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Stranded Telugus in Ukraine make desperate appeal for evacuation

Amazing Feats, Education, NRI's / PIO's, Ukraine Updates, Students (Feb. 2022), World Opinion, , , , , , , ,

Hyderabad, TELANGANA / INDIA / UKRAINE :

Indian students who are in Kyiv appeal for their evacuation.

Hyderabad: 

Cook food in the confines of house in the morning and take refuge in the nearby bunkers all through the day. This has become routine for several Telugu students who are caught in the war-torn Ukraine for the past a few days. Worst is the situation for students who are staying in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, which has been witnessing heavy bombardment from the Russian forces.

“On February 23 at 3.30 am, we heard the first heavy explosion nearby our house that was deafening. The bombing was followed thereafter. Last night, an oil factory was bombed and fire could be seen from far of places. We are really scared for our lives. We are cooking in the house and staying in bunker,” says Sai Naik, a Warangal native who is staying in Kyiv with seven other students.

As the war-torn Ukraine announced martial law which includes curfew, all establishments have shut their shops. While some students had managed to stock-up, but needless to say, they do not last long.


“We bought groceries and other edibles for five days and we are already into the fourth day the food stock for one-day left. We have no idea what we will do now as all stores are closed since February 24.|

There is a shortage of water as well,” said Naik, who is a student of Bogomolets National Medical University, Kyiv.

Another student from Hyderabad, Gulam Ahmed Mohiuddin Salman who is currently taking shelter in Kyiv Medical University hostel said there were no responses from the Indian Embassy officials regarding their evacuation.

“There are 200 Indian students presently in the hostel basement. We are running short of groceries and other provisions. Given the situation with no transportation facility, it is impossible for us to travel to the Ukraine border which is 800 kms away from the hostel,” Salman said.

Naik, Salman and several other Indian students have made desperate appeals to the Indian government to at least transport them to the nearest border post.

Shoot at sight orders

“Shoot at sight orders was issued by the Ukraine government, so we cannot move out. We want the Indian government to help us reach the Ukraine border so that we can board a flight from neighbouring country,” Naik appealed.

source: http://www.telanganatoday.com / Telangana Today / Home / by Yuvraj Akula / February 27th, 2022

Muslim man jumps under moving train to rescue woman, Twitter reacts

Amazing Feats, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Transport, , , , , , ,

Bhopal, MADHYA PRADESH :

In a video of the incident, Mehboob can be seen holding the woman’s head down to prevent it from hitting anything protruding from the undercarriage.

Muslim man jumps under moving train to rescue woman fallen on tracks

Bhopal: 

In an act of tremendous courage a 37-year-old Muslim man jumped in front of a moving goods train to save a woman who had fallen on the railway track in Madhya Pradesh’s Bhopal, an official said on Saturday.

While the incident took place on February 5, a video of the occurrence went viral on social media on Friday, garnering praise from all quarters.

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The incident took place in Barkhedi around 8 pm on February 5, when Mohammed Mehboob, a carpenter, was walking near the scene after offering namaz.

A woman in her 20s carrying a backpack was crossing the railway track at the time when a goods train started approaching, said Shoaib Hashmi, a friend of Mehboob told PTI on Saturday.

The woman got scared and tripped on the tracks and could not get up and move away from the train’s path, he said.

When onlookers started shouting in panic, Mehboob acted on impulse and jumped on the track and ran up to the woman, dragged her to the middle of the trackbed, and kept her from lifting her head as the train passed over them, Hashmi said.

People kept cautioning the duo to stay down till at least 28 wagons on the train passed over them, he added.

After the near-death experience, the woman broke down in tears and hugged her father and brother who had not crossed the railway track with her at the time, Hashmi said.

In a video of the incident, Mehboob can be seen holding the woman’s head down to prevent it from hitting anything protruding from the undercarriage.

Ever since the video went viral on social media, people have been flocking Mehboob’s home in Ashok Vihar Bank Colony, Aishbag to congratulate him.

source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> News> India / by Syeda Faiza Kazim , the News Desk / February 12th, 2022

Beloved Delhi — A Mughal City and Her Greatest Poets review: The city of verse

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Books (incl.Biographies - w.e.f.01 jan 2018 ), Community Involvement / Social Issues, Royal Families, PreIndependence -Descendants (wef. Jan 02nd,2022), , , , , , , , , , , ,

NEW DELHI :

Eight poets of the past capture Delhi’s joys and sorrows

Saif Mahmood’s Beloved Delhi: A Mughal City and Her Greatest Poets offers offers a window into the life, times, and poetry of Delhi’s greatest Urdu poets from the 18th and 19th centuries, with witty and critical insight, in a conversational style that has become Saif’s hallmark in many a literary gathering.

Focusing on eight poets, he allows us to touch Delhi’s past and rethink its present through Urdu. Each chapter on a poet is divided into two sections — the first is biographical and provides the reader with insight into Delhi’s material conditions through the vicissitudes of the poet’s life. Thus, the 18th century poets are nomadic because of the post-Nadir Shah instabilities of Delhi.

The 19th century poets lead more sedentary lives, as the British Residency of Delhi provides the military support, at least until the cleavage of 1857. This upsets the tradition of the classical Urdu ghazal, and so the last poet analysed is Daagh Dehlvi, already writing in 1857, and a step-grandson of the last Mughal King, Bahadur Shah Zafar. The book also records this decline visually through Anant Raina’s photographs of the current gravesites of these poets, exhibiting the absolute lack of public or state support toward heritage maintenance.

The second part gives an excellent commentary on their poetry.

Saif’s familiarity with the tradition and his capacities for literary criticism shine through, as the raconteur in him narrates the stories of these poets’ poetry with coherence, complexity, and lucidity. The book highlights Urdu poets who are well known to Urdu readers, but not to listeners of ghazals or those interested in the literature from the outside.

Apart from Ghalib (described by Saif as ‘Master of Masters’), and Mir Taqi Mir (‘the Incurable Romancer of Delhi’), poets such as Sauda (‘the Great Satirist’), Mir Dard (‘Urdu’s Dancing Dervish’), Ustad Ibrahim Zauq (‘The Poet Laureate’), Bahadur Shah Zafar (the ‘Emperor’ who has an ‘Affair with Urdu’), and Daagh (‘the Last Casanova of Delhi’) get the attention they deserve.

The collection also brings out the specificities of their poetry including the great licence, often through satire, that many of these commanded with the ruling powers as dissenters. Tolerance for such criticism today rests uneasy with the crown. The poets extol the city of Delhi as picturesque, showing colours unimaginable, but also to be lamented after each violent tragedy, with a sense of loss, sometimes in a dedicated genre, the shahr-ashob or city-lament.

Beloved Delhi is for keeps and must be read by all with the remotest of interests in Urdu, Delhi, or poetry and poets.

Beloved Delhi: A Mughal City and Her Greatest Poets ; Saif Mahmood, Speaking Tiger, ₹599.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Books> Reviews / by Maaz Bin Bilal / November 03rd, 2018

1,647 students receive degrees at Ramaiah university convocation

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

Bengaluru, KARNATAKA :

28 students received the MS Ramaiah gold medals while an equal number received Venkatamma Ramaiah silver medals.

Seven students were awarded PhD, 453 students master’s and 1,187 students bachelor’s degrees.
(Photocaption) Gold and silver medallists Nidhi Santhosh, Dr.Aishwarya Swathi, Samreen Fathima, Bennett M Darshan, Kabita Kumari, Harshit Agarwal and Kavya C at the convocation of Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences on Monday
Credit: DH Photo/Prashanth H G

The sixth convocation of Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences took place here on Monday with as many as 1,647 students receiving degrees. 

Seven students were awarded PhD, 453 students master’s and 1,187 students bachelor’s degrees. Twenty-eight students received the MS Ramaiah gold medals while an equal number received Venkatamma Ramaiah silver medals. Eight research students received Gowramma Ramaiah silver medals for best-presented research theses. 

Anil D Sahasrabudhe, Chairperson, AICTE, presented the degrees to the students. “The main aim of education is to instil moral values and create selfless citizens who work for the welfare of the country. Students have the responsibility of creating an Atmanirbhar Bharat. They should also understand the National Education Policy and respond to the changing needs of development,” he said. 

University Chancellor M R Jayaram, Vice-Chancellor Prof Kuldeep Kumar Raina and Registrar Prof M Sai Baba were also present.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> City> Life in Bengaluru / DHNS, Bengaluru / March 15th, 2022

Female Qazi solemnises wedding of Dr. Zakir Hussain’s great-grandson

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Women/Girls(since May26-2021), , , , , , ,

NEW DELHI :

Photo for representational purpose.

In a rare occurrence in the Capital, a female Qazi solemnized the wedding of the great-grandson of the former President of India Dr. Zakir Hussain on Friday.

Senior journalist Qurban Ali said that his daughter Ursila Ali got married to Gibran Rehan Rahman at Dr. Hussain’s residence in Jamia Nagar. The ceremony was performed by Dr. Syeda Saiyadain Hameed, a former member of the Planning Commission, as the Qazi.

“The terms set forth in the Nikaahnama were prepared under the auspices of Muslim Women’s Forum – an organization of which the groom’s great-grandmother Begum Saeeda Khurshid was a founding president,” Dr. Hameed said.

Mr. Ali said that the idea of the marriage being solemnized by a female Qazi was originally the bride’s and the groom welcomed it. “There was no concept of a female Qazi in the Indian Islamic society so we want to make a new beginning and when we talk about equality then why not a female Qazi,” he said.

Dr. Hameed said that the added significance of this Nikahnama is the Iqrarnama (agreement) “which enlists the conditions mutually agreed upon by the bride and groom, pertaining to the equal rights and responsibilities along with respect and regard for all aspects of married life”.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities / by Staff Reporter / Newe Delhi – March 11th, 2022

People of all religions take part in mosque inauguration

Community Involvement / Social Issues, Karnataka (under research project), ,

Ballupete (Hassan), KARNATAKA :

Residents of Ballupete, irrespective of their faith, contributed to its construction

Residents of Ballupete, irrespective of their faith, contributed to its construction

The inauguration of a newly built mosque at Ballupete in Sakleshpur taluk became an occasion for the residents of the village to exhibit harmony and brotherhood on Monday. People from all communities visited the mosque and joined for lunch. Many were visiting a mosque for the first time..

The members of the Jumma Masjid committee welcomed the guests with a smile and took them around the structure. “For the first time, I am visiting a mosque. I was curious to know this place. I am glad members of the mosque committee gave this opportunity to know about their place of worship”, said Rani, a resident of Ballupete.

The committee has built the structure by spending over ₹1 crore. People from all communities have offered their contributions to the construction. Susheela, a resident of the village, said she had been living close to the mosque for many years and her family had offered contributions for the mosque. “The building has come up very well”, she said.

Hazrat Moulana Nadvi Saheb, who spoke on the occasion, lauded the efforts of Muslim youths who organised the event. “Inviting our neighbours and wellwishers to our mosque is a good step towards ensuring harmony. We can win over others through love. I wish people in other cities and villages emulate this model”, he said.

Ballu Gopal, a journalist, said Ballupete had been known for harmony among people belonging to all religions. “We respond to each other’s problems and celebrate happy occasions together. I wish this relationship continues forever”.

Among those who visited the mosque on the day included elected representatives, shopkeepers, women and schoolchildren.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / Ballupete (Hassan) / March 14th, 2022

Uttarakhand Assembly 2022 to have 03 Muslim MLAs

Community Involvement / Social Issues, Leaders, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

UTTARAKHAND :

This is 01 more than the tally of Muslim MLAs in Uttarakhand in 2017 when 02 Muslims had won amidst the BJP Tsunami.

Uttarakhand Election Result 2022: 

The newly elected Assembly in Uttarakhand will have 03 Muslim MLAs, according to the final result announced by the State Election Commission Thursday.

This is 01 more than the tally of Muslim MLAs in Uttarakhand in 2017 when 02 Muslims had won amidst the BJP Tsunami.

The ruling Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) has retained power in Uttarakhand winning a total of 47 seats – 10 less than its previous tally of 2017.

The opposition Congress has won 19 seats – an improvement of 08 seats as compared to its tally of 11 seats in 2017.

Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has won 02 seats, according to the Uttarakhand Election 2022 Final result.

Among the 03 Muslim candidates who have won the 2022 Uttarakhand election 02 – Shahzad and Sarwat Kareem Ansari, are from BSP and 01 – Furkan Ahmad, is from Congress.

Shahzad of BSP has won the 2022 election from Laksar Assembly seat of Uttarakhand, defeating Sanjay Gupta of BJP by 10,440 votes.

Sarwat Kareem of BSP won the 2022 polls from Manglaur Assembly constituency defeating Qazi Mohammad Nizamuddin of Congress by 598 votes. Qazi Mohammad Mohiuddin had won the Manglaur seat in 2017.

On the other hand, Furkan Ahmad of Congress won the polls from Pirankaliyar assembly seat, defeating Munish Kumar Saini of BJP by 15,743 votes. Furkan Ahmad had won the same seat in the 2017 election.

source: http://www.ummid.com / Ummid.com / Home / by Ummid.com News Network / March 11th, 2022

Muslim women professionals launch ‘RBTC’ to mentor girls in UP

Amazing Feats, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Education, Leaders, Women/Girls(since May26-2021), , , , ,

UTTAR PRADESH :

RBTC is a group of 100 Muslim women honourees at national-level and 100 at state-level

Lucknow: 

Muslim women professionals, in a novel initiative, will now mentor girls from socially weaker sections with ‘Rising Beyond the Ceiling’ (RBTC) launching its free mentorship programme on the International Women’s Day.

RBTC is a group of 100 Muslim women honourees at national-level and 100 at state-level. These women will now mentor girls on professional, educational, emotional, and financial matters.

“Why is a Muslim woman considered illiterate if she is wearing burqa or naqaab? If provided an opportunity, she can achieve anything she desires,” said Sabiha Ahmad, RBTC Uttar Pradesh coordinator and UP Sunni Waqf Board member.

“This is an opportunity we will provide to young girls from socially weaker sections”, she added.

Explaining further she said that RBTC is not just helping in breaking the stereotype about the Muslim women but is also contributing to nation building.

“Bringing women from different areas of work, such as the women in uniform, in academics, arts, journalism and others, for mentoring helps in building self-confidence in young girls and gives wings to their aspirations,” she said.

“Regardless of religion, any girl with the aspiration to work in any field can get in touch with the organisation to seek whatever help is required. The mentorship is free of cost, and we have started inviting submissions for it apart from the current mentees being guided already,” she added.

source: http://www.ummid.com / Ummid.com / Home> Business & Economy / by IANS / March 08th, 2022

Khancompletion of the nation

Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Leaders, Sports, , , ,

INDIA :

Ours is the only nation in the world to have three major film stars with the surname Khan who can proudly boast of having another famous person with the exact same name

The arrival of Tamil Nadu cricketer Shahrukh Khan, whose ₹9 crore IPL deal catapulted him into mainstream attention, marks another proud moment in the rise of India as a nation of unique global status and importance. 

This makes us the only nation in the world to have three major film stars with the surname Khan who can proudly boast of having another famous person with the exact same name. A world record. 

Until the advent of Shahrukh Khan (the cricketer, not the actor), Shah Rukh Khan (the actor, not the cricketer) must undoubtedly have been at least mildly jealous of Salman Khan (the actor, not the…er…you get the drift) for having another Salman Khan (the Khan academy guy) and of Aamir Khan (the actor) for possessing an equivalent Amir Khan (the boxing champ). It cannot possibly be easy being the only superstar named Khan without a 1:1 mapping to another celebrity from a completely different walk of life. It must have been keeping him up at night. He might have been scouring social media to find at least one other Shahrukh Khan with some potential for global fame. Thankfully, his heart will now be at peace. 

Surely, this landmark that India has achieved will trigger the envy of other so-called world powers like the United States and China, who have always been resentful of our glorious ancient past and our recent rise as a modern economic and cultural force. It is possible that, even as you read this, foreign powers are conspiring to unearth some pastry chef named Tom Cruise or cryptocurrency baron named Jackie Chan, just to discredit and defame India. 

There are already negative-minded people who are pointing out discrepancies in the corresponding Khan names, just in order to take the sheen off India’s record. “You will notice that the cricketer goes by Shahrukh as a single name, unlike the actor who has carelessly inserted a space between the Shah and the Rukh. So it doesn’t really count” they might argue. “There’s an extra A in Aamir Khan’s name, which the boxing dude is clearly lacking” they may complain. But, to quote Inigo Montoya (and you should always quote Inigo Montoya when you get the chance), I reply with “Don’t bother me with trifles”. Only a cynic or an anti-national would allow such bothersome technicalities to detract from the collective joy that always springs forth from national triumph. 

But the statistics don’t lie, as clearly demonstrated by official numbers on unemployment, GDP and COVID-19 cases in Uttar Pradesh, and they present irrefutable evidence that no other country even comes close to us. Some desperate people will point to the UK radio host named Chris Evans, or to the fact that Katy Perry and Michael Keaton were originally named Katy Hudson and Michael Douglas respectively, or to how Michael B. Jordan can be Michael Jordan — but they’re missing the point entirely. Anyone with a keen understanding of maths, such as Salman Khan (the Khan academy guy, not the actor), Nirmala Sitharaman, or Byju Raveendran can point out the critical feature in India’s Khan collection — all six celebrities in the set share the same surname. Like Don Bradman’s batting average, or the number of hero roles played by Prem Nazir, it’s a record that’s probably never going to be broken. 

If T. Rajender were to sum up the whole thing, he might say, “All the other countries are incomplete, but India is the only country that is khancomplete.” 

Anand Ramachandran is a Chennai-based writer and game designer who likes playing games with his writing. 

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Opinion> The Portzebie Papers / by Anand Ramachandran / March 12th, 2022

Uncertainty looms over future of Ukraine returnees

Amazing Feats, Education, Karnataka (under research project), NRI's / PIO's, Ukraine Updates, Students (Feb. 2022), World Opinion, , , , , ,

KARNATAKA :

Students are hoping for rehabilitation in India or admission in similar universities in European countries like Poland as a special case for Indian students

Uncertainty looms large over the fate of students who safely returned to India from Ukraine as some of them feel that continuing medical education in the war-ravaged country would be tougher, challenging and unreliable and parents may refuse to send them back in the present circumstances.

In Mysuru, Kodagu and Chamarajnagar, several students have returned safely and a few more are on their way. What has been bothering the returnees is “what next”.

Though discussions are ongoing in various circles on whether to permit the affected students to continue their education in Indian colleges, a clear picture on their future may emerge once all safely return to the country with the Centre’s ‘Operation Ganga’ in the final stages of evacuation in Ukraine.

“I’m worried about my future. I don’t know whether my parents will send me back to Ukraine if the situation returns to normal though it appears to be highly uncertain with Russian militia advancing. I am keeping my fingers crossed. I have put in three years and I was about to be promoted to fourth year. I am hopeful something will emerge as India will work out a solution in students’ interests,” said Likith, who returned from Kharkiv.

Like Likith, his friends and classmates in Kodagu and Mysuru are hoping that the medical colleges or universities in Europe may also consider admitting the affected students from Ukraine since the education system is almost similar in many European countries. In solidarity with Ukraine, the European institutions, as a special case, may admit the students, after fulfilling the formalities. Poland, Hungary and Slovakia and other countries may consider admission, they hope.

“I and my friends and I have decided to wait and watch the developments. We cannot say what happens in the days ahead. We are hoping that our interests will be protected,” said Likith, a student of Kharkiv National Medical University, who spent a harrowing time with eight others in a bunker in Kharkiv after the Russian invasion.

Sharukh M.Y., who returned to his hometown in Virajpet taluk in Kodagu on Sunday, is hoping that the government of India will come up with a plan to address the returnees’ plight.

“I am hoping that my university in Ukraine will start online classes at the earliest. It has told us it will update us by March 15. With the war on, everything appears uncertain. I’m in the sixth semester. I would have been promoted to fourth year but the crisis forced us to vacate. I am open to all options,” said Shah Rukh, who is a student of V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University in Kharkiv.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National >Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / Myusru – March 07th, 2022