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How a kayak helped save 250 lives, changed an Udupi man’s life

Amazing Feats, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Karnataka (under research project), Sports, Transport, , , , , , , , ,

Udupi, KARNATAKA :

Imtiaz rescued 250 people from floods on his kayak last year, making him an instant hero in Udupi. However, this also led to a run-in with some local influential Hindus.

How a kayak helped save 250 lives, changed an Udupi mans life

Udupi (Karnataka):

When Imtiaz brought his kayak home to Udupi’s backwaters from Oman two years ago, he thought it would make it easier for him to relax in the evenings.

Little did he know of the midnight call he would receive on 20 September, 2020, and how his kayak would save the lives of 250 people – but also land him in trouble with some local influential Hindu groups.

Last year, the district of Udupi witnessed the worst floods in 36 years. Thousands of houses were washed away or inundated as incessant rains led to the swelling of the Suvarna river. Imtiaz, whose house is a few feet away from the bank of the river, will never forget that night.

“It had been raining for two days. At 2 am, we saw the river embankment had broken. That’s when we realized this was no ordinary storm. We waded to our boats, tied them up as best we could, and tried to get some sleep. At 3 am, I got a frantic call from the city. There was a man on the other side who said 15 people were trapped in a house and begged me to rescue them,” he said.

Imtiaz had never done any rescue work before. Before that night, the 34-year-old had spent time as a labourer in the Gulf and was a small-time shopkeeper in Udupi, offering coconuts and soda to tourists. The only reason why he had received the SOS call in the first place was that it was known among locals that his kayak would have been anchored somewhere near the Kemmanu hanging bridge.

Imtiaz rescues Udupi villagers on his kayak in September 2020

According to Imtiaz, he was the first person to start kayaking in Udupi, even though now he has company. “

My brother and I took two kayaks and rescued 250 people between 4 am and noon that day. We had to row through such difficult places – trees had fallen onto the water – that no engine boat could have gone there,” said Imtiaz.

An NDRF team from Mangalore, whose engine boat had got stuck in the water, was also returned to shore by Imtiaz and his brother.

“Two aged people were clinging on to the roof, water had reached up to their shoulders. It took me 45 minutes to get them onto my boat,” related Imtiaz.

When Imtiaz and his brother finally came to the shore after eight hours of rescue work, Udupi MLA Raghupati Bhat and some other officials were at the spot to congratulate him.

A newspaper report of Imtiazs feat allegedly turned some facts around.

However, when reports of his efforts came out in the newspaper the next day, Imtiaz was surprised to see that it was mentioned that his kayak had been donated by a local temple committee.

“The newspaper people must have done it for publicity. My brother sent a WhasApp message to his friend saying that the paper had made false claims, which became viral. Then the people from the temple committee came to my house and threatened me. I said sorry just to get it over with,” said Imtiaz.

On November 1, Imtiaz received the Rajyotsava award – Karnataka’s second highest civilian honor – from the Chief Minister for his bravery. An event was organized in his honour in Udupi. A poster set up for the function currently lies torn behind a bush in front of Imtiaz’s house.

“I just want to run my business, being a hero cannot be my day job,” he said.

FULL STORY + SHOCKING IMPACT IN THE END | 200+ Life saved in Kayak | India Udupi |Kemmannu Channel / source: YouTube.com

source: http://www.thebridge.in / The Bridge / Home> Others / by Dipankar Lahiri / December 29th, 2021

Wrestling singlet under a burqa: The story of Odisha’s undisputed champion Tahera Khatun

Amazing Feats, Sports, Women/Girls(since May26-2021), , , , , , , , , , , ,

Cuttack, ODISHA :

Coming from a Muslim family in a state where wrestling is not popular, Tahera knew that the path would be full of obstacles, but her perseverance and determination have kept her going.

Indian wrestler Tahera Khatun (Source: Amanpreet Singh/Twitter)
Indian wrestler Tahera Khatun (Source: Amanpreet Singh/Twitter)

Odisha grappler Tahera Khatun was told to embrace the burqa and shun the wrestling singlet but she made the tough choice of upholding her “dharma” as well as pursuing her passion simultaneously.

Coming from a Muslim family in a state where wrestling is not popular, Tahera knew that the path was going to be full of obstacles, but her perseverance and determination have kept her going.

Undefeated in her state thus far, the 28-year-old Tahera has struggled to make a mark at the national level. She neither has strong sparring partners at her club in Cuttack to become a better wrestler nor has rich dietary support to become strong. But she does not regret the lack of success at the big stage since stepping onto the mat is a source of happiness for her.

“I am wedded to wrestling,” Tahera told PTI with a spark in her eyes. “If I get married, I will be told to leave wrestling since it is difficult for Muslim girls to continue in such a contact sport after marriage, and I am not willing to do it. Three of my batch-mates got married and now they can’t play because of family pressure, I don’t want something like that happening to me. I already faced difficulties since taking up this sport. The relatives and neighbours were never appreciative of me playing this game. They just wanted me to stay inside the house but my mother, Sohra Bibi, supported me,” explained Tahera, who lost her father, S K Ahmed, when she was only 10.

Whatever little support Tahera gets, it is from her brothers (one is auto driver and the other a painter) and coach Rajkishore Sahu. “Wrestling gives me happiness. So what if I don’t do well at the Nationals, at least I am getting to compete. Merely getting on to the mat fills me with happiness,” she said.

Tahera recently competed at the National championship in Gonda in Uttar Pradesh but made a first-round exit in the 65kg category. She used to play table tennis to overcome depression caused by her father’s death before wrestling coach Rihana convinced her to make a switch. Rihana trained her for a month and took her to ‘Khurda Pehla’ for a district championship, where she emerged champion and the love of sport struck her.

“People tell me ‘wrestling has not given you anything’. There are no facilities, no job. But my mother told me that I must pursue it if I like it,” said Tahera. While Tahera wants to pursue her passion she did not wish to disappoint her community and find a way to keep the people happy.

“When I enter Cuttack, I wear ‘burqa’. I need to save both, my sporting career as well as my religion. When I come out to play I wear whatever is required but I don’t disrespect my elders. ‘Dharam bhi chahiye, karam bhi’. In 2018, I lost my mother. Till she was alive, I had to think about her. I did not want her to listen to taunts but now I don’t care, I live my life my way now. I will definitely wear burqa once I am done with my career. Now things are changing. Lot of people wished me all the best before I left for Nationals.”

However, the other struggle continues for her. The little support she gets from her coach and brothers is not enough. She knows her career is as good as over, but she wants to initiate her nieces into the sport and for that to happen, she needs financial stability.

“I wish I had got a job. At least a home guard job. I manage my expenses by giving Yoga home tuition and help people who require physiotherapy. I learnt it by myself by attending training camps and talking to wrestlers. For how long my brothers would support me, I need a job. All I earn is 4-5 thousand a month.”

Tahera cannot afford to take protein or dry fruits. All she can afford is rice and vegetable as of now. Because of the lack of rich diet, she now has low level of calcium and hemoglobin. Her body is giving the signal that she can’t continue in the sport but she is all about grit. She competed at the Nationals with high blood pressure and against the advice of the doctor. Her coach Rajkishore Sahu also shared the plight of her ward.

“No one has offered Tahera even a glass of water, leave aside providing support and facilities. The wrestlers in the state of Odisha are a deprived lot,” said Sahu, who retired from the Food Corporation of India (FCI) six years ago.

source: http://www.thebridge.in / The Bridge / Home> Wrestling / by PTI / November 22nd, 2021

Inspired by Kalpana Chawla’s story, Hijabi girl secures commercial pilot’s license

Amazing Feats, Transport, Women/Girls(since May26-2021), , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Mumbai, MAHARASHTRA :

Inspired by Kalpana Chawla’s story, Hijabi girl secures commercial pilot’s license

Mohaddesa Jafri
Mohaddesa Jafri

Mumbai : 

A 26-year-old Hijabi girl who was inspired by Kalpana Chawla’s story, recently secured a commercial pilot’s license. She became Maharashtra’s first Shia girl to get the license.

The girl, Mohaddesa Jafri, daughter of Maulana Sher Mohammed Jafri and Aalema Farah Jafri recently returned from South Africa where she had undergone the training.

How did she become fan of Kalpana Chawla?

Mohaddesa Jafri was seven-year-old when Indian American astronaut Kalpana Chawla died in the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster in February 2003.

After Chawla’s demise, posters and banners were seen at multiple places in the country. When Jafri went out of home along with her father saw the posters and asked him about the astronaut.

Her father narrated Kalpana Chawla’s story and explained how brave she was. After listening to the astronaut’s story, Mohadddesa became a fan of Chawla.

After reading many articles on Chawla and watching her videos, Jafri informed her parents that she want to join the aviation industry.

Finally, in 2020, she joined a flying school in Johannesburg, South Africa. However, her relatives were not happy with her parent’s decision to send her for pilot training. The relatives commented that despite being Maulana and Alema, they sent their daughter for pilot training.

Ignoring the remarks against the decision, they allowed their daughter to continue pilot training as they were sure that it is not irreligious.

Who was Kalpana Chawla?

Kalpana Chawla was the first woman of Indian origin who went to space. She who was a Mechanical engineer had gone to space thrice.

The first two missions were successful. Her third flight which was on Space Shuttle Columbia in 2003 was not successful as the spacecraft disintegrated during its re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere.

Apart from Chawla, six other crew members died in the disaster.

source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> News> India / by Sameer / May 29th, 2022

Credit society run by Muslims offers respite for low-income wage groups

Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Community Involvement / Social Issues, , , , , , , , , ,

Patna, BIHAR :

Head office of Al-Khair Society in Patna, Bihar. | Picture: Clarion India

Headquartered in a small building in the state capital Patna, Al-Khair Co-operative Credit Society, with thirteen branches in four states, has transformed lives by loaning money to low-income groups at zero interest rate. 

Patna (Bihar) :

For 18 years, 51-year-old Kamala Devi used to sell vegetables at her small shop in Patna, Bihar, to support her family. The business wasn’t doing well and when in need of cash she would borrow money from a local lender at a 20 percent interest rate per month. Paying back this money at this interest rate was an extra burden. She found a way out when she came to know about the Al-Khair Co-operative Credit Society, a registered society based in Patna that loans money to low-income groups at zero interest rate. 

In 2012, she borrowed Rs 10,000 from Al-Khair with zero interest and a one-time nominal service charge. With this money, which she had to repay by easy installments of Rs 50 per day, Devi started selling readymade garments at her shop. Her business improved. She paid back the loan amount in one year. Happy with the result, she took two more loans to expand her business. 

“I am planning to borrow Rs five lakh from Al-Khair after repaying a loan of three lakh twice in the last three years. My goal is to further expand my business with the help of my elder son,” Devi told TwoCircles.net. 

Besides lending her money to help her business, Al-Khair also loaned her money to buy a laptop for her younger son, who works in a private company. 

“My family is settled now and our days of hardships are over,” she said. 

Devi is one among 29,000 members of Al-Khair Co-operative Credit Society, a registered body under the Multi-State Co-operative Society (MSCS) Act 2002. 

The society has 13 branches across Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and New Delhi. Its beneficiaries include vegetable vendors, ready-made garments shopkeepers, medicine shop owners and Dhaba (eatery) owners etc. 

Launched in 2002 by Arshad Ajmal (then chairman of Al-Khair Charitable Trust), Dr Badurl Hoda, Syed Shamim Rizvi and a few others, it employs 125 people as its staff. The need for such a society was felt after a detailed survey in 2001 conducted by S.B. Sinha, a Harvard University expert, revealed that “only 10% of people who were in need of loans had access to commercial banks.”

In order to become a member, one is required to buy at least 10 shares of Rs 10 each. 

Managing Director of Al-Khair Naiyer Fatmi told TwoCircles.net that “Al-Khair has disbursed loans of Rs 113 crores since its inception.” 

Fatmi said that they levy a one-time service charge ranging from 3.5 to 8.5 per cent. 

Helping hand to low-income women during pandemic
Nearly 35 percent of Al-Khair’s members are women. In 2012, Al-Khair started a branch in Mahendru, Patna that is run entirely by women. 42-year-old Shama Parween of Dargah Shah Arzan neighborhood is a member at this branch. She runs a small eatery near a school in Sultanganj, Patna.

In 2019, she became a member of Al-Khair by depositing Rs 500 per month from her husband’s savings.

“During the countrywide Covid-19 lockdown in March 2020, managing our household expenses became difficult as there was no work,” Parween, a mother of two daughters, told TwoCircles.net. As she was a member of Al-Khair, it only took a week for her to avail a loan of Rs 25,000.

She said she found it easier to repay the loan as the field staff from Al-Khair collected Rs 100-200 every day from her.

The hassle-free loans offered by Al-Khair, which take around two weeks to disburse after submitting basic documents, are popular among low-income groups. Its door-to-door system of collection is also found to be a matter of ease for its members.

Rajesh Sahu, from the Madhubani district of Bihar, is a vegetable vendor in Gomti Nagar, Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh. In 2012, he started his small shop with a loan of Rs 3000 from Al-Khair. 

Sahu told TwoCircles.net that he was introduced to Al-Khair by his brother-in-law who was a beneficiary. “There is no hassle with Al-Khair. They don’t ask for too many documents and their charges to disburse loan is reasonable unlike where interest is charged which gets compounded,” he said. He is currently repaying his loan of Rs two lakhs, which he had taken in March this year, by depositing Rs 800 to 1000 every day. 

Despite its popularity, Al-Khair is finding it difficult to increase its number of branches. The last branch was opened in 2014 at Jamia Nagar, New Delhi which remains its only branch in the national capital. 

Fatmi said they have been waiting for almost five years for approval to open their five new branches, which include three in Bihar and two in Jharkhand. Earlier, the decision to open any new branch under MCMS Act lay with the Board of Society, Government of Bihar but after the demonetisation in 2016, the authority was delegated to Registrar, Co-operative in New Delhi under the Central government.  

“Our application is lying with them from 2016. We just hope that it gets approved,” Fatmi said.

Sami Ahmad is a journalist based in Patna, Bihar. He tweets at @samipkb

source: http://www.twocircles.net / TwoCircles.net / Home> Lead Story / by Sami Ahmad, TwoCircles.net / May 26th, 2022

Mom & Daughter-in-Law Broke Barriers to Create Hyderabad’s Iconic ‘Badaam Ki Jaali’

Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Women/Girls(since May26-2021), , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Hyderabad, TELANGANA :

The Imperial Sweet House in Hyderabad’s Sultanpur area was started by Nafees and her daughter-in-law Nasreen Hussaini in the 1960s. Over the years, they’ve expanded their business across India and the world.

A paradise for food lovers, history geeks and street shopaholics, the Charminar city of Hyderabad has a special place for everyone. Being the soul of Hyderabad, Nawabi dawats (delicacies) like Biryani, Qubani ka Meetha and Kaddu ki Kheer are certain to tickle the taste buds of tourists and locals alike.

But among the popular dishes, there is a lesser-known sweet dish called ‘Badam ki Jali’ that often goes undetected by foodies. Primarily made with almonds, cashews and sugar, the recipe of this confection is known to have been passed on from one generation to another.

However, according to reports, there are only a handful of families left in the city that serve Badam ki Jali, which originated in the old Madras and Acrot areas of Tamil Nadu. It travelled to Hyderabad through inter-community marriages, where brides also had their closely guarded recipes in their elaborate wedding trousseau.

One of the few remaining families that make this dish in its authentic form is the Hussaini. As per the family’s accounts, Syeda Aijaz Fatima brought the recipe with her when her family moved to Hyderabad 60 years ago. She passed her recipie to her daughter-in-law, Nafees.

She would make the dish during family gatherings, festivals and weddings but she never considered selling them or making a business out of it.

Cut to 2022, the women of the house run a successful store, ‘Imperial Sweet House’, in the Sultanpur area near Noorkhan Bazar. With an average daily turnover of Rs 20,000, the family supplies their best seller Badam ki Jali and other sweets not just across India but the world.

A Woman’s World

The Hussaini matriarch turned into homepreneurs in the ’60s when their community and the society was reluctant to see women of the house earning money.

It was with the entry of Nafees’ daughter-in-law, Nasreen, that they decided to sell the sweets during festivals. They converted the ground floor of their house into a store to save money on rent. This also ensured they were able to manage both household work and sweet making.

Recalling the early days of their business,  Nafees says, “It is a Nawabi mithai that we made accessible to everyone. Initially, we started with a few orders of 1-2 kg and gradually increased to 10 [kg]. I still remember that cashews were priced at Rs 8 per kg and almonds were Rs 10 when we started. The help we hired 50 years ago is still with us. But nowadays there are grinders to grind almonds and cashews but back then it was a tedious process.”

Now 87, Nafees credits her husband, Syed Mohammed, who supported her dream to expand the store’s business.

“Whether it was completing an order of 52 trays of Badam ki Jali, delivering the sweets on his way back from work or working overnight while streaming movies on VCDs [to accompany the sweetmakers], he always helped,” she adds.

As part of their expansion plan, Nasreen introduced new colours, shapes and sizes like stars, betel leaves, flowers and fruits, to the recipe with help from her husband, Mansoor. Meanwhile, Nafees added an ‘ashrafi’ design, which is achieved by pressing the dough between two Nizami coins to get their inscriptions.

Explaining the process of preparing Badam ki Jali without revealing much, she says, “We soak almonds in hot water and then dry it. Cashews and almonds are then ground into flour and then made into dough with sugar. The mould is then given different shapes and kept for baking. The whole process takes around 4-5 hours. The texture of the sweet is like cookies but the taste is similar to Kaju Katli.”

Nafees passed down the recipe to her daughter-in-law Nasreen who then taught her daughter-in-law, Aisha. Under the late Nasreen, the orders multiplied and she was the one to get new machines like grinders for easing the cooking process.

To ensure the quality of the ingredients, Nasreen and Nafees would themselves visit the Begum market to taste cashews and almonds.

When Aisha, the fourth-generation entrant, took over six years ago, she expanded the deliveries outside the city and country. She used online platforms like Whatsapp and social media for marketing. She was also instrumental in customising trays to get special shapes.

“Currently, our selling capacity is 300-400 kg per month. We also make Puran Poli, Gajar Halwa and other sweets. Every dish is made fresh and if there is an exhibition in the city, we do not sell in bulk and make fresh sweets if they get over. Although the shelf-life of this sweet is four to five days if covered in butter paper and packed properly. In case a customer is unhappy with the quality, we replace the entire order. We care about our reputation and family legacy more than anything,” says Aisha, who is a software engineer.

Over the years many competitors have arrived who make the same dish but the Husaainis are not worried.

“We prefer forgoing profits over compromising on taste and consistency. My grandmother, Nafees taught us this. It is due to these principles that we have a global footprint. Even actor Dia Mirza Rekhi had ordered our Badam ki Jali for her wedding last year,” says Ali, Aisha’s husband.

Both Aisha and Ali left their respective jobs in Dubai to continue the family’s legacy.

“The women of this house have a business acumen without having any business-related degrees. They hold magic in their hands to be able to make thousands of people smile with delight with their Badam ki Jali. So leaving a job abroad was totally worth it. We hope our next generation continues the family tradition,” he adds.

Sources

https://food.ndtv.com/news/dia-mirza-s-shaadi-ki-mithai-was-a-unique-treat-from-this-shop-in-hyderabad-see-pic-2373919

https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/hyderabad/2017/jul/15/badam-ki-jali-the-delicate-almond-cookies-from-hyderabad-1628808.html

Edited by Yoshita Rao

source: http://www.thebetterindia.com / The Better India / Home> Food> Hyderabad / by Gopi Karelia / February 23rd, 2022

962 students graduate from IIM-K

Amazing Feats, Education, Women/Girls(since May26-2021), , ,

Kozhikode , KERALA :

Governor Mohammed Arif Khan being welcomed to the IIM-K campus for the 24th convocation address on Saturday. A. Vellayan, Chairperson of the Board of Governors and IIM-K Director Debashis Chatterjee are also seen.

Institute hosts 24th convocation ceremony

Kozhikode :

The Indian Institute of Management-Kozhikode (IIM-K) hosted its 24 th convocation ceremony on the campus at Kunnamnagalam on Saturday. A total of 962 students graduated from the prestigious institute by receiving their titles and degrees.

Delivering the convocation address, Governor Arif Mohammed Khan stressed the role the higher education institutions should play in preparing for knowledge dissemination that an uncertain future might require. “Institutions are marketplaces of ideas that train young minds through robust experience and prepare students for the journey ahead in pursuit of excellence, guided by reason and informed choice,” he observed.

Gender diversity

A. Vellayan, Chairperson of the IIM-K Board of Governors, explained the significant changes and developments taken place at the institution in the past years. In his address, IIM-K Director Debashis Chatterjee expressed his gratitude to the Central and State governments for their continued support for ensuring the growth of the institution. While listing out the achievements and the laurels gained by the institute, he said IIM-K would continue to be a pioneer in gender diversity with significant woman representation.

Among the newly graduates, 11 were those who completed the doctoral programme in management (PhD). There were 468 students who completed the flagship postgraduate programme (PGP). The executive post graduate programme in management had 343 students. There were 60 for the PGP in business leadership and 40 each for the PGP-finance and PGP in Liberal studies and management.

The toppers in each programme were awarded their gold medals. Devesh Bansal, Pooja Goel, Shubham Sharma, Rakesh Pendyala, Ayushi Puri, Saksham Mehrotra, Kritika Vijay Kumar, and Aijaz Fatima were the gold medal winners in different categories.

The 24 th annual convocation also marked the grand culmination of the IIM-K’s silver jubilee celebrations. A series of programmes had been hosted online and offline to celebrate the silver jubilee fete on the campus.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Kerala / by Staff Reporter / April 09th, 2022

Toppers credit consistent efforts, family support for their success

Amazing Feats, Education, Karnataka (under research project), Women/Girls(since May26-2021), , ,

Bengaluru, KARNATAKA :

Consistent efforts and unstinting support from their family were what toppers from Bengaluru City University, who will be awarded with gold medals and cash prizes during the first convocation on Monday, credited their success to.

Leading the rank list is Purva N. Gandhi, a commerce student of Sri Bhagwan Mahaveer Jain Evening College. She has bagged three gold medals. “I am both surprised and happy. I had to prepare for chartered accountancy as well as B.Com examinations. I invested a lot of time in solving model question papers,” she said.

Taqiya Khanum A., a BBA graduate from SSMRV College, has bagged two gold medals. She is currently pursuing an MBA degree. Asked about her secret to success, she said: “I have always been very focused and dedicated towards studies. I used to spend most of my time studying.”

Toppers have also credited their success to their parents who motivated and supported them during the course of the pandemic when online classes took a toll on these students. “It wasn’t smooth sailing for our batch owing to the pandemic. Despite the online hurdles, the college staff made sure we fared well,” said Duvvuru Alekhya, an MBA student of Reva Institute of Science and Management, who has bagged two gold medals.

Being interested in cancer biology and molecular biology, Niveditha B.S. from the Department of Biochemistry, Bengaluru City University, who has won two gold medals, is working on joining premier research institutions like Indian Institute of Science or National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences. She has already cleared GATE, apart from publishing two research papers. “My seniors and teachers guided me. I used to prepare for competitive exams as well as college exams, and learnt to spend time wisely,” she said.

Ann Mary Sebastian from M.S. Ramaiah College A.S.C, who has bagged two gold medals in microbiology, told The Hindu that she couldn’t wait to go back home and celebrate with her parents.

For Aneeta Karen Pareira, who has won two gold medals for her performance in M.A. (French), success came after a lot of hard work. Determined to succeed, she said she was now planning on turning her passion for teaching into her profession. She is currently teaching French at a private school in the city.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Karnataka / by Shrabani Chakraborty / Bengaluru – April 09th, 2022

Travancore royal’s 1955-model Benz to join business tycoon’s fleet of cars

Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Leaders, Transport, World Opinion, , , , ,

KERALA / UAE :

When the businessman, Yusuff Ali, paid a visit to the palace in 2012 Marthanda Varma had expressed his wish to gift the car to him. A year later Varma died (December 16, 2013) and the transfer was delayed due to many reasons.

Earlier, the German luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz came back to Marthanda Varma with an offer of two new high-end cars, but the royal entity refused to part with his favourite vehicle. (SOURCED.)
Earlier, the German luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz came back to Marthanda Varma with an offer of two new high-end cars, but the royal entity refused to part with his favourite vehicle. (SOURCED.)

Marthanda Varma’s favourite car — a 1955-model Benz nicknamed “Mile a Minute,”– will soon join the fleet of well-known business tycoon MA Yusuff Ali. Varma was the patriarch of the erstwhile Travancore royal family.

The royal family and Uthradam Tirunal Marthanda Varma Foundation have said the late royal figure’s announcement in 2012 in this connection will soon be fulfilled. Many vintage car collectors and businessmen have eyed the vehicle for quite some time. Even the German luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz came back to him with an offer of two new high-end cars, but the royal entity refused to part with it.

What is amazing is that the old beauty had travelled 40 lakh miles, a rare achievement for a vehicle. People close to the royal family said he bought the car when he was 38, in 1955, and he drove a major portion of the miles it covered on his own and the rest as a passenger. Built in Stuttgart in Germany, Varma bought it for ₹12,000 and got it registered in Karnataka, CAN 42. It got its nickname “Mile a Minute” after it used to cover one mile in one minute.

When the businessman, Yusuff Ali, paid a visit to the palace in 2012 Marthanda Varma had expressed his wish to gift the car to him. A year later Varma died (December 16, 2013) and the transfer was delayed due to many reasons. Though delayed, the royal family members decided to fulfil his desire and informed the business magnate about it. He is yet to react to the royal offer.

The car is with his son Padmanabha Varma and in good road condition. Benz had presented many honours to the car and some of them are placed in front of the car and bonnet, said royal members. Palace old timers say even on his sick bed Varma used to watch his trusted companion. “He was so attached to it and looked after it as his progeny,” said one of them. A multinational businessman, Yusuff Ali, owns the Lulu group. He had a miraculous escape after his chopper crash-landed in Kochi last April.

source: http://www.hindustantimes.com / Hindustan Times / Home> Top News> India News / by HT Correspondent / April 04th, 2022

Chikkamagaluru girl Umme Sarah bags 16 gold medals

Agriculture (since June 07th, 2021), Amazing Feats, Education, Karnataka (under research project), Women/Girls(since May26-2021), , , ,

Sattihalli Village, Gullampete (Chikkamagaluru District) , KARNATAKA :

Proud Umme Sarah receives gold medals from Karnataka Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot on Wednesday

Bengaluru :

A girl student from Chikkamagalur district, bagged 16 gold medals at the 11th convocation of the University of Horticulture Science at Bagalkot on Wednesday. As many as 34 students received 77 gold medals during the convocation.

Karnataka Governor Thwar Chand Gehlot gave away the medals to Umme Sarah, daughter of Asmat Ali, a farmer from Gullampete.

Hailing from an agriculture-based family, Umme Sarah came to the horticulture sector inspired by her father’s farming. She studied hard with a government scholarship. Her father grows coffee on four acres of land. He had taken a loan of Rs 1 lakh from the bank for his daughter’s education. Umme Sarah’s mother is a homemaker.

Congratulating the winners, governor Thawar Chand Gehlot said, ““Our country is still agriculture oriented and agriculture graduates have to look out for wall and terrace garden horticulture,” he said.

Umme Sarah said, “There was no compromise when it came to studies since my childhood. My parents always encouraged me.”

I obtained a seat in the university after passing the CET,’ Sarah said.

She also said that she aims to work towards the betterment of Indian farmers and wants to pursue MSc from the university of Padua in Italy for that.


A Master’s Degree will cost anywhere between Rs. 15 lakh and Rs. 20 lakh abroad. Umme Sarah and her parents are expecting a helping hand for loans through banks, government scholarships, and donors.

source: http://www.newstrailindia.com / News Trail / Home / May 27th, 2022

When the Chief Justice felicitated a homeguard

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Hyderabad, TELANGANA :

Chief Justice Satish Chandra  Sharma felicitating homeguard Mohammed Ashraf Ali in Hyderabad on Friday. | Photo Credit: Arrangement

Justice Satish Chandra Sharma was impressed by Ashraf Ali’s commitment to duty

‘Arey maine ye kya kardiya?’ (What wrong have I done?) was relentlessly ringing in the mind of homeguard Mohammed Ashraf Ali (43) when the convoy of Chief Justice of Telangana High Court Satish Chandra Sharma started to approach him at a slow pace and stopped on Friday morning.

Mr. Ali, who works at Abid Road Traffic police station, was performing his duty at Babu Jagjivan Ram statue near Nizam College when he had a shock of his life as Justice Sharma himself got down from the vehicle and felicitated the officer with a bouquet.

Nonplussed by this development, the homeguard couldn’t believe what was happening in front of his eyes. A visibly impressed Chief Justice, while patting Mr. Ali, said that he had been observing him every day on his way to High Court and was pleased by his commitment and sense of duty.

“I see you every day. You are a good police officer,” Justice Sharma told Ali.

Speaking to The Hindu about the ‘once in a lifetime’ moment, Mr. Ali said that he was still in a state of shock and couldn’t believe that the Chief Justice took time from his busy schedule, and stopped the entire convoy to felicitate him, a homeguard rank police officer.

“It is a rare opportunity and a lifetime memory which I will recollect every single day and share with near and dear ones at every opportune time,” he said.

Mr. Ali’s family members and friends circulated his photo with Justice Sharma to every possible person they know and soon he was flooded with phone calls.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Telangana / by Abhinay Deshpande / Hyderabad – April 08th, 2022