Khaleequr Rahman: The Five States Election Results set a new Trend

Khaleequr Rahman: The Five States Election Results set a new Trend: "The ruling coalition has managed to win in the three states except a major voter backlash over a series of embarrassing corruption scandals..."

The Five States Election Results set a new Trend

The ruling coalition has managed to win in the three states except a major voter backlash over a series of embarrassing corruption scandals from Tamil Nadu boys in Tamil Nadu.

The coalition fared worse than expected in Tamil Nadu, where voters punished the DMK over a $39 billion telecoms scam that paralysed the national parliament for months and hit foreign investment in Asia's third-largest economy. But the loss came as no surprise. It also lost Pondicherry. But it took two states from the communists -- West Bengal, where the world's longest serving democratically elected government was finally unseated, and Kerala. It also won Assam.

The victory in Assam is a big one. The voters of Assam has given the clear mandate and the message to the country that they are with the Congress government and all thanks to our great statesman Shri Digvijaya Singh ji. He, in true sense is the most tallest and the secular leader. His secular policies has paved a way fro congress in Assam.

Overall, the results were the first good news in months for the suddenly accident-prone government of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The main national opposition, the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, scarcely improved on its scant presence in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, a sign Congress is still the party to beat ahead of 2014 general elections. The election results will lead to some stability at the centre now. It gives Congress more muscle to push through its reforms.

The victory of populist Congress-party ally Mamata Banerjee's in West Bengal may stabilise the coalition. But the unpredictable maverick, who holds the balance of power in the national parliament, will prove a thorn in the side of government economic reform plans.

Regional forces are again asserting their importance, and the Congress will have to make all kinds of bargains and compromises to fit them in. This is not a very good sign for a democracy as the Central govet will have to compromise on its agenda many times which comes as a hurble in accomplishing its tasks of serving the common man. Despite all these factors, the UPA Chairperson Smt.Sonia Gandhi has shown how the Coalition is led in true terms. She has managed all the partners so well with her vision and the balancing act. Another ver important factor which has come to the fore during the recently concluded elections is the victory of sizabale numbers of muslim candidates. ^0 from West Bengal, 36 from Kerela and 33 from Assam. This is a remarkable development which must be really worrying BJP and its think tank. This is the victory of the Secular forces.

MAMTA BANERGEE RISES

Mamta Banerjee, a 56-year-old who wears a traditional sari with bathroom slippers and lives alone with her mother, is the latest in a string of women in this traditional society. Millions of Bengalis rebelled against three decades of communist rule that left a moribund state economy and a leftist government stuck in a Cold War time warp. It highlighted how many Indians were keen to embrace more free market policies that have helped transform much of India since 1991.

The people of West Bengal have won their freedom today as said by Mamta Banerjee. The victory is of hapless people who have faced exploitation, violence, and discrimination at the hands of the Communists.

Jubilant supporters thronged outside Banerjee's house in Kolkata, punching the air, dancing and shouting her name and waving their tricolour party flags. They pasted green paint on their foreheads to mark the victory.

This result may also define how aggressively the left-of-centre government moves ahead with long-awaited reforms such as raising fuel prices and a land acquisition bill for farmers and industry. The loss in Tamil Nadu of a family-run dynasty may also be a silver lining for Congress, allowing Prime Minister more leverage over a weakened ally. The results were a gauge of the political temperature in states that jointly make up a fifth of the 545-strong lower house of parliament and will help redraw the political map ahead of Lok Sabha elections in 2014.

REGIONAL LEADERS WORK AS ROADBLOCKS

India's 28 states, with strong linguistic and cultural identities, have a high degree of autonomy and their leaders are some of the most important powerbrokers in India, often blocking policies by the Central government. West Bengal sends 42 lawmakers to parliament and its long domination by the communists is one of the biggest reasons India's founding socialist ideas retain political currency even after two decades of market reforms.

Mamat Banerjee's Trinamool party in West Bengal is the biggest coalition ally of Congress and holds the balance of power in parliament. Her victory may force the government to be more dependent on a mercurial partner opposed to several key economic reforms.

Analysts say Banerjee's victory will give her a louder voice when the government mulls raising fuel prices or cutting down subsidies -- measures that are key to keeping the fiscal deficit at the targeted 4.6 percent of GDP in 2011/12, when slowing economic growth may see a sluggish tax intake.

As the Union Railway Minister, Mamta Banerjee has kept fares untouched and expanded freebies. She has several times forced a deferral of decisions on raising fuel prices. Her party is also against more foreign investment in insurance.

In Tamil Nadu, the regional DMK party facing a series of arrests over a telecoms scam is the second biggest coalition ally and Shri Manmohan Singh may be forced to switch allegiance to the new winner, the regional AIADMK party, nearer to the 2014 election.

Khaleequr Rahman: Youth and the Challanges in Today's world

Khaleequr Rahman: Youth and the Challanges in Today's world: "Khaleequr Rahman Most of the problems facing today’s youth are not restricted to any one ethnic or religious group, but affect young people..."

Youth and the Challanges in Today's world

Khaleequr Rahman

Most of the problems facing today’s youth are not restricted to any one ethnic or religious group, but affect young people generally. Most discussions on youth have focussed on issues such as drug abuse, crime, violence, sexuality and poverty.  In addition to these, today’s youth are afflicted by new challenges.

These include:

1.     An Identity Crisis: Who am I?

2.     Lack of self confidence and low self esteem: I am worthless

3.     A sense of hopelessness: Where am I   going?

4.     Confusion and ambiguity concerning moral issues: What is right and wrong?

5.     The negative impact of the electronic media: Entertainment ?

6.     Competitiveness in education: the uneven playing field: Excellence by whom? Not Me.

Muslim Youth

The Quran and life of the Prophet give numerous examples of outstanding youth.

The mission of  our Prophet Mohammad (SAW) peace be upon him was also one for the youth as the eldest of those who first believed in the prophet was Abu Bakr as Siddiq who was only thirty five years old, and most had not reached the age of twenty, while some were as young as ten such as Hazrat Ali Ibn Abi Talib. Because of the our prophet’s (SAW)  interest in the youth, it was not surprising that the leader of the Muslim army following his death was Usama Ibn Zayd who was only sixteen years old.  Indeed the Prophet (SAW) peace be upon him said,  speaking of the social classification of  his followers, that he was supported by the young and poor, and rejected by the old and rich, for the latter are always powers of conservatism while the young and poor are usually forces of change and revival.

The Ideal Youth

One may define the ideal youth as a balanced individual exhibiting a highly spiritual life informed by absolute moral values and whose behaviour demonstrates qualities such as righteousness, honesty, humility and conscientiousness in everything he/she does. In this regard the Qur'an has reminded us more than once that  "A man receives but only that for which he strives; that his endeavors will be judged, and only then will he receive his recompense in full."

Traditional Society

Historically, the older generation has managed to transmit their beliefs, values, traditions, customs, worldviews and institutions to the younger members of their societies. This was achieved largely because of the impact of agencies of socialization,  such as the family,  religion and the schools. Today the impact of these institutions has been challenged and undermined by new forces, particularly the internet and the television.

Dominant Culture

What is the “Religious” Society in the truest sense? Is God’s help sought at all times or do we conveniently call on God on special occasions as a mere formality?

In my view, we are witnessing an erosion of traditional systems and institutions . As such the family and religion now have a minimal impact on the average youngster. The values emphasized today include  individualism, Godlessness, materialism, secularism and  rationalism.  It is the youth who are encountering the most serious challenge to his/her faith under the impact of godless culture of modernity. Best minds in our society are not socialized by religious  institutions. The emphasis is on competitiveness, academic success, career goals, income and  social mobility.  Little or no attention is given to preparing tomorrows leadership. There is no emphasis is placed on critical thinking , problem solving.  We are preparing  followers, imitators conformists, and not leaders, innovators or problem solvers. The youth is being asked to give up certain family and social values that were an integral part of their identity, and adopt in its place a sense of self-alienation, and become a self-estranged imitator of everything "modern". The status which the Islam has given to a Human being is so great that Allah SWT has described them as “Ashraful Maqluqaat”, means the best of the creations. This is the place Islam has given to a human being. Whereas the western world treats Humans as social animals. Unfortunately, due to the lack of proper understanding of Islam and its teachings, the muslim youth is getting easily attracted towards the western culture. India is a country with the diversified cultures and every culture in India has the same value system. The Indian youth need to read and understand our culture so that they would not become the social animals.

Technology: internet and TV

We are witnessing a phenomenal advancement in technology over the last three decades, and our citizens are experiencing remarkable social and cultural change. This drastic change has generated psychological and social dislocations among many people. Moreover, technology has influenced the way we think about life in general and interpersonal human relations in particular. Certainly, religion should influence all aspects  of our life. It regulates our relationship to God and fellow human beings. When religion is made insignificant and is reduced to one among many other forms of cultural expressions, then meaningful existence and interpersonal relationships that are cultivated by its presence are threatened. In its place personal greed and intensified forms of  individuation breed self-centered and "first me" individualism. If these tendencies are not kept in check by concern for the well being of others, as taught by religion, it could lead to a self-serving, ego-centered individual.

Television in particular has gone beyond its mandate to assist the family and the school in providing visual aid and education to the young. It has taken upon itself to appeal to the destructive and disintegrative instincts, to provoke greed, unlimited self-gratification, and absence of moral restraint in its young audience.

There is a need for Muslims to join other religiously minded groups in the agitation for more responsible TV programming and more media coverage of the human condition without the celebration of outrage and obscenities.

Religious groups must create alternate avenues for recreation and social interaction. There should  be avenues where spiritual and social activities combine to make the average child a whole human being whose life is directed to God. Adults should ensure that he or she benefits and makes full use of the cultural resources of  his or her society. This is a delicate task, and much research and brainstorming need to take place before we arrive at solutions.

Education System

There is need for re-structuring of the education system, so as to minimize competition and rivalry and thereby reduce feelings of marginalisation and exclusion among low achievers. Also, there is need for reform of the curriculum so as to include universally desirable values that are necessary for producing well rounded, balanced and useful citizens.

Our present educational system has trivialized religious devotion and relativized moral commitment. Therefore, the youth of today does not have the moral guidance to be able to pursue the right course when faced with a moral dilemma.

Family

The parents, consequently, have to assume an active role in the moral development of their children. They need to become fully involved at every stage in the child's mental growth until he/she attains maturity. This involvement includes learning to communicate with the younger generation through their books and reading materials. Also, there is need for constructive entertainment and personal involvement in the selection of the types of entertainment (whether at home or outside). This is very critical and almost inevitable since there is enormous pressure on the children from outside their home to participate in undesirable activities.

According to study conducted recently, on the average urban Indian parents spend less than fifteen minutes a day in serious discussion with their children. Urban Indian fathers spend an average of five minutes per day of intimate contact with their children. Let us ponder about the undesirable effects of this trend of parental non-involvement and the absence of suitable alternatives.

Let us recognize that we have a serious challenge on our hands, to ensure that today’s children (tomorrow’s adults and Leaders) would experience a better world than we are living in today. We should all work towards this objective and not wait for a crisis to occur and then react, let us be prepared.