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This is my diary....what I make sense of, around me. You'll find short prose on contemporary topics that interest me. What can you expect - Best adjectives? …. hmm occasionally, tossed around flowery verbs ?…. Nope, haiku-like super-brevity? … I try to. Thanks for dropping by & hope to see you again

January 26, 2020

Shaheen bagh protests a guided missile?

The name sound familiar to military watchers. The inimical enemy across the border displays its pathological hatred for India by naming its missiles on the invaders of past. So after a round of names like Babar, Ghaznavi, Ghouri etc it named a new class of missile by the name of 'Shaheen'. This missile is supposed to have more teeth, a longer range (which practically cover all of India including southern part of the country) and is touted as a nuclear-capable surface-to-surface ballistic missile. The enemy for a change was inspired by a species of Falcon found in the mountains of Pakistan. Nontheless Shaheen (the missile) brought many Indian cities under its destructive capability when it was test fired in the first half of 2019



Now lets come to a protest by the same name in the national capital that is grabbing news headlines for the past 3 weeks. It is supposed to be a spontaneous movement by some disgruntled women of a minority community (just 10 to 15 local women are claimed to have started this on the afternoon of 14 December 2019). However as things unfolded it seemed to be a well planned conspiracy at work to destabilize the Govt and its legitimate policies

The significance of the name Shaheen


The name 'Shaheen' is just not a type of bird of prey, Some would say Shaheen also means "God of all Falcons" or just "God" at times, it really depends on the use and connotation. On the other hand a similar sounding 'Shahin' is a Muslim Girl name and it is an Arabic originated name with multiple meanings

The word 'Shaheen' has historical significance too, Naseem Hijazi the Pakistani Islamic historian and novelist wrote a historical novel by the same name. It details the situation of the Muslims in Granada in 1492 when they were about to be expelled from Spain. The novel goes on to depict the causes of destruction of Muslim power in Granada
So this is one of the unique and popular names with impressive meaning. You can find Shahin name meaning in Urdu and English, as well as other languages.

Why Shaheen Bagh protests are strategic in nature?


There is a pecular religious and historical persecution overtones to the name of the park where the protests are held. That it was started and now led by a group of Muslim women gives credence. The flames ignited here spread to other muslim dominated areas of Delhi like Turkman Gate, Jaffarabad and Seelampur, Khureji, Kardam Puri, Old Mustafabad and Bhajanpura. Many of the women protesters are hijab and burqa wearing Muslim women homemakers

Their misguided ire is just not against the Citizenship amendment act (CAA) and National registry of Citizens (NRC) but also opposing the government's "anti-labour policies". They have also protested against JNU attack that occurred recently which is being projected as 'state sponsored violence'

Creative artworks, innovate slogans like "Hum kagaz nahin dikhayenge" (we won't show our papers) or famous Urdu Nazm 'Hum Dekhenge' created by students from JNU, Delhi University, Jamia Milia Islamia, Jadavpur University and Hyderabad Central University do the rounds here. Ironically the 'Us Vs Them' cannot be lost in translation here amidst the shero shayari and recall of Muhammed Iqbal.

For the casual observer the Shaheen Bagh, has turned rampantly communal and is now caught pushing dangerous secessionist agenda (second partition). People like Sharjeel Imam who is an activist and former JNU student and reporter is the symptom of this malaise

The Hindu reports “The peaceful flame of resistance has now spread to other communities in and beyond the national capital and across the country”. It further add 'As on Wednesday, January 22, at least 20 Shaheen Bagh-inspired sit-in protests have been reported in the country'

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tones and energy said...
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