Shams Ur Rehman Alavi شمس Profile picture
Aug 23, 2019 7 tweets 2 min read Read on X
It was 2008-09, Muslims youths were being indiscriminately picked up across India, more in UP & boys from Azamgarh were on target. TV channels used the term 'aatank-garh'. A special train was chartered & Ulama Council went to Delhi to meet UPA govt, to stop the witch-hunt 1/2
In last week of Jan 2009, the train left Azamgarh--the land of Rahul Sankrityayan & Shibli Nomani, that had been defamed & where peace was shattered. Today, those who had gone to Delhi recall, how PC said, 'morale of agencies would be affected'. Ya, now see the morale, they say.
In independent India, Muslim youngsters had never felt such climate of fear over such a long period, as it was during the era. Talha, son of Ulema Council leader Maulana Amir Rashadi, was arrested in train journey, midway in Maharashtra. Towns like Bhatkal were demonized as well.
Every other family then had a story to tell about someone being picked up, questioned, denied residences. Even in Lucknow, it was difficult to get house on rent if you hailed from Azamgarh or even Mau-Jaunpur. From Batla House till German Bakery case & till 2011, this fear lasted
Today, we have Twitter-Facebook, platforms to discuss. In those days, so much happened and people didn't even dare to utter the words or complain on phone, for fear that they may come under scanner.
And I am saying it as a journo who was covering crime then also for decade. I was well-connected, in touch with cops, ATS, all other wings in MP, other regions & saw-experienced the fear, among Muslim youth. Many won't believe but if we don't tell our story, who would!
Lot of people feel strange when you talk about the era. But in those days if a Muslim youth was picked up, kin had no idea where he was, which agency, when he would be released. Rogue cops enjoyed it. Ulema were targeted, Maulana Tariq Qasmi-Khalid Mujahid framed, latter killed

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More from @indscribe

May 6, 2023
Today I'm trying to clarify this issue for the educated people as well as dishonest 'journos'. Just like Muslim population has grown in India, Hindu population has grown in Pakistan and Bangladesh too.

1. Hindu population in Pakistan has grown nearly 8 times since 1951. It was… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… Today I'm trying to clarify...
1. I stand for minority rights and side with Hindus who face injustice in any country, either India or Pakistan.

2. Cunning people use 'percent increase' to use data for their own narrative. Like, if one Jew lives in a city and another Jew comes, there will be 100 percent… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
The DISHONESTY is that when comparing, the figure of 'Hindu population of Pakistan' in 1951 is actually the population of Hindus including Bangladesh.

You compare West Pakistan's population in 1951 with existing Pakistan's population now. And, East Pakistan's population with… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
Read 4 tweets
Nov 16, 2022
Tikki. A shop owner who doesn't sell Tikki can't be termed chaat seller. At the most, he'd be termed a Golgappa wala.
For those who hail from outside India, the pronunciation is 'Tick Key'. ٹکی टिक्की. Tick, tick, clock strikes 8 pm. The time when you leave home for Tikki. 1/n Image
Standard Tikki and the maker don't need be told about preparation. But use of different types of curd, has been a bone of contention for long.

The new age chaat walas throw everything including thin 'sev' and what not on Tikki, because the majority of customers don't have.. 2/n
...idea about traditional Tikki a& are ready to consume anything as long as shop looks posh and clean.

Do you go for the dish or just anything you consume if they spice it up with different sorts of chutneys? You feel it has more mirch, you put some meethi chutney, & eat it. 3/n
Read 5 tweets
Nov 16, 2022
Sanjay & Rafiqa were in a relationship, she'd asked him to marry. He killed her, drugged & murdered 9 people including Rafiqa's entire family.
It was ONE man's crime, he was jailed. MEDIA must not create false perception, divide & communalize society.
thenewsminute.com/article/death-…
1/n
Around 10,000 incidents of rape, molestation and murder happen in a month in India. Naturally some'd be inter religious too..

..the criminal must be arrested, jailed, get harsh sentence. There should not be support for him or early release. And no need for communal angle... 2/n
Anyone can commit crime, husbands kill wives, 'lovers' kill and also those who're in live in relationship.

It's very easy to find one or two cases in this huge country and then use it CLEVERLY to disturb harmony. Stop garlanding convicts & taking rally in their support.

3/n
Read 5 tweets
Nov 14, 2022
'Info pirate' is an evil man who has no idea about a thing but will keep on asking Qns till he gets juice out of you.
After gaining all insight, he is now well armed, counters you & your idea. Aim was to get to depth to knows all points, then prepare all arguments. ilme Qayafa... Image
...or ilme-e-Qayaafa is learnt in order to identify such people on whom doors of knowledge must not be opened as their intentions are evil.

Eg. He hates Z, knows nothing about Z' role, how Z saved innumerable lives or his works silently in 1947.

So he poses, asks, then once...
...he who has never met anyone who witnessed events as victim or from inner circle of Z, hasn't read books. But you innocently gave fodder.
Now he will chew and vomit, spread disinfo. So spread knowledge but be able to identify the evil intentions. Oust Info thief or info pirate.
Read 6 tweets
Sep 24, 2022
False news, fraud statistics and read carefully how wild headline misleads. 3-1/2 TIMES i.e. more than 250% though it was not even 5%, nothing in copy.
I've been collecting paper clippings since teenage. Role of vernacular press always been such. This was in Punjab Kesri in 1995. Image
Actually since 1986, all this has been hammered into the heads of readers in the country. The statistics tell ten things, might say that Hindu population grew faster than Christians or Muslim population growth rate falls, BUT the game of FALSE HEADLINE always works. #Journalism
Even as early as in 1988, there was there was the situation of 'NO ACCOUNTABILITY'. Whatever biases you have, you just vomit out because you are sitting in the newsroom. And if anyone confronts, you don't even acknowledge. No authority works. Press Council is useless.
Read 5 tweets
Sep 23, 2022
For centuries, Hafiz has been one of the most popular & widely read poet. I recall stanza of his Persian couplet, Transln:

Main ne kaha tera gham* rakhta hoon
Usne kaha, 'tera gham aakhir khatm hoga'
Main ne kahaa, mera chaand ban
Usne kaha, 'agar ittifaaq hoga'

*pain of love Image
Be my moon, O my beloved.
Hafiz is buried in Shiraz. He loved his land and hence wrote the famous couplet where he talks about sauntering and enjoying the sight of the stream at Ruknabad, the scenic beauty and his town that never let him go.
My elderly acquaintance, late Saraswati Saran Kaif who was close to Firaq Gorakhpuri, always kept Diwan Hafiz by his side. So do many others. Poetry lovers from all over the world consider it a pilgrimage to visit the shrine. Read Hafez when you are sad or agitated, always calms.
Read 4 tweets

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