Articles by Irfan Engineer

The Supreme Court's ruling that clarifi es that though it is not unconstitutional to issue fatwas, they are merely opinions of the issuer and not binding on anyone must be welcomed. The Court has, however, taken a balanced view in not declaring the functioning of any religious institution as illegal or against public interest. The courts functioning under the constitutional framework have done a lot for Muslim women's rights and entitlements and within the Islamic framework. Muslim women must utilise all spaces wherein they get better rights.

Culture, Rationalisation and Secularisation Irfan Engineer Communal Threat, Secular Challenge by K N Panikkar; Earthworm Books, Chennai, 1997; pp 176 + xxiii, Rs 125 (paperback), K N PANIKKAR is a professor of modern history at the Centre of Historical Studies, JNU. His main research area is the cultural and intellectual history of colonial India. His contribution on the subject of communalism/ secularism is seminal and is not confined to writing atone, though that continues to be his important contribution. He has been extensively touring the country and acquainting himself with the ground realities by associating himself with the activists of various movements at the grass roots level. The book reflects the rich academic rigours as well as the experience gathered from his association with grass roots level activists. The book in this sense is not just another addition to the subject but contributes many interesting insights and missing links.

Irfan Engineer Secularism should not mean equal encouragement to fundamentalism of all communities. To reject this version of secularism, the ruling classes whose interests it serves need to be defeated.