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Showing posts from 2016

India's Muslim inheritance law sexist, unfair

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Every individual, at least in one stage of life, will be confronted by the religion he or she is born. One can lead a non-religious life but from birth to death religion makes its presence in different forms predominantly in an individual''s various stages of life - Love, marriage, inheritance and even death. The parents' religion determines a child's religion soon after his birth. Even before the child start realising the mundane life, religion is thrust upon them. I don't understand the prevailing system of issuing birth certificate bearing the religion of the child. Why the hurry to add religion as soon as a child is born? Let them choose their religion at a later stage. My topic is the inheritance law.We all know India is a mixed community which follows a constitution framed out of various constitutions from across the world. In that sense it is a mixed document which has provided space for Sharia laws to be considered for the Muslim community in issues

I am an Indian expat, not a doormat

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Indians are spread across every continent. We have embassies and consulates almost everywhere. But do they have a database of expatriates in each country. Ask any ambassador, they will admit there is no such practice of head counting. It was when issues like massive job loss, as it happened in Saudi Arabia, or a war like situation arises in other countries, the governments realise that expat community does exist. But why? It's high time the political parties and government start thinking about changing the outdated immigration rules that indirectly support bonded labour in foreign nations. It is a fact that millions of Indians left their country for a foreign nation for betterment of their lives which in turn helping the entire nation. Be it blue collar or white collar, each one is contributing to the welfare of the mother land. Let the crisis in Saudi Arabia be an eye-opener for the Indian government. With the swift action, Narendra Modi government has proved it has the

Once upon a time there lived my father…

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A deep blue sky kissing down a long range of mountains along a runway has never been in my bothering thoughts of Malaysia. The refreshing first glimpse of Kota Kinabalu airport and its tranquility put me at ease to find the paths tread by my father long ago. All I had with me was his last postal and a death certificate issued from Kota Marudu, a very remote place in Kota Belud, Sabah, East Malaysia. I could not find a single excited face at the airport; no big queue unlike in Dubai or India; and whoever looked busy was using the airport Wifi service. Finally I got the immigration officer to share my reason for visiting Sabah, and her eyes widened when I said I lived in the country until 6. But I could not give a clear reply when she asked me whether I am in search of my roots. On the way to the hotel, with a heavy heart, I tried to visualise the place, where my father had made big prospects; and where I lived with parents ‘once upon a time’; the room where I locked up