National Integration at its best!

Muslim artistes from Rajasthan narrate Hindu epics
Bosco Dominique | Courtesy Times of India, March 25th, 2009


Puducherry: They’ve been singing songs and telling tales from the Ramayana for 19 generations — the Mewat Jogis are a group of Muslim performers from Rajasthan who travel across the country singing ballads from the Hindu epics.
In Puducherry to perform in a 15-day Ramayana festival hosted by the Adisakthi Theatre Arts Research Laboratory near Auroville, the group of seven used traditional instruments to sing devotional songs and enthralling ballads.
“With the Bhagawat Gita in our hands and the Koran in our hearts, we bring people together. Our goal is to pray for peace and happiness. We will be in Kabba and Kasi,” the group’s narrator and singer, 36-year-old Umar Faruk Jogi said.
Traditionally, Mewat Jogis from the Alwar-Bharatpur region of Rajasthan have been rendering the Hindu epics with the patronage of Hindus and wealthy landlords. The tradition is passed down to the next generation orally, and there are no written texts of the narrative content.
The group, led by narrator Sakoor Khan Jogi (68), presented ‘Lanka Chadai’, a narrative of the Ramayana. He was accompanied by Umar Faruk Jogi, singer Babu Nath Jogi (55) on the jogia sarangi, singer Nathi Ram Jogi (50) on the dholak, singer Nathi Khan Jogi (55) on the harmonium, and Mahmmod Khan Jogi (24) on the bhapang.
‘Lanka Chadai’ was composed by Mewat Islamic leader Nizamaat Meo about four centuries ago while ‘Pandun ke kade’, a narrative of the Mahabharata, which the group also performs, was composed by Mewat Islamic leaders Sadallah and Nabi Khan. “Sadallah has recorded that these verses were composed 1,797 years after the Mahabharata actually happened,” Umar Faruk said. These Jogis were nomads in the past but of late have settled in Rajasthan. Only a very few groups still keep the tradition of rendering tales of Hindu epics alive.
“Our content is simple and our style is lucid as the composers were not literary figures. The leaders composed dohas in common man’s language, in a simple and appealing way,” said Sakoor Khan Jogi, who knows more than 10,000 dohas by heart and is presently engaged in teaching the younger members of the group. He said they can render Hindu holy texts for 60 hours non-stop.

Applaud to the Freedom of expression in India!

Bloggers can be nailed for views
24 Feb 2009, 0158 hrs IST, Dhananjay Mahapatra, TNN



19-year-old blogger's case could forever change the ground rules of blogging. Bloggers may no longer express their uninhibited views
on everything under the sun, for the Supreme Court said they may face libel and even prosecution for the blog content.

It will no longer be safe to start a blog and invite others to register their raunchy, caustic and even abusive comments on an issue while seeking protection behind the disclaimer — views expressed on the blog are that of the writers.

This chilling warning emerged as a Bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justice P Sathasivam refused to protect a 19-year-old Kerala boy, who had started a community on Orkut against Shiv Sena, from protection against summons received from a Maharashtra court on a criminal case filed against him.

Petitioner Ajith D had started a community on Orkut against Shiv Sena. In this community, there were several posts and discussions by anonymous persons who alleged that Shiv Sena was trying to divide the country on region and caste basis.

Reacting to these posts, the Shiv Sena youth wing's state secretary registered a criminal complaint at Thane police station in August 2008 based on which FIR was registered against Ajith under Sections 506 and 295A pertaining to hurting public sentiment.

After getting anticipatory bail from Kerala HC, Ajith moved the Supreme Court through counsel Jogy Scaria seeking quashing of the criminal complaint on the ground that the blog contents were restricted to communication within the community and did not have defamation value. He also pleaded that there was threat to his life if he appeared in a Maharashtra court.

A computer science student, Ajith pleaded that the comments made on the blog were mere exercise of their fundamental right to freedom of expression and speech and could not be treated as an offence by police.

Unimpressed, the Bench said, "We cannot quash criminal proceedings. You are a computer student and you know how many people access internet portals. Hence, if someone files a criminal action on the basis of the content, then you will have to face the case. You have to go before the court and explain your conduct."