By now it's an established fact. Nobody can dare the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) in its den. The recent GHMC polls have reinforced the near invincibility of the party yet again. Another factor the results have underlined is that voters in the Old City plump for the party - not the candidates. Anyone, irrespective of religion and caste, can have a cakewalk at the hustings if they contest on the Majlis ticket.

This time round the Majlis romped home from 44 divisions, a repeat of its 2016 performance. And among the winners are K. Tara Bai (Falaknuma), S. Raj Mohan (Puranapul) and Mandagiri Swamy (Karwan). They are among the five non-Muslim candidates fielded by the Majlis this time. In the 2016 civic polls four Hindu candidates won on Majlis ticket - D. Mohan (Jambagh), Rajender Yadav (Karwan), Raj Mohan (Puranapul), and Tara Bai (Falaknuma). In fact in the previous election, Majlis president, Asaduddin Owaisi, celebrated the win of Raj Mohan by tweeting, "Hindu candidate of MIM wins over Muslim candidate of Congress".

Myth, after all, remains the never-ending story. The popular perception among people is that the Majlis is a Hyderabad-based and Muslim-alone party. Nothing can be farther from the truth. In the last few years, the party has spread out of its traditional stronghold to contest both the local body and Assembly polls in Telangana, Seemandhra, Maharashtra, and UP. The party's performance in the Bihar Assembly polls is by far the best outside Hyderabad. The Majlis bagged five Assembly seats of Seemanchal with a comfortable majority. Flush with success the party has now set its eyes on West Bengal. Majlis successes outside its bastion have raised the eyebrows of other parties and earned Mr. Owaisi the sobriquet of 'vote cutter'. But unfazed Mr. Owaisi is bent on expanding his party footprints across the country. "Irrespective of whether we win or not we will contest", says the Majlis leader.

Efforts to widen the party base began in the early 1980s when the late Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi sought to spread his party's influence in several Telangana and Rayalaseema towns where the Muslim population was sizable. However, the party struck gold when his son, Asaduddin Owaisi, took over the mantle. For quite some time now Mr. Asaduddin Owaisi is playing the Dalit card to the hilt. He feels the Dalit-Muslim unity will result in a win-win situation for both the marginalized communities. "Empowerment of Dalit-Muslim is the need of the hour as both the groups are socially, educationally and economically backward", he keeps harping in election after election.

This is no empty slogan. The Majlis has, in fact, walked the talk. The party nominated three Dalits as Mayors and two as Deputy Mayors. K. Prakash Rao was the first Dalit Mayor from Majlis in 1986-87 followed by A. Satyanaryana (1988-89) and Allampally Pochiah (1990-91). The two non-Muslim Deputy Mayors were M.B. Shivraj (1987-88) and Hanmanthu (1989-90). Over the years the Majlis has kept fielding Hindu candidates in Assembly and local body elections. Other political parties that flaunt the 'secular' card find it hard to beat this record.

While the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh impacted many parties, the Majlis not only held its own but went on to reap electoral gains beyond its bastion. The party won 101 wards in Telangana and five in the Seemandhra region. The winners included six non-Muslims and 38 women candidates. In the Panchayat Raj elections held in 2014, the party bagged 21 posts of Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituency (MPTC) members. The Majlis put up a spectacular performance in the 2014 Assembly election, securing a vote share of 3.7 percent. This helped the party gain recognition from the Election Commission of India as a State party in Telangana with 'kite' as its reserved symbol. The Majlis dream run continued with the party wresting two Assembly seats of Aurangabad Central and Byculla in Mumbai in the Maharashtra Assembly elections held in 2014. The party repeated its good performance the following year in the Maharashtra civic polls by winning 26 seats in the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation. Five of the 13 ST candidates it fielded won, creating a rare Dalit-Muslim social coalition. In the 2019 Assembly elections in Maharashtra, the party won from Malegaon Central and Dhule City.

Why do non-Muslim candidates root for Majlis? The style of functioning of Mr. Owaisi and his team is the reason, many feel. Once the electoral heat is over, the Majlis leaders settle down to work at Darussalam, the party headquarters. Right from the Hyderabad MP to MLAs, MLCs and Corporators - all are available every day for the people to meet. No prior appointment is required. People just walk in and represent their problems. "This is the reason why our party clicks with everyone. Moreover, we believe in working with all", says Majlis MLC, Syed Aminul Hasan Jafri.

J.S.Ifthekhar,

Hyderabad based journalist.

Article published in NewsMeter

Dated December 11,2020

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There are no permanent friends or foes in politics. But to continue to be friendly with a party while also intending to shun it at the same time is difficult. The TRS has found itself on the horns of this dilemma now. The GHMC results have queered the pitch for the pink party as it has failed to come up with the required numbers to capture the Mayoral post. It has no option but to tie up with the Majlis with whom it was engaged in a triangular fight in the just concluded civic polls.

The TRS has paid a heavy price for being 'friendly' with the Majlis. It gave a handle to the BJP to target the ruling party's 'unholy nexus' with the Majlis and reap rich dividends that catapulted it from a mere four seats in 2016 to 48 seats now. In the build-up to the GHMC polls, the TRS put up an aggressive posture and publicly declared that it had no truck with the Majlis. Now to reach out to the very same party for help for the Mayoral seat is quite embarrassing for the TRS. Having fought bitterly with the BJP, the TRS can't think of forging an alliance with the saffron party. So that leaves the ruling party with the only option to cosy up to its old ally.

The TRS has emerged as the single largest party with 55 corporators but fell short of 12 votes to grab the Mayor post. A minimum of 98 votes are required for any party to stake claim for the top post, a figure no party has now. There are a total of 45 ex-officio members, including MPs, MLAs and MLCs, who are eligible to vote in the GHMC council meetings. The TRS has 31 ex-officio members but still way behind the magic figure of 98. The MIM has 10 ex-officio members followed by BJP (3) and Congress (1).

Both the TRS and the MIM are in no hurry since the term of the existing Council is up to 10 February. They are weighing all the options. TRS working president, K.T. Rama Rao, and Majlis leader, Asaduddin Owaisi, refuse to be drawn into any controversy. "We will consult our MLAs, MLCs, the newly elected Corporators and party leaders before taking any decision," is all that Owaisi said when asked whether his party would support the TRS.

In case there is no tie-up between the two parties, the Majlis might ask its members to be absent on the day of the poll to thwart the chances of its arch-rival, BJP. The Mayoral election is held on the basis of members present and voting.

J.S.Ifthekhar,

Hyderabad based journalist.

Article published in NewsMeter

Dated December 05,2020

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The GHMC polls results of which were declared on Friday has put the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) in a king maker's position yet again. Though the BJP has stolen a march over the Majlis pushing it to the third position, still the Asadudddin led party is poised to play a key role in the civic body. The ruling TRS has emerged as the leading party undoubtedly with reduced majority, it has to depend on the Majlis to capture the coveted Mayoral post.

Contrary to the expectations that the GHMC poll outcome would be on predictable lines, the results caused a major upset with the TRS failing to retain its supremacy in the civic body. Though the party aimed to cross the century mark, it couldn't even reach its previous best of 99. The TRS ended up with 55 seats with the BJP making inroads in its stronghold. The saffron party, the biggest gainer, put up a spectacular performance by improving its tally from 4 in 2016 to 48 now. The BJP reaped a rich harvest with host of party leaders campaigning vigorously for the local body polls. The main loser was the Congress which has to remain content with just 2 seats.

The bitterly fought and communally polarised elections did not cut ice with people which was clear from the low voter turnout. The civic polls showed yet again the vice-like grip of the Majlis in the old city. The party managed to retain its 44 seats in the face of the stiff challenge posed by the TRS and BJP.

Over the last three decades and more the Majlis has maintained its supremacy in the civic body. When elections were held to the Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad (MCH) in 1986 after the gap of nearly two decades, the Majlis emerged as the single largest party winning 38 wards in the 100 member Council. With the support of Congress, which won 24 seats, it ruled the MCH.

In the 2002 civil polls, the Majlis again emerged as the single largest party with 36 seats. The Majlis was pushed to the third position when elections were held to 150 divisions in 2009 after the formation of GHMC in 2007. The Congress topped the table with 52 divisions followed by TDP which secured 45 and Majlis 43 seats. The BJP got just 5 seats. However, the Majlis held the Mayoral post for three years in alliance with the Congress. In the 2016 elections, the ruling TRS stormed to power in the GHMC bagging 99 divisions followed by MIM which added one more seat to its tally to reach the 44 mark. Though the Majlis lost the king maker's position in the Corporation to the ruling party it, however, shared power with TRS in the Standing Council.

This time again the Majlis finds itself in a dominant position in the Corporation with its support becoming inevitable for the TRS to win the Mayoral post.

J.S.Ifthekhar,

Hyderabad based journalist.

Article published in NewsMeter

Dated December 04,2020

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Hyderabadi rappers Mudassir Ahmed and Syed Irshad are back with their 

new album ‘Resurrection 040’

Deepawali is just over. Now get ready for some verbal fireworks.

Haq ki awaz

Main hoon Hyderabadi aatishbazi

Kabhi na dekhi hogi alfazon ki golabari

Watan se teri nafarmani

Farzi teri rashtravadi

Zalim tera zulm, nahin mujhe hazam

Sar se utaroon tere saya

Main hoon aamile khaas

It’s Hyderabadi Rap, Urdu Hip-Hop. Desi rappers, Mudassir Ahmed and Syed Irshad, are now back with a bang. And this time with a new album — Resurrection 040. The 12-track album is gonna make you groove to the heavy beats and reggae influences.

The rap duo, who go by the stage names ‘Mo Boucher’ and ‘Irish Boi’ are set to light up the rock scene in the country. The songs are real fire — combining as they do sufi and hip-hop genres. Since they are returning after a long hiatus of six years, the album is appropriately named ‘Resurrection’ while 040 represents their home city, Hyderabad’s telephone code.

It was in 2007 that Mudassir and Irshad established ‘Thugs Unit’, their hip-hop group, in Hyderabad with fusion beats and multilingual lyrics switching from Urdu, English and Jamaican Patois. They produced many mixtapes and singles.

Two years later, they took to rapping in chaste Urdu and garnered a lot of attention among the youth. Talking rhythmically to the beat of rap music, they try to expose the ills of establishment. Fighting crime with rhyme, as they call it. There is also a generous doze of spirituality and self-reflection thrown in the lyrics. Hitherto confined to qawwalis, sufism later entered Bollywood in a diluted form. But now, the Hyderabad hip-hoppers have made it a part of the rap culture.

The new album, Resurrection 040, released on Friday on Apple Music, the global music distribution platform, is produced by the US based Grammy-nominated and multiplatinum producers, including Buck Wild and Anno Domini of the UK. Some of the songs go by catchy titles such as Rubaroo (face to face), Raahe Rast (straight path), Suroor-e-Ishq (exhilaration of love), Pardafash (unmasked), and Atishbazi (fireworks).

“Our songs become voice of the voiceless. We inspire people through music and make them to think and question,” say the rapper pair who make their own compositions ranging from dreams, romance and life on the whole. Their new album has 80 per cent Urdu lyrics and the rest has English and Jamaican flavour.

So get ready for some boom-bap beats.

J.S.Ifthekhar,

Hyderabad based journalist.

Article published in Telangana Today 

Dated November  20,2020

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The book is sure to warm the hearts of aficionados

Is there anything left to be written about them? This is the question that comes to mind when one thinks of William Shakespeare and Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib. Over the years numerous scholars have probed and delved into every aspect of their works in minute detail. To discover a new angle about them is perhaps next to impossible.

Yet there remains an unquenchable thirst among scholars to come up with a new perspective about these celebrated writers. Interestingly, Prof. Anwar Moazzam has done the impossible. He has undertaken the daunting task of unravelling the intellectual concerns of Ghalib, a subject hitherto not attempted by anyone.

And sure enough he has succeeded in presenting new shades of meaning and uncovering subtle nuances in the works of Ghalib, the giant of Urdu and Persian poetry. Prof. Moazzam’s newest book — Nightingale of an Uncreated Garden – Ghalib’s Intellectual Concerns, is sure to warm the hearts of Ghalib aficionados.

The reader enjoys a mesmerising journey which takes him through the life and works of the great poet. More importantly the reader gets a peak into the intricate web of the poet’s thoughts, particularly his mystical point of view.

Prof. Moazzam, who taught Islamic studies in Osmania University, Aligarh Muslim University and Hamdard University, also published a book in Urdu — Ghalib Ki Fikri Wabastagiyan. This 19th century bard continues to stimulate and delight generations of poetry lovers. Like Shakespeare, Ghalib’s verses have become part of everyday usage. Almost unwittingly one recites his couplets to drive home a point.

And for scholars Ghalib presents a challenge, rather a puzzle, since his verses are densely textured and loaded with a world of meanings. “The extensive commentary on Ghalib in South Asia has always focused on appreciation of various facet of his poetry to the total neglect of the thought content”, says Prof Moazzam and cites this oft quoted verse: Na tha kuch to Khuda tha, kuch na hota to Khuda hota Duboya mujh ko hone ne, na hota main to kya hota (When there was nothing, (only) God existed, had there been nothing God would have been; my being spoiled me, had I been non-existent, what would I have been) Ghalib was an iconoclast and refused to follow traditional views without critical examination.

His poetry often raised questions about the Islamic belief of life after death, predestination, reward and punishment. He asked questions about himself, his beloved, God, the universe, the existent and the non-existents, agnostics and rationalists, religious, traditional and anti traditional values. Treating Ghalib’s poetic narrative as poetic conversation would help reveal several layers of his poetics, says Prof. Moazzam. Concepts like vujud (existence), imkan (probabilities), zuhur (manifestation), ishraq (illuminism) are some of the dominant philosophical elements in his poetry. There are three ways to unravel the enigma that Ghalib is: his Urdu poetry, Persian poetry and his letters.

Quality wise his letters are as good as his poems. Prof. Moazzam does justice by going into all the three aspects of the maestro. Urdu poetry, according to Prof. Moazzam, is more sensuous than intellectual. Usually the aesthetic expression of feelings is paid more attention than the intellectual content.

Ghalib, however, differs in that his poetic aesthetics includes thought, intellect and deliberation. He was the first among the intellectual leaders to welcome the potential of the new academic, scientific and administrative measures introduced by the British colonial regime to take medieval India into the modern age.

“Rational and intellectual study was an integral part of Ghalib’s poetics”, points out Prof. Moazzam. Contrary to what one thinks, it is Ghalib’s Persian writings that reflect his innermost intellectual concerns. He doesn’t fall into any school of thought and yet he gives space for every point of view. The 290-page book helps one meet the real Ghalib.

J.S.Ifthekhar,

Hyderabad based journalist.

Article published in Telangana Today 

Dated November 05,2020

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 Elizabeth Kurian’s The Art and Science of Ghazal, breaks down the nuances of the style helping listeners understand the fine poetry

Who is not interested in ghazal? Almost everyone. But not everyone is able to fully understand or appreciate the fine nuances of a ghazal. Very few are aware of what is radeef, qaafiya, matla, takhallus and maqta. Now a solution is at hand should one want to know all about Urdu prosody.

Elizabeth Kurian, who goes by the nom de plume, Mona, has come up with a book which addresses problems faced by those interested in Urdu shayari, but are unfamiliar with its rhythm, intonation, style and structure. A poetess in her own right, Mona seeks to impart Ilme Arooz, the grammar of ghazal, through her book ‘The Art and Science of Ghazal’. This book is in fact a readers’ guide to Urdu ghazal appreciation, scansion and prosody.

The 132-page book throws light on the evolution of Urdu and provides an overview of ghazal and its structure. It also unravels the intricacies of ghazal and the principles governing its writing. “I want people to appreciate the beauty of ghazal and I hope my book will help them”, says Mona.

A multilingual writer, she has 14 books to her credit in English, Hindi and Urdu. Actually a banker by profession, she took voluntary retirement from the Reserve Bank of India to indulge in her literary passion. Her first book, Beyond Images, is an anthology of English poems. Later she translated it into Malayalam and Urdu languages. This books was also translated into Tamil and French.

Buoyed by its success, she translated Maryam Gazala’s Hindi/Urdu poems into English under the title “Mirrors of My Soul”. She followed it up with English rendition of Dr. Ram Barayya’s Hindi poetry (Tremors), Nusrat Mohiuddin’s Urdu nazams (Awaiting a New Season), Dr. Ahilya Misra’s Hindi poems (Shwaas se Shabd Tak). Later, she came up with two more books – -Qause Quzah and Zauqe Justaju — containing her collection of ghazals, nazms and khitas.

Mona’s Urdu poems have a haunting sameness with Parveen Shakir, the renowned Pakistani poetess. In a simple language she portrays a vast canvass of emotions and gives voice to feminine concerns. One can detect anguish and hope and everyday concerns reflected in her ghazals. Sample this one:

Teri tarha main na badal saki

Lagi thokeren, na sambhal saki

Nai rah par tu bhi chal pada

Tere bin kahin main na chal saki

In her new book, Mona brings all her writing experience to help ghazal lovers understand and master the craft of writing. Ghazal is a metered poetry which has not just a metre (bahr) and rhyme (qaafiya) but a constant refrain (radeef). All these are explained in detail with the help of transliteration tables, charts and notations. If you are looking to improve your ghazal appreciation ability or hone writing skills, The Art and Science of Ghazal is the book for you.

J.S.Ifthekhar,

Hyderabad based journalist.

Article published in Telangana Today 

Dated October 10,2020

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This sordid tale also has some romantic overtones. 

Surely love can blossom even under the most trying times.

The story is all too familiar. Unrest, uprising, protests and violence. That’s what comes to mind when one thinks of Kashmir, the theatre of unresolved conflict. But these uneasy and often heart-wrenching developments can become stuff of a gripping tale in the hands of an expert writer.

Asim Mukhopadhyay weaves an interesting story piecing together the turbulent happenings and the plight of the locals caught in the crosshairs of the armed conflict between the militants and the security forces.

The just released novel, Dance On The Graves, set against the backdrop of the Kashmir imbroglio makes for an interesting read. It has all the drama, twists and turns of a thriller to hold the attention of readers. Those who have read the author’s debut novel, Half Man, a book on Naxal movement, will find his latest work of literary fiction even more engrossing. Mukhopadhyay has a wide experience as a teacher, journalist and social scientist. He bagged the Media India award in 1982 for the best human interest story of the year for the article “Evils of dowry”. He has also been a long time contributor to Economic and Political Weekly and has to his credit many non-fiction books.

Though a novel, The Dance On The Graves is based on the life of Atta Muhammed Khan, an honest farmer of Chahal Bimbyal in Barmulla district. The author happened to read a brief report on the miserable life of the farmer who ends up as a grave digger. “I just borrowed Atta’s flute but the tunes are mine”, says Mukhopadhyay.

As the title suggests, Dance On The Graves, revolves around the life of Hasanath Wani Ahmed, an old farmer from Malali village in Kupwara district. As ill luck would have it he is forced to bury young men killed by cops in undocumented encounters. His story depicts the dilemma and helplessness of farmers who become victims of circumstances and turn grave diggers in the valley and also on the other side of the LoC. Ultimately Hasanath becomes a schizophrenic case, throws up tantrums during nights, sings strange songs and dances on graves.

Mukhopadhyay, who is known for his versatility, turns the otherwise horrible happenings of Kashmir, into a gripping tale of anguish and pain of the locals. For most of them survival is up for grabs. Any day they may end up with a bullet from the militants or the security forces. There is no peace for being young in Kashmir as the insurgents are out to trap them. The book edited by Mosiur Rehman of Woven Words, explores the sinister designs of the separatists who supply drugs to youth to lure them on the path of militancy. It also throws light on the machinations of people who sell politics and drugs from the same basket. Mukhopadhyay lays bare over ambitious fence-sitters in the ruling party who love to fish in trouble waters for being denied a share in the power cake.

This sordid tale also has some romantic overtones. Surely love can blossom even under the most trying times. Cupid strikes Kismat-Namrata and Iqbal-Suhana, sons of the grave digger and the daughters of the high profile State Home Secretary and the cricket coach. Sadly the book doesn’t offer any solution to the Kashmiri tangle. But if you are looking for a nerve wracking novel, Dance On The Graves, is the book for you. It’s simply un-put-downable.

J.S.Ifthekhar,

Hyderabad based journalist.

Article published in Telangana Today 

Dated September 20,2020

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