Attack on Journalist – the untold part

Most of the Media, reported How Maulana Ahmed Shah Bukhari, the shahi imam of Delhi’s Jama Masjid attacked a reporter for asking ‘difficult’ questions during a press conference.

As per report from DNA, Things were fine till the time Abdul Wahid Chishti, a reporter from an Urdu daily, decided to grill the maulana. As he started asking difficult questions, Bukhari started getting infuriated. The journalist asked why the entire land, now recognised legally as Ram’s birthplace, should not be handed over to Hindus. He also reasoned that such a land could not be used for a mosque according to Shariat (Islamic law).

This was clearly more than what the shahi imam could put up with. He flew into a fit of anger and started shouting at the journalist. At one point, he even said, “It is because of traitors like you that Babri Masjid was demolished”, and told the journalist to shut up and leave.

Soon afterwards, Bukhari’s men told him that the journalist was talking to TV channels outside. At this, he leapt out of the conference hall asking his aides to catch hold of the scribe and beat him up. As his men attacked Chishti, some journalists grappled to stave them off. Bukhari was shouting at the top of his voice threatening the journalist with dire consequences.

Video of the Incidence is as below

Most of Newspapers omitted to report one critical piece of information. Mohammad Wahid Chisti is a swayamsewak. Yes.. He is from Muslim Rashtriya Manch of RSS. He is currently busy with nationwide grih sampark abhiyan (door-to-door campaign) against the UPA to tell the people how the Congress leader was directing central investigating agencies to target the RSS for political gain

Media sensationalizing a trivial matter

This entry is pertaining to news item 'They closed my account as I am a Muslim'  which appeared in NDTV, IBN and MidDay.

The headline of the news gives an impression that Syndicate Bank closed the account of one Khalid Ali Abbasi was closed because he was a muslim. NDTV reports

He went to find out why his ATM card was not working. He came back insulted and abused. His fault? He was a Muslim. Khalid Ali Abbasi, an 18-year-old Political Science student of Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, had gone to Syndicate Bank's Yamuna Vihar branch on January 22 to inquire why his ATM card was not working.

It is really difficult to imagine that a bank would close an account because of someones religious affiliations! Moreover, a Bank Manager cannot unilaterally close an account in violation to banking guidelines! If you read further down the actual cause become more clear.

Khalid Ali Abbasi asked the bank manager why his ATM card was not working, he was told it takes 24 hours for the card to get activated. Dissatisfied with reply, He started throwing tantrums. He said he was not keen on opening an account with Syndicate Bank in the first place and then he threw his passbook on Bank Managers table and told him to close his account, saying he was not interested in banking with Syndicate Bank 

The above sequence of event looks more likely and believable.

NDTV and MidDay should be more cautions in choosing their headlines. Sensationalizing sensitive issues can have disastrous effect on society 

IBN further sensationalizes the issues by linking it with an earlier report by them where they had alleged that muslims find it difficult to get accommodation. IBN says 

an investigation carried out by media website Cobrapost revealed that Muslims in Indian metro cities were finding it difficult to get accommodation.

It is shocking how IBN is trying to blow a minor incident out of proportion, This controversy about difficult  in getting accommodations is not new.This was first raised by Shabana Azmi in 2008 when in an interview she claimed that she and her husband Javed Akhtar could not buy a flat in Indian city of Mumbai due to religious discrimination. In the same interview, She had even claimed that

Indian democracy unfair to Muslims

But according to some in film fraternity, she owns not 1 not 2 but four flats in Juhu, and a house in Khandala. The fact remains, there are certain Parsi societies that do not allow non-Parsis. In Bandra, there are many societies that do not allow non-Christians. There are some who do not allow Hindus who eat non-vegetarian food. Ask any bachelor who have lived in Mumbai he will narrate the same story irrespective of his caste, color or creed. This doesn’t mean secularism and democracy of our country is in danger

Screenshot

Children From Sexual Offences Bill, 2010 – What Media did not report

India today woke up to the news on Children From Sexual Offences Bill, 2010. According to this new bill twelve-year-old children will be legally permitted to have non-penetrative sex with children their age. Aparna Bhat, a Supreme Court lawyer who was part of a National Commission for Protection of Child Rights group that drafted the latest Bill said

the gradation of age down to 12 years was to decriminalise sexual exploration by two children

Its intriguing why would National Commission for Protection of Child Rights group that drafted the latest Bill  would choose the age of 12? Why not 13? why not 11?

Media Watch hopes this new move by government has nothing to do with reservations All India Muslim Personal Law Board has with Prohibition of Child Marriage Act (PCMA). Under the PCMA, the marriage under the age of 18 is not permissible.

In the year 2002, All-India Muslim Personal Law Board had gone to High Court to challenge the legal age of marriage and getting it reduced to age of 12 (yes exactly 12). According to Fatima who took this case to high court

"Muslim personal law says you can marry at 12, so I didn't see a problem with it. There are lots of bad things in society these days, so the sooner a girl gets married, the better.

In early 2010, a petition was filed by one Zakia Begum seeks quashing of FIR against her. She claims that PCMA is unconstitutional because it interferes with freedom of religion granted by the Article 25 of the Constitution.  FIR was lodged just a few hours before the marriage could be solemnized against Zakia Begum. Senior counsel Yusuf Muchhala, appearing for AIMPLB told the Bombay High Court 

We are not happy with this law

Surprising even additional solicitor general Darius Khambata representing the central government argued in support of Zakia Begum. He claimed that since the marriage was not solemnized, the FIR stands invalidated.

"Under the Act, only solemnization of marriage is an offence . Attempt (to marriage) is not (an offence)," Khambata told the court. He also brought Section 11 of the Act to the notice of the court and argued that "while it expressly prohibits promotion of child marriage , it applies only if the marriage actually takes place."

The Bombay High Court would soon be examining this aspect, with reference to the marriageable age of a Muslim girl. judges said.

"We will lay down a law (in this regard)...If this (marriage of minors) is allowed, tomorrow 12-year-old girls will be married off,"