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IAMC President Shaheen Khateeb Republic Day Message.

by iamcadmin on January 25, 2012

Assalam Alaikum. Peace be upon you.
It gives me immense pleasure to extend my warmest greetings to you on the occasion of the 63rd Republic Day of India.
For over 6 decades, India has been a democratic Republic. As Indian Americans, we are truly proud of this accomplishment. While our freedom struggle continues to inspire movements across the world, the Constitution of India that came into effect on January 26, 1950 represents the highest aspirations of the world’s largest democracy.

The Constitution is truly a remarkable document. Through its declaration of India as a sovereign, secular Republic and its objectives of liberty, justice and equality for all its citizens, the Constitution provides a framework where all people, irrespective of caste, creed and ethnicity can live together as a single nation. The Constitution should therefore be cherished and protected.

India’s quest however, as a nation is not complete. Too many Indians are deprived of the justice and equality that are enshrined in the Constitution. The spirit of fraternity that the Constitution refers to, is not yet firmly established. The tolerance for which our civilization is renowned is facing serious threats, giving birth to sectarianism, bigotry and violence.
As Mahatma Gandhi said:  Intolerance is itself a form of violence and an obstacle to the growth of a true democratic spirit.

I thank all the IAMC chapters and its volunteers across the nation for organizing the Republic Day celebrations.
As Indian Americans, we have a responsibility to work towards the ideals for which countless Indians have given enormous sacrifices. On behalf of the Indian American Muslim Council, its executive, Board members, volunteers and our partners, I wish you a very Happy Republic Day. May the spirit of camaraderie of this Day extend to all Indians, and help us to come together for the important task of nation building.

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Cops want to destroy papers in Sanjiv Bhatt’s possession: Teesta Setalvad (Oct 5, 2011, DNA India)

by newsdigest on October 10, 2011

Why are the city police so desperately demanding access to arrested IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt’s bank lockers or what were they looking for when they carried out searches at his house and that of his mother? Sources believe that Bhatt is in possession of many crucial documents which could put many officials and politicians in trouble if they became public.

The police have sought the court’s permission to check Bhatt’s bank lockers. The court is yet to decide on their petition but the urgency shown by the police has raised questions about their intention. “The suggestion that the Gujarat police should be allowed to search Bhatt’s lockers is shocking and ludicrous as it is tantamount to allowing the accused access to evidence using a key given by a witness,” said Teesta Setalvad, convenor of the human rights organisation, Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP).

Bhatt is a crucial witness in several cases in which senior functionaries of the Gujarat government are accused of conspiring to commit mass crimes, destroying evidence and subverting the course of justice. “Chief minister Narendra Modi is accused number 1 in the criminal complaint of Zakia Jafri. But he is also in-charge of the Annual Confidential Reports of all police officers. Such a search would allow the powerful accused to destroy evidence,” Setalvad said.

The police have already conducted raids on Bhatt’s residence and that of his mother but the only thing they could seize was a CPU from his home. Talking to DNA, former DGP RB Sreekumar said that the police may be after the documents which Bhatt is believed to have in his possession and which could nail the accused in the post-Godhra riots.

http://www.dnaindia.com/print710.php?cid=1595316

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Bhatt’s arrest: US groups write to Prez, PM; warn to launch global campaign (Oct 5, 2011, Twocircles.net)

October 10, 2011

The Coalition Against Genocide, an advocacy coalition of around three dozen civil society groups in the United States, has sought intervention of President of India, Prime Minister and Chief Justice of India in the case of the arrest of whistle-blower Gujarat IPS officer Sanjeev Bhatt. The Coalition Against Geneocide on 5th October wrote a letter [...]

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Narendra Modi to blame if Sanjeev Bhatt is harmed: Abhishek Manu Singhvi (Oct 4, 2011, India Today)

October 10, 2011

Rights activists and suspended IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt’s supporters on Monday took the protest against his arrest to the street and alleged that the Narendra Modi government in Gujarat was trying to throttle the voices of dissent and intimidating the key witnesses in the 2002 riot cases. While Bhatt’s wife Shweta has written to the [...]

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Gulbarg victims move court to seek direction to SIT to submit probe details (Oct 5, 2011, DNA India)

October 10, 2011

The victims of Gulbarg society massacre have moved an application before the designated court, seeking direction to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to submit all documents regarding investigation against the involvement of police officials in the riot case, before the court. The court issued notice to the SIT and asked the agency to file a [...]

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Soharabuddin case witness escapes from police custody, held again (Oct 9, 2011, Indian Express)

October 10, 2011

Sylvester, a key witness in the Soharabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case, made a dramatic escape from Gujarat Police custody but was rearrested on late Saturday night. Sylvester, who fled after being produced in a court in Udaipur, was picked up by a Special Task Force of Rajasthan police from Gopalpura area in Udaipur near the [...]

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SIT asked to submit final report on Ishrat case by November 18 (Oct 8, 2011, The Hindu)

October 10, 2011

The Gujarat High Court on Friday asked the Special Investigation Team, probing the Ishrat Jahan encounter case, to submit its final report by November 18, and fixed the next hearing for November 21. When the SIT submitted an interim report, a Division Bench of Justices Jayant Patel and Abhilasha Kumari expressed satisfaction over the progress [...]

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NHRC pulls up prisons dept for custodial deaths (Oct 5, 2011, Times of India)

October 10, 2011

The state prisons department has come under fire from the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) as it directed the department to pay compensation to families of three who died in jail. A convict, G Subba Rao, lodged in Central Prison, Rajahmundry, reportedly committed suicide by slashing his left wrist with a steel glass provided to [...]

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Sanatan Sanstha ashram raided in Goa by NIA (Oct 4, 2011, Thaindian.com)

October 10, 2011

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) raided the right wing Hindu organisation Sanatan Sanstha’s headquarters located in North Goa’s Ponda Tuesday night. NIA officials raided the residential as well as official quarters of the ashram at Ramnathi, 30 km from here, of the Sanatan Sanstha, whose members have been chargesheeted for carrying out blasts in Goa [...]

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CBI takes a close look at Gopalgarh violence (Oct 9, 2011, The Hindu)

October 10, 2011

A Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) team arrived at Gopalgarh town in Bharatpur district over the weekend to undertake probe into the last month’s violence which had claimed 10 lives. The Rajasthan Government had written to the Centre seeking a CBI investigation into the case after a public outcry over the alleged police firing. The [...]

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