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Guinness World Records finally acknowledges Sameera’s feat

Amazing Feats, Sports, World Opinion, ,

Hyderabad, TELANGANA :

No stopping her Shaik Husna Sameera playing a friendly game with AICF president Neeraj Kumar Sampathy in Hyderabad on Saturday. | Photo Credit: V_V_SUBRAHMANYAM
No stopping her Shaik Husna Sameera playing a friendly game with AICF president Neeraj Kumar Sampathy in Hyderabad on Saturday. | Photo Credit: V_V_SUBRAHMANYAM

Issues certificate to the carrom champ for setting a world record

For Shaik Husna Sameera, the agonising two-month wait has finally ended with the Guinness World Records (GWR) issuing the certificate recognising her feat of playing carrom for 34 hours and 45 minutes at DRRMC Indoor Stadium in Vijayawada in December last.

She broke the previous record of 32 hours and 45 seconds set by Narayan Paranjpe, Atul Kharecha, Prakash Kagal and Pramod Sen in the US in 2005.

Another record holder

With the GWR insisting that the world record be certified, she had to play with only one opponent, 22-year-old Allada Pavan, who is now employed in Bengaluru.

Interestingly, both are certified as world record holders for their feat.

“It’s a great moment. I have been waiting for this for long. Only I know what I had to go through in the last two months because of the suspense. But I must thank the AICF President Neeraj Kumar Sampathy for his support in helping me realise my dream,” said the Intermediate second year student of Sri Gayathri College at Chaitanyapuri in the city here.

“Yes, there were some doubts about the date mentioned in the proof that was submitted and there were quite a few queries too. But once they were satisfied, they declared that I did set a world record with a break of five minutes after every hour. This is a great moment for me,” said the 16-year-old Hyderabadi, who took to the sport as her mother was also a player and a qualified umpire too.

National titles

What next? “The focus is on winning the national titles. I am sure that given the kind of support from the AICF and Hyderabad Carrom Association with founder-president Haranath and S. Madan Raj going all out to help me, I hope to win the World Cup one day,” she said.

For his part, Dr. Neeraj said it was a great honour for the young champion as it’s not every day that such a record is attempted in any sport.

“And, I feel it is a huge fillip to the sport itself,” he added.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Telangana / by V.V. Subrahmanyam / Hyderabad – February 25t, 2017

He cremates Hindus, buries Muslims, scorns communalism

Community Involvement / Social Issues, ,

Faizabad (Ayodhya) – UTTAR PRADESH :

His long kurta-pyjama is caked with mud as the almost 80-year-old Mohd Shareef crosses over several mounds in the  Taadwali Takia cemetry in Rakabganj to reach a green coloured room on the other end.

Hanging outside the room are three boards that proclaim “Lavaris mayyat/matti ka ghuslkhana” (bath of destitute unclaimed bodies).
Breezily, he unlocks the gates and walks into a room that has seen the last rituals of hundreds of bodies, Hindus and Muslims alike some with heads and some without, some reeking of the hours that had gone by since death befell them and some smothered in blood.

“Pradhan Mantri ji ka logo ko baantne wali baat kehna bilkul bhi sahi nahi tha. Hum Hindu aur Muslim dono ki mitti gale se lagate hain aur ye log sabko alag karna chahte hain (The Prime Minister should not say things that are divisive. I hold dear bodies of both Hindus and Muslims and these people want to divide us all),” remarked the old man who has, for the past 25 years, been performing the last rites of unclaimed bodies in Faizabad which has five assembly constituencies, including Ayodhya, that will go to polls on Monday (February 27). Since 1992, he has performed last rites of over 25,000 unclaimed bodies.

Shareef Chacha, as he is famously known, was referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent ‘shamshaan and qabristan’ statement in a rally in Uttar Pradesh (UP) where he said that if land is allotted to cemeteries, it should be given for cremation  grounds too, implying that the Samajwadi Party favours Muslims.

“Ye sab vote ke chakkar mein neta log bolte hain par Hindus se hee izzat bani aur badhi hai meri. (These politicians make such statements for votes but it is only because of Hindus that I have earned respect in what I do). Our blood is one and my love is not restricted to a particular caste and religion,” he said, while commenting on the present political scenario as he flipped through the numerous photographs and award certifications received from both government and non-goverment entities.

Ask him why he chose this form of service and Chacha recounts his son’s death in February 1992. “He was my elder son Mohd Raes Khan (25) who had gone to Sultanpur to work as a chemist but went missing for a month. The Ramjanmabhoomi movement, that led to the demolition of Babri Masjid in December 1992, was brewing at that time. Raes was found murdered, his decomposed body in a sack. “Police located me through his shirt label that had the tailor’s name. It was then that I decided to not let any unclaimed body lying off the road to be devoured by stray animals,” said the old man who juggles being a cycle mechanic and shunting between graveyards and cremation grounds every day.

Since then, the man has been fulfilling the task with a few neighbours and supporters. “But these politicians and governments don’t do anything. They honour me but extend no monetary help to the cause or to me. Raes was my sole earner and now I live in a rented tin-shed with my depression-struck wife, a son who is into bad habits and is mentally disturbed and a daughter. My two other sons, who live separately, gave up on me because of the work I do,” he said. “Only a few days back, many candidates came here to ask for vote and to take me in their cars for campaign. I told them that I need a stronger light for the room to perform last rite rituals at night, and I haven’t heard from any of them since,” he added, dejected.

With hardly enough to make the ends meet, it’s cash donations and shrouds that help Shareef Chacha continue with his service. As a routine, he covers every police station, nearby hospitals, railway stations and mortuary for any unclaimed body. It is only after a body has been in the morgue for 72 hours that it is handed over to Chacha.

“I am old and have had to keep helpers. Santosh at the ghaat burns the bodies with Hindu rituals that I send him and others, like Mohd Ismail and Shyam Vishwakarma, and some boys help me bury the dead. Sometimes, they don’t even charge for their own labour, like for babies.

But resources are difficult. For burying a Muslim, Rs 5,000 are needed, while for a Hindu cremation around Rs 3,000-3,500 is required for 350 kg of wood,” said Chacha.
It is only when he hears the Azaan that Chacha takes a few moments out of his service. “No Hindu ever asks me to stop cremating Hindu bodies, instead I’m always invited and honoured as a special guest to their wedding and pujas. To all those who prosper in the name of communalism, where is the communal fight of Ayodhya and Faizabad?” he asks.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Lucknow News / by Yusra Husani / TNN / February 25th, 2017

They have played their cards right

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, , , , , , , ,

Chennai, TAMIL NADU :

H. Noor Mohamed (left) and his son Mohamed Faizal. Photo: K. Pichumani | Photo Credit: K_Pichumani
H. Noor Mohamed (left) and his son Mohamed Faizal. Photo: K. Pichumani | Photo Credit: K_Pichumani

When the wedding cards business was at a nascent stage, N.M. Habibullah sensed an opportunity and started Olympic Cards Ltd. Later, his son H. Noor Mohamed went on an ambitious expansion spree, making it a pan-Chennai enterprise

In 1962, N.M. Habibullah, a resident of Parrys, started a stationery store on Anderson Road under the name Olympic Papers and Stationery. With Habibullah’s work, the business flourished. Five years later, during a pensive moment at the store, when he was turning over in his mind various strategies to expand his business, two stores for wedding cards caught his attention.

In 1967, Habibullah switched to selling wedding cards. It turned out to be the right move. In 1974, his son, H. Noor Mohamed joined him and took the company to the next level.

“Until the mid-1960s, there were only two shops in Madras for wedding cards, Ramakrishna and MN Swami; and both wound up their businesses in a few years. Even in the 1970s, there weren’t too many stores for wedding cards. Sensing an opportunity, my father started this new business. As the basic raw material was paper, which is what he was selling in the stationery business, it took him only 15 to 20 days to set up a wedding card store,” says Noor, the current managing director of Olympic Cards Ltd.

Olympic Cards Limited was first set up on Anderson Road. In 1982, Noor and his brother Saladin Babu established a second store at No. 194 (now 195), N.S.C. Bose Road, and this went on to become the main office.

“The five-storey building, which originally belonged to the East Indian Company, was demolished and reconstructed to accommodate the showroom and the office,” says Noor.

Soon, Noor’s sons N. Mohamed Faizal and N. Mohamed Iqbal joined the business as the executive director and production head of the factory respectively.

Quickly, Olympic Cards Ltd. spread to other parts of the city: Kodambakkam, T. Nagar, Anna Nagar, Peravallur in Agaram, Velachery and Thiruvanmayur.

“Wedding preparations involve considerable stress for families. So, they would gravitate towards a wedding card store that is located in or close to their neighbourhood, sparing them a long trip. With this thinking, we began to take our collection to different localities,” explains Noor.

Besides wedding cards, they sell office envelopes, calendars, diaries, notebooks, account books, business cards, letterheads, files and folders, scribbling pads and greeting cards. They also have provisions for instant digital printing, design creation and proofreading at the outlets.

In addition to an outlet in Coimbatore, they have 25 franchise stores in Chennai, Puducherry and Kerala. There are plans to expand their franchising operation across Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Karnataka in the near future.

On how difficult it is to manage several branches, Mohamed Faizal says that besides training the staff, the heavy stock has to be managed and their timely delivery ensured every day.

“We cannot maintain all stock at all the outlets. Therefore, we keep all our stocks in Parrys. Whenever there is a requirement, we send it to the respective outlets,” he explains.

The waning demand for greeting cards too keeps the team on their toes. “We not only cater to direct customers but retailers as well; the latter look for variety. Creating designs that are different from previous year’s can be challenging. We create 20 to 30 designs once in three months. If these don’t sell out in three months, we incur a huge manufacturing loss,” says Mohamed.

Despite all these challenges, the business is growing, as is evident from the size of its manufacturing unit.

From a 13,000 sq.ft factory at the Vyasarpadi Cooperative Industrial Estate, the company now handles the production from a two lakh sq.ft factory near Periyapalayam. The factory is well-equipped with advanced machinery.

“Contributing to the creation of a healthy environment, we have installed 0.5MW solar power production facility at the unit. This way, we ensure all our products are manufactured in an eco-friendly manner,” says Noor.

Olympic Cards Ltd. will soon test the waters in the others areas of the print industry such as packaging and pharma-printing and luxury packaging.

“We have taken baby steps by way of outsourcing packaging jobs and associating with their print partners. We hope to get into mainstream packaging shortly,” adds Noor.

Name and fame

Olympic Cards Ltd was first incorporated as Olympic Business Credits (Madras) Private Limited, in April 1992 under the Companies Act, 1956. Subsequently, in October 1996, it became a public limited company and the name was changed to ‘Olympic Business Credits (Madras) Limited’. In 1998, it was renamed Olympic Cards Limited, in 1998. In 2013, the company offered IPO and successfully subscribed and listed in BSE.

A ringside view

*H. Noor Mohamed: “In India, the wedding card market is booming, despite the advent of e-cards and Whatsapp. So, any aspiring entrepreneur can enter this industry confidently.”

*Mohamed Faizal: “My father has cultivated a habit that has contributed immensely to his success. Every morning, he jots down the details of his tasks for the day, this is a habit he picked up from his father. This practice has made him so self-disciplined that he never forgets to take his pen, cellphone or wallet with him. It has helped him considerably in his business.”

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by Shiba Kurian / February 24th, 2017

A bronze statue to celebrate a visionary civil servant

Community Involvement / Social Issues, Leaders, ,
In fond memory: Villagers of V. Venkatayapalem looking at the statue of late Zaheer Ahmad to be installed at a housing colony, in Khammam district. | Photo Credit: G_N_RAO
In fond memory: Villagers of V. Venkatayapalem looking at the statue of late Zaheer Ahmad to be installed at a housing colony, in Khammam district. | Photo Credit: G_N_RAO

V. Venkatayapalem residents steeped in the memory of Zaheer Ahmad

The residents of V. Venkatayapalem in Raghunadhapalem mandal are steeped in the memory of Zaheer Ahmad, a former Hyderabad civil service officer, who contributed his mite for the development of the village through multiple landmark initiatives.

The name of Mr. Ahmad, who was in-charge of the erstwhile Hyderabad State, and his development initiatives conjure cherished memories of the past.

V. Venkatayapalem was among a few villages adopted by the former bureaucrat around seven decades ago. He earned a reputation of being the visionary officer who laid a strong foundation for the holistic development of the village.

The spacious housing colony, scenic park, water tank, and verdant high school campus stand testimony to the approach of the officer.

Park named after him

In an effort to keep alive the memories of Mr. Ahmad, the villagers named the park after him and mooted installing a bronze statue of his in the park.

“Zaheer Ahmad developed our village in all spheres by constructing spacious houses, each measuring 350 sq. yards, on 17.5 acres for the weaker sections, upgrading the local school into a high school, constructing 60 feet-wide roads, and developing a spacious park,” said Y. Hanumantha Rao, a resident of V. Venkatayapalem.

A statue of Mr. Ahmad is ready for installation in the colony, he said, adding that they have already consulted sculptors in Rajahmundry in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh to make a bronze statue of the officer.

“He used to come to the village occasionally on a horse, traversing a tough terrain, with a deep sense of attachment,” recalled Ramulamma, a resident.

“Our village has produced nearly 400 government employees, most of whom work on the Nagarjunasagar project (NSP),” said Hemalatha, the sarpanch of the village.

The residents owe a lot to Mr. Zaheer and former Chief Minister Jalagam Vengal Rao, who made invaluable contribution to the growth of the village, said another villager.

“The modernisation of the old minor lift irrigation scheme by the present TRS regime helped restore the full irrigation potential of the project to an extent of 1,320 acre,” he said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Telangana / by P. Sridhar / Khammam – February 21st, 2017

Doing good better

Community Involvement / Social Issues, , , , ,

Chennai, TAMIL NADU :

GiveAwayIndiaMPOs23feb2017

GiveAway India, a crowdsourced platform founded by three city-based youngsters, channelises donations for the disadvantaged

It was the fag end of November 2015 and Chennai was beginning to reel under the onslaught of torrential rains. Though the floods were yet to hit the city, rooms in Amir Mahal, the 18th Century palace and residence of the current Prince of Arcot, had already begun to resemble a warehouse. Groceries packed in cartons covered every square inch of space as three youngsters worked round the clock, trying to coordinate sourcing and delivering of relief material. Within their first week of operations, they had groceries worth ₹2.5 lakh and an alphabetic database of the city.

By the time the December floods came, they scaled up efforts and managed to get 25,000 packets of biryani from Paradise Hotel in Hyderabad via air and road to help the countless who were marooned in the city.

With corporates such as Big Basket, Foodpanda and Snapdeal coming on board to pitch in, the trio — Mohamed Asif, Fahd Khaleel Wallajah and Nareshwar Sivanesan — managed to mobilise large quantities of food, raincoats, mosquito repellents and groceries for those in need. Wallajah, the nephew of the current Prince, Nawab Mohammed Abdul Ali Azim Jah, along with close to 35 other volunteers and Amir Mahal staff mobilised relief efforts for the flood hit.

Crowdsourced help

That was only the beginning for them. The events of December 2015 and their efforts to help fellow Chennaiites sparked the idea for a sustainable system to continue helping those in need.

And that is how GiveAway India — a product crowdsourced platform that channelises donations to the needy — began. “While GiveAway was set up in September 2015, the idea to formally create a single web or app system, where donors and beneficiaries come together, came about after the floods,” says Wallajah, the nephew of the Nawab of Arcot and co-founder of GiveAway India.

For three months since its inception, GiveAway focussed on sourcing spare food from restaurants and parties and distributing them among the homeless with the help of volunteers. But the floods gave impetus to what was a fledgling movement. “During the floods, we’d managed to convince corporates to donate and also come on board to encourage their users to donate to charity, since the prices of essentials sky-rocketed during the rains,” says Asif, adding that partners such as Big Basket and Snapdeal put out a message on their websites asking users to buy products from them that would go to charity. “When we decided to scale up operations and turn GiveAway India into a more sustainable venture, we spent six months researching what needs had to be addressed,” says Asif.

“We got a team in place; went back to all the corporates to try and convince them to come on board on a long-term basis. It took a lot of convincing to get some of them to agree.” According to Sivanesan, the effort was to create transparency and, “not replicate what is already out there”. Finally a month ago, GiveAway India went live as a web and mobile-based platform. “The platform caters to homes and orphanages across the city and also has a pan-India presence. These homes and orphanages can enter requirements on our site, which are posted after verification. Beneficiaries can choose the cause they would like to donate to. Both the beneficiaries and donors are not charged anything by us,” says Asif. The causes supported by GiveAway India are many — from football programmes for slum kids in Nagpur, woollens for the homeless in Karnataka and relief for drought-hit Maharashtra to elephant welfare programmes in Tamil Nadu. “We also support women’s issues, acid attack victims, people with blindness and deafness. Essentially, what beneficiaries do is donate to these causes by buying products on our site that are then sent to them,” explains Asif.

Their portfolio

They also plan to introduce a feature that will allow users to choose an occasion (such as birthdays, anniversaries or memorial days) to donate to a particular charity. “For instance, many people would like to do something for the needy on such occasions. We can facilitate that through our website. If the donor wishes to be present on the occasion he/she can choose to do so as well,” says Wallajah. In the one month since they went live, GiveAway India has been able to facilitate close to 1.5 lakh transactions. “We’re now in talks with a leading hospital for medical facilities for those in need,” adds Sivanesan.

The Road Ahead

  • As GiveAway India grows from strength to strength, the three co-founders have their future plans chalked out. “In the next three quarters, we want to get every home and orphanage in South India on our platform and then focus on strengthening our pan-India presence. We also plan to introduce geo-tagging to let you find an NGO or cause that is in your locality. And we’re on the lookout for investors who can not only fund us, but also mentor us,” says Asif.
  • For details, log on to www.giveawayindia.org

 

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sci-Tech> Technology / by Ranjani Ranjendra / February 21st, 2017

City Muaythai Fighters Bag Medals In Natl. Championship

Sports, , , ,

Mysuru, KARNATAKA :

MuayThaiMPOs23feb2017

Muaythai fighters attached to Academy of Martial Science (AMS) and representing Mysore Muaythai Trust won 6 Gold and 4 silver medals respectively at the MTI(R) National Federation Muaythai Cup-2017 held between recently in Bengaluru.

Results –

Division A:

M.R. Darshan (Bantam Weight- Natl. Champion), Naveen Shetty (Feather Weight- National Champion), Surya Sagar (Welter weight- Natl. Champion), Abdul Razak (Light Middle Weight-National Champion).

Division B:

Shashank (Light Weight-Gold Medal), Sathvik (Light Welter Weight-Gold Medal), Kiran (Welter Weight-Gold Medal), Vinod Borana (Light Heavy Weight-Silver Medal), Faizan Ahmed Quraishi (Cruiser Weight-Silver Medal), Cuong Mahn (Heavy Weight- Silver Medal).

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Sports News / February 22nd, 2017

Bengaluru had its first date with air show a century ago

Amazing Feats, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Sports, Transport, Travel & Tourism, World Opinion, , , , , , ,

Bengaluru, KARNATAKA :

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Bengaluru had its first date with an air show 106 years ago
  • In 1911, Jules Wyck and Belgian adventurer Baron Pierre De Caters were the two pilots who brought their aircraft to Bengaluru

__________________________________

Bengaluru :

As the curtains were drawn on the 11th edition of Aero India on Saturday, thousands who thronged the Yelahanka Air Force Station need to know that they are not the first patrons of such a show. In fact, they are not even the first generation.

Bengaluru, India’s aviation capital, had its first date with an air show 106 years ago. February 3, 1911. Cricket hadn’t become the religion it is today in India. The Chinnaswamy Stadium was a barren land, and parts of Bengaluru were still a functional cantonment.

While people from districts neighbouring Bengaluru had made their way back then to catch what the organizers had called a “miracle in the skies,” Bengaluru’s quest for the flying machines remained intact in 2017 with at least three lakh people reported to have visited the aero show.

In 1911, Jules Wyck and Belgian adventurer Baron Pierre De Caters were the two pilots who brought their aircraft to Bengaluru, for a show that garnered a huge response. “But police had been prepared to handle the crowd here, after things had gotten slightly out of hand in Kolkata,” historian Vemagal Somashekar said.

If the elaborate preparations of the organizers a century ago are any indication then it only shows that a lacklustre event, like the 2017 edition of Aero India — just 53 aircraft on display and four aerobatic display teams — may fail to garner similar response in the coming years.

(The poster in Urdu, issued by merchants and businessmen from the Baidwadi (present day Shivajinagar) area. Photo Credit: fly.historicwings.com)
(The poster in Urdu, issued by merchants and businessmen from the Baidwadi (present day Shivajinagar) area. Photo Credit: fly.historicwings.com)

The fact that organizers did not reveal the right number of aircraft at Aero India 2017 is an indication that even they know it. When TOI enquired about the details of the show and the preparations in the run-up to the show, Mayaskar Deo Singh, director, Defence Exhibition Organisation, the nodal government agency organizing the show said: “An official release with final numbers on participation and other details will be issued so that there is no confusion.”

The official release days before the show had claimed that the number of aircraft participating would be 72, as many as the 2015 show, rated much better, had seen. Answering a specific question, defence minister Manohar Parrikar, however, had said on February 14: “There are 53 aircraft participating…”

Also, there are ways to watch the show for free, hundreds of citizens who stood with their cameras on terraces, the highway, some even got hospitality at villages around the air base.

But organizers in 1911 had figured out a plan for such free viewers. A poster in Urdu, issued by merchants and businessmen from the Baidwadi (present day Shivajinagar) area, reveals that the organizers, who had learnt that people would not buy tickets as they thought planes could be spotted even otherwise, had organized the show in such a way that only those with tickets (worth 25 paise each) had a one-hour exclusive.

“…Between 3.30pm and 4.30pm the planes will fly at a height of just 30 metre which only the ticket holders can see. For a few minutes after 4.30pm, the planes will fly a little higher,” reads a translation of the poster documented by the state archives department.

Mustafa Khan (mandi merchants, Ibrahim Sahib Street); Abdul Razak (businessman, Modi Road); Ibrahim Sahib (Meenakshi Kovil Street), Abdul Razak Sahib (steel merchant, Narayan Pillai Street) and Mastan Khan from Baidwadi (present day Shivajinagar) were the men who had signed off on the poster —they are an indication of how Bengaluru had a good trade set-up.
While TOI got a look at the poster, permission to take a photograph was denied. The poster, which has been sourced from fly.historicwings.com, further reveals as Somashekar had pointed out.

Police had been ordered to patrol major roads leading to the venue such as South Parade Road (now MG Road), Brigade Road and Church Street and even in Cubbon Park.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> News> City News> Bangalore News / Chethan Kumar, TNN / February 20th, 2017

Duo overcome hurdles, succeed

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Community Involvement / Social Issues, , ,

Lucknow, UTTAR PRADESH :

DrSharmeenMPOs20feb2017

One is a doctor and the other is a counsellor and their team has achieved, what many others could not even with an army of workers.

Dr Sharmeen Ahmed and Anita Shukla are a team which has changed the family planning scene in Uttar Pradesh’s Allahabad district, about 200 km from Lucknow. They have been working relentlessly for the past seven years overcoming barriers of religious beliefs and misconceptions surrounding planning of families in the district. “I was the junior most doctor at the District Zanana (women) Hospital when I joined in 2010-11 and was sent for training for implanting Postpartum Intrauterine Contraceptive Device (PPIUCD) to roll out a pilot project in Allahabad,” says Ahmed.
“It was an important programme and I knew that its success would go a long way in achieving the objectives. I personally liked the programme very much,’’ Ahmed says. Fortunately, she has got an able companion in Anita Shukla, who is not only a counsellor but also a hard working professional. No wonder the two were able to form a formidable team.

Anita said that record keeping and monitoring had not been very effective then and even the government did not prioritise the PPIUCD programme. She, however, firmly believed that it would be very helpful for the beneficiaries and took immediate steps to complete the work.

They have been serving the people since then, particularly the lower-most strata of society, who needed counselling and services. Ahmed has been awarded by the state government for the highest number of insertions. Her average insertions have been around 390 annually.

But her work was never an easy one. With so many myths and misconceptions surrounding the family planning programme, it was really challenging if not impossible task to persuade people and achieve the goal, she says.

What makes it difficult are religious beliefs and illiteracy, she says. “The biggest problem with the people is illiteracy. Their religious beliefs also sometimes turn out to be an impediment,” she said.

“Most people have not read the Holy Koran because they are not literate and depend on others for interpretations. These interpretations by others may not always be correct. so when I counsel them, I cite Koran and interpret it for them which works most of the times,” Ahmed explains.

There were other problems also which she had to face while doing her job. Persuading husbands and mothers-in-law is even more difficult. “I had to face opposition from the beneficiaries’ husbands and mothers-in-law. They at times got very angry at the mere mention of the family planning. After agreeing to the family planning, sometimes the beneficiaries back out at the last moment,” she said.

Ahmed said that there were very few women in the community, who would take decisions on their own. On majority of occasions it is the husband, mother-in-law and rest of the family who decide, she adds.

Ahmed has trained counsellor Anita Shukla. “I have taught Anita how to counsel and what are the possible set of questions that a lady would come with which need to be answered with logic and even religious overtones but without any coercion because fertility and the number of children is the right of a woman which cannot be violated,’’ she explains.

Now, the situation is that she is the most sought-after family planning specialist in the district with women coming to seek Ahmed’s advice after hearing from others particularly from her own community which, she feels, is an achievement for her.

Counsellor Anita Shukla says 80% service seekers are victims of myths and misconceptions around planning families while 5% are just stubborn. “These myths and misconceptions must be removed if we want to make family planning programme a success,” she said.

Incidentally, Anita has also been awarded by the state government and was asked to share her experiences at a high-level meeting of officials. “We have to think of newer ways to convince people that family planning and contraception use are not against religious norms. We receive complaints like the woman does not like doing household work after insertion!

There are times we have to deal with really difficult people and there are some women who come and get it removed also. One day a woman said her neighbour had told her that the IUCD moves around in the body. I had to tell her then that the uterus was like an earthen pot with just one opening. We have no choice but to respect their decision,” Anita explains with a hearty laugh.

Though Anita and Ahmed did achieve what many others could not, they also realise very well that their task was far from over.

“We have miles to go before we sleep. Family planning is the need of the hour for a country like India and without the cooperation of the people it can not succeed. We need to work in as a team and make persuasive efforts keeping in mind the sensitivity of the people. The same religious beliefs that are often cited as obstacles can be used by us to achieve our goals,” Anita added.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home>  Special Features / by Sanjay Pandey in Lucknow / February 19th, 2017

History repeats itself

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Leaders, Travel & Tourism, World Opinion, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Chennai, TAMIL NADU :

Kaman Darwaza in Chennai | Photo Credit: Kombai Anwar
Kaman Darwaza in Chennai | Photo Credit: Kombai Anwar

Madras was in the eye of a power storm, 200 years ago

An ailing or aged ruler triggering a political crisis is not something new in Indian history, but what is interesting about the recent drama that unfolded in Chennai has its parallels to a power struggle that Madras was witness to a little more than 200 years ago. The drama then too had an ailing ruler, various aspirants including a ‘sister’ scheming to take over power upon his death, and a Governor keenly assessing the situation.

The only visible token of the dramatic events that unfolded in 1801 when Umdatu’l-Umara, the Nawab of Arcot, died, is a nondescript arch with the name ‘Azeempet’ chiselled on it, that still stands on Chennai’s Triplicane High Road, a few yards away from the Walajah Mosque. It is a reminder of sibling love that turned bitter and ultimately led to the dramatic fall of the House of Arcot, paving the way for the East India Company to establish itself firmly in the saddle and change the course of Indian history. Old timers remember this arch as the gateway, ‘Kaman-Darwaza,’ to the palace of Sultanu’n-nisa Begam, the daughter of Nawab Muhammad Ali Walajah and sister to Nawab Umdatu’l-Umara.

Nawab Umdatu’l-Umara, who succeeded Muhammad Ali Walajah upon the latter’s death in 1795, was very fond of his sisters, especially his senior sister (meaning the eldest of his younger sisters) Sultanun’n-nisa, also known as Buddi Begum. Sultanu’n-nisa was equally fond of her brother so much so that, out of concern for his safety, and to ward off evil, she used to send everyday a rupee coin to the Nawab, which he would dutifully tie it on his upper arm.The Nawab very often spent his evenings at the palace of his senior sister, listening to musicians, watching a dance recital or just having dinner. He had a room in her house, where the Nawab met with his officers and others. It was widely believed that Sultanu’n-nisa was the actual power behind the throne. Somewhere down the line, Sultanu’n-nisa had assumed that her son Raisul Umara would succeed her brother to the throne. But she was not the only one eyeing the throne, as the Nawab himself would lament – “I intend my son for the throne; Sayful Mulk (the Nawab’s younger brother) intends that the throne is for him; my senior sister has in mind that her son is meant for the throne after me; and the firangs (foreigners – the East India Company) are waiting for their opportunity. But it shall be as the Supreme Ruler wills.” The Nawab wrote a will on his deathbed, making his son Tajul Umara his successor, a move that enraged his sister, who felt betrayed. It was an opportunity too good to miss for the firangs, who were looking for an excuse to take over the Carnatic entirely.The English used the simmering anger of Sultanu’n-nisa and spread the rumour that a coup against the Nawab was in the offing. With the connivance of Nawab’s Diwan, Col. Barret, they surrounded the ailing Nawab with the Company’s troops.

When Nawab Umdatu’l-Umara died in 1801, a bitter Sultanu’n-nisa would not forgive her brother. She refused to let the coffin pass through the Kaman-Darwaza. It had to be left the whole night with guards in a hall opposite the arch. After failing to persuade his aunt to let the coffin through, Tajul Umara, son of the deceased Nawab, decided to break the wall behind Nusrat-mahall and send the coffin to Trichy, to be buried next to the tomb of his grandfather Nawab Walajah.

This power struggle enabled Governor Edward Clive to make a man of Company’s choice as the next Nawab, a man who was willing to sign away the Kingdom, which the young Tajul Umara, the rightful successor, refused to do. Umara’s cousin Azim-Ud-Daula was anointed as the next Nawab. Tajul Umara died within a few months. Sultanu’n-nisa and her son left for a Hajj pilgrimage and chose to settle down in the holy city of Karbala in Iraq, where she eventually died.

Two hundred years later, the arch still stands, a mute witness to the bitter power struggle that not just led to the tragic fall of the House of Arcot .

Kombai Anwar is a writer, photographer and film maker.

source: http://www.thehindu.com // Th Hindu / Home> Society> History & Culture / by Kombai S. Anwar / February 17th, 2017

Gujarat Lions appoints Kaif as Assistant Coach

Sports, ,

Allahabad, UTTTAR PRADESH :

Mohammad Kaif was appointed as the assistant coach of the Gujarat Lions team on Friday.
Mohammad Kaif was appointed as the assistant coach of the Gujarat Lions team on Friday.

The former middle-order batsman Kaif said he is looking forward to the new role.

IPL franchise Gujarat Lions on Friday appointed former Indian middle-order batsman Mohammad Kaif as its assistant coach for the upcoming season starting April 5.

Speaking on appointment, Keshav Bansal, Director, Intex Technologies and Owner, Gujarat Lions said: “Kaif is a great resource for our team, who has valuable experience and in-depth knowledge of the sport.

“The experience that he carries of the game, made us realise that he needs to be given larger roles as it will prove beneficial in our efforts to develop the game. I am confident that our team will benefit immensely from his guidance and mentorship.”

Kaif said he is looking forward to the new role.

“I am looking forward to my new role as an Assistant Coach in the team. It will be a great opportunity to work with a dynamic owner like Keshav Bansal and with an extremely talented players with likes of Suresh Raina, Ravinder Jadeja, Bravo etc.,” he said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sport> Cricket / PTI / New Delhi – February 17th, 2017