By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net,

Bhopal:  The National Archives of India (NAI), Regional Office, Bhopal is organizing a 3-day outreach programme from  September 29th to October 1st, 2015 on the occasion of the 125th Foundation Year (1891-2016) of NAI.

An exhibition entitled “DARICHA- Glimpses into the times of Shahjahan Begum- “Riyasat-e-Shahjahani” with special reference to Benazeer Palace” is organized on the occasion.

Lecture Series by eminent Archivists, Historians and Archeologist and Outreach programmes for School and College students and Photo-walk will also be organized on to mark the event.

The programmes will be held in the premises of the National Archives of India, Regional Office, Civil Lines, Bhopal and will remain open from 11.00 AM to 5.00 PM till the 15.10.2015.

 Meanwhile, it may be mentioned here that Shahjahan Begum (29 July 1838 – 16 June 1901) was the Begum of Bhopal (the ruler of the princely state of Bhopal in central India) for two periods: 1844–60 (her mother acting as regent), and secondly during 1868–1901.

Born in Islamnagar near the city of Bhopal, Shahjahan Begum was the only surviving child of Sikandar Begum, sometime Nawab of Bhopal by correct title, and her husband Jahangir Mohammed Khan. She was recognised as ruler of Bhopal in 1844 at the age of six; her mother wielded power as regent during her minority. However, in 1860, her mother Sikandar Begum was recognised by the British as ruler of Bhopal in her own right, and Shahjahan Begum was set aside. Shahjahan Begum succeeded her mother as Begum of Bhopal upon the death of the latter in 1868.

New Delhi : The Delhi High Court on Wednesday asked the Public Works Department (PWD) to inform it on the timeline of redevelopment of the Jama Masjid area here.

A division bench of Justice B.D. Ahmed and Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva asked the department to file a "better affidavit" which will indicate the timeline of redevelopment of the area.

The court's direction came after the PWD filed an affidavit stating that process to redevelop the area would likely to be done by the beginning of 2017.

Not satisfied with the submission of the PWD, the bench asked it to file an affidavit with modified timeline of redevelopment of the area which would be feasible saying that time given by the PWD is "too far stretched".

On the encroachment of Jama Masjid area, North Delhi Municipal Corporation and SHO of the area to file status reports within two weeks and posted the matter for November 4.

Advocate Mobin Akhtar, appearing for various associations representing shop owners and vendors of the area, said there was a lot of unauthorised construction in and around the market area of Dargah Sheikh Kalimullah.

The petitioners alleged inaction on part of authorities in putting into effect the redevelopment plan despite having obtained all legal permissions from the concerned agencies as well as sanction of Rs.168 crore as a tentative cost of the project.

The petitioners alleged that delay in implementing the plan resulted in encroachment by unauthorised occupants and had sought an order directing the authorities to place in their original locations the shop owners, who were removed in the name of redevelopment plan.

New Delhi : The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Wednesday urged the central government to clear all hurdles within a year to ensure construction of Lord Ram's temple in Ayodhya at the main site.

It also demanded that the legitimate right of construction of Ram temple should be given to Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas.

"The government should start the process of construction of Ram temple after clearing the hurdles in a year," VHP patron Ashok Singhal said at a press conference here.

"The responsibity of the construction of temple should be given to Ram Janmbhoomi Nyas as it has already collected three lakh rocks and have the mandate of saints," he added.

Singhal also said the government should offer a different site to construct the mosque.

"The government, for the purpose of public interest, can issue a notice to the Babri Masjid Muthwali for acquisition of the land and building of Babri Masjid and offer another site to build a mosque," the VHP leader said.

The Allahabad High Court in a judgement had observed that a mosque could be constructed next to the temple. But both the parties to the suit, dissatisfied for different reasons, had then appealed to the Supreme Court in special leave petitions where the matter now rests.

BJP leader Subramaniam Swamy, who was alo present at the press conference, said legally there was no hurdle in Ram temple's construction and thus government should initiate the process.

He also asked the BJP leadership to fulfil its Lok Sabha poll promise in this regard.

VHP has also convened a national seminar of Hindu outfits and saints between January 9-10 to discuss the solution of the issue.

By Dr.Ajmal

769 Haj piligrims died in the Mina Stampede, and the preceding week around 107 died in the Crane Crash in Mecca - tragedies which have marred the recent history of uneventful Haj. This year is considered to be one of the worst in the last 25 years of Haj history. The toll is to expected to raise as hundreds more are critically injured.

Being an Emergency Medicine Physician & one of the 20 odd Managers of Indian Medical Centers in Saudi Arabia deputed by Govt of India in 2008 to treat Indian Haj Pilgrims I have some fond memories as well as earnest observations to share, hopefully giving a better picture for those interested to understand.Our honest efforts are to do some "fact finding" and "medically research" the causes, that lead to these tragic incidents and not to belittle the good work the Saudis and thousands of volunteers, put in to make Haj the world’s best largest peaceful gathering.

Mina Stampede

Mina is a large scenic place, with rows and rows of tents, the beauty of which is simply mesmerizing. Right beneath the beauty lies the dark facts. All men are equal before Lord, wearing the same unstitched cloth - is sadly and unfortunately - not True. An overview of Mina geographically is essential to comprehend it.

As you stand over the bridge you will notice the expanse of Mina from Jamarat to Muzdaliffah, so much so the tents are now inside muzdalifah. On the mountain top you see the palaces of the royal family, from where they do their rituals, going by a separate route to Jamarat.

Then there are multistory large grey colored buildings, making you think what is an apartment doing in a tent city? These are building reserved for the ultra-rich Muslims shelling out thousands of dollars per night. Even in the tents there are huge differences. The tents near the Jamarat have better facilities and usually booked for dignitaries and the farther the tents from Jamarat the poorer the accommodation.

With the disparities openly seen, is it wrong to ask - do those who buy better resources and get better benefits, ever faced such tragedies? Has Stampede ever happened in areas involving richer tents..??

Why is Mina Prone for Stampedes while the new Jamarat area avoided it?

Mass Gathering Medicine – involves an interesting concept called Fluid Dynamics or Crowd Flow - ( http://www.wired.com/2015/09/hajj-stampede-fluid-dynamics-problem/ ) .

It is keeping these dynamics in mind, Gensler, World's biggest Architectural firm, designed the Jamarat at the request of SaudiArabia. Look at the Pictures below, how the design itself of Y shape, wide pillars, curved oval "0" shapes - ease the process, compared to stagnation of the previous model. Even if there is a push the only way out is to exit to the next Jamarat. There is adequate space in between, so much so people can even come in cars to fulfill the stoning ritual!

Those who have been to Jamarat will also notice that at the edges are police stationed on high raised platforms, watching from above. And if there is anyone tripping, they almost jump down from top to disperse it, then and there.

Structural Flaws in Mina

Compare this to Mina, which is badly designed death trap - in times of disasters. It has "H" and "T" intersections, which are best avoided in such crowded places. It is exactly at one of the T intersections that the stampede occurred. There is absolutely no way anyone can escape if stuck in the connecting T or H.

The side walls are fenced and tall, meaning the only way to escape is to climb on someone and go over the fence. Which is exactly what the people tried do , some throwing their children to the safety of nearby roof tops.

Unlike Jamaraat Mina roads are not covered. So those who fall down, die an agonizing death in 40C blistering heat. Medically the time taken for death due to Stampede (Compression Asphyxia) is around 4-8 minutes.

With the current Mina design, it is absolutely impossible for any help or ambulance, to come through the congested roads within 10 Minutes to site. Reaching the spot from the Mina Hospital would easily take 15-25 minutes or even more. There are no raised platform alongside the roads to pick up tripped people, nor do those trapped have any outlet to escape. The only option is to stamp on one another to reach the top, or die. Eventually the staff can only come and pick up the bodies later, with skin blistered and peeled. People are destined to die if there is a stampede in the current setup.

When the rich & powerful can have multistorey buildings to reside, wider roads, vehicles for transport within mina, why not others? Do their Lives matter less...?? It’s high time the inherent structural flaws in the design are rectified.

Paul Wertheimer, the founder of Los Angeles-based consultancy Crowd Management Strategies, discussing the ongoing carnage at Mina said, "Part of the problem was architectural — the passageways were too narrow for the crowds. They brought in experts and widened the passageways. But the problem has not been solved. It looks like a classic failure of crowd management."

Modernization of Mina vs High raise buildings in Haram

SaudiArabia not only spends billions but also earns billions in revenue through Haj. Some stats from this article will highlight the glaring errors in prioritizing the spendings in recent years, especially during the previous Saudi ruler. To Quote verbatim from the article

"Saudis spent roughly $1.2 billion on Mina after 360 pilgrims were killed in 2006. The luxury hotel suites and shopping centers at the Abraj al-Bait and Makkah Clock Royal Tower cost over $15 billion. Saudis have allocated $26.6 billion to expanding the mosque itself, announcing its intentions to increase capacity past 3 million worshipers. This policy is misguided: The Grand Mosque is not where capacity and transit of pilgrims are in desperate need of repair. Grand Mosque had never even been the site of a major disaster, despite the masses of worshipers seemingly ever-present within its walls.(excluding the crane fall which was due to high winds). The Abraj al-Bait complex and an upcoming 10,000-room mega-hotel adjacent to the Grand Mosque similarly miss the point. After repeated tragedies, that (mina) passage demanded careful planning and decisive action to prevent further injury and death."

Sectarian Politics & Iranian Propaganda

Iran which wants to be a part of investigations, having lost more than 200 piligrims, should know that the false propaganda they indulge in, need to stop. Just because they are fighting IS, they can’t assume the Sunni Muslim world will support any action of theirs, good or bad. Iran has a history of playing politics at Haj showing defiant behavior even during Haj times. Their illusion of reviving the Persian empire by arming rebels in Middle East and exaggerating news, does more harm than good, not only to themselves but the Muslim Ummah at large.

If Hajj is about reviving the rituals carried out by our ancestor Prophet Ibrahim, A.S and performing it as the Prophet Muhamamd sal commanded it, then how can they indulge in sloganeering and political activism in haj which is beyond shameful? ( https://www.facebook.com/ShiaOfIndia/videos/780171415366563/)

Moreover, there is truth in the statement that, the mina incident happened when the Iranian pilgrims came in the opposite direction not following the original route.

The Iranian propaganda of the Crown Prince Motorcade causing the stampede have no basis, primarily because the routes are entirely different. This has been clarified by SaudiArabia in a press release.

Iranian claims of Saudis being incapable of managing Haj, sounds more than hollow, as Iran itself has not been able to provide protection to various important Shia Shrines themselves. It is such exaggerated & unfair criticism of SaudiArabia that Turkish President, Erdogan refuted this saying "it would be wrong to point a finger at Saudi Arabia which does its best to make the annual Haj pilgrimage possible. You have to see the glass as half full,” he said, adding that each country suffers failures.

Need for Open, Independent and Honest Investigation & Dialogue

Labelling such incidents as “Acts of God” is an easy and wrong way out rather than assuming accountability and responsibility. Errors happen even after good efforts. True, but errors if not rectified they get repeated. If errors are not seen as errors but rather justified, they get entrenched.

Just as a doctor or a hospital cannot afford to refuse or mismanage a case of Heart Attack, by giving excuses that the patient was a smoker or a was having lot of meat / biryani his whole life, will these kind of excuses neglecting deficiencies, be acceptable to anyone..??

To blame large crowds, African brothers, Shias, is to shift responsibility, than make oneself accountable. Its unfair and unjust to blame crowd . No one wants to die being crushed to death or crush another fellow Muslim no matter how holy the place is.

John Seabrook, Senior Journalist who has extensively researched on Crowd disasters had written way back in 2011 that - "Crowds often take the blame for what are actually failures of planning and logistics"

Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari urged King Salman "to ensure a comprehensive and thorough exercise that will identify any flaws in Hajj organisation". All nations who lost citizens, due to humanitarian reasons, have the right to take the case to be independently evaluated, to check if corruption exists in giving out hajj projects as is being alleged widely. Even the allegations of royal convey leading to the disaster, can be easily proved or disproved by releasing the video footage continuously been recorded. Were the staff at Mina adequately trained, as many eye witnesses describe that they were themselves confused at what to do? . Were they BLS (Basic Life Support) certified, as is the requirement for all police or firefighters in western countries?

There should be an open and honest investigation rather than brushing the issue aside - not only for the welfare of the Hajis but also to retain the respect and sanctity of the title Allah has bestowed on them being "Custodian of the Holy Mosques".

King Salman and his son, Crown Prince Muhammad had to inherit a difficult legacy from his predecessor and are trying hard to fix the unity of Muslims by cooperating with all including whom the previous kings fought. May Allah help them overcome the trials and spearhead a positive change in Muslim affairs not only in SaudiArabia but all over the world.

(Passionate about Islam, politics and issues connected to the welfare of Muslims, Dr Ajmal is a Medical Practitioner and after obtaining Diploma in Islamic Banking and Finance, he started the firm WealthCity, which advices on Islamic Investments for Indian Muslims. He write through his fb page https://www.facebook.com/Dr.Md.Ajmal.)

Mumbai : For Gandhi Jayanti on Friday, sitar maestro Shujaat Khan, who has enthralled Indian classical music aficionados for several decades, has paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi with a soulful rendition of "Vaishnav jana to...".

This musical tribute of Gandhi's favourite 'bhajan' (hymn) blends the soothing sounds of sitar with soaring vocals by the maestro himself.

The three-minute-long cover reminds one of Gandhi's principles of simplicity, his ideologies and experiments with truth.

"It was natural for me to think that this was the most important bhajan in Gandhiji's life. Also importantly, in our times, if we are able to understand other people's pain and unhappiness, it changes our way of thinking," Shujaat told IANS about the 'bhajan', which was written in 15th century by poet-saint Narsinh Mehta.

"It's a pretty rhythm, but more than that the words of the 'bhajan' are beautiful. If one day you are able to feel the pain of others without feeling any arrogance, your thought process changes," he added.

The new rendition was performed by the maestro at the newly opened Brooke Bond Taj Mahal Tea House, and is slated to be the first of many Taj Tea House sessions, to be hosted here.

Located at St. John Baptist Road in Bandra, the Taj Mahal Tea House is now open and welcoming tea connoisseurs and lovers of classical Indian music for a unique experience.

Islamabad: A court in Peshawar city asked the archaeology department to clarify on Wednesday if the government wanted to declare legendary actor Dilip Kumar's ancestral house as national heritage.

The court directed the secretary of the provincial culture and archaeology department to explain if the government was still interested in acquiring the house and turn it into a national monument, Dawn online reported.

The order was issued on a petition of Haji Lal Mohammad Khan, owner of the house, who is seeking orders for the government to de-notify the purchase of the house.

Haji Lal's counsel Shahnawaz Khan challenged the historical significance of the residence, saying much misinformation was attached to the property.

"The house was initially in the ownership of Ghulam Mohiyuddin who transferred it on January 26, 1943, to Ghulam Sarwar, father of Dilip Kumar (Yousaf Khan), the Indian film star," the petitioner said.

There was a claim that Dilip Kumar spent his childhood in the house. This was contrary to the facts on record as he was born in 1922 and his father purchased the property in 1943, Shahnawaz said.

The lawyer said the house in question could not be called Dilip Kumar's ancestral property as his father had sold it within three days of the purchase.

The then provincial government in 2012 issued a notification of acquiring the house, but the petitioner turned down the offer.

Mumbai: Pakistan's renowned ghazal maestro Ghulam Ali will not perform in Maharashtra this week, as his shows were cancelled after a meeting between the organisers and Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, a party leader said on Wednesday.

"The programmes would be held as per schedule, but Ghulam Ali will not participate in it. This decision was taken at a meeting between the event organisers and Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray here this evening (Wednesday)," the Shiv Sena's film wing Chitrapat Sena general secretary Akshay Bardapurkar told IANS.

Reacting to the fracas, the 75-year-old singer was seen on TV channels expressing regret and how Mumbai has always welcomed international artistes warmly.

Barely hours before, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had announced that the show would be held and the government would ensure Ghulam Ali's security.

The Shiv Sena earlier on Wednesday threatened to disrupt Ghulam Ali's proposed live concerts in Mumbai and Pune this week.

Chitrapat Sena president Aadesh Bandekar told IANS: "We have met and asked the authorities at Shanmukhananda Hall in Matunga to cancel the show proposed to be held on October 9, failing which we shall protest in our own style."

Officials said Ghulam Ali's participation in the events in Mumbai and Pune could raise security concerns and it was the duty of the government to ensure the safety of the internationally-acclaimed artiste.

Bandekar said the party would also protest and stop a similar concert scheduled in Pune on October 10 as part of the fourth death anniversary tribute to late singer Jagjit Singh.

Interestingly, both the concerts have reported a near-total sell-out and have been the topic of discussion on social media since the past few days.

"We respect the art and artistes of Pakistan. However, we are strongly against any form of cultural association with that country since it regularly kills our soldiers and civilians in attacks around the borders," Bandekar said.

He warned of protests not only in Mumbai and Pune but wherever Ghulam Ali performs in India.

In the past, the Shiv Sena had protested against Pakistani singer Atif Aslam's concert and against the Pakistan cricket team playing in India.

On Tuesday, the party, through its mouthpiece Saamana, had urged the Centre to display guts and attack Pakistan in retaliation for the cross-border attacks on Indian solders and civilians.

The concert in Mumbai was scheduled to be held at the iconic Shanmukhananda Hall, a favourite venue for Shiv Sena functions since several decades.

The tribute to Jagjit Singh was specially brought to India through 'Ek Ehsaas' concerts, which provides a platform to connect people through music.

New Delhi : Amidst the controversy surrounding the cancellation of renowned Pakistani ghazal maestro Ghulam Ali's concert in Mumbai, the country's censor board chief has expressed his disappointment and hoped that "the Indian government will act responsibly".

“It is extremely sad and disappointing that art, music and sports are being subjected to politics of intolerance, hate and one upmanship in the 21st century," Fakhr-e-Alam, chairman of Pakistan's Central Board of Film Censors (CBFC), told IANS.

“I hope Indian government will act responsibly and the world's largest secular democracy will raise itself above people's dietary choices,” he added.

Fakhr-e-Alam, who himself is a singer and actor, also said that “such primitive mindsets will keep progress as a hostage”.

The "Hangama hai kyon barpa" singer, who has been spreading waves of peace and harmony across borders with his music since past 45 years, was scheduled to perform in Mumbai and Pune this week as part of the fourth death anniversary tribute to late singer Jagjit Singh. But the show in Mumbai was called off on Wednesday after Shiv Sena threatened to disrupt his live concert.

Meanwhile, the 75-year-old, who made an entry in Indian cinema with his popular song "Chupke chupke raat din" for B.R. Chopra's "Nikaah" in 1982, expressed his disappointment over the scrapping of the concert, saying he is not angry, but a bit hurt and sad.

The ghazal singer emphasised that borders between countries cannot restrict the music from streaming into the hearts of people.

"I would like to tell Indians to remain in 'sur', love each other and keep listening to us -- be it live or recorded," the veteran told NDTV.

Despite the cancellation causing a stir in the society, the youth wing of the Shiv Sena on Thursday said it won't be proper to host shows by Pakistani artistes in India as long as tensions continued on the India-Pakistan borders.

New Delhi : Delhi's ruling AAP on Thursday invited noted Pakistani ghazal singer Ghulam Ali to perform here after he cancelled his Mumbai concert following threats from the Shiv Sena. It condemned the Shiv Sena for threatening to disrupt the concert.

Delhi's Tourism Minister Kapil Mishra tweeted: "Sad that Ghulam Ali is not being allowed in Mumbai. I invite him to come to Delhi and do the concert. Music has no boundaries."

The 75-year-old singer was scheduled to perform in Mumbai and Pune this week as part of the death anniversary tribute to singer Jagjit Singh. But the show in Mumbai was called off on Wednesday after the Shiv Sena threat.

Ghulam Ali told a news channel that he was "disappointed as people who were interested in the concert were disappointed" and also because it was a tribute to Jagjit Singh, who was like a brother to him.

"This should not be seen as an India-Pakistan issue. Rather it is a symbol of love and affection," he said.

The Aam Aadmi Party condemned the Shiv Sena for issuing threats and said it was "an unspeakable shame" that the state government was promoting elements of hate.

"AAP believes that this act of Shiv Sena has shown that Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is incapable of leading a state," the party said in a statement.

"Why did the organisers of the show visit (Shiv Sena chief) Uddhav Thackeray? Who is the chief minister of the state - Fadnavis or Thackeray?" the party asked.

"The Pakistani singer is an emblem of all that is good in India and Pakistan. He stands for the harmony that exists in our two countries. He spreads the message of peaceful co-existence - 'Diwali mein Ali aur Ramzan mein Ram'," it added.

The party said "disturbing elements are flourishing as they have the protection and support of the BJP government".

Fadnavis also expressed disappointment over the cancellation. He said his government was ready to provide proper security to Ali for the concert.

However, the Shiv Sena defended its stand and said that people cannot have fun especially when innocents were being killed on the India-Pakistan border.

"We have encounters going on everywhere, so many ceasefire violations. When this is happening, we can't be having fun here," Sena leader Aditya Thackeray told reporters in Mumbai.

New Delhi: Pakistani ghazal maestro Ghulam Ali has agreed to regale his Indian fans at a concert here in December, says Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

"Ghulam Ali Sahib. Hum apke bahut bade fan hain (I'm a huge fan of yours). Abhi apse baat karke bahut acha laga (I felt really good to talk to you). Thanks for agreeing to do a program in Delhi in December," Kejriwal posted on his Twitter page on Friday morning.

Delhi's ruling AAP on Thursday had invited the noted singer to perform here after he cancelled his Mumbai concert following threats from the Shiv Sena.

The 75-year-old was scheduled to perform in Mumbai and Pune this week as part of the death anniversary tribute to singer Jagjit Singh. But the show in Mumbai was called off on Wednesday after the Shiv Sena threat.

Ram Puniyani,

Just over a decade ago (2002) in Dulina village of Jhajjar in Haryana a mob of over a thousand people lynched five dalits who were skinning a dead cow to sell the hide. A few months ago in Malegaon Mahahrashtra police arrested three Muslims on the charge of storing beef. On the back of this come the news from Bisara that a Muslim was killed and his son injured seriously on the charges of storing-eating beef.

In the context of Dulina lynching VHP’s Acharya Giriraj Kishore in a press conference stated that "the life of a cow is more precious than that of a human being." The recent incidents, the above quoted may be a sampler of what is happening, this is becoming a ‘new normal’ after the new Government at Center has taken charge. States with BJP ruled Governments beginning with Maharashtra have been bringing in legislations banning storage of beef.

For Hindu nationalist politics identity issues have been the hallmark and they pursue it to divide the society and polarize the communities along religious lines. Today the insecurity amongst minority is going through the roof, making their life very difficult. For implementing the polarizing agenda, so far Ram Temple issue was the core one. Over a period of time as it has played its role; now lately Holy cow, ‘cow as mother’ is the major tool. As such ‘Cow as mother’ was the ploy used by Hindu communalism all through from late nineteenth century. At that time, there was a matching slogan of ‘pig as an object of hate’ from Muslim communalism on the battleground. As classic serial Tamas (Bhism Sanhi) showed the use of pig being thrown in a mosque to instigate the riots was running parallel to beef in the temple, such incidents leading to communal violence and boosting communal politics in turn.

After independence the ‘pig in the mosque’ is heard of less often. Occasionally one did hear of beef in the temple being put in by Bajrang Dal elements. But not too many casualties were heard on this ground. On subconscious level the issue of beef has been kept very much alive and now this issue has become more important one as far as communal polarization keeping in mind electoral arithmetic is concerned. It has added to the worsening scenario as far as communal harmony is concerned.

It is remarkable that in our country to begin with cow could be presented as ‘mother’ and then used as a tool of communal propaganda and action. Talking at economic level cow has been an important part of the agricultural economy. The old bullocks and cows being used for food by large sections of society has been the norm. Apart from Adivasis, large sections of dalits, Muslims, Christians and even upper caste Hindus consumed beef, as a cheap and rich source of protein. Being a large country with big cattle strength, India is also the major exporter of beef.

Historically; it is interesting to note that beef was part of food habits from Vedic times. Cow got transformed in to mother hood and a major tool of identity politics later. Bhimrao Ambedkar in his celebrated essay “Did Hindus never eat beef?” demonstrates this very well. At popular level Swami Vivekananda confirms the findings of historians like Prof D.N.Jha, who traces the history of beef consumption in Vedic times. Swamiji points out, “You will be astonished if I tell you that, according to old ceremonials, he is not a good Hindu who does not eat beef. On certain occasions he must sacrifice a bull and eat it.”

[Vivekananda speaking at the Shakespeare Club, Pasadena, California, USA (2 February 1900) on the theme of ‘Buddhistic India’, cited in Swami Vivekananda, The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, Vol 3 (Calcutta: Advaita Ashram, 1997), p. 536.]

This is corroborated by other research works sponsored by the Ramakrishna Mission established by Swami Vivekananda himself. One of these reads: “The Vedic Aryans, including the Brahmans, ate fish, meat and even beef. A distinguished guest was honoured with beef served at a meal. Although the Vedic Aryans ate beef, milch cows were not killed. One of the words that designated cow was aghnya (what shall not be killed). But a guest was a goghna (one for whom a cow is killed). It is only bulls, barren cows and calves that were killed.” [C. Kunhan Raja, ‘Vedic Culture’, cited in the series, Suniti Kumar Chatterji and others (eds.), The Cultural Heritage of India, Vol 1 (Calcutta: The Ramakrishna Mission, 1993), 217.]

It is not that society cannot resolve the issue of contrasting food habits and faith in an amicable way. Gandhi shows the way and one wishes that we he has to say on the issue of beef eating, “…beef is not their (Muslims, added) ordinary food. Their ordinary food is the same as that of the millions. What is true is that there are very few Muslims who are vegetarians from religious motive. Therefore, they will take meat, including beef, when they can get it. But during the greater part of the years, millions of Muslims, owing to poverty, go without meat of any kind. These are facts. But the theoretical question demands a clear answer. As a Hindu, a confirmed vegetarian, and a worshipper of the cow whom I regard with the same veneration as I regard my mother (alas, no more on this earth!) I maintain that Muslims should have full freedom to slaughter cows, if they wish, subject of course to hygienic restrictions and in a manner not to wound the susceptibilities of their Hindu neighbours. Fullest recognition of freedom to the Muslims to slaughter cows is indispensable of communal harmony, and is the only way of saving cow.(http://www.mkgandhi.org/g_communal/chap14.htm)

By now the Muslim as the ‘Cow killer’ has been propagated so much by communal forces that yeoman efforts by those; wanting peace, tolerance and pluralism; are needed to overcome the hate built around this propaganda.

(Ram Puniyani is a former IIT Professor, Mumbai-based author and peace activist.)

New Delhi : He may have missed a chance to perform in Mumbai following Shiv Sena's protest, but the songs and melodies of Pakistani ghazal maestro Ghulam Ali will transcend across the border with a special musical tribute on a radio channel on Sunday.

Radio Mirchi 98.3 FM will be playing songs by Ghulam Ali, who has regaled music lovers across the globe over the past 45 years.

One can expect hits like "Chupke chupke raat din", "Hangama hai kyon barpa", “Teri yaad yaad yaad” and “Hum tere shahar mein” on the show, which will be hosted by radio jockey Sayema.

Sayema is excited to be backing such a peace bringing inattentive.

“Ghulam Ali sahab's music symbolises love and harmony. We are always excited to support all such activities and campaigns that promote peace and spread love among the people,” Sayema said in a statement.

“Music shouldn’t be held hostage to populist politics or geographical identities. Ghulam Ali enjoys a massive fan base in India and as a music loving radio station we are compelled to spread more of his music,” said Radio Mirchi managing director and CEO Prashant Panday.

Meanwhile, the 75-year-old Ghulam Ali has also expressed his disappointment over his concert at Mumbai being scrapped, as it was being held as a part of the death anniversary tribute to singer Jagjit Singh.

Ghulam Ali said he is not angry, but a bit hurt and sad.

He also emphasised that borders between countries cannot restrict the music from streaming into the hearts of people.

To ensure that maximum number of people get to enjoy his music, Radio Mirchi will simulcast the concert to a majority of its radio stations all over India.

Agra: Activists and environmentalists here marched to demand release of water from upstream barrages to sustain the ecology of Yamuna and provide moisture to the foundation of the Taj Mahal.

Highlighting the grave threat to the Taj Mahal from a dry Yamuna river bed, activists marched in a procession Sunday night from Haathi Ghat, near the Agra Fort to the Etmauddaula viewpoint park, raising slogans to demand the release of water.

Last week at a conference in Agra, architects and conservationists warned of serious threat to the foundation of the Taj Mahal due to the dry river.

An artificial park developed by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) at the rear of the Taj had distanced the river by 100 yards.

A former IIT professor SC Handa had raised objections to the park warning it would prove dangerous to the foundation of the Taj.

As pointed out by eminent historian Professor R Nath, the foundation rests on sal wood beams which require constant moisture.

Historians have pointed out that the Taj Mahal rests on wooden planks and concrete foundation "which require constantly enough moisture", environmentalist Dr Devashish Bhattacharya told IANS.

The river remains dry for most part of the year, as water flow is captivated by Haryana and Delhi government denying downstream cities their claim to the river water, he added.

Speakers demanded a barrage on Yamuna for Agra city's growing water needs. Shravan Kumar Singh, a conservationist said the barrage will be able to provide enough moisture to the foundation of the Taj.

Dr Anand Rai, president of India Rising, an NGO, said river police squads should be activated to keep an eye on polluters. The drains and sewer drains opening into the river have to be tapped.

For far too long Yamuna had been neglected. "So far there have only been promises and no action. We can no longer wait. Citizens of Agra are angry and frustrated," said Jyoti, Charmayne Tiwari, Anita Yadav, women activists of the River Connect Campaign.

Earlier, activists of half a dozen organisations working for Yamuna met in Vrindavan to demand a Yamuna River Basin Commission to plan, execute and monitor various projects for the cleaning and conservation of the river.

New Delhi: Internet search giant Google on Tuesday paid tributes to Pakistani singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan on his birth anniversary.

The doodle showed the musician singing, his left hand raised to make the letter "l" in the word Google.

Born on October 13, 1948, Khan was primarily a singer of qawwali, the devotional music of the Sufis.

The singer died of a cardiac arrest at the age of 49 on August 16, 1997.

Last week, another Pakistani singer Ghulam Ali cancelled his concert in Maharashtra after Shiv Sena threatened to disrupt it.

Jaipur/New Delhi : Leading Rajasthani and Hindi writer Nand Bhardwaj on Thursday returned his Sahitya Akademi award to denounce "rising religious intolerance and attack on freedom of expression", even as the CPI-M hailed the protesting writers for doing the country proud.

In a letter addressed to Sahitya Akademi, Bhardwaj said: "There is growing concern among writers and intelligentsia against attacks and killing by hardline communal forces and the failure of Sahitya Akademi to stand up for them (writers).

"I praise the writers who have returned the awards, and I also want to return my award, which I won in 2004 for my Rajasthani novel 'Samhi Khulto Marag'," Bhardwaj said. He also sent back the prize money of Rs.50,000.

Bhardwaj has become the latest of Indian writers drawn from various languages including Hindi, Malayalam, Marathi, Kannada, Punjabi, Bengali, Urdu, Tamil, Gujarati and Assamese to return their awards, primarily those conferred by Sahitya Akademi.

Most were upset over the Sahitya Akademi's failure to come out in defence of M.M. Kalburgi after he was murdered in Karnataka on August 30. A few also spoke out against the lynching of a Muslim man near Delhi over rumours that he killed a cow and ate beef.

In Panaji, Goa writers came down on what they said was a rising culture of intolerance towards freedom of speech but said they would not be returning their awards for now.

Eleven Konkani award-winning writers told the media that they would create a lobby of other creative artists and other Padma award winners from Goa.

"We are disheartened by the lack of adequate response of the Sahitya Akademi following the murder of Kalburgi," writer Damodar Mauzo said.

"While we have resolved not to return our awards, we are conveying our sentiments to the Akademi. We want them to speak out at the meeting of the committee which will be held soon," he said.

The press conference was also addressed by writers Pundalik Naik, Dilip Borkar, Datta Naik, Hema Naik, Nagesh Karmali and N. Shivdas. They also vowed to protest at the forthcoming 46th International Film Festival of India (IFFI).

West Bengal Governor K.N. Tripathi, however, accused writers returning the awards of being politically motivated.

"Several incidents occurred in the country from the time they received the award... It makes one wonder if there is a small group who are lobbying for the return of these awards," Tripathi said in Kolkata.

"How it is that none of them were prompted to return the awards earlier and why now?" he asked. "Why did they not return the award when the (2013) Muzaffarnagar riots happened?"

The CPI-M, however, hailed the Indian writers for doing the country proud.

"What is heartening about the writers' protest action is the range and variety of the writers who have stood up to be counted," an editorial in the CPI-M organ "People's Democracy" said.

"What binds them is their deep moorings in secular and democratic values. It is a clear and bold expression of how the country will not succumb to Hindutva authoritarianism," it said.

"By returning the awards bestowed on them and by resigning from the positions they hold in the Akademi, they have also spoken out against the growing attacks on plurality and cultural diversity by the Hindutva forces," the Communist Party of India-Marxist said.

The protest began with important Kannada writers returning their awards to the Kannada Sahitya Parishat on the slow progress in the Kalburgi murder investigation.

Gurdaspur (Punjab) : Amid tension in many parts of Punjab following the desecration of the Sikh holy book Guru Granth Sahib, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Sunday said he saw a "deep-rooted conspiracy by some powerful forces" trying to revive militancy in the state.

Badal said "some forces inimical to the state were hell-bent on destroying the hard-won peace in Punjab".

"It is part of a deep-rooted conspiracy on behalf of some powerful forces who are trying to repeat the black days (of militancy) in the state," Badal told media persons after a function in Dadu Jodh village of Gurdaspur district.

"Such agencies had divided the people on sectarian lines in the past also. Now again, they are trying to create a wedge between the people by fanning such incidents. But it is the moral duty of every Punjabi to defeat their nefarious designs by keeping a strict vigil at every religious place across the state," Badal said.

Violence in parts of south-west Punjab, following the sacrilege incident, has left two people dead and many others injured. The Malwa belt has remained tense, amid protests and road blockades in the last one week.

The protests have been led by radical Sikh groups.

The chief minister appealed to all political parties to join hands in thwarting any attempt at pushing the state back into religious turbulence.

Punjab had witnessed a bloody phase of militancy from 1981 to 1995.

Badal called upon the people to shun the path of agitation, which was causing a lot of harassment to the general public.

"The state government will make every effort to ensure that the perpetrators of the heinous crime of committing sacrilege are brought to book. The desecration of Guru Granth Sahib has tormented the psyche of every Sikh but we must exercise restraint in this hour of crisis to foil the attempts of divisive forces to derail the progress and prosperity in the state," Badal added.

By Mohamed Ajmal for TwoCircles.net

The month of Muharram, is an evidently an historical month for Muslims, and also which highlights the differences between Sunni and Shia Islam. Keeping in view the obvious one sided narrative seen in the media, it is important to know the Sunni Islam's perspective on Muharram and Ashura.

Youm-e-Ashura, or the day of Ashura, is the 10th Muharram. Its meaning is derived from the word ‘asha nura’ which is translated as ‘enlightened day’.

It is a significant date in the Islamic calendar due to many events which have occurred on this particular day, including the martyrdom of Sayyidina Imam Hussain in the battle of Karbala.

Events which Occurred on the 10th Muharram:

In Hazrat Abdul Qadir Jilani Rah in his famous book, Ghunya li-Talibi Tariq al-Haqq, writes of the following events which occurred on Youm e Ashura:

- Allah accepted the repentance of Prophet Aadam (A.S) after his exile from Paradise;
- Allah saved Prophet Nuh (A.S) and his companions in the ark;
- Allah extinguished the fire in which Prophet Ibrahim (A.S) was thrown into by Nimrod [Pharaoh];
- Allah spoke directly to Prophet Musa (A.S) and gave him the Commandments.

- On this same 10th of Muharram, Prophet Ayyub (A.S) was restored to health (from leprosy);
- Prophet Yusuf (A.S) was reunited with his father Prophet Yaqub (A.S);
- Prophet Yunus (A.S) was released from the belly of the fish;
- The sea was divided as the nation of Israel was delivered from captivity, and Pharoah’s army was destroyed.

- Ashura is also the day when Prophet Dawud (A.S) was forgiven;
- the kingdom of Prophet Sulaiman (A.S) was restored;
- Prophet Isa (A.S) (Jesus) was raised to Jannah,
- And Imam Hussain RA, grandson of the Rasul Allah Sallallaahu Alaihiwa Sallam , achieved the honour of Martyrdom at Karbala.

Voluntary [Nafl] Worship on Youm-e-Ashura:

Nafl Namaaz:

Rasul Allah Sallallaahu Alaihiwa Sallam said, "That person who performs four Rakaats of Namaz on the day of Ashura by reciting Surah Ikhlaas 11 times after Surah Fatiha in every Rakaat, Almighty Allah will forgive fifty years of his sins, and he will blessed with a Mimbar (pulpit) of Noor (Light)." - Nuzhat Al-Majalis Wa Muntakhab Al-Nafa'is - Vol.1, Pg. 181

Fasting:

Abi Qatadah RA reports that Rasul Allah Sallallaahu Alaihiwa Sallam said, "On the day of Ashura, I hope that Almighty Allah will make this day a means of Kafaara [expiation] for past sins." - Mishkat Shareef, Pg. 179

"The best fasting after Ramadan is the month of Allah - Muharram, and the best prayer after the obligatory prayer is prayer at night." - Sahih Muslim Hadith # 1163

In the year 10 A.H.,Rasul Allah Sallallaahu Alaihiwa Sallam kept the fast of Ashura with the Noble Companions, who enquired, "Surely, this is also the day which is honoured by the Jews and Christians." The Holy Prophet replied, "If I am alive next year, then I shall also fast on the 9th of Muharram [as well as the 10th]." But, Rasul Allah Sallallaahu Alaihiwa Sallam passed away before that. - Mishkat Shareef, Pg. 179.

Thus, the Muslims worship is kept distinguished and separate from the ways of the non-Muslims. It is for this reason that we should not only fast on the 10th, but also on the 9th of Muharram-ul-Haraam.

Other Virtuous Acts:

One who stays awake on the night of Ashura [10th Muharram] gains the Sawaab [spiritual Reward] of the Angels. -Tafseer Ruhul Bayaan.

The following various deeds for Ashura are mentioned in Ghunya li-Talibi Tariq al-Haqq, by Hazrath Abdul Qadir Jilani Rah :

- Whoever fasts on this day is like one who fasts all his life.
- Whoever clothes a naked person Allah will release him from a painful punishment.
- He who visits a sick person, Allah will grant him a reward that will not be decreased.
- Whoever places his hand on an orphan’s head, or feeds a hungry person or gives water to a thirsty man, Allah will feed him a feast from Paradise and will quench his thirst with Salsabil (a wine that does not intoxicate).
- And whoever takes a bath on this day will enjoy excellent health and freedom from sickness and indolence.
- Whoever provides generously for his family on this day, Allah will be generous to him throughout this year.
- And whoever applies Kuhl to his eyes will never suffer from eye-sore again.

Expressing Grief on Ashura

With regards to the question which is regularly posed, “is it a act of jahiliyyah to cry over Hussain ra death” or the rhetoric “you need not be a shia to cry over Hussain” - it has to be clarified how Sunni Islam sees this.

It is permissible to express sorrow and grief on Ashura in a silent or controlled manner, upon remembrance of the events of Karbala and the sacrifice made by our beloved Imam Hussain RA.

However, it is not permissible to express grief in the manner used by Shias, which is to beat themselves in such a disturbing manner that blood flows from their bodies while they wail and cry loudly, also known as ‘Matam’. These “matam” practices have no historical precedence, in early Islam, when did the Sahabah or the Salaf go around beating themselves on their backs, bleeding?

Imam Malik ra, was right when he said, "And whatsoever was not part of the religion then, is not part of the religion today" al-I'tisaam

When the “son” of Prophet Muhamamd sal, Ibrahim died, but the Sahabah or even the Prophet sal didnt do maatam over it.

During the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), a solar eclipse happened. People hurried to link this to a worldly event, namely, the death of the Prophet’s son, Ibrahim. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) explained the truth of this matter to them.

He praised Allah and lauded Him and said, “The sun and the moon are two signs of Allah; they are not eclipsed on account of anyone's death or on account of anyone's birth. So when you see them, glorify and supplicate Allah, observe the Prayer, give alms. O Ummah of Muhammad, none is more indignant than Allah when His servant or maid commits fornication. O people of Muhammad, by Allah, if you knew what I know, you would weep much and laugh little. O Allah, witness, I informed them.” (Al-Bukhari)

Morever, Rasul Allah Sallallaahu Alaihiwa Sallam said,“He is not from our group who slaps his cheeks, tears his clothes and cries in the manner of the people of Jahiliyyah (pre-Islamic ignorance)."- Sahih Bukhari

How unfortunate that we are seeing people doing exactly, what Prophet Muhammad sal prohibited. With Youm e Ashura at our doorsteps, this is a gentle reminder for us to fast the two days of Youm e Ashura on the 9th and 10th of Muharram 1436 AH. One can also fast on the 10th and 11th of Muharram.

Please let all Muslim brothers and sisters in your contacts know about this, so they too, can fast on the two days of Muharram (9th and 10th or 10th and 11th) as instructed to us by Rasul Allah Sallallaahu Alaihiwa Sallam and Earn Abundant Sawaab from Allah Subhaanuwa Tha'aala.

Edited and compiled from various sources including www.sunnah.org

(Passionate about Islam, politics and issues connected to the welfare of Muslims, Dr Ajmal is a Medical Practitioner and after obtaining Diploma in Islamic Banking and Finance, he started the firm WealthCity (www.wealthcity.in), which advices on Islamic Investments for Indian Muslims. He expresses his views through his fb page https://www.facebook.com/Dr.Md.Ajmal )

Srinagar : Restrictions were imposed in parts of Srinagar city while a curfew was imposed in Anantnag and Bijbehara towns in Jammu and Kashmir to contain a Shia Muharram procession, authorities said.

The restrictions were imposed in Abi Guzar and Lal Chowk areas here fearing escalation of tension following Wednesday's clashes.

Naseer Ahmad Dar, 25, was critically injured during clashes between a stone pelting mob and the security forces in Bijbehara town.

"In order to maintain law and order in the city, we have decided not to allow the Muharram procession today (Thursday)," a police officer told IANS.

Since the separatist violence started here in early 1900s, authorities have been disallowing the 8th day Muharram procession in Srinagar city.

Senior separatist leaders Syed Ali Geelani and Mirwaiz Umer Farooq have been placed under house arrest here, while Muhammad Yasin Malik was taken into preventive custody on Wednesday.

Malik had gone to find out the welfare of Dar, who is battling for life after being hit by a tear smoke shell on his forehead.

"He has been shifted to critical care unit of the hospital after surgery. His condition is continuously being monitored. He is still not out of danger," an attending doctor told IANS on Thursday.

Washington : Indian-American Aziz Ansari has debuted on the Forbes list of Highest-Paid Comedians 2015 with $9.5 million in earnings, thanks to his fan-favourite role as Tom Haverford on the NBC hit "Parks and Recreation".

Like many other celebrities, Ansari, who is ranked sixth, has taken his fame from the stage and screen to the page, the US business magazine noted.

His book, Modern Romance - a sociological investigation into the dating and love lives of millennials -- earned him an advance in the seven-figures. It also brought him name recognition among Tinder-swipers and Hinge-matchers.

Jerry Seinfeld ranks as the top-earning comedian, having raked in $36 million. Kevin Hart came in second on $28.8 million with Terry Fator in third at $21.5 million.

According to Forbes, "Women are noticeably absent from the list, and in the standup and television comedy business in general-a problem that goes back decades".

Since 1959, only three comediennes have won the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album (Kathy Griffin, Whoopi Goldberg and Lily Tomlin), it noted.

The list measures earnings before subtracting management fees and taxes between June 1, 2014 and June 1, 2015.

One of the most interesting developments in comedy in recent years is the growing action on the smallest screen. The Internet has given comedians new platforms on which to make money from their jokes, Forbes said.

"And just as in many areas of the entertainment industry, Netflix is changing the game. Thanks to comedy special exclusives, funnymen Peters, Louis C.K. and Ansari all added significant amounts to their earnings," it said.

By Nivedita Khandekar

Nagpur (Maharashtra): Hemlata Sontakke, 60, was too young to remember the epoch making event she had attended with her family in 1956. But that has not stopped her from remembering it every single day of her life as it was indeed a life-changing experience for lakhs of those who attended the ceremonial Dhamma Deeksha that day.

On the Dussehra day that year – October 14, 1956 – one-year-old Hemlata and her entire family had joined hundreds and thousands of others to accept Dhamma Deeksha (converting to Buddhism) led by the architect of the Indian Constitution and Dalit stalwart Dalit leader Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar. The day since has been known as ‘Dhamma Chakra Pravartan Din’.
The vast ground that was witness to the momentous occasion was named as Deeksha Bhoomi and several years later, a massive stupa, on the lines of famous Sanchi Stupa – was constructed as a memorial, which now occupies a pride of place here.

Hemlata, originally from Nagpur, shifted to Aurangabad after marriage. But every time she comes to Nagpur, a visit to Deeksha Bhoomi is a must. Clutching photos of Dr Ambedkar and Gautam Buddha in her hands, the retired government school teacher said: “I am happy and proud that although very young, I was present there. It is hard to explain the impact of this event on our lives. Dr Ambedkar showed us the light, the path of knowledge.”

Visiting the Deeksha Bhoomi on the eve of Dussehra, Wednesday, October 21, 2015, her face bathed in joy, she said, it is more than a ritual to visit this place. “This is a pilgrim place, something that brings peace for all.”

Hemlata Sontakke clearly is not the only one to believe this if the surging crowds are any proof.

Deeksha Bhoomi

Deeksha Bhoomi is spread over almost four acres. Dr Ambedkar Smarak Samiti constituted after the mass leader’s death had decided to build a stupa as a memorial for the mass conversion ceremony. The construction of the main stupa continued for several years due to various issues but it was finally completed and inaugurated in December 2001. The monument is almost 120 feet high and the stupa dome too has 120 feet diameter. The dome is hollow, covering a large circular hall of over 4,000 sq feet. At the centre of it is a beautiful Buddha statue. This premises also has one of the original copies of the Indian Constitution. Dr Ambedkar was the chairman of the committee that drafted the Constitution.

On the stupa’s four sides are gates with horses, elephants and lions along with the Ashok Chakra. Right outside the stupa are statues of Dr Ambedkar and Gautam Buddha. There is a Buddha Vihara and a Bodhi tree (banyan tree / sacred fig), transplanted with branches of a tree from Sri Lanka.

Over the years, the managers have brought about positive changes vis-à-vis crowd management and public amenities.

Buddha / Dhamma followers

On Wednesday when this reporter visited, Deeksha Bhoomi is slowly getting packed with people a day ahead of Dussehra day. Even as blaring loud speakers make one public announcement after another, scores of shops continue to play songs devoted to Ambedkar and Buddha, ‘Buddham Sharanam Gachchami, Dhammam Sharanam Gachchami’ being the most common chant in many of them.

Stalls are lined up along the foot path - stalls selling eatables, tea, some distributing food for free, medical first aid, police help booths, book stalls and water distribution to name a few.Local municipal body has deployed its people for ensuring sanitation and cleanliness. Mobile toilets and temporary public taps too line up all major roads leading to the huge grounds from all sides.

A gunny sack on their head, a cloth bag clutched under their shoulders or carrying a shiny bag pack, men, women and children walk in and out of the boundary of Deeksha Bhoomi, secured with bamboo barricades manned by police personnel, both male and female in ample numbers, for crowd management.

Sonu Dhande, a class 10 student, is one of the pilgrim who has come all the way from Motegaon village in Washim district of Maharashtra. Dhande family has come to Nagpur with 100-odd people from about 30 families, all Ambedkar followers, from the same village. Son of a farmer, Sonu has been coming to Deeksha Bhoomi for last four years. His grandfather Narayan Prakash Dhande had visited Deeksha Bhoomi for the first time in 1992.

“My grandfather taught me … my morning starts with Ambedkar and Gautam Buddha vandana. Then the whole day is spent well,” the young lad said adding, “It was Ambedkar who taught us – shika va sanghateet wha (Educate and Unite).” It was perhaps this thought that percolated through the second generation in his family. His farmer father is not much educated but Sonu’s eldest brother is pursuing engineering degree while his sister and another brother are pursuing medical degrees (MBBS).

Education was one of the highlights of Ambedkar’s message for his dalit brethren. An entire generation of those converted along with him – called as neo-Buddhists – was exposed to a new thought ‘education can liberate’. For scores of them tormented for various reasons earlier, life and lifestyle changed because of education.

“’Shist and Sanraskshan’ (discipline and security in unity) is what we all learnt from Dr Ambedkar,” said Mujmule Suresh Nagorao, a BA III year student, who also runs a garage at Ukhale Budruk village in tehsil Sonape, district Parbhani. His family had converted to Buddism in 1956 itself but in their own village and not at Deeksha Bhoomi.

But it is not just families such as Dhandes and Nagoraos that visit Deeksha Bhoomi. Earlier, visitors/pilgrims included Ambedkar followers who came mostly from Vidarbha and Marathwada in Maharashtra. But over the years, devout/followers/believers have been coming from across India and abroad – from Tamil Nadu in south to Bihar in north; from Sri Lanka to sometimes even from Japan.

Bhante Sanghbodh and Bodhi Sheelpriya, from Bodh Gaya in Bihar, have been coming for 15 years to Deeksha Bhoomi on Dussehra day. “Buddhism teaches compassion. No wonder more and more people are attracted to this religion,” the monks said referring to almost 10,000-odd people who had taken dhamma deeksha on Tuesday and an equal number or more are set to accept Buddhism on Dussehra day on Thursday.“Not just Hindus, followers of Islam, Christianity and Sikhism too convert to Buddhism,” Bhante Sanghbodh said.

The two monks took deeksha at Deeksha Bhoomi long years ago and were later ordained in the Bhikkhu order at the same place. Affiliated with the All India Bhikkhu Sangha, the monks are also impressed with and proud of the fact that there is huge discipline among the followers despite about 15-lakh odd crowd on the main event day and give credit to the teachings of Buddha for the phenomenon.

Political pilgrims

The place is also offers a good platform for a political pilgrimage for those scouting for dalit votes. The venue sees a grand function each year with almost all leaders from Republican parties attending/addressing the gathering of few lakhs. Almost all years the state’s chief minister too makes it a point to attend the function on the Dussehra day.

In recent times, it was Mayawati, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo, who made a political pilgrimage to this place. The dalit politics had turned a tide when Mayawatibecame the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh. In 2006, speaking on the Dussehra day from this august premises, she vowed to embrace Buddhism when she becomes Prime Minister. Needless to add, subsequent assembly polls have seen her party gaining strong grounds across dalit strongholds in Maharashtra.

Shift from Dussehra to October 14

The place has seen phenomenal increase in number of people visiting before and on the Dussehra day. Although there has been no official record keeping – which is simply impossible as people/devotees throng from all directions and in such large numbers that is not possible to gate keep each one of them – authorities have estimated that average attendance from two days ahead of Dussehra and on the Dussehra day is about 15 lakh.

Numbers have been increasing over the decades but there is a marked difference in terms of spread of visitors. Unlike earlier years, say till 1990s, people thronged the place for almost eight days in the run up to Dusshera and stayed put rendering several restrictions on the movement of Nagpurians and their vehicles. Now, it is mostly a two-day affair ahead of Dussehra day, which of course continues to draw massive crowds.

Two changes have been observed over last decade, especially since 2001 when the memorial stupa was thrown open for public. One is, scores of families and groups of friends make a bee line to Deeksha Bhoomi almost round the year, preferring to visit the place on working day/lesser crowded days rather than facing the hassles on Dussehra day.

But second reason, which is more significant politically too, is since last year (2014), government of Maharashtra has declared October 14 as a public holiday. It has been a long standing demand of some of the Ambedkarites to observe October 14 as the actual anniversary of mass conversion and not Dussehra day, which would mean following a calendar of Hindu religion, which Dr Ambedkar forsake for adopting Buddism.

Now, people start visiting Deeksha Bhoomi since October14 and continue till Dussehra day, spreading out the intensity and lessening the burden on three days in the run up to Dussehra. It is easier not just for visiting pilgrims but also for the administration to manage relatively lesser people over more number of days rather than a bomb of a people on just two days.

The place is already popular among Dalits, Ambedkarites and Buddhists from other states and even the Maharashtra government has been trying to put this on tourism map.

But tourism or not, it will continue to attract Dalits and Buddha followers. Thousands of them accept dhamma deeksha coinciding with the anniversary of the day of Dr Ambedkar’s conversion. But unlike his conversion – which was a political event that brought about a paradigm change for Dalits and changed the contours of India’s politics vis-à-vis caste - these conversions are not accorded high significance by political pundits and it remains as a routine news in the city supplement of local newspapers.

It will make an interesting wait for the big news … if dalit politics – and by extension Indian political scenario – sees another change again if and when Mayawati converts?

All Photos by Nivedita Khandekar

Nivedita Khandekar is an independent journalist based in Delhi. She writes on environmental, developmental and social issues. She can be reached at nivedita_him@rediffmail.com or follow her on Twitter at @nivedita_Him