Accident: Unplanned and Sudden Events in Life Essay

I think that we all know what an accident is. An accident can take place anytime and anywhere. An accident is unplanned and is sudden events that can cause small or major damages to the person or property. Accidents are something we all have been in and no one can say that they haven’t been in an accident. There are many types of accidents such as, Auto accidents, Boat and water accident, Work and factory accidents, animal accidents (dog bite, snake bite), sport accidents, slips, trips and fall accidents. I have also been in many accidents but there is a one that I specially remember. This had taken place in India. It was a cold day. There was some fog and not much traffic on the road. Me and my friends where playing in the small field near the apartment. Suddenly we heard a loud noise. The driver of a car lost his balance at a turn. He crashed into an electric pole. We all rushed for rescue. Many other people also came running. The driver was badly hurt. We helped him to come out of the car. He had received a big cut on the forehead. He was profusely bleeding. Soon he was carried away in a car to the hospital. The driver was the only person in the car. The car was badly smashed. A pool of blood had collected on the road. After sometime a team of traffic police came. They cleared away the crowd. Then they began their investigation. It was a horrible experience. I could not believe my eyes. It all happened in no time. I still feel frightened when I remember the accident. See more: Sleep Deprivation Problem Solution Speech Essay I would also like to tell you about an accident that I have read about, this accident have taken place in Saudi Arabia. In Saudi Arabia the motor vehicle is the main means of transportation. Between 1971 and 1997; 564 762 people died or were injured in road traffic accidents, a figure equivalent to 3.5% of the total population in Saudi Arabia. During this period 66 914 people have died on the roads in Saudi Arabia due to road accidents, amounting to one person killed and four injured every hour. Over 65% of accidents occur because of vehicles travelling at excess speed and/or drivers disobeying traffic signals. Precautions that can be taken to prevent this accidents. On the road, don’t use your mobile phone whilst driving. Making or receiving a call, even using a hands-free phone, can distract your attention from driving and could lead to an accident. Belt up in the back in a collision, an unbelted rear seat passenger can kill or seriously injure the driver or a front seat passenger. Don’t drink and drive any alcohol, even a small amount, can impair your driving so be a safe driver don’t drink and drive. At home, you should always unplug appliance such as hair dryers, curling irons, and strengtheners’s and place them in a drawer. Never keep small appliances plugged in when you are not using them, as children can easily be electrocuted. Windows, Children can easily fall from open windows. Make sure your windows are locked and that they have screen coverings on them to prevent children from falling. In school, Do not allow kids to play on equipment that is broken, damaged, wet, or covered with sand or gravel (to prevent slipping), or when it is roped off or closed off. Stairs should not be steep and narrow so the children do not trip. The governments can also take some action on these accidents such as Most important method to bring down accidents is strict enforcement of speed limits. 90% of accidents can be avoided by strict enforcement of speed limits. Heavy Penalty should be imposed on ALL those who cross speed limits. If this is strictly implemented, nobody will dare to go at high speed. New gadgets are to be developed for collision prevention and should be fitted on all vehicle. Research organizations should be asked to develop such gadgets on a war footing. For example, gadgets can be developed to automatically slow down the vehicle, if safe distance commensurate with the speed of the vehicle in front is not maintained. Gadgets can be developed for warning the driver, if the driver sleeps. I hope you understand these things on accidents as how they can be very dangerous and how you can prevent them too.

Gun Ban in America Essay

In 2012, the most serious topics that people always talking about is Gun ban. Most of people voted for ban guns after the Connecticut’s shooting incident. There are lots of children died in the elementary school, and Americans realized the bad effects about selling guns legally in many states. There are at least four shooting incidents each year. People may think it is the time to ban America’s guns now, but in fact it is not the gun’s fault. For my part, guns should not be banned, and people have the right to have gun’s ownership. Most people know that guns are one of America’s culture, just like the marijuana. People know what are illegal things, but they will still find a way to obtain them. So, banned guns can’t prevent criminals. If the guns banned, criminal can still use other weapons to kill people. For example, in 1976, Washington DC is illegal to own any handguns or to keep any type of guns in home unlocked. However, Washington DC has the most criminal rates in united states. Whenever the guns is illegally, criminals can make any weapons, such as bombs, criminals can make bombs by themselves. Most of time, it’s the personal’s problems, criminals who caught by police always have mental ill or they dissatisfying about this country. Therefore, Government need strength the gun education and some safety classes about using guns. Ban guns is not a good solution, because the problem is not about guns. In addition, ban guns means remove the right to someone. In America, people are highly regard human rights. Giving up rights to bear arms would open up a world of control and unnecessary chaos. Some people have guns just for hunting, and they think guns are useful. Some of gun owner using guns in shooting range, they think it is their entertainment. Although, some cities made the announcement of gun ban, people were still reluctant to hand over their guns to Government. If the states that they live have banned guns, they can still go to another states to obtain another one. As part of American’s culture and freedom, it is impossible to ban guns exhaustive because of the different constitutions between states. Finally, the last reason that guns should not be banned, because guns can protect people. Except this criminals, most of people know how to use handguns, and they are using guns to protect their families. What if someone invade their house and pointing a gun at them, they can not wait until the police come. If that happens, no one will be safe. If a person wants to kill people, he will think all the way to hurt people even he did not have guns. However, what if the normal people does not have the guns to protect them when they meet some incidents. Guns always give people a sense of security, even they just locked them at their house. In conclusion, ban guns is not a big deal in America. According to Washington DC’s criminal rates, it did not decrease the criminal rates at all. In some cities of America, restricted legislation could not restraint people to crime. Gun ban is only for temporary and it is not a permanent solution to this problem.

The Benefits of the Education are Depended on Size Classes Essay

The Benefits of the Education are Depended on Size Classes - Essay Example The more learning that is taken on within their stride, the better they become. This is a sign of learning something new everyday at a very little cost which is all the more welcome. It is a fact that small size classes are deemed as very healthy for the sake of any society in the world and there are no parallels as far as this understanding is reached upon. The society takes the benefits in such a situation and nearly everyone who is a part of it will benefit in one way or the other. When one focuses on how Japanese educational system works, one wonders if they follow the same pattern. On a closer look, there is research that supports the basis of large size classes within Japan which should speak what has been written earlier in terms of the disadvantages. Yet this is not true because Japanese are known to be more resilient in terms of their educational settings, which allows proper emphasis on education on the part of the students. The students are made to work in groups, which de dicates equal time and energies towards studies and thus no one feels left out of the related equation. It makes their tasks easier and the learning is immense under such scenarios (Tyre, 2011). As compared to Americans, Japanese are more focused and involve their own selves within education so that they can get the best results out of what they have studied for their long term success. In the end, it would be fair to state that both the STAR and SAGE studies have accounted for a number of benefits for the students from a global perspective. These benefits follow the dictum of providing health and happiness for the society as a whole. The students have taken on the advantages which is actually a good point if seen within the... This paper approves that the discussion centers on the aspect of the society, small size classes are able to support the poor students much better in terms of their socioeconomic living. It allows them to learn more and gain assistance from the educational domains because high costs of living are coming about with the passage of time. The more learning that is taken on within their stride, the better they become. This is a sign of learning something new everyday at a very little cost which is all the more welcome. It is a fact that small size classes are deemed as very healthy for the sake of any society in the world and there are no parallels as far as this understanding is reached upon. The society takes the benefits in such a situation and nearly everyone who is a part of it will benefit in one way or the other This essay makes a conclusion that it would be fair to state that both the STAR and SAGE studies have accounted for a number of benefits for the students from a global perspective. These benefits follow the dictum of providing health and happiness for the society as a whole. The students have taken on the advantages which is actually a good point if seen within the correct settings. Since the Japanese students are seen as helping one another, this point has become even stronger in terms of its collaboration debate. These are some of the more important details that have come about as far as knowing how size classes have affected the students in different parts of the world. What remains to be seen is which model is being followed to bring about prosperity in terms of education worldwide.

Buffer, acid and base Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Buffer, acid and base - Research Paper Example A strong battery acid has less than one pH while a strong base has such as drain cleaner has about 14 pH (Lynnette, 2009). On the other side pOH is a measure of the concentration of hydroxide ions, alkalinity or OH-. It measures the basicity of a solution according to the dictionary of Chemistry. pOH is not measured independently rather it is derived from pH. The difference between the two can be described as pH means the H+ ion concentration which indicates the acidic nature of compound while pOH means the concentration of OH- ion which indicates the basic nature of the compound. The following equation will help us to know about both pH and pOH that how they make a 14 point scale for measuring the alkalinity/basicity or acidity of a substance. In the human body, all fluids are aqueous. It is a solvent that is only present in water. That means all body fluids have pH value either narrow or wide range. Scientific researches claim that the pH range of blood should be slightly basic i.e. from 7.35-7.45. If the range sees drastic change, it is very likely to cause illness or death as so much acidity and basicity is injurious for health. The Arrhenius definition for acids states that acids produce hydrogen ions in aqueous solutions or when they are added to water. Acids release Hydrogen ion (H+). An acid reacts with magnesium, zinc or aluminum and forms hydrogen (H2(g)). It also reacts with such compounds that contain CO32-Â  and carbon dioxide and water is produced. Acids can corrode metals, eat them away to weaken. Acids are so powerful that they can conduct electricity. They are found in car batteries that are so powerful to run the car. An acid turns the litmus paper into red. It is sour in nature and found in many natural fruits and vegetables e.g. lemons have citric acid. In a laboratory, it is very dangerous to taste acid. In kitchens, we find vinegar, a type of acid. It is acetic acid that gives vinegar a sour taste (Lynnette,

Reflection on Multicultural Teamwork Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Reflection on Multicultural Teamwork - Essay Example Moreover, incorporating different personalities in a group has never been easy especially where different cultures are involved. Issues of discrimination, low contribution, inferiority complex, poor interpersonal skills, and other relevant demerits clearly hamper the success of any group participation. In the second coursework assignment on Tesco, I worked together, conducted a research, and made a presentation in a multicultural group. This essay will henceforth reflect on what happened in my group and discuss what I learnt about working in multicultural groups in the future.  In doing this, the essay will seek to answer various questions that relate to the working in the multicultural groups. Membership The members in my group came from diverse cultures. The different cultures manifest from their different areas of origin as this was an international class. However, the selection of the members to this group was somehow professional and equally friendly. Indeed, all the members w ere from one class, some selected randomly, others depending on their intellectuality, others to embrace cultural diversity, while others were just friends. At the start, we did not know each other well subject to the diverse selection criteria but upon introduction, team building, and a few meetings we were able to understand one another well. Teamwork Indeed, all the members were equally concerned on the task and were eager to succeed in it. As such, we discussed on how to work together by highlighting what we need, our individual capabilities and weaknesses, and our different cultures before engaging in the task. In addressing matters of leadership, we had an interim coordinator who coordinated all the activities of the group. We also had a secretariat that recorded our observations, findings, and conclusions. However, every member was responsible of all the activities of the group. In delegating duties, we put into consideration various individual qualities, capabilities, and kn owhow. Since was relevant in ensuring full participation in the group in all aspects of life. While some members were good in research, others were good in organization, others in leadership and interpersonal communication and vice versa. These attributes determined what role one was to take. Subject to our cultural diversity, the group chose to use universal communication language, English although we still had members who would interpret various languages. Moreover, the group relied on interpersonal skills for effective communication. The group drew and restricted its operations to a well-defined timetable. This was effective in keeping deadlines and planning. The group coordinator had immense skills in ensuring that the members stick to the time limits. Moreover, individual concentration kept the group within the timeframe. In case of conflicts and issues as they sometimes came up, the group coordinator and other members with good leadership and mediation skills resolved the matt er and in extreme cases, we consulted the tutor. Although we used our timecard to check on our progress, our tutor consequently made numerous visits and checks on the groups’ progress in addressing the task. Indeed, the tutor’s input kept us on the right track. Challenges in the Team Work Indeed, there were various challenges to the group work subject to the complexity of the task,

The economic benefits of Sustainability Reports Dissertation

The economic benefits of Sustainability Reports - Dissertation Example The procedure is termed as sustainability report. This feature is developed and used extensively in order for companies to strike a balance between them, the society and the environment (GRI, 2012). The people, planet, and profit are the three elements which are considered while studying the elements of sustainability report. Emphasis is given to the stakeholders rather than the shareholders as they are the ones who are mostly directly or indirectly influenced by the activities or the action of any company. The sustainability reporting provides a platform for communication between the company and the stakeholders. This paper presents a detailed analysis of the use, importance, barriers and the economic benefits of using the sustainability report by a company in the daily practice. This allows the society to understand and judge how well an organization or a company is performing. The need of the hour is to make sustainability report a mandate and common practice to benchmark performance. Sustainability reporting – application within organizations Sustainability refers to the ability of maintaining an outcome over time without causing an ecological imbalance or exhausting the resources on which the result would depend. There are various theories and models of sustainability which are studied and considered. Some of them are the economic, ecological, political models etc (Jenkins, 2009). Sustainability reporting enables a company to communicate openly, positively and effectively with its stakeholders. This is crucial for maintaining and meeting the financial goal or the profitability of the company. The stakeholders, on the basis of the reports, can compare and analyze the performance of the company with others and to check on their own performance. Those organizations, which succeed in tailoring their communication with the stakeholders, to present a detailed analysis can convince them as to the fact that their company is working in tandem with the social, economic and environmental practices for long term growth. The success lies in a clear understanding of the true values of reporting and the issues associated with the making and execution of the sustainability reporting (KPMG, 2008). The management and the senior officers want to get the green label for their company, which is self explanatory by itself, that is it would prove that there is perfect alignment in t he company’s sustainability strategy, the environmental impacts and the social implications, as well. Sustainability reporting has now made its place in almost all sectors of business. Three out of Australia’s four largest banks publish annual sustainability reports (KPMG, 2008). Here, the reporting is considered as TBL (triple-bottom-line) business accountability. People, planet, and profit are taken into consideration while evaluating the reporting practices (vivodepot, 2008). Sustainability reporting involves a series of guidelines or a set of rules and regulations to be followed by the companies. As the aim is to deliver in accordance with the social,

3 essay about Jay Greenberg, Philip Glass, and Tan Dun

3 about Jay Greenberg, Philip Glass, and Tan Dun - Essay Example I am talking about the likes of Mozart, and Mendelssohn, and Saent-Saens.† (Schorn, â€Å"Bluejay Spreads his Wings†). Greenberg felt attached to music since the earliest years of his life having started to play the cello at the age of three or two. Interestingly, Jay’s mother does not have any musical education and his father is a professor at Yale University teaching Slavic Languages. His next instrument was the piano and his first composition was created when he was just six. The subsequent year he started taking lessons from Anthony Johnson, and in three years Jay entered the Julliard School of Music having won a scholarship to study composition (â€Å"Jay Greenberg†). Having received considerable training in music theory, piano and ear training, Jay took classes at Yale University. He is known to currently study at Cambridge in the UK. Similarly to some other composers, Jay says he hears some music that is being performed inside his head. Moreover, he is able to hear a few pieces at once. He then notates the music he has just heard. This is how he writes his music. By the way, Jay composes his pieces with the help of the computer through the music notation program. The directions of his work include solo, chamber and orchestral music, with his unique talent being spotted by Sony Classical and IMG Artists which signed exclusive contracts with him. Jay’s music has been described as â€Å"accomplished† (Los Angeles Times), having â€Å"21st century tonality, excitement, and lyricism† (The Washington Post), having â€Å"verve of the rhythms and invention in harmonies† (The New York Times). His most important works include â€Å"Quintet for Strings†, â€Å"Symphony No. 5†, â€Å"Violin Concerto†, â€Å"Four Scenes†, â€Å"Concerto for Piano Trio and Orchestra† (â€Å"Jay Greenberg†). One of his latest works is a song called â€Å"I still keep mute† which was set to the Nabokov’s poem. Philip

Comparitve study of inter-personal relationship as potrayed in madame Essay

Comparitve study of inter-personal relationship as potrayed in madame bovary and siddhartha - Essay Example Due to her blind faith in the materialistic and fabricated relationships she overlooks the real love of Charles Bovary and gets deceived. For instance, she does not recognize the wrong intentions of Rodolphe, who used her to satisfy his sexual desires, and assumed that he loves her. Dr. Charles Bovary’s observation of reality is also impractical. He thinks that living means just to survive. As a result, he is deficient in interest, enthusiasm, strength and joy. He is so insensitive to his surroundings that he remains unaware of the obvious mistakes and relationships of Emma, Homais, Lheureux, and other characters. However, regardless of his unresponsive nature he possesses qualities like sincerity, faithfulness and honesty. On the other hand the character of Siddhartha is not in love with the materialistic world like Emma. He is instead in the search of spiritual love and considers finding this love his destiny. The character as portrayed by the author reaches limits to find t hat love in the story as he leaves behind many things in finding it. This essay would revolve around the two major characters in these novels (i.e. Siddhartha and Emma) and would analyze the relationships both have in the story in accordance to their nature. The relationships that they have with other characters would also be analyzed. It would also tell how both of them are different and similar to each other in their actions. Siddhartha is the novel whose major idea is that pleasure comes from spiritual peace. In the novel, the central character tries to find peace, which is at last attained after going through a number of different phases of life. The first phase is that of his childhood which he spent as an orthodox Brahmins child. In this period, he studies the scriptures and performs ritual sacrifice. In the second stage he follows Samanas and learns about thriftiness and self-discipline. The third stage lets him learn the

Exotic animals as pets Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Exotic animals as pets - Essay Example Therefore, the issue needs to be demystified once and for all by understanding why the people who keep exotic animals as pets do so. I make out that this subject is fascinating and requires more research, because, there are a considerable number of people who spend their lives with long snakes, big cats, apes, non-human primates, bears, wolves, fish and other dangerous wild animals. These people keep these animals with them as companions, and mostly train them to become accustomed to staying with them. Many people may not understand this. On the other hand, there are people who are totally against the keeping of such exotic animals as pets, citing various dangers such as health concerns, cost issues, safety concerns and ethical concerns among others. They claim that exotic animals are not good pets because everything that they require is special, ranging from maintenance, diet, housing and attention. For this reason, there is a lot to learn concerning the rearing of exotic animals as pets. I have to understand the minds of those who keep exotic animals as pets and know how they manage to do it, or if they fail. I will clearly have to do a lot of research to understand the history of this problem, the history behind rearing exotic animals as pets, and the mindsets of those who rear exotic animals as pets, as well as those who are against the idea. I am researching this issue because, as a veterinary practitioner, I am likely to encounter many cases of clients bringing in exotic animals as pets to be treated and cared for. I am of the strong opinion that the issue should not be ignored, because, more and more people are embracing and keeping exotic animals as pets. People should, therefore, address the issue and know how to handle situations that may come up when rearing exotic animals as pets. The author of this book target veterinary technicians and keepers of exotic pets. The exotic animals that are most likely to be reared and

Dance Moms Essay Example for Free

Dance Moms Essay Before deciding to do this assignment, other than the clips we watched in class I had never seen the show before. The episode of Dance Moms I watched was actually very entertaining. The episode I watched was in Season 3. In the episode there was a new girl who joined the competition dance team her name was Nicaya. Of course, she came along with her mom whose name was Caya. Caya wasn’t at all like the rest of the moms. She didn’t dress anywhere near as proper as the rest of the moms. Shockingly, she was also a lesbian, which really surprised the rest of the moms. Caya felt like her daughter brought â€Å"Divatude† to the dance team, but I doubt the other parents felt the need for anything close to that. In the beginning, Nicaya didn’t know any dance terminology, well at least how to spell them. Abby Miller, the owner of the studio, challenged Nicaya to learn them in the beginning of the episode, because she was impressed with her dancing ability she still wanted her to stick around. The main drama in the episode was whether Nicaya would take Paige’s spot in the group performance. Paige had been in a boot for her foot for 4 weeks and had just got cleared by her doctor to compete again. The hard decision between the two girls created conflict between their moms. Kelly, Paige’s mom, seemed to overreact when Abby decided to practice them both interchanging them in the routine to see who performed the best. Kelly stormed out of the studio and had several outburst of anger throughout the show. Caya didn’t handle herself any better she constantly used foul language directed at the other moms. In the end, Abby decided to let all of them perform which lead to a first place performance. My impression of the moms was that they had to all been crazy. The fact that most of them quit their jobs to have their kids dance is ridiculous. I’m pretty sure they don’t have to go to every practice and sit in the upstairs of the studio. I thought that was very weird and obsessive. Individually, I think Holly, Nia’s mom, has her head on the straightest of all the moms. She didn’t really speak too much, but she wasn’t too quiet. Kelly was definitely the most immature of all the moms with the way she couldn’t control her anger. The rest of the moms were just equally as crazy as the rest of the cast. Those I mentioned just stuck out the most. I was probably the most impressed with Abby Miller, because she tries her best to get the most she can from her dancers. I like how she made sure to tell each dancer how important it was that they got the job done. She reminded of a really tough football coach and in my opinion those are the best coaches, because they motivate you to perform at your highest level. If I had a daughter who had dreams of being a dancer, I would love for Abby Miller to be her coach. I know she would turn my daughter into a great dancer. She teaches discipline and skill. It would also keep my daughter active which would lead to a healthier life.

MIM and the Rise of Muslim Identity Politics

MIM and the Rise of Muslim Identity Politics Akshay Shetty The 2014 Maharashtra Legislative Assembly elections were perhaps one of the most interesting electoral experiments in recent history. The 15 year old Congress-NCP alliance and the 25 year old Shiv Sena-BJP alliance came to an end and the four parties contested elections on their own. While the results of the elections didnt come as a surprise to any of the four parties, the success of one party has attracted massive media attention, albeit alarmist. Making its debut in Maharashtra, the Hyderabad based All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) won 2 seats in the 288-member assembly, grabbing a 0.9% share of votes. Waris Pathan won the Byculla assembly seat by a narrow margin of 1,357 votes, beating rivals Madhu Chavan of the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) and Geeta Gawli of the Akhil Bharatiya Sena (ABS). However, MIM sprung a major surprise in the Aurangabad Central seat, where its candidate, former NDTV journalist Imtiaz Jaleel defeated sitting Shiv Sena MLA Pradeep Jaiswal by 19,982 votes. It also lost three seats by a narrow margin and finished third in nine constituencies. Overall, MIM polled over 5.13 lakh votes, even though it fielded, in many cases, political novices. The party also cut into the traditional vote banks of the Congress, the NCP and managed to wrest control of some areas where the BJP was believed to be strong. Buoyed by the victory, MIM president Asaduddin Owasi is planning to expand the party base in the state. The MIM has decided to contest all municipal elections in the state, including the BMC election in 2017 and the Aurangabad municipal election in 2015. It already has 13 corporators in the Nanded-Waghala Municipal Corporation. Plans are also afoot to expand in Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Karnataka. The MIM’s victory can be attributed to two main factors, the division of votes in other parties and the polarization of the Muslim votes. With the BJP led by Narendra Modi sweeping to victory after winning elections across India, the delicate balance between the country’s religious and ethnic minorities, and especially its Muslims, and the majority Hindu population is shifting. MIM fed off the growing feeling of political disempowerment among Muslims and the disenchantment with the Congress, a party which traditionally received the bulk of the Muslim vote. The vitriolic speeches of the Owaisi brothers, with fervent appeals to Allah and claims of Muslim victimhood contributed to the polarization. Clips of Akbaruddin Owaisi were widely circulated on WhatsApp, and the Muslim youth who are wary of the hysteria surrounding Narendra Modi were attracted to them (Lokhande, 2014). Thus the MIM’s victory is a combined result of Muslims being fed up of the token secularism of the Congress and the indifference and alienation by the BJP. India’s Muslims are at crossroads today. Before delving into the politics of the MIM, it is important to understand the state of India’s largest minority community. India’s Muslims Muslims make up about 14.4 percent of India’s total population. However, according to a 2013 report by the Pew Research Center, the country maintains â€Å"the world’s second-largest Muslim population in raw numbers (roughly 176 million).†Often referred to as â€Å"the lost children of India’s partition† (Gayer Jaffrelot, 2012), Muslims who chose to stay in India have struggled to keep pace with the majority community. The Sachar Commission report (2006), ordered by the then prime minister Dr. Manmohan Singh showed Muslims to be stuck at the bottom of almost every economic or social indicator. They were poorly represented in public sector jobs, school and university places politics. Low literacy levels and low fertility were other major findings. India’s Muslims tend to be excluded from 3 sites of power within the state machinery: the judiciary, the administration and the police. In 2002, they represented only 6.26% of the 479 High Court judges in India, 2.95% of the 5,018 Indian Administrative Service officers and 4.02% of the 3,236 IPS officers. By contrast, according to a report in the Times of India, nearly 20% of India’s prisoners were Muslims. Experts believe that this trend is not because Muslims commit more crimes. Rather, it’s a product of economic and social deprivation. With no money for litigation and for getting bail, they end up languishing in jails for years. There have been several instances of false cases slapped against Muslims, especially after terror attacks and riots. Closer home, the Mahmoodur Rahman Committee appointed in 2008 by the Maharashtra government revealed the shocking social, economic and educational condition of Muslims in the state. Maharashtra has witnessed the highest number of Hindu-Muslim riots post-Independence. This has led to ghettoisation which has further contributed to their neglect. About 45% of Muslim households have a per capita income of less than Rs. 500 a month. About 58 % of urban Muslims live in slums. Muslims constitute only 8.1% of the state’s farmers, 44.4% of rural Muslims work as agricultural labourers, compared to 36.1% of Hindus. Only 4.4 % of Maharashtra’s Muslims work in the government services. In 2012, there was not a single Muslim in the entire cadre of the Indian Administrative Services. The committee also found that in the urban areas, bus stops are located at a 1.3 km distance from Muslim areas. Fearing a backlash from the state’s Muslims and the media, the government never tabled the report in the Assembly, though it was submitted in 2013. The above statistics paint a grim picture. However, this doesn’t suggest that Muslims haven’t progressed in independent India. In addition to being appointed to a number of top positions, Muslims in India â€Å"enjoy complete political and religious liberty, a free legislative environment to undertake economic and educational initiatives, a vibrant television media and cinema that teach liberal coexistence, and access to a vast number of universities and institutes of modern education† (Ahmad, 2014). However, the benefits of a democratic, secular and pluralistic polity haven’t trickled to the vast majority of the country’s Muslims. One of the main reasons for this has been their poor representation in our elective bodies. Muslim representation With every election, the position of Muslims has deteriorated. Muslims representation in the 16th Lok Sabha hit an all-time low of 22. For the first time in the history of Lok Sabha, not a single Muslim got elected from Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populated and electorally decisive state. Maharashtra’s Muslims too have been affected by the growing communal schism generated during the 1990’s. The number of Muslim MLAs in the recently elected Maharashtra Legislative Assembly has dropped to an abysmal nine. The state’s five main political parties put up only 45 Muslim candidates in the election. Out of the nine MLAs, eight have been elected from Muslim-dominated constituencies. Votes polled by Muslim candidates have been steadily falling since 1990. In 2009, while a non-Muslim candidate polled an average of 13,766 votes, a Muslim candidate attracted only 4,453 votes. This is the reason why most parties refuse tickets to Muslim candidates. No political party dares to put up a Muslim candidate unless the constituency has a substantial Muslim population. Even the avowed secular parties continue to succumb to communal consideration in the selection of their candidates. While it is not necessary that Muslims should be represented only by their co-religionists, electorally ignoring an important group is not good for the health of a nation. Representation gives a community a sense of belonging. Further, representation of multiple identities is the essence of modern democracy. During the first five decades after independence, the vast majority of Indian Muslims saw in the Congress their natural protector, for its commitment to secularism. However after the demise of Jawaharlal Nehru, the pluralism of the Congress soon started changing. Muslims’ faith in the Congress started eroding with the escalation of anti-Muslim violence and the political, social and economic marginalization of the community, sometimes at the hands of the Congress itself (such as during the Emergency). The party started milking the community for electoral gains, by conceding religious and cultural space to the Deobandi Ulemas. Banning Salman Rushdie’s novel Satanic Verses, overturning the Shah Bano judgment were among several of the party’s tropes which contributed to the disenchantment of moderate Muslims from the Congress. Muslim Identity Politics Despite the love lost with the Congress and other ‘secular’ parties, Indian Muslims have generally been reluctant to form their own political parties. However, in the last decade or so, a number of Muslim dominated political parties have emerged in India. The Peace Party was founded in Uttar Pradesh in 2008 by Mohamed Ayub. It won four seats in the 2012 Assembly elections and expanded its base in a number of states. The Kerala-based Indian Union Muslim League enjoys considerable popularity in the state. Maulana Badruddin Ajmal formed the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) in Assam after falling out with Congress leader Tarun Gogoi in Assam. It is now the main opposition party in the state. Other Muslim identity based parties include the Parcham Party, Rashtriya Ulama Council and Welfare Party. However, none of these parties could achieve any substantial success. The MIM and its history It is in this context that the rise of MIM in Maharashtra should be seen. The MIM was formally founded in 1927 â€Å"for educational and social uplift of Muslims†, however it first arose as a proto-Islamist movement to defend the Nizam’s autocracy through an armed militia called the Razakars. They unleashed brutal violence against Hindus, the communists and all those wished to merge Hyderabad with independent India. In 1948, the Indian government sent in the army to overpower the Razakars, an operation that left several thousands dead. Hyderabad was annexed to India and Kasim Rizvi, the Majlis leader was imprisoned and the organization banned. Rizvi was released about a decade later only on the condition that he would leave for Pakistan in 48 hours. Before leaving, Rizvi handed over the reins to Abdul Wahed Owaisi, the grandfather of Asaduduin Owaisi. Owaisi re-drafted the Majlis constitution in keeping with the provisions of the Indian Constitution and heralded a new age in the party’s history. Though MIM remained on the margins of Hyderabad’s politics for about fifteen years, the situation soon started changing in the 1970s. Under the new president Salahuddin Owaisi, the party made great inroads in the city. Votes polled by Majlis in the Hyderabad Lok Sabha seat rose from 58,000 in 1962 to over four lakhs in 1989. It also set up a number of educational institutions for Muslims in the city. Thus, a party that was a part of the Razakars has found acceptance in the very city that had celebrated its ouster. The mainstream media has reacted to MIM’s victory in Maharashtra with a sense of paranoia. There are fears that the party could accentuate communal differences in the state. Moderate Muslims accuse the MIM of milking the sufferings of Muslims, while not doing anything for the community’s development. Party MP Akbaruddin Owaisi is known for his vitriolic hate speeches instigating Muslims to stand up against Hindu violence. MIM’s politics represent a reactionary agenda that seeks to counter the violent communal politics of the right-wing Hindu parties. On the other hand, Muslims are also hopeful about the MIM as they feel it can better represent the community’s interests. MIM’s rise represents the failure of all ‘secular’ parties in checking atrocities against India’s minorities and preventing majoritarianism. Muslim youth who fail to see themselves as a part of the youth Narendra Modi keeps gloating about are attracted to the MIM and its aspirational politics which largely involves invoking a false pride of the â€Å"glorious history of Muslim rulers†. However, the same youth need to realize that the MIM has done nothing to defend the human rights of young Muslims who are falsely accused of being terrorists and who end up spending years in jails. MIM has never spoken out against radicals within the community; neither has it done anything to empower Muslim women. It wouldn’t be long before India’s Muslims see through the farce that the MIM represents and the process of disillusionment sets in. Problems with identity politics The deeply problematic nature of MIM’s politics still doesn’t justify the media’s sustained and critical coverage of its victory in Maharashtra. Identity politics is not a new phenomenon. India’s ruling party BJP has its roots in Hindu nationalism, the Akali Dal was formed to give a political voice to Sikh issues, the RPI and its more than 50 factions claim to represent Dalits. The UP-based Apna Dal enjoys a following among the Kurmi caste. The Shiv Sena and now the MNS have, from time to time, raised the bogie of the Marathi manoos for electoral gains. The media’s hypocrisy while reporting about these parties needs to be called out. Muslim identity politics is as dangerous as the identity politics of any other community. According to Irfan Engineer, director of the Centre for Study of Society and Secularism, â€Å"Identity politics can be oppressive, hegemonic and exclusionary to strengthen hierarchies and hierarchical structures, to defend the privileges of the social, political and economic elite.† It is part of a larger trend of a greater assertiveness of identity in India. To counter this, it is important to strengthen the county’s secular and pluralistic ideals. Conclusion So what does that leave India’s Muslims with? They don’t need parties which essentialize their identity. Voting en bloc for hegemonic identity based parties isn’t going to yield any dividends. All they need is democratic representation of their interests. They need parties and candidates that stand for the values of equality, liberty and justice. MS Sathyu’s iconic film Garm Hava is perhaps the best film made on India’s partition. It shows Balraj Sahni’s family members leave for Pakistan, one after another, because of the increasing discrimination faced by them. In the end, Sahni and his son, Farooq Sheikh too decide to leave the country. On their way to the railway station, they come across a protest march by angry youth demanding jobs. Sheikh and, eventually, Sahni too join the march, thereby deciding to survive and succeed in his own homeland. An Urdu poem by Kaifi Azmi is heard in a voice-over as we see Sahni joining the protesters: â€Å"Jo door se toofan ka karte hain nazaara, unke liye toofan vahaan bhi hai yahan bhi, Dhaare mein jo mil jaaoge, ban jaaoge dhara, Ye vaqt ka elaan vahan bhi hai yahan bhi.† The scene is a poignant reminder for India’s Muslims that their future depends on engaging with politics of social justice and security rather than falling prey to leaders stoking their insecurities. Bibliography: Ahmad, T. (2014). Democracy and Indian Muslims. Daily Times. Retrieved 29 November 2014, from http://archives.dailytimes.com.pk/editorial/16-Mar-2013/comment-democracy-and-indian-muslims-tufail-ahmad Ananth, V., Gadgil, M. (2014). Religious polarization helps AIMIM debut in Maharashtra. Mint. Retrieved 27 November 2014, from http://www.livemint.com/Politics/FxsUExgM2i03mSOH6w3RmO/Religious-polarization-helps-AIMIM-debut-in-Maharashtra.html?utm_source=ref_article Ashraf, A. (2014). Hidden history of the Owaisis. 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