Jameel Aahmed Milansaar

WHAT DIALOGUE REALLY IS We have first to know what dialogue is not, before coming down to what dialogue is. And from there we have to proceed to placing it in its historical perspective and see how in today’s context the youth can have a role of enhancing its value. So, first what dialogue is not. Dialogue is not about establishing a “we versus they” equation and creating a hegemony for our own ideas vis-à-vistheir ideas. It is not about creating a hierarchy of ideas. It is also not about an exchange of blames nor for trading of charges. Additionally, dialogue is not about agreement or disagreement. Now, what dialogue is. It is a healing process. A warm, human gesture. An open-ended exchange of ideas without forcing anyone to take a certain position or insisting on anyone to take a stand. IOS ROLE Over the years, the Institute of Objective Studies (IOS), headquartered in New Delhi, has contributed to this process with its own international seminars and symposi...

Dr Mohammad Manzoor Alam The tiger can’t change its stripes, the leopard its spots. BJP cannot shed its anti-Muslim obsession. This is the lesson learnt at the UP BJP’s executive meet at Mathura last week. To make sure that the anti-Muslim hysteria in UP is further stoked for the by-elections to 12 UP Assembly seats, and for further build-up to be cashed in at the polls in 2017, the UP party chief blatantly accused Muslims of “99.99 percent” of all rapes in the state. Umakant Vajpayee, the party president, on August 23 brazenfacedly named Muslims saying they were running a “love jehad” to marry Hindu women and convert them to Islam. He asked whether their religion allowed them to rape women. He alleged that the Samajwadi Party government had allowed them to do so. It was not clear from where he got the figures for “99.99 percent” of all rapes being perpetuated by Muslims. Keeping aside the transparent falsehood of such statistics, the idea of “love jehad” itself is ...

Dr Mohammad Manzoor Alam One often wonders why it takes so much time for the state to notice what is common knowledge among Muslims. An example is the Sachar Committee Report, which finally, formally and officially established the fact Muslims happened to be economically and educationally the most backward segment of the Indian society. This “fact” had been known to the sufferings Muslims for decades. The latest example is the Bombay High Court’s observation that most of the custodial deaths seemed to be that of persons from the minority community. Justices VM Kanade and PD Kode made the remark while appointing advocate Yug Chaudhary amicus curiae in a case of custodial death. On his part, Chaudhary said that most of such deaths were of Muslims and Dalits. We all know that deaths in custody represent the worst form of murder by the state. This is not merely the lawlessness of the state, but a breach of the state’s solemn commitment to protect citizens. We welcome and laud the c...