhood and utter disbelief in humanity, our ancient values and wisdom, and the displayed dance of immorality and violence in Gujarat. Over this time, I even confronted my roots and religion. But thanks to the power of my father’s teachings and the support of my family, I have now regained my balance, overcome my grief, even if only partially.

Partially, because I still fail to control my emotions while thinking about the sword that ripped him, the fire that burnt him, the people who killed him. But I can now share with you my memories of my father, what he was to me, what he endured in the services to his family, his country, and how proud he has made us all.

He was my hero. The moment I close my eyes the entire period of my life from my early childhood to the day I got married and left my family in India, plays back. Repeatedly. He was with me every moment of that life and he is with me, in spirit, now as I write this letter.

My dear Abba, I love you. We all love you. We all miss you. We thank you for your devotion, your faith, your courage, your values, your sacrifice. You have taught us to be selfless and not put ourselves first. Ammi is never tired of recounting the incident when in the bedroom of your old house while you were sleeping, the small kerosene lamp on the side of the bed fell off and the curtain caught fire. You were sleeping on the side of the fire and Ammi was next to you. As the heat woke you up and you saw the fire, instead of jumping out of the bed immediately, you first woke Ammi up and asked her to get to safety. But when she woke up and saw the fire, she thinks she quickly jumped out of bed and ran to the door without even knowing where you were or what you were trying to tell her. It is more than 40 years since, but she still remembers and regrets that incident and feels guilty of putting herself first that day and not grabbing your hand as she ran to the door.
In the wake of what happened on February 28, as she was upstairs in the house while you were being brutalised and burnt in your efforts to save the lives and honour of over a hundred men, women and children who had gathered in your house seeking protection from the violent mob, the guilt has become unbearable for her. She sees that 40 year old incident replayed yet again if under different circumstances and with not so bearable consequences.

Thousands of books in your library, the books on law, literature, philosophy, humanity, religion, national unity and your own poems articulating your understanding of all that, have turned into ashes – the treasure you had safeguarded and saved for your children and grandchildren. The sparrows in your office are no more — their nests burnt. I remember how you used to encourage and assist the sparrows to make their nest in your office, lay eggs, rear their chicks and teach them to fly. You would keep one office window open all the time, even when we went out and locked up the entire house. Only so that the sparrows could get in and out freely. Several times a day you would happily clean the mess the sparrows made in your office in the process of making their nests. When the sparrows had little chicks, you would put a tape on the fan switch never allowing it to be turned on even by mistake. You would work in the heat rather than risk injuring the chicks by the fan blade. We also miss those sparrows.

Kaliya, the young boy who had foot infection, cries and recalls how you took him to the doctor and used to personally dress and bandage his wounds. He also talks of how he, whom no one else would even touch, used to feel embarrassed to sit on the chair while you would sit down and tend to his feet. Dozens of those whom you helped over the years also come and reminisce about your kindness and generosity. Many of them also know how you asked them to white–wash the house, paint the doors, or remodel the toilets, kitchen, or garage in our house, not because that was needed, but because you wanted them to work and make a living for themselves. They all miss you.
Abba, I know if you wanted, you would have earned a lot of money through your practice of law or your political career. But instead, consistent with our ethos, the Indian ethos, you chose to lead a life of simple living and high thinking. If you wanted, you could have become a very powerful and pragmatic politician. But instead, consistent with the values of your mentor and ideal Mahatma Gandhi, you chose to serve the people of our country. Your poems on communal unity, national integrity and human dignity will continue to guide generations.

Thanks to your optimism and my upbringing with a positive outlook, I choose to see love, brotherhood, peace and communal harmony in India. I choose to believe the violence and communal intolerance we saw in Gujarat was only an aberration that will soon pass.

You have touched many hearts. A majority of Hindus and Muslims have come together in mourning you. You were an apostle of peace and an advocate of humanity and human dignity. Most of our Hindu friends express regret and shame over what a few misguided radicals who believed they were Hindus did to you and to the thousands of other innocent people in Gulberg society and in Gujarat. Bearing a feeling of guilt, these friends often come and apologise to us for the Gujarat violence. But we tell them, as you would have, that it is not they who must feel guilty.

It is not Hinduism that is responsible for the carnage and should not be blamed. The misguided radicals were extremists, followers of extremism, which is a religion in itself. Hindus are as innocent, as kind, as compassionate, as God–fearing and law-abiding citizens as those Muslims who were made targets and killed in Gujarat by those extremists. We tell this to all our friends, here and everywhere. We love them, respect them and respect their sincerity and faith in our values just as you did. We share their concern and resolve to work together to eliminate the monster of fascism injecting and spreading the poison of hate in our society, our country.
Abba, there was a time when I was totally overwhelmed with my loss, when I repeatedly kept asking myself, why my father? Why him? But thanks to your teachings, the teachings of always seeing the bigger picture of events and the bigger picture of our lives, I have recognised that there are thousands of others like me – men, women and children – who have lost their near and dear ones and who are also asking why them? Scores of children have become orphans and scores of parents have become childless. I also recognise that some of the likes of me are in Godhra and in Kashmir. Their pain is no less than mine. Their loss is no less than mine. Their innocence is no less than mine. So I ask of those in power who have carried out this carnage and who from time to time commit such crimes against humanity, why us? And with all humility, humbleness and a sincere heart I ask God, Why not those who preach hatred? Why not those who spread communal intolerance? Why not those who propagate violence against His creation?

My dear Abba, I remember you telling me there is animosity in the world, but there is also peace, harmony and love. There is pain and misery in the world, but there is also happiness, progress and prosperity. There is fighting and brutality in the world, but there is also brotherhood, peace and tranquillity. It also depends upon where and how you look at the world. Thanks to your optimism and my upbringing with a positive outlook, I choose to see love, brotherhood, peace and communal harmony in India. I choose to believe the violence and communal intolerance we saw in Gujarat was only an aberration that will soon pass. The hate–mongers with a divisive agenda will be defeated and the people in India will come together, regardless of their religion or race, regardless of their colour or caste, regardless of their political orientation or ideology, to realise your dream and the dream of millions of others like you — that of a united, progressive, prosperous, secular and proud India.

My dear Abba, thinking about you and your teachings revitalises my resolve to go out and help thousands of those homeless men, women and children produced in the wake of the Gujarat massacre who have been suffering what is insufferable, who have been enduring, what is unendurable. I am not bitter against any individual, or community. Following in your footsteps, I with your son–in–law, Najid Hussain am working to the best of my capacity and capability, to help these destitute people. We have help from several individuals, institutions and organisations. We are working to provide those people rehabilitation, guarantee their safety and security and work to ensure justice in Gujarat.

Bless us Abba. And bless the country you served all your life with distinction, honour, and a selfless devotion. Bless us and guide us so that we can clearly see and tread the path you showed us — the path of kindness and compassion, of unity and integrity, of peace and harmony – so that we never have to see Gujarat repeated ever again. Thank you. We love you. We will always love you. We also miss you.  

Archived from Communalism Combat, September 2002, Anniversary Issue (9th), Year 9  No. 80, Bless us, Abba!            

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