J&K: Sajad Lone rebukes BOSE for omitting Sheikh Noor-Ud-Din Wali from course

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

Srinagar, Dec 19, (IANS) Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Conference (JKPC) President and Handwara MLA Sajad Lone has condemned the removal of a chapter based on the life of Kashmiri saint Sheikh Noor-Ud-Din Wali from Class 9 textbooks by Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education (BOSE), a JKPC statement said on Thursday.

Calling it “pure cultural terrorism” and “an assault on our culture and ethos,” Lone stated that Sheikh Noor-Ud-Din Wali has been revered by all Kashmiris, irrespective of religion and is held in the “highest esteem.”

He emphasised that in these times, “smudged with violence, greed and hatred,” the great saint’s life serves as a “beacon of hope and a role model for emulation.”

“Our great saint and his saintly ways were etched in our hearts and minds much before BOSE came into existence,” Lone remarked.

Urging for introspection, he strongly condemned the decision, reaffirming that the teachings and legacy of Sheikh Noor-Ud-Din Wali are an inseparable part of Kashmir’s cultural and spiritual identity.

Sheikh Noor-Ud-Din Wali, also known as Nund Rishi, was a Kashmiri Sufi saint, mystic, and poet. He was one of the founders of the Rishi order in Kashmir. Among Muslims, he is also known as Sheikh-Ul-Alam (meaning spiritual guide of the world) and Alamdar-e-Kashmir (meaning flag-bearer of Kashmir); while among Hindus, he is referred to as Nund Lal and Sahajananda. His works and teachings have influenced many spiritual teachers and saints.

Born in Kulgam in 1377, Noor-ud-Din renounced worldly life at the age of 30 and retired to a life of meditation. The cave where he dwelt is in Qaimoh, a town in Kulgam in southern Kashmir. The cave lies about 10 feet deep. The airport in Srinagar is named after him.

Noor-ud-Din’s teachings and messages are spread through poems called ‘shruks’. His poems typically have four to six lines each and revolve around themes that highlight moral principles and often call for peace. He strove for unity between Hindus and Muslims. He is said to have died in 1438 in Charar-i-Sharief.

–IANS

zi/kvd

Related Posts

Odisha BJP leaders slam Congress, Rahul Gandhi for scuffle in Parliament

Bhubaneswar, Dec 20 (IANS) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders in Odisha on Thursday criticised the Congress and its leader Rahul Gandhi over the scuffle that occurred inside the Parliament premises in Delhi.

Two BJP MPs — Pratap Chandra Sarangi and Mukesh Rajput — sustained serious injuries during the scuffle.

Speaking on the issue, BJP MLA Sanatan Bijuli said, “I condemn this attack, this is not an attack on Pratap Sarangi, this is an attack on the Constitution, Parliament and democracy. I demand stringent action against Rahul Gandhi, my request to the Lok Sabha Speaker is to disqualify him from the membership of the Parliament. He is spreading terror in the country. His aim is to divide the country.”

Meanwhile, Balasore MP Sarangi’s brother, Kishor Chandra Sarangi condemned the scuffle and held Congress leader Rahul Gandhi responsible for the scuffle.

“This all happened because of Rahul Gandhi, we deeply condemn this shameful incident. Parliament is the temple of democracy and such an act can never be accepted,” Sarangi said.

Meanwhile, BJP workers staged protests and burnt the effigies of Rahul Gandhi at many places in the state, including Bhubaneswar, Balasore and Cuttack.

Condemning the unfortunate incident, BJP’s Odisha unit President Manmohan Samal has earlier called it a dark chapter in the history of Indian democracy.

“It was not expected from the Leader of the Opposition belonging to a responsible political party. Rahul Gandhi shows a behavioural imbalance. All the 140 crore people of India are condemning this act,” Samal added.

Senior BJP leader Baijayant Jay Panda also criticised the Opposition Congress over the scuffle.

“I strongly condemn the irresponsible and arrogant behaviour of Congress MP Rahul Gandhi. Such conduct by the Leader of the Opposition is shocking and is unacceptable in a democracy. Prayers for the speedy recovery of my Parliament colleagues, @pcsarangi and @mukeshrajput_mp,” wrote Panda on his ‘X’ account.

A heated confrontation unfolded in Parliament premises on Thursday during a protest by Opposition MPs alleging disrespect towards B.R. Ambedkar.

The incident escalated when BJP MP Pratap Chandra Sarangi accused Rahul Gandhi of pushing an MP, causing a chain reaction that led Sarangi to fall and sustain a head injury.

Speaking to IANS, Sarangi claimed, “Rahul Gandhi pushed an MP, and he collided with me. I fell and hit my head, which is bleeding. The push was initiated by Rahul Gandhi.”

–IANS

gyan/khz

Places of Worship Act: Mathura Shahi Eidgah mosque files intervention application in SC

New Delhi, Dec 11 (IANS) A day ahead of the crucial hearing in the Supreme Court on pleas challenging the validity of the Places of Worship Act, 1991, the Committee of Management of Mathura’s Shahi Masjid Eidgah, on Wednesday, filed an intervention application, saying that the law was enacted by Parliament in the interest of the country’s progress, which has stood the test of time for more than 33 years.

The application said that the validity of the law, prohibiting the alteration of religious places of worship as they stood on August 15, 1945, has been upheld by a Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court in M. Siddiq (D) Thr. Lrs. vs. Mahant Suresh Das & Ors. case.

It added that Parliament, in the exercise of its powers and in the interest of the forward progress of the country, had enacted the 1991 Act, which has stood the test of time for more than 33 years and the petitioners have chosen to challenge the enactment belatedly, after 29 years.

Further, it said that the adjudication of the petitions against the Places of Worship Act is likely to have a significant bearing on the adjudication of its special leave petitions pending before the apex court against the dismissal of their application filed under Order VII Rule 11 of the CPC (Code of Civil Procedure) and the pending suits against the applicant mosque committee.

The application said that the mosque committee is party to 17 different suits being tried by the Allahabad High Court, where the plaintiffs have staked a claim over the entire parcel of land over which the Shahi Masjid Eidgah has been built, and have further sought the removal of the mosque structure from the said land, claiming the same to have been built over Krishna Janm Sthan.

“It would be in the interest of justice if the applicant (mosque committee) is allowed to intervene and assist this Hon’ble Court in the adjudication of the issues (relating to the validity of Places of Worship Act, 1991),” the application said.

The Supreme Court has notified a 3-judge Special Bench to hear a clutch of petitions challenging the validity of certain provisions of the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991.

As per the causelist published on the website of the apex court, a special bench headed by CJI Sanjiv Khanna and comprising Justices Sanjay Kumar and K.V. Vishwanathan will hear the matter on December 12.

A similar application has been moved by the Managing Committee of Varanasi’s Gyanvapi Mosque before the top court, saying that the consequences of declaring the 1991 Act unconstitutional are bound to be drastic and will obliterate the rule of law and communal harmony.

The mosque committee said that an Article 32 petition challenging a legislative enactment must indicate the unconstitutionality of the provisions based on constitutional principles and the rhetorical arguments seeking a sort of retribution against the perceived acts of previous rulers cannot be made the basis for a constitutional challenge.

“The Parliament, in its wisdom, enacted the legislation as a recognition of secular values of the Constitution. The applicant humbly submits that while this Hon’ble Court considers this challenge to the 1991 Act, the petition may be dismissed as being devoid of merits,” the application had added.

–IANS

pds/dpb

For PM Modi, green economy is another way to bring more people out of poverty: Erik Solheim

New Delhi, Dec 22 (IANS) As India strives towards a green future, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s clean energy policies are creating some wonderful opportunities, which will not only help India achieve its Net Zero goal but also pull millions more out of poverty, Erik Solheim, Former Minister of Climate and the Environment of Norway, has stressed.

Nearly 25 crore Indians have come out of “multidimensional poverty in the last nine years”, with poverty levels declining to 11.28 per cent in 2022-23 from 29.17 per cent in 2013-14, according to a recent paper by NITI Aayog.

Solheim told IANS in an interaction that India under PM Modi is now working on making renewable energy mainstream, which would create several economic opportunities in years to come.

“I’m very optimistic when it comes to governments and industries talking about the green economy. For PM Modi, the green economy is another way to move more people out of poverty, help the middle class create more wealth and let the country shine on the global arena by tapping into the potential of solar, wind, hydropower and all other green assets,” the veteran diplomat emphasised.

Speaking at the recently-concluded 4th Global Renewable Energy Investors’ Meet in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, the Prime Minister said the government has prioritised high-performance bio-manufacturing by launching the BioE3 policy, aimed at accelerating India’s transition to green growth and a Net Zero carbon economy.

Meanwhile, India added nearly 15 GW of renewable energy capacity from April to November in the current financial year, almost double the 7.54 GW added during the same period last year, according to Union New and Renewable Energy Minister Pralhad Joshi.

The country’s total installed capacity in the non-fossil fuel energy sector has reached 214 GW, marking an increase of over 14 per cent compared to the same period last year, as the country aims to achieve 500 GW of non-fossil fuel-based capacity by 2030.

In a significant feat for the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, the scheme has achieved more than 6.85 lakh installations to date and is set to surpass a decade’s solar growth in about a year. Since its launch in February this year, the scheme with 685,763 installations has already reached 86 per cent of what was installed in a decade before that.

Around 1.45 crore registrations have been done so far under the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana.

According to the Norwegian diplomat, PM Modi’s vision to turn the green sector into a massive economic opportunity is a defining moment for the country.

“Going green will create more jobs and prosperity for millions of Indians. At the same time, it will do tremendously well for Mother Earth, to help the environment heal,” Solheim told IANS.

–IANS

na/svn