‘France Has Ridiculed, Provoked Muslims – Repeatedly’

Saif Ali Lawman, 23, a Law student from Lucknow, says freedom of speech is not absolute, it comes with certain caveats. Lawman believes France must learn secularism and co-existence from India

Depicting Prophet Muhammad’s image comes under blasphemy and it has been so right from the beginning. Western countries need to understand that you cannot challenge 1400 years of belief with provocation, repeatedly. As a law student, I seriously believe that neither is blasphemy right, nor is killing someone in the name of blasphemy.

British colonialism is talked about a lot but French colonialism rarely finds much mention. France has the largest Muslim population in Europe and a large part of that population has its roots in Tunisia and Algeria, former French colonies that struggled for independence. Many are also unaware of the Levant Crisis that took place in 1945, soon after World War II where many west Asian countries like Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Israel and Syria were caught between the French and the British. In short, France has a history of fraught relations with the Levant countries.

Why I am mentioning all this is because I want that the French government should look inwards if it really wants to resolve the matter, so that everyone can live in peace. It should work towards understanding the problem of immigrants and those who have lived for many years in France and yet don’t feel accepted by society.

ALSO READ: ‘Neither French Beheading Justified, Nor Provocation’

France claims to be a secular country, but secularism doesn’t mean washing away or repressing identities; it stands for assimilating various identities in a harmonious blend.

Saif does not believe France is a secular country

I feel sad about the teacher Samuel Paty who was beheaded last month, but I would say the French authorities are as rigid about their points of view as those they believe to be Islamists are. I always marvel at the way our country has managed to assimilate diverse identities and walk together for so long. We respect each other’s boundaries here, barring a few exceptions of course. We understand that the right to extend one’s arm ends where the other person’s nose begins.

Before 2014, my Muslim identity was just a lens I chose to view life from. Even though post 2014, certain things have changed, yet I would say things aren’t as bad as they are in Western countries. Western countries have tried to use law to foster secularism, but haven’t given as much importance to social cohesion and emotional cohesion as India does. We have a much larger population than many western countries, yet we manage more or less to maintain harmony.

ALSO READ: Charlie Hebdo And Laxman Rekha

France needs to bring in strict laws to counter those who believe in violence but it also needs to make sure that it doesn’t play with religious sentiments of minority faiths. Ek bade pariwar me khat pat chalti rehti hai, par agar shuruat me hi uspe dhyan diya jaye to cheezein zyada bigadti nahi (A large family bears disagreements often. If the issues are nipped in the bud, it ensures peace at home).

I believe France isn’t a secular country at all, but an orthodox country and it needs to understand the true meaning of secularism from countries such as India.

Recently when a Muslim woman broke Ganesha idols in Bahrain, she was swiftly handed over to the police. Muslim countries have a bad reputation but if France truly understood the meaning of secularism, it would question the people at Charlie Hebdo too. Freedom of speech is not absolute, it comes with certain caveats.

A Revival in Fortunes in The Festive Season

Watch – ‘No Festive Season For Shopkeepers, We Are Ruined’

Festive season is upon us. Suffering from long periods of lockdown and Covid-19 restrictions, many a trader and shopkeeper had expected a revival in fortunes in the festive season. However, they say the spark is missing from the market. Sales are down and showrooms are unable to even bear the running costs.

This financial year has been a nightmare for us, a shopkeeper tells LokMarg. For the complete ground report, watch the video here

How to Peacefully Co-Exist in a Plural Society

‘Neither French Beheading, Nor Provocation Is Justified’

Mufti Mohammad Israfil, 52, says France must learn from India how to peacefully co-exist in a plural society. The Mufti from Kanpur, UP, also believes that state and religion must remain separated

What happened in France last month was abominable, from both sides, though as President, Mr Emmanuel Macron should have handled the matter with some cool-headedness and grace, as is expected from top leaders, instead of making this an emotional issue.

I still remember the first time the image of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) was published in the Danish newspaper, Jyllanden Post in 2005. It was a provocation then, and it was a provocation when Charlie Hebdo published it. Provocation is neither journalism, nor art. Cartoons are meant to give food for thought, not hurt a popular sentiment.

We in India, before 2014, knew how to not cross one another’s boundaries. Different religions have co-existed peacefully for a long time here. Perhaps the world could learn from the pre-2014 India on how not to cross the line.

Religion is fluid –or at least its interpretation is fluid, while government is a stable structure in the sense that even a single change needs to pass through multiple bodies. Common people keeps moving between the two in their public and private spheres. Governance and religion must remain separated. I do feel unhappy about the people running Charlie Hebdo or other similar provocative publications; and I feel equally miffed when artists like MF Hussain take the liberty of drawing the objectionable images of Hindu gods and goddesses. It takes so much time to understand your own religion, how can you make fun of another religion that you don’t even understand?

ALSO READ: Charlie Hebdo And Laxman Rekha

Samuel Paty, the teacher who was killed, needed to understand that it was a contentious topic he was teaching. And as far as I have read, the matter had been stretching on for some time with the school authorities.

The Mufti from Kanpur says none of the party is entirely blameless in France’s case

Strict legal action should be taken against those guilty, but the government also needs to ensure that age-appropriate topics are introduced in the correct manner. Even wise men in government offices have been unable to solve such issue, as was seen in the Denmark case. Therefore with children, we require extra care in dealing cross-cultural issues. I am not justifying what happened, but none of the party is entirely innocent.

Islam was perhaps the first religion to bring law into social dealings. Many other religions might have had laws but people were being governed according to the whims and fancies of the kings or heads of state. Islam tried to give powers to the common man and you could say the Quran and Hadees are books of law.

The maulana, mufti, qazi interpret law and serve justice. Islam is never about spreading terror, but about spreading love for yourself, your neighbours, to the less fortunate. I would say ‘religious pollution’ has put important social issues on the backburner. If I were to tell you who is responsible for this atmosphere of ‘dharmik unmad’ (religious hysteria), I would say Israel and the US.

ALSO READ: Agenda To ‘Liberate Islam’ Has A History

As the pandemic has shown us, we are all in this together. We need a world that knows how to come together. In India we have co-existed peacefully, more or less, despite diverse language, food, and clothing with every few kilometre. The world needs to see and learn from us that there is a solution to the situation the world is in today.

Mutual respect is the key in handling sensitive issues. Prophet Mohammed, Jesus, Moses, Krishna are all revered figures and Islam says respect (especially for the leaders of others) is the pillar on which a society stands. I wish there is neither more provocation, nor more bloodshed as a response to that provocation. Restraint is the currency of a peaceful society.

An NGO Working for The Education

‘Covid-19 Severely Impacted Poor Children’s Education’

Deepanshu Saini, 23, project manager of Parivartan, The Change, an NGO working for the education of poor children, recounts how Covid-19 affected their programmes and how they dealt with the challenges

As the Covid-19 pandemic is showing no signs of slowing down, many parents are anxious if an entire academic session of their children will be wasted. Now, spare a thought for the school children from the underprivileged background. Losing one academic year carries the risk of these children dropping out for good. It is one thing to get a poor child admitted to school, under right to education law, but it is more important is that his education is sustained till a respectable level.

This is where Parivartan, The Change, an NGO I work for, steps in. We prepare children in a way that they are admitted to government-run schools under RTE and continue to shine in studies thereto. With the help of our team-members, I have been running a child education programme called Pa8shaala since 2017, two years after our NGO was founded.

This programme is aimed at mainstreaming those poor children who show promise in learning. The selection is made through camps in several localities, which can be attended by any child, irrespective of their age and gender. Those who turn up consistently and are keen to learn are mainstreamed. We get them admitted to local government schools.

The current outreach of Pa8shaala is around 18,000 children across cities. In Moradabad (UP), which is my work area, 535 students have so far been chosen to be mainstreamed from across 10 branches and we have managed to get 320 students admitted to schools so far. Here we are talking of the poorest of the poor children, who are vulnerable to low-grade labour and drug abuse.

ALSO READ: Corporates Should Sponsor eLearning Tools For Poor

However, the Covid-19 outbreak disrupted our schedule. Moradabad was declared a hot-spot which restricted our movement and interactions with the children. For the first four months, we couldn’t do much except keeping the children motivated over short calls and making sure that they revised what they had studied earlier.

We surveyed slums to see if we could conduct online classes but most households did not have smartphones. Besides, many children were helping their parents with household chores and keeping their premises clean. Social distancing can be a challenge in a small town slum.

As soon as the lockdown was relaxed, our team members resumed the education programme all over again. Documentation of the children for schools admissions was the most difficult part. Government offices had only selective staff coming in as did the pragya kendras where Aadhar cards are made and updated. Many of the ward councillors were either unwilling to work or uncooperative, possibly due to fear of contagion.

Team members and beneficiaries of Parivartan, The Change

In many schools, officials suffered from a presumption that slum children drop out in the first academic year itself. At one such school, we were even asked to file an affidavit that these children would not drop out of school. With the courts not functioning to capacity, these requirements burdened us further. Many migrant labourers had come back from big cities during the pandemic and their children were anxious to get admission in schools.

Normally, we provide study kits as part of the Pa8shaala programme but during pandemic we also provided these children and their families with dry ration, daily use items and hygiene products. I hope people understand the importance of education and worked collectively to ensure that every child gets formally educated. Just because a child’s parents decided to move from Mumbai to Moradabad during the pandemic doesn’t mean their education should suffer.

Pollution Levels Rise in NCR-Delhi

Watch – ‘Zero Concern For Air Quality At Ground Level’

As pollution levels rise in NCR-Delhi, doctors warn the spread of Covid-19 may worsen. LokMarg speaks to environmentalist Sanjeev Lakda and several residents about the rise and air pollution level, its reasons and harmful impact in pandemic times.

There is unanimity that ‘Unlock’ has spelled doom for the Capital region’s environment. With the return of industrial, vehicular and stubble-burning activities, Delhi residents are now plagued with a double-whammy of bad air and virus.

Watch the video here:

Central Agriculture Laws

Watch – ‘MSP Must Be Fixed For All Crops, Not Just Paddy, Wheat’

LokMarg speaks to Gurvinder Singh Koom Kalan, state secretary of Bharatiya Kisan Union (Lakhowal) to know about the impact of Punjab Assembly legislations to nullify Central Agriculture laws. Singh says while it was an unprecedented move when these state bills were passed by near-unanimous voting in the legislative assembly, there are several shortcomings in them.

Foremost, the farmers were demanding MSPs to be ensured for all crops, be it mustard, lentils or cotton, and the state government has only included wheat and paddy crops in their laws. For these and other reasons, Singh says farmers will continue their protest against “black laws” to adversely affect farmers.

Watch his interview here:

An Active Social and Political Activist

‘Life In Lockdown Weighs Heavy On Voters’ Mind’

Brajesh Singh, 48, an advocate in Banka district of Bihar, cast his vote in the first phase of state elections. An active social and political activist, Singh says lockdown blues weigh heavy on the electorate’s mind

I take each and every election seriously, right from the Bar Association to the Lok Sabha. Anywhere that my voice counts, I ensure that my vote speaks as well. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say I have voted every time since I turned 18.

This is why voting in the first phase of Bihar Vidhan Sabha election was so important to me, especially in a year when the pandemic has brought unprecedented changes to our lives. Our voting booth was nearly 1 km from my house in Kumhratari village (a part of Katoria Community Development Block) in Banka district and catered to nearly 800 voters.

I went there early morning and was happy to see that strict rules for social distancing were in place. Circles had been drawn and people were expected to stand inside them while waiting. We were around 60 people at the booth and everyone had a mask on.

ALSO READ: ‘I Will Never Forget Voting Amid Covid-19’

There were separate lines (or circles) for women and senior citizens. Senior citizens were being aided properly by the election staff and there was a general atmosphere of kindness and understanding. This time many women and senior citizens turned out to vote because the pandemic has shown them how each vote counts and how important it is to choose a sensitive leader who is socially and emotionally aware of the electorate. The lockdown measures hit people hard in Bihar and I believe the voter have polled keeping in mind how they were treated by their leaders during these difficult times.

Since I actively worked with NGOs, local youth groups and other leaders at the beginning of the lockdown in providing dry rations and other essential items to the marginalised sections, I was aware of the prevalent mood of public. Katoria has a sizeable population that used to work outside in big cities and swathes of migrant labourers returned home between March and June this year. Many have voting rights but often missed exercising them as they were away from their native place. This time many of those people turned up to take part in voting.

Apart from being a voter in Katoria, I also actively campaigned for the BJP candidate for Jamui district (Shreyasi Singh). I basically acted as a communicator between Ms Singh and the local populace. Shreyasi is an Arjuna Award recipient in shooting (double trap) and this year was her first foray into active politics.

Brajesh is an active supporter of Arjuna award winner Shreyasi Singh

Both her parents Digvijay Singh and Putul Kumari were actively engaged in politics as well. I kept shuttling between Jamui and Katoria, all the while trying my best to ensure that social distancing was maintained at all events and programmes.

No doubt it has been tough but no voter wants a repeat of the lockdown (or the pandemic) and most listened to our pleas to practise social distancing and undertake hygiene measures during rallies etc. I have been on the road for the last month or so and I can say this is a historic election. People are voting for how they were treated in the past (lockdown), the present and the future (they want a proactive leader).

‘I Learnt Cooking, Focused On Fitness In Covid-19 Times’

Rio de Janeiro Olympics silver medalist and world champion PV Sindhu is always looking for new ways to improve her skills and fitness. The latest, in a series of measures, is her visit to London. An eight-week stint in London will entail what she needs to do to improve on her recovery at a private lab run by Gatorade first and then also playing there. Gatorade lab is reckoned to be a modern sports institute, where top athletes undergo various tests to see how their body behaves after a tough match and what needs to be done to get the juices flowing again. It is well known that Sindhu, who keeps slogging on her fitness and speed will also use the opportunity to play in London with top guns.

In an exclusive chat with LokMarg, Sindhu shares her thoughts on how life was since outbreak of Covid-19 and the subsequent lockdown thereafter. She has faced tough times with the media in Hyderabad, her hometown, as well, but is now used to it.

How did you spend time after the lockdown was announced?

Well, it was fine, I was still training from home and then I looked at ways to keep myself busy. I spent time playing with my nephew (sister’s son) and the family. I managed to do a lot of new things like keeping myself busy learning to cook and painting. I did not get bored really during lockdown. Of course, there was no badminton (tournaments) obviously.

How did you resume training? And was it tough to find your rhythm back after the forced lockdown?

Well, as I was training during lockdown from home, so it was not tough for me. It took me a few weeks (to get the feel) when we got back to the courts. But for me, it was not like begin from the start really.

Definitely, when you are away from badminton and you do not connect with the shuttle, it will take time. I think for me getting the rhythm back was easier.

And did the lockdown affect your fitness regime?

In the lockdown, I had my trainer giving me the set of drills (schedule) to follow. Morning I was busy on court. I had my fitness drills in the morning, and evening was different. I had my workout in the gym, focused on my fitness and speed. Most important was to keep working out hard.

And your diet plan?

Well, diet, I eat rice, so I continue with it. I avoided junk food and did not eat much of oily food. For me, recovery is very, very important. As I also have my personal physio, I was stretching out which is very important to ensure I remained fit. When I needed treatment from the physio, they were there. I have to stay in peak shape.

Any the key areas of learning in your sport?

Well, as regards key areas, I want to focus on every aspect. This is the time to learn more strokes and I want to learn everything new possible. There are no tournaments immediately for me so it is a good time to keep learning strokes and keep improving. I have so much time, so there is nothing wrong in learning.

Your thoughts on the postponed Tokyo Olympics?

Well, the Tokyo Olympics, I hope to do well. We have tournaments before that in 2021. I am hopeful I will do well and one at a time is my mantra.

How did you deal with Covid-19 during the peak as an athlete?

I have been taking of myself care during Covid-19 and even now. Every individual should do that, in fact. Wear a mask, use sanitiser and maintain social distancing. In my case, when I returned home, I always washed and showered.

Please tell us about the role of your parents in your life?

My parents have always supported me in my life. They have helped me and supported me all along. I am lucky as they were both sportspersons, they know what best I need.

Your thoughts, looking ahead?

I do hope Covid 19 goes away and all the people can lead normal lives. For athletes, being on court is so important. I would say all people need to enjoy sport. It was tough during the pandemic as all the events got cancelled.

I think it is very important for all of us to stay positive. I am sure normalcy will return and we all need to be positive in our lives every single day.

ALSO READ: Sania Mirza’s On Life Amid Pandemic

Ensure Social Distancing at Poll Booths

‘I Will Never Forget My Voting Amid Covid-19’

Milee Banerjee recounts her voting experience in Munger, where the first phase of Bihar election took place on October 28 amid heavy security to ensure social distancing at poll booths

I will always remember this election. As an aware citizen, I always knew how important voting is, but the pandemic has taught us how important it is to choose our leaders wisely. So I went out and cast my precious vote today morning at my hometown in Munger. The situation has been a little tense here because of the police firing incident on the previous day which left one person dead and around 25 injured during Goddess Durga idol immersion.

My father and I went out early morning to vote. Heavy security had been deployed at the local school which was turned into a poll booth. I must admit I was mighty impressed with the arrangements there, especially in wake of coronavirus. Given the fact that I left my hometown a few years ago to work in Kolkata, it was but natural that my mind tried to compare Munger with the capital city.

About 70 people were in the booth at the same time and social distancing measures were followed to the tee. Temperature was checked right at the beginning, and hand sanitizers were provided to everyone. Strict checking was being done to ensure that people wore their masks and the premises had been kept very clean. There was also a lady who had been especially designated to answer people’s queries, if any. She was proactive and kept asking people if they had any confusion.

I had come from Kolkata to Munger at the beginning of the Covid-19 outbreak, and for the 8 months that I have spent here, I noticed the authorities were working relentlessly in managing the pandemic. Many migrant labourers came back from big cities to Munger during the lockdown and they have been very well taken care of.

ALSO READ: ‘Time To Give Back To Our Community’

Choosing who to vote for, in my opinion, isn’t decided in one day or even one month. One must reflect before voting keeping in mind the local leaders, because in any moment of crisis they would be the first responders.

This particular Bihar Vidhan Sabha election has been special for me for I saw how people and authorities communicated freely and worked in tandem with each other during the raging Covid-19 pandemic. I found Munger people are a closely knit society. Whenever someone contracted the virus, people provided emotional and logistical support and no one felt stigmatized. That for me is the biggest plus of small towns. Such cooperation can help any society weather the worst of crises.

I understand that authorities in Kolkata will falter in many places because of the sheer size of its population when it comes to pandemic management, but the big city residents could learn from small towners as how to provide emotional support to each other. During the initial lockdown, my mom gave away many bottles of pickles so that the vulnerable may eat rotis with them, as vegetables or lentils were hard to come by.

I have so far been working from home and plan to go back to Kolkata after Diwali. But a valuable lesson I picked up from my stay in my small hometown during pandemic is that a voter one must choose the leaders who hold empathy and kindness for fellow human beings.

Covid-19

‘Covid-19 Gave Me Extra Time & A Home Business’

Pooja Makin Kapoor, 44, from Dehradun, Uttarakhand, learnt making soaps at home from a YouTube clip. In no time, it has turned into a successful home-based business and she is loving it

Among the changes that a raging Covid19 pandemic brought into our lives are: 1) we all found some little extra time on our hands; and 2) there has been an excess of soaps and sanitizers on our hands. I teach English and Maths on voluntary basis at NGOs and in the lockdown I got time to indulge myself in other pursuits. So one evening, when I chanced upon a You Tube video on how to make soaps at home, I decided to give it a shot. The idea so occupied my mind that I could barely sleep, eagerly waiting for the day ahead. I had a list of ingredients ready in my mind was excited like a young child.

The following day, I ordered glycerine, honey, goat milk, charcoal, Shea butter, castor oil, coconut oil and other knick-knacks. A few items like lemon grass, basil leaves were sourced from my kitchen garden. I already had silicon moulds that I used for baking and used them as moulds for soaps.

Just like many people learnt cooking and household chores in lockdown, I learnt making soaps. It was a new talent I acquired and soon enough honed it to perfection. When I was satisfied with the quality and novelty of my products, I started gifting them to my relatives and also started sharing pictures of them on various messaging apps.

ALSO READ: How I Turned (Dining) Tables On Lockdown

It was an expression of my creativity and I was having fun. Till, one of my husband’s cousin got super excited with the soaps and commented that these cakes would attract children to wash their hands more frequently. And then, she egged me on to start making them commercially. Thus my home-made brand Meraki Kraft came into being.

It takes a few hours to make the soaps in my kitchen every day and I have to focus intensely to get the balance of ingredients right. My family has been very supportive and help me with the chores as well as making of the soaps. My two teenage daughters keep giving me the right ideas to promote my soaps on social media. I am a very private person so my Facebook and Instagram and WhatsApp lists are restricted to friends, but word of mouth has turned into huge sales.

Meraki Kraft’s first hit was the tangy orange soaps, but things hit the roof with my doughnut shaped soaps. From there, it has been a successful range from muffin-shaped soaps to those with fruit and herbs bases like watermelon, lavender, basil etc.

ALSO READ: Covid-19 Taught Us Some New Business Lessons

Things went a notch higher when I released my Shea butter and charcoal soaps for men with a hint of Hugo Boss perfume. It came in two shapes, circular and a square one that looked like men’s shirts. And then came the clincher soap, one that I have got the maximum feedback for. It is a soap that looks like an ice bucket with champagne bottle. Except the bottle, the cubes and the bucket are all soap.

While courier services have been a lifeline, a few stores in Dehradun have also started stocking my products. Each of my soap lasts almost a month. Now, I have started getting repeat orders from as far as Delhi- NCR, Chandigarh, Amritsar, Reeva (M.P.), Mumbai and Goa and of course Dehradun where I live.

If people are looking to start home businesses, it is possible if you strike the right balance. Just make sure you are enjoying yourself in the process. The pandemic is nothing in front of your courage, passion, instincts and ingenuity.

The name of my brand Meraki Kraft means labour of love. It’s a Greek word derived from the Turkish term Merak and after the pandemic subsides I feel only those businesses will survive which are a labour of love.