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Mr. M.C.Razmin of Sri Lanka Development Journalist Forum
invited me to conduct a workshop for his media workers
on Muslim women’s rights from 10th to 14th
January 2012 in Colombo. Among the participants there
were some University students and some media persons and
broadcasters. They had done considerable work on
problems of Muslim personal laws in the field. This
field work which was presented in the workshop indicated
the kind of problems Muslim women faced in Sri Lanka.
In Sri Lanka there are about 7.5% Muslims majority of
whom are Tamil speaking. There are also some Muslims of
Malay origin as well as Muslims of Indian origin. Among
Muslims of Indian origin are mainly traders like Memons,
Khojas and Bohras. These Indian origin Muslims are quite
rich and more organized. Tamil Muslims are followers of
Shafi’I Mazhab in jurisprudence. Bohras and Khojas
follow Isma’ili School whereas Memons are Hanafites.
Read full full
article>>
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Release of Dr. Asghar Ali Engineer’s Autobiography
in Delhi
Dr. Asghar Ali Engineer’s
autobiography A
Living Faith: My Quest for Peace, Harmony and Social
Change was
released in New Delhi on 20th July 2011
by Vice President of India Shri Hamid Ansari. Shri
Hamid Ansari praised Dr.
 Engineer’s
courage and his struggle against priesthood in his
own community. He likened him to Espinoza (16th
century rationalist philosopher from Holland) and
described him as modern day Espinoza. Espinoza,
Hamid Ansari Saheb said, was also excommunicated
because he fought against orthodoxy in his own
religion and Dr. Engineer also has been
excommunicated by priesthood of his own community.
He also said autobiographies are of two types one in
which the author projects his larger than life image
and praises his achievements very high. The other
type depicts mental and spiritual development. Dr.
Engineer’s autobiography is of second type.
Read full report>>>
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Mumbai Release of Dr. Asghar
Ali Engineer’s autobiography at the hands of
Julio
Reibero, Speakers
were Teesta
Setalvad, Justice
Suresh, Satish Sahni
and Kumar Ketkar.
Ram Puniyani
Moderated the
discussion,
on 5th
September, 2011.
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SEMINAR ON STATE, RELIGION AND WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT
The Centre for Study of Society and Secularism organised
a one-day National Seminar on State, Religion and
Women’s Empowerment on 17 December 2011, in
collaboration with the Institute of Indian Culture,
Mumbai at the latter’s seminar hall in Andheri.
The Concept
 The
principle of gender equality is enshrined in the Indian
Constitution, which not only grants equality to women,
but also empowers the State to adopt measures of
positive discrimination in favor of women. Empowerment
is one of the key factors in determining the success of
development in the status and position of women in the
society; for it is the women who hold the key to
long-lasting social change in communities.
It is the society’s moral, social and constitutional
responsibility to ensure women’s progress by providing
them with equal rights and opportunities. Today women
have made substantial progress in every walk of life by
dint of their hard work and sincerity. More and more
corporate houses prefer hiring women for better and
result-oriented performance...Read
full report>>
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Two-day
Workshop on awareness creation and capacity building of
Muslim women, 1-2 December 2011, Ahmedabad.
The CSSS
organised a 2-day workshop at Pastoral Centre, St.
Xavier’s School, Indira Bridge, Ahmedabadon 1-2 December
2011 in collaboration with Ahmedabad-based
 NGOs
Janvikas Manch, Niswan, and Aman Samudaya. Mr. U. Hozefa
of Janvikas Manch acted as the coordinator.
This is the
third workshop organised in Ahmedabad since November
2010, targeting Muslim women who have suffered immensely
during the 2002 communal violence in the State. The
intention was to make sure that the Muslim families have
derived benefit from the last two workshops and made
progress in accessing the benefits available under the
PM’s new 15-point programme. Have they also picked up
the courage to face the Mullahs and Moulavis in case
they feel that the advice tendered by them is wrong and
is against the rights granted to Muslim women under the
Quran? Are they seeking the assistance of the local NGOs
for getting their problems solved? Do they still
entertain any doubts?
Read full
report>>
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Meeting on communal
violence and targeted Bill
A meeting was held by Jnana Prabodhini,
Pune on 11th December 2011 on communal
violence and targeted Bill. There were about 200 people
in the meeting. Dr. Asghar Ali Engineer, Chairman,
Centre for Study of Society and Secularism explained the
background in which the bill was framed
 and
he also threw detailed lights on the purpose with the
bill i.e. to prevent communal violence, to fix
responsibility in the event of communal violence
breaking out and to determine compensation to be paid to
those who died and to work out recompense for the
properties destroyed and to ensure relief and
rehabilitation of the victims. This bill became
necessary after Gujarat riots in which Government, the
Administration and police were complicit. The
presentation was followed by number of questions and
many alleged that it was anti-Hindus bill. Dr. Engineer
tried to allay their fear and said it is neither
anti-Hindu nor anti-other community, but it is anti
those who perpetrate violence, loot and destroy and
those who provoke violence. After lunch there was
discussion as to how to ensure riot free India. In this
discussion Mr. Arvind Bal, Dr. Asghar Ali Engineer, Mr.
Mukadam, Mr. A Rajan and several others took part and
certain concrete suggestions were made. Dr. Engineer
suggested that this discussion is inadequate therefore a
separate discussion needs to be organized on this
subject.
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5-DAY
YOUTH CAMP ON
AWARENESS CREATION AND
SENSITIZATION
FOR PEACE AND CONFLICT
RESOLUTION
The
CSSS organised a 5-day workshop on ‘Peace and Conflict’
resolution for youth from 15 November to 19 November
2011 at the
Bio-Medical Ethic Centre, St. Pius
College, Goregaon (E),
 Mumbai,
for Awareness Creation and Sensitisation of Youth on
Peace and Conflict Resolution.
40 students from Kamala Mehta College,
Bal Bharati College, DAV College of Mumbai and MSS
Institute of Social Work, Nagpur. participated in the
workshop. The objective of the workshop was to sensitise
the youth on various social issues like Communalism,
Ethnic violence, Gender-based violence, civil society
movement etc. The participants selected were either from
the National Service Scheme or students of Social Work,
with basic interest to learn about social issues and
work in the society. Resource persons were academicians
and social activists from Mumbai and Bangalore.
Read
Full Report>>
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Community Workshop
The
CSSS organised a community workshop at Kherwadi jointly
with Committee for the Right to Housing (CRH) a
Mumbai-based NGO, for the benefit of families li ving
in Kherwadi, an urban slum in Bandra. The women living
in the Kherwadi slum belong to all religions and are
forced to work, either from their homes or outside their
homes, to supplement the family income. No
government-sponsored poverty alleviation programme has
touched the lives of these women. Poor and illiterate,
the women have been found to have no knowledge of the
avenues
available for earning a decent minimum wage for the hard
work that they put in. The workshop was therefore aimed
at capacity building and awareness creation among the
women so that they know the worth of their work, improve
their income and do not get cheated.
Read full
report>>
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Youth Sensitizing
and Awareness Workshop
Center for Study of Society
and Secularism had organized a three day camp on ‘Youth
Sensitizing and Awareness’. 53 under graduates from DAV
College Bhandup
 had
participated in the camp at Sarvodaya, St Pius College
Campus, Goregoan (E), Mumbai on 13th to 15th September
2011.
The aim of the camp was to make
youth aware about their rights and duties towards civil
society. CSSS had invited renowned resource person from
different institutes to deliver their thoughts to
students on various topic. Mr. Riyas and Ms. Minal from
Research Dept coordinated entire youth camp.
Read full report
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Workshop
on Police orientating on “The Role of Police in Civil
Society”
A one day workshop
was organized on 27-7-11 at Madina Education Centre,
Hyderabad on “The Role of Police in Civil Society”
in association with Hyderabad City Police.
 25
senior level police officers and a few members of civil
society organizations working on Communal Harmony, Peace
and Social Justice attended this workshop. Dr. Asghar
Ali Engineer, Chairman, Centre for Study of Social and
Secularism, Mumbai was the guest speaker.
Mr. Mohammed Turab,
Executive Secretary, COVA welcomed guest speakers,
Senior Police Officers and other invitees from civil
society organizations and requested Dr. Anand Raj Varma
to preside over the workshop and to conduct the
proceedings.
Read full report >>
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Workshop on Awareness
creation and capacity
building of women in
India
Two
days long Awareness creation and capacity building
workshop for women have been conducted in Goregaon,
Mumbai. Objective of the workshop was to
 create
awareness among the women, how the patriarchy structure
limits their freedom, how it is an obstacle for the
empowerment of women in social and political spheres,
how it is weaved with culture religion etc. 75
participants including women and men from various parts
of Maharashtra attended the workshop.
Read
Full report>>>
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‘YOUTH SENSITISING & AWARENESS
CAMP’
 CSSS
in collaboration with ‘Montfort Empowerment Park’, Gorai,
organized a three day ‘Youth Sensitizing & Awareness
Camp’. There were 52 NSS volunteers from Smt. Kamala
Mehta VWA College of Commerce, Andheri (W) and Bal
Bharthi College, Kandivali participated in the three day
camp. Staff from CSSS, Montfort Empowerment Park, Kamala
Mehta College, and Bal Bharthi College also participated
in the camp.
Read full report
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2-DAY WORKSHOP ON ROLE OF
WOMEN IN PEACE AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION, 8-9 JUNE 2011,
DON BOSCO NAVJEEVAN, RAMANTHPUR, HYDERABAD
A 2-day workshop was organised by the
CSSS on 8 and 9 June 2011 at Don Bosco Navjivan,
 Ramanthpur,
Hyderabad, in collaboration with Aman Vedika Biradari,
Hyderabad. The workshop was meant to explain to the
women the concepts of Peace and Conflict Resolution and
sensitise them to play a pro-active role in establishing
peace and social harmony in their own localities and
take active part in conflict resolution.
Read Full report
2-DAY WORKSHOP ON EMPOWERMENT AND CAPACITY BUILDING OF
MUSLIM WOMEN
A 2-day workshop was organised by the CSSS on 6th
and 7th June 2011 at St. Pius College campus at
Goregaon East, Mumbai in collaboration with Bharatiya
Muslim
 Mahila
Andolan, Mumbai. The workshop was meant to educate
Muslim women on their rights not only under the Quran
but also on their civic rights as citizens of India; the
importance of secular education so as to make the girls
of the community capable of availing the opportunities
and the facilities available to them, especially under
the New 15-Point Programme of the Prime Minister. The
workshop was the first of a series of such events
proposed to be organised under the grant from Ford
Foundation.
Read Full
Report>>
3-DAY WORKSHOP ON
EMPOWERMENT AND CAPACITY BUILDING OF MUSLIM WOMEN,
The Centre for Study of Society and Secularism, Mumbai
organised a 3-day
 workshop
at Bopal, Ahmedabad, Gujarat from 10 to 12 May 2011. The
workshop was meant to educate Muslim women not only on
their Qur’anic rights but also on their civic rights as
citizens of India, the importance of secular education,
especially for Muslim girls, so as to make them capable
of availing the opportunities and the facilities
available to them, especially under the New 15-Point
Programme of the Prime Minister. The workshop was, in
fact, a sequel to the one organised on 2-4 December 2010
at Gandhinagar.
Read full
report>>
Workshop on Perceptions of Minorities
towards Policing’
One day police workshop was held in
Haryana
Police Academy in Madhuban, Haryana on
 3rdMay
2011. Dr. Asghar Ali Engineer was the main speaker.
Besides him, Mr. Chaudhary, IPS Director, Haryana Police
Academy also spoke. The topic of the workshop was
‘Perceptions of Minorities towards Policing’. Dr.
Engineer threw light in detail on why minority
perception of policing differs from majority and What
are the issues involved. While endorsing Dr. Engineer’s
observation Mr. Chaudhary added his own experiences and
explained to the participants how to deal with the
minorities? There were 500 participants from level of
DIG’s to Constables and majority of participants were
sub-inspectors, inspector and constables.
Workshop on Rights of Muslim Women: Theory and Practice
.jpg) The
Centre for Study of Society and Secularism jointly with
Institute of Islamic studies has organized a 3 day
workshop in Allahabad from 15th-17th
April, 2011 on Rights of Muslim Women: Theory and
Practice. There were 50 women and men from six states of
Eastern U.P like Jaunpur, Azamgarh, Banaras, Lucknow,
Gorakhpur and Allahabad. The participants were from
NGO’s working among Muslim Women, teachers and
individuals.
Read more
Workshop on ‘Peace and Communal Harmony’
‘Centre for study of society and Secularism’ in
collaboration with ‘Gandhian Institute
 of Studies, Varanasi, organized a four day workshop on ‘Peace and
Communal Harmony’.
There were 44 participants from in and around Varanasi
who are already engaged in social work through various
NGOs working in the related field. The workshop was held
in a quiet venue, Nav Sadhana, which is 8 km away from
Varanasi. Resource persons were from CSSS, Gandhian
Institute of Studies, Banaras Hindu University and from
Latin America.
Read full report
Workshop on
Awareness and Capacity-Building
of Muslim Women
Bangalore: “Religion in my
view cannot be understood unless you understand the
socio- cultural
context in which it was revealed. One has to understand
the society in order to understand the religion. All of
us are firm in our belief that our religion is pure and
has come to us as revealed by us. Therefore we delink it
from the historio-cultural context. One would better
understand the religion, if he were to study the
history, culture and society when the messengers or
revelations came.”
This was stated by noted
reformist thinker Dr. Asghar Ali Engineer while
presenting the keynote address at a workshop organized
by the Indian Social Institute, Centre for Study of
Society and Secularism and the Talent Promotion Trust
here on April 9.
Read full report
3 DAY YOUTH WORKSHOP
ON PEACE AND COMMUNAL HARMONY AT MADURAI FROM 14TH-16TH
MARCH, 2011
 Nearly
45 students and few NGOs workers participated in the 3
day workshop. The participants were selected from all
over India. They held from Banaras Hindu University,
Delhi, Gandhigram Rural University, Fatima College,
Madurai, Rajiv Gandhi Institute for Youth Development,
Sriperumbedur all send their representatives to
participate in 3 days workshop. The purpose of this
workshop was to sensitize create awareness of the
communal harmony and peace and also to teach them the
methods of conflict transformation.
Read more
POLICE WORKSHOP ON
COMMUNAL HARMONY
 CSSS
organized a workshop for Border Security Force was held
on 7th March, 2011 at B.S.F. Academy, Gwalior,
M.P. in which 300 B.S.F. commandos and other higher
officers including Inspectors, Dy.S.P, DIG’S, and I.G’S.
participated. Of these 300 officers, about 200 were
undergoing training and about 100 were part of
preparation courses. The workshop was presided over by
Director of the Academy and Director General of police
Shri. V.N.Rai who also introduced Dr. Asghar Ali
Engineer who was the main speaker.
Dr.
Engineer spoke on various aspects of communal problem
including misinterpretation of medieval history which
has become the main point of communal conflict. He also
threw light on the causes of partition and its important
role played by Muslim clergy Jamiatul-ulema-e-hind in
opposing two nation theory. He also threw light on
contemporary issues in communal politics. This was
followed by question answer session and vote of thanks.
NATIONAL
SEMINAR ON
Inclusive
Democracy for Inclusive development :Building Space For
Marginalized and
Minorities
A
two day national seminar was organized jointly with
Gandhigram Rural
 University
and Centre for Study of Society and Secularism at
Chennai from 25th to 26th
February,2011
The seminar was inaugurated by the former
Vice-Chancellor by Prof. Shanmugha Sundaram and the
presidential address was delivered by Dr. Asghar Ali
Engineer. The theme of the seminar for the two day
deliberation was titled as Inclusive Democracy For
Inclusive Development: Building Space for Marginalized
and Minorities. This seminar was participated by nearly
45 students doing PhD, MSW, Law and Sociology. The
speaker represented professors from Pondicherry,
Sriperumbetur, Loyola College, students from department
of Political science and Rural Administration Gandhigram
University.
Read
full report
Seminar on
Recommendations, Implications and Implementation Status
of
Sachar Committee- Ranganath Mishra Commission- 15 Point
Program for Minorities
held on February 1, 2011,
At
Pastoral Center, Gun Foundry, Hyderabad
Centre
for Study of Society and Secularism (CSSS) in
association with COVA
 Hyderabad
organized A.P. State Level Seminar on recommendations,
implications and implementation status of Sachar
Committee & Ranganath Mishra Commissions Reports and
P.M.’s New 15 Point Program at Hyderabad on 1st
February 2011. Elected People’s Representatives,
Academicians and Social Activists were invited to speak
on the subjects and to share their knowledge and
experiences with the concerned citizens and Activists
working on Social change in the society.
Read Full
report
Community Workshop on
Awareness and Capacity Building for Minority
 Centre
for Study of Society and Secularism (CSSS) organized
one-day community workshop for the empowerment of and
capacity building for the minority community. In
democracy, it is a vital requirement to safeguard the
minority rights and therefore, the major purpose of this
workshop is to create awareness amongst the members of
minority community, most particularly Muslims, about the
emerging initiatives to restore their capacity.
Read Full report
‘YOUTH SENSITISING & AWARENESS CAMP’
Date:
12th
to 13th
FEBRUARY 2011
Venue:
Montfort Empowerment Park, Gorai Village, Borivili (W),
Mumbai.
 CSSS
in collaboration with ‘Montfort Empowerment Park’, Gorai,
organized a two day ‘Youth Sensitizing & Awareness
Camp’. There were 56 students from Smt. Kamala Mehta VWA
College of Commerce, Andheri (W), who participated in
the two day camp. Staff from CSSS, Montfort Empowerment
Park and Smt. Kamala Mehta VWA College of Commerce also
participated in the camp.
Read Full Report
Community workshop on communal
harmony and peace
The community workshop on communal
harmony and peace was organized by
 Center
for Study of Society and Secularism in Vasai on 20th
February, 2011. The Programme was attended by 45
participants. The programme was initiated by Mr. Anwar
Hussain. He introduced the programme by receiving the
guests with warm welcome. He gave an introductory speech
where he emphasized the need for communal harmony and
peace in the society. He also remarks stipulated the
reasons for organizing workshop on communal harmony in
Vasai. He started his speech by saying that though there
is no evidence of communal riots in Vasai but there is
tendency among builders for refusing the flats to Muslim
Read
full report
Workshop on Peace and
Conflict
Two day workshop for women on
‘Peace and conflict’ was held at Hyderabad, Andhra
Pradesh jointly with Aman Vedika on 5th and 6th
February 2011. There were 60 participants including men
participants. The participants were from different
districts of Andhra Pradesh.
 The
Purpose of the workshop was to create awareness and
train the social activists specially women participants
to know about the various communal violence that has
erupted in Andhra Pradesh and its effects on women. The
resource persons were Dr. Asghar Ali Engineer, Dr.
Shaikh, a human rights activist, Ms. Anuradha an NGO
worker who is working for women’s rights and Dr. Mazar
Hussain Director, COVA.
Read Full
report
Lecture on
Role of Youth in Civil Society
CSSS
has been organizing lectures workshops, seminars for
youths, teachers, journalist, women, and police in order
to spread the message of peace and communal harmony.
Since youths are the future citizens of this country and
 especially
those students who are going to be in the defence area
needs to be more secular and free from any communal
biases, more importantly they should be aware of their
role in the civil society. It was in this context that
CSSS organized a lecture on” Role of Youth in Civil
Society” at YC - NISDA (Yashwantrao Chavan -
National Center of
International Security and Defence Analysis)
on 23rd Dec 2010. There were about 35
participants who consist of some army officers, and some
PH.D students. Dr A.S Dalvi, Director of YC- NISDA gave
the welcome note and inaugurated the lecture, he
stressed on the importance & the need of this topic.
Read full
report
Workshop on
Rights of Muslim women-theory and practice
A 3-day workshop
on Rights
 of
Muslim women- theory and practice was held in Lucknow,
Uttar Pradesh from 7th to 9th
December 2010. There were 45 participants, Men and women
and Muslims and non-Muslims from 10 districts of UP
participated in the workshop. Most of the participants
belong to NGO’s and also there were some individuals.
The workshop was jointly organized by CSSS, Institute of
Islamic Studies and Centre of Harmony and Peace,
Varanasi and was supported by Action Aid India, New
Delhi. Read More
WORKSHOP ON “PEACE AND CONFLICT
RESOLUTION"
 Centre
for Study of Society and Secularism organized a 7 day
workshop on “Peace and Conflict Resolution” from 21st
to 27th November 2010 at St Pius Campus, Sarvodaya.
There were about 35 participants from different parts of
India who were students, NGO workers, activists, etc.
The workshop started with a peace march where the
students said the peace slogans and marched at the road.
The inauguration of the workshop was done by Dr Asghar
Ali Engineer who discussed about the need for the
workshop after which the sessions started.
Read
full report
Youth training
workshop on Secularism, peace and Role of youth in Civil
Society
The Centre for study and
secularism jointly with Indian Social Institute of
Bangalore.
 Organised
4 days (Date: 25th to 28th Oct,
2010) youth training workshop on Secularism, Peace and
Role of Youth in Civil Society, 42 youth working for
different social organizations came from Tamil Nadu,
Karnataka, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh to participate in
the workshop. The Presence of well known and excellent
Resource Persons like Dr. Asghar Ali Engineer, Dr.
Mohan, Dr. V. Joseph Xavier, Adv. Stephen Kulandai Samy
Mr. Chand Peer Mr. Saravanan, Adv. Arvind Narayan Ms.
Shanthi & Dr. Rajendra Parsad delivered excellent
lectures at the workshop.
Read
full report
Seminar on
"Sixty Years of Secularism and Pluralistic Democracy in
India"
Centre
for Study of Society and Secularism jointly with
Gandhigram University, Dept. of Political Science
organized a two day National Seminar on Sixty Years
of Secularism and Pluralistic Democracy in India on
27th and 28th April 2010 at YWCA
International
 Guest House, Chennai, Tamil Nadu. There
were 18 papers presented on various aspects of
evaluation of secularism in India. Eminent speakers like
Mr.N.Ram (Editor-in Chief, The Hindu), Dr.Asghar
Ali Engineer (Chairman, CSSS), Prof. K.N.
Panikkar (Chairperson, Kerala Council for Historical
Research) on the directions and problems that
surfaces the Indian Secularism and a long discussion on
minority problems. The proceedings of the seminar would
be brought out in the book form.
Dr.Asghar Ali Engineer delivered the keynote address at
the seminar and also in one of the sessions he
elaborately discussed the problems of minorities in a
secular society and also the thread to Indian
secularism.
Read More
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