Clerics unhappy Bhatt will head Muslim forum

URL: http://www.sunday-guardian.com/investigation/clerics-unhappy-bhatt-will-head-muslim-forum

By MAMTA SEN MUMBAI | 14th Aug

A group of Muslim clerics in Mumbai are upset that filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt has been asked by some of their community leaders to head a forum that will speak about problems relating to Muslims. The forum, which is likely to be called "Federation of Minority and Youth", will highlight, among other issues, the Maharashtra government's failure to bail out innocent youngsters being held for the 2008 Malegaon blasts.

As the head of the forum, which will act like a pressure group, Bhatt met various Muslim religious heads in Bhendi Bazaar when the latter threatened to boycott the Iftar parties called by the Congress and the NCP. The boycott call was given because Muslim leaders are generally unhappy with the Congress-NCP government for not implementing the recommendations made by the Srikrishna Commission and the Sachar Committee. Bhatt acted as a mediator between Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan and the clerics. A few clerics told The Sunday Guardian that Bhatt's appointment is a disturbing development for the community and gives a bad name to the Congress. "Mahesh Bhatt has been an advocate of open relationships, sexual exhibitionism and non-chastity. He makes films on sex and prostitution and justifies the making of such films. The fact that Muslim religious leaders are not banking on Muslim Congressmen to take this initiative, shows the low faith that Muslims have on the Congress and other secular parties," said a cleric. Shabbir Ahmed Ansari, president of All India Muslim Other Backward Classes, said, "Who is Mahesh Bhatt to talk on our behalf? He only speaks on issues that get him publicity, like the Gujarat riots. Does he even know that the basic need of Muslims is education and representation in both government and private sectors? To ask Bhatt to 'guide' Muslims is the first sign of the complete bankruptcy of the Muslim leadership of our country."

Maulana Mohammad Iqbal of Darul Uloom Raza-e-Ghouse said, "Muslim leaders should understand that appointing a filmmaker as a spokesperson for the community does not help. It is time we nurtured our own youngsters so that they can become able political leaders, rather than handing over the platform to someone like Bhatt who talks on several issues and wants the limelight. Since he's in the entertainment industry, this is second nature for him." Dr Azimuddin, president of Movement for Human Welfare and one of the organisers of the Bhendi Bazaar meeting, however, justified the decision to involve Bhatt by saying, "Mahesh Bhatt has been involved in social work for many years. He has been raising a lot of issues related to Muslims, the latest being the dismissal of Sanjeev Bhatt by the Gujarat government. It makes sense to ask him to talk on our behalf." Islamic scholar and president of Jamiat Ulama-E-Maharashtra, Maulana Mustaqeem, A. Azmi said that it is unfortunate that they have to invite Bhatt to speak for them. "But what can we do? The Chief Minister has no time for Muslims. None of our representatives get an appointment with any leading politician. I am not in favour of Bhatt representing us, but he at least manages to get us an appointment with the CM," he said. He added that the Sachar Committee report has confirmed that Muslims are the poorest among all communities, but even Muslims politicians are ignoring this fact. "Muslims do not have any articulate speakers. There is no sound Muslim political leadership. We had decided that during every Assembly session we would invite Muslim political representatives from all parties for lunch to discuss with them the problems in the community. Five MLAs turned up for the meeting last year. No one came this year. Even Salman Khurshid has been a failure. He has created more problems for Muslims than anyone ever did. At least Mahesh Bhatt comes whenever we call him," Azmi asserted.

Godmen throng Mumbai, display political clout

URL: http://www.sunday-guardian.com/news/godmen-throng-mumbai-display-political-clout

MAMTA SEN Mumbai | 6th Mar

Self proclaimed spiritual gurus have been making a beeline for Mumbai to host lavish religious discourses in an attempt to re-establish their connection with the masses and display their political clout. In the last one week Bhaiyyuji Maharaj, Sant Nirankari Maharaj, Guru Radhe Maa, the controversial Asaram Bapu and Sri Sankaracharya visited the city to preside either over jaagrans, or public meetings. Indore based Bhaiyyuji Maharaj is a favourite with politicians. He had a "darshan session" with almost the entire Maharashtra Cabinet and with politicians ranging from Ghulam Nabi Azad, Rajnath Singh and Shahnawaaz Hussain to Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan. He also gave a talk to around 5,000 Muslims on "Challenges before Minorities" in the five-star Leela Kempinski.

"An Urdu channel, which organised the event, asked me to speak on the role of Muslims. I get people from all communities for my discourses," Bhaiyyuji stated, rubbishing allegations that addressing a Muslim audience was a deliberate move to interact with the politicians present.

"I interact with everyone. Politicians come to me for advice. If they do not agree with what I say they go elsewhere. I only preach spirituality and its use in the promotion of national integration," he states.

Another extravagant religious gathering was that of Sant Nirankari Maharaj, who is originally from Peshawar in Pakistan. The event continued for three days and was attended by over three lakh devotees comprising mostly Maharashtrians belonging to the Most Backward Classes (MBC). Pravin Chhabria, coordinator of Sant Nirankari Mission, siad, "The Sant Nirankari Mission is a spiritual movement. We have been attracting devotees irrespective of community. We even have a huge following in London and other parts of the world." He claimed that since Mumbai had many Nirankari devotees, it was apt for the Sant to host a gathering for them.

The controversial Guru Radhe Maa, a favourite with Marwaris and Punjabis, organised a jaagran for her devotees in suburban Mumbai. According to Radhe Maa's secretary Sanjeev Gupta, around two lakh devotees flew in from London, Singapore, the United States and Australia to seek her blessings.

Amid this, one of the four Shankaracharyas, Jagat Guru Shankaracharya Swaroopanand Saraswati flew down for a press conference to announce his plans to campaign for a new Ram temple in Ayodhya. The campaign will start from Mumbai.

Whisper

Whisper in my ear

Words which I long to hear

Words which touch the heart

And from my memory shall never part

Whisper in my ear

Promises which I long to make

Now and for always

But more than words and promises,

The only thing I was true to be

Is you to remain with me till eternity

And, forever whispering in my ear

Words and promises that I long to hear

Butterflies by the riverside

A trip down the Ganges and I was greeted by a mirage of colours unleashed by these beauties. While the mushy swamp played host to these butterflies, I too had a wonderful time clicking them away.

Travelling into the rural interiors and discovering newer landscaped is one of my passions. And I aim to follow this quite dedicatedly. The endless empty roads, the serene picturesque forests which envelop the sense are a thrill to behold.

Following are a few pictures of my escapes

ABHINAV BHARAT CLAIMS TO BE IB INFORMER, WANTS TO CONTEST ELECTIONS

by Mamta Sen

URL: http://www.covertmagazine.com/special-report3.html

MUMBAI: The year 2014 could well mark a new beginning for Abhinav Bharat, the right-wing Hindu group, which, its functionaries claim, has been helping the Intelligence Bureau with information on “infiltrators” and “agents”. They also claim that they are shocked that Abhinav Bharat has been branded a terror group by the Government after it was linked with the 11 accused — including Sadhvi Pragya Singh and Lt. Col. Purohit — apprehended in the Malegaon blasts case.

While the accused continue to be tried by the Nasik High Court for the role they played in the blasts, the organisation is silently trying to spread its wings across Maharashtra, as well as in Madhya Pradesh and Delhi. It even plans to contest the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Abhinav Bharat spokesperson Milind Joshirao told Covert that the effort now was to “get the organisation back on its feet” and that the candidates would be selected on the basis of a written test and an intensive training programme. “In our induction programmes strict discipline would be followed,” he added.

A top functionary associated with Abhinav Bharat insisted, “We have never given anyone any training in firearms or any such thing. It was because of us, and especially Purohit, that many ISI agents were arrested. We have no idea why he has been framed.”
Joshirao said that the organisation was in the process of getting from the High Court the trust deed papers that have been confiscated. “We have begun our activities from Pune and will soon be spreading across the country. We already have branches in Madhya Pradesh and Delhi, and we want to invite persons with similar thoughts to join us irrespective of caste and creed,” he said. Age is no bar for an Abhinav Bharat membership, and anyone between nine and ninety will be allowed entry.

Abhay Vartak, spokesperson of Sanathan Sansthan — a Hindutva group which too was recently accused of promoting terrorism in Goa — said that his organisation would witness from a distance Abhinav Bharat’s efforts to restructure itself as a political outfit and would not join hands with it. “We are an educational organisation. Our name has been unnecessarily dragged into the controversy. Our main agenda is the promotion of meditation and religious activities and not political propaganda,” he asserted.

THE BHARATIYA Janata Party is, however, sceptical. “They have to define their goals, and secondly, define their method of work. Unnecessary secrecy never helps to build a social and political organisation. Abhinav Bharat as a concept and as a group was created by freedom fighter Veer Savarkar and was aimed against the British. When these people start talking of Abhinav Bharat they must define their goal precisely,” said BJP leader Madhav Bhandari. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad too was not supportive of the Abhinav Bharat’s political ambitions. VHP’s Maharashtra spokesperson Venkatesh Apdeo said, “It is up to them whether they want to get into politics or not. Who are we to advise them? Their role should be properly explained. The VHP is the foremost organisation for the protection of the Hindu vote. Besides, they are yet to prove that they are not a terrorist group”

SHOPPING AT SAKS

By Mamta Sen
Url: http://www.covertmagazine.com/cover-story2.html

Mumbai: They shop in London and Paris. They wear international designer watches, use only the best perfumes and watches, and dine out every night. They spend lavishly on looking beautiful and spend time in five-star gyms and beauty salons. They are international citizens and travel to exotic islands for holidays and weddings. They love luxury cars, the more expensive the better, and own properties across the globe. They walk only on treadmills, and fly only first class. They are India’s rapidly growing billionaires who work hard and party harder.Chhaya Momaya is one such very successful and rich woman from Mumbai. One hesitates to call her a billionaire as she makes it clear she does not like such tags. But she comes from a rich family from Burma, her father owned a fleet of ships, and is married into a Mumbai-based rich and successful family. Chhaya describes herself as a “life coach, grooming and image consultant”. She works on grooming and etiquette with corporates — she was in Delhi as a guest of FICCI — models, actors, airline crews, beauty pageant contestants and pop stars. And has been doing so for the last 20 years. Her list of clients are many, including names such as Ulysse Nardin watches, Christian Dior, La Prairie skincare, Hummer Parfum, Agent Provocateur Parfum, Hugo Boss, YSL Perfume. The list is long and very “rich”.Chhaya is one of the few exceptionally successful women willing to be interviewed about her lifestyle. She is all over the rich and beautiful scene, with magazines commenting on her designer dresses, and carrying interviews quoting her on etiquette and grooming. Chhaya Momaya talked to Covert. Excerpts from the interview:Q: How do you begin your day, what is the first thing you do?A: The first thing I do when I get up is pray…Q: What is your routine on an average day? A: My daily routine begins with a prayer. I get up before sunrise and do my exercises. I love to devote time to my family and the next few hours are devoted to taking care of their daily needs like breakfast, as I believe food is the most important source of energy. After my family I then move on to check my appointments with my office. Since I deal in a variety of things, from launching high-end luxury products in India to being an image consultant for celebrities, I generally have to be well aware of my schedule. I also handle individual brands and was recently involved in the launch of high-profile stores. Due to the high-profile clients my timings are usually flexible and I can work according to my own rules. At times, I may be working till 2 a.m., whereas at other times I might not have anything to do.Q: Where do you shop? A: New York and Paris are my favourites.Q: Who are your favourite designers? A: I like shopping at Madison Avenue and Saks. In fact, I generally prefer staying close to Madison Avenue in New York. In Paris, there is this French Village with genuine Parisian trends. I generally prefer my evening gowns from Dolce Gabbana. I also love Moschino, Armani. In Indian wear I wear only Rohit Bal. There is no benchmark as to whether I purchase my designer stuff based only on exorbitant prices or otherwise. I only go by the need of the hour.Q: Do you like entertaining, attending parties? How often? A: I do not prefer attending parties except of a select few, but I love entertaining. Personally, I prefer a select group to a big crowd. But of course once a year I throw a party where I invite everyone; but usually, at my lunch and dinner parties, I invite just a select few. Women often need to get away from their busy lives and find some time for themselves.Q: Do you like dining out, what are your favourite haunts?A: I love eating out, especially French, Japanese and Mediterranean cuisine. In Mumbai, I prefer the Taj Hotel since they have the kind of cuisine I am fond of. Generally, whenever I travel, I prefer to book my restaurants in Paris and New York. I believe in trying out different cuisines and follow the rule that any food tastes better when you have had it 17 times.Q: Do you feel education is important? A: Definitely. Education is an important aspect of life. The education I prefer is usually self-taught and that with hands-on experience. Travelling is another different kind of education and I believe everyone needs to invest in travelling since that opens up various different avenues of life [¼]RICH TO RICHER IN MUMBAIIN MUMBAI A cup of tea at a five-star hotel costs Rs 350 plus taxes. A facial package at a salon used by celebrities starts at Rs 40,000 and can exceed Rs 1 lakh.A haircut at Parwane, a favourite with the city’s rich and beautiful, costs Rs 10,000 plus.The health club package at a five-star hotel begins at Rs 50,000 plus taxes. But a top of the class private gym, which has a long waiting list, costs Rs 1.25 lakh per year and offers facilities around the globe.A Hugo Boss fragrance begins from Rs 3,000. Limited editions come for Rs 5,000 plus. A Tom Ford limited edition is Rs 25,000. A Canali Black Diamond fragrance, a growing favourite, costs Rs 5 lakhs.Branded skincare products that the billionaires use begin at Rs 30,000 for a small bottle; a La Prairie bottle costs Rs 60,000. An Indian designer outfit begins from Rs 50,000.A clutch bag by Valentino, or Gucci, or Chanel begins from Rs 1 lakh plus.Coloured diamonds — pink, blue and green — that are becoming very popular cost a minimum of Rs 10 lakhs each.A first class air ticket to Paris costs Rs 5 lakhs.