Editorial

Exuberant educational activism witnessed among Muslims needs a course correction. Somewhere along the line, some pseudo-thinkers seem to have concluded that producing more doctors and engineers would ultimately lend the community a sufficient professional base. If this is what forms the basis of the new desire for pushing talented boys and girls into medical and engineering courses, the community is sadly mistaken.


With West Asian job markets’ hunger for doctors and engineers growing by the day, most of these professionals are likely to be sucked out of the country. Having invested heavily in this kind of professional courses, accrued liabilities are only likely to encourage them to seek greener pastures in the Arab world. The most productive part of their lives having been lived in luxuries of Riyadh, Jeddah, Dubai, Kuwait, and Doha, these professionals are less likely to prefer humble environs of Chennai, Rajkot, Ranchi, Ranibennur, or Bangalore for returning even during the evenings of their lives. Their progeny having settled in Montreal, Manchester and Minnesota, all those cool climes would be too inviting for them to consign even their post-productive years to the West and forget their basic duty towards their homeland. In the final analysis, our current philanthropy would only end up satiating the private lust of a few youngsters whose ambition were thoroughly misread and misconstrued by the educational planners today.


A balanced professional growth of the community essentially requires raising a middle class which thinks of lending weight to the community in Indian context rather than exporting talent to the Middle East. Science and technology produce wealth and human and social sciences enable societies to evolve strategies for equitable distribution of resources and wealth. A comprehensive and cogent growth of the community therefore makes it imperative that talents are nurtured in crucial areas like law, fine arts, economics, sociology, history, journalism and mass communication. Rewards are not instant in these fields. Jobs are difficult to come by. Recognition arrives late. And these sectors require long gestation periods, considerable struggle and constant encouragement and vast paraphernalia for success. The community has not spared much thought to groom youngsters towards this end. Most humanities and law courses are devoid of high scoring Muslim youngsters. Only residual lot that gets marginalized in competing atmosphere for medical and engineering courses head towards them. As a result, the community has little to offer them by way of assistance, scholarship, book banks, hostels and funding. This gloomy scenario is in itself a major disincentive in pushing youth towards disciplines in arts and humanities.


Much water has flowed down the Narmada, the Ganga and the Cauvery since Babri Masjid and Godhra shook up the Muslims in India out of their slumber. Much has been seen by way of motion on the community’s level. It needs to be turned into momentum.

Right from shooting of the Iranian passenger aircraft over the Gulf in 1989 resulting in loss of 259 lives, the United States’ record of relations with Iran has been one of intimidation, bullying and aggressive postures. But it now seems to be openly promoting terrorism against the Islamic Republic besides itching for a war. Highly coercive diplomacy apart, the United States sees itself as the guarantor of democracy and freedom everywhere. It has refused to consider Iran as a democracy even though that Gulf state being a loner in consistently putting in power regimes that have won massive mandate after each fours years in the region. It even refuses to give credence to Iranian claims of peaceful intentions in pursuing attainment of nuclear energy even though its own stooge with the most horrendous record of human rights in the region, Israel, is a covert nuclear power.


If reports emanating from Langley are any indication, CIA is funding the individuals from minority groups like Balochs, Azeris, Ahwazi Arabs and Kurds to carry out assassinations and bombings against leaders of the Central authorities in Tehran. Bush Administration has sanctioned $ 75 million for the purpose and it has been provided to the groups from the classified budget of the CIA. Global Security think tank head John Pike had only recently commented that the “The activities of the ethnic groups have hotted up over the last two years and it would be a scandal if that was not at least in part the result of CIA activity.”


Any funding of foreign groups not open to Congressional and public scrutiny in the US may be genuinely suspected of being used for nefarious ends including terrorism. And Congressional Research records testify that the US Administration has been helping toppling of democratic regimes (Musaddiq of Iran in 1953, deposition and murder of President Allende of Chile in 1973). The 1981 Accord with Iran makes it obligatory for the US to commit itself to non-interference in Iran’s domestic affairs. The Accord had been signed to end the US embassy hostage crisis. International pressure should mount against Bush’s misguided policy advisors to disclose as to who within Iran has received $ 75 million terror funds. Unless this is done Iran will be fully justified in suspecting American scribes, artistes, filmmakers and writers of being CIA decoys with sinister intentions.