Monthly Archives: May 2014

Yusuf Pathan, ten Doeschate guide KKR home

KKR's Robin Uthappa loses the grip on his bat and Naman Ojha does the rest to catch him short of the crease. / Photo: K. Ramesh Babu / The Hindu
KKR’s Robin Uthappa loses the grip on his bat and Naman Ojha does the rest to catch him short of the crease. / Photo: K. Ramesh Babu / The Hindu

Kolkata Knight Riders captain Gautam Gambhir flung his bat in disgust in the dug-out after being given out to Dale Steyn in the second over of the chase. But, some of his key batsmen refrained from throwing their wickets away as they guided the team to a seven-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad, chasing down a modest target of 143, at Rajiv Gandhi Stadium here on Sunday.

Opener Robin Uthappa tried to score of every ball and was lucky to survive when on nine; Shikhar Dhawan dropped a skier from him off Dale Steyn. Uthappa, however, managed went on to set the chase up with a breezy knock which included a terrific flick off Steyn for six.

Yusuf Pathan, who has been struggling for form this season, found his touch too, batting in the care-free manner he is known for. He cut his brother Irfan Pathan and Steyn with ease, and later pulled leggie Amit Mishra and Bhuvneshwar Kumar for huge sixes.

Yusuf and Ryan ten Doeschate ensured there were no more hiccups in the death overs. The chase once again exposed the chinks in the SRH attack, which saw it suffer its third straight defeat in front of the home crowd — a performance which could diminish its chances of making the play-offs.

Earlier, on a perfect batting strip, fast bowler Umesh Yadav came up with a wonderful performance to restrict Sunriders to a modest 142 in 20 overs.

The big fast bowler first dismissed the dangerous but shaky Aaron Finch inducing him to play away from his body to an out-swinger, and Morne Morkel took a splendid, diving catch to his left at third-man.

Soon, Sunil Narine had deposed captain Shikhar Dhawan — Darren Sammy was named to lead SRH for the remaining games — mis-timing a sweep to be caught by Gambhir.

Though Naman Ojha started off well hitting two huge sixes, one each off ten Doeschate and left-arm spinner Shakib al Hasan, he got out clipping one straight to backward-point, much to the delight of Shakib in the same over.

At the other end, the big-hitting David Warner hit some lusty hits and looked in ominous form but pulled Umesh straight to Yusuf Pathan.

Gambhir’s gamble of shuffling around his bowlers clicked as they bowled to the field.

Only 33 runs were scored off the last five overs while SRH lose three wickets, with leg-spinner Piyush Chawla and Sunil Narine giving little away.

Scoreboard

Sunrisers Hyderabad: Aaron Finch c Morkel b Umesh 8 (8b, 1×4), Shikhar Dhawan c Gambhir b Narine 19 (14b, 3×4), Naman Ojha c Yusuf b Shakib 22 (24b, 1×4, 2×6), David Warner c Yusuf b Umesh 34 (18b, 3×4, 2×6), K.L. Rahul lbw b Chawla 14 (15b, 2×4), Irfan Pathan (not out) 23 (19b, 2×4), Darren Sammy c Pandey b Shakib 7 (16b), Karn Sharma run out 4 (4b), Dale Steyn b Umesh 1 (2b); Extras (b-1, lb-1, w-8): 10; Total (for eight wkts. in 20 overs): 142.

Fall of wickets: 1-14 (Finch), 2-41 (Dhawan), 3-64 (Ojha), 4-98 (Rahul), 5-104 (Warner), 6-129 (Sammy), 7-139 (Karn), 8-142 (Steyn).

Kolkata Knight Riders bowling: Morne Morkel 4-0-39-0, Umesh Yadav 4-0-26-3, Sunil Narine 4-0-21-1, Shakib Al Hasan 3-0-22-2, Ryan ten Doeschate 1-0-8-0, Piyush Chawla 4-0-24-1.

Kolkata Knight Riders: Robin Uthappa run out 40 (33b, 5×4, 1×6), Gautam Gambhir c Ojha b Steyn 6 (10b, 1×4), Manish Pandey c Finch b Karn Sharma 35 (32b, 3×4, 1×6), Yusuf Pathan (not out) 39 (28b, 2×4, 2×6), Ryan ten Doeschate (not out) 25 (15b, 2×4, 1×6); Extras (lb-1): 1; Total (for three wkts. in 19.4 overs): 146.

Fall of wickets: 1-8 (Gambhir), 2-59 (Uthappa), 3-104 (Pandey).

Sunrisers Hyderabad bowling: Bhuvneshwar Kumar 3.4-0-37-0, Dale Steyn 4-0-24-1, Karn Sharma 4-0-19-1, Darren Sammy 1-0-7-0, Amit Mishra 4-0-38-0, Irfan Pathan 3-0-20-0.

Man-of-the-Match: Umesh Yadav.

Kolkata Knight Riders won by seven wickets.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sport> Cricket> Indian Premier League 2014 / by V. V. Subrahmanyam / Hyderabad – May 19th, 2014

UK Remarkable Lives Stamps Includes Muslim Woman

by   Farrukh  I. Younus  ,  Freelance Writer – United Kingdom

 In line with commemorating the centenary year for the start of World War I, the UK’s Royal Mail has announced the release of ten stamps, each of which recognizes the accomplishments of seven men and three women born in 1914.

The ‘Remarkable Lives’ stamp series includes Dylan Thomas, the famous Welsh poet, Roy Plomley, the BBC radio broadcaster who created Desert Island Discs, and Barbara Ward, an economist who urged governments to share their wealth with the poor.

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An Obscure Muslim Heroine

Also in this new set of stamps is a lesser-known personality: Noor Inayat Khan. Khan is the only Muslim included in the list. She was born in Moscow to an American mother and an Indian father.

A descendant of Indian royalty, her family fist moved to England and then to Paris. They returned to London when the city was occupied in 1940. Here she joined the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force and was then recruited in 1942 to the Special Operations Executive (SOE), an elite spy squad.

Initially known as Nora Baker Khan, Noor was given the code name Madeleine and in 1943, she was the first female radio operator to be flown secretly into Nazi-occupied Paris; this despite an SOE report stating she was “unsuited to work in her field.”From Paris, she transmitted numerous messages back to London saving many lives. For a period of time, she was the only link between the UK and the French Resistance.

Aged just 30, Khan managed to evade capture for three months but was eventually betrayed by French collaborators and arrested. She tried to escape twice while in Paris and, being considered too difficult, was eventually moved to Germany.

Despite being tortured, Khan revealed nothing of her mission or even of her real name. She was eventually executed in 1944 by the German Gestapo in the Dachau concentration camp. Before her execution by a shot in the back of her head, her last word was, “Liberté!”Britain awarded Khan the George Cross and France awarded her the Croix de Guerre.

Commemorating Noor Inayat Khan

Author Shrabani Basu wrote a book about Khan entitled, “Spy Princess: The Life of Noor Inayat Khan”. Basu campaigned for a memorial in honor of Khan’s efforts, unveiled by Princess Anne in London’s Gordon Square Gardens in November 2012.

It is said that Khan’s decision to be involved in the war efforts was not specifically due to a love of Britain (though this was a part of it). Her involvement was largely on account of the values of religious tolerance and non-violence that she was taught as a child by her father who was a musician and a Sufi teacher. As her biographer Basu said, she “couldn’t bear to see an occupied country.”

The National Archives reveal that Khan had studied both medicine and music. She was also an accomplished writer with a collection of traditional Indian children’s stories published in the French newspaper, Le Figaro.

Unity Productions Foundation has produced a documentary on the life of Khan. The world premiere of the documentary, “Enemy of the Reich”, was held on February 15, 2014 at the prestigious Warner Theater in Washington DC. It was attended by a full house of more than 1400 people.

Khan’s example demonstrates how an individual, particularly an empowered Muslim woman, can support her country. At a time when Muslim women in general suffer the image of being weak and uninvolved in society, Khan demonstrates that a person can be at ease with their faith, gender, heritage and culture without questioning their identity.

I recently returned from a World War I and II memorial tour in Belgium where I visited the resting places of soldiers. The one that stood out most to me was the Ploeg steert Memorial to the Missing. We owe a great debt of gratitude to the men and women who fought for the freedoms that we enjoy today.

Each of the ten people featured in the Royal Mail ‘Remarkable Lives’ stamp set contributed in their own way to the benefit of society. As a British-born Muslim of Pakistani heritage, I am encouraged to find a British-Indian Muslim woman recognized in our stamps and to know that all who contribute to our betterment will be recognized, irrespective of faith or gender.

source: http://www.onislam.net / On Islam / Home> Culture / Sunday – March 30th, 2014

Abbas returns to Sandalwood

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South actor Abbas, who was last seen in Appu Pappu in 2010, is returning to Sandalwood with Savaari 2. Ask him what took him so long to do a Kannada film and Abbas, who started his modelling career in Bangalore, says, “It’s not a comeback film. I have never left the industry. I do films as and when I like a script.”

Savaari 2, which is a sequel to Jacob Varghese’s directorial debut Savaari, stars Srinagara Kitty, Sruthi Hariharan, Karan Rao and Girish Karnad, among others. In the movie, Abbas plays the role of a person who has got everything, but is in search of deeper meaning in life.
“It’s an interesting role. I have completed about 80% of shoot,” Abbas says. Apart from Savaari 2, Abbas is currently working in the English-Tamil bilingual Ramanujan and in a Telugu flick called Chori.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Entertainment> Kannada> Movies / by Maitreyee Boruah, TNN / April 09th, 2014

A dishwasher’s daughter could soon be an IITian

Image: Fathima Shabana with her mother Bahira Begum Photographs: Sreeram Selvaraj
Image: Fathima Shabana with her mother Bahira Begum
Photographs: Sreeram Selvaraj

Shobha Warrier/Rediff.com

Meet Fathima Shabana who’s cleared her JEE (Main) and wants to study computer science from an IIT.

It has been a week since the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) results were released, and yet, the smile on 17-year-old Fathima Shabana’s face has still not diminished. After all, she has been working hard for the last four years; and she has just cleared the JEE (Main). This means that she has already made the grade to go to an Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) or National Institute of Technology (NIT) or state engineering institutions that will offer seats on the basis of JEE (Main) merit list like the Anna University in Tamil Nadu.

If she manages to make it through to the JEE (Advanced) examination on the May 25, she might well make it into an IIT!

Fathima’s is no mean achievement, especially when you look at her background. Her father, Shahul Hameed, dropped out after Class VIII and her mother didn’t continue past primary school.

Ever since he made his way to Chennai from Siruthondanalloor village in Thoothukudi district in search of a job almost two decades ago, Shahul Hameed has been washing dishes and serving food at a pushcart eatery.

His day starts very early in the morning, before the city wakes up, and ends only by 10 at night. For all of this, he takes home Rs 300 a day.

Ever since he was told of his daughter’s phenomenal achievement, he has been a happy and proud man. “My daughter has made me very proud. She was always an extremely hard working child, and I always knew that she would pass all of her exams with flying colours. I could not afford to send her to a private school. So, I sent her and my son to a corporation school so that we didn’t have to pay for their fees and textbooks.”

“It has always been her dream to be an engineer. But I earn only Rs 300 a day; I do not have the wherewithal to send her to an engineering college. I grow distressed just thinking of shattering my daughter’s dreams. But I am sure some good soul will come forward to help her pursue her dreams,” he says, while making dosas for a customer.

Image: Fathima Shabana's father Shahul Hameed sells dosas and earns Rs 300 a day. Photographs: Sreeram Selvaraj
Image: Fathima Shabana’s father Shahul Hameed sells dosas and earns Rs 300 a day.
Photographs: Sreeram Selvaraj

Her equally proud mother, Bahira Begum, said, “Neither me nor my husband could study much. But we made sure that our children studied, and studied well at that. We thought we should give them an education even if we had to borrow money to do so. We first sent Fathima to a private school, but we soon found that we could not afford to educate our children in a private school. We had to then move both of them to a corporation school. But in spite of that, not once did I have to tell Fathima to sit down and study. She was always happier among her books than she was playing with other girls of her age. She would sit at home and write something all the time.

In fact, I would tell her to take a break and go out and play. But she never would.”

Bahira remembers that her daughter never asked her for a new dress, or expressed her desire to go watch a movie. “She was not interested in anything but her studies. Even if we called her to go out, she would not come. Even as a small child, she was obsessed with her education and always wanted to come first in class.”

“God has been kind to me. It was because of God’s gift that I was able to focus on my education. I love Mathematics and can solve mathematical problems for hours together without feeling bored,” Fathima said.

Image: Fathima Shabana Photographs: Sreeram Selvaraj
Image: Fathima Shabana
Photographs: Sreeram Selvaraj

When she was in Class IX, a private IIT-JEE coaching institute came to her school to select good students and offer them free coaching. She was among the nine students selected after a screening test.

When she told her mother that she wanted to attend JEE coaching classes, she told her that they could not afford to send her to a tuition class. But her school head master was insistent.

“He came home and convinced us that Fathima would never get such an opportunity in her life, and that we should not deny it to her. We had to agree to send her to coaching classes.”

As the institute was far away from her home, it was past 9 in the evening by the time she got back home. “So, I would study until midnight and get up by 6 in the morning to do all the home work.”

So focussed was she on her studies that from first standard onwards, she was either first or second in school.

After scoring 83 per cent in her Class X Board exams, she went back to the same school and continued her preparation for the JEE. “I was happy after I finished the JEE (Main) exam. I knew I did well, especially my Mathematics paper. Yes, I was expecting a good result, but when I finally saw online that I had cleared the Main exam, I couldn’t believe it. I called my father and conveyed the good news to him. He was overjoyed, as was my mother.”

Image: Fathima Shabana with her mother Bahira Begum and brother Arshad Saliq Photographs: Sreeram Selvaraj
Image: Fathima Shabana with her mother Bahira Begum and brother Arshad Saliq
Photographs: Sreeram Selvaraj

Bahira also was confident of her daughter getting in. “I know nothing about colleges. I only knew that she would get admission in to a very good college somewhere in India because of how hard she worked. However, in our community, we do not send our girls to far-off places. So, I hope she gets admitted to an engineering college in Chennai.”

Whenever Fathima expressed her desire to become an engineer, her mother would tell her not to dream so high because of the financial constraints they faced in the family.

Now that she is going to write the JEE (Advanced) exam on May 25, her dream is to get selected to study Computer Science at an IIT. “I love computer science. I do not have a computer at home, but we have one in our school that we get to operate. I enjoy working on the computer.”

Fathima’s brother, Arshad Saliq, who studies in Class IX, has someone to look up to now. “I also top my class, but now, I want to emulate my sister. I want to study in an IIT.”

Fathima’s dream is “to get a good job so that my father will not have to struggle as hard to make ends meet.”

The family strongly believes that it was all because of the blessings of God that Fathima could achieve something that her parents could never even dream of.

“When we thank God, we also pray that He would show us a way to give Fathima what she wants. When we let her study, not even in our wildest dreams did we think that she would make both of us, practically illiterate as we are, so proud,” said Bahira on a parting note.

source: http://www.rediff.com / rediff.com / Home> Get Ahead / May 14th, 2014

Rizwan, Saba take top honours

Srinagar District Yoga Championship 2014

Srinagar :

Rizwan Rashid Wani and Saba Jan of RCC Srinagar were declared the best players in boys and girls category respectively in the three-day District Srinagar Yoga Championship that concluded on Saturday at Sheri Kashmir indoor Sports Complex Srinagar.

The championship was organized by Jammu and Kashmir yoga Association in collaboration with J&K State Sports Council.

In the championship more than 100 players both boys and girls participated in different age groups, the statement from the organisers said.

On the concluding ceremony the Joint Secretary (Kashmir) J&K State Sports Council JB Singh Bali was the chief guest and Joint Secretary (Kashmir) J&K Yoga Association Fareeda Shabir was also present on the occasion.

source: http://www.kashmirreader.com / Kashmir Reader / Home> Sports / by K R Sports Desk / Monday – May 19th, 2014

Akbar Khan wins another cycling event

Srinagar :

Akbar Khan in senior category and Amir Gujree in the junior category emerged victorious in the cycling competition on Sunday.

In the senior category Akbar Khan of Trumboo Food Industries bagged the first position while Hilal Sofi and Adil Ahmed bagged second and third positions respectively.

And in the junior category the race was dominated by cyclists of Chinar Sports Club in which all the three positions went to them.

Amir Gujree achieved the first position, Waheed secured the second spot.

The race was covered in 9 laps and each lap contained 3 kms, a total distance of 27 kms. The race was flagged off by the principal celestial Buds High School Muzzaffar Ahmed Bhat.

The race was organized by Chinar Sports Club under the aegis of JKSDA and was sponsored by principal Celestial buds High School.

source: http://www.kashmirreader.com / Kashmir Reader / Home> Sports / by K R Sports Desk / Monday – May 19th, 2014

MIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi offers his support to TRS in government formation

TRS legislator K.T. Rama Rao meets MIM chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi. (Photo: S. Surender Reddy)
TRS legislator K.T. Rama Rao meets MIM chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi. (Photo: S. Surender Reddy)

Hyderabad:

MIM supremo Asaduddin Owaisi promised his party’s full support to the TRS government for the development of Telangana and Hyderabad city.

Mr Owaisi gave the assurance when a four-member TRS delegation led by Nayani Narasimha Reddy and comprising Etela Rajender, K.T. Rama Rao and T. Padma Rao met him and his brother, MIM Legislature Party leader Akbaruddin Owaisi, on Monday, and sought the MIM’s support for the new government.

The TRS has sought MIM support to accelerate development of the new state of Telangana and to improve the brand image of Hyderabad city, but gave no offer to it to join the government.

Asaduddin Owaisi said, “Joining is not important. We have to prove that Telangana will be one of the best perfor-ming states in the country. We have to strive for socio-economic development of the new state, and ensure pluralism…Ganga Jamuna tahzeeb. We have to further improve the brand image of Hyderabad.”

Mr Owaisi said he would meet TRS president K. Chandrasekhar Rao to carry forward the discussions on mutual cooperation.

Asked if the TRS would invite the MIM to join the government, Mr Narasimha Reddy said this was the first meeting and such decisions would be taken by Mr Chandrasekhar Rao.

The TRS has a simple majority of 63 in the Assembly of 119, but faces no threat from the Congress or BJP-TD combine since their numbers are too few. However, it may plan to consolidate its position by seeking the support of parties such as the MIM to ensure a smooth five-year tenure.

The MIM, which has seven MLAs and one MP, is a formidable force in Hyderabad and has influence in some pockets of Telangana. With MIM support, the TRS government would have the backing of 70 MLAs, and it would get the support of another 10 MLAs, TRS leaders claim.

“The MIM has decided to extend cooperation and support to the new government headed by KCR. We have discussed lots of issues about the development of Telangana. The city of Hyderabad must be developed at all costs and be made a favourable destination for multinational companies,” Mr Asaduddin Owaisi said after the luncheon meeting with the TRS delegation at Mr Akbaruddin Owaisi’s Banjara Hills residence.

Before the election results were out, there was talk that Mr Chandrasekhar Rao had offered the Deputy Chief Minister’s post to the MIM if the TRS missed the magic figure of 60 seats. But after the TRS got majority on its own, he made it clear that his party would form the government on its own.

TRS MLA K.T. Rama Rao said the people had bestowed a huge responsibility on the TRS and their prime task was to ensure accelerated development in all spheres in all the 10 districts and ensure peace and tranquillity in Hyderabad, and strive to improve the lot of Muslims, Christians and other minorities.

“We have to face the acid test in the next five years. Hyderabad’s growth engine needs a fillip. We sought MIM’s cooperation in implementing the Sachar committee report, protection of Wakf properties etc,” Mr Rama Rao added.

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Nation> Politics / DC /  by C R Gowri Shanker / May 20th, 2014

Riding into the sunset

This executive director unwinds on horseback, and admits to being emotionally connected to his horse

Faiz Rezwan (34) Executive Director, Procurement and Contracts, Prestige Group
Faiz Rezwan (34) Executive Director, Procurement and Contracts, Prestige Group

As a 14-year-old child, Faiz Rezwan would watch his father and uncle ride their house — Matador, around their Hennur farm. Sometimes, his indulgent father would hoist him up too. That boyhood experience has translated into him owning two horses–Dragon Lady, a warm blood German mare bred for jumping, and Mr Bean, a thoroughbred ex-race horse that Rezwan has given to the Embassy Riding School to help children learn how to ride.

Despite a back problem, nothing stops Rezwan from riding at 5.30 am, at least five times a week. “I have to ride no matter what,” he says. “It’s important to stay in touch with the horse every day.” His beloved pets also get five-star treatment — a few years ago, at the stable at Equestrian Centre for Excellence, he flew down a saddlemaker from France, and around a year and a half ago, a vet was flown down from Germany to work on the acupressure points of the horses. Dragon-Lady is also given regular supplements for her joints, and her horse-shoes are changed every two weeks.

A rather expensive hobby, this. But his “investments” have also paid dividends. Five years ago, Rezwan, who also handles award-winning golf development Prestige Golfshire, got into show jumping. He even competes in the Equestrian Premier League at Embassy International Riding School every year, and took part in the Delhi Horse Show two years ago. “My passion is show jumping,” he says, hoping to make it to the Asian Games some day and even shows in Europe.

Being with Dragon-Lady keeps Rezwan fit and “is a stress buster,” he says. The animal-lover also owns a cat, two dogs, half a dozen birds, and fresh water and marine fish at home. But “Dragon-Lady is my star,” he says. “I’d never want to sell her and get another horse. Starting my day with her sets me up for the day,” he says, admitting to being emotionally connected to her. Rezwan recently bought another horse from Ireland, a Belgian-born warmblood called Valentino.

“If there was no work, I’d be riding all day,” he says. The dream life.

source: http://www.bangaloremirror.com / Bangalore Mirror / Home> Columns> Work /  by Khushali P. Madhwani, Bangalore Mirror Bureau / May 19th, 2014

Haroon Yusuf wins from Ballimaran

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New Delhi: 

As their party suffered a rout in Delhi assembly election, Congress workers in Ballimaran had something to cheer about with Power Minister and four-time sitting MLA, Haroon Yusuf, retaining his seat.

Haroon Yusuf today defeated his closest rival BJP candidate Moti Lal Sodhi by a margin of 8,093 votes.

He was trailing Sodhi by over 2000 votes till the sixth round but after that the momentum was on his side.

As he inched towards the lead with each round, the lost zeal among his loyal supporters began to revive.

His party supporters took out a procession on the road outside the counting centre at the Industrial Training institute Pusa camps waving flags and shouting slogans.

This is the fifth time that Yusuf has gained victory in Ballimaran, a Muslim dominated Congress bastion.

source: http://www.indiatvnews.com / India TV / Home> Politics / PTI – December 08th, 2013

Today, a butcher’s daughter will walk away with 6 golds at BU convocation

Noorjan briefly quit studies to support her family. Thanks to the chemistry of dad’s backing and her passion for academics, she excelled in her masters

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Her father never made it past class VII, her mom dropped out after class II, her five siblings have gone through education with a yawn. They are not to blame; their circumstances were such. But Noorjan A R rose above all that. On Tuesday, Noorjan will rewrite her family’s history when she picks up six gold medals as postgraduate topper in Chemistry at the 49th convocation of Bangalore University.

Noorjan’s has been a long and arduous journey, but not a solitary one. Hailing from a remote town — Bagepalli — about 90 km from Bangalore, Noorjan’s father is a butcher. Despite his meagre earnings from the mutton shop, he made sure Noorjan never lacked the resources to chase her dreams. But an even greater gift the head of the conservative family gave her was freedom to make her choices and his unstinting support.

Given her family’s circumstances, Noorjan didn’t start out dreaming big. She says she passed Class X with a first class and then took up II PU (Science). Instead of thinking of higher studies, she decided to take a short cut and do a D Ed (Diploma in Education) so that she could support her family. But luck eluded her as she couldn’t get a job of her choice. Keen to help out, she worked as a teacher for a few years but realised the calling of higher studies was too strong to ignore. So she went back to her parents to tell them she wanted to join a college and do a BSc in Chemistry.

“I was really scared to speak to my father as I didn’t know what his reaction would be. My father works in a mutton shop and my mother is a homemaker. I was surprised when my father told me he would even take loans, but I should pursue my academic goals,” says Noorjan.

Coming from someone with a conservative background, Noorjan says it motivated her. She enrolled for a BSc course in her town. “The three-year course redefined my attitude as I came second in the state in Chemistry. My dreams got wings. Now, I wanted to pursue a postgraduation,” she says. But this would mean travelling to Bangalore and she was once again besieged by fears about her parents’ reaction. However, they stood rock-solid behind her decision. This was also the time she decided to start paying for her education by giving tuitions.

“Every day, I would get up early to take the bus to reach Bangalore University and come back home late. The two-three hours’ journey was definitely tiring but my passion kept me going.” Seeing her struggle, her teachers suggested she take up accommodation at the hostel as it would save time. Apprehensions came flooding back as Noorjan wondered if her parents would ever agree to such an idea. “But they had full confidence in me and finally I joined the hostel. However, during study holidays, I would go back to my town where a school used to give me one month’s work.” The chemistry classes gave her a chance to infuse her love for the subject among students in her home town. “It was a refreshing experience,” she says. Noorjan’s years of hard work have finally paid off with summa cum laude results. “I worked really hard but never expected to score first,” she says.

Her lecturer Dr Mohammed Afzal Pasha, HoD, Chemistry department at the varsity, lauds her as a “really bright student.” “Despite travelling so much and coming from an underprivileged background, she managed to get good marks.”

Her father Abdul Rafiq said, “I could not study much and became a daily wage labourer, while my other kids did not fare well in studies either. I was glad Noorjan was very interested in studies. I have told her come what may, she should pursue her dream.” Noorjan’s mother Shakila takes special pride in her daughter. “I am very happy that my daughter has done her post-graduation and secured first place, which is the highest academic achievement in my family by a long distance.”

Noorjan now dreams of pursuing a PhD and hopes to continue her research in Chemistry.

source: http://www.bangaloremirror.com / Bangalore Mirror / Home> Bangalore> Cover Story / by Sridhar Vivan, Bangalore Mirror Bureau / May 20th, 2014