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The move is unnecessary. The facilities for the tourists who visit the monument can be bettered and renovated. Also, its resemblance to the description in the Quran proves the theory otherwise. It is a pity to see that we are fighting over the authorship of a structure, which contributes majorly towards India’s tourism income. I have seen the insides of Taj Mahal, and there are just a lot of empty rooms inside it, which were constructed to elevate the height of the structure.Anuradha Reddy, co-convenor, Intach Telangana ‘One should celebrate the heritage that the structure comes with’ It is absolute foolish to drag a historical monument down like this.

This is an unnecessary controversy. One should celebrate the heritage that the structure comes with. K. Also, another scary thing is vandalism. Muhammed, Former Regional Director (North), Archaeological Survey of India ‘This is an unnecessary controversy’This is a most unfortunate development. But I have not heard of Tejo Mahalaya, which is supposedly a Shiva Temple.,riter ‘The Taj Mahal isn’t a symbol of religion, it is a symbol of heritage’ Removing the Taj Mahal from the list of seven wonders isn’t going to change the number of tourists visiting the attraction. Shah Jahan’s mother was from the Graphene Fabric Factory royal family of Marwar. The monument generates income for the state and the country. Even if the Taj Mahal wasn’t a UNESCO world heritage site, we must not forget that it has been a part of our history and heritage. Such debates not only disturb the communal harmony of the nation, but also affect the overall fabric of society. It has become synonymous to India for many foreign tourists. We need to take examples from progressive nations like France, where religion isn’t a priority. It is doubtful that Taj Mahal is Tejo Mahalya since anyone who knowledge of vaastu shastra can tell that a double dome structure cannot be associated with ancient temple architecture. Besides, the land on which the Taj Mahal stands belonged to Raja Jai Singh. Political parties should recollect the recognition that the monument has received worldwide. Had it been an important temple, he would have never attempted this blasphemy.

The land belonged to Raja Jai Singh, who happens to be Shah Jahan’s cousin.Vikramjit Singh Rooprai, Founder, Heritageshaala ‘The claim has several loopholes’The claim has several loopholes. He sold the land to Mughals for a handsome price. We must protect it from getting dragged into controversies. It is a tourist spot that gathers a lot of crowd. Anil Dharker,columnist and writer ‘people have been claiming that every monument in India is a Hindu temple’ I doubt Vinay Katiyar’s credentials.Araathu R. I feel that the security should be doubled so that the beautiful monument doesn’t get vandalised. Time and again people have been claiming that every monument in India is a Hindu temple.K.. This move is hideous and dangerous for the country’s progress as a secular nation. The Taj Mahal is the climax of every Mughal architectural inheritance. I have worked behind the revival of more than 100 temples and have a good idea about Shiva, Ganapati and Vishnu. Taj Mahal was built by Indian craftsmen for the Indians. We have been known and recognised as a secular nation and this move seems to break tag. The Taj Mahal has got every record, for the construction, the land grant and even for the marble. The Taj Mahal isn’t a symbol of religion, it is a symbol of heritage; all monuments are.

In ancient times, a mezuzah used to guard homes — A metal cylindrical box with the script from the Torah blessed in a ceremony, inside.We trudged to a vantage point to see the dome of the Al Aqsa Mosque, an important Muslim pilgrimage. The old city is divided into four quarters which geographically represent different faiths, but in reality are more intertwined with Christians, Muslims and Jews living together in harmony. Every time someone conquered Jerusalem, they broke its walls, so it was built and rebuilt.Encounters of the faithful follow your thoughtful footsteps into the old city of Jerusalem, treading the ancient slopes towards the golden-hued walled city, where history and religion are indelibly etched into the fabric of its existence.

There were cartloads of Jewish school girls and teenagers and we were taken aback by immense faith of these Judaism students. There are indelible marks on many a wall in the Old city where the mezuzah used to be. With its 6,000 (some say 4,000) year-old history, Shelly Ishkoli, our storehouse of knowledge guide explained, "You think that the walls of Jerusalem go back thousands of years. Not exactly. As we walked to the Tower of David, with its golden haloed ruins, we swooped through an exhibition of 4,000 years of Jerusalem at the Museum of History. The Temple Mount, Al-Aqsa Mosque, Tower of David, and ruins, are all a foray to understand this land ravaged again and again, that still stands resolute, a lesson in life itself. And that’s what we’d like to take back with us, where children run smiling, and peace prevails… Toda Raba (thank you) Jerusalem.Strong inherent and deep belief, faith and irrevocable history resides in Jerusalem.

There are eight gates each named after the city it leads to (ours led to Jaffa - Jaffa Tel Aviv today). Our Canadian guide David took us through the tunnels, and the history of the Weste Wall — explaining the mammoth task that the Israel govement has undertaken to excavate tunnels to the Temple Mount (what the faithful consider as the Holy of Holies). The Jewish quarter has shops, small galleries, ceramics, all winding cobbled streets into the market area which is a hub of souvenirs and T-shirts touting Israel’s military prowess. We also saw the popular three dimensional light and sound show in the evening.. Al Aqsa translates to "farthest mosque" and also refers to a chapter in the Quran — The Night Jouey where Prophet Muhammad Coolmax Fabric Manufacturers travelled from Mecca to "the farthest mosque," and to Heaven. Dress conservatively. The tunnels, cooled by the welcome breeze of aircons, in we walked, past Warren Gate where a synagogue used to be, named after Charles Warren, who discovered it. Ambling in the sweltering heat, we entered the sacred site of Catholic religion, the Church of Holy Sepulcher which lies inside a square with steps on either side where many sit in contemplation. This wall by the Ottomans, who were Muslims, has flowers, Arabic letters, geometric shapes decorating it.Passing which was the Main Street in Jerusalem, the Byzantine Cardo in the Jewish quarter, arts and crafts peek through old stones and tunnels. It reflects the sanctity of this holy city that has three monotheistic faiths — Christianity, Judaism and Islam. Powerful is the sense of peace as one lowers towards the silver gilded disc, where the cross is believed to have stood…The city’s Christian and Muslim quarters are enmeshed in each other, and as you bag souvenirs from the Souk el-Dabbagha, a street selling religious souvenirs, you are once again humbled by the history that surrounds you. But one must try — so we tread the cobbled streets of calvary, past the tunnels to the Weste Wall, and it does live and breathe in faith. The beige walls of the citadel morph into stories from the past, evoking images of its rich history.

A sheer gargantuan task indeed, as we mulled at its turmoil filled history, and in contrast, this peaceful walk of pilgrims to the holy land, that leaves one seeking refuge in faith. A Muslim quarter, with its heaps of dry fruits, olives and ceramic work. It is said to commemorate the hill of crucifixion and the tomb of Christ’s burial. The State of Israel came into being in 1948, and this Jewish state today holds within it empires, legacies, faiths and sanctity. One can also spot different church orders spires and far off is a brush stroke of green in this arid desert where a spring used to be. Spend moments in silence, then without tuing your back, walk away in prayer. We see a few Jewish children flying their coloured balloons and running pell mell back home from school, smiling. And the city itself is haloed in yellow at night, a wonderful sight, and walk. The Weste Wall is 488 metres.

Wash your hands at a water fountain and walk towards its time honoured grooves. The throngs of faithful walk past, pray in silence, light candles, some leave small prayers on paper as they enter the inner sanctum sanctorium. Our guide Shelly Ishkoli also mentioned the Christmas tours that are very popular, the Catholic and Jewish traditional ones, when the weather is cold, not sweltering like it was in July, which tu this already haloed city into a twinkling sight of revelry and prayer, ringing in carols. Which ever faith you belong to, the stark simplicity of its stoned walls, lack of opulence and earthy essence all emanate a sense of peace and quiet that settles in one’s heart.We walked past a huge gold Minerva towards the Weste Wall or the Wailing Wall — the limestone wall filled with signs of prayers and devout faith, a congregation of young and old praying and weeping, some with a Torah, others with prayerful notes. One can see different eras of stone, engravings, lessons in time… as sunlight suddenly illuminates the dark alley, and we are out into the other side of the old city, where the stations of the Cross, which Christians revere keep us company. A mere walk cannot unearth its history, or its allegiances. The architecture gives us a hint of the weaponry used in that period — narrow windows for bows and arrows."We started our jouey though the Jaffa gate.

We are thoroughly entertained by the soldier who retus from service with a cartful of colourful tall tales about his own valour, and by the unforgettable revenge of the court peon when his lady love is called into question.Some of these stories bring out the way in which society’s gaze, if allowed, could transform the very nature of relationships and sometimes change even the love of parents towards their offspring to a form of violence. We hear the triangular tale of the feisty young girl who tastes love with a married man and risks her reputation, the man who lets the moment slip and the docile wife who is transformed in that moment."

The stories emanate from "places big and small" in Uttar Pradesh, like Lucknow, Badaun, Sapnawat and Pilibhit, and the author feels that they reflect something unique and unusual about the people of UP. "Uttar Pradesh, in my experience, is filled with such stories…bursting at the seams with urgent longings and intense desires, alongside an abject inability to fulfil them," she says. In the author’s words, "These stories are a record of ordinary people who lived through their own unique times and circumstances…and leave us enriched with the taste of a world close to us in lifetimes, but already so China Knitted Fabric Manufacturers far away. We find out at what cost a newly-wed, seemingly "dumb bride" keeps mum even when her insulting in-laws give away her only mementoes of her dead mother — her saris. We meet a lazy daughter-in-law with a strange ailment and a widowed young girl who begins to live only when she gives away her old life to the river. "For me, it was extremely important to write these stories down before they were lost forever, because they form a history as important as the histories of kings and queens. "

These chronicles have acquired the status of folklore in our family," says Chandra in the introduction to the book.As we tu the pages of this volume, we are already inching into a different age — this mode age of financially and emotionally-independent women entrepreneurs.This brings us to the last in this collection of 14 stories, "Bijnis Woman" — "businesswoman" — the story of a woman with a good but unambitious husband who catches life firmly by its hos, and trains herself to become an astute businesswoman trading steel and clothes. These are stories from the master raconteurs in her family, stories spun into the fabric of family time with her mausis, buas, chachas, phupaas and cousins, reminiscent of an age already past, when families would come together in summer or winter vacations, and generations of siblings and cousins spend time together, lying on "chataayis in the baithaks" or on "khaats in the sun", telling and listening to kissas that became richer and more poignant with each retelling. They lie buried deep in their psyches, unfathomable to outsiders till the head breaks open and reveals the worms of their desire. We meet a girl who drags her disfigured foot as she walks, which eas her the nickname of cheenti, "ant", and a don who lovingly bathes his lathi in oil every moing to keep it supple.

This woman seems to be a transitional figure between the women of that age, and the next. We hear of the rose-tinged first romance of a handicapped girl, and how, in its fleeting reciprocation, it is complete and enough, and the emotion of a lifetime.And so these stories touch a chord. In the process, we barter nostalgia and regret for new hope and faith in human enterprise — new things for old — just like the bijnis woman. In all of life’s moments big and small, emotional and humdrum, she is committed to sniff out opportunities so that her children can have a better life.The writer is a translator and a language consultant. It also seems to point to the observation that the reasons for the way people behave and act are not superficial and skin-deep.

Tanuja Chandra, known for her intense portrayals of love and hope in the face of searing communal strife, social prejudices and gender violence as a co-scripter/director in movies such as Zakhm, Tamanna and Sangharsh, makes her debut in the literary world with this collection of short stories, Bijnis Woman."Among other things the stories reflect the state of women even two generations back — their repressed identities, their fortitude with their sufferings, their desperate flights to freedom.What tinges these tales with their own unique flavour is not its geographical location — they are far too universal than that — but rather the times they are set in. We hear of the god-fearing man never seen without his red tilak, even when he visits a brothel. We relate to these characters because, theirs is the poignant poetry of "great ambition and greater failure", and a spirited fight nonetheless. They talk of being fulfilled in love, being conned in love and the regret of losing it all through one’s own error, of betrayal and loss of innocence, of the surprises life throws at us and the grace with which we are required to handle them. The characters are brought alive with minute observation and loving strokes. They hold up a mirror to the overall state of the country in that age — its prejudices and fascinations, its ambitions and limitations, its transgressors, its freethinkers and its rebels.

The old idea was based on a dichotomous view of the world, like a Manichean definition between left and right, Marxist and capitalist. Such an approach to the idea of an Opposition seals off a universe. Panarchy challenges this centralised worldview by claiming different levels of life need different forms of knowledge and decision-making. The RSS, VHP and Bajrang Dal in fact pretend to represent civil society while trying to prop up the regime through vigilantism and kangaroo courts. It’s a party that is erasing differences to secure an absolute majority.To create a new idea of the Opposition, one must think of differences and diversity in a new way. A dream of a third way of thinking is virtually destroyed. Such a holistic idea of Opposition, of difference, creates a plural world where hegemony is a more remote possibility. In the latter, decision-making mechanically flows down various levels. Opposition means chaos and anarchy, and almost seditious!

In the clash between minority/majority or left/right, only one category can survive. Today, it appears inevitable as the Opposition has virtually disappeared. The Modi Sarkar, through its policies is seeping into the intimacy of homes, destroying the autonomy of the body, legislating on food, and deciding who is a preferred citizen. The rise of moral policing, food vigilantism and jingoistic rhetoric has virtually destroyed the possibility of a creative opposition from society. One must see diversity not just in politics but in consumption, lifestyle, religion… This crisscrossing set of alliances creates Knitted Fabric Manufacturers a broader set of worldviews, out of which political coalitions are bo. Dichotomies or even the mechanical idea of a two-party system impoverish the idea of the Opposition in India. It’s trying to alter and control worldviews while pretending it has been a victim of history for decades. A BJP presence in Kerala or Bengal would have been unbelievable 10 years ago.The BJP’s dominance goes far beyond electoral politics. He/she wants stability in the markets and in law and order to pursue private interests. Holling. The logic of life and knowledge is difference. This also demands we re-examine concepts like democracy, nation state and citizenship for their hegemonic bias.Ironically, political scientist Rajni Kothari had showed that the Congress in its original form was a coalition of such juxtaposed differences.Today our sense of an Opposition is closed. Difference demands polysemy, diversity a worldview where either/or are a sign of impoverishment. It’s clear that the old model of liberal politics is inadequate. What the BJP does through the State, the RSS and VHP do with civil society. We need such a theory of knowledge in the processes of our politics..

A creeping totalitarianism pretending to be an electoral machine can undermine the fabric of our democratic way of life. Every time Rahul Gandhi launches a campaign, all it invites is a snigger at his Boy Scout attempts to challenge Mr Modi.The BJP’s strategic initiatives are undoubtedly impressive, but the danger is that its majoritarianism isn’t inclusive.As the Narendra Modi juggeaut rolls on, and the national elite joins the game of musical chairs around him, desperate to be accepted, the question almost lost in the popular imagination is what happens to the Opposition? The so-called experts are already behaving as if the Modi Sarkar will last at least for 10 years.The idea of diversity and alteatives provides a whole repertoire of possibilities for a society. This doesn’t allow a third option for alteatives, and sees politics as a zero-sum game. Their failure hardly commands attention, not even a footnote as Amit Shah unfolds his plan to "capture" West Bengal. Civil society becomes empty, majoritarian groups more authoritarian, as the minorities and "marginals" feel threatened. That is why the idea of the Opposition must go beyond the party level and encompass many layers of civil society.Today one must revive and reinvent this plural imagination. One of the most exciting ideas in this contest was suggested by ecologist C. In such a view, the Opposition is not a necessary evil but the lifeblood of a political system. We need a new imagination, where the idea of defeat should move from a winner-take-all logic to the idea of a majority that allows for side bets, alteative histories, where politics is a quilt patch of ontologies, lifestyles and livelihoods, where difference is inbuilt into every layer of society. If one does a critique of the Modi Sarkar today, his supporters immediately attack you as a left-liberal.A populist majoritarianism is close to brutal authoritarianism.

The marginals, minorities, ethnic groups and the displaced have no place in such politics. It’s as if the Congress and CPI(M) are unemployed. Plural societies need a theory of opposition beyond dichotomies. The BJP must be seen in two hyphenated parts — a majoritarian dream come true electorally and a civil society nightmare. The classifications and categories don’t permit it.Today our sense of Opposition must go beyond the old logic of dichotomy to include a greater diversity.The sorry state of the Congress and CPI(M) today is an invitation to posit, invent and create a new world of differences, to make democracy more promising. Worse, the very idea of an Opposition is embalmed in old oppositional categories. He proposed the idea of "panarchy" — a life form that is opposed to the idea of hierarchy, where order and opinions are centralised. Mr Modi, Amit Shah and the RSS are shrewd enough to understand that it’s the innovative power of civil society that can defeat the BJP. The BJP’s electoral ultimatum is clear: "be like us to be us". The majority Indian who thinks he/she is aspirational is a supporter of law and order. It lost its sense of a plural self after Indira Gandhi and the Emergency. There is almost a psychological sense of defeat which is embarrassing.S,

Muslim women can get justice through a comprehensive reform in Muslim personal law based on a Quranic framework. It is a religious practice followed by the Muslim community. The triple talaq issue has already united Muslims in poll-bound UP.It is a gross injustice to Muslim women: Ashok GoelTriple talaq" is a widely practised policy in Muslim community. The practice has been stopped in many Muslim-majority nations, including Pakistan, but is permitted in India under the Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act 1937. Triple talaq should have been abolished long back and it has been delayed because of no political will at the cost of basic dignity to women belonging to the Muslim community.

The BMMA says instant oral triple talaq must end and proper procedure of divorce in three months, with prior efforts of reconciliation, should be strictly followed. It would be better if the saffron brigade starts looking at gender justice in all aspects. Our voters are mature enough to understand the nefarious designs of right-wing extremists who want to divide communities simply to wrest power in the coming elections. A large number of women still defecate in open fields for want of proper toilet facilities.The Centre’s stand on banning triple talaq is simply votebank politics. It seems ironic that Indians are still debating the merits and demerits of abolishing a regressive social custom such as triple talaq when several Islamic countries have discontinued the practice. It should rather focus on goveance and welfare measures for its citizens. We need to understand why the BJP-led govement is talking only of triple talaq. It is very important that ordinary Muslim women and men are educated about the Quranic principles of justice and faiess conceing divorce.

At the end of the day, the triple talaq issue is going to cost the BJP dearly in the coming polls.Studies suggest that talaq-related issues are far less in Muslims in comparison to other communities. In this case the marriage (nikah) of the woman with her second husband is called nikah halala. It is not getting the kind of support it got in 1980 in Shah Bano case. The pride and self-respect of Indians will be achieved only when a uniform civil code comes into force and everybody enjoys basic human rights as guaranteed by the Constitution of India. This is permitted by the Constitution as well.In any developed country, the law is made after consultation with stakeholders. According to this practice, a Muslim man may divorce his wife by speaking the word "talaq", which means "I divorce you", three times in quick succession to her.This is a social and human rights issue and women must get their rights as guaranteed by the Constitution of India. The fundamental rights are defined as the basic human rights of all citizens. Every now and then we hear about married men having live-in relationships with other women. Some Muslim leaders have even appealed to their community members to follow the example of pro-Jallikattu protesters in Tamil Nadu to support the Islamic practice. We need to address such issues on a priority basis as they are not only eating into our social fabric but are also denying married women their legitimate, legal and emotional rights. Except for certain matriarchal societies, such as those in parts of the Northeast, most women still have Mattress Fabric Manufacturers no right to agricultural land. The BMMA claims that the AIMPLB and the clergy have misinterpreted the Quran by allowing practices such as triple talaq, polygamy and nikah halala.

There is no legal, moral, cultural or even religious justification behind continuing to let a few patriarchs of the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) and vested political dispensations deny the fundamental rights of Muslim women. In fact, the Delhi high court had earlier ruled that a couple’s divorce is invalid if the husband pronounces talaq in anger or fails to communicate it to his wife, leaving no scope for reconciliation. We are not talking about core issues conceing women in our country. The holy book gives equal rights to both husband and wife to seek divorce. The BJP is politicising the issue to woo voters in the coming Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh. It has filed a case in the Supreme Court asking for a ban on triple talaq, polygamy and nikah halala.The AIMPLB started its own signature campaign to gauge if Muslims wanted amendments to the practice. Ashok Goel is a Delhi BJP spokespersonCall for ban votebank politics by Centre, BJP: Chatter SinghIn my opinion triple talaq is not a human rights issue at all.(As told to Sanjay Kaw)Chatter Singh is a Delhi Congress leader. Such religious matters should not be dragged into the courts and the state should also not interfere in religious practices of any community.Formed in 2007, the Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA) started a debate on reforming the Muslim Personal Law, which goves matters such as marriage and divorce. There is huge awareness and Muslim women have started asserting their rights as guaranteed by the Constitution. Even the rights bestowed by religion should not be questioned in any court of law. But the BJP-led Centre has joined the debate on triple talaq with infectious belligerence to ensure a Hindu-Muslim divide.I once again reiterate that the State should not interfere in anyone’s religious practices.We have moved well beyond idle debates on this subject.The Sachar Committee Report has established that Indian Muslims are marginalised and they live in poverty and socio-economic backwardness.

The fate of India as a truly mode, secular nation or a repository of regressive customs that tramples on the rights of its citizens will rest with all of us. The fundamental rights include the right to equality, right to freedom, right against exploitation, right to freedom of religion, cultural and educational rights and right to constitutional remedies. In Islam, marriage is a social contract with clear conditions to be noted down in a nikahnama (marriage contract). Several Muslim bodies have criticised the Centre’s stand, calling it a violation of a citizen’s right to freedom of religion. These rights, defined in Part III of the Constitution, apply irrespective of race, place of birth, religion, caste, creed or gender.A couple which underwent triple talaq cannot remarry unless the female marries another man truly and then her second husband dies or divorces her.

Anecdotal evidence, empirical data, court observations and Law Commission findings suggest that there is little support for triple talaq among even the members of the community.Triple talaq is a gross injustice to Muslim women and many are raising their voices against this practice from the Muslim community itself.It is high time we stop talking about beef politics, Babri Masjid and triple talaq and focus more on development activities for the welfare of our citizens. It also provides for affirmative provisions for a bride such as mehr (dower). All we are talking about is triple talaq.Instead of promoting communal harmony, the BJP is simply spreading hatred by raking up contentious issues. While the AIMPLB acts as self-appointed custodians of faith and interpret Sharia law in a way that extends their hegemony, political parties are reluctant for change for perceived electoral benefits.