SULTAN SHAHIN Born in 1949 in a village in Bihar. There was no school to go to, so my father, an Urdu teacher and a Maulvi (religious teacher) taught me initially. I graduated from Patna University in 1972, and have been a Delhi-based journalist since. I have worked mainly as a freelance writer of opinion pieces for most Indian publications. My subject is Indian politics, with special reference to Muslim politics, Islamic ideology and culture, India-Pakistan relations, and Hindu-Muslim relations. Indian newspapers introduce me as a specialist in Muslim politics and culture. Readers can write to me at sultanshahin@yahoo.co.uk