Understanding The Spirit of Quit India Movement
 By Prem Singh   The 78th anniversary of the Quit India Movement, famously known as the August Revolution in the history of India's freedom movement, falls on August 9, 2020. The movement was inspired by the intense desire of freedom of the Indian people. According to a letter written by Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia to the Viceroy Linlithgow, the British government had killed fifty thousand patriots and injured much more people during the movement. On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the movement, celebrated three years ago on 9 August 2017, almost all political parties had organized a number of programs in memory of the martyrs of the August Revolution.     Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while observing the occasion, gave a clarion call for the revival of the spirit of the Quit India Movement by coining a new slogan 'Karenge Aur Karake Rahenge' in place of Gandhi's slogan 'Karo Ya Maro' - Do or Die.  The slogan by Prime Minister was intended towards achiev...

The Perils and Possibilities Of A Muslim-Centric News Channel In India
By Rehan Ansari (Special to India Tomorrow)   MUMBAI, AUGUST 8—Ravish Kumar, famous and Magsaysay award-winning journalist from NDTV, calling Muslims to form their own media house or a news channel to counter anti-Muslim propaganda went viral on social media. Although, he denied issuing any such audio which has generated a lot of debate among Muslims for and against the need for Muslim-owned news channels.   No doubt that media specifically most of the News Channels are spewing venom against Muslims but it will be naïve to assume as “Complete Truth”. The media today, in totality, has lost its objectivity, sacred to the news, has become a tool and spokesperson of the ruling party. It is also guilty of suppressing the facts and adverse news stories, even to the extent that dissent with the government is criminalized, demonized and even abused on a live show. They question the opposition and also the military when an anchor of a famous news channel re...

Lucknow: Rihai Manch Questions Slapping Of Gangsters Act Against Anti-CAA Protesters
Syed Khalique Ahmed | India Tomorrow   LUCKNOW, JULY 8—Well-known human rights organization-Rihai Manch-has questioned the slapping of the UP Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act 1986, against anti-CAA protesters in various districts of the state.   Speaking to India Tomorrow, its general secretary Rajiv Yadav  has described the action of the state government against the anti-CAA protesters as “politics of revenge”, intended to throttle democracy in a state which is much bigger in terms of area as well as population than many countries of the world.   The Lucknow police had booked a total of 27 anti-CAA activists under the dreaded Gangsters Act after the violence on December 19 at Parivartan Chowk. The police slapped the controversial Act as, according to police, the protesters had “conspired as a gang to commit anti-government activities causing panic among the public”.   Among those booked under the Gangs...

Arvind Kejriwal, Too, Confesses That People Returning From Abroad, Not Tablighis, Are Responsible For Coronavirus Spread In India
  Masihuzzama Ansari | India Tomorrow   NEW DELHI, JUNE 28—Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has, too, confessed that it is not the Tablighi Jamaat activists, but people returning from abroad, responsible for coronavirus spread in the country.   He made this admission while addressing mediapersons here on Saturday.   But Kejriwal’s admission is too late because the damage has already been done. The Muslims all over the country became target of attack from anti-social elements after the health departments of Delhi state government and the central government doled out figures of coronavirus infections on basis of religion in March and April this year.   The Muslims are still suffering from the after-effects of anti-Muslim campaign by the “Godia media” that held Muslims responsible for coronavirus spread referring to the information provided by the Delhi and Central health departments on religious lines.   Kejriwal&r...

Journalists In India Facing Threat and Intimidation For Criticising The Government
Syed Khalique Ahmed | India Tomorrow   NEW DELHI, JUNE 14—India is a constitutional democracy and its constitution provides guarantee of freedom of speech and expression. But it appears that this is now more in precepts than in practice.   This is because of increasing incidents of threats and intimidatory tactics being used to silence the voice of journalists and media who try to criticize the policies and action of the existing political dispensation. This indicates that criticism is not palatable to the current political regime.   The latest victim of this tactics is veteran journalist Vinod Dua who telecasts his show ‘The Vinod Dua Show’ through HW News Network. His shows are very popular which are generally commentaries on the current developments involving government, including political bosses.   Two cases have been booked against him: one in Laxmi Nagar Police Station in Delhi on June 4 by BJP spokesperson Naveen Kumar and the other...

Gagging The Media In India
Syed Ali Ahmed | India Tomorrow  NEW DELHI, JUNE 7—Veteran journalist Vinod Dua and Rajasthan-based Veerendra Rajpurohit are the latest victim of a bid to silence the voice of the media with police registering criminal cases against both of them.  While the FIR was registered against Dua on allegations of “misreporting the Northeast Delhi riots”, Rajpurohit was booked for defamation over remarks on cops.  In case of Dua, the FIR was registered on a complaint from a former Zee News journalist and now spokesperson od Delhi BJP Naveen Kumar, police itself is the complainant in Rajpurohit’s case.  In the FIR that has been registered at the Laxmi Nagar Police Station, Dua has been accused of “fake news marketing” through his show on YouTube channel HW News Network. Naveen alleged in the complaint that Dua made “fun of Prime Minister Narendra Modi by using the word ‘scaremonger’ for the PM which is derogatory&rdquo...

'Godi' Media, Beware of the Fate of German, Rwandan Journalists
 Some people don’t want to learn from history, and India’s key media players appear to be among them. They are spreading hatred and fake news to divide society the same way certain European and African journalists had done before, only to be jailed or executed for crimes against humanity.   By Syed Khalid Husain (Special to India Tomorrow)   SINGAPORE:   THE vast majority of India’s mainstream electronic media appears to be repeating the same mistake that some German and Rwandan journalists had committed in the 1930s and 1990s, respectively -- spewing the venom of hatred against their countries’ minority community, inciting the majority community against the minority, and spreading false and fake news about them, while promoting their despots’ diabolic agenda of ethnic cleansing.   If unchecked, journalists and anchors of more than a dozen Indian television news channels, collectively called “...

Sudhir Chaudhary's Malafides and Pretences
Mohammed Tahir Hakim   AHMEDABAD, MAY 15— Around a month back Sudhir Chaudhary, the Editor-in-Chief of Zee News, in his prime time show ‘DNA’ fictionalised various types of Jihad perpetrated by Muslims in India. Thereby once again, he spewed venom against Islam and Muslims and also committed criminal offences against them i.e. of promoting enmity and hate against them, outraging their religious feelings and also insulting their religion and religious beliefs.  Therefore, expectedly, but belatedly, FIR was registered against him.  Consequently, immediately thereafter, to mitigate his criminality, he was coerced to say some good words about Islam and Jihad in Islam. He, therefore, pretended to explain and clarify the true and correct fundamentals and pillars of Islam and the true and correct meaning and concept of the term Jihad in Islam.  But as is expected from him, he has again, deliberately and maliciously, misrepresented and stated, inco...

"No Apologies for the Tweet, Will Continue Struggle Against Hate Politics in the Country": Dr. Zafarul Islam Khan
 Syed Khalique Ahmed | India Tomorrow   NEW DELHI, MAY 3—Delhi Minorities Commission (DMC) chairman Dr. Zafarul Islam Khan has said that he has not apologised for his tweet on the basis of which Special Cell of the Delhi Police has registered a case of sedition against him. He said that he has apologised only for its timings, and not for the tweet per se.   Speaking to India Tomorrow on Sunday, he also asserted that his struggle against hate politics in the country would continue.   In response to a question, he said that “no one from the Delhi police has so far contacted him with regard to the case registered against me. I have come to know about it through media only”.   He said that he has also not been contacted by Delhi’s lieutenant-governor (LG) Anil Baijal.   Stating that “a section of media has erroneously reported that I have apologised for the tweet and I have also deleted it”, he said that this was ...

Indian Democracy In Crisis
Syed Khalique Ahmed | India Tomorrow   NEW DELHI, MARCH 9—Is it a crime to organise or participate in a peaceful protest to oppose a law which is considered to be harmful to a large section of the population like the Citizenship Amendment Act(CAA) considered to be hostile to the Muslims? Is holding a democratic protest against a law which is considered to be anti-people a crime? Indian constitution permits peaceful democratic protest and agitation against any policy or law of the government. It is a part of the basic freedom guaranteed to every Indian citizen under Article 19 of the Constitution of India, irrespective of the faith, gender, language or region. This basic freedom was temporarily suspended only during the Emergency in 1975 imposed by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.   But from the actions of the Delhi police, it seems it is a crime to mobilise a protest against a law passed by the government and to participate in such a protest. Perhaps based on ...

'Inhuman'treatment meted out to me, alleges SP's Azam Khan
India Tomorrow   LUCKNOW, MARCH 01 - Jailed Samajwadi Party MP Azam Khan on Saturday alleged that very inhuman treatment was meted out to him. “Bahut amanviya bartav hua hai mere saath,’ Khan who was taken to Rampur court Saturday morning in connection with a court hearing from the Sitapur jail told newspersons from the police van.   Khan’s legislator wife Tanzeen Fatima and their son and disqualified MLA Abdullah Azam were also taken to Rampur amidst tight security in connection with a hearing in another case.   The three were shifted to Sitapur jail from Rampur on Thursday. A court had sent them to judicial custody till March 2 in a fake birth certificate case after they surrendered before it on Wednesday. The case relates to two birth certificates for Abdullah Azam, who allegedly gave a wrong date of birth while filing his nomination papers for the assembly elections in 2017. Abdullah’s election was set aside by the Allahabad High Cour...

"States Not Bound To Give Reservation For Jobs", Rules Supreme Court
India Tomorrow   NEW DELHI, FEBRUARY 9—In a landmark judgment on Friday, the Supreme Court of India overturned a 2012 ruling by the Uttarakhand High Court that directed the state to provide quotas to specified communities in jobs and promotions. The top court said it could not compel states to provide quotas and states could not be forced to make such provisions without data showing imbalance in the representation of certain communities in public service, reports NDTV.    In a verdict delivered on appeals on reservations for SC/ST community members in promotions to Assistant Engineer (Civil) posts in the Public Works Department of the Uttarakhand government, the court said there was no "fundamental right" that allowed for such claims.     “There is no doubt that the state government is not bound to make reservations. There is no fundamental right which inheres an individual to claim reservation in promotions. No mandamus ca...

Thank You, Messrs Modi-Shah, You Woke Us Up!
Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan   All thanks to you, Messrs Modi-Shah, for your thoughtless, unconstitutional and illogical actions starting with the hasty legislation on triple talaq to the abrogation of Article 370 and finally the utter idiocy of CAA-NRC, apart from the routine harassment, riots and lynchings in the name of ghar wapsi, love jihad and cows since your party came back to power in May 2014. You have awakened the sleeping Indian Muslim giant in a way he/she never was after the shock of Partition. Also, thanks to your exclusionary efforts, he/she has now joined the political and social mainstream as never before, especially after the gradual shunting and shunning of Muslims even by those who ruled and hoped to rule again and again using Muslim votes.   Thousands of demonstrations are taking place every single day since 15 December all over the country on a scale never seen earlier in this country. The illegal, brute force used by your police in Jamia Millia, U.P. and K...

Judges of Supreme Court, High Courts Must Intervene to Save Country: Ex-Judge of Bombay High Court
India Tomorrow  MUMBAI, JANUARY 21— Former judge of the Bombay High Court, Justice B.G. Kolse Patil has appealed to all judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts to intervene in the current sad state of affairs in the country in order to save it.   In a video appeal, Justice Patil said that all institutions on which democracy stands have been destroyed in the last six years and if the judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts did not interfere, the country would be ruined.   “I, a former judge of Bombay High Court, am gathering courage to make a call and appeal to you all judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts. We cannot see the condition prevailing in the country anymore. Whatever happened in the country since 2014 is open to all – you too have witnessed it. I know that everyone has an ideology based on religion, caste and area of his/her upbringing but today I (with folded hand) want to tell you “You are our God. I appeal to you to...

NESO Demands Implementation Of ILP, NRC Across NE States
 India Tomorrow   NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 1— Reiterating its strong opposition to the proposed Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019, the North East Students' Organisation (NESO) has made four demands before Home Minister Amit Shah to protect different indigenous communities across the Northeastern states.   The NSEO urged upon the Home Minister not to go ahead with the current amendment of the Citizenship Act but to respect the sentiments of the indigenous citizens of the northeastern states.   The demands are the implementation of Inner Line Permit (ILP) system across the northeastern states, exempting the northeastern region from purview of the Indo-Nepal Treaty of Friendship, 1950, implementation of National Register of Citizens (NRC) to all the northeastern states with a base year which might differ depending upon the unique history of each State and constitutional safeguards with rights over land and natural resources, amongst others.   NESO suprem...

Pragya Singh Thakur -- Has She Become an Albatross for BJP?
Mumtaz Alam | India Tomorrow NEW DELHI, NOVEMBER 29— Within six months of joining the BJP and getting elected for Lok Sabha on its election symbol, Pragya Singh Thakur, who is out on bail in a deadly terror blast case after spending nine years in jail, seems to have become an albatross not only for the 40-year-old ruling saffron party of India, but also for its 95-year-old mentor RSS.   The 49-year-old saffron clad Pragya is Member of the Lower House of Indian Parliament from Bhopal of Madhya Pradesh. In the poll affidavit, she had declared that her self-profession is Bhikshaatan (begging) and she is “dependent on society” for livelihood. But BJP’s dependence on her to win the Bhopal Lok Sabha seat in the General Elections in May this year is now taking heavy price from the party.   In six months, she has twice hit national headlines by hero-worshipping the assassin of Father of the Nation – first on her campaign trail in Madhya Pradesh in M...

Have We Really Done Away With Our Constitution?
Seventy years ago, when giving us the Constitution, Dr B.R. Ambedkar, recognised as the Father of Indian Constitution, said, “Will history repeat itself? It is this thought, which fills me with anxiety. This anxiety is deepened by the realisation of the fact that in addition to our old enemies in the form of castes and creeds, we are going to have many political parties with diverse and opposing political creeds. Will Indians place the country above their creed or creed above their country? I do not know, but this much is certain that if the parties place creed above country, our independence will be put in jeopardy a second time and probably be lost forever. This eventuality we all must resolutely guard against. We must be determined to defend our independence with the last drop of our blood!” and he went on to conclude,  “If we wish to preserve the Constitution in which we have sought to enshrine the principle of Government of the people, for the...

Ayodhya Judgement, Far From Right
This Babri case is going to be a landmark to show as to whether the country shall be governed by Rule of Law or by the concept of majoritarianism where rights of minority is not recognised. Rule of law recognises rights of every citizen and require stringent action against those who take law in their hands. All the wrongs committed to the Masjid by the followers of `Lord’ Ram has been finally upheld by the present judgement. The judgement recognises the said serious offences to the Masjid and still gives entire land to the temple. This judgement has certainly created confusion amongst the mind of many. Despite giving findings that it was a Masjid, at least, from 1856 till 1949, when unscrupulously idols were placed inside the Mosque;  can the court exercise its discretionary power to give away title to the other contesting party because a weak and conflicting evidence suggests that the land is believed to be the Place of Birth of Lord Ram?  No. This would be against set...

Ayodhya Verdict: Over 100 Civil Society Members Ask For Review
India Tomorrow   NEW DELHI, NOVEMBER 17—Over 100 civil society members, including academics, journalists and people from many other professions, have asked for review of the Supreme Court verdict in Ayodhya case, handing over the Babri Masjid site for construction of a Ram temple.  Meanwhile, All India Muslim Personal Law Board(AIMPLB), one of the litigants in the case today announced to file a review petition, rejecting the offer of 5 acres for the Babri Masjid at a different place.   In a joint statement, they said that it was a matter of concern that the apex court in its verdict has asked the Centre to form a trust for building of the Ram Temple as if it was the duty of the government to cater to Hindu religious interests.   “The first source of concern is that the court has delivered a judgment which has been made possible only by the criminal destruction of the Babri Masjid on 6 December 1992, which the court itself has described as an unlawf...

If Babri Masjid Illegal, Why Is Advani Being Tried :Owaisi
  Hyderabad, November 10— If Babri Masjid was illegal, then why Advani is being tried for its demolition and if it was legal then why Advani is getting the land, asked All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi.   The Hyderabad MP wondered how a person who demolished somebody's house can get the same house.   Addressing a public meeting here Friday night on the eve of Milad-un-Nabi, Owaisi found fault with the Supreme Court judgment in Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title dispute case and reiterated that 'Supreme Court is supreme but not infallible'.   "If a person demolishes your house and if you go to an arbitrator and he gives your house to the person who demolished it and tells you that you will be given an alternate land at some other place, how'd you feel," he asked.   Owaisi said that his basic question is that why Advani and others who demolished Babri Masjid were being tried if the mosque was illega...