MM Akbar remanded in 5-day police custody

News Network
February 27, 2018

Kochi, Feb 27: Multi-religion scholar and educationist MM Akbar, who was arrested at Hyderabad airport on Sunday morning after he arrived from Australia, is now being grilled by Kerala police, who suspect that he tried to effect “conversions” through his organisation.

The managing director of Peace Education Foundation, was on Monday produced before the Ernakulam Judicial Magistrate Court which remanded him in police custody for five days though the investigation officers asked for seven days. “He was slapped with charges under 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language).

During interrogation, we’ll quiz him on all angles, including suspected links with terror agencies,” said investigation officer and assistant commissioner of police (Ernakulam) K. Laljy.

“We will try to find out whether the classes in his schools were focusing more on religion and what was taught in the school,” he said.

The case was registered in October 2016 based on a complaint by the district education officer that the school was teaching textbooks propagating communal hatred.

A probe by the education department found the school wasn’t teaching from texts recommended by the NCERT, CBSE or SCERT, but followed textbooks compiled by a Mumbai-based Islamic educational institution.

Portions of a class 2 optional textbook were leaked, in which there were objective type questions on what the students would do “if their friend wanted to convert to Islam,”  “how to deal with non-Muslims” and “how many of you are willing to die for Islam? Think, think think.” The textbook was immediate withdrawn. Akbar had clarified that it was just an optional textbook. Besides the textbook was published by a Mumbai based publishing house.

Cops collected religious texts and study materials from the school during an inspection held afterwards following suspicion that Merin, a teacher with the school, had allegedly joined the Islamic State. However, M M Akbar has delivered several speeches against terrorism and warned youth against joining terror outfits like Islamic State, which according to him is defaming Islam.

In December 2016, three Mumbai-based publishers were arrested for printing the textbooks with objectionable content. In January last, the state government ordered closure of the Kochi-based Peace School based on a report submitted by the district collector and the district education officer.

Akbar was held from Hyderabad airport by immigration officials based on a lookout notice issued by the Kochi police earlier. He was on his way from Australia to Qatar via Malaysia and landed in Hyderabad for a brief stopover.

A four-member squad led by Vipin Das, sub-inspector of police, Ernakulam North, soon left for Hyderabad and recorded his arrest at11.30 am on Sunday. The team brought him back to Kochi later in the day.

Abkar’s arrest, however, was questioned by several quarters. Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala alleged that the chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF government was behaving like Modi, persecuting Muslims on trumped-up charges.

Also Read: M M Akbar arrested in Hyderabad en-route to Qatar; likely to be grilled by Kerala police

Comments

Ahmed
 - 
Wednesday, 28 Feb 2018

When People of the Society become AWARE of their CREATOR(True God), The people in ruling or who run the society will never want PEOPLE to know the TRUTH of the ONENESS of GOD...They use their own Pappu MEDIA to demonize the individual like MM Akbar, ZN, who convey the message of oneness of God and they want the society to know the REALITY of the ONENESS of GOD and to dependent on him ALONE rather than getting decieved by the religious tekedar in disguise of fake swamis and others even in muslim community they have such fake babas. Everything happens with the will of ALLAH.. have patience. I REQUEST those who look for the TRUTH to listen to lectures of MM AKBAR and Zakir Naik and YOU JUDGE if they promote terrorism.... Allah has made HUMAN being BEST of his CREATION, Use YOUR GOD given INTELLECT and YOu will RECOGNIZE the REALITY of this kind of DECEPTION goin on since 911. God is with those who r TRUTHFUL....and Successful are those who recognize the TRUE GOD. May ALLAH guide us to the TRUTH.

brother you don't know nothing.  pleas don't comment for anything which you have no knowledge.  If your hatred is against Muslims thats your problem.  But we muslims love every religion that exists on this earth.  what is MM Akbar, What is Dr. Zakir Naik, we know about them.  If you utter something baseless comments with communal intensity, thats not our problem.  Try to acquire knowledge, be a peace lover, be a human and understand what is humanity. May God bless you.

The said book was published by one of mumbai publication and taught  by many institution , he may aware contents of books written on it .. but he may not aware , these kind of hues and cries may arise or probably he might not guess , some people may find very dangerous philosophy on that book.... to my knowledge , purticular book is not banned , still under court observation... peace school stopped teaching that book... 

 

until now , no compaint is lodged against school or school director M.M Akber by any school staffs or parents of students... govt voluntarily want to stop 3 schools out 13 schools managed by peace school management .. but court stayed govt intention  .. school still run smoothly... people of kerala still under confusion , on what basis govt of kerala send look out notice and arrested him..?

Abdullah
 - 
Tuesday, 27 Feb 2018

The real Terrorists are out of jail and they can do, tell anything. Innocents are inside the jail.

 

Danish
 - 
Tuesday, 27 Feb 2018

I read that question and answer choices. Total stupidity. It will make kids to think differently. It will distort kids mind and will create stupid mindset.

 

Atleast they can give good intention choices.

 

"Suppose your friend Adam/Suzanne has decided to become a Muslim, among the choices what advice will you give?"

The choices given are:

 

a. he/she has to change her name to Ahmed/Sara immediately

 

b. he/she is wearing a chain and will need to remove it

 

c. learn the shahada

 

d. runaway from home as parents are not Muslims 

 

e. eat halal chicken

 

Anybody can tell that lie.. he didnt aware of that content mean pure negligence.. Being the MD of peace school he should  check everything or atleast there should be people to do that. MM Akbar knows it better that easy to spread hatred thought through children. He should be punish properly

Mohammed
 - 
Tuesday, 27 Feb 2018

Hidden agenda behind this arrest. He already rubbishes the allegation of text book. he dont have any role in that and he told he didnt aware of that controversial content

Unknown
 - 
Tuesday, 27 Feb 2018

He should be punished.. He tried to spread hatred through text books among innocent children.

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News Network
July 28,2020

Bengaluru, Jul 28: After the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) reduced the syllabi for Classes 9 to 12 due to COVID-19 pandemic, the Karnataka government has followed the suit. The Department of Public Instruction has omitted the chapters on legendary south Indian rulers Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan from the textbooks of Class 7 in their attempt to reduce syllabus for state board schools by 30 per cent. 

The department, however, has decided to retain similar chapters on Tipu Sultan in 6th and 10th Classes, though the syllabus in text books for all classes from 1 to 10th has been trimmed. 

The trimmed textbooks uploaded on the website of the Department of State Education Research and Training (DSERT) by Karnataka state Textbook Society revealed removal of chapters on Tipu Sultan for the seventh grade.

Justifying the decision, officials said, "students study similar chapters in Class 6 and more in the 10th grade." Yet another senior official from the Text Book Society said, "Trimming does not mean we have removed half of the syllabus from textbooks. It is only keeping in mind the repetition we have condensed the chapters. In case students study about a particular dynasty in higher grades, then the same had been removed from lower grades."

A few months ago, there was an uproar over dropping of content on Tipu Sultan and MLAs from the ruling BJP also demanded the same and petitioned to the Chief Minister. Even an expert committee led by Prof Baraguru Ramachandrappa suggested to not drop any content on the historic figure. However, the department still decided to drop lessons from one of the classes while keeping the syllabus short for the next 120 active academic days.

Earlier this month, a controversy had erupted over the CBSE's decision to omit topics like federalism, secularism, citizenship, etc while reducing the syllabus for Classes 9 to 12. The education board had issued a detailed clarification later, stating that topics claimed to be dropped "are either being covered by the rationalised syllabus or in the Alternative Academic Calendar of NCERT".

"The rationalisation of syllabus up to 30 per cent has been undertaken by the Board for nearly 190 subjects of class 9 to 12 for the academic session 2020-21 as a one-time measure only. The objective is to reduce the exam stress of students due to the prevailing health emergency situation and prevent learning gaps," it said.

Last week, the Congress in Uttar Pradesh expressed its concern over 'deliberate and systematic' deletions of chapters related to the freedom struggle and the party's role in it from the Class 10-12 syllabi of the Secondary Education Board.

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News Network
May 3,2020

Dubai, May 3: Over 150,000 Indians in the UAE, who wish to return home amid the coronavirus lockdown, have applied through the online registration process to the Indian missions here, according to media reports.

The Indian missions in the country last week opened online registration for the expatriates who wish to fly back home after getting stuck in the country amidst the lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.

As of 6 pm on Saturday, we received more than 150,000 registrations, Consul General of India in Dubai Vipul told the Gulf News on Saturday.

A quarter of them want to return to their homeland after losing their jobs, he said.

According to a report in the Khaleej Times on Sunday, about 40 per cent of the applicants who have registered are blue-collared workers and 20 per cent are working professionals.

"Roughly 20 per cent have suffered job losses and about 55 per cent of the total applicants are from Kerala," Neeraj Aggarwal, Consul, Press, Information, Culture was quoted as saying in the report.

Aggarwal said that the figures would change as they are expecting registrations from workers from other states, including Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar.

About 10 per cent of the applicants are visit and tourist visa holders who got stranded here due to the ongoing lockdown in India.

India extended the ongoing lockdown by two weeks from May 4 to contain the spread of the coronavirus that has affected nearly 40,000 people in the country.

Aggarwal said that a small number of the applications constitute those from pregnant women and other medical cases.

Since the online registration process was launched, the Consulate's website crashed several times due to the heavy rush of applicants wishing to register to fly back home.

The site has been working fine now though it took a lot of time for it to stabilise in the initial phase due to the heavy traffic, the counsel general said.

He said that the missions here have not yet received any information from the Indian government about the mode of transport of the stranded citizens, the prices of the tickets or how the COVID-19 test results of applicants would be assessed for their journey.

There are high-level discussions going on regarding these things, he said in the report.

Meanwhile, Norka (The Non Resident Keralites Affairs) said it has received a total of 398,000 applications from Keralites across the globe who wish to return home.

"Of which, the highest numbers are from the UAE. At least 175,423 applicants have signed up from the UAE," Norka said in an official statement on Saturday.

It also received 54,305 registrations from Saudi Arabia, 2,437 from the UK, 2,255 from the US, and 1,958 from Ukraine from those who wish to return to India, the Khaleej Times reported.

The coronavirus has infected 13,599 people and claimed 119 lives in the UAE, the Ministry of Health and Prevention said on Saturday.

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News Network
February 9,2020

Bengaluru, Feb 9: Senior JD(S) leader and former prime minister H D Deve Gowda has called upon all the regional parties and secular parties to join hands with the Congress and work in tandem to take on the BJP.

Noting that mere speeches would not help, he said the regional and secular parties should enhance their strength politically in the country.

"We all need to join together with Congress and work in tandem with the available strength only then will we be able to stop them (the BJP)," the JD(S) supremo said at a public meeting organised by the party in Hassan district on Saturday.

Gowda cautioned the regional and secular parties against sitting idle watching the developments in the country.

"If the small and regional parties do not exercise the powers given by Dr B R Ambedkar to the country, they (BJP) are going to the extent of finishing them up," he said. Interestingly, the JD(S) patriarch, had in the run-up to the December bypolls to Karnataka assembly said he would not align with the Congress and dubbed it as "not trustworthy."

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