The larger premise and thought of the seminar is to get writers, poets, thinkers, teachers, journalists, artists and people on a common platform, to discuss, debate, share and think about what really is ‘National Identity’. 

A sea of ideas, thoughts, expressions, perspectives, emotions… all found space on stage and amid a large audience, on the concluding day of, ‘Nationalism and Culture, a Dialogue’, a two-day national seminar organised by the Progressive Writers’ Association, Punjab, with the Punjab Arts Council.

As I had grown up hearing Mir Anees’ marsiyas (elegies), I decided on a recent visit to Lucknow to read the Fatiha (first sura or chapter of the Koran) on his grave. The rickshaw took me into a narrow alley near Lucknow’s Akbari Darwaza. 

Two poets, Sukhinder Singh who lives in Toronto (Canada) belongs to Ambala Cantt (Haryana)  Indian  and Saleem Pasha of Pakistan's Gujrat released a book, 'Lahoo da Rung' recently . 

Fasting, during the month of Ramzan, not only serves as annual training for body and soul -- which helps in renewal of life and encourages the spirit of sharing and giving -- it also enables the promotion of spirituality and human excellence.

A Sikh children’s group was denied entry into a UK theme park after an elder accompanying them refused to remove the kirpan, an article of faith for the Sikhs, prompting accusations of religious discrimination

In his memoirs Dastan-e-Ghadar, which I have translated from Urdu to English, Zahir Dehlvi — an official in the Mughal court of Bahadur Shah Zafar — paints a beautiful picture of Alwar, its Maharaja and life in the palace as one of his courtiers.

Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji (1563-1606), the Fifth Guru of the Sikhs was born on Baisakh Vadi 7, 1620 Bikrimi i.e. April 15, 1563 at Goindwal Sahib, which now falls in the present day Tarn Taran district of Punjab.

Indeed, as the TTT (Triple Talaq Tamasha) proceeds, the producers of TV news shows are certainly on to a good thing with various worthies of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB). Therefore, on any dull news day -- that is when we can’t abuse Kashmiris on prime-time TV or harangue Pakistanis or have a super duper exclusive expose on the opposition chaps all now running for cover -- we can dust off the mullahs and produce them on TV.

"The woman can also negotiate in the nikahnama and include provisions consistent with Islamic law to contractually stipulate that her husband does not resort to triple talaq, she has right to pronounce triple talaq in all forms, and ask for very high 'mehr' amount in case of talaq and impose conditions as are available to her in order to protect her dignity."

Gorakhpur is much in the news, thanks to the new Chief Minister—an object of both derision and confusion—a saffron-clad monk who is now the chief executive of the most populous state in the republic.