Now it's ghettoisation on social media too: Hindu, Muslim ghettos on Facebook, Twitter

This post is about a trend I have noticed over the years--how people change drastically on social media.

Over a period of time, they create their own 'ghettoes' on the internet, avoid opposing views and end up isolating themselves from rest of the world.

Now there is nothing wrong about interacting with the like-minded but here it is not about people who share interest in tennis, gardening or literature.

Rather, it is about how people choose to interact with those who share similar ideology, then over a period of time their positions get hardened, they get more drawn towards those people, until they create their dream world--of all those who share their ideology.

There was a nice guy who was active on Twitter. In the initial years, he was friendly with people of all sections but then everybody felt he was getting irrational on certain issues. Ideology now prevailed over sane thoughts.

Now, he doesn't fight with the oldies but simply avoids the few of them, he still follows. Most of the time, he is busy fighting the 'Rest', leading an army of Twitter-walas of same ideology, who launch mercilessly attacks on those with diverse opinions, in order to create a world of their own liking.

It is not just about Hindus and Muslims, it is also about left-wing and right-wing, the 'sickulars' and the 'bhakts'. I have seen this affect their personality. This delusion that they have already created their utopian world on internet and are on way towards changing the world, reflects in their real life too.

Just see how these ghettos come up on social media, graduating from one level to another, until you are in the Ghetto.

1. A 'like' or 'Retweet' is an incentive on social media. Criticism is unwelcome, those who criticise aren't good guys, are they!

2. Even for irrational thoughts, there must be 'likes' and those who argue or question, aren't 'my friends'. So just ignore, avoid, block or unfriend the critics--just be in your comfort zone. [There is also the 'mute' button now on Twitter, so you don't un-follow them but their voice won't reach you]

3. Side with those who think like you. The are the real friends (even if many of them you never met on the street & they don't have real photos either]

4. You will like their post, they will promptly like yours, after all, you share the same 'great ideals'.

5. You are happy with those who 'like' your post, you drift towards them even more, get into that world.

6. On Twitter too, you un-follow those whose opinions are not in sync with your beliefs, except may be a few old friends.

7. You get heady feeling with more likes and RTs by those who think alike, you keep getting
immersed in your ideology--sectarian, communal, your positions get hardened day by day.

8. So now you are getting the dose which you want, any criticism, diverse thoughts or opposing idea are unwelcome and in any case these 'uncomfortable or irritating people' are not even reaching you now.  You have blocked or ignored or filtered them by now.

9. 'Those others' in your friend list or followers list are just tolerated, and you simply wish them on birthdays, anniversaries.

10. Of course you are talking publicly and you are on social media, but it is just like a caste-linguistic-religious ghetto where you are happy with your own kind, no diversity.
Now, you are in your dream world.

PS: Just check self, if you are into this ghettoisation, too? (everyone, including this blogger, must introspect)

[For those whom I observed, more on Twitter, going up in indoctrination levels within a few years]

Facade of liberalism, tolerance falls off: Isn't Indian society intolerant, violent and more discriminatory than other countries?

It is very common to say, that India is the nation of non-violence. Indians take pride in the fact that 'we taught non-violence' to the world.

So often it is said that we are 'sahishnu samaj' i.e. a tolerant society, that people begin to believe it from their childhood without realising that the truth could be just the opposite.

How much we know about tolerance, peace and liberalism? In fact, if you pick up newspaper of any day you will realise that we are a 'hinsak samaj'--a violent society.

Just today, the first story in paper was that of a man who was disabled permanently due to tortured by cops just because his vehicle had hit a cop's vehicle. A youth (Hindu), committed suicide because of harassment by cops.

Yet another case, a schoolboy brutally beaten by his teacher for touching 'thaali' of other students in Rajasthan. Just a couple of days back, a 90-year-old Hindu man was burnt to death in Uttar Pradesh for stepping into a temple.

These are mostly cases of injustice against Hindus. Not just police, anyone in power is engaged in violence against the 'weak', the 'poor, and the 'other. Law is applied in accordance with the victim's and the accused's social-financial status.

Further, recent incidents show that the facade of 'tolerance', 'liberalism', has fallen off completely. Claims about 'sahishnuta, sambhav' are not true. Many of us are beginning to see the reality.

Some of you may not immediately agree to this as the moneyed middle class is generally not the victim of prejudices, state's oppression. The problem is that the moment you feel you are morally superior, your culture is best, your 'sanskar' are ideal, there is no possibility of reform.

For improvement, you have to accept that there are issues with your society, very serious issues. At least, I feel, that we are members of a 'hinsak samaj' that has a 'mob mentality'.

TEN POINTS ABOUT VIOLENCE IN OUR SOCIETY

1. It is common to term other countries as barbaric, but in which country do you hear leaders deliver hate-filled, racist, threatening and poisonous speeches day in and day out. This happens in world's biggest democracy.

2. The sadhvis, saints, threaten minorities on regular basis, demonising them, warning them to kick them out of the country, at the drop of hat, and the politicians 'justifying' hate, killings.

Where does it happen?

Does it happen in countries we contemptuously talk about, and whom we term as 'banana' republics. Are such political statements against minorities, atrocities, mob violence ever heard there?

3. In which country, there is such social sanction to violence, mob killings and discrimination. In which country, there are always 'action-reaction' theories floated.

4. Where would Ministers goes to site of tragedy and declares, "it was an accident". Takes meeting in the temple from where the false, provocative rumour was spread about an air force personnels' father carrying bovine meat in his house.

The minister categorically says, "it was not pre-planned incident". Then, he says, 'justice will be done, to arrested youths too'. This happens in India. Prime Minister doesn't speak up to allay fears or to rein in the fanatic groups. Ministers speak like louts.

5. In this violent society, lives of Dalits, Tribal, Poor, Minorities, so many others don't matter. There is so much hate prevailing in the society among different sections of people on the basis of colour, creed, caste, faith, class and region.

6. The laws are promulgated and applied to discriminate, subjugate your own people, cow slaughter laws made stricter and people are framed, bizarre punishments given.

The law-enforcing agencies put blame on victims. After an innocent man's murder, meat kept in his refrigerator is sent for lab test.

7. Where in the world, 'food fascim' has reached such bizarre levels. The country tops in beef export but people are attacked, killed just on suspicion of carrying beef.

There are housing societies that don't let 'non-vegetarians' live. In schools, children are asked not to bring 'non-vegetarian food', even omelette in the lunch box. In angan-wadis 'anda' is not given to kids, as it 'offends sensibilities'.

So you are taught from childhood that 'meat eaters are bad', that they are evil. This thought process can't be altered easily. All these your 'sanskaar'. The poor malnourished tribal kids are deprived out even egg in angan-wadi. This shameless violence is taking place in a country when 70% Indians are non-vegetarians!

7. Rationalists are killed. People are threatened for speaking in their minds. Governments refuse to act against extremist campaigns and vigilante groups' divisive acts and thuggery, as in Mangalore. Organisations that ought to be banned, are termed 'nationalist'.

8. With due respect to the courts, we all know who gets death sentences, who get hanged in this country. Most of them are Poor, Dalits, Tribal and Muslims. And further, the society has the cheek to claim that they are 'liberal', 'non-violent, 'good to weaker sections'. The list is endless.

9. People don't want to accept their own bigotry. If you talk about 'khaps', immediately the issue will be diverted and you will face the question, 'Why X things happen at Y place, reply first, Why you don't speak about it". So the problem is failure to 'confront bitter truths'.

10. I haven't talked yet about rapes, the gang rapes, the amount of sexual violence, which exists in the country, majority of which goes unreported. I don't even want to venture into this territory, as this piece can't end.

I haven't talked about communal riots, at all. The list is endless. But still we consider ourselves 'sahishnu'. Even on social media, people threaten others just because their opinions don't match with someone.

Hold the mirror and see your face. When I look, I see it as one the most violent, barbaric societies in the world. The reform, the change, can't begin unless we accept that there is a problem. 

Disturbing trends at AMU (Aligarh Muslim University) by Kuldip Nayar

Disturbing trends at AMU
Link: http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2015/05/disturbing-trends-at-amu-aligarh-muslim.html

The following article by Kuldip Nayar�s  needs to be discussed and debated. Thanks to him for offering a great advice to Muslims to reflect upon, particularly the students at AMU.

My experience at AMU was different when I was there between April 6^th and 9^th this year, it was more uplifting and positive. Indeed, it was a joy to see the desire among students and staff � to integrate and be a part of the whole.

I just did not go to the conference; I went there to understand us, my fellow Muslims in the North and how they are doing. In the South where I am from,  I wore my clothes like everyone else, ate like everyone else and lived no differently than others outside of my home. Having Hindu friends is not a thing to talk about it, because it was the norm and a common thing. We were friends and religion was not a factor. 

The conference organized by Dr. Shaz, and supported by the VC General Shah and Brig Ali was very encouraging. It is a revival of Sir Syed�s tradition to open our horizons and learn things beyond our little secure and safe well.

My conference days were not 9-5, but 7 am to 11 pm � I was with different students and in different mini-conferences talking about � gender issues, issues of communalism, engagement, and what should we do to build a cohesive India. Not all of them were alike, and shouldn't be, a few were hung up on Sharia � and unwilling to see another point of view, it did not surprise me a bit, as we have similar attitudes here. 

It calls for basic changes in our attitudes �

1. Quran is the word of God and beyond question, we cannot argue with God nor change a single dot in it, then we will not be looking at God�s words anymore. The translations we read are subject to questioning and they are not the final word. 

2. We to question everything.  In one of the discussions on gender issues, I shared how 4:34 has been translated for centuries, even though most of did not agree with it, but did not say a word. Now, thanks to Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar she brings sensible meaning to it, which is in tune with the character of the Prophet � Mercy to mankind.  For some of the men, the earlier translations amounted to God's word, and not a man�s translation. This is an important distinction we need to remember. 

Allama Iqbal had said so well � Mazhab nahin sikhata aapas may bair rakhna. Islam is not our villain, instead it asks us to treat every human as fellow man created by God (49:13) and that we have to know each other to be called the best makhlooq.

Thanks to Kuldip for this prized suggestion. May God bless him?

Mike Ghouse
 # # #

DISTURBING TREND AT AMU

Saturday 16 May 2015, by Kuldip Nayar

I have returned from the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) disappointed and disturbed. I am disappointed because the students did not seem to have merged into the mainstream yet and disturbed because they were still talking in terms of religious identity.

Perhaps, it would give a vicarious satisfaction to the Muslims of having an identity of their own if the AMU is officially declared as a Muslim university. After having lost the battle in all fields, including Urdu, the Muslims do feel dejected. There is no inconsistency if a Muslim is made to feel that he has an identity of his own, but the overwhelming identity of all people living in India is that of Indians.

Aligarh is the place where Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, the eminent freedom fighter, was abused before the country�s partition. The students had found him in a train compartment. He was travelling from Delhi to Calcutta from his hometown. They took off their clothes and booed him to show all the disrespect which they could.

His fault was that he differed with the Muslim League and opposed the formation of Pakistan. He would argue that the demand had been raised on the false assumption that partition was the best way out to escape the overwhel-ming majority of Hindus. But after the formation of Pakistan, the number of Muslims in India would go down still further. On top of it, the Hindus would say: �You have taken your share and, therefore, go to Pakistan.� This is precisely what happened.

Jawaharlal Nehru, India�s first Prime Minister, himself went to Connaught Circus and beat up some looters with the stick he carried. The AMU students probably did not realise that the identity on the basis of religion led to the partition of India. After the division, the same type of politics could not be repeated and the Muslims, who plugged the line of separation, would suffer. The 80 per cent of population, that of Hindus, would not brook the same old talk.

I feel that the Muslims on the whole have turned a new leaf in their life and want to be a part of the mainstream. They realise the dangers of ploughing a communal furrow. The riots between the Hindus and Muslims ultima-tely become riots between the Muslims and police, which largely has been the case.

It is, however, the mainstream which was not allowing them too much. The softHindutava appears to have come to prevail in the country. This is making the Muslims more and more scared. Talking to some of them at the Jamia Millia institution in Delhi, I found that they were scared of the rise of the Hindutva followers who cared little about their rights.

In this context I found the report by the US Congress-established panel pertinent. A bit of generalisation has reduced its utility. Otherwise, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom is justified in observing that religious minorities in India have been subjected to �violent attacks, forced conversions� and �ghar wapsi�campaigns by groups like the RSS after the assumption of power by the Narendra Modi Government.

It is unfortunate that the report has been officially rejected. The country should have debated on it. There is some truth in the perception that the equilibrium which we had developed over the years in the relationship between Hindus and Muslims has got upset since the advent of the Modi Government. There is a sense of superiority among the Hindus and insecurity among the Muslims.

True, the strength that the equation has developed in such a way that the bond, however weakened, has not snapped altogether. Maybe, both communities have come to terms with the realities on the ground and developed an understanding which stands them in good stead during the crises that arise occasionally.

The RSS, which has added violence or, at best, the threat of it, has given a new edge to the narrative. The organisation, which had taken a back seat since the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi, is rearing its ugly head again and trying to put up a statute in memory of Godse who shot Gandhi dead. Not that the Congress party had made the society secular. But its ideology is secular and it raised the secular voice even when the communal forces gained ascendency. The other perception about the Modi Government is that the communal elements have got a fillip in the administration.

The understanding may have developed on the part of Muslims that they have to live with the majority, however impossible. Perhaps both live in separate worlds of their own. Social contacts between the two have reduced to the minimum. Yet, the ever present tension which one could smell has more or less gone.

Even the hostility towards Pakistan, a feature of daily life, is less than before. But it is still there. The common man never abjured goodwill towards the people in Pakistan. But now even governments have realised the futility of plugging a line which does not sell. There are good chances of the two sides sitting across the table for a dialogue.

The Punjabis in both the states, one in India and other across the border, are so communal in approach that they do not appreciate the Sufi culture which is the synthesis of religious values on both sides. The Pakistan Government�s allegation that India is trying to change the demographic pattern in the State of Jammu and Kashmir is palpably wrong.

The return of Kashmiri Pandits to the Valley is something to be welcomed. Their integration with the Muslims is one proof of the durability of Kashmiriyat, representing both the comm-unities. Even the separatists, except probably the fundamentalist Syed Ali Shah Geelani, strongly defend the presence of Pandits in their midst on the ground that they were and remain an integral part of their society.

In fact, the strength of Kashmiriyat is that it is based on the secular ethos. The students at Aligarh should take a leaf out of Kashmir�s book and learn to resist the temptation of underlining their identity on the basis of religion.


The author is a veteran journalist renowned not only in this country but also in our neighbouring states of Pakistan and Bangladesh where his columns are widely read. His website is www.kuldipnayar.com

Mamata Banerjee reins in VHP, stops Pravin Togadia's from entering West Bengal

Mamata Banerjee has done something which the self-styled secular Congress could never do--taking a tough stand against Praveen Togadia.

The TMC government in West Bengal had said that it would not allow the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) chief to enter West Bengal.

The government remained firm and Togadia was barred from entering the state. Also, West Bengal government detained nearly 300 VHP activists who were marching towards the venue of their meet in Kolkata.

Now the VHP leader is crying foul and is criticising the WB government. Left with no option, Togadia had to cancel his visit. Trinamool government should definitely be congratulated for taking the step.

While Togadia talks of right to free speech and says that his voice was muzzled. But the VHP leader is known for his inflammatory speeches, particularly, venomous and vitriolic words against Muslims and Christians.

CONGRESS NEVER ACTED TOUGH AGAINST TOGADIA

He has delivered countless hate speeches that have injected poison in the minds of citizens, city after city, for decades. But Congress could never rein in Togadia and other such leaders of the Sangh Parivar.

In fact, when the party [Congress] was in power in most of the states, it never acted tough on hate speeches. Its leaders seemed indifferent. FIRs were seldom registered and arrests were totally out of question.

While MIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi's was arrested after being booked for a hate speech, a similar hate speech by Togadia in Maharashtra didn't lead to his arrest [LINK]. Congress government registered FIR only after TV channels aired parts of the speech repeatedly.

SEE THIS ABP News Video: Why Togadia not arrested for his hate speech?

However, there was no arrest. In fact, in most cases, even if FIR was registered, Congress governments later withdrew them. This emboldened the lumpen elements. Congress leaders talk of secular ethos but such double standards have hurt the party.

However, they don't seem to learn any lesson. In UP, Samajwadi Party, which also claims to be secular, hasn't taken similar tough decisions.

SP continues to bar MIM leaders from addressing rallies but when it comes to VHP,  Hindu Vahini or Bajrang Dal, it allows them a free un.

For the moment, it is a laudable step on part of West  Bengal government. Just because a group or organisation has a large following, state governments can't succumb to their demands. Hope, Mamata Banerji.

1. LINK to Pravin Togadia hate speech. SEE
2. Link to Pravin Togadia entry banned READ
3. Why was Pravin Togadia not arrested till now CHECK

When person abusing your faith turns out to be a co-religionist: Social media's illusions and internet crimes

The person abuses your faith online, posts objectionable messages and shares photographs that are so inflammatory that it is not proper to describe them.

You get angry and disturbed. You may write angry comments to him, argue, tell him to stop or shut up.

But did you ever imagine that he also belongs to your own faith? And that he is still doing it because he had a purpose!

May be, he has certain psychological issues or wants to defame someone and hence assumed a false identity.

So he is using it to post objectionable things to defame that person. Did  you consider this option?

And when you know the truth, do you realise you were unnecessarily spending energies and were getting mad at 'people of other religion'. That's the online world.

On internet, especially, social media, there is no dearth of people who suffer from 'attention deficit disorder' or who just love to 'irk others'. Such mischief-makers feel its a prank but don't they realise consequences!

For them, perhaps, it's a spectacle to watch when others keep fighting on their Facebook wall over a photo or message, as they themselves watch with glee, and perhaps pat themselves on their back for making others fight.

Man who caused communal riots, arrested

This is a real story and has lessons for all. A morphed photograph was circulated on social media by a person, which led to riot.

Then, there was a second round of rioting. There were deaths during the violence and the victims were both Hindu and Muslim.

The person who was behind the post, used a Hindu ID to post against Muslims, and then used Muslim ID to circulate messages against Hindus. For weeks, the entire town remained on edge.

The man used a BJP leader's ID on Facebook to post, anti-Muslim message. It is so easy in those days, you can create a leader's page or fan page yourself. But that's criminal act.

The law-and-order situation was such that police from adjoining places had to be called. There was widening communal divide and tension.

Arrested

Finally, the police and cyber experts, managed to trace him. It was found that he was ordinary youth. He was Nitesh Verma, a simply, guy next door--who was doing post-graduation in computer applications (PDGCA).

On internet, he used 'Hindu ID to abuse Muslims' and 'Muslim ID to abuse Hindus'. Why he did it? The investigators found that he had very few friends. He didn't come out of his house. He lacked self-confidence.

*On July 2, he used Naved Khan's id to post photo that hurt Hindu sentiments
*On July 19, he hacked Anurag Soni's id to upload photos that hurt Muslims
*On July 30, he hacked Altaf Abbai's photo and posted BJP leader's photo to make hateful comments against Muslims
*Earlier, he  had hacked Sagar Verma's id to upload objectionable content

His brother had committed suicide and he blamed certain youths of the locality. He was angry with them and as he felt he was not strong enough to take on them, he planned 'the revenge' in this way. He thought he would hack their IDs or create their fake IDs for spreading messages that would hurt them badly.

The results were too serious: Communal violence and deaths. Verma is in jail now. It can be any one, a Nitesh Verma or a Naeem Khan. Just that we need to learn the lessons right from this episode. Cyber safety, understanding online behaviour and the need for spreading awareness about it.

One hopes that in coming years, people will learn cyber etiquette. However, what one must do right now. First, stop getting irritated.

If the posts are incendiary, 'report' the person. You can also ignore or block them on Facebook. If there is a fear that communal harmony can be disrupted, inform the authorities. They generally take care of the rest.

LINK TO DAINIK BHASKAR REPORT

1. Youth behind inflammatory messages, posts arrested
2. Nav Bharat Times report on communal violence, curfew, death
3. Riot leaves one dead, six injured in Khandwa over Facebook comment

[This happened just a few months back--in July/August 2014]

Misusing social media to spread communalism in the society: Messages on WhatsApp, Facebook inflaming passions, causing riots

If the society is increasingly getting communalised and people belonging to different communities are turning into religious bigots, it should be a cause of alarm.

Across India, 'objectionable' posts on Facebook or circulation of messages on WhatsApp are leading to communal tension and riots.

In small towns, people come out on streets and mob resort to violence after seeing a post. We can no longer say that it is a transition phase for society and that people will get over it.

First, it was Facebook, which was being misused to spread false messages and propaganda. Now, it is Whatsapp that is being flooded with communal messages.

It seems that there are factories to manufacture hate-filled messages, on a regular basis. In fact, messages that are factually incorrect are floated, purposely, part of a conspiracy to turn Hindus and Muslims against each other.

Hate-mongering, morphed images

For example, a mischief maker just takes any photo, puts a few words along with it, using PhotoShop or Paintshop, and uploads it. Soon, the like-minded start liking or sharing it, as if it is a certified intellectual's quote.

Even educated persons who are supposed to be discernible and know the truth, are taken in, and believe it as truth. By consistently posting these messages, the aim is to paint the other group as absolute villain and enemy.

A photo of a person being lynched in neighbouring country is passed off as a scene from a particular place in India, and a particular group is blamed. These images go viral and even if one or two persons see the falsehood, the voices don't matter much.

The impact, reach of WhatsApp

Both fundamentalist Hindus and Muslims are involved in this act. Also, many ordinary people, without verifying or bothering to check the information, believe these messages and forward them. Sharing in WhatsApp, takes the messages to even more people.

The hate in many of these messages is chilling. No longer a person needs newspaper or TV channel to spread his message. He can simply write a few lines and in photo form if it is posted, many seem believe the message. Many might not believe these messages.

Daily propaganda turning people fanatic

However, when you see such messages on a daily basis, your degree of suspicion towards other group increased. So those who were liberal turn into fundamentalist, the slight communal into communal and the communal become ultra-communal, seeing the propaganda day in and day out.

Education should bring enlightenment but sadly a large number of people are getting affected by false propaganda on the social networking websites. While social media has its benefits and guarding freedom of expression is important, it is also imperative that those injecting hate in society, should be dealt with sternly.

How many around to spread message of communal harmony?

The reason is that messages on communal harmony aren't spread. There are no organisations flush with funds to do it with a missionary zeal. But those who are overcome by hate or have an agenda, act with a passion. Hence, communal messages flood the virtual world.

Till a few years ago, it was a small section that used Twitter. Facebook was used more often. However, with smartphones being used to check social media, the situation has turned extremely serious. Facebook is used by teenagers and elders in villages too.

Communalism reaches villages through smart phones

WhatsApp is being misused even more. People form their own groups and become 'admins'. There are people who run dozens of groups and spread hate, not just in cities, but in rural parts of the country.

Whatever happened in Muzaffarnagar earlier this year was a reflection of it. People in villages who were not afflicted by the communal bug also turned communal. The power of WhatsApp can be understood by the way it helped spread of the message of BJP.

The right-wing support ensured that the party got a huge success in Uttar Pradesh (UP). While BJP may term itself moderate, its sister organisations are known for their hardcore right-wing ideology. Members of these organisations are known for their communal diatribe.

It is not that other communities aren't involved in it. There are many Muslims who post objectionable messages and circulate them. Sadly, on both sides, there are less saner voices. We need statesmen, real leaders to tell the youths of nation, to get out of this hate business. It hurts the nation like nothing else.

READ POSTS ON SAME ISSUE ON THIS BLOG EARLIER

1. How to deal with communal messages, hate speech and misinformation on social media?

2. Rising Racism: Of online bigots, communal comments and casteist messages on internet

3. Playing flue to buffalow: How to deal with online trolls

4. Abusive messages, comments and this blog

UPSC misuses autonomy, UPA remains apathetic: Movement needed to restore Arabic, Persian, Pali in Civil Services

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The decision of Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to remove Arabic, Persian and Pali from the list of optional subjects in the civil services examination, has invited strong condemnation from across the country.

There is a vast literary treasure in India in these three languages that have the status of classical languages in the country.

There are million of books in libraries in these languages apart from revenue records in many states that are in Persian. Old historical structures and coins carry plaques in these languages.

In taking the decision to remove these languages, the UPSC has misused its autonomy. Unfortunately, it is the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) which is at the helm, when the decision has again been taken.

Nearly two decades back, there was a similar decision. After strong protests, the decision was revoked. Congress was the ruling party. PV Narsimha Rao was the prime minister then. Now it has happened once again. Why there is an effort to remove these languages from UPSC, the apex

The UPSC members have done great disservice to the nation with this act. They have shown their lack of awareness about Indian culture and history, when they decided to remove these languages from the list of optional subjects.

They also removed French, German and Russian. In fact, keeping Arabic, Persian and Pali in the same bracket, shows how the mandarins of the top body, seem tohave no idea about the extent of literature these classical languages has and how much important it is for India.

Already, we don't have enough students taking languages in universities.

With diminishing options, the Arabic, Persian and Pali departments in universities in the country, will be severely affected.

It will be a big loss for our heritage.

There will perhaps be a situation when there will be more experts of these languages outside the country, than here.

DP Agarwal is the chairman of the UPSC. The commission has ten members viz. Rajni Razdan, Venkatarami Reddy Y, Alka Sirohi, David R Syimlieh, Manbir Singh, Amar Pratap Singh, DK Dewan, Vinay Mittal, P Kilemsungla, Chhatar Singh.

It beats the brains how these 'intellectuals' took this insane decision. As far as Persian is concerned, India has preserved the original classical form of the language. Not just Mughals, hundreds of princely states used it as an official language in 19th century and even later.

The texts, manuscripts are lying in libraries and archives departments and they will not be researchers, students, to decipher them. What a shame!

The UPSC is also playing with the future of students. Sadly, the UPA claims that it wants to increase job opportunities for Muslims, but under its tenure, the languages are being removed. Two of these languages give students of 'madarsas' the option to dream big.

In fact, several Muslims have taken Arabic and Persian as optional subjects and have cleared the examination to become IAS, IPS and IFS officers. Recently, teachers and students protested outside UPSC and the chairman had refused to meet their delegation.

United Muslims Front (UMF) held a major protest that was led by the front chief Shahid Ali.

The All India Association of Arabic Teachers & Scholars (AIAATS) in collaboration with the All India Persian Scholars� Association (AIPSA) organized a symposium in Delhi on the issue, but now seminars are not required.

The need is for action. There have been protests in Lucknow and Allahabad. The issue is that UPSC's action is illogical and shows that its top officers have little idea about Indian history and have no focus on keeping the standards of learning in the universities.

It is time to condemn their decision, which is either due to prejudiced mindset or total lack of knowledge.
The need of the hour is to petition the President of India, whom UPSC annually submits its report. Also, write letters to Prime Minister, urge the MPs to take up the issue in the Parliament. If there is more delay, the decision may not be overturned.

Do act now.