Manmohan Singh visits Babar's tomb in Kabul; Suicide bomber held near Kabul on eve of PM's arrival; PM for better ties with Kabul; Advani showers praise on Modi one more time; Muslim board to frame reply to SC over Islamic courts; India Travel Times, Indian News, Tourism, Hotels, Airlines, Tour, Travel, Ayurveda, Yoga, Festival, Hindu, Taj Mahal, Kathakali, Dance,

Home Contact Us Dateline New Delhi, Sunday, Aug 28, 2005

Manmohan Singh visits Babar's tomb in Kabul
by Smita Prakash

Kabul: Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh on Sunday visited the Bagh-e-Babar complex in Kabul which houses the tomb and mosque of the 16th century Mughal ruler, Babar. Accompanied by his entourage of officials, the Prime Minister paid homage to a larger-than -life monarch who ruled over a considerable part of northern India from 1526 to 1530. Babar was born in Ferghana in present-day Uzbekistan in 1483. After spending many years in Kabul,he invaded India in 1525-26 and defeated the local ruler Ibrahim Lodhi at the First Battle of Panipat, which is not far from Delhi. He sent his son Humayun Mirza on to Agra to capture the Lodhi capital. Babar, travelling from Panipat to Agra, installed himself in the Lodhi citadel of Agra and declared himself Emperor of Hindustan. So began 332 years of Moghul imperial rule in India. In an effort to install some semblance of his favourite city of Kabul, Babar had extensive gardens laid out on the left bank of the Yamuna river. These were named Chahar Bagh, Achank Bagh and Zahara Bagh, bagh being the Persian word for garden. The classical chahar four-square Persian format for the garden became the prototype of the Moghul garden. In a nostalgic move, Babar founded a new ward named Kabul. Babar missed the cool climes of Kabul. Yet power and glory overruled any nostalgic longings. One of Babar?s favourite couplets was: "Give me fame, and if I die I am contented, If fame be mine, let Death claim my body.? Babar died in Agra in 1530. His remains were returned to his beloved Kabul in 1543. His tomb and the mosque in the complex Bagh-e-Babar can be seen in Kabul. Eyewitnesses even today speak of the simplicity and the state of disrepair of both of these constructions.

Suicide bomber held near Kabul on eve of PM's arrival (Go To Top)

Kabul (Afghanistan): Just 24 hours before Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was to land in Kabul, the Afghan authorities apprehended a suicidal bomber in a place called Zabul in Shahisawa District, not too far away from Kabul. According to Afghan sources, th suicide bomber whose name is Abdul Halim is from Karachi District in Pakistan. He had arrived in Zabul 20 days ago and his task was to create mayhem during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Afghanistan. Interrogation of Abdul Halim by the Afghan authorities revealed that he had been indoctrinated by Maulana Fazlur Rahman of the Jamiat Ullema Islam (JUI), who had told him that it is the duty of every Muslim to wage a holy war (Jihad) in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kashmir. After his indoctrination, Abdul halim crossed over into Afghanistan and located himself at Zabul. He then started a process of getting his bomb together, and when that was done, he started to proceed to Kabul, just 24 hours ago. However, local sources tipped off Afghan security and Abdul Halim was caught before he could set foot inside Kabul.

PM for better ties with Kabul (Go To Top)

New Delhi: Reiterating India's support and committment for Afghanistan's economic reconstruction and rehabilitation, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday said that he would use his two-day landmark visit to Kabul to "further strengthen our biltaeral interaction and traditional bonds of friendship."(He has since arrived in Kabul) In a statement issued before his departure on board the "Narmada", (Air India A310-300 aircraft), Dr. Singh said that he was visiting Kabul at the invitation of Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai. Describing India and Afghanistan as having a "shared history, many common traditions and enduring cultural ties", Dr. Singh that he would use this first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to that country in 29 years to meet various Afghan leaders and call on Baba-e-Millat King Zahir Shah. Acknowledging that Indo-Afghan ties have "reached a new level of intensity and cooperation", the Prime Minister said that this partnership had resulted in the implementation of "a significant program of reconstruction assistance". "Our (India's) present committment adds up to over 500 million dollars since 2002, making us among the top six contributors to Afghanistan's reconstruction, a significant effort for a non- traditional donor. We are pursuing development projects in virtually all parts of Afghanistan, covering a wide range of sectors, including hydel power, road construction, agriculture, industry, telecommunications, information and broadcasting, education and health," the Prime Minister said in his statement. He said that a "stable and prosperous Afghanistan is essential for peace and stability in the region", and expressed the view that Afghanistan under the leadership of President Karzai had made " commendable progress since the Bonn Agreement of 2001."

Dr. Singh said that India was also looking forward to the "successful conclusion of the parliamentary and provincial elections (in Afghanistan) next month, which will mark the successful conclusion of the Bonn process. Sunday's departure statement assumes significance in the light of ties between the two countries having witnessed a slump of sorts prior to 2001. The Prime Minister's itinerary includes attending the laying of the foundation stone of the Afghan Parliament by King Zahir Shah, which is being constructed with India's assistance. Singh and Karzia are also expected to jointly hand over the Habibia School, renovated under India's assistance programme, to Afghan authorities at a ceremony. Habibia School is one of Kabul's premier educational institutions and both King Zahir Shah and President Karzai are its alumni. Singh will also lay the foundation stone of the Indian Chancery complex in Kabul and interact with the non-resident Indian community there.

Advani showers praise on Modi one more time (Go To Top)

Bhavnagar: Despite dissidence against Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi gaining momentum from cross sections of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), its President L K Advani today continued showering praise on his 'favourite' leader. Just a week after claiming that Modi "would excel and create a name for himself in the world," Advani today praised him for the developmental work carried out in the State, and said that the rural sector would progress under his leadership. "Under Modi's leadership, Gujarat will be able to achieve rural development in a manner in which it has not been achieved previously in India," Advani said after inaugurating Modi's ambitious `Jyotir Gram Yojna' in Bhavnagar district, where more than 300 villages of three taluka's would get non-stop electricity for 24 hours. Advani also praised Modi for focussing on developmental issues, rather than political matters. On Saturday, Advani had asked dissidents in the Party's Gujarat unit seeking removal of Modi, not to cross their limits, and in resolve differences within the party framework. And last week at a public function in Ahmedabad, the BJP President had said, "As per my knowledge, the Modi Government is functioning very well and it is a good example of sound governance and honesty. I have been hearing only good news about the state and the present Government is a good example of sound governance that works for the people with honesty and is effective."

Muslim board to frame reply to SC over Islamic courts (Go To Top)

New Delhi: The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) on Sunday constitiuted a committee which was tasked with the exclusive responsibility of framing a reply to the Supreme Court notice on a petition challenging the existence of Islamic courts alongside the existing judicial system. After the executive committee meeting of the AIMPLB held here today, the Board's Assistant General Secretary Abdul Rehman Qureshi, said: "So far we have not received any notice from the Supreme Court. Whatever we have come to know is only through media. But today we have discussed the issue and decided to give an appropriate reply to the apex court when we finally receive the notice. We have constituted a committee to deal with the situation and frame our reply to the Court." Denying any sort of confrontation with the judiciary, Qureshi, said: "There is no question of any conflict and confrontation. Whatever rights the constitution has provided, the Darul Qazais (Islamic courts) are functioning under it." The board's chairperson, Rabe Hassan Nadvi, said that Islamic courts are complimentary to India's judicial system and not parallel to it, and that the board is considering to give this argument in response to the notice on setting up of Islamic courts in eight states. AIMPLB insisted that Islamic courts provided alternative redressal systems and were restricted only to family disputes. "The Shariyat courts help smooth differences and they are less problematic. People in the villages do not have access to lawyers and in these courts they can solve their problems easily without any problems," said Nadvi.

Following a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that Islamic courts were challenging the country's judicial system, the Supreme Court had issued notices to the Centre, AIMPLB and Islamic seminary Darul Uloom, asking why Shariyat courts should not be considered parallel judiciary, and therefore, illegal. AIMPLB, however, had shown its disagreement over the matter, saying fatwas did have legal sanctity. A fatwa is a legal pronouncement in Islam, issued by a religious law specialist on a specific issue. Usually a fatwa is issued at the request of an individual or a judge to settle a question where "fiqh" or Islamic jurisprudence, is unclear. A scholar capable of issuing fatwas is known as a Mufti. Contrary to what is believed by many non-Muslims, and even by the majority of Muslims, a fatwa is not binding on all persons professing the Muslim faith. The only ones who are obliged to obey any specific fatwa are the mufti who issued it and his followers.

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