"All Indians must read," says muslim student who won Ramayana quiz
Malappuram, Aug 7: If you ask Mohammed Basith M about his favourite sloka in the epic Ramayana, this Muslim youth, without any second thought, would recite the verses from "Ayodhya Kanda" which describes Lakshmana's anger and Lord Rama's consolation to his brother explaining the worthlessness of kingdom and power.
He would not only render the verses of 'Adhyatma Ramayanam', the Malayalam version of the epic written by Thunchathu Ramanujan Ezhuthachan, fluently and mellifluously but would also explain in detail the meaning and message of the sacred lines.
This in-depth knowledge in the great epic has helped Basith and his college mate-friend Mohammed Jabir P K to emerge as winners in a recent Ramayana quiz competition conducted online by publishing major DC Books.
Basith and Jabir, fifth and final year students respectively of the Wafy programme, an eight year-course at the KKSM Islamic and Arts College at Valanchery in this north Kerala district, were among the five winners of the quiz conducted last month to mark the ongoing 'Ramayana Month'.
The win by the Islamic college students in the Ramayana quiz caught wide media attention following which people from various walks of life began congratulating the duo.
The students said though they knew about the epic since their childhood, they started reading and learning about Ramayana and Hinduism in-depth after joining the Wafy course, the syllabus of which has the teachings of all major religions.
The vast college library, which has a huge collection of books on other religions, has helped them read and understand the epics.
"All Indians must read and learn the epics Ramayana and Mahabharatha as they are part of the country's culture, tradition and history. I believe that it is our responsibility to learn and understand these texts," Jabir told PTI.
Pointing out that Lord Rama is an embodiment of righteousness, forbearance and serenity, the Wafy student said such noble virtues should be part of every human being.
"Rama had to sacrifice even his kingdom to fulfill the promise to his beloved father Dasaratha. While living in a period of endless struggles for power, we should draw inspiration from characters like Rama and the message of epics like Ramayana," the 22-year-old student explained.
Basith felt that extensive reading would help to understand other faiths and the people belonging to those communities more.
No religion promotes hatred but only propagates peace and harmony, he said adding that the winning of the quiz gives him further motivation to learn the epic more deeply.
The eight-year-long Wafy course is offered in 97 campuses under the Coordination of Islamic Colleges (CIC) combining religious and temporal education for students after passing the SSLC examination.
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HC to decide if gram panchayat members can continue in Manipur post tenure: SC
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Thursday said the high court would decide whether the elected gram panchayat members, whose five-year tenure was over in Manipur, were entitled to continue in their posts in the event of the appointment of an administrative committee or an administrator.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh said it would like to have the benefit of the view of the high court in the matter and set a three-month time frame to adjudicate the legal question.
"The question that falls for consideration in this case is that whether the elected member of the Gram Panchayat whose five-year tenure is over was entitled to continue as members of the gram panchayat in the event of appointment of administrative committee or administrator, as contemplated under Section 22 of the Manipur Panchayati Raj Act of 1994," the bench noted.
The Manipur government’s counsel said the state could not hold panchayat elections due to the unprecedented violence.
"Since, we would like to have the advantage of the opinion of the high court, we dispose of the special leave petition without expressing any opinion on merits, with the request to the chief justice of Manipur High Court to post the main case before a division bench at the earliest. We further request the division bench, before whom the matter is listed, to provide expeditious hearing with an endeavour to resolve the controversy within three months," the bench said.
The bench noted that provision of Manipur Panchayati Raj Act was amended to substitute the word "cease" with the word "continue" with respect to the tenure of the elected members of the gram panchayat.
The petitioners have challenged a high court order and submitted that since elections in gram panchayat could not be held in Manipur for various reasons, the previously elected members of the panchayat were entitled to continue as per the amended Section 22 (3) of 1994 Act.
Section 22 deals with the power of deputy commissioner to appoint an administrative committee or an administrator for a period of six months, which will then oversee the election.
Section 22 (3) of the law says once the administrative committee or an administrator is appointed by the deputy commissioner, the elected members of earlier gram panchayat shall cease to exist.
The top court said what has been challenged before it was an interlocutory order of the high court and the main petition in which the question of law that had been raised was still pending.
The original petitioners before the high court were elected representatives at the fifth general elections for gram panchayats and the zilla parishads who sought a direction to continue in the office beyond the period of five years as stipulated by law as elections were last held in 2017.
They sought to continue as panchayat members till the time the state election commission notified the election for the sixth general elections for gram panchayats and zilla parishads.
On February 29, last year, the high court in its interim order gave liberty to Manipur government to appoint an administrative committee for each gram panchayat and zilla parishad in accordance with law and the provision of the Act.
