INDIA GOSSIPS

HNN TEAM

2009-06-12T02:35:00.000-07:00

EDITORIAL PANEL
1. Karan Thapar
2. Veer Singhania
3. M Rustum Khan
4. Andy John Smith
5. M H Ahssan
6. Sheena Shafia
7. Rahul Bose
8. Sudeep Khanna
9. Sarah Williams

REPORTING TEAM
1. Kajol Singh
2. Swati Reddy
3. Deepsikha Maruti
4. Ayaan Khan
5. Venkateshwar Rao
6. Kiran Kumar

DESK TEAM
1- M Sikender Khan
2- Yogesh Kumar
3- P Parthasarathy
4- H G Silvaraj

FREELANCERS
1. Ayesha Fatima
2. Saleha Fatima
3. Reema Subia
4. Somana Chaterjee
5. Harish Rawat
6. Panduranga Rao
7. Samiya Anwar
8. Salmaan Faheem
9. Rubina Yasmeen
10. Iram Shahid
11. Shahnawaz Hussain
12. Richa Khanna
13. Sameera Yadav
14. Prithviraj Kelkar
15. Siddharth Bhatia

Brain scans can read memories

2009-03-15T23:21:00.000-07:00

By M H Ahssan

Researchers tracked brain activity related to “spatial memory” as volunteers moved about inside a virtual reality setup. Their new study challenges previous scientific thinking by showing that memories are recorded in regular patterns.

“Surprisingly, just by looking at the brain data we could predict exactly where they were in the virtual reality environment,” said Eleanor Maguire, a neuroscientist at the University College London in the U.K. “In other words, we could ‘read’ their spatial memories.” Maguire and her colleagues focused on the hippocampus, or a small part of the brain that deals with navigation, memory recall and imagining future events. Neurons known as “place cells” activate in the hippocampus and inform people of where they are as they move around.

The researchers used an fMRI scanner to detect blood flow changes in the brain, and study the activity of the place cells as a volunteer controlled movement inside the virtual environment. They then ran the results through a computer algorithm developed by Demis Hassabis, another neuroscientist at University College London.

Earlier studies with rats had also focused on the hippocampus and measured activity at the level of dozens of neurons at most. But that research had suggested that the brain did not record memory in any sort of regular pattern - a trend that this latest study may overturn. Maguire and Hassabis examined thousands of neurons as opposed to just dozens, which allowed them to pick out broader patterns.

Mind-reading research has grown increasingly sophisticated over the years. Another recent study predicted people’s preference for one of two drinks with 80 percent accuracy. And earlier findings showed that people's brains reflect abnormal activity up to half a minute before making errors.

Maguire said she and Hassabis want to look beyond spatial memories to see if brain scans can pick up patterns in our memories of the past, as well as visions of the future. Such work could also have clinical implications for understanding diseases that attack memory.

“Understanding how we as humans record our memories is critical to helping us learn how information is processed in the hippocampus and how our memories are eroded by diseases such as Alzheimer's,” added Demis Hassabis.

Jihad? But What About Other Verses In Qur’an?

2008-12-10T00:13:00.000-08:00

By M H Ahssan

The terror attacks in India as well as abroad has created an impression as if jihad is central to Qur’anic teaching. First of all, as we have asserted repeatedly, jihad does not mean war in Qur’an as there are other words for it like qital and harb for war. Jihad has been used in Qur’an in its root meaning i.e. to strive and to strive for betterment of society, to spread goodness (ma’ruf) and contain evil (munkar).

But supposing jihad means war, as many Muslims, especially those who want to use it for their own political agenda, even then jihad is not that central to Qur’anic teachings. The word jihad occurs in the Qur’an 41 times (though not a single verse uses it in the sense of war) there are other key words in Qur’an representing values. As we have pointed out in one of the previous articles there are four most fundamental values in Qur’an i.e. justice (’adl), benevolence (ihsan) compassion (rahmah) and wisdom (hikmah).

These are Allah’s names also in Qur’an i.e. Allah is Just, Benevolent, Compassionate and Wise. Thus the Qur’an is embodiment of these values and a Muslim is duty bound to practice these values above all. One who fails to practice these values can hardly claim to be true Muslim. Jihad is not even obligatory in Islamic jurisprudence whereas these values are indicative of a Muslim’s character and hence quite important.

In Qur’an compassion is quite central and Allah’s names Rahman and Rahim (Compassionate and Merciful) are among the most important names. A Muslim begins his/her work by invoking Allah’s names Rahman and Rahim (i.e. I begin in the name of Allah Who is ‘compassionate and Merciful). Thus it would be seen that Compassion is most central to Qur’anic teachings and the words compassion and mercy in their various forms occur in Qur’an 335 times as against jihad only 41 times.

The word ihsan (i.e. to do good to others) occurs in the Qur’an 194 times which also greatly outnumbers jihad. Similarly the word wisdom and its derivatives occur 101 times. Qur’an lays great emphasis on wisdom as wisdom is superior to reason in a way. Reason is also quite important but at times it can be misused by human beings whereas wisdom includes reason and values put together. Qur’an advises Muslims again and again to use wisdom. It asks Muslims to call to Allah also with wisdom, not with threats or force. One cannot invite anyone to ways of Allah by use of force, coercion or threat but with wisdom and kind words.

Also, there is great emphasis in Qur’an on justice in all social and political matters and Qur’an uses three words for justice i.e. ‘adl, qist and hakama and all these three words put together there are 244 words for justice in Qur’an. Thus it clearly shows that justice with all is highly necessary which clearly implies no innocent person would be punished in any case.

Also, Allah is thirty three times described in Qur’an as Ghafur al-Rahim i.e. Forgiver and Merciful and not one who seeks revenge. To seek revenge is human weakness, not strength of character. Thus a devout Muslim tends to forgive like Allah who forgives his servants if they sincerely repent. Those who are waging ‘jihad’ in the form of terror attacks are bent upon seeking revenge whereas a good Muslim would tend to forgive alike Allah forgives. It is true Allah punishes oppressors (zalimun) but no individual or a group of individuals not representative of community or state can dispense punishment. Only Allah or state or its representatives of states can dispense with punishment.

That is why in Islamic jurisprudence (Shari’ah law) jihad can be declared only by state or those empowered by the state, no one else. Terror attacks, on the other hand, are planned and executed by few individuals unrepresentative of any state or state institution. So their attacks cannot be legitimate by any Islamic or Shari’ah law. That is nothing but committing murder of innocent people. Also according to Islamic laws in jihad too no non-combatant can be attacked much less women, children and old persons and no civilian property can be destroyed unless it is being used for military purposes or for purposes of combat.

It will be seen that rules laid down for war by Islamic laws are no different from modern laws of warfare or Geneva Conventions. But terror attacks are gross violation of all these Islamic rules and there is no way these attacks can be characterized as ‘jihad’. These terrorists are described by media as jihadis. It is also gross misuse of the word as there is no word like jihadi in the first place in Arabic language. It is in fact mujahid and word mujahid is used in laudatory sense – one who devotes oneself for a good cause like fighting against social evils etc. At times it is also used for a warrior but in that sense it used for a brave person who is not only fearless but also wages war only for a good cause and fights only on the front, not hit and run kind.

I would also like to throw some light on the word jihad as understood and explained in Islamic literature. If these Qur’anic values are important and they are undoubtedly then real jihad would be to cultivate and promote these values with utmost efforts and sufi saints considered real jihad only in this sense. After all Islam came in this world through the Prophet to combat all social evils then prevalent in Arab society in general, and in Mecca, in particular.

Since primary importance in Qur’anic teachings is for these values, a true Muslim would devote himself/herself to fight all evils in the society which negate these values. The Prophet (PBUH) devoted his entire life in practicing and promoting these values. He was, therefore, rightly described in the Qur’an as Rahmatun lil ‘Alamin (i.e. mercy of the worlds) because mercy can prevail in the world only if one eliminates all these evils.

The Islamic history during Prophet’s life is to be seen in two important phases i.e. the Meccan phase for first thirteen years after Muhammad (PBUH) became Prophet and then 10 years in Madina after his migration. In Meccan phase the Prophet and his followers were most oppressed minority and yet Prophet did not ask his followers to use violence in any form. On the contrary, Qur’an repeatedly advised Prophet and his followers to bear all hardships patiently and not to despair.

The Prophet bore with utmost patience all the hardships, even insults and humiliations and carried on his mission. His followers were subjected to great hardships but he always advised them to be patient and penitent. Thus the Prophet (PBUH) guided Muslims how to behave in such adverse conditions and how to ensure peace despite such hardships. But when conditions became unbearable he advised some of his followers to migrate to Ethiopia and later he himself migrated to Madina with some of his followers.

Thus Meccan model of Islam can be very useful for those Muslims who are facing similar situation in parts of the world. As Qur’an lays great stress on hikmah (wisdom) one has to imply wisdom and carve out a proper strategy of survival rather than take plunge in violence throw themselves into peril. The Qur’an advises Muslims “…and cast not yourselves to destruction with your own hands and do good (to others). Surely Allah loves the doers of good.” (2:195)

This advice of the Qur’an not to throw yourself to destruction with your own hands is important and relevant even today in similar situations. See what the 9/11 attack on New York towers resulted in? Did Al-Qaida not invite great disaster to the entire Islamic world, especially in Afghanistan and Iraq? Did they not throw themselves in perdition with their own hands? What good that attack do to anyone. Was there any wisdom in that rash and ruthless attack?

Qur’an repeatedly advises Muslims to use wisdom. Was there any wisdom in that attack on New York trade towers? How can one be Muslim without following Qur’an in every sphere of life? To launch such attacks recklessly will bring nothing but disaster for Muslims and Islam. On the contrary the Qur’an advises Muslims to do good to others instead of throwing themselves into perdition (tahlukat).

Qur’an is clearly advising Muslims to win over hearts of others by doing good to others and thus ward off evil from them. Also, both peace of Hudaibiyah (name of the place where the Prophet signed a peace treaty) and behavior of the Prophet (PBUH) after conquest of Mecca are shining example of exemplary conduct of a great and generous leader. It is in this sense that Qur’an describes the Prophet as uswah husnah i.e. good role model for all.

Both at Hudaybiyah and in Mecca after the conquest the Prophet (PBUH) rather than dictating terms or seeking revenge showed great generosity towards his enemies and won over their hearts. At Hudaybiyah the Prophet had enough strength to dictate terms to the unbelievers of Mecca but instead he accepted certain humiliating terms dictated by them. Ultimately the treaty benefited Muslims. But it required wisdom of the prophet to enter into such treaty which was apparently humiliating but proved to be otherwise.

Similarly after conquest of Mecca the Prophet forgave worst of his enemies who had insulted and humiliated him and oppressed in most inhuman ways his followers. That won over his worst enemies and all of them embraced Islam. Had he chosen to seek revenge which was customary to Arabs, another bloodbath would have resulted and Islam would not have won so many adherents. Thus moral victory is far more superior to seeking revenge. Revenge only satisfies our ego and injures the ego of the enemy and thus war of attrition continues.

What terrorists are doing is seeking revenge and that too from a weaker position and thus every attack brings nothing but disaster for themselves and others. Allah certainly does not like those who only seek revenge to satisfy their egos. Conducting ummah’s affairs with wisdom would be far more beneficial to Muslims as a whole. However, it does not mean surrendering to unjust powers but how to fight for justice must be decided through collective wisdom to minimize danger to the cause of Islam and Muslims.

Also the question is of methodology for interpreting Qur’an. The Qur’an was revealed to the Prophet (PBUH) over a period of 23 years and most of the verses were revealed in response to certain situation and the relevant verse has to be understood in the context in which it was revealed. Every text has a context and only context can explain how to understand the text. And while understanding the text it is also necessary to judge whether context has changed and similar conditions prevail.

Various verses quoted to justify ‘jihad’ are generally taken in literal sense and also ignoring the value system of Qur’an. It is not only context but also value system of the Qur’an which must be kept in mind while applying the injunction contained in the verse. When Qur’an was being revealed the revelation was from Allah and was being revealed to the Prophet (PBUH) and both were fully aware of the value system and hence they knew when war becomes absolutely necessary.

But when human beings other than the Prophet apply Qur’anic injunctions it is very different thing. Ordinary Muslims are neither infallible nor thoroughly immersed in Islamic values because unlike the Prophet they are not a real role model (uswa-e-husnah). And when someone applies these Qur’anic injunctions without any consensus of ummah behind it, it is all the more unacceptable. This is what these terrorists are doing.

It is well known fact that be it Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaida or any other terrorist organization, they do not represent any government or larger Muslim organization. They succeed in mobilizing some angry youth who have no maturity or wisdom and are carried away by ‘Islamic’ rhetoric and commit terrorist attacks taking lives of several innocent bystanders. These attacks violate all Qur’anic values.

Apart from this the conditions as obtained in 7th century Arabia cannot be compared to the conditions in the contemporary world. In those days violence could be met only with violence. The Arabs had their age old tribal traditions of qisas (retaliation) and Qur’an, looking to the context permitted qisas with strict condition that it be strictly in equal measure in the interest of justice but also advised if you forgive it is better.

In those days there were no other institutions available and Qur’an permitted only defensive war and banned aggression even against enemy. And as the example of peace of Hudaybiyah shows, war should be avoided wherever peace is possible even on enemy’s terms and the Meccan example shows instead of qisas one should better forgive and win over the hearts of the enemy. Both these models are part of the Prophet’s sunna and Muslims should follow Prophet’s sunna.

And today’s world is radically different from 7th century Arabia and today we should go more by Qur’anic ethics than injunctions about war. Today several institutions are available for arbitration, reconciliation and solving disputes. One cannot rush to resort to violence. All Muslim countries are members of United Nations Organization and without referring any international dispute to it no other action could be contemplated.

Well, the extremist organizations can point out that UNO is dominated by the USA and other western nations and one cannot get justice from it. It is entirely true but then this also has to be continuously exposed and world should know how UNO works in the interests of USA, rather than in the interest of justice. It is also known that USA committed aggression against Iraq despite UNO refusing permission to wage war against Iraq. It exposed USA and world at large knows today how helpless UNO is before powers like USA.

Also, if one wants to really solve the problem peacefully violence will only damage the cause and make world opinion also adverse. The greatest strength of the cause in contemporary world is the favorable public opinion. One must try and win public opinion. Non-violent action is much likely to win public opinion rather than violent actions. Killing innocent people through terror acts can never be effective against a very powerful enemy. And it also makes public opinion very adverse.

Today media is very powerful in creating public opinion and non-violent actions will certainly impact the media people. Unfortunately the youth being impatient with democratic processes and under illusion of following Qur’anic traditions rushes to resort to so called jihad and antagonizes the world opinion. And what they do not understand, other Muslims, including Muslim countries, have to face adverse consequences.

Such thoughtless violence as committed by al-Qaida and other terrorist groups in Pakistan has created an image of Islam as violent religion, religion of jihad though the value system of Islam gives precedence to compassion and respect for human life and dignity. While Buddhism is being equated with compassion and Christianity with love and peace Islam is being equated with jihad and violence. Should these Muslim youth not deeply reflect what adverse image of Islam they have helped create?

These youth are so brainwashed by certain vested interests that they think jihad is obligatory on Muslims and that jihad is the only way out. These youth are totally ignorant of Islamic value system and importance of moral superiority over superiority of weapons. The examples of Hudaybiyah and peaceful Meccan conquest clearly show moral superiority ultimately matters. The most powerful can be disarmed before the might of moral stand.

In our own time Gandhiji showed the effectiveness of truth and non-violence. The mighty British Empire had to bow down before the might of truth and non-violent action. Unfortunately many think non-violence is cowardice and is born out of weakness. It is very erroneous view. It is only most courageous and truthful person who practices non-violence. Violence is borne out of anger and revenge, not out of truthful stand.

The Prophet of Islam once defined jihad as ‘telling truth in the face of a tyrant ruler’ Telling truth in the face of a tyrant ruler requires tremendous courage and a coward will only kneel on his knees before a tyrant. One who is convinced of truth (Haq in Qur’anic terminology) will stand by it most courageously and endure all hardships patiently. The Muslims in Meccan period of Islam endured unimaginable hardships with greatest degree of patience and most steadfastly. They were never provoked into violent action.

Meccan Muslims are best example of how to endure hardships in the face of most challenging situations. Today we have so many Muslim majority countries and the Muslim youth have to put pressure on the rulers of their countries to unite and fight against injustices being perpetrated by the USA and other powers. If the rulers are pro-US and do not take action they must launch public agitation peacefully. It will expose those rulers who serve their personal interests rather than the Muslim ummah.

One can argue such agitations do not produce immediate results and no one knows what effect it will have on the ruling class. This argument is partly true. But then one would like to ask how effective is terrorist attacks? Do they succeed in achieving the desired goal? One has no such example. And again, violence against whom? So far there is not a single example that such violent attacks have forced US or any other power bringing them on their knees. It invites greater counter-violence and it becomes vicious circle. In Iraq, in Afghanistan, in Pakistan (and now also in India) hundreds of innocent people have died and yet violence has been going on.

It becomes more of ego fight than fight for any cause. Wisdom (which is one of the important values in the Holy Qur’an) requires that one should thoroughly and objectively assess the situation before adopting any strategy. Those resorting to terrorist violence are no match to superior might of these western nations they are fighting against or any government for that matter. And in armed struggle they cannot involve masses. The violent actions, on the other hand, alienate the masses from violent groups for their arbitrary attacks.

Thus wiser course will be to fight democratically mobilizing public opinion in their favor. The Meccan model of Islam is far more useful than any other model. The verses relating to war in the Qur’an were revealed in Madina because Muslims were being attacked by Meccan kuffar (unbelievers) again and again and in those days only course of action available was to defend themselves. The Islamic history is witness to the fact that all the battles fought by the Prophet were defensive in nature.

And if the USA attacked Iraq and Afghanistan it was for the armies of these countries to defend themselves or devise other strategies, in case of defeat. It does not give license to any group to launch violent attacks. And these groups cannot attack the innocent civilians of their own countries.

In case of India one cannot avenge communal violence by such terrorist attacks on innocent Hindus and Muslims in market places. It is same sin which communal forces committed against innocent Muslims. Wisdom requires that one should patiently mobilize public opinion through democratic means and win over hearts of common Hindus and expose communal fascist forces in the eyes of public.

One hopes the misguided Muslim youth resorting to such violent actions would realize the futility of terror attacks and renounce such sinful and criminal acts and instead concentrate on excelling in learning and acquiring superior moral character thus truly following transcendent Qur’anic moral precepts. Did not the Prophet say ‘ink of a scholar is superior to the blood of the martyr?’

Madrasas And Sectarian Conflict

2008-12-10T00:02:00.000-08:00

By M H Ahssan

Among the various internal challenges facing madrasas today is the pressing problem of sectarianism and sectarian conflict. Some people claim that in the last ten or fifteen years there has been a decline in the sectarianism actively promoted by madrasas. God knows better, but I feel that if indeed this is so, it is still not very significant. A glance at the sort of literature being churned out by madrasas and a general survey of the mentality of madrasa students and graduates of madrasas make this claim appear doubtful.

The problem of sectarianism among Muslims, including within the madrasa system, is, of course, centuries old. But in present times it is no longer restricted to ideological debates in scholarly circles. It has now taken the form of organised communalism, undermining all efforts to promote Muslim unity and making a complete mockery of the notion of Islamic brotherhood. The manifold problems facing the Muslim ummah today cannot be addressed and effectively solved until the idea of Islamic brotherhood and unity, which every Muslim holds dear, is actually put into practice. Sectarianism and sectarian conflict are the single biggest hurdle in this path, and, unfortunately, our madrasas are playing the leading role in keeping these alive and further exacerbating them.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that nine-tenths of the literature produced by our traditional madrasas and the speeches of their ulema are devoted simply to instigating ideological war against other Muslim sects in order to further boost sectarianism. These self-styled ‘devoted followers’ of God are forever on the look out for ideological enemies, not missing a single opportunity to whip up hatred against them. Many madrasa magazines survive mainly on drumming up opposition to other Muslim sects. Some such magazines are devoted entirely to this cause, which they regard as ‘noble’. The most saddening and unfortunate aspect of this entire situation is that most supporters of every Muslim group and sect have been made to believe that they are literally at war with the followers of other sects. They are made to imagine that the beliefs, interpretations and the reputation and respect of the founders of their own sects are all under threat from others. To protect all these, they believe, they must leave no stone unturned, and because they believe that they are in a state of war with other Muslim sects they think that for them every means is permissible.

Shockingly, all this continues unchecked, even in a country like India, where Muslims are an increasingly beleaguered minority, where their very existence and identity are under grave threat, and where Hindu extremists have now started demanding that the government take over the madrasas. What is even more distressing is that these madrasas depend on funds provided by the public, and most members of the public do not approve of these sorts of activities that promote hatred and conflict. Instead, they are simply concerned that in the prevailing anti-Muslim and increasingly irreligious climate the community’s future should be provided with proper Islamic education. It must be forgotten that the conditions of education and literacy among the Indian Muslims continue to remain pathetic. The money provided by the community should be spent on addressing these fundamental problems instead of on instigating hatred against other sects. After all, if a person is left completely illiterate, uneducated and pathetically poor the chances of his or her abandoning religion altogether are even greater.

Causes of Sectarian Strife in the Madrasas
As I mentioned earlier, sectarian differences among Muslims are not a new thing. Nor is it limited just to India or the Indian sub-continent. But it is a fact that intra-Muslim sectarian conflict has assumed a far more menacing form in India and, particularly, Pakistan, than elsewhere, and is now even more severe than in the past. Today, in our part of the world it has taken the form of a distinct social phenomenon.

What are the causes for this? Without identifying the causes, the problem cannot be solved or, at least, reduced in severity. In my view, this mounting intra-Muslim sectarian strife promoted by the madrasas in South Asia has three major causes: (a)The syllabus and methods of education used in the madrasas (b) Blind faith, personality worship (shaksiyat parasti) and the resultant emotional extremism and (c) The quest for power and wealth, whether out of greed or compulsion.

Much has already been written about the drawbacks in the curriculum and teaching methods used in the madrasas. Unfortunately, these have been devised so as to discourage the students from thinking for themselves, and, instead, to fit them into a particular sectarian mould. Subjects such as Hadith, jurisprudence, Quranic commentary and allied disciplines are all taught from this sectarian perspective. Examination questions also reflect this. This is why the mentality of the madrasa students is so heavily shaped by sectarian concerns and understandings. Consequently, their identity is primarily defined by their being Hanafi, Shafi, Ahl-e Hadith, Deobandi, Barelvi scholars, and only then as Muslim scholars.

The second major cause for sectarian strife in the madrasas is personality worship. Personality worship is a characteristic of the majority of those who are associated with madrasas, whether as managers, teachers or students. The tradition of teaching religious commandments and perspectives directly from the primary sources of Islam—the Quran and Hadith—came to an end a very long time ago. Now, all these things are taught through reference to the writings of certain individuals belonging to one or the other particular sect. The views of these individuals are now regarded as the means to understanding what Islam is all about, and are even considered as the criterion and source of such understanding. Earlier, the views of individuals were judged according to certain external standards provided by the scriptures, but now these views have become the standard, to back up which, suitable evidence is sought to be marshalled from different sources. Naturally, this also assists and promotes a sectarian mentality.

Every sect now has its ‘holy’ personages, and all of these have their own views, which the followers of their respective sects seek to defend at all costs. They refuse to accept the fact that an intellectual critique of a person’s views and arguments is certainly not tantamount to disrespecting him. Muslim history is replete with instances of great scholars who sharply differed from their teachers on many points and even critiqued some of their views but they never disrespected them. But, unfortunately, this tradition is now almost extinct in our madrasas, where students are made to believe that the elders of their sect alone were right and that all that they said or wrote is inerrant.

The third major cause of the sectarianism associated with the madrasas is purely economic. The leaders of every sect want that their circle of followers should expand, and this prompts them to stress the separate identity of their sect and the boundaries which set it off from the others. Sectarian strife is a tool to promote this agenda, and it helps bind the followers of a sect to its leaders even more closely. To use a commercial analogy, if people come to know that they can find a cure for their ‘disease’ from a cheaper shop they would not continue to patronise the shop that they had earlier been doing their purchases from. The same holds true for the different sects.

Fanning sectarian hatred is the source of livelihood for many of those engaged in this business. If all the massive amount of literature produced by madrasa-related scholars that is geared to fanning sectarianism and sectarian conflict is destroyed or is banned from being sold, what will happen to those many writers, publishers and distributors who have been making a living out of this sort of business for decades? Their predicament is no different from those publishers of text books who simply change a few words in an existing book and then bring it out in the market, presenting it as a completely new text, or from those useless writers who pen books on unimportant subjects. Delivering thundering public speeches against other sects has now become the sole source of income for some people, as also churning out hate-filled sectarian literature. The situation is so dismal today that the vast majority of madrasa students with average capabilities and skills who wish to write can do so only by producing such sectarian literature, or by penning commentaries on existing texts or compiling and publishing speeches—either their own or of some other person belonging to their sect. Only those madrasa scholars whose aim is not simply to earn money or to acquire name and fame write on any other sort of topics.

Another aspect of this economic angle to the problem of mounting sectarianism in madrasa circles is that of foreign funding, mainly from the Gulf, but from some other countries also. This began some three decades ago, and now even many smaller madrasas have entered the race to garner such funds. People and organisations associated with some sects are now desperately seeking to win over their foreign funders by trying to present their own ideology and understanding of Islam as identical with those of their would-be foreign patrons. In order to get funding from them and to prevent others from doing so, they paint the other sects in lurid colours, presenting them as wholly opposed to the sect that their foreign funders are associated with. This further exacerbates existing sectarian rivalries.

What is the Solution?
How can this menacing problem be tackled? In my view, the most important step that should be taken is to bring about certain basic changes in the methods of teaching the Islamic sciences, particularly jurisprudence and Hadith. For this we can adopt the same approach as is followed in certain universities in some Arab countries. For instance, in the teaching of jurisprudence, students should be first taught only the meaning or import of commandments or laws on various issues, and only later, say after a year or two, should they learn the various proofs or arguments for these, because by this time they can apply the capacity for independent reasoning (ijtihad) to understand these issues more dispassionately. Presently, however, students are not encouraged to engage in ijtihad. Instead, they are made to believe that on every issue (masla) their own particular sect or school of thought is best and is superior to all the others. This is not the right approach. Teachers should not insist that students must always abide by the view and position of their own particular sect under all conditions. Instead, students must be able to freely think for themselves and decide, on the basis of intellectual arguments, whether or not to accept or reject the position of their own school of thought on any matter. Arguments for preferring one school of law over the other can be taught at the level of specialisation, not, as at present, when students are still doing their basic course.

Likewise, the method of teaching Hadith presently employed in the madrasas is unsatisfactory. Presently, Hadith is taught by presenting it within a particular sectarian framework. This is wrong, and must be rectified. The present method of teaching Hadith does not allow for students to develop the capacity for deduction and independent reasoning. Instead, students should be encouraged to study Hadith in such a way as to enable them to understand their actual import and to develop their own perspectives accordingly.

Besides changes in the methods and approaches of teaching these subjects, certain existing texts in the madrasa curriculum can be excised and others included in order to help reduce the differences between the different sects.

Almost all madrasas are affiliated to one or the other sect. It is very rare for a student belonging to a particular sect to study in a madrasa associated with another sect. In many cases, madrasas refuse admission to students associated with a sect other than their own. Further, the environment in the madrasas generally is such that a person belonging to one sect would find it virtually impossible to study in a madrasa associated with another sect, for he would have to face considerable ridicule, fierce opposition and immense suffocation. If the doors of madrasas are opened to Muslims from all the various sects and schools of thought, and if the madrasa managers make sincere efforts to promote a climate of tolerance, it is likely that the raging sectarian strife and conflicts could, to some extent, decline. In the same way, allowing people from other sects to become members of the managing committees of madrasas would also have a positive impact. Madrasas can also invite scholars belonging to other sects to their functions. In addition, madrasa managers should make sincere efforts to ensure that their students do not exceed the acceptable intellectual boundaries when writing or speaking about other sects.

In critiquing certain aspects of the madrasas I do not, of course, wish to negate their importance. Rather, my intention is simply to open these issues for discussion so that madrasas can play a more effective and meaningful role in promoting the welfare of Muslims, in particular, and of humanity, in general.

Islam, Democracy And Violence

2008-12-10T00:00:00.001-08:00

By M H Ahssan

I was invited last week to Indonesia for a series of lectures by Asia Calling International Radio to speak on Islam, Democracy and Nation state. These days Indonesian intellectuals are rocked with questions we were faced with in early fifties in India. Also, all over Islamic world the question is being asked is Islam compatible with democracy and nation state? In Indonesia too, a largest Islamic country in the world the radical Islamists have raised this debate. The progressive Islamic thinkers there, are therefore, seized with these questions.

In a Asia Calling talk show where number of prominent public figures and diplomats were present these questions were raised by many. Also I spoke at Wahid Institute founded by former president of Indonesia and a leading scholar of Islam Abdur Rehman Wahid on experiences of Muslim minority in secular India. Indonesia, though a largest Muslim country in the world is still not an Islamic country but a Panchsila State. The doctrine of Panchsila was adopted during president Sukarno’s time.

But now Indonesia is under pressure to become an Islamic state where Shari’ah law would be the official law and religious minorities like Christians and Buddhists and others would become second-class citizens. Still, it seems, Indonesian people are resisting this demand and are hence keen to know the experiences of secular countries like India. Also what is the experience of nation building in South Asia including Pakistan and Bangla Desh. I was also asked to speak on the concept of human rights in Islam as in a democratic country human rights have fundamental importance. Indonesia, a largest Islamic country, is also faced with this question as minorities are coming under attack and their human rights are being violated.

Of course it is not at all correct to say that Islam is incompatible to democracy, I said in my talk. This myth is being spread by the supporters of authoritarian regime in the Islamic world. Kings, Sheikhs and military dictators are spreading such ideas, doesn’t matter if Islam gets bad name in the process. I firmly refuted this myth and maintained Islam does not come in the way of democracy; it is dictators and monarchs who come in its way.

We should remember, I said, that the Qur’an does not give any concept of state but a concept of society. Qur’an wants to establish a just society and what other way could be better suited to establish a just society than a democratic society. Also the Qur’an emphasizes equality of all human beings and equal dignity for all despite different languages, colours and race and nationality. How can it be achieved except through democratic society?

The authoritarian societies negate all these and hence not democracy but monarchy and dictatorship is un-Islamic, not democracy. During medieval ages, the concept like equal dignity, gender equality and human rights were just non-existent and hence monarchy was quite acceptable. It is no longer so. The modern society is emphatic about human equality without any distinction and human rights and gender equality are of great significance and hence democracy is the only way out for Qur’anic concept of just society to be realized Some people, especially radical Islamic groups do argue that the only just government could be through institution of khilafah. Let me say that the institution of khilafah has not been sanctioned by the Qur’an as pointed out above Qur’an does not recommend any form of government at all. The institution of khilafa was a result of historical situation. It was not even a part of Prophet’s (PBUH) Sunna.

That is why there were differences among Muslims about the question of succession. Even most prominent companions of the Prophet (PBUH) were not sure about the mode of succession of the successor. Shia’s maintain that the Prophet (PBUH) appointed his cousin and son-in-law Ali to succeed him. But only the supporters of Ahl-e-bait agreed with this view and others gathered in Saqifa Banu Sa’ida to discuss the question of his successor. There too there was no unanimity and after lot of suggestions and debates Umar proposed the name of Abu Bakr and did bay’ah on his hand and others followed.

Then there was no unanimity in electing the Caliph. Many said the Khalifah could be only from the tribe of Quraish of Mecca and Ansar of Madina who were from other tribes like Khazraj and Aus maintained that caliph should be from among them as they had helped the Prophet (PBUH) in Madina. It was also suggested that two persons be elected one from Quraish and one from Ansars. But this viewpoint was also rejected and ultimately Abu Bakr of Quraish was elected.

Then it was said that there could be only one caliph at one time but this concept also proved to be fragile as when the Abbasid defeated Umayyads, one of Umayyad’s family fled to Spain and founded another empire there and at a time there came into existence two caliphs and when Buwahids captured power and caliph became merely a nominal head, caliphate turned into sultanate. The institution of Caliphate also lasted only for thirty years and Mu’awiyah captured power without any sanction from Muslims as in the case of first caliph and what is more he nominated his own son Yazid against the wishes of all Muslims and against the wishes of prominent companions of the Prophet many of whom were then alive.

All this clearly shows that the institution of khilafah was a tentative historical construct, not the result of any divine injunction either based on Qur’an or Sunnah. Thus it cannot be argued that the institution of khilafah be restored and that is the only way out. Also, institution of khilafah, whatever way it came into existence was after all more democratic than monarchy or sheikhdoms and dictatorship which have no sanction of any kind at all.

Also, in case of electing a caliph tribal experience of the time was used as successor to a tribal chief was elected by the members of the tribe. There was no concept of one-man one vote at the time. In the institution of modern democracy one man one vote is the tried and tested method for electing public representative. New historical experience has resulted in new methods of election. There should be no hesitation in excepting and assimilating new experiences. During the period of Khilafat many institutions were readily borrowed from Roman and Sassanid empire like keeping salary register for soldiers from Iran. Earlier only share in the loot was given to those taking part in the fight.

Another question which is raised by Islamists is imposition of Shari’ah law. They argue that in democracy there are man made (human made) laws and Shari’ah law is divine law and this cannot be allowed in an Islamic state as only Shari’ah law should be enforced. This is also an erroneous concept. Shari’ah laws can be divided into two categories: ‘ibadat and mu’amalat (i.e. laws pertaining to salah, saum, haj etc. which are part of ‘ibadat.

Then the laws pertaining to mu’amalat which include relations between human beings and human beings. Laws about mu’amalat cannot be permanent. Of course no changes can be made as far as Shari’ah laws concerning ‘ibadat are concerned but as for mu’amalat laws cannot be permanent and parliament should be empowered to make laws in those respects. All modern democracies allow people to pursue their respective religions and do not interfere in their religious affairs. In all secular democracies also right to religion is a fundamental right.

Also, as far as ‘ibadat are concerned it does not require enforcement by any state but its importance lies in its voluntary nature. ‘Ibadat pertain to ones heart and soul and real ‘ibadat is one which is done most sincerely and from ones core of heart. It cannot be enforced. And it will cease to be ‘ibadat if it is enforced by a state machinery. This is what Qur’an also maintains when it says there is no compulsion in matters of religion.

Thus no Islamic state is required even to enforce provisions of Shari’ah. An Islamic state again would mean the majority of Muslim sect who live in that country would enjoy real freedom and those Muslims who belong to other sects would be persecuted. We see this right in the beginning of Islamic history. The Abbasids initially subscribed to the doctrine of createdness of Qur’an and all those who rejected this doctrine were severely persecuted. Even eminent Imam like Abu Hanifa was flogged for rejecting this doctrine.

In modern Islamic states too we see this phenomenon. In Saudi Arabia only Wahabi Muslims enjoy real freedom of religion. Those who do not subscribe to this doctrine are persecuted or do not enjoy freedom like Wahabis to practice their religion. Similarly the Shias are persecuted in Sunni majority states and Sunnis in Shiah majority states. In Iraq a Sunni minority dominated and persecuted Shi’ahs and in Syria, Alawi minority dominate over Sunni majority as it wields political power.

Real freedom of religion is possible only in democratic state where all enjoy equal rights irrespective of caste, creed and colour. Large number of Muslims today live as minority in various secular democratic states in various Asian, African and Western countries and enjoy right to freely practice their religion. This it is not correct to maintain that you need an Islamic state to practice Islam freely.

Every democratic state permits Shari’ah laws pertaining to personal laws like marriage, divorce, property, inheritance etc. In secular India too Muslims are completely free to practice these laws. Indian Muslim refuse any reform in their laws and state does not insist on that though in many Muslim countries these laws have been reformed.

Now the question about criminal laws whether it would be permitted in a secular democratic state to be permitted. The answer is certainly no. In India the Britishers had abolished Islamic criminal laws in 19th century itself and enforced a criminal code drafted by their parliament. The Muslim Ulama agreed to abolition of the Islamic code and agreed to enforcement of common criminal code. Today in the modern world many Muslim majority countries have also taken similar steps. Criminal punishments are largely contextual. In the tribal Arab society certain punishments were thought to be more effective and hence they were recommended. The main purpose is to prevent crime and nature and extent of punishment can certainly change. Also, there is provision for tazir punishment also in Islam and the rulers did enforce tazir punishments too. So it is not matter of principle whether hudud laws are enforced or not. Main thing is to check crimes.

Thus it would be seen that a secular and democratic state is equally good as long as it permits Muslims to practice their religion. It is also important to note that the Indian Ulama voluntarily opted for a secular state as opposed to an Islamic state in the form of Pakistan in 1947 when India was divided. They vigorously opposed creation of separate Muslim country and preferred to have a secular democratic and multi-religious, multi-cultural country. And who knew Islam better than the Ulama of Darul Ulum Deoband.

An Islamic state itself, as pointed out before, is a historical construct and not a Qur’anic concept and hence it is in no way obligatory for Muslims to set up an Islamic state. Those who argue in favour of Islamic state cannot produce any argument from the Qur’an and Sunna. In every country there are certain forces who adopt majoritarian aggressive postures and want their religion to be associated with the affairs of the state. In India, for example, a section of Hindus want India to become Hindu Rashtra (i.e. Hindu nation) but secular Hindus resist that demand.

In any religious state all citizens of different religious persuasions cannot enjoy equal rights and no modern state can allow this. The very essence of modern polity is that all citizens irrespective of their religion should enjoy equal rights. Maulana Maududi of Jamat-e-Islami of Pakistan had argued that no non-Muslim can become head of the state or prime minister of Pakistan. He or she cannot even hold any key post in the government. Sure in secular states also no person from minority religion will find it easy to become head of the state but theoretically it is not ruled out. In India a Sikh, a non-Hindu became a prime minister and three Muslims could become president of the country.

Another objection raised by many Islamists is that in secular democratic states human rights are sacred and the very concept of human rights is un-Islamic. This is also not in keeping with the Qur’anic teachings. Firstly, most of the Islamic countries with few exceptions have signed the UNO’s Human Rights Declaration. Some countries who did not sign the declaration their objection was that one who renounces Islam cannot be put to death as freedom of religion is a fundamental principle of human rights.

However, as pointed out above Qur’an itself upholds right to freedom of religion and the Qur’an pronounced it much before modern world realized its significance. It is very strange that now some Muslims in contradistinction to Qur’anic principle, of which they should have been justly proud, reject the doctrine of freedom of religion as modern western and hence unacceptable. The Shari’ah rule that one who renounces Islam should be given death sentence is highly controversial and there is no unanimity on this among Muslim jurists. Maulana Aslam Jairajpuri, for example, disagrees with it and advances several arguments from Qur’an and Sunna to show death punishment for renouncing Islam is not justified.

In fact freedom and faith go together. One cannot genuinely believe in any religion unless one is completely free to accept or reject it. If one is forced to accept a religion it cannot be accepted by his heart and soul. He may accept it outwardly but his heart and soul may resent it. It is precisely for this psychological reason that Qur’an made principle of freedom of religion so important. The Shari’ah provision for death sentence was more for sedition than for renouncing religion. It was feared that a Muslim living in an Islamic state, if renounces Islam, he may join hands with the enemy and conspire against Islamic state. Punishment for sedition world over is death.

The fear of sedition was genuine because Muslim states were surrounded by Christian states and there was direct political, though not religious confrontation between the two and hence anyone renouncing Islam there was genuine fear that he may help the Christian state. The crusades are well known from 11th to 13th century. That period of confrontation between Muslims and Christians was most intense. Thus death punishment for renouncing Islam makes sense during that period. This context must be kept in mind but in the long run the Qur’anic doctrine of freedom of religion must be upheld.

As for other principles of human rights even the most orthodox Muslim cannot object to them. For example, equality of all human beings is very central to Qur’anic teachings too. Human dignity is sacred in Islam as well. Gender equality is also clearly enunciated in the Qur’an. Moreover, woman has been given equal rights for contracting marriage and husband and wife have been described as each others garment. All these are enshrined in declaration of human rights issued by the UNO. Those Muslim countries like Saudi Arabia who did not sign Human Rights’ Declaration also did not object to these provisions.

Those who argue that implementation of Shari’ah is an obligation of Islamic State should understand that Shari’ah evolved gradually and there were great deal of differences among the Muslim jurists on many issues. Thus Shari’ah, as one Islamic scholar Prof. Muhammad Mujeeb maintained, is a human approach to divine injunctions. That is very apt description of Shari’ah laws as evolved by many eminent jurists during first four centuries of Islam.

The great Urdu poet Iqbal from Indian sub-continent also maintained that every generation of Muslims should be entitled to rethink Shari’ah issues and in a Muslim majority country parliament will be the right forum to do so. He also maintained that ijtihad is the dynamic principle in Islam and ijtihad becomes necessary in changed conditions in modern society. Thus a democratic society with an elected parliament would be a better institutional arrangement for making Shari’ah more relevant to our contemporary world. Many new issues have arisen which need use of ijtihad quite urgent.

And where Muslims are a minority and live in secular democratic state should evolve their own forums to bring about necessary changes. Today more Muslims live in minority situation than in majority and hence they would have to evolve their own institutions to do ijtihad with the cooperation of Ulama and modern scholars. No secular democratic state can stop them from attempting these creative changes in their laws. All this has to be done within the framework of Islam. No changes can be brought outside this framework if they are to be accepted by Muslims at large.

To accept democratic state would be far more beneficial to Muslims and would enable Muslims to practice their religion faithfully and fearlessly than in so called Islamic state where sectarianism and fundamentalism will prevail. A democratic state is much better guarantee of genuine freedom of religion than a state based on any religion. This seems to be contradictory but in fact true.

Thus we must properly educate Muslim masses and prepare them for acceptance of democracy in Islamic world. They should be made aware that those who oppose democracy in the name of Islam are really serving certain vested interests rather than Islam. Islamic world is still reeling under the impact of feudal and medieval forces who serve their own interests in the name of Islam. Islam is quite compatible with democracy. It is rather interests of rulers of Muslim countries which are not compatible with democracy.

Indonesia, I said in my lectures, has achieved democracy after a long spell under dictatorship and it must be protected at any cost and all religious minorities also should be guaranteed full freedom to follow their respective religion. Tolerance of differences is an important principle of democracy and due tolerance should be shown to all different religious opinions too. It will not violate any Islamic principle at all.

The Concept Of Jihad In Islam

2008-12-09T23:58:00.000-08:00

By M H Ahssan

The word ‘jihad’ is derived from the root juhd, which means ‘to strive’ or ‘to struggle’. It denotes the exertion of oneself to the utmost, to the limits of one’s capacity, in some activity or for some purpose. This is how the word is understood in Arabic grammar.

Because fighting against one’s enemies is also one form of this exertion or striving, it is also sometimes referred as jihad. However, the actual Arabic word for this is qital, not jihad. Fighting with one’s enemies is something that might happen only occasionally or exceptionally. However, jihad, properly understood, is a continuous action or process that animates every day and night of the life of the true believer. Such a person does not let any hurdle affect his life, including desire for gain, the pressure of customs, the demands of pragmatism, lust for wealth, etc.. All these things serve as hurdles in the path of doing good deeds. Overcoming these hurdles and yet abiding by the commandments of God is the true jihad, and this is the essential meaning of the concept of jihad. There are many references to jihad, as understood in this way, in the collections of sayings attributed to the Prophet Muhammad.

The present world is a testing ground, and its environment has been fashioned in such a way that human beings are constantly put to the test. In the course of this test, human beings are faced with numerous hurdles, to face which one must repeatedly suppress or sacrifice one’s own desires or, in some cases, even one’s own self. Overcoming these odds and facing all sorts of difficulties and losses but still remaining firm on the path of truth is the real and fundamental jihad. Those who remain steadfast in the path of this jihad will be blessed with entrance to paradise.

Jihad, in essence, is a form of peaceful action or activism. This peaceful activism can take the form of inviting others to the path of truth. The Quran advises us not to obey those who champion falsehood, and tells us to engage in jihad with them through the Quran. This means that one should respond to them by inviting them to the path of the truth, striving till one’s utmost in this regard. The jihad that this Quranic verse refers to is not physical warfare. Rather, reference here is to intellectual and ideological activism. In short, it means refuting falsehood and advancing the cause of the truth [using peaceful means].

Qital, which is one form of jihad, involves physical warfare, but this also cannot be divorced from the issue of essentially peaceful jihad. If an enemy challenges one militarily or through physical force, one should still strive to the utmost possible to respond through peaceful means. Such means can be abandoned only when it is no longer possible to use them or when warfare becomes the only way to respond to the violence being unleashed.

In this regard, a statement attributed to Hazrat Ayesha [one of the wives of the Prophet] serves as a guiding principle. This statement is contained in the Sahih Bukhari, a book of traditions attributed to the Prophet. She said that whenever the Prophet was faced with two choices, he would always opt for the easier one. This means that he would prefer the easier option and would ignore the harder option. This principle of the Prophet applied not only to routine affairs of life but also to serious matters such as war, which is itself a difficult option. A reading of the life of the Prophet reveals that he never initiated fighting on his own. Whenever his foes sought to force him into battle, he would always try to seek some means to avoid physical fighting. He engaged in fighting only when all other options were closed. Thus, as the Prophet’s practice reveals, offensive war is forbidden in Islam. Islam allows only for defensive war, and that too only when this becomes absolutely unavoidable.

In reality, in life one is always faced with the dilemma of making choices between different options. Some options are based on peace, others on violence. The accounts of the Prophet’s life indicate that in every matter he preferred the former. A few instances from his life are in order to illustrate this fact:

1. Soon after being appointed as a prophet, he was faced with a choice between the two sorts of options. His mission was to end polytheism and to establish pure monotheism, belief in and surrender to the one God. The Kaaba in Mecca had originally been made as a centre for the worship of the one God, but by the time of the advent of the Prophet some 360 idols had been installed therein. Hence, one might think that in the Quran the Prophet should have first been instructed to purify the Kaaba of the idols and to remake it as a centre for monotheism. But had this been the case , this would have been tantamount to warring with the Qureish of Mecca, who enjoyed leadership among the Arabs precisely because they were custodians of the Kaaba. History tells us that [at this stage] the Prophet restricted himself simply to the spreading the message of monotheism instead of removing the idols from the Kaaba. This, in a sense, is a major instance of the Prophet choosing a peaceful, as opposed to violent, option.

2. Choosing and abiding by the peaceful option, the Prophet carried on his preaching work for thirteen years in Mecca. Despite this, the Qureish fiercely opposed him, so much so that the Qureish elders plotted to kill him. Accordingly, they armed themselves with swords and surrounded his house. This was nothing sort of a declaration of war against the Prophet and his companions. However, guided by God, the Prophet decided not to retaliate militarily, and in the darkness of night he left Mecca and travelled to Medina. This journey is known in Islam as the Hijrah. The hijrah exemplifies the choice of the use of the peaceful option, instead of a violent option.

3. The ‘Battle of the Trench’ is another example of the choice of the peaceful option by the Prophet. On this occasion, an army of the Prophet’s opponents marched on Medina to attack the Prophet. This was an open declaration of war on their part. However, in order to avoid fighting, the Prophet arranged for a trench to be dug around the town. This served as a buffer against the attackers. Consequently, the Qureish army spent just a few days camped beyond the trench and then went back. Constructing the trench to keep off the invading Qureish was another example from the Prophet’s life of choosing a peaceful, instead of violent, option.

4. Likewise, in the case of the Treaty of Hudaibiyah. The Prophet and his companions wanted to worship at Mecca, but they were stopped by the Qureish chiefs at a place called Hudaibiyah and were asked to go back to Medina. The Qureish said that they would not allow them to enter Mecca at any cost. This was, in a sense, a declaration of war on their part. If the Prophet had proceeded with his plans of proceeding to Mecca to worship, it would have meant armed conflict with the Qureish. However, the Prophet chose not to go ahead. Instead, he peacefully accepted a one-sided treaty with the Qureish and returned to Medina. This is yet another example of the Prophet choosing the peaceful, instead of violent, option.

5. This practice and preference was also evident when the Prophet finally took over Mecca. On this occasion, he was accompanied by ten thousand devoted companions, who could easily have militarily defeated the Qureish of Mecca. However, here, too, the Prophet did not use physical force to capture the town. Instead, he quietly travelled, along with his companions, to Mecca and entered it. This happened so suddenly that the Qureish were unable to make any preparations against them. Consequently, Mecca was won without any bloodshed. This, too, is an example of the choice of peaceful, instead of violent, means.

These examples suggest that not just in ordinary situations, but also in situations of emergency, the Prophet resorted to peaceful, as opposed to violent, means. As indicated above, in Islam peace is the rule and war is the exception, and that too only when it becomes unavoidable. Keep this principle in mind and survey the world today. Today’s world is very different from the world of ancient times, when war was the rule and was commonly resorted to. Choosing peaceful means was very difficult. However, today the situation has completely changed. In today’s world, resort to violence has become completely useless and undesirable, while the use of peaceful means alone is generally accepted. So acceptable has the peaceful option become that it has emerged as a powerful force in its own right. Today, one can press one’s views peacefully, through use of the right to free expression, using modern communications and the media. These developments have made the peaceful option even more efficacious.

As mentioned earlier, the Prophet’s practice indicates that when peaceful options are available, they should be used and violent means should be abstained from. In today’s context not only are peaceful methods and options available in plenty, but also, owing to various supporting factors, they are much more effective. It would not be an exaggeration to claim that in today’s world violent methods have not only become more difficult, but also, in practical terms, completely useless. In contrast, peaceful methods are easier and also much more effective. Peaceful methods have now become the only possible and efficacious option. In this context one can claim that violent methods have to be abandoned, or what in the language of the shariah is called ‘mansukh’ or abrogated. Now the followers of Islam have only one option to choose, and that, without any doubt, is the peaceful option, unless, of course conditions change so much that the directive needs to be changed.

It is true that in the past violent means were occasionally used but these were only under compulsion due to temporal factors. Now, because conditions have so changed that the compulsion no longer remains, the use of violent means is no longer necessary and is undesirable. Under the new conditions, only peaceful methods should be used. As far as the issue of jihad is concerned, peace is the rule and war has the status of only an unavoidable exception….

….According to a well-known principle of Islamic jurisprudence, rules change in the wake of change of time and place. This means that when the context changes one must seek to re-apply the juridical rule in accordance with and to suit the new context. This principle applies as much to issues of war as it does to other matters. This principle thus demands that violent methods be declared as abandoned and only peaceful methods should be given the status of being sanctioned by the shariah.

Contemporary ‘Jihadi’ Movements
Today, in various countries Muslims are involved in armed movements in the name of ‘Islamic jihad’. However, simply by being called as a ‘jihadi’ movement by its leaders no such movement can be actually considered thus. No action can be considered as a legitimate jihad unless it fully meets the conditions as laid down in Islam. Those battles that are being fought in the name of jihad without meeting the conditions of jihad cannot be termed as jihad. Rather, they are fasad or strife [the opposite of jihad]. And those who are engaged in such activities will not get the reward [from God] of jihad. Instead, they will be considered worthy of punishment in God’s eyes.

I have written extensively elsewhere about the various conditions necessary for qital or physical war to be truly considered as jihad. Here I wish to clarify just one point, and that is that jihad in the sense of qital is not a private act in the same manner as prayers and fasting. Rather, it is an act that is entirely associated with a state or government. This is clearly indicated in the Quran and the Hadith [reports attributed to or about the Prophet Muhammad]. For instance, the Quran says that in the face of intimidation by the enemy, individuals should not take any action on their own, but, instead, should turn to those in charge of their affairs so that the latter can understand the matter in a proper perspective and take appropriate and necessary steps. This means that individual members of the public cannot decide issues of war on their own. This is something left to the government to handle.

Likewise, a Hadith report states that the Imam or leader is like a shield, war is conducted under his control and through him safety is ensured. This means that war and defence must always be left to the rulers to manage….

…There is an almost unanimous opinion on this issue in the Islamic juridical tradition and almost no noted Islamic scholar has dissented from this. Hence, the [almost] unanimous opinion of the Islamic jurisprudents is that war can be declared only by an established government. Subjects or citizens of a state do not have the right to do so [...]Today, in various places Muslims are engaged in fighting with governments in the name of jihad. However, almost without exception, these are not really Islamic jihads, but, rather, are fasad or condemnable strife. None of these so-called jihads has been declared by any government. All of these self-styled jihads have been declared and are conducted by non-state forces and actors. If some of these violent movements have the backing of any Muslim government, this is being done secretly, while according to the shariah jihad on the part of a government must entail an open declaration. Without this, qital on the part of a Muslim government is illegal.

Today, the various violent movements in the name of jihad being engaged in by some Muslims are of two types: they are either guerrilla wars or proxy wars. Both sorts of war are completely illegal according to Islam. Guerrilla wars are unacceptable in Islam because they are led and conducted by non-state actors, not by any established government. Likewise, proxy wars are unacceptable in Islam because the governments behind them do not issue a formal and open declaration of war. This is not allowed in Islam.

Analyzing The Words ‘Kafir’ And ‘Kufr’

2008-12-09T23:54:00.000-08:00

By M H Ahssan

According to Marxism, as it is generally interpreted, human society is divided into basically two classes-the working class and the bourgeoisie. The word ‘bourgeoisie’ is of French origin. In the beginning it denoted the middle classes, but later, when it was employed as a key term in Marxist discourse, it came to be seen in a derogatory sense. Consequently, in Marxist analysis the bourgeoisie came to be regarded as the source of all social ills, while the working class was considered to be the epitome of virtue.

Somewhat the same thing has happened with the term kafir. In the beginning, the term simply meant what its dictionary meaning denotes-’one who denies’. However, later it came to be used and seen in a derogatory sense, and today this latter sense in which the term is generally understood is the source of much conflict between Muslims and others.

Let me cite an instance to illustrate the possible consequences of the wrong use of the term kafir. The noted poet Muhammad Iqbal penned a Persian couplet in which he mentioned his Hindu Pandit origins, referring to himself as a brahmanzada or ‘descendant of a Brahmin’. Now, the term brahmanzada is not seen as offensive by anyone. But suppose it was replaced by the term kafirzada or ‘descendant of a kafir’, lovers of Iqbal’s poetry would react in horror. This is because the term kafir has come to be widely perceived and used in a very derogatory sense.

The general usage of the terms kafir and momin (’believers’) by Muslims causes a great deal of anguish for many non-Muslims. So much so that some extremists opposed to Muslims and Islam have even demanded that the word kafir should be expunged from the Islamic lexicon, claiming that till this is done Muslims and non-Muslims can never live in amity with each other.

In actual fact, the misuse of the word kafir is not something that only extremists in other communities are vehemently opposed to. To be honest, it has become a major problem for many Muslims themselves. In today’s age, Muslims and non-Muslims live and work together, and in this context many educated Muslims feel that they cannot properly adjust to a pluralistic situation while continuing to uphold traditional understandings of the term kafir. Consciously or otherwise, many of them feel that many aspects of the sort of Islam that they have been reared on have lost their relevance in today’s age. They have no idea how they can live respectably in society today if they continue to cling to this sort of Islam.

I know of a certain very well-educated Muslim man who lives in Delhi, and who often meets me. He says that although he was born in a Muslim family he has lost faith in Islam. Democracy, he tells me, is his religion, not Islam, because, according to him, Islam sharply divides humankind into momins and kafirs, while democracy regards all human beings as equal [....]

So, as I just mentioned, this issue has become a very real and serious one for many Muslims today. It is imperative, therefore, to seriously address it. This is essential in order to answer the questions people are asking about the contemporary relevance of Islam as well as to help create a climate wherein Muslims and others can live together amicably.

If the issue is studied carefully and deeply, it emerges that the entire question is based on gross misunderstanding. In the general Muslim understanding, the term kafir is seen as synonymous with non-Muslim. Consequently, most Muslims think that anyone who is not a Muslim is a kafir. However, this is a completely wrong notion. The word kafir is not synonymous with non-Muslim.

According to the shariah, the role of true Muslims is that of dais or those who invite others to the path of God. The status of non-Muslims, therefore, is that of madu, or those who are to be invited to God’s path. This relationship between dai and madu, between true Muslims and others, necessarily demands that true Muslims, as dais, must constantly seek to maintain good and friendly relations with people of other faiths. It is said that a shopkeeper must always be customer-friendly. Likewise, a true Muslim must always be madu-friendly.

A true dai must be inspired by a genuine sense of concern, love and welfare for the madu. If that is really the case, the dai would never tolerate using any term that might stir hatred in the heart of the madu. In addition, a true dai can never have hatred in his own heart for the madu.

The ancient Aryan invaders of India referred to the indigenous people of the country as Mlecchas. Likewise, medieval Christian scholars referred to Muslims as ‘infidels’. Both terms were used in a derogatory sense, and those whom these terms were used to refer to obviously did not approve of them. The proper way in such cases is to use terms that do not have this derogatory implication. Unfortunately, the Muslim scholars have not adopted a proper approach in this regard. In their writings and their translations of the Quran they have indiscriminately used the term kafir to mean ‘infidels’. In the Indian context, this has led to much misunderstanding and conflict between Hindus and Muslims. And because the term kafir has been used by the ulema in this sense it has created a particular sort of mind-set among Muslims generally, as is reflected in the writings and speeches of many Muslim scholars. It has played a major role in fashioning an entirely negative approach in the Muslim community in general towards people of other faiths. It has built up a pronounced sense of ‘Muslims versus Others’, ‘We versus Them’, which is very unfortunate and lamentable.

My own reading of the Quran leads me to believe that when it says, ‘Say, ‘You who deny the Truth [...]‘ (Quran, 109:1), using the term kafirun for this, it refers only to the Qureish of Mecca of the Prophet’s time who, despite the Prophet having provided them all proof of his divine mission, rejected and opposed him. It was then that God declared that they had become kafirs or deniers of the truth in His eyes. Nowhere else in the Quran has any other group been declared in such clear and specific terms as kafir. This way of addressing people does not, I believe, apply to other non-Muslims, who should be addressed as human beings, rather than as kafirs.

More on the Term Kafir
As I indicated earlier, the Arabic word kufr means ‘denial’, and the related term kafir denotes ‘one who denies’, that is ‘one who refuses to accept’. Thus, the word kafir denotes an individual character rather than being a label for a specific community or race. In many English translations of the Quran, the word has been translated as ‘unbelievers’, but this, I feel, is wrong. An unbeliever is someone who does not believe, but a kafir is a person who refuses to believe despite all the proofs of God having been presented to him in an appropriate way.

In the early part of the Prophet’s mission, as evidenced in the initial verses of the Quran, the people he addressed were not referred to as kafirs, but, rather, as people. For instance, addressing the Prophet the Quran says, ‘O Messenger, deliver whatever has been sent down to you by your Lord. If you do not do so, you will not have conveyed His message. God will defend you from mankind (al-nas). For God does not guide those who deny truth.’ (Quran: 5:67). In this verse, God says that He would protect the Prophet from ‘mankind’ (al-nas), and does not use the word al-kuffar or kafirs. There are numerous such verses in the Quran that indicate the use of the general word insan (’people’) or related words to refer to all human communities [...]

It was only after thirteen years of the Prophet’s struggling to present the Qureish of Mecca of his time all the required proofs of his mission while addressing them as ‘people’ that, after they deliberately denied him, the above-mentioned Quranic commandment ‘Say, ‘You who deny the Truth [...]‘ (Quran, 109:1) was revealed. And that too was an announcement from God Himself, and it was not the Prophet’s own statement.

The Difference Between Deeds and the Doer
Elsewhere in the Quran the words kufr and kafir have been employed in the sense of referring to certain deeds or acts that are tantamount to kufr, and the person who does this is a kafir in God’s eyes. However, other than with regard to the Qureish of Mecca, and that too only after the Prophet’s mission among them for thirteen long years which they rejected, there is no specific declaration in the Quran labeling any particular community as kafir. From this it appears that while a dai or an Islamic scholar can point out that a particular deed amounts to kufr he does not have the right to declare any particular community as kafirs. As I mentioned above, the word kafir relates to a certain set of actions, and is not the name of or label for any community.

This point can be further clarified with the help of a hadith report attributed to the Prophet which talks about the sin of a Muslim deliberately abandoning his regular prayers and linking it with kufr. In this context, it is acceptable for someone to appeal to Muslims in general to regularly pray and also tell them about the grave implications of abandoning regular worship. But it would be totally incorrect if he were to prepare a list of Muslims in his area who do not regularly worship and then specifically name them as having turned kafirs for this sin.

In exactly the same way, a true Muslim who calls people to the path of God can, on the basis of Quranic teachings, point out the actions which lead people to be seen as kafirs in the eyes of God. But he would be exceeding his boundaries if he were to address non-Muslim individuals and communities by name and declare that so-and-so non-Muslims are kafirs.

Hence, on the matter of kufr and kafir it is crucial to make a distinction between an act or deed of kufr and the person who commits that act or deed. It is only God’s prerogative to make a specific declaration in this regard, and that He has done just once, with regard to the Qureish deniers and opponents of the Prophet in Mecca to whom the Prophet had provided complete proofs of God’s revelation. With regard to the rest of humanity, God will decide Himself, and this would be made known in the Hereafter. Hence, the task of a true Muslim is simply to invite others to the path of God, and not to declare people to be kafirs.

Consequently, in my opinion, from the Islamic point of view the status of non-Muslim communities all over the world, including of the Hindus of India, is simply that of being human beings (insan). None of these communities can be branded as kafirs, because as of yet the essential conditions that characterized thirteen years of the Prophet’s preaching in Mecca among the Qureish have not been fulfilled, only after which the Qureish were declared as kafirs. Likewise, it is incorrect to term them as ‘deniers’ (munkir).

I believe that the many of the conflicts and complaints that characterize relations between Muslims and non-Muslims are essentially communal and economic. These are, at root, conflicts about worldly or material interests. These cannot be considered to be religious as such. Muslims must take the initiative to desist from these conflicts over worldly or material interests and focus all their intention on their real mission, which is to invite people to the path of surrender to God.

Investigating Kufr
When can it be established with regard to a particular person that he has become a ‘denier’ (munkir)? The Quran supplies an answer to this. The revelation of the Quran started in 610 C.E. in Mecca, and through the Quran the Prophet invited the Meccans to the path of worship of the one God. In this period, he never referred to his fellow Meccans as kafirs. Instead, as I mentioned before, he referred to them as ‘human beings’ or by similar terms, such as ‘Qureish’ or ‘my community’. He conveyed to them God’s message while considering them part of his own community (qaum). This, therefore, shows that the words kafir and kufr relate to a particular attribute and not to an entire community as such.

In his mission to invite the people of Mecca to God’s path, the Prophet was filled with a sense of deep concern for the welfare of those he was addressing, and even though they heaped all sorts of oppression on him he always beseeched God to guide them. And the Prophet continued to do this steadfastly throughout the thirteen long years after receiving his prophethood in Mecca. Even after that he did not refer to these people as kafirs on his own. It was only later that God revealed this commandment ‘Say, ‘You who deny the Truth [...]‘ (Quran, 109:1). From this it appears that only after these thirteen years of the Prophet’s dedicated mission in Mecca that God declared those whom he had addressed but who had rejected him as ‘deniers’, and it was then that God revealed this commandment. It is thus impermissible to declare anyone to be a ‘denier’ or kafir without having engaged in this sort of dedicated, sustained mission as the Prophet did in Mecca. To repeat what I have written earlier, it was only after thirteen years of the Prophet’s mission in Mecca that God declared certain people or be kafirs or deniers, and for ordinary Muslims like us to do so even a hundred and thirteen years of preaching work will not be adequate.

In some Quranic verses revealed while the Prophet was in Mecca there are certain references to non-Muslims living outside Arabia. For instance, the Quran mentions the Romans, who were Christians, over whom the Persians had secured a temporary victory. But here it refers to them as Romans, not as kafirs. Likewise, the Quran refers to the non-Muslim ruler of Yemen, Abraha, but it does not label him as a kafir ruler. In contrast, the Quran uses the terms kafir and kufr with regard to the Qureish of Mecca who denied the Prophet. It did not refer to all non-Muslims as kafirs. For instance, when the Prophet migrated to Medina, he did not refer to the people of Medina as kafirs, but, rather, as ‘people’. There were several non-Muslim tribes living around Medina at that time, but they, too, were not referred to as kafirs by the Prophet. Instead, he referred to them by their usual names, such as Ahl-e Saqif (’the people of Saqif’), Ahl-e Najran (’the people of Najran’), Ahl-e Bahrain (’the people of Bahrain’), and so on.

In the same way, in the early Islamic period, soon after the Prophet’s demise when the Arab Muslims spread out of Arabia into other countries, they referred to the non-Muslim communities they encountered there by their own names, not as kafirs. For example, they called the Christians of Syria as ‘Christians’ (Masihi), the Jews of Palestine as ‘Jews’ (Yahud), the Magians of Iran as ‘Magians’ (Majus), the Buddhists of Afghanistan as ‘Buddhists’ (Bodh or Boza), and so on.

Likewise, when the first Muslims landed in India they did the same. They referred to the non-Muslims of India as ‘Hindus’, which is the Arab way of pronouncing the word ‘Sindhu’. One of the earliest Arab Muslim chroniclers of India, Abu al-Rehan al-Biruni, author of the well-known Kitab ul-Hind (’Book of India’), referred to the non-Muslims of India as ‘Hindus’, not as kafirs.

Some Historical Instances
As I have repeatedly mentioned above, the form of address contained in the Quran ‘Say, ‘You who deny the Truth [...]‘ (Quran, 109:1) applies only to those Meccans who denied the Prophet even after he preached among them for thirteen years and provided them with all the necessary proofs. The Quran does not address anyone else in this specific manner besides these people of Mecca of the Prophet’s time. After the Prophet’s conquest of Mecca, several Arab tribes sent delegations to meet him. For instance, some people came to meet him from Yemen. He addressed them as ‘people of Yemen’ (Ahl-e Yaman), not as ‘kafirs from Yemen’. Similarly, the Prophet sent letters to the rulers of various lands near Arabia, inviting them to the path of God. He did not refer to them in these letters as kafirs [....]

To reiterate what I have said above, the investigation of kufr with regard to a particular person can happen only after all the necessary proofs of the faith have been presented before him, and the model of setting out the proofs (itmam-e hujjat) is just one-that is, the thirteen year preaching mission of the Prophet in Mecca. Further, even after one has properly and adequately set out the proofs of the faith it is only for God to specify, if He wishes, a particular person to be a kafir or ‘denier’ of the Truth. We cannot do this ourselves.

Heated Polemics
When the British ruled India, Muslim and Hindu preachers engaged in heated public polemical debates (munazara). This took the place of what rightly belonged to dawah or inviting, with love and concern, people to the path of God. These debates contributed in a major way to the rapid worsening of Hindu-Muslim relations across the country.

This is not the Islamic way of approaching others. The true Islamic way is through addressing others by being inspired by a spirit of love, compassion and concern for their welfare, even despite their opposition. On the other hand, polemical debates aim at defeating and demeaning others. Instead of love and understanding, they produce only more hate and conflict, thereby creating even more problems.

The Notion of Dar ud-Dawah (’The Abode of Inviting People to the Path of God’)

The terms dar ul-kufr (’the abode of infidelity’) and bilad al-kuffar (’the land of the infidels’) are not found in the Quran. They are a later invention which emerged after the demise of the Prophet and date to the Abbasid period. They were not in use among Muslims before this. In my opinion these terms are not proper. Lands other than those that can, if at all, be called ‘Islamic’ countries, must be seen and termed as dar ud-dawah abodes of inviting others to the path of God, and these include even those countries that some Muslims might regard as opposed to them.

In the Quran, God addresses the Prophet and instructs him thus:

‘This is a blessed Book which We have revealed, confirming what came before it, so that you may warn the ‘Ummal-Quraa [Mother of Cities] and the people around it’ (Quran, 6:92).

The term ‘Ummal-Quraa in this verse refers to Mecca. When this verse was revealed, Mecca was in the control of non-Muslims, so much so that they had installed numerous idols inside the Kaaba. Yet, despite this, the Quran did not refer to the Mecca of this period as dar ul-kufr, but, rather, as ‘Ummal-Quraa or ‘Mother of Cities’, and asked the Prophet to engage in the work of dawah there. From this one can infer that all places that are under the control of non-Muslims can be considered as dar ud-dawah, thus indicating to Muslims their duty of dawah or inviting to God’s path the people of these lands. To refer to them with terms such as dar ul-kufr or bilad al-kuffar is not proper.

Folate - How Much Do You Need?

2008-12-07T23:48:00.000-08:00

By Saleha Fatima

It's not only pregnant women who need to watch their folate intake...

If you've ever been pregnant, you would know just how important folate or its synthetic form folic acid (folacin) is to ensure the birth of a healthy baby. Although folate, a B vitamin, is essential for all adults and children, medical research has linked a folate deficiency in pregnant women with an increased occurrence of childbirth defects of the spine and brain.

Why every woman needs to have sufficient folate

Since the spine and the brain are made from neural tube (part of the embryo) cells, these defects are called neural tube defects. Now the tricky part is that neural tube defects occur 25 to 29 days after an egg is fertilized, a time when most women are not even aware of the fact that they have conceived and hence of what is going on in their bodies. Often, by the time a woman realizes she is pregnant - the damage has been done.

Given that not all pregnancies are planned, preventive measures must therefore be taken well in advance, preferably as a long-term action. Doctors therefore suggest that all women of child-bearing age capable of becoming pregnant, typically 15 to 44 years old, should consume 0.4 mg of folate daily to reduce their risk of having a pregnancy affected by a neural tube defect. Of course, the recommended consumption increases for pregnant women, who are usually prescribed folic acid supplements.

Further, this level of daily folate consumption also applies to children of age four and older, and adult men.

What should you eat to get enough folate?

So - what foods should you include in your diet so as to get your daily requirement of folate? Whole grains, dark green vegetables such as asparagus, peas, spinach, brussels sprouts and broccoli, lentils and legumes especially kidney, lima, pinto and black beans, citrus fruits and juices are good sources of folate. Folic acid fortified carbohydrates such as breads, cereals, pastas and other products that count enriched flour as an essential ingredient are also sources of synthetic folate or folic acid.

Interestingly, doctors find that people relying solely on natural food sources to meet their daily folate requirements sometimes fall short of desirable folic acid levels. This is because the quantity of natural folate found in substances like wholegrain breads is less than the folic acid included in enriched carbs.

This should by no means be taken as a green signal to ignore foods containing natural folates and solely rely on fortified food stuff. As wholegrain foods offer a natural goodness and fiber-content that processed carbohydrates are stripped of, women should aim to get half their daily carbohydrate intake from fortified, and the other half from wholegrain foods.

A few crumbs from a folate-rich foods laden table!

Here are some more tips to help you ensure you ingest sufficient folate in your diet:

When it comes to fortified foods, check their label for the percentage of the recommended daily value of folic acid that the product offers. This will help you calculate the number of servings you should eat per day.

If you'd like to avoid eating processed (fortified) carbohydrates for some reason, opt for a vitamin supplement that mentions folic acid as an ingredient, preferably 400 micrograms of folic acid. But speak with your GP before starting to take this supplement.

Some medical studies link lower folate levels with obesity. Apparently, obese people metabolize folate differently than thinner folk. If you are obese, you may want to check your folate level through a blood test or consult your doctor.

A poor diet, especially a low-carb diet which is increasingly becoming a dieting fad is also cause for low folate levels. Women avoiding carbohydrates miss out on folic acid enrichments as well as natural folates. Strictly speaking, fad diets that recommend eating too much of one food group and/or avoiding another should be avoided. It goes without saying that a balanced diet including carbohydrates, proteins and fats from a range of cereals, fruits and vegetables is essential for optimum health.

When it comes to folate, it's not only a case of the health of the next generation being in our hands but our health as well. That's more than enough reason to ensure our dietary habits change for the better, wouldn't you say?

Don't Rush To Be A Blushing Bride

2008-12-07T23:45:00.000-08:00

By Annie Sadaf

Tying the knot too early in life might tie you up in knots! Here's why...

Many a man marries his first love... this saying seems to assume that a man's first love comes along fairly early in his life. Well - what's the second half of this story? Do such marriages last?

While it wouldn't be fair to generalize, it isn't advisable for a man nor a woman to rush into marriage. Here's why -

Why would you want to marry young?
Tanya and Suresh fell in love while pursuing a post-graduate course. Theirs was a heady University relationship that fed on the carefree life on the campus, heated discussions on idealistic living and passionate romance.

The very much in love couple decided to tie the knot two months after completing their course. Tanya had been placed in a good company, while Suresh had drawn up business plans for a new venture.

But barely eighteen months later, their marriage fell apart! Tanya was being transferred out to another city, while Suresh's fledgling business had only just started breaking even. Suresh was committed to making a go of his business - that was his number one priority.

Tanya, however, had realized that life in the 'real world' was much different than what she had expected. Hence, her aspirations changed and she found herself wanting different things out of life as compared to Suresh. In other words, the shared goals that formed the bedrock of their togetherness were no more.

Do you know what you want?
Divorced by age 25, Tanya says "It would have been much better if I had not rushed into marriage. Real life is uncertain, while most students lead such a sheltered secure life on a campus. I would strongly advise young lovers straight out of college/University to get on with life and only think of tying the knot if they feel the same a few years later. Waiting hurts nobody! So why saddle yourself with responsibilities so early in life?"

Hindsight is 20-20, as they say!
The bottom line is that personality only develops as you age and experience life in the real world. So you can never be certain that what you want out of life when you are a student will hold true five years down the line.

Stand on your own feet
The sad part is that some people marry early, before their individuality is fully expressed. Since most marriages as it is cause a small (or large) loss of individuality in adjustments, such unfortunates lose themselves even before they know themselves. Then if the other partner is domineering or willing to take advantage of their confused state, their life passes by without them ever knowing what they want.

Fact is - getting hitched too early can stifle your development. This situation is only compounded if by marrying early, a woman compromises her educational pursuits. Given the economic uncertainties of our age, every young man and woman should be well-educated and financially independent before they tie the knot.

Don't rush into a marriage thinking that shared expenses translate into more savings. If you need help making ends meet, get a room-mate, not a husband or wife!

Who is your Mr. Right?
"I met my husband at 28. By then, I had a clear understanding of who I was looking for. He fit the bill perfectly," shares Meenu who met her husband just before she turned 30.

It's not only what you want out of life but you are also more likely to be certain of the qualities that you desire in your husband as you grow, interact with more people of the opposite gender and learn about various perspectives to life.

Don't succumb to peer pressure
It is true that most kids grow up succumbing to peer pressure at some point or the other. But choosing to get married simply because your best friend is doing so, straight out of college, is the worst decision you could ever make! Marriage is by no means a walk in the park! It calls for serious effort from both partners. Ensure you are getting married for the right reason, not just the honeymoon!

Eloping - A New Age Solution For Age Old Unions

2008-12-07T23:43:00.001-08:00

By Aeman Nishath

Follow the wanderlust... as two hearts merge into one hearth.

From Laila-Majnu to Romeo-Juliet lovers have pined for each other scribing trees and their hearts with their vows of love. Historically eloping (running away to get married) was considered the scandals of scandals. So today when norms and customs have changed and society has become more lenient why are people continuing to elope?

A recent headline in the news read, ''Crisis couples prefer to elope!''

What???

With all the leaps in technology and liberalization permeating the globe… one wonders why couples would have to run away to sanctify their relationship vows into matrimony.

It was just two decades earlier when top Bollywood celebrities due to family opposition or audience disapproval were silently getting married or eloping. Hema Malini and Dharmendra, Padmini Kholapure and Tutu Sharma and Shivangi and Shakti Kapoor are some couples that come to mind.

Today's generation though modern on the outset remains paradoxically inflexible when it comes to maintaining tradition and solemnizing their vows. The Bollywood Generation X Kajol and Ajay Devgan, Ashwariya and Abhishek Bachchan, Suzanne and Hrithik Roshan and Zaid Khan and his wife Malika all did it the traditional way. No running away to tie the knot unlike the previous generation.

Conversely actor Vindoo Dara Singh eloped not once but twice in the past decade. His first marriage to actress Farah (sister of Tabu) was registered due to opposition from both sides mainly due to Vindoo and Farah's different religions. The marriage fizzled after sometime Vindoo re-married Russian model Dina - in a quiet secret ceremony.

Though societal expectations and norms have changed to some degree there is enough of a force to keep modernity in check. The main factor according to leading sociologists and a pundit is family approval. There is no definition of what is acceptable or not as each family is as individual as its members. Why religion, background, caste, career, and geography may or may not be topics of concern for one family and not another is something no one can answer.

For celebrities many of the issues remain the same and some have changed in the past few decades. Where yester-year actresses had to hide their marriages due to fear of audience rejection today's Bollywood sirens don't have to worry about audience acceptance. Not only are Kajol and Karishma Kapoor accepted as single women on screen despite being married in real life, but also sexy Malaika Arora Khan is giving edgy competition to single sultanas Kareena, Katrina and Mallika Sherwat.

So if perspective has changed why is eloping still making news?

Shaaditimes spoke with Shivangi Kapoor, wife of Bollywood villain Shakti Kapoor and mother of two to find out her views on eloping today.

Shivangi and Shakti Kapoor recently celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary. "It seems like yesterday that we decided to have an impromptu wedding," recalls Shivangi. The fierce disapproval of Shivangi's family at that time lead the couple to take their marital vows through a registered marriage followed by a traditional puja with the priest. We were young and in love and at that time it was all that mattered to both Shakti and me," remembers Shivangi.

Shivangi feels, "I think most parents are open-minded enough to accept who their children select as their life partners. I feel if you've brought them up properly there should not be an issue." Would she accept who her children wish to marry? "Absolutely, both Shakti and I would want Shraddha and Siddhanth to be happy and if they're happy - so would we be."

If elopement is still prevalent in our society it could also possibly be more due to plain old economics. The world is going through a global recession and the cost of the Big Fat India Wedding continues to increase exponentially. Would Shivangi mind if her children eloped? "Yes and no. Me and Shakti wouldn't mind if they agreed to a small wedding like my sister Tejaswini opted for, and a down payment on a flat or a luxurious honeymoon in Europe," she muses and continues, "But I think we both would want the marriage rituals done traditionally."

Elopements are not limited to the youth. As Indian society ages and becomes modernized widows, widowers, singles and people in unhappy marriages are opting out for a new love casting aside sometimes over thirty years of marriage. "Divorce and re-marriage don't have the same taboos as they once did," believes Shivangi though she clarifies, "I do feel if you can make your marriage work you should stay." US based author Rebecca Mead of "One Perfect Day" feels "cost issues", "tightening budgets", and aging relationships are what keeps the elopement business booming. Just look at Nevada, the elopement capital in the US, and you'll see what we mean.

"In the US a wedding cost can be astronomical - as high as $30,000 US dollars per wedding." Today even professionals and yuppies see eloping as a practical option. Karla Neville, 27, decided to elope with Gabe Evans in July while they were on vacation in Portland Oregon. "We promised each other when we got engaged we wouldn't let the process of planning a wedding stress us," said Evans, 42, an Art Director in New York. The couple realized their vision of romanticism and got married on a mountaintop far far from Thomas Hardy's maddening crowd. There was a minister and family friends. The cost of the wedding clinked in at less than $1500 US. Now that was sweet music to their ears.

So whatever the impetus for elopement the only thing which has changed is the scandal - it just doesn't have the same stigma anymore in a society where tolerance abounds. So this is one case where maybe you should follow your heart, and in the bargain you may even save heart-ache and money to you and your partner and respective families.

Time to Call It Quits?

2008-12-07T23:41:00.001-08:00

By Sheena Shafia

Nobody gets married thinking they might get divorced. But when it does happen, how do you know it's really time?

Getting married was a life altering decision and now you're wondering if it's time to change the course of your life all over again. How do you know if your relationship has reached its end? When is it really the right time for you to part ways? Unfortunately, there is no formula or perfect guide to let you know that. However, every marriage has ups and downs. It's up to you alone to decide whether this is just a crack in your marriage that needs some work or if your marriage has been broken apart completely.

Unless you were in an abusive relationship or subject to an extra marital affair, taking the steps towards a divorce require much soul searching. It's a decision that is not made overnight and you will probably spend endless nights tossing in bed. Wondering whether the emotional distance between you and your spouse is just a temporary road block is very natural. Your mind is torn between staying and parting; your heart is leaning towards the door.

Ask yourself the key questions
Do I miss him? Take a week off. Visit your friends or parents. Does it feel like a burden off your shoulders when you spend time alone? Or do you end up missing him? Do you call him often? How much do you both share about the week upon your return? Does your spouse seem delighted to have you back? Are you relieved or suffocated to come home?

Do I like her? Love comes after like. You have to like the person's basic character to stay married. And happily married at that. Sometimes we are so blinded by the physical chemistry initially that we think we like the person; only to discover later that their personality is so very different from ours.

Do we fight too much? Fighting and arguing are part of every healthy relationship. But so is making up, forgiving and forgetting. If your marriage sees only the former with frustration building up every day, it may come out in a huge explosion of anger suddenly. Besides, what are the disagreements about? Are they about life's fundamentals that you cannot see eye to eye about, or are they about trivial things like leaving the room messy?

Has she moved on? Different stages and circumstances in life make people change. New careers, children or spiritual maturity change the way we think or behave. Some couples go through these transitions harmoniously while others have a tough time seeing through change. In a marriage where one spouse has new goals for life, the other may feel left behind or even left out. Has your spouse moved onto a different phase or become a different person? Can you accept the change? Or are you honestly willing to modify your lifestyle and goals to meet his/hers?

Can we communicate? Surmounting the mountains of marriage requires verbal and non verbal communication. Are the two of you able to communicate to resolve conflicts? Do you share your dreams and goals with each other? Is there an emotional distance due to lack of communication? Can that be changed or is the void too deep already?

Is there chemistry? Being physically attracted to your partner is as important as intellectually. When was the last time the two of you had sex? Are you fantasising of other people or feeling sexually attracted to someone else you know? Do you look forward to spending time alone with your spouse?

Friends and family have your best interest in mind, and they will offer support and advice; sometimes even unsolicited. But they should only help you to think through things and should not be your decision makers. So do not let your near and dear ones sway you in either direction. Let them help you weigh the pros and cons of your relationship. They are outside the actual situation and can think more rationally. They often show you matters in a different prospective. All that said, discussing the matter with too many people is only inviting trouble. Unwanted gossip and rumours could spring up making things awkward for your spouse. Keep your counsel of advisors to a minimum.

There is no right or wrong in relationships and so many variables in a marriage. A divorced person could be happier than one in a sour marriage. Ending a marriage is not easy and needs to be given due thought, time and consideration. Sometimes it is our best interest to call it quits if the relationship is bringing nothing but unhappiness. Whether it is time to call it quits, is solely upon each individual.

When Family And Office Roles Overlap

2008-12-07T00:33:00.000-08:00

By Simran Kapoor

The office joker. The mother hen. The king. The rebel. The gossip. The peacekeeper. The dude. Anyone who has ever been part of a workplace culture can probably recognise at least one of those characters in the cubicle next door.

But workplace roles and the dynamics among colleagues can go much deeper than those somewhat superficial stereotypes, especially in a nation where many people spend as much time with colleagues as they do with their families, where the office so often mirrors the family.

A boss is not just a boss, in the view of some psychologists who study workplace roles; he can be a stand-in for a disapp rov i n g and distant father. An unpredictable, easily angered manager can be a thinly veiled rejecting mother. Colleagues competing for the boss’s attention — or merit raises and bonuses — are siblings in rivalry.

The employees of a company acquired by another in a hostile merger? They can experience seething resentment toward what they feel is an unwelcome stepparent, according to psychologists working with companies to manage emotional fallout during a merger. There is, too, the workplace spouse, a co-worker of the opposite sex who shares a kind of closeness achieved only through the intense experience of long weeks at the same office.

Given all the stress and uncertainty driven by the economic crisis, some companies, with the help of business and organisational psychologists, are plumbing the depths of these feelings and roles, trying to gauge their effects at a time when emotions are running high. A growing number of business psychologists and executive coaches are also looking at the influence of birth order and other family roles and niches on office.

“Work is nothing more than an entirely complex set of relationships,” said Michael W. Norris, a clinical psychologist in Los Angeles, who runs monthly leadership coaching groups and individual sessions with senior executives. “You have partners that are your equals, subordinates, superiors,”Norris said. “It’s parents and siblings. All of these dynamics that are exactly the same in the workplace, just the titles are different.”

For example, said Laurence J. Stybel, a psychologist in Boston, specialising in organisational behaviour, “Somebody who is successful at getting resources in the family environment approaches the corporate environment with a sense of confidence. Someone who was denied resources given to others approaches the corporate environment with the same concept.”

The use of personality testing in the workplace to measure employees’ “emotional intelligence” or, for example, how they handle conflict, has become increasingly common, said Benjamin Dattner, an organisational psychologist in New York who consults with companies on workplace issues and blogs for Psychology Today. Tests such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, which measures how people perceive the world and make decisions, are given to millions of employees each year, Dattner said.

The idea is to help increase their effectiveness, say, by having a team of co-workers better understand their strengths and weaknesses — although the usefulness of such tests is debated. There are also a number of character typology studies — some frivolous and some more serious — that have sought to define the roles office workers play. In one re c e n t study that T-Mobile in Britain commissioned to gain insight into how its employees interact, a psychologist interviewed workers and came up with eight character types. When times are difficult economically, a workplace character identified as the “mother hen” — with a comforting voice of reason and empathy — may help raise the group’s spirit, Honey Langcaster-James, a psychologist, concluded. The “office joker,” by contrast, “may decide that wisecracking” is “no longer appropriate in such dire times.”

The “dude,” another character in the study, “T-Mobile Workplace Motivation Report,” which is available online, is described as “laid back and relaxed,” and this relaxed attitude “also means that he/she doesn’t transfer pressure onto colleagues — a trait most workmates would be grateful for,” the report says.

Working Women Balancing Their Professional And Personal life

2008-12-06T23:41:00.000-08:00

By Ayesha Jabeen

Today working is no longer an adjustment or a mere necessity for her but a means to self worth and growth.

In this era of life working women are an important identity who have always contributed to the world, home and society extensively through some or the other means. Though the metamorphosis of a shy house bound domestic woman to a liberal outstanding woman has been gradual she is now come a long way to walk shoulder to shoulder with her male counterpart in every field. She is everywhere from farming and plowing the land to governing her country, in recent years more positions have been created and reserved for women in politics. She has time and again proved that she cannot be belittled in anything and can handle her every responsibility with enthusiasm and success.

She has been capable enough to accommodate both family and work responsibilities with ease into her life to show the world that it is not impossible for her to play the dual role of both a working woman and a home maker. It is said that the home maker’s job is the toughest job in the world, but the working woman is out here to prove that she is ready to face a challenge tougher than this by working out as well as at home. From the time of our ancestors people have subjugated women when it comes to contributing to economic activities assuming it is the prerogative of men whereas the loyalties of women are meant only for child rearing, hearth and home.

Today there is this woman who not only can raise her kids but also help her husband in meeting their financial responsibilities, her juggling between meeting deadlines and changing diapers, working at projects to cooking, providing day care to working night shifts have plunged her into conflicting situations many a times, she has sailed through it all with vigor. In this time of inflation and higher competence when most of the parents are striving to meet their children’s educational demands and other necessities, the working women are a boon to their families, as the double income is always welcome and provide a greater relief.

Working women have indeed been very helpful in promoting the world economy. Most women in rural India work for informal sector and contribute to economy in one way or the other, they work in household industries like handicrafts and weaving, on agricultural lands harvesting and plowing the crops, selling food, additionally ,they carry on with their domestic chores like cooking, fetching water and looking after children. Hence, it is not only the educated and urban woman who is proving her worth but also women from rural areas.

This gusto of a woman playing both the roles of home maker and working woman is well appreciated but she should never underestimate herself if she opts to remain only a house wife as mentioned earlier this is the toughest job and hardest challenge put forth for her. Weather a woman chooses to be a home maker or a working woman she deserves a big applause, she has proved her success everywhere and life would be empty and absurd without her.

UPA's Rs 60,000 cr insurance for polls

2008-12-06T02:23:00.000-08:00

By Pavan Kumar

The taxes you pay will fund for the ruling alliance's election campaign. The UPA Government has insured its political future with a Rs 60,000-crore cheque.

The UPA will not pay for it but you, me and every taxpayer of the country will. If not today, tomorrow or three years down the line we have to pay this. The country's taxpayers will pay to ensure the existing political combine returns to power. In short, the UPA is shamelessly trying to loot the country's precious resources to further its own political ambitions.

Are we going to be mute spectators to this? But for some noises here and there in the media, there may be little opposition to this. That's because there is no political opposition in this country. Anyone raising a voice against this misappropriation of the nation's resources will be branded as 'anti-farmer'.

To quote Mr P Chidambaram from his press conference soon after the budget: "Stand up and be counted whether you are for the farmer or against the farmer. I am for the farmer, my PM is for the farmer and our government is for the farmer."

Will the Opposition stand up and question the government? I don't think any political party will do so and commit a political harakiri.

The poll campaign has already been kicked off. See the full-page ads in Sunday's newspapers issued by the NCP, a key member of the UPA government. NCP leader Sharad Pawar, the chief architect of the Rs 60,000-crore package takes credit for fulfilling his promise to the farmer.

The immediate questioning has centered around the source of funding for this largesse. But this is a secondary question. The primary one being: who has given political parties the right to appropriate funds? Will Parliament approve this mega 'loan' mela? Most likely it will pass the test of the floor for reasons stated above.

Half of I-T collections will fund UPA's poll campaign
Now comes the question of funding. The size of the package is shocking. Rs 60,000 crore is equal to 50 per cent of the Income Tax revenue of Rs 1,18,000 crores (revised estimates for 2007-08). So half of the Income Tax paid goes to fund the election campaign of the UPA government.

The Finance Minister is yet to disclose the funding. It could be in the form of bonds, which is seen as a cashless transaction for now-i.e., instead of giving cash to compensate banks' losses, they will be issued bonds guaranteed by the government. It's a paper transaction, but it will bind future governments. Read: Taxpayers have to pay this amount in future not now. This is an accounting fudge and demolishes the claim of bringing down fiscal deficit.

RBI silent spectator
The next question, is an oft repeated one. A debt relief always leads to a culture of defaults, a loan culture not tolerated by banks in urban areas. Recovery agents (read thugs) are set off against the defaulter in urban area, no excuses, no escape. What is more shocking is that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is a silent spectator. That's because it feels that the banks' interests are taken care off and there will be no losses in their books. Clearly, the central bank is not autonomous enough to challenge the political authority.

So if some of us in the media question this are we anti-farmers? No. In fact, the media first brought to light the plight of the farmers - be it in Vidharba or any other part of the country years ago. This Rs 60,000-crore cheque could have come at that time, but did not! Deserving farmers need relief and support, but this can't be used as a ticket to political fortunes.

Reel Hero to Real Hero - Chiranjeevi

2008-12-06T02:16:00.000-08:00

By Swati Reddy

Does history always repeat itself?
After 25 years, once again one reel hero wants to become a real hero. South India's famous film star Chiranjeevi wants to repeat ex-Chief Minister and greatest Andhraite Late NT Ramarao's (NTR) success. But political and social environment of Andhra Pradesh are completely different this time comparing with 25 years ago.

Films to Politics
NTR had proved that it is possible for a film star to successfully venture in to politics. Congress had continuously ruled Andhra Pradesh a state formed on November 1, 1956, till 1982. NTR's, Telugu Desham Party (TDP) overthrew the incumbent Congrees and came to power in 1983, within nine months of its formation. An achievment for any regional partry.

It will not be easy for Chiranjeevi to emulate NTR's success as the people then had only two parties to choose from compared to the present scenario where his party has to compete with not only major national parties (Congress, BJP, CPI) but also strong regional parties (Telugu Desham Party, Telangana Rashtra Samiti).

Congress had changed three Chief Ministers between Jan '82 and Oct' 82. It had helped NTR to garner public opinion on the ground of 'Atma Gauravam' (self-respect), that no Congress CM had ever completed his term of five years and the CM was just a toy in the hands of Delhi.

But this time around Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Rajashekher Reddy is successfully completing his term. So, this time around Chiranjeevi will not have the advantage that NTR had.

Regional compulsions
Chiranjeevi's political future depends on many issues. His first challenge would be how he will address the 'Telangana' issue. Andhra Pradesh includes three regions - Telangana, Raayalaseema and Coastal region (Costa). Telangana is demanding a separate state and Coastal Andhra and Raayalaseema are strongly against this.

Meanwhile, people of Andhra Pradesh are keenly watching how Chiranjeevi will handle this issue because he comes from Costa. If he supports Telangana, he does not get support from other two regions.

He felt the heat of regional politics few years back when he played a Raayalaseema resident in his film 'Indra' and kissed the land of Raayalaseema in a particular scene. His fans of other regions had vehemently opposed his act in that scene. Striking a balance between the issues of these three regions is critically important to his political career.

NTR then had no political compulsion to take a stand on Telangana issue. Presently, the demand for a separate state of Telangana is like a hot potato and no party can afford to ignore this.

Caste politics too plays a major role in every region in Andhra Pradesh. There are three major casts Kamma, Kaapu and Reddy here. Lakhs of his fans will have to break these caste lines to bring their 'hero' at the center of politics. And this generally doesn't happen in India, especially when it comes to caste.

Star power
In politics NTR didn't have any opposition from the film industry. On the other hand most of the film stars supported his endeavor. This time around the film industry is divided in its support to various political parties.

The coming elections will be a star-studded one. With every star trying to en-cash his reel image aura to garner votes for their respective parties.

NTR's son Balakrishna and Harikrishna and grandson Junior NTR are supporting TDP.

Dr Rajashekar and his wife Jeevita have joined Congress recently. Another famous film star Krishna and his son Mahesh Babu are likely to campaign for Congress, which is likely to bring in huge support for the party.

Chiranjeevi's bothers Nagendra Babu and Pawan Kalyan, son Ram Charan and son-in-law Allu Arjun are already playing a big role in shaping their upcoming party.

All the above film stars have ruled the film industry one time or the other and have even competed against each other at the box-office. Now it has to be seen, how these stars will convert their fan following into votes.

Chiranjeevi means living forever
Chiranjeevi was formerly known as Konidela Shiva Shankara Vara Prasad (KSSV Prasad). He was christened Chiranjeevi after he had a dream in which lord Hanuman addressed him as 'Chiranjeevi'. He also felt that this name would suit his film career.

Chiranjeevi's hard work and dedication towards his profession brought him success and big fan fallowing. Fans down south emulated every act, dialogue, dress-style and dance in his films, resulting in more than three thousand fans clubs. Through these fan clubs he has pioneered eye and blood donation drives.

He is a mass icon of Andhra Pradesh. All set for his political career. He mentioned at the press conference on 17th August that his motivation to enter politics came from ex president Abdul Kalam and the people of Andhra Pradesh. Unlike politicians, his focus is poverty and not political parties. He rightly chooses Mother Teresa's birthday to announce his party on August 26.

Political parties like Congress, TDP and BJP have already started targeting Chiranjeevi's upcoming new party. Spokespersons of these political parties mention that he comes from glamour world and he doesn't know anything about Andhra Pradesh and state politics.

We will know how true are the above allegations, only when Chiranjeevi goes to the people for votes.

India's Tech Transformation

2006-04-23T21:38:00.000-07:00

By M H Ahsan

The outsourcing boom that has transformed this country's economy can be traced in part to a technology discovery made in 1995.

That year, engineers at Tata Consultancy Services found that a set of software tools called CasePac, developed to convert code for IBM, could be used to change the date field in other programs.
"We realized this could be used for the Y2K problem," said Nagaraj Ijari, a senior executive at Tata's offices, located in this city at the epicenter of India's thriving technology industry. Companies from around the world sought Tata's outsourced services to fix the "millennium bug," and the company's annual revenue has climbed from less than $170 million to $2.24 billion in the years since.

The success story illustrates how quickly India's fortunes have changed in just a few short years, as the country's burgeoning technology industry has provided such services at a fraction of the cost of Western counterparts. Building on this foundation, India is now entering an important new phase in its economic evolution.

Once fairly anonymous organizations hired to run support desks and develop server applications for large multinational corporations, Indian companies are raising their profile as brand name suppliers in hardware design, software development, consulting services and virtually anything else in technology. Infused with new blood from a young tech-savvy work force, the new movement is a major advance toward economic independence that carries broad ramifications for a country whose past includes colonial rule, experiments in socialism and devastating poverty.

"There is a huge Indian domestic opportunity and an export opportunity beyond outsourcing," said Rishi Navani, managing director of WestBridge Capital Partners, a venture capital firm specializing in Indo-American deals. "Over the next 12 months, you will see three to four new Indian Nasdaq listings."

India's growing entrepreneurial spirit is reflected in its forays into consumer electronics--a highly competitive market that has long been considered the province of Japan, China, South Korea and other Asian nations, as well as the United States.

Tata recently won a deal to create an environmentally friendly cell phone for a U.S. carrier, for example, while rival Wipro Technologies is designing MP3 players for Europe and a flat-panel TV for an American company. Such entrepreneurial ventures in the consumer market are not confined to the largest players: Mumbai-based Celetronix produces set-top boxes for a U.S.-based satellite TV carrier.

"Our evolution will be similar to the evolution of Taiwan," said Ramesh Emani, president of Embedded & Product Engineering Solutions at Wipro, noting that in India, there would be greater emphasis on hardware design than on manufacturing.

As was the case in China, domestic demand is a significant factor in India's technological expansion.
India has only 100 million phones for its population of 1 billion people--including both cellular and land lines--but that number is expected to grow to 250 million in the next two years. Cellular service costs only about $4 to $7 a month, and future phones will also sport cricket scores, lottery ticket purchases and other types of services seen in South Korea and Japan.

"The volume is enormous," said Sanjay Nayak, CEO of network equipment specialist Tejas Networks, which has won large contracts in India against multinational competitors.

High growth is also expected for the computer market in India, which counts only 14 PCs for every 1,000 people. Several companies hope to court that market with computers priced at less than $250, many of them packaged with residential broadband service that costs about $12 a month for a 128kbps connection.
"It is our fastest-growing emerging market," said Ketan Sampat, president of Intel India. "We've had a growing middle class. PCs are part of that."

Beyond the home, some hardware companies are targeting the enterprise market in and outside India. VXL Instruments, for example, delivers stripped-down desktops to the likes of Air France and Goodyear Tire & Rubber.

New Delhi's FinalQuadrant Solutions sells a server appliance for the travel industry. Travel agents pay only a modest amount for the server but hand FinalQuadrant a small fee for each hotel room night or travel leg booked through the system.

"We're making every single (travel) reseller as powerful as Expedia," CEO Anuj Gupta said. The company, which made $1 million in net profit in 2004, has mostly sold its products in Europe and is expanding to the United States.

For India's service companies, perhaps the most natural expansion is the consulting business. Outsourcing stalwarts such as Tata, Wipro and Infosys Technologies have begun significant consulting operations as outgrowths of their outsourcing work. Each of these "Big Three" companies has seen revenue grow in the 30 to 50 percent range every year for the last five years--a period in which Western companies saw revenue flatten or decline.

Most of their consulting engagements largely address how best to implement services already provided by these companies. But they are nevertheless long-term commitments that will pit them against the formidable white-collar armies at large U.S. companies for years to come.

"We are not McKinsey. We do not want to hand over the report and run away," Tata's Ijari said. "Our competitors are Accenture and IBM."

The new competition on many fronts from India has prompted U.S. companies to increase their presence in the country. Western companies such as Sun Microsystems and Hewlett-Packard have set up shop in India as part of the outsourcing trend, to keep engineering labor costs in line with those of their competitors. But U.S. companies face a problem: Other types of employees, such as managers and sales executives, also have relatively low salaries--meaning they cost India rivals less.

Such concerns explain why U.S. venture capitalists are increasingly insisting that any U.S. start-up seeking funds maintain a presence in India. A company might cost $50 million to $70 million to build in the United States but, with relatively inexpensive labor overseas, might cost $12 million to $20 million in India.

U.S.-Indian businesses can take all manner of hybrid forms. Some were conceived in the United States and have built research and engineering departments in India. Others were born in India but have located high-level executives in America. Still others, such as Tejas and Telsima, are founded and based in India.

Whatever the mix, functions often monopolized by Silicon Valley in the past are now spreading overseas. To lure new investment, for instance, Silicon Valley Bank brought a number of American venture capitalists to India in September 2003 and subsequently opened offices that it lends to visiting VCs and their budding start-ups.
"Before, India was an afterthought," said Ash Lilani, head of global sales and marketing at Silicon Valley Bank. "Now it is thought of at birth."

From blackouts to corruptionStill, challenges persist. With an estimated 600 additional cars on Bangalore's streets every day, traffic has ground to gridlock. The five-mile drive to Electronics City, the main tech hub, can take an hour from the center of town. An express road that was supposed to have been completed last year remains a tangle of rebar and cement pilings.

Electricity is another pressing concern. In nearly every Indian city and state, power outages occur fairly regularly. The lack of an adequate power grid is one reason that no foreign company has built a semiconductor fabrication facility in the country. A South Korean entrepreneur has signed a preliminary agreement to build a chip foundry near Hyderabad, but many sources privately doubt that the project will get far, because of the water and power demands of a modern fab plant.

"The government realizes that there needs to be foreign investment" in infrastructure, WestBridge Capital's Navani said, adding that development funds are being negotiated with large banks.

Tech companies also routinely complain about India's tax system. On the plus side, the onerously large import duties of the past are fading away, and the government has passed laws requiring the equivalent of benefits offered by places like China and Taiwan, including one that gives companies exporting tech products a 10-year exemption from income taxes.

Yet executives are well aware that the government has a history of adding taxes through its national budget, as exemplified recently with a so-called fringe benefit tax. Under this provision, companies that throw parties for clients or host them at conferences must pay a tax on the expenses, said Ravi Pradhan, India manager for Via Technologies.

Moreover, as in other parts of the world, corruption remains a problem when it comes to influencing clients and government officials. "In America, you might take them to the Super Bowl. Here, you give them money," one source said.

And even for Indian entrepreneurs who know how to navigate the unofficial ways of doing business, help from multinational manufacturers is still necessary to build their industry.

"We have engineers who are good technicians, but we need product managers," said Vinod Dham, founder of NewPath Ventures, a venture capital firm that specializes in Indian investments. The services business, he added, has "made a culture of people who say, 'Tell me what to do.'"

Reverse outsourcingThis should lead, at least in the near term, to a form of reverse outsourcing, with U.S. experts heading overseas to provide services for Indian businesses. Indian-based companies, for their part, will need to install an increasing number of employees in Europe and North America to land contracts--which means paying higher Western salaries.

"You need guys who worked on Wall Street," said Jessie Paul, head of marketing for iGate, a Bangalore-based company that provides consulting and other information technology services.

However, while these factors may temporarily slow progress, few expect it to stop the industry. Many Indian companies are becoming more integrated into the business processes of their customers, making offshore outsourcing a permanent arrangement.

"The level of people who are visiting us today is very, very high. They are actually the strategic decision makers. In the dot-com days, it was more reactive," said Srinath Batni, a board member of Infosys. Outsourcing, he added, "has become a long-term strategy."

That marathon approach is viewed as a key advantage for India. Many executives and entrepreneurs note that India's tech boom is driven by a demographic bubble that will be difficult to match for other nations. India has a large population of young people who are driven, well-educated and work for relatively low wages.
"The average age of the working population in India is 27 years," said Supratim Sarkar, manager of strategic marketing at Wipro. "That is one of the biggest levers we have."

Not surprisingly, optimism is running high as younger generations come of age. The national exuberance has inspired many entrepreneurs, including Rajesh Jain, who sold an Indian-based Web portal, IndiaWorld, for around $100 million in 2000 and who is now incubating companies that he expects will bring computing to the masses in his country.

"For the first time," he said, "there is confidence that tomorrow will be better than today."

Bangalore is home to India's tech elite

2006-04-23T21:14:00.000-07:00

By Julia Roberts

On Bangalore's crowded streets, hand-pulled carts compete for space with trucks, cars, and make-shift food kiosks, often bringing traffic to a snail's pace. The heat, the grime, pollution, and potholes on the road make the city quintessentially Indian. But look closely. Cheek by jowl with the noisy bazaars of Bangalore are swanky design and development facilities set up by both multinational and Indian companies. In the cubicles in these premises is where Bangalore's technology innovation thrives, as the city's information technology engineers do software development, design integrated circuits, and even develop products.

Texas Instruments Inc. was the first multinational company to set up a development center in Bangalore in 1985. After TI, a number of multinational companies from the US, Europe, and Japan have set up design and development centers in Bangalore.

For a while after Microsoft Corp. set up its software development center in Hyderabad in 1998, it looked like Bangalore was losing out on new foreign information technology investments to Hyderabad, which is the capital of the neighboring state of Andhra Pradesh, and to Chennai, the capital city of another neighboring state, Tamil Nadu. By 1999, the trend was however reversed when Intel Corp., Sun Microsystems Inc., ZiLOG Inc. and a number of other companies set up design and development centers in Bangalore.

"Sun's decision to set up the center at Bangalore was primarily influenced by two areas in which Bangalore stood out compared to Chennai and Hyderabad, in that order -- availability of people with the right skills, and ability to attract people from anywhere in the world to Bangalore," said Bhaskar Pramanik, managing director of Sun Microsystems' operations in India. Sun's India Engineering Center in Bangalore is an extension of the corporate engineering center in the US, and is expected to be the largest outside the US by June, 2001. "The work being done here is not just in sustaining or support, but in areas which will impact future Sun products and technologies," added Pramanik.

Bangalore is now also home to a large number of Indian technology companies, including Wipro Ltd., one of the country's largest information technology products and services company, and software services company, Infosys Technologies Limited. These companies built up their revenue, primarily by doing contract work for multinational information technology companies like Microsoft, Nortel Networks Corp., and SAP AG, and large, multinational users of information technology.

New entrepreneurs here are, however, focused on creating and licensing intellectual property, and they have not gone unnoticed by multinational companies. Intel, for instance, has invested in Sasken Communication Technologies Ltd., and in early 1999 acquired Santa Clara-based Thinkit Technologies Inc and its Bangalore-based subsidiary, Software & Silicon Systems Pvt Ltd.

Even before the multinational companies discovered Bangalore's potential as a design and development location, Bangalore was already a key location in India for the electronics industry, primarily because the Indian government located a number of government-owned electronics companies and defense research institutions in the city. Besides information technology and communications companies, Bangalore has a large number of manufacturing companies making automobile components, electronic connectors, and a variety of precision engineering products.

But the city did not anticipate the technology boom, and the attendant infrastructure bottlenecks, such as shortage of power and housing in the city. With an area of 366 square kilometers, Bangalore now has a population of 5.2 million, which continues to grow.

New business opportunities, such as the outsourcing by US and European vendors of Internet-based customer relationship management (e-CRM) to Indian companies, are also extending the benefits of globalization to plain college graduates who until recently were left untouched by the technology boom in the city.

Saudi Soars High

2006-04-23T04:07:00.000-07:00

By M H Ahsan

Change, challenges and massive growth; Saudi Arabia's sluggish IT sector is speeding up. Gitex Preview looks at the issues, and the opportunities, for Saudi IT managers.

Eighty percent of the Gulf’s IT spending; a projected IT sector annual growth rate of more than 20% to 2008; and massive budget allocations thanks to vast oil revenues: whatever way you look at the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), it is the key market in the Gulf..

What is most interesting, though, is the extent to which the KSA IT sector is still largely undeveloped, even compared to other Middle Eastern countries. According to a 2005 Business Monitor International (BMI) report, IT spending accounts for only 1.6% of the Kingdom’s GDP, compared to 2% for tiny Bahrain, and 3.3% for the US. Clearly KSA’s IT sector has huge potential for growth, especially with oil prices continuing to ride high, and the government keen to make the most of the resulting surpluses.

Essam Al Bakr, vice president at Digicom, expects IT spending to reach US$6 billion — US$6.5 billion this year, up from analyst estimates of US$3.2 billion for 2005, which may themselves be well short of the true figure. He says a lot of this spending will come from government ministries and public sector bodies as they are forced into automating their systems by the central government. According to Al Bakr, there has been a degree of reluctance to implement sorely needed reforms of IT infrastructures, but the mood in public sector circles has now changed.

He says, “The Saudi supreme consul gave an ultimatum to all ministries to be automated by 2007; this ultimatum was issued a year or two ago, but some ministries have been struggling with their own problems — we have a heavily bureaucratic system.

“Now King Abdullah has delivered a message saying, in effect: ‘I don’t want you spending your budgets at the last minute — you’ve got to start spending, implementing and finishing from day one’. For the ministries, that is message enough that they have to bring in IT automation now, knowing they’ll be evaluated at the end of the year on their progress. There’s a big movement going on in the public sector,” continues Al Bakr.

Khaled Al Mobarak, vice president of the SAP Users Group Arabia (SUGAr), says, “I worked for the Ministry of the Interior (MoI) for three years, and I still try to keep up with the events in the IT departments in the ministries. The MoI is implementing an IT solution for their financial section, and there is an increasing move towards similar projects in other departments.”

Al Mobarak, who works at the IT department in a major Saudi state oil concern as well as his SUGAr duties, says his department has received a large number of visits from government sector officials, to look at how IT solutions are implemented, and the benefits they can bring. He acknowledges, though, that there is some resentment of the changes being forced on departments, but says this is only natural.

“It’s human nature — no one likes to change. But I think the ministry officials see the truth in the saying: ‘if you don’t ride the wave of change, you’ll find yourself beneath it’. The wave of change in IT is coming, and if you don’t ride it you’ll be drowned, you’ll be obsolete,” says Al Mobarak. “The same process occurred in other sectors; if you look at banking five or six years ago here, all the banks had big lobbies, lots of cashiers, and that was what you looked at. Now, you look at if the bank has internet facilities, how secure they are, how fast they are — no one cares how big the lobby is anymore.”

Aside from governmental organisations and their own special challenges, observers of KSA’s IT sector most often single out finance as one of the key drivers of technological change in the country’s economy. Organisations such as Riyad Bank, Arab National Bank (ANB) and Tadawul, the Saudi stock exchange (now trading stocks worth in excess of US$600 billion), have all recently deployed impressive and often advanced IT solutions, including VoIP, business intelligence (BI) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, to deal with business challenges, not just technical ones.

ANB’s IT manager, Saad Al Khalb, has recently overseen the implementation of a VoIP system throughout the bank, and says, “We’ve seen a dramatic increase in call volumes. In January 2005, we had 300,000 calls, and in October 2005 we had more than one million. With the fast growth we’re seeing in Saudi Arabia, we’re expecting the bank’s business to keep expanding dramatically. We don’t know exactly what new developments we’ll see, but the VoIP system will give us the flexibility to cope with the future.”

Meanwhile, the senior vice president for IT at Riyad Bank, Rashed AlOthman, is busy working on a BI and data warehousing project at the moment. He says the business side of the bank has been very impressed with the potential offered by such projects, and this has given Riyad Bank the impetus to work on what is an ambitious and advanced implementation project for any organisation. Other sectors driving IT development in the Kingdom include education, healthcare and manufacturing. In the realm of healthcare Saudi Arabia has some of the most advanced hospitals in the world in certain areas, but the CIO of the King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Riyadh, Hamad Al-Daig, says many hospitals in KSA, especially those under the Ministry of Health, are behind their counterparts elsewhere in the world in IT terms, although for some this is changing.

“Tertiary care organisations under bodies such as the National Guard and the Army are behind, but they are catching up,” says Al-Daig, echoing the impression given by others of many government organisations in KSA: “Unfortunately, the Ministry of Health hospitals are not implementing the solutions they should be, in spite of our urging, our presentations to get them to change. I think they have other issues to contend with; they do not want to deal with IT, but we are trying to convince them that IT is the way to solve these problems. IT is the main solution, and they should not look at it as an expense, but as the only way they can move forward.” Al-Daig, who is in charge of an IT staff of around 100, is currently working on a number of IT projects at the hospital, including a clinical information system, an ERP and a data warehousing solution. While these projects are advanced, and grounded in business necessity, Al-Daig says IT budgets are still too low; his 180m Riyal (US$48 million) budget, while impressive as a headline figure, is actually just 2% of the total hospital budget. Most analysts suggest a healthy IT spend should be closer to 5% of the total budget.

Education, another sector set to spend heavily on IT in the near future, is also one of the most controversial topics for Saudi CIOs. In the budget for 2006, the Saudi government has allocated 87.3bn Saudi Riyals (US$23.3 billion) to education and manpower, an increase of almost 30% over 2005’s budget allocation. The government has ambitious plans for 2,673 new schools, 15 vocational training centres and three new technical colleges; while most of the funds will go on basic construction, IT infrastructure will become increasingly important in managing these organisations, as well as dealing with the increased number of students entering higher educational establishments and requiring technical training. But while the government is prepared to spend money to ensure Saudis have access to proper education, IT managers are complaining that they don’t have access to the numbers of skilled IT professionals they require to develop their organisations and deliver high-quality implementations. This problem is compounded by ‘Saudisation’, the stipulation that organisations must have a certain proportion of Saudi nationals in their workforces, and must only hire Saudis for certain positions. Anecdotal evidence suggests that some companies are actually creating fake jobs for nationals in order to fill the quota because they are unable to find Saudi staff with the necessary skills.

Yasser Al-Farhan, managing director at Somac-IT, a KSA-based integrator, says, “One key issue is locals who do have skills are always looking for better deals, and will move companies quite often. It’s not like in the past, when you would be with a company for life. Keeping talented Saudis in your organisation is a big challenge, especially with these mega-projects on the horizon — the big companies will always be hunting them. At the moment I think Saudisation is a limiting factor; in the long term it is obviously a good thing, but now I think it is holding development back.” Nadec’s IT manager, Khalid Al-Shangiti, agrees with this, and says that skilled Saudis do not even go after the best-paid jobs, but seek positions in the most prominent or high-profile companies, at least for a few years of their career, making it even harder for less well-known enterprises to take advantage of their skills. Al-Shangiti says Nadec’s management are very keen to use IT to drive the business. The company produces a range of food products, and has an annual turnover of around 702 million Riyals (US$187.2 million). “The skills problem can be solved by starting at an earlier level of education, not when students graduate,” says Al-Shangiti. “When people come out after four years of university, they’ve got good ideas and good understanding, but it will still take them another two years to understand the business. What companies and vendors should do is get involved while students are still in university. If we act proactively we can get students to focus on the real IT needs of Saudi Arabia; at the moment many graduates know a lot about ERP, for example, but they can only talk about a ‘dream’ version, not the reality for most Saudi companies.” He suggests getting students to look at real-life IT situations and cases at university will enable them to understand how companies in KSA use IT and see technology, and give companies the chance to take advantage of the students’ skills at an earlier stage. But Al-Shangiti acknowledges that, in addition to the challenge of building Saudi nationals’ skills, KSA organisations are often plagued by a lack of specialist personnel to help deploy complex vendor offerings, something echoed by every other IT manager included here. Riyad Bank’s AlOthman says, “One of the key issues we have faced recently is with multinational vendors’ unwillingness to bring skilled people into Saudi to help implement their solutions, because of the security problems KSA has had in the last few years. This is an issue which has dramatically affected our business in the past, simply because we can’t get access to the skills we need. The biggest challenge for CIOs in the Middle East is simple: finding the right human resources. Anything else can be arranged, but if you don’t have qualified people, that’s a big problem.” Aside from the key issue of education and skills, the other major challenge facing Saudi enterprise IT departments is the corporate culture among Saudi business leaders, and their attitude towards IT. While in many ways this is a common problem, not just in the Middle East, but worldwide, Saudi Arabia faces its own particular problems, in addition to the politics and assumptions common to all big businesses. “In Saudi Arabia, most of the business leaders are Arabic speakers only; they speak very little English,” comments Nadec’s Al-Shangiti. “At the same time, a lot of IT specialists speak no Arabic. If we try to translate between them, then 20% of the sense is lost straight away. A lot of the Kingdom’s problems with IT can be traced back to the issue of communication, in my opinion.” Ayman Safadi, strategic planning and business development manager at KAB Holdings, sees the decision-making process used in Saudi businesses as one of the key challenges in making sure IT is deployed effectively, and ensuring the business benefits of technology are recognised. Safadi formerly worked at Accenture in both Saudi Arabia and Dubai.

“The way decisions are taken in many organisations is often along the lines of a ‘slow and steady’ approach,” he says. “Many people favour a gradual process of change over a wholesale shift, and this can be a barrier for IT when the benefits sometimes only come with a major change. Another factor is the budget cycle; for the past four to five years, spending has been very tight. Because of this as well, decision-making became slower.” Safadi says the internal market is now adjusting itself following KSA’s entry into the WTO late last year. This, he says, is causing a slew of mergers within the country’s IT sector, and is also encouraging the use of outsourcing in the national market. Other observers, such as the general manager of Oracle Saudi Arabia, Abdul Rahman Al Thehaiban, agree that the market is now changing and companies are becoming more accepting of IT, out of necessity. “Many companies have been reluctant to invest in IT, because of the perception that it’s unreliable and that it involves ongoing expense,” explains Al Thehaiban. “But now the trend is changing, and many companies now look at IT as the main contributor to business growth. People have been able to see the impact IT has made to the financial services industry and recognised the value IT can bring,” he says. Something that still remains a challenge for any enterprise wishing to operate over the whole of Saudi Arabia’s vast area is the deceptively simple issue of communication. ANB’s Al Khalb says the bank has faced problems operating over the country’s huge geographical area; ANB even had to use virtual call centres in Dammam and Jeddah to route customer calls, to avoid punitively expensive charges from the Saudi Telecom Company (STC) for long distance phone connections.

Cisco’s Dr Badr Al Badr, general manager of the network giant’s KSA division, says this is now changing, however, as STC prepares to introduce 600,000 new lines over the next two years, as well as digital subscriber line (DSL — high-speed internet connections) facilities, across the country. “We also have two data telecom challengers who are expected to start offering their services within a few months,” says Al Badr. “This should help deal with enterprises’ bandwidth issues. I think IT and communications technology is now becoming accepted; in a recent survey we conducted among small and medium enterprises, competition was rated as the number one concern, and 70% of respondents said IT is one of their key tools to deal with competition. When it comes to larger enterprises, I think this will probably be even more true.” The impression from many people in KSA is that, leaving aside government ministries, the country’s large enterprises have begun to utilise IT effectively and recognise its business benefits, although smaller organisations still lag behind in this area. Humansoft’s VP, Mohammed Hassoun, agrees with the view that, outside of the largest companies, there is an incredible amount of room for improvement. But overall he gives a positive picture of the short-term and long-term prospects for KSA’s IT sector. “There’s a lot of hope on the horizon, I think,” says Hassoun. “There are a large number of programmes to bring up the educational standards in Saudi Arabia. As regards enterprises, the top 200 companies in Saudi have come a long way in improving how well IT is aligned to the business.” “They see that when they invest the right way in IT the ROI can be very high, and this has happened over the last three years. CEOs have begun to sponsor IT projects now, and I think business leaders really do understand the value of IT,” he concludes.

As one of the country's newer public bodies, Saudi Arabia's Supreme Commission for Tourism (SCT) had something of a head start in developing a modern IT infrastructure. Abdullah Al-Mosa, assistant deputy secretary general for IT at SCT, is certainly very proud of his department's accomplishments in information and communication technology. "SCT was founded five years ago, and it came to light in the era of technology; this helped in avoiding migration from the legacy architecture to the new trend of IT," says Al-Mosa. "All the applications being used, as well as the infrastructure and backbone, are selected very carefully. So at the moment we have nothing to worry about ageing, or migrating from old to new systems." SCT is in many ways a very public face to the Saudi Arabian government sector. The department has been charged with developing the Kingdom's tourism sector, which includes managing aspects of the mighty Hajj twice a year. The commission's secretary general, His Royal Highness Prince Sultan ibn Salman ibn Abdulaziz Al-Saud, also brings a high-profile element to the organisation; he was not only the first Arab in space - going up with a US space shuttle crew in the 1980s - but he has also won a number of accolades in recent years, most notably Saudi IT man of the year in 2003. "Because of our achievement under the vision and direction of Prince Sultan, this adds a little bit of pressure for SCT to become the ideal model for IT and e-government," says Al-Mosa. "Partly out of this came a move for someone from SCT to sit on the e-government advisory body, which I am now doing." The IT head says that implementing e-government in the Kingdom is complicated by the requirement to integrate and align one department's system with that of a number of others. Al-Mosa gives the example of having to make sure SCT's policies are in line with Ministry of Finance guidelines. Despite this, he says, SCT has succeeded in implementing a number of projects in what is excellent time. These include the deployment of an ERP system from Oracle in one year. The biggest challenges involved in the implementation were not technical, but revolved around the human side of the equation.

"One of the challenges was training professionals to set up the implementation plan, the project plan, and the management. “ Because SCT is such a young organisation, integrating people from different backgrounds, the public and private sectors, has been something which we've had to work very hard on. Everybody played their roles properly, but integrating all of the roles was the challenge ," comments Al-Mosa. "The other major human aspect was preparing people for the change. I think there is always a fear of what you don't know, and a resistance from people, so you have to work at training them, educating them to deal with the new application and make sure it is adopted effectively. By doing this we were able do implement not just the ERP but a whole range of other systems as well." In addition to the ERP system SCT has also deployed applications from FileNet, GIS and other vendors, including document management, content management and workflow systems. Al-Mosa says that by bringing in modern systems without the hindrance of legacy applications, SCT has been able to create a modern, efficient infrastructure to build on. Even with this being the case, though, the SCT IT chief says the organisation had a big leap in productivity when the ERP system came into use, with a number of areas benefiting specifically. "We saw a big improvement in efficiency, in productivity, in path-processing, in accuracy when we brought in the ERP," Al-Mosa says. "Communications was another area where we had a big benefit from the new system; most of our applications are web-enabled, so this allows our employees to communicate from anywhere in the world - it doesn't matter where they are. So if you are on a business trip, and someone needs your opinion on a subject, it is simple to log into the application remotely and do whatever needs to be done." Al-Mosa is enthusiastic about remote working for his department’s staff, and brings up the organisation's video conferencing solution, which leverages the commission's existing wide area network (WAN) to help save time and money. "We have provincial tourism offices scattered across Saudi Arabia, so instead of asking them to travel to Riyadh we can use video conferencing technology to hold meetings. This means that our employees save time by not having to fly and save money as well. We have our WAN in place for all our other applications, so this is a natural extension of it, to use it for video conferencing," explains Al-Mosa The future of SCT's IT implementations are firmly in the e-government vein. Al-Mosa remains tight-lipped about any specific solutions in the longer term, but he does mention the upcoming e-visa programme, which will be launched within a couple of months, and has already been publicised in the Saudi Arabian press. Al-Mosa says SCT's objective is to make the processes for getting into Saudi Arabia easier for tourists and businesspeople, and the e-visa project is a key part of this. His enthusiasm and belief in the Kingdom's IT situation is very apparent, and he talks with great zeal about various government initiatives to increase computer literacy. That he remains slightly cagey about the commission's e-government plans is perhaps understandable, given his opinions on the organisation's leading role among Saudi government bodies, but he is clearly committed to the cause. And Al-Mosa's mantra for success is also clear, and has obviously informed his investment decisions at the head of the SCT's IT department: "If you have proper information, proper analysis, proper trends, you will lead."

Prison Callcenters - Inmates vs. outsourcing

2006-04-23T03:59:00.000-07:00

By Sheen Joseph

David Day has a bounce in his step and a glint in his eye unexpected in someone who makes nearly 400 telemarketing calls a day for less than $200 a month. That's because he has a coveted job where few exist: behind bars.

Day, 43, is one of 85 inmates who arrange business meetings from a call center at the Snake River Correctional Institution, a state penitentiary in this onion- and potato-producing town not far from the Idaho line. "I'm grateful for the opportunity. Many of us end up here because we didn't have jobs and lacked communications skills," he says on a recent morning, ponytail cascading down his state-issued denims.

If not for consulting firm Perry Johnson's aversion to moving jobs offshore, Day, who was convicted of assault, and his cellmates wouldn't be working.

About a dozen states — Oregon, Arizona, California and Iowa, among others — have call centers in state and federal prisons, underscoring a push to employ inmates in telemarketing jobs that might otherwise go to low-wage countries such as India and the Philippines. Arizona prisoners make business calls, as do inmates in Oklahoma. A call center for the DMV is run out of an all-female prison in Oregon. Other companies are keeping manufacturing jobs in the USA. More than 150 inmates in a Virginia federal prison build car parts for Delco Remy International. Previously, some of those jobs were overseas.

At least 2,000 inmates nationwide work in call centers, and that number is rising as companies seek cheap labor without incurring the wrath of politicians and unions. At the same time, prison populations are ballooning, offering U.S. companies another way to slash costs.

"Prisons are prime candidates for low-skill jobs," says Sasha Costanza-Chock, a University of Pennsylvania graduate who last year completed a thesis on call centers at U.S. prisons.

Market conditions seem to favor prisons. After declining for years, call-center jobs in the USA increased several hundred, to about 360,000, last year. At the same time, more white-collar jobs are going offshore than researchers originally thought. About 830,000 U.S. service-sector jobs, from telemarketers to software engineers, will move abroad by the end of 2005, up 41% from previous predictions, says Forrester Research.
About 3.5% of the 2.1 million prisoners in the USA produced goods and services worth an estimated $1.5 billion in 2002.

But the convicted workforce elicits as much dread as interest. Companies flinch at the prospect of a public-relations backlash should news leak out that they employ hardened criminals. Union representatives, meanwhile, call the hiring of prisoners a flagrant violation of minimum-wage laws and unfair competition to free workers.
"Quite literally, they're taking advantage of a captive audience," says Tony Daley, research economist for the Communications Workers of America, which represents 700,000 people nationwide.

Tucked away in a corner of Oregon's largest prison, the call center looks like any other, except for the nearby guard stations, razor-wire fences and prison yard.

No more than a football-field-length away, employees commute from their "homes," or cells. The 40-hour workweek is Monday through Friday. A typical workday starts at 7:30 a.m. and ends at 4 p.m. Stellar work earns a half-day on Friday. The pay isn't great — $120 to $185 a month — but for 80 Snake River inmates, it's their first job and a diversion from life in this medium-security prison of 2,900.

Convicts work for two companies in the Oregon facility. Day and about 60 others pitch Perry Johnson consulting services to American businesses. A group of 20 inmates, including Wade, work for Timlin Industries, an Oregon company that sells promotional items to small businesses.

The center opened last year after a yearlong push by the Oregon Department of Corrections to recruit businesses that would otherwise move offshore. The program reduces by 24% recidivism, the frequency in which released prisoners violate the law and wind up back in jail, and teaches prisoners to work together.
"Guys are sharing business tips rather than talking about their next fix or who to knock off next," says Rob Killgore, administrator of Oregon Corrections Enterprises, a semi-independent state agency that recruits for-profit business to prisons.

The temptation of call centers behind bars:

•Keeping jobs in the USA. Although inexpensive facilities and English-speaking workers beckon abroad, U.S. companies are unnerved by political backlash.

Consider consulting firm Perry Johnson. It considered moving jobs to India but instead opted for Snake River. "They wanted to keep jobs in the U.S., not take them away," says Ronna Newton, manager at International Marketing Resources, which set up the call center and has fielded calls from other interested companies.
"We're trying to save jobs from going overseas but without hurting the unions," says Philip Glover, president of the National Council of Prison Locals.

But Gordon Lafer, a University of Oregon political science professor, says companies view inmates as an opportunity to skirt the offshore controversy and still save money. "That's as disingenuous as farming jobs overseas," he says.

Besides prisons, companies are relocating call centers and other back-office operations to small towns such as St. Marys, Ga., and Nacogdoches, Texas, where real estate and labor are cheap.

High turnover has become such a thorny issue for the 7 million-worker industry that Comcast and Comerica have spruced up work spaces and offer specialized training to keep workers, Mercer says.

And it is costly to replace workers. Most companies spend $6,000 to $7,000 to recruit and train each worker, says Jon Anton, a professor at Purdue University's Department of Consumer Sciences.

An official for an Oklahoma-based sales company said if not for its 24-person call center at a state prison, it would have shut down operations or moved jobs to China because of costs. Inmates earn 11 cents to 36 cents an hour, says the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

So far, only six of the 85 inmates in Oregon have quit since the center opened in October, says Mike Reagan, who oversees call-center operations at Snake River. Inmates must have at least a year remaining on their sentences to qualify.

•Qualified workers. There are more inmates — 2.1 million in mid-2003, compared with 1.6 million in 1995 — because of an influx of convictions for non-violent crimes and longer sentences, says the Justice Policy Institute. As prison populations swell, so has the number of potential qualified workers.

"There isn't as much of a stigma to using prison labor," says Rosemary Batt, a professor at the Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations. "We're sending jobs overseas when there are plenty of qualified people in prison. Why not pay people a wage to rehabilitate them?"

Timlin Industries approached the prison when it became too difficult to find workers in tiny Lakeview, Ore. "Boy, do these guys work hard," says Tim Klosse, who owns Timlin. His crew has performed so well, Timlin recently opened a manufacturing facility in Lakeview to handle an influx of orders.

All got flak for using prison labor. That's not lost on companies considering using inmates instead of exporting jobs. "There is a calculated risk," Killgore admits.

They fear a repeat of the public-relations fiasco that ensnared Dell last year, when it was disclosed that Dell employed prisoners for computer-recycling jobs since late 2002. Dell canceled its contract with Unicor, a branch of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, after an environmental group in California criticized Unicor for improper disposal of toxic waste and unsafe conditions. Dell spokesman Bryant Hilton said moving the jobs to California, Texas and Tennessee was a business decision.

Or worse, executives shudder at the prospects of inmates sharing the personal information of customers with fellow prisoners, as some did in Utah in 2000. That program was scrapped.

Yet advances in technology and common sense have resolved those concerns today, Killgore and others say. At Snake River prison, phone numbers are generated by computer and calls are recorded. Inmates talk to businesses, not consumers. And prisoners convicted of identification theft aren't eligible for jobs.

Ironically, market conditions overseas could return to the U.S. call-center jobs that drifted offshore, says Naren Patni, CEO of Patni Computer Systems, India's sixth-largest software company and a pioneer in outsourcing.
"Costs and turnover for low-skill jobs will increase in India," Patni says. "Who wants to be stuck in a telemarketing job, working odd hours to fit the U.S. time zones, if higher-paying jobs in product development come over? That may force U.S. companies to move call centers, maybe to jails."

Katey Grabenhorst, 42, is eternally grateful one particular call-center job was available at an Oregon prison. She started working for the DMV while imprisoned and remains an employee out of jail.

The job "brought self-esteem, order, skills and a stable income to my life," says Grabenhorst, who served nearly five years for attempted murder. "If this program wasn't available, I would have probably ended up back in prison." "People can debate the value of prison labor, but I'm living proof it works," she says.

The risks of buying talent

2006-04-23T03:56:00.000-07:00

By Nandini Sharma

Buying talent is a complex process. An analysis on why organisations need to be cautious
For a knowledge-intensive industry like information technology, the ability to recruit, retain, motivate, and develop the people resources is the greatest competitive strength for any organisation.

Companies often resort to aggressive recruitment strategies to meet the demand for talent. Buying talent is a common phenomenon when organisations have to suddenly procure skill sets from the market in response to urgent business needs. The question is: does an organisation always get what it has paid for? The answer is as debatable as the issue whether it indicates lack of career roadmap for key positions within the organisation.

An organisation needs to buy talent when it is in an evolving stage. N Muralidharan, Managing Director & Vice-President, Jobstreet.com India, lists the three situations when such a need arises:

There is an expansion and urgency to hit the market soon and needs "ready-made" staff; "go to market" pressures. It is entering the business late and has no time for building talent from scratch, so poaching from competition is the best option. This, of course, comes at a price.

When internally an organisation does not have the kind of talent that it is looking for and there is an urgent need.
There are a few like Sadhana Somasekhar, Director and Chief Marketing Officer, Future Focus Infotech, who believe that most organisations with a mature recruitment/hiring model do not opt for the "buy" route. They attribute this to the organisation's business conduct or ethics, HR strategy and so on. However, at the grassroots level, the reasons that go against buy-outs appear to be the instability associated with such 'bought-out' resources, both with respect to the candidate and within the team. This also sets a precedence with new hires. Somasekhar adds that when there is a buy-out, it is often masked in the guise of a "joining bonus", which is in truth the reimbursement of the "short or no-notice" compensation borne by the candidate to his last employer.

Getting your money's worth
Buying talent is not as easy as buying a commodity, it is a complex process. An organisation does not always get its money's worth. It is in fact a two-way process. Muralidharan acknowledges that while the person hired could be appropriate, if the work related ambience and the product offering is not up to the mark, it may still not work. "To give an analogy, you might have a popular celebrity endorsing your product but if the offering is not appropriate the returns do not match expectation," he says.

Vikram Bhardwaj, Managing Consultant, Redileon executive search, insists that more than the monetary cost vs benefit comparisons, one has to view this more strategically—the opportunity or hidden costs need to be accounted for.

Talent that is procured directly from the market comes with proven experience, but is expected to differ from the organisation's own situation, requirement and culture. "Such cases will give rise to differentials in expectations and deliverables. What really rides the moment out is the maturity of the hiring organisation in recognising and expecting such events, and preparing to manage interests accordingly," says Monisha Advani, CEO, EmmayHR Services.

The risks involved
Buying talent is not as easy as it seems. There are many risks associated with the process. Advani lists a few key factors:

Price: You can land up paying over market indicators for a specific skill purely on the basis of a short-term analysis of your need to procure and land up with a long-term cost impact that can become difficult to sustain
Compensation expectations may change organisation or department wide on account of this external lateral introduction, leading to employee cost escalation.

Expectations and culture matching are perennial risks applicable to all employment engagement scenarios, only in this case, the cost impact tends to be higher. Culture mismatch is in fact one of the key problem areas, particularly at management levels.

Build or buy
The debate over building vs buying talent has been in existence for a long time. While buying talent has its just-in-time significance, from a long-term organisation development perspective building talent within the company has greater benefits. "The advantage of building talent is that it gives organisations the ability to mould skills the way they want it to be. The other factor is loyalty—you will have this pool locked in with the organisation for a longer period of time as compared to the ones that you buy. The chance that they share the long-term vision of the organisation is high. However, the downside is that there is a huge investment in terms of cost and time required to build talent. Then there is also this uncertainty of losing the talent after investing to build it," says Madan Padaki, Co-founder & Director, MeritTrac Services (a skills assessment company).

Lack of a career roadmap
It is believed that buying talent indicates a lack of career roadmap for key positions within the organisation. Experts are divided over this issue. Bhardwaj concedes that despite most companies progressively implementing robust performance-management systems, this always does not translate into effective career planning that lets people see and evaluate where they could go in their careers, which leads to attrition and then follows the urge to replace from outside since the company is also not clear as to who can take charge of the roles effectively.

There is also an interesting new development in the market. Explains Bhardwaj, "With the increasing business demand for a timely and consistent HR support, what used to be only the 'build' vs 'buy' decision has been expanded to include the 'build' vs 'buy' vs 'borrow' to include the option of temping.

The HR matrix and decision support mechanisms have evolved considerably to account for this change." The "build" vs "buy" phenomenon is all set for change with temping becoming the third alternative.

Kalapani jail is 100 years old

2006-04-23T03:51:00.000-07:00

By M H AHSAN

Over 150 Indians who served various sentences in Kalapani jail during the British regime for defying the orders of the administration or rebelling against the system were invited to take part in the celebrations of the 100 years of the establishment of the Cellular Jail on March 10, 2006.

"From the unmatched sacrifices of our freedom fighters to the tyranny of our colonial rulers, from being a torture cell to a place of pilgrimage, this historical monument has come a long way since its establishment 100 years back as a penal settlement. Cellular Jail, stood mute witness to the tortures meted out to the freedom fighters, who were incarcerated in this jail," said a press handout given to mediapersons in Delhi.

It acquired the name, 'cellular' because it is entirely made up of individual cells for the solitary confinement of prisoners. It originally was a seven-pronged, puce-coloured building with a central tower and a massive structure comprising honeycomb like corridors. The building was subsequently damaged and presently only three out of seven prongs are intact. The jail, now a place of pilgrimage for all freedom-loving people, has been declared a national memorial.

Situated in Andaman, Kalapani punishment was meant to serve as a deterrent to Indian freedom fighters fighting against the British. Netaji Subash Chandra Bose hoisted the tri-colour near the cellular jail on December 30, 1943, and proclaimed independence from British rule.

It was the British-run Bengal government, and Governor General of India Lord Cornwallis, who conceived the idea of developing the Andaman Islands, in the Bay of Bengal, as a British colony in the 1700s.

Two officers – one of them was Lieutenant Archibald Blair (that's how Port Blair got its name) -- were sent to survey the area. A settlement was established on Chatham Island in a southeastern bay of the Great Andaman and was called Port Cornwallis (later its name was changed to Port Blair). There was much illness on the islands and the colony did not work out so the settlers were shipped back to the mainland.

The British government had too many prisoners on its hand, post the Mutiny of 1857 and the idea of establishing a settlement – this time a convict colony -- was revived. Some 200 prisoners were sent out initially to a jail, equipped with gallows, at Viper Island 15 minutes from Port Blair, and Kalapani was established.

The construction of Cellular Jail -- which got its name from the fact that it was made up of numerous individual cells it provided for prisoners destined for solitary confinement -- began in 1896 and was completed in 1906. The British authorities arrested hundreds of revolutionaries as more and more rebellions against the British surfaced across India. And hundreds of these prisoners were shipped out to Port Blair and were housed and ill-treated in this jail.

Veer Savarkar, many associates of Sardar Bhagat Singh, several revolutionaries of the Chittagong Revolt were some of the freedom-fighters who spent time at Cellular Jail.

The Andaman and Nicobar tourism authorities are commemorating the history of this jail with special ceremonies today.

Three surviving freedom-fighters -- Bimal Bhowmick, Kartik Sarkar and Adhir Nag -- were invited to Port Blair, as well as spouses, sons and daughters of deceased freedom fighters. There will be special functions to honour the heroes of 1857. Shubha Mudgal and Suresh Wadkar will participate in a special music programme Friday evening.

Data security cost skyrockets

2006-04-23T03:49:00.000-07:00

By Shalini Mehta

Most BPOs have tripled information security budgets. Data protection — the bugbear of the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry —has in the last one year become a critical factor for the 5,000-odd BPOs whose collective revenue is estimated at $ 5.8 billion annually.

According to industry estimates, BPOs have suffered a loss of over $100 million in terms of lost business opportunity. This is around 2 per cent of the annual revenues of the industry. Most companies have re-worked their security apparatus and tripled their information security budgets.

Beginning with instances of leak of confidential financial information from Mphasis to the more recent one involving Karan Bahree, who was working for online search engine Infinity e-Search, Indian BPOs have been shrouded with controversies regarding one leak or the other in the last few months.

Indian firms are now expected to comply with the Six Sigma requirements and BS 7799 (a British standard for information security) for renewal of service contracts. "There has been a 25 per cent rise in information security spending per desktop, in the last 15 months," said Sunil Gujral, ex-CTO, Wipro Solutions.

"We had certain bad experiences after which we increased the spending on IT security from 5 percent two years back to 15 per cent of the IT budget this year," said Satish Sayal, CIO, NIIT Ltd.

The client service level deals now have specific provisions on data security. These include quarterly audits by external agency and a 'zero-violation' clause, which includes heavy penalties on breach of any security measures. "Penalties are imposed by the clients in case of violation of stipulated security measures," said R Narsimhan,CEO, HCL BPO Services.

The BPO industry, which goes in defence-mode, is more concerned with the fact every time it has to defend itself in case of any data theft.

"The security standards used in Indian BPO companies, for the work which was originally done in US or Europe, are similar or more secure," said Raman Roy, ex-CEO, Wipro Solutions.

The industry also argues that data protection issues have been blown out of proportion. "If BPOs were not secure, shouldn't some customer have raised his hand and said that Indian centres pose a data security risk? " added Roy.

The industry also counters the allegation of poor legal system. The lapses in security in smaller BPOs have also raised the issue of benchmarking the minimum standards to be adhered to by the industry.

"Most companies have their own specific standards but there are no industry-wide framework and there needs to be some kind of a set-up to ensure that basic measures are adhered to by all," said Ashish Gupta, CEO, Evalueserve. There is mounting pressure from foreign countries to put in place a stringent data protection law. "If India is going to have a world-quality BPO market, the leaks need to be plugged.... We are in talks with the Indian government for a data protection law which fits with the international norms," British High Commissioner Sir Michael Arthur said.

The government is, however, not acting yet. As per the draft IT Bill, data protection will not be mandated for BPO units.

FILM REVIEW: PYARE MOHAN (HINDI) ***

2006-04-23T00:11:00.000-07:00

By M H AHSAN

Vivek Oberoi and Fardeen Khan starrer Pyare Mohan lacks the punch of a comedy film. Directed by Indra Kumar, the movie stars Fardeen Khan , Vivek Oberoi , Esha Deol , Amrita Rao and Boman Irani .

Given the movie’s basic story idea, ‘Pyare Mohan’ could have been an interesting flick. Two friends – one blind and the other deaf – go about their lives with fun and masti without letting their handicap become a weakness.

They also fall in love and later on fight the bad guys to save their sweethearts. Pyare (Fardeen Khan) is blind as a bat. Day or night, light or darkness makes no difference to him. He goes on morning walks, reads the newspaper upside down and can sense a man’s intention despite his inability to see.Mohan (Vivek Oberoi) needs just an excuse to break into dance at the slightest opportunity. He is deaf and can’t hear a damn thing, but he shakes his leg to the music, be it a marriage ceremony or (mistakenly) a funeral procession.

Together, Pyare and Mohan are inseparable friends running an Archies shop. But there is something lacking in their lives. It is love.Cupid strikes when the two meet Priya (Amrita Rao) and Preeti (Esha Deol) during a morning walk. While Pyare is smitten with Preeti, Mohan loses his heart to Priya.Preeti and Priya perform at musical shows. Their friendship with Pyare and Mohan cements after the two heroes help them during a concert.

But when Pyare and Mohan express their love to Preeti and Priya, their proposal is turned down. Preeti and Priya admit that they have always seen Pyare and Mohan as good friends but they don’t have any romantic feelings for them. Pyare and Mohan are shattered.Post interval, the two girls get into trouble in Bangkok where they are arrested for a murder. Not only this, an underworld don Tony (Boman Irani) wants to kill them.In this hour of need, Preeti and Priya’s dear ones turn their back to them. Only the blind Pyare and the deaf Mohan, whose love the two belles had rebuked earlier, come to their rescue. What follows is a cat-and-mouse game in which our blind and deaf heroes excel over the baddies.

Indra Kumar , the movie’s director, showed an incredible command over comedy in his movie Masti two years ago. But he disappoints in ‘Pyare Mohan’. Barring a few sequences, the humour in ‘Pyare Mohan’ is pretty mundane.

Vivek Oberoi does evoke a few chuckles in some scenes. His very opening scene, when he is dancing in a marriage and unknowingly starts dancing in front of a funeral along side, is funny. Also the look he wears throughout the movie, reading the lips of people speaking to him, gives his character a hilarious touch.Fardeen Khan looks handsome, but doesn’t impress in comedy.

There are certain scenes in which his expressions are plain wooden.Esha Deol and Amrita Rao react more than act in the movie. Boman Irani is just about ok, playing a stuttering don, who claims his victims with a baseball bat.To sum it up, ‘Pyare Mohan’ had the potential to be an entertaining comedy. But the writers have not been able to do justice to the script. The humour in the movie is obviously predictable and absurdly puerile.

INDIA GOSSIPS NETWORK

2006-04-23T00:08:00.000-07:00

I N D I A G O S S I P

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