Mainstream Weekly

Babri Masjid: Role of the Congress

Iqbal A Ansari — 2009-09-09T18:04:01Z

Under the compulsions of electoral calculations former BJP leader Kalyan Singh joining hands with Mulayam Singh in Uttar Pradesh has helped to revive the issue of demo-lition of the Babri Masjid. Unfortunately the focus of the current debate is only on fixing res-ponsibility for what happened on December 6, 1992, ignoring the political, administrative and judicial responsibility for the developments which had their origin on December 22-23, 1949 when the idols were surreptitiously installed (…)

- September 2009

Yes, You Can: Signs of Hope in Obama's Message - An Indian Muslim's Response

Iqbal A Ansari — 2009-07-02T11:34:42Z

Dear President Obama,
Greetings from an Indian Muslim, a member of one of the non-majority communities of the ‘Muslim world', who did not find any direct mention in your powerful, moving speech, delivered in Cairo on June 4, 2009 though Af-Pak region did figure as an area of your major concern. Listening to your speech live on television, I was touched by your sincere search for a new beginning in America's relations with Muslims and Islam.
Since in your speeches you often (…)

- June 2009

Innovative Measures for Inclusive Women's Reservation

Iqbal A Ansari — 2008-06-15T21:09:54Z

Reservation for women in Parliament and Assemblies derives legitimacy from the norms of inclusive democracy, and from the human rights norms requiring institutions to be gender sensitive. But these very norms would also like the Indian legislative bodies to reflect the diversity based on religious and ethnic minorities. Similarly the constitutional promise of social justice to weaker sections requires their political empowerment in terms of their share in legislatures.
The apprehensions (…)

- June 14, 2008