Kumrava, Nawada District) BIHAR / Kolkata, WEST BENGAL :
He had accompanied Mahatma Gandhi on the Dandi March and later spent several days with him in a prison in Cuttack. In 2007, he was conferred with the Padma Bhushan for his fight against the British rule in India.
Syed Mohammad Sharfuddin Quadri being conferred with the Padma Bhushan by the then President APJ Abdul Kalam.
Late on Monday night, Syed Mohammad Sharfuddin Quadri, who was affectionately referred to as hakim sahab in his neighbourhood in Rippon Street, passed away three days after celebrating his 114th birthday.
Quadri, a renowned Unani practitioner who was instrumental in founding the Unani Medical College and Hospital in Abdul Halim Lane in central Kolkata, was born on December 25, in 1901 when Kolkata was still the capital of the country and Mahatma Gandhi had not returned to India.
“My father was imprisoned with Gandhiji by the British in Cuttack. He would accompany him everywhere during the Civil Disobedience Movement,” said son Manzar Sadique in the family’s home in 84/9 Rippon Street.
“In October, abba had travelled to Lucknow where he was the chief guest at a conference of Unani practitioners. Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav had invited him over to his house,” informs Sadique.
Quadri was born in the remote village of Kumrava in Nawada district of Bihar on Christmas Day in 1901. His family moved to Calcutta in the mid-1930s. Hakimji would begin his day with Fajar (the morning namaaz) at the break of dawn followed by his visit to his chamber, Swadeshi Dawa khana on Haji Mohammed Mohsin Square, where patients would already be waiting for him. He would examine more than 100 patients every day free of cost, says son Sadique.
“Unani was his passion and he could identify the ailment just by feeling the pulse of the patient,” says Sadique.
The centurion who specialized in treating infertility would never miss his customary walk after work. “He suffered from arthritis which is why he took special care of his fitness,” said Sadique.
Quadri who began an informal school for children and triggered an adult literacy campaign in Rippon Street was the founder member of the
Once Quadri once revealed the secret behind his fitness and longevity to his friends. “I drink two glasses of neem juice every day,” he has said. This fitness mantra was handed over to him by his father Mohammad Mohibbudin who had died at the age of 121 years!
Hasnain Imam, a teacher and resident of Rippon Street fondly recalled the time he had spent with “hakim sahib” when he was in college. “He was a treasure trove of knowledge. From politics to medicine to Sufism, we would discuss a wide range of topics. They don’t make people like them anymore,” said Imam.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / Times of India / Home> News> Kolkata News / by Zeeshan Javed / TNN / December 30th, 2015
Spirit of Engineering, published by ME alum Najeeb Kuzhiyil in December 2017, tells the story of two freshman college students and their journey to discover what engineering is. Image courtesy of Najeeb Kuzhiyil
A novel penned by a mechanical engineering alum tells the story of two freshmen college students and their journey to discover what engineering is.
“So I thought before you begin your undergrad studies, you should understand what engineering is in simple terms,” said Kuzhiyil. “I really wanted to write a book that was simple enough for high school students.”
The book took about a year and a half to write and started out as separate essays covering four pillars of engineering: methodical approach, practical skills, abstraction, and creativity.
“One morning I was lying in my bed and I thought why don’t I tell this as a story. I can include all of these concepts and wind them into a nice plot,” Kuzhiyil said.
The target audience for the book is high school students or perhaps even freshmen in college. The plot is set in modern times and follows around two main characters who are both first year engineering students at an unnamed Midwestern college: Matt from northern Iowa and Maya from India.
Matt and Maya come across a presentation about the Wright Brothers which piques their interest to the point that they decide to travel to the Wright Brothers museum in Dayton, Ohio in an attempt to better understand what engineering really is. During their travels they meet an experienced, middle-aged engineer who helps them understand how math, physics, and other natural phenomena apply to engineering.
Kuzhiyil said that his PhD advisor Robert C Brown, Anson Marston Distinguished Professor in Engineering, was a major influence on him personally and with his writing style specifically.
“He’s a wonderful engineer and he’s a great writer because we as engineers aren’t always great writers,” said Kuzhiyil. “Before coming to Iowa State I never paid attention to my English but Dr. Brown told us ‘You might be great engineers but you also have to learn how to write well. It’s very important to be able to express your ideas.’”
Brown, who also serves as director of the Bioeconomy Institute at Iowa State, wrote the foreword of the book. He said he thinks the book can be helpful for the next generation of engineers.
“I would have benefited from this book when I was in high school, at the time having no clear idea of the engineering profession. Even today despite the emphasis on STEM education, engineers are rarely portrayed in popular culture except for the occasional less than flattering role of bumbling technocrat. Najeeb’s book helps to overcome this stereotype,” Brown said.
Kuzhiyil cited Brown, whose research focuses on biorenewable resources, as a major reason why he chose Iowa State to pursue his PhD. Kuzhiyil is originally from the state of Kerala in southern India. He attended school in the city of Kochi and began developing an interest in chemical engineering in high school. He attributed his interest in engineering to his older brother, Dr. Abdul Kader, who studied chemistry and worked at a fertilizer manufacturing company.
“I didn’t know anything about chemical engineering, but as a kid I thought it would be cool to learn about it,” he said, adding there was a large petroleum refinery close to home that always fascinated him.
Kuzhiyil graduated with a bachelor of technology in chemical engineering from the University of Calicut and went on to work as a tech service engineer for Indian Oil Corporation.
After a decade in industry, Kuzhiyil decided to pursue an advanced degree. In graduate school his interest shifted from chemical engineering to renewable energy. He graduated with a MS in Combustion and Energy from the University of Leeds in England in 2005.
Kuzhiyil came to Iowa State in 2008 and was involved in various groups outside of his engineering studies, including serving as president of the Indian Students Association from 2009 to 2010. Despite spending just three years in Ames, Kuzhiyil said he made friends and memories that will last a lifetime.
“There were so many moments I really enjoyed at Iowa State,” said Kuzhiyil. “Our research group was so big we had people from all over the world. We had people from India, China, Europe, Africa, from all over and we had discussions on science, on politics, on life, on love, on everything. They were all great for me because different viewpoints and perspectives on different things were really insightful. I really had a blast and enjoyed every moment of my PhD.”
Kuzhiyil added that he loved the beauty of Iowa State’s campus, especially during the spring bloom, and that he enjoyed participating in the International Food Festival during the annual VEISHEA celebration.
After completing his PhD, he worked as a fuels and lubricants technologist at General Electric for six years. In November 2017, he was hired as a staff engineer in synthetic lubricants at ExxonMobil Corporation. His current work focuses on engine oils and gear oils and how it relates to fuel economy.
“By using synthetic lubricants we can improve fuel and the energy efficiency. Synthetics are more of a move toward a sustainable future,” Kuzhiyil said, adding that the job has been a nice marriage between his interests in chemical engineering and renewable energy.
During his career, Kuzhiyil has studied or worked on three different continents. He said that these diverse experiences have contributed to his professional development and have been helpful when approaching challenges.
“In engineering most of the problems we deal with are open-ended. There’s no single answer to many of the problems. You can design things in different ways so the engineer’s job is to design a product or a process or whatever, within the constraints of resources, environment, culture and weather. All of those factors play into the engineering,” said Kuzhiyil.
“Because I come from India, and I lived in Europe and the U.S., all of these places are different if you look at the available resources, the weather, the philosophy, etcetera. I really got a lot of examples of how the same product can be different on these three different continents and I think that’s been helpful in getting me to where I am today.”
source: http://www.news.engineering.iastate.edu / Iowa State University, College of Engineering / by Nick Fetty (headline edited) / April 02nd, 2018
The young nurses believe that more Muslim girls across the country should opt for the nursing profession to serve society.
Patna (Bihar) :
Two Muslim nurses Naziya Parveen and Shabrun Khatun from Bihar were awarded this year’sNational Florence Nightingale Awards (NFNA) by the President of India, Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan earlier this month.
The National Florence Nightingale Awards (NFNA) were instituted in 1973 by the Government of India’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare as a mark of recognition for the meritorious services rendered by nurses and nursing professionals to the society.
Sajeeda Banu of Karnataka, Ahmedullah Wani of Jammu & Kashmir, and Mohammed Kasim AB of Lakshadweep are the other Muslims who were awarded this year.
She was among 51 people from around the country who were awarded in different categories by the President. Her citation states that she has contributed to the establishment of the labor room and for helping in preparing the standard operating procedure.
32-year-old Naziya Parveen receiving the award from the President Murmu. | Picture by arrangement
Hailing from Sultanganj, Bhagalpur, Naziya is the eldest of three sisters. She is married to a microbiologist Mohammad Shams of Gaya. After completing her high secondary education in Dumka, Jharkhand she studied nursing for GNM at JawaharLal Medical College, Bhagalpur, and worked with Jamia Hamdard in New Delhi for six years. It was challenging to move from Delhi to Araria but her family supported her as “there isn’t much scope of work in Sadar Hospital.”
“I feel quite proud to be awarded as our society does not recognize the work of nurses. I am elated for being a Muslim awardee as we don’t get nominated for such awards. I was asked if I was from Kashmir as I was wearing a hijab,” she said.
Mother of two kids, Naziya has inspired other Muslim girls to take admission to nursing courses. Local newspapers in the state ran stories featuring her.
“We need to change our attitude towards this profession. It is a good job and one can draw good income from it. The nursing course is such that even if one does not opt for a job, they can get the chance to serve from home and earn. I am of the view that more Muslim girls should study nursing as a profession,” she said.
28-year-old Shabrun Khatun was awarded in the ANM (Auxiliary Nurse and Midwife) category. | Picture by arrangement
28-year-old Shabrun Khatun was awarded in the ANM (Auxiliary Nurse and Midwife) category. She works at Darbhanga Sadar primary health center. She had applied for the award previously but it was her work during Covid-19 that won her an award this year. She recalled how she went for a door-to-door screening of Covid-19 in April 2020 while being on fast and continued to work in 2021.
Shabrun told TwoCircles.net that receiving the award from President Murmu was quite encouraging.
Her journey to success has not been smooth. She had to work in local hospitals to support her family but this experience helped her. “I was good at studies in school and got prizes for my co-curricular activities. I wanted to be a medical doctor. I was selected for MBBS at a private medical college but did not have enough money to take admission. I also wished to be an officer in administration but my father’s proximity to doctors got me into nursing.”
Shabrun’s father Mohammad Akhtar is a tailor who would stitch clothes for operation theaters of hospitals nearby. She had cleared the preliminary test for selection in the police department but finally settled for a nursing course after her graduation in Zoology from her hometown of Rosera Bazar in Samastipur district in Bihar.
Shabrun said that she had to face unfriendly treatment in society after she chose to become a nurse. “But seeing my success now, everyone is happy,” she said.
She is of the view that Muslim girls who are not able to qualify for MBBS should consider nursing as a career as “it gives the satisfaction of serving humanity in one small way.”
In December this year, she would be felicitated on the foundation day of the Darbhanga district.
Sami Ahmad is a journalist based in Patna, Bihar. He tweets @samipkb
source: http://www.twocircles.net / TwoCircles.net / Home> Lead Story / by Sami Ahmad, TwoCircles.net / November 25th, 2022
Mohammed Salim, the first Indian footballer to play for a foreign club. In this photograph from 1936, due to playing in bare feet, he is having them bandaged by Jimmy McMenemy the Celtic FC trainer. Photo: Wikipedia
Who was the first Indian footballer to play for a European football club? Very few people in India will be able to answer this question correctly.
He was a Kolkata-based football player Mohammed Salim who was selected by the well-known Celtic Football Club in Scotland in 1936. He carved out a brief but glorious career before returning to his hometown.
An interesting story was once told by his son Rashid Ahmed. After his father had grown old, the son decided to see if the famous Celtic Club of Scotland still remembered his father. He wrote to Celtic Club introducing himself as the son of their former player Mohammed Salim and stated that his father was facing financial difficulty in his old age.
Rashid Ahmed was not really expecting any reply from the club authorities after so many years. He had simply taken a chance. However, he got the biggest surprise of his life when the Celtic football club replied with a letter of sympathy and a bank draft of 100 pounds enclosed.
“I really had no need for the money. It was just a ploy to find out if Mohammed Salim was still alive in their memory. To my amazement, I received a letter from the club. Inside was a bank draft for £100. I was delighted, not because I received the money but because my father still he had a place of pride in Celtic. I have not encashed the draft and will preserve it till I die. I just want my father’s name to be remembered as the first Indian footballer to play abroad,” Rashid told the media.
The reason why Salim returned to India was that he was uncomfortable with the food and the climate of Scotland. He had been born and brought up in Kolkata and therefore was not used to the foreign conditions. Celtic Club pleaded with him to remain in Scotland and even offered to organise a charity match on his behalf. Salim refused and asked that the money be donated to local orphans.
Thereafter German clubs also became interested in retaining Salim. He was offered a professional contract to play in Germany. But he was resolute that he would return to India. So he traveled back to India to rejoin Mohammedan Sporting Club for the beginning of the 1937 Calcutta Football League.
To trace his life back to the starting point, he was born to a middle-class family in Metiaburj in Bengal in 1904. He was studying to be a chemist but football was his first love. His skills were soon spotted by the Mohammedan Sporting club and he was recruited in 1927.
After a brief stint with other clubs, Salim rejoined Mohammedan Sporting in 1934 and ensured that it reached the very top. It was the golden period of this club with Salim spearheading the attacks. He won thousands of hearts with his ball control, dribbling and accurate passes.
A Chinese football official Dr. Chi Chao Yung who saw Salim and his teammates in action said: “Allow me to congratulate the members of the Indian team for their wonderful display. In the course of the game, they showed perfect understanding and exceptional speed. The forwards, Salim, Rahim, Bhattacharjee and Abbas were outstanding in their game.”
Soon after this, Salim departed for Scotland to try his luck there. The well-known Scottish manager Willie Mayley was surprised at the skills that Salim displayed and took him in the Celtic side. On 28 August 1936, he helped Celtic win 7–1 against Galston. The Scottish Daily Express carried the headline: “Indian Juggler – A New Style”, along with a description of Salim that read: “Ten twinkling toes of Salim, Celtic FC’s player from India, hypnotised the crowd last night. Three of Celtic’s seven goals came from his moves.” Another newspaper, The Glasgow Observer wrote: “Salim tickled the crowd at Celtic Park on Friday with his magnificent ball manipulation despite playing barefooted.”
But even after the praise and success, Salim decided to return to India because he missed his home country. In 1940 Mohammedan Sporting became the first Indian club to win the Durand Cup in front of one lakh spectators. The British Viceroy at that time Lord Linlithgow, witnessed the match against the Royal Warwickshire regiment.
In 1980, at the age of 76, Salim passed away in Kolkata.
Before independence, challenging the might of the British rulers was a Herculean task. Salim achieved this seemingly impossible feat with his football. That was his greatest glory. He demonstrated that even barefooted Indian players, with determination and skill, could overcome the strongest of British teams.
source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> Featured News / by Abhijit Sent Gupta / November 26th, 2022
Gulf Medical University (GMU), Ajman, the biggest private medical university in the Middle East region celebrated its 24th anniversary, with a special ceremony attended by Dr. Thumbay Moideen – Founder, President Board of Trustees GMU, Prof. Hossam Hamdy – Chancellor of GMU, Mr. Akbar Moideen Thumbay – Vice President of the Healthcare Division of Thumbay Group, and Deans of the colleges of the University as well as other staff and students.
The celebration was an occasion to reflect GMU’s achievements till date, at the same time reaffirming its commitment to foster continued evolution of Gulf Medical University as an international powerhouse of health professions education, research and innovation.
Highlighting the evolution and development of the Gulf Medical University in terms of buildings, staff, students and scientific and educational degrees, Dr. Thumbay Moideen said, “From humble beginnings as the region’s first private medical University, today GMU is a testament of along and distinguished success story of being the region’s only private Academic Health System- delivering futuristic medical education at the same time playing an important role in providing state-of-the-art healthcare and promoting innovative research.
Our progress over the last 24 years has been driven by the dedication of our staff, students and partners, in addition to GMU’s philosophy of constant innovation and above all, the Grace of the Almighty. We have also received excellent support from the government throughout this journey.
Prof. Hossam Hamdy said that GMU has developed a unique model in the form of the Gulf Medical University Academic Health System, showcasing on a global front that the future of medical education is ‘systems’ linking education, healthcare and research. “The shared philosophies of the six colleges under Gulf Medical University, its teaching hospital and the passion for supporting all-round excellence has helped in making many distinctive contributions to the overall community over the last two decades. In addition, our response to the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the great value of our academic community and the strengths of our basic, convergent and translational science.”
Recently, the ‘Academic Team’ at Gulf Medical University unveiled a long-term strategic growth plan of doubling its capacity in the next three to four years, aligning to future requirements and strategic direction of education policies laid down by the United Arab Emirates and thereby creating an Emirati healthcare workforce to serve the region
Gulf Medical University and Thumbay network of academic hospitals daycare, Labs, Pharmacies and clinics together train around 20 percent of the doctors and approximately 60 percent of the healthcare professionals in the country, creating a significant impact on the healthcare sector of the country and the region.
Moreover, students benefit with adequate opportunities to showcase their achievements through student activities, Interprofessional skills, sporting and cultural events that train them to be multi-disciplinary experts.
Other benefits provided to the students include: Clinical training sites of unmatched quality at 8 hospitals, 10 clinics, 5 labs and 48 pharmacies and a total of 700 beds; tie-ups with other local entities as clinical training sites with over 400 qualified faculty, doctors and adjunct faculty who provide one-on-one clinical training to students and quality care to the patients of UAE; access to technological platforms and an outstanding infrastructure for research on imaging, functional genomics, sequencing with NGS facility.
In terms of advancing healthcare in the UAE and globally, GMU has launched the establishment of the first liquid biopsy facility in the region, the zebra fish and a platform for drug discovery and development. This has led to achieving its position as a leader in research in medical education in UAE and the entire region with 70% of all papers published in medical education in the UAE coming from GMU.
Since its inception, around 2000 students have graduated from GMU, advancing their career and securing successful positions including CEOs, COOs, Medical Directors and Heads of Departments in the healthcare and research across the Middle East, Africa, South Asia, Europe, North America and Australia.
Moreover, the university’s academic and research tie-ups with over 70 international universities and research institutions has ensured global recognition and employability for GMU graduates.
To name a few, GMU’s collaboration with International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has led to humanitarian learning in healthcare to create a model youth force in the country that will be equipped with all the basic skills and knowledge to fight any emergency crisis as per international standards.
Likewise, the ‘Future Scientist program’ has been an innovative educational enrichment internship program for Male/ Female Emirati talent who are motivated to nurture their interest in biomedical and drug discovery research. The program helps in preparing them for an exciting career as research scientists.
Recently, GMU has also achieved international accreditation by the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA)-the agency responsible for accrediting higher education institutions in the UK utilizing european standards and guidelines for Quality assurance.
Besides, Gulf Medical University has won several global recognitions such as Forbes, Dubai Quality Award, QS Awards, QS Reimagine WRC Leaders and Ranking from QS University Rankings, Times Higher Education, placing placed the university among top health professions education institutions in the region and globally.
source: http://ww.english.varthabharati.in / Vartha Bharati / Home / by press release / November 21st, 2022
You must have seen the film Dangal starring Aamir Khan, but today we are going to introduce you to the Dangal family of Shivpuri.
The story of this family is no less than the story of the film Dangal. Shivpuri’s daughter Muskaan Khan has brought laurels to the country, state and city.
Muskaan has achieved a new milestone by winning 4 Gold in Open Federation Commonwealth Power Lifting Championship 2022 held in Auckland, New Zealand.
Read the story of a father who fulfilled his dream through his daughter
Father Mohammad Dara Khan told- I had a dream since childhood to bring gold medal for the country. For this, I was interested in sports from the beginning. My game was handball. Played at the state level 3 times in this. Also played national in basketball. In the year 1997, at the age of 20, I got selected as SI in ITBP from sports quota.
2-4 days before the selection, my fingers got cut in an accident. My dream of winning gold remained unfulfilled due to a broken hand. Days started passing. Leaving the dream behind, I got busy in the poultry farm business.
Sports man father was selected as SI in ITBP at the age of 20 from sports quota but due to accident he could not join duty.
I have 5 children. Has 3 daughters and 2 sons. The business was growing for the upkeep of the family, but the heart used to beat only to bring gold medal for the country. Was constrained but kept looking for opportunities. I started playing a special role in organizing sports competitions in the village.
Meanwhile, the middle daughter Muskaan came as a ray of hope. Her inclination towards sports started encouraging me. I thought that only my daughter would fulfill my dreams. Along with school studies, she started working hard towards sports as well. I also joined her.
Muskaan won gold in squat lifting, bench press, dead lifting and total weight count.
Muskan was enrolled in a private school in Shivpuri, 20 km away from the village. I started taking my daughter to school 40 kilometers away every day. Muskaan’s hard work paid off. She started topping the sports competition.
I stood by him every step of the way. Kept supporting him equally. Wherever I felt that there was a possibility to move forward in it, I would try to take it forward in that field. First she started with handball. Muskaan played national 3 times in mini handball. My daughter alone scored 9 out of 10 goals in the match.
Then I felt that she should be brought into the individual game. Muskaan prepared for weight lifting after a lot of thought. As soon as weight lifting started, Muskan reached to play the state. Meanwhile, Corona stopped the speed of the daughter. Seeing this, I decided to make arrangements for her at home. I slowly got the gym ready at home. Muskaan worked hard for 2 years.
Muskaan with her team at the airport to participate in the power lifting championship in New Zealand.
Results in one year The father told that his daughter Muskaan took part in the power weight lifting competition as soon as the corona was over and on seeing it, she won her glory from district level to divisional level and then state level competitions.
After this Muskaan was selected in the Commonwealth Power Lifting 2022 to be held in New Zealand. Muskaan was flown to New Zealand on 25 November. Where Muskaan brought laurels to the country including her city by winning 4 gold in the power weight lifting competition. It is a matter of pride for me that my daughter has fulfilled my dream.
Muskaan left for New Zealand on 25 November. There he brought laurels to the country by winning 4 gold in the power weight lifting competition.
Muskaan left for New Zealand on 25 November. There she brought laurels to the country by winning 4 gold medals three in squat lifting, bench press, dead lifting and one in total weight count in the power weight lifting competition.
Played Mini Handball for the State Mohammad Dara said that daughter Muskaan had participated in the State Handball Competition for the first time in the year 2016.
After this she played National in the years 2017, 2018 and 2019.
Javelin to Shot Put Khan told that his daughter had already tried her luck in handball before power lifting. She also threw javelin and shot put in individual games. After facing a problem in the preparations in the village, he got inclined towards weight lifting.
Participants from other countries with a smile. Muskaan also made new friends during the Power Lifting Championship in New Zealand.
Used to fight with brother over eating spicy Muskaan’s brother Honey Khan told that there is a fight with the younger sister Muskaan over food and drink. She used to like spicy food, but I don’t let her eat it. She used to complain about this to her father. Papa and I tell her to pay attention to the diet. I am happy now that she has reached this point because of this fight. Today the whole family is celebrating with the success of Muskaan.
Muskaan had earlier won 2 gold medals and one silver in the ‘All India Power Lifting Competition in Kasargod, Kerala in August 2022.
Muskan hoisted the flag in competitions from district level to divisional level and then state level.
source: http://www.divya-bharat.com / Divya Bharat , New India / Home> Sports News / by Kapil Mishra (edited) / November 29th, 2022
Syed Imtiazuddin with his collection of autographs
Syed Imtiazuddin of Hyderbad has turned his hobby of collecting autographs of famous personalities into a body of work that is bound to be of great historic value for the future generations.
His collection of autographs of important world and Indian personalities has reached up to 200 so far.
The famous people whose signatures are part of Syed Imtiazuddin’s proud collection include Nobel laureates, politicians, writers and poets of Urdu and English, the heads of state and prime ministers of many countries, and film stars.
His passion for collecting the signatures of important and famous people transcends borders. Syed Imtiazuddin says he had to be patient while waiting for the signatures of famous personalities to whom he wrote letters requesting the same inside India and abroad.
Syed Imtiazuddin narrated an interesting incident from his student days. He was a 7th-grade student at Gandhi Bhavan Middle School, Nampally, Hyderabad. He says it was triggered when he was learning a chapter on India’s renowned Nobel laureate, Physicist-scientist Sir C.V. Raman. Dr. Raman discovered what is now known as the ‘Raman Effect.’
Dr Rajendra Prasad’s signature in Urdu
When the school teacher was imparting the lesson on the life of Sir C. Raman in the classroom, Imtiaz Ahmed thought of if only he could write to the great scientist. He tried to search for his mailing address with no success.
Finally, he did write to Sir C V Raman and posted it to on the address: Sir CV Raman, Bangalore.’ In the postcard addressed to the scientist, he wrote, ‘I was very impressed when I read about you today and I want your signature.’
To his pleasant surprise, a few days later he received a letter from Sir CV Raman. Dr Raman appreciated his passion.
Syed Imtiazuddin says that this was the first ‘happy and memorable day’ for him and it sparked his passion for getting autographs from celebrities.
After receiving Raman’s reply letter and signature, his happiness knew no end.
Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s signature
Syed Imtiazuddin said that he passed the class 10 examination from a famous school – Chadar Ghat High Schoo and graduated from Osmania University.
He worked in the Andhra Pradesh State Electricity Department (APSEB) and simultaneously completed his MBA. He retired as Superintending Engineer in year 2001.
The famous poet of Hyderabad, Shaz Tamkant was Syed Imtiazuddin’s elder brother. Shaz Tamkunat was invited to mushairas in Delhi, Lucknow, and other states of the country
Syed Imtiazuddin says, “When Shaz went to Delhi to participate in Mushaira, he also carried an autograph book with him, in which he obtained the signatures of many well-known poets.”
Seeing this, I also decided to follow him. In late 1957, I wrote to the former President of India Dr. Rajendra Prasad expressing my desire to meet him. I received a reply from the Rashtrapati Bhawan that the President is due to visit Hyderabad in June 1958 and I would come to him there at his residence.”
A glimpse of Syed Imtiazuddin’s collection
“As the day of my meeting with Dr Rajendra Prasad was approaching, my anxiety knew no bounds. When I got the message that Rajendra Prasad had come to Hyderabad, I reached Hyderabad Resident with my elder brother Shaz Tamkant and met Rajendra Prasad. I was very happy to meet him. Even Rajendra Prasad appreciated my passion. He had already kept his signatures – in Hindi and English – on an expensive paper ready for me.”
The President also penned his signature in Urdu on his request.
Syed Imtiazuddin is fond of Allama Iqbal’s poetry. He is invited for delivering talks in the ‘Mahfil Iqbal Shanahi’ held every Wednesday.
Syed Imtiazuddin obtained the signatures of more than 200 personalities including Lord Mountbatten, the last Viceroy of India and first Governor-General of India.
Apart from them, the forty-second president of the United States, Jimmy Carter, the second president of Egypt, Gamal Abdel Nasser, the former president of Yugoslavia Josip Broz Tito, the Thirty-fifth US President John F. Kennedy, Indonesia’s first President Abdul Rahim Sukarno.
Signature of Writer T S Eliot
Israel’s first Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion, former King Hussein bin Talal of Jordan, famous American actress Elizabeth Taylor, her husband, famous Hollywood actor Richard Burton, Mother Teresa, and Charlton Heston, the hero of the famous American film The Ten Commandments.
Syed Imtiazuddin also obtained signatures from Pakistan’s first Nobel laureate Dr. Abdus Salam. Many of these personalities presented him with their photo as a gift.
Among the Indian leaders’ collection, Syed Imtiazuddin has the signatures of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Dr. Zakir Hussain, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit, VK Krishna Menon, Moraraji Desai, V. V. Giri, Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan, Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy.
Syed Imtiazuddin says he feels literature, film, and sports are close to human life and this is the reason why most of his collection relates to personalities from these fields.
He has an unenviable collection of signatures of TS Eliot, American writer John Steinbeck, British mathematician and Nobel laureate Bertrand Russell, Novelist Ernest Hemingway, Dr. AJ Cronin (Scotland), American writer Pearl S. Buck, English writer Aldous Huxley, Josh Malihabadi, Rashid Ahmad Siddiqui, Jigar Moradabadi, Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Khalilur Rahman Azmi, Sohail Azimabadi, Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi, Makhdoom Mohiuddin, Qaratul Ain Haider Krishna Chandra, Rajendra Singh Bedi, Maulana Syed Abul Hasan Ali Nadvi and Maulana Abdul Majid Dariyabadi.
Besides he has the signatures of Bollywood legends Dilip Kumar, Ashok Kumar, Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar, and Amitabh Bachchan.Syed Imtiazuddin said he used to study at an American library near the famous Muazzam Jahi Market in Hyderabad. While going through the book “Who’s Who in America” made him familiar with many top personalities.
Syed Imtiazuddin says success comes only if a person has passion and true dedication to a cause.
source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> India / by Abdul Rahman Pasha, Hyderabad / by awazthevoice.in / November 26th, 2022
Ameena Mustafa was born in May 19, 1928. After completion of S.S.L.C, Ameena attained a degree in Nursing from Madras. She was exceptionally hard working and demonstrated high level of dedication and competency in her work during the cholera and small pox outbreak in India during the mid 20th century.
Her sustained commitment enabled her to continuously update her knowledge and skills to better serve the community at large. She pursued with a degree in paediatric nursing, got trained in midwifery and did a supervision course. She was known to provide effective primary care to mothers and their children during childbirth and carried out multiple “Maternal and child health programme” in many districts of Kerala region of India.
Amina got married to Dr K.M. Qasim Mustafa and had two sons and two daughters. She took a deep interest in gardening and kitchen during her free time.
Ameena worked as a public health nurse in Trivandrum district between 1950-54 and in Quilon district in 1956-62. She excelled in providing primary care despite facing several challenges in rural areas with illiterate people.
During the late 1962 she became a district public health nurse in Allepy district where she was deputed to look after the cholera inoculation and small pox vaccination especially in Muslim area and Nadar caste area of Nagarcoil, Caloulam and Neyyatinkara Taluk.
Her active participation and contribution in various health related programmes was recognised by the government and she was awarded the National Nursing Award Member of the trained nurse association in 1951.
She organised the Maternal and child health Programme, Family planning programme in the above mentioned districts and became one among the first presidents of trained public health nurse association of Kerala between 1972-74.
She exhibit quality of lifelong learning continuers update of her knowledge. Her relentless commitment towards a healthy society and her dynamic personality made her a committee member of Muslim vanitha samajanm, Alleppey in 1972. She advocated for the equal rights and equal job opportunities for women.
source: http://www.heritagetimes.in / Heritage Times / Home> Medicine> Women / by Dr Zareen Fatima / October 04th, 2022
Haji Mahommed Mohsin, a philanthropist, with scholarly zeal and a heart so big it could feed the entire town’s impoverished, has been a name that got lost in the celebration of the great men of India. Born into the family of Agha Fazlullah, one of the wealthiest Persian merchants settled in Hooghly with his son Haji Fazlullah, Mahommed Mohsin had been the fortunate recipient of generational wealth and fortune.
His elder half-sister, daughter of Agha Motaher, Manu Jan Khanum was his closest companion and with her help, he maintained the Imambara built by their forefathers. He received his early education while being home-tutored in Arabic and Persian studies.
His tutor Agha Shirazi, a Persian himself, would narrate stories of his travels and adventures to them, which ignited an interest in travel in Mohsin as well. At the age of thirty-two, he departed Hooghly to travel and see what the world had to offer.
The unsung Philanthropist of India , Haji Mahommed Mohsin
His penmanship was highly revered and he also copied the Koran in his time of leisure. It is said that some of these copies were sold for a thousand rupees back then because of how ornately he had produced them. And he produced a total of 72 copies which were given to the poor. He was also a prominent figure during the Great Bengal famine of 1770 for helping the poor and suffering, significantly.
His travels took him to Arabia from where he went on a pilgrimage to Mecca and Madina, thereby conferring himself the title of ‘Haji’. He traveled through Arabia, Persia, Hindustan, and, Central Asia over the span of 27 years before finally coming back to Murshidabad (while briefly stopping in Lucknow) at the age of 60. However, he had to return to Hooghly eventually took care of his sister’s business and estates after Manu Jan Khanum’s beloved husband’s demise, the management of these estates had become cumbersome for her. Moreover, she relied only on Mohsin to take care of them respectfully.
After her death, she bequeathed her entire estate to Mohsin making him lavishly affluent at the age of 73. Mahommed Mohsin, however, led a simple life and only approved of his wealth in so far as he could help the poverty-stricken in as many ways as possible. In 1806, he signed a Deed of Trust conceding to use his entire income for charitable purposes. The Imambara in Hooghly still has a copy of this deed inscribed on one of its walls. He passed away at the age of eighty-two in 1812 buried close to his sister, Manu Jan Khanum.
However, it was because of Rajib Ali Khan and Shakir Ali Khan (two of Mohsin’s trusted) and later on their sons’ treachery that the trust fund put in place by Mohsin had been misused for personal purposes. Greed got the best of them and the nine shares, among which 7 shares were dedicated to religious and non-religious charities were also abused by these people. Eventually, the Government took this under its control and freed them from this mishandled management.
In 1836, the Hooghly College, now known as the Hooghly Mohsin College (changed in its centenary year) was inaugurated with the surplus funds in the hands of the government. The college was affiliated with the University of Calcutta and was built originally by General Perron on the banks of Hooghly. It still stands as an underappreciated yet beautiful and pristine college dedicated to an under-acknowledged man of iron.
source: http://www.heritagetimes.in / Heritage Times / Home> Education / by Kasturi Ghosh / November 17th, 2022
The four years of the World War 1 saw the service of 1.3 million Indians, of whom 74,000 never made it back home.
The First World War , or the Great War as it is also called, raged across Europe and several war arenas scattered across the world from 28 July 1914 to 11 November 1918. These four years saw the service of 1.3 million Indians, of whom 74,000 never made it back home. For their families, the war was something they couldn’t quite understand.
Given the large-scale Indian involvement in a war that the majority of Indians could not fully comprehend, we shall once again look into the mirror of Urud to see how the poet viewed the momentous years of the Jang-e Azeem as the Great War came to be called in Urdu.
Several poets, lost in the veils of time and virtually unknown today, made interventions as did the more famous ones who continue to be well known though possibly not in the context of what they had to say about World War I.
Urdu’s Rendition of the Greatest Human Tragedy
Presented below is a sampling of the socially-conscious, politically-aware message of the poets of the times. Not all of these poets are well-known today nor is their poetry of a high caliber yet fragments of their work have been included here simply to illustrate how the poet had his finger to the pulse of his age and circumstance.
Let us begin with Sibli Nomani and his wryly mocking Jang-e Europeaur Hindustani that deserves to be quoted in full:
Ek German ne mujh se kaha az rah-e ghuroor
‘Asaan nahi hai fatah to dushwar bhi nahin
Bartania ki fauj hai dus lakh se bhi kum
Aur iss pe lutf yeh hai ke tayyar bhi nahin
Baquii raha France to woh rind-e lam yazal
Aain shanaas-e shewa-e paikaar bhi nahin’
Maine kaha ghalat hai tera dawa-e ghuroor
Diwana to nahi hai tu hoshiyar bhi nahin
Hum log ahl-e Hind hain German se dus guneh
Tujhko tameez-e andak-o bisiar bhi nahin
Sunta raha woh ghaur se mera kalaam aur
Phir woh kaha jo laiq-e izhaar bhi nahin
‘Iss saadgi pe kaun na mar jaaye ai Khuda
Larhte hain aur haath mein talwar bhi nahin!’
(Consumed with pride, a German said to me:
‘Victory is not easy but it isn’t impossible either
The army of Britannia is less than ten lakh
And not even prepared on top of that
As for France, they are a bunch of drunks
And not even familiar with the art of warfare’
I said your arrogant claim is all wrong
If not mad you are certainly not wise
We the people of Hind are ten times the Germans
Cleary you cannot tell big from small
He listened carefully to what I had to say
Then he said something that can’t can’t be described
‘By God, anyone will lay down their life for such simplicity
You are willing to fight but without even a sword in your hand!’)
That the Urdu poet was not content with mere high-flying rhetoric and was rooted in and aware of immediate contemporary realities, becomes evident when Brij Narain Chakbast declares in his Watan ka Raag (‘The Song of the Homeland’):
Zamin Hind ki rutba mein arsh-e-aala hai
Yeh Home Rule ki ummid ka ujala hai
Mrs Besant ne is aarzu ko paala hai
Faqir qaum ke hain aur ye raag maala hai
Talab fuzool hai kante ki phool ke badle
Na lein bahisht bhi hum Home Rule ke badle
(The land of Hind is higher in rank than the highest skies
All because of the light of hope brought forth by Home Rule
This hope has been nurtured by Mrs Besant
I am a mendicant of this land and this is my song
It’s futile to wish for the thorn instead of the flower
We shall not accept even paradise instead of Home Rule)
Poems Charged With the Spirit of Revolution
Similarly, Hasrat Mohani, in a poem called Montagu Reforms, is scathing about the so-called reforms that were given as SOPs to gullible Indians during the war years, which were mere kaagaz ke phool (paper flowers) with no khushboo (fragrance) even for namesake. The poem ends with a fervent plea that the people of Hind should not be taken in by the sorcery of the reforms.
Ai Hindi saada dil khabardar
Hargiz na chale tujh pe jadu
ya paayega khaak phir jab inse
Iss waqt bhi kuchh na le saka tu
(O simple people of Hind beware
Don’t let this spell work on you
If you couldn’t couldn’t take anything from them now
You’re not likely to get anything at all)
Josh Malihabadi who acquired his moniker of the shair-e- inquilab or the ‘revolutionary poet’ during the war period, talks with vim and vigour of the revolution that is nigh, a revolution that will shake the foundations of the British empire in his Shikast-e Zindaan ka Khwaab (‘The Dream of a Defeated Prison’:
Kya Hind ka zindaan kaanp raha hai guunj rahi hain takbiren
Uktae hain shayad kuchh qaidi aur torh rahe hain zanjiren
Divaron ke niche aa aa kar yuun jama hue hain zindani
(How the prison of Hind is trembling and the cries of God’s greatness are echoing
Perhaps some prisoners have got fed up and are breaking their chains
The prisoners have gathered beneath the walls of the prisons)
Satire, Pain and Passion Punctuate These Poems
The ever-doubting, satirical voice of Akbar Allahabadi— a long- time critic of colonial rule and a newfound admirer of Gandhi, shows us the great inescapable link between commerce and empire that Tagore too had alluded to:
Cheezein woh hain jo banein Europe mein
Baat woh hai jo Pioneer mein chhapey…
Europe mein hai jo jung ki quwwat barhi huwi
Lekin fuzoon hai uss se tijarat barhi huwi
Mumkin nahin laga sakein woh tope har jagah
Dekho magar Pears ka hai soap har jagah
(Real goods are those that are made in Europe
Real matter is that which is printed in the Pioneer…
Though Europe has great capability to do war
Greater still is her power to do business
They cannot install a canon everywhere
But the soap made by Pears is everywhere)
The great visionary poet Iqbal, who is at his most active, most powerful during these years, does not make direct references to actual events in the war arena;
nevertheless, he is asking Indians to be careful, to heed the signs in Tasveer-e Dard (‘A Picture of Pain’):
Watan ki fikr kar nadan musibat aane waali hai
Tiri barbadiyon ke mashvare hain asmanon mein
(Worry for your homeland, O innocents, trouble is brewing
The portents of disaster awaiting you are written in the skies.)
Adopting a fake admiring tone, Ahmaq Phaphoondvi seems to be praising the sharpness of the British brain in Angrezi Zehn ki ki Tezi (‘The Cleverness of the English Mind’) when he’s actually warning his readers of the perils of being divided while the British lord over them.
Kis tarah bapa hoon hangama aapas mein ho kyun kar khunaraizi
Hai khatam unhein schemon main angrezi zehn ki sab tezi
Ye qatl-o khoon ye jung-o jadal, ye zor-o sitam ye bajuz-o hasad
Baquii hii raheinge mulk mein sab, baqui hai agar raj angrezi
(Look at the turmoil and the bloodshed among our people
The cleverness of the English mind is used up in all such schemes
This murder ’n mayhem, wars ’n battles, cruelties ’n malice
The country’s garden is barren, with nothing but dust and desolation)
Towards Freedom and Fervour..
Zafar Ali Khan sounds an early, and as it turns out in the face of the British going back on their promise of self-governance, entirely premature bugle of freedom. While warning his fellow Indians to change with the changing winds that are blowing across the country as the war drags to an end, he’s also pointing our attention to the ‘Toadies’, a dreaded word for the subservient Indians who will gladly accept any crumbs by way of reforms in his poem Azaadi ka Bigul (‘The Bugle of Freedom’):
Bartania ki meiz se kuchh reze gire hain
Ai toadiyon chunne tum innhe peet ke bal jao
(Some crumbs have fallen from the table of Britannia
O Toadies, go crawling on your bellies to pick them)
In the end, there’s Agha Hashar Kashmiri who, in a sarcastic ode to Europe called Shukriya Europe, thanks it for turning the world into a matamkhana (mourning chamber), and for having successfully transformed the east into an example of hell.
Utth raha hai shor gham khakistar paamaal se
Keh raha hai Asia ro kar zaban-e haal se
Bar mazar-e ma ghariban ne chiraghe ne gule
Ne pare parwane sozo ne sada-e bulbule
(A shout is rising from the dust of the downtrodden
Asia is crying out and telling the world at large
On my poor grave there are neither lamps nor flowers
And not the wing of the moth or the sad song of the nightingale.)
(Rakhshanda Jalil is a writer, translator and literary historian. She writes on literature, culture and society. She runs Hindustani Awaaz, an organisation devoted to the popularisation of Urdu literature. She tweets at @RakshandaJalil
This is an opinion piece and the views expressed above are the author’s own. The Quint neither endorses nor is responsible for the same.)
source: http://www.thequint.com / The Quint / Home> Voices> Opinion / by Rakshanda Jalil / November 11th, 2022
