Mohammed Ibrahim is seen with Association President K. Vishwanath, Co-Secretary M.N. Nithin, Directors of Association Dayanand Kadamba and Nasir, along with ex-bodybuilders Najeeb, Mansoor.
Mohammed Ibrahim of Muscle Mania Gym, Mysuru, has secured 1st place in medium category in the Mysuru District-level Body Building Competition held on Jan. 2 at Town Hall.
He also bagged ‘Mr. Mysore – 2020’ title at the competition which was organised by Mysore District Amateur Bodybuilder’s Association, Mysuru.
Mohammed Ibrahim is seen with Association President K. Vishwanath, Co-Secretary M.N. Nithin, Directors of Association Dayanand Kadamba and Nasir, along with ex-bodybuilders Najeeb, Mansoor.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Photo News / January 09th, 2022
Bengaluru, KARNATAKA / La Jolla California, U.S.A :
Nasir is the man behind Discrete Cosine Transform – the technology which makes it possible to share photos & videos.
If you’ve been following the Pearson family closely, you must have watched episode 8 from the fifth season of ‘This is Us’ introducing two new characters to the show – Nasir and Esther Ahmed.
The first time we see the pair, it’s circa 1963 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where a man introduces himself as “I’m Nasir from India” as a young Esther is seen walking up to him, asking for a light.
The next time we see the couple, Nasir is cradling their son in his arms. Shortly after, another scene reveals their relevance.
As Esther is seen getting annoyed at Nasir for having returned late from work, Nasir replies, “When your mother wants a picture of you, what do we have to do? What if instead of waiting for the mail, she could see it instantly? They will be able to share images… Imagine if you could talk to someone on the screen but with a video.”
These lines from the show piece the puzzle together as viewers learn by the end of the episode that Nasir is the man behind the video-calling technology we use today. He’s the reason the Pearsons are able to stay connected using FaceTime amid the raging coronavirus pandemic .
From Bengaluru to USA
Nasir Ahmed hails from the southern city of Bengaluru, in India. He was born in 1940, and subsequently completed his schooling from Bishop Cotton Boys School. He earned his Bachelors in electrical engineering from the University College of Engineering in Bengaluru in 1961. Thereafter, he moved to the US for his higher studies and pursued both his MS and Ph.D at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque.
After his graduation, Ahmed worked as the Principal Research Engineer at Honeywell in St Paul, Minnesota from 1966 to 1968. He then took on the role of a professor at the Kansas State University and taught there till 1983, following which he joined the University of New Mexico and retired in 2001. He is currently Professor Emeritus of electrical and computer engineering at the University of New Mexico.
What is DCT?
In the 1970s, Nasir led a research team that developed the Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT), which makes it possible to share photos and videos.
In a paper on how he built the technology, Nasir says he had written a proposal to the National Science Foundation to study the cosine transform using two distinct polynomials. “Much to my disappointment, NSF did not fund the proposal,” he lamented, adding that a reviewer had deemed his proposal “too simple”. Not one to give up, Nasir kept at it through his P.hD until he finally cracked the DCT.
Today, Nasir and his team’s work on DCT is used in high-definition digital TVs, teleconferencing, and other image-sharing platforms, among numerous other commercial applications.
He is also credited with having invented the .jpg file format for photos, according to Bustle.
Finding Love
The real Nasir and Esther. /(Photo Courtesy: A still from the episode) /Esther and Nasir Ahmed video conferencing with This Is Us show creator Dan Fogelman and executive producers Vera Herbert and Jess Rosenthal in August of 2020. NBC
Nasir met Esther Pariente, an Argentinian, at the University of New Mexico. According to the College of Graduates in Economic Sciences of Tucumán, Esther holds a master’s degree in English from Kansas State University and a Ph.D in Spanish and Latin American Literature. Their son, Michael Pariente, is a well-known criminal defence attorney based in Las Vegas.
The makers of ‘This is Us’ caught up with the couple over a video chat to know their story, before paying a fitting tribute to the couple in the eighth episode.
According to Bustle, Nasir and his wife Esther released a limited-edition book about their lives called Parallel Lives In Curved Space in 2018. The couple celebrated their 56th anniversary recently.
source: http://www.thequint.com / The Quint / Home> The Indian American / by Rinki Sanyal / February 19th, 2021
Sunday’s Google Doodle: Alongside fellow pioneers and social reformers Jyotirao and Savitribai Phule, Sheikh co-founded the Indigenous Library in 1848, one of India’s first schools for girls
pix: Google Doodle / Janaury 9th Google Doodle features India’s first Muslim woman teacher, Fatima Sheikh. (Image: Google.com)
Google is celebrating the 191st birth anniversary of Indian educator and feminist icon Fatima Sheikh, who is widely considered to be India’s first Muslim woman teacher, by featuring a doodle for her. Alongside fellow pioneers and social reformers Jyotirao and Savitribai Phule, Sheikh co-founded the Indigenous Library in 1848, one of India’s first schools for girls.
Fatima was born on this day in 1831 in Pune. She lived with her brother Usman, and the siblings opened their home to the Phules after the couple was evicted for attempting to educate people in lower castes. The Indigenous Library opened under the Sheikhs’ roof.
Here, Savitribai Phule and Fatima Sheikh taught communities of marginalized Dalit and Muslim women and children who were denied education based on class, religion, or gender.
The Phules’ efforts to provide educational opportunities to those born into lower castes became known as the Satyashodhak Samaj (Truthseekers’ Society) movement. As a lifelong champion of this movement for equality, Sheikh went door-to-door to invite the downtrodden in her community to learn at the Indigenous Library and escape the rigidity of the caste system.
She met great resistance from the dominant classes who attempted to humiliate those involved in the Satyashodhak movement, but Sheikh and her allies persisted.
Although Sheikh’s story has been historically overlooked, the Indian government shone new light on her achievements in 2014 by featuring her profile in Urdu textbooks alongside other trailblazing Indian educators.
Majority of domiciles and secularists of Hyderabad State love and respect HEH The Nizam even today.
source: commons.wikimedia.org
The Nizam of Hyderabad Deccan His Exalted Highness Mir Osman Ali Khan Siddiqui was the last Ruler of the Asaf Jahi Dynasty who ruled the largest princely state of Hyderabad & Berar by population and the second largest by size.
Factual stories about HEH the last Nizam of Hyderabad’s riches are well documented worldwide. He reportedly used a £50m ostrich-egg sized diamond as a paperweight.
HEH The Nizam VII was the second Indian to be featured on the cover-page of Time Magazine February 22nd1937 edition as the Richest Man of the world.
HEH The Nizam VII was a secular Ruler, a philanthropist & a genius architect of modern-day Hyderabad.
During the period of war, HEH The Nizam donated truckloads of gold coins to the National Defence Fund of India & as a philanthropist his generous donations of large sums of money to the Benares Hindu University & other Hindu institutions are irrefutable evidences of his secular rule.
Time Magazine with Nizam’s Cover Photo
The majority of domiciles & secularists of Hyderabad State love and respect HEH The Nizam even today; whereas his adversaries especially India’s Hindutva Rightwingers never leave an opportunity to malign his name ®ularly try to distort the history of HEH The Nizam & other Muslim Rulers of erstwhile Indian Empire.
Nevertheless, even today HEH The Nizam & his golden era is highly regarded & commands great respect worldwide to an extent that even today any antiques and works of art of HEH The Nizam’s era are highly sought-after, command a high price and every antique collector’s delight. High value bidding at international auction houses to acquire Nizam’s era antiques are a common sight wherein collectors from around the world and new generation of super rich Hyderabadis vie to own a piece of Hyderabad’s heritage & bring it back to the City of Pearls – Hyderabad.
It’s worth mentioning here that during the last eight decades, a huge quantity of immensely valuable antiques of Nizam’s era were sold at throw away prices by some of the Nizam’s descendants, stolen or looted and smuggled out of the country and sold unlawfully by the caretakers of the Nizam’s Estates, taken away as war booty by the British Indian forces and few others received them as gifts bestowed by The Nizam’s Government & passed on to the future generations as family heirlooms.
Mr. Amarbir Singh – a Numismatic Expert&Authority on Nizam era Hyderabad currency and co-author of ‘Indian Paper Money’says, “Nizam’s Hyderabad had its own railways, airways, central bank, currency, including paper notes, army, and a high court.
After Operation Polo and subsequent trifurcation of Hyderabad State, it lost a bit of its sheen which is now regained by the efforts of the experts and enthusiasts of heritage and history.
Technology has given the impetus to the curiosity and the collection interests of lot of people, many who do not even have their roots in the Hyderabad State. The coins, currency, medals, tokens, stamps, and militaria issued by the Nizam’s Government are very sought-after collectibles today. So, are the vintage books related to Hyderabad and the 1937 Time Magazine which are getting rarer by the day.”
Dr. Mohammed Safiullah – City’s well-known Historian says, “The entire world came to know about the existence of two large Gold Mohurs from Mughal era weighing 11.200 kgs and 2.240 kgs from the Nizam’s treasures after they were put up for sale in an auction three decades ago in 1986. But due to the intervention of the Indian Government, it was withdrawn by the Fine Arts Auctioneers – Habsburg Feldman of Geneva, Switzerland and later sold privately.”
In June 2019, in a single largest auction that lasted for 12 hours at Christie’s, over 700 crores worth of Nizam’s antique jewellery and regalia were sold. Among them a ceremonial sword of the Nizam of Hyderabad for a huge price tag of over $1.5M, The Nizam of Hyderabad Necklace for over $2M, Sarpech for over $1.5M apart from many other antiques.
A lesser price antique “A large Guilded Firman in the name of the Nizam of Hyderabad Sikandar Jah was sold for £1500 at Christie’s in 2016. A large and highly detailed design of the Osmania General Hospital based on the Islamic Architecture of South India by Esch was sold for over £6875 in 2011 at Christie’s also. Vincent Jerome Esch, (1876-1950) was engaged by the Nizam of HyderabadcHEH Mir Osman Ali Khancin 1914 as an Architect to assist in the redevelopment of Hyderabad city following its devastation by floods and plague in 1908 and 1911.
Mr. Ahmed Rahmatullah Khan, a Hyderabadi Techy who works for HP is one among new generation of collectors who recently acquired a rare historic military medal in an Australian auction spending over 180 AUD. The medal has an interesting story behind it as it was issued by HEH The Nizam of Hyderabad for the safe deliverance of Lord and Lady Hardinge’s (Viceroy of India and his wife) after they escaped a bomb attack by the Indian revolutionaries in 1912 while travelling on an elephant in Delhi. The medal was expected to sell for 60-90 AUS but due to the historical story and the Nizam’s tag attached to it, it was sold much over the expected price for 140 AUS plus the auction house fees and logistics.
Muzammil Rizwan Khan based in Australia is a newer generation of Hyderabadis and a proud owner of the Nizam of Hyderabad’s 650 Flintlock Cavalry-Pistol made in the year 1825 and was in the personal possession of the Nizams until 1974. Rizwan purchased the antique gun after spending few thousand pounds last year in a UK auction and imported it to Australia. Whilst the Hindutva Rightwingers are inciting hate with their rhetoric to forcibly revert Indian Muslims to Hinduism (GharWapsi), Indian origin Hyderabadi Muslims like Rizwan exerting efforts employing their resources, time & money to bring back the lost heritage &antiques of Hyderabad & India. As he proudly stated in the unboxing video on his Facebook page “Mein ne Hyderabad ki cheez Hyderabad Alhamdulillah GharWapis le aayahoon. This pistol is just not owned by me but it belongs to all Hyderabadis and I have bought it back home and in the hands of a Hyderabadi again.”
In another recent auction on 17th of December 2021, a small white metal silver plate place holder depicting a young Edward VIII (Prince of Wales) on his Royal tour of India and HEH the Nizam measuring approximately 8 inches was sold by East Bristol Auctions in UK for £110. The antique piece had some minor damages, one of the figurines of the tiger on the Coat of Arms of HEH The Nizam had a tail missing & the coloured photo of HEH the Nizam was considerably faded.
“The picture of HEH Nizam VII is hand coloured and depicts the Star of India Robes awarded in July 1914 decorated with orders and garters – a hierarchy of awards and medals granted to the Rulers, Princes, Nobles and Chiefs of the princely states of India. HH Nizam VI and HEH Nizam VII both were awarded the Star of India Robes by the then British Monarch, Dr. Mohammed Safiullah added.
On 29th October 2020 a commemorative silver scroll holder dedicated to the Nizam of Hyderabad dated 1903 from the Anjuman-i-Islam of Bombay was sold much over the expected price for £1,125 plus fees and vat.
Collectors crave to acquire Nizam era Hyderabad related antiques is ever growing and has reached to an extent in the last 80 years since India’s independence millions worth of Nizam’s antiques were traded at the international private and public auctions as well as local auctions, but there isn’t any data to give an exact figure or value of the trade.
Ahmed Shareef Askander is a Researcher based in London, UK.
source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> Opinion / by Guest Contributor – Ahmed Shareef Askander / January 07th, 2022
B M Zaffer Thonse Chairman Thonse Health Centre (Nature cure and Ayurveda hospital) has been selected for the prestigious Indian Achievers Award-2021 by the Indian Achievers’ Forum for his outstanding professional achievements and contributions in national building.
Zaffer is a known businessman from UAE and the award is given for recognizing his excellence in business, health sector and social activities.
Zaffer is the founder secretary of Qidmath Committee, Hoode and founder sports secretary of Young Men’s Association Kemmanu.
Zaffer is also the founder president of Thonse Cultural Association in UAE and president of Alumni Association of Government Urdu School Hoode.
He also established Nirmal Thonse, a NGO to protect nature and rendered service as honourary president in the same.
source: http://www.daijiworld.com / DaijiWorld.com / Home> Karnataka / by Media Release / November 03rd, 2021
Munna Khalid, a Ph.D. student enrolled at the Hindi Department, Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) won two bronze medals in 4th National Para Badminton Championship organised by Para Sports Association of Odisha from 24th26th December,2021 at Bhubaneswar .
Khalid secured one bronze medal in single event and the other bronze in the double event partnering with Suresh Kadki.
He has become the first player from the State of NCT of Delhi to have won a medal in any National Level Para Badminton Championship. “I am very happy and it is my dream to win a medal for India in the Paralympics at international level” said Khalid.
JMI Vice Chancellor Prof. Najma Akhtar congratulated Kahlid for the achievement and wished him success in his future endeavors.
Before enrolling for his Ph.D., Khalid also did BA (Hons.) Hindi, Master of Social Work (MSW) and MA (Hindi) programmes from JMI.
source: http://www.jmi.ac.in / Jama Millia Islamia / Home / by Public Relations Office, JMI / December 30th, 2021
Thirty-two-year old Zeeshan Majeed from Kolkata, West Bengal has not only distributed food during the Covid-19 lockdown but also distributed masks, medicine and oxygen cylinders at times of crisis. For his noble work, he was featured as a Covid Warrior in IPL 2020. He is included among the Covid Warriors in the Limca Book of Records – 2020-22 as well.
Kolkata :
He has been feeding hungry people since he saw a child at a government hospital picking up food from a drain and eating it. Thirty-two-year old Zeeshan Majeed, a footwear manufacturer in Kolkata, started feeding 40 people with meals cooked by his mother once a week, but today more than 1500 people receive food daily from his Anti-Hunger Squad Foundation.
Zeeshan became a social activist after witnessing an accident on the street. It all began when he was on his way to work. He saw a young boy who had met with an accident and lay unconscious on the street near Sealdah railway station on April 15, 2018.
Something strange caught his attention, so he stopped to help. In the chaos, he spotted rag-pickers attempting to grab his mobile and laptop bag, which were lying scattered along with the motorcycle. He was a bit scared to help, but he recovered his courage and rushed the unconscious boy to the nearby Nil Ratan Sircar Medical College and Hospital.
At the hospital, he was shocked to notice the child. He later learned that many rural residents from deprived backgrounds in West Bengal travel to the capital city of Kolkata for treatment at the government hospitals. They arrive with their families and relatives. Some of these people can’t even afford to buy food, medication or accommodation. Most of them live on the streets for days and months.
Zeeshan went home with a heavy heart and recounted the story to his mother. He insisted on offering meals for the needy while he knew that her mother couldn’t possibly cook for this many people. “I asked if she could prepare meals for at least 40 people and I would take care of the rest. Her answer was yes. We decided that every Sunday my mother would prepare food and I would deliver it to people temporarily living on hospital premises or pavements,” Majeed told TwoCircles.net.
Starting a charity On May 20, 2018, he established the Anti-Hunger Squad Foundation, a charitable organisation. It started as a weekly event called ‘Dawat E Aam’ at NRS Hospital. Every week, the menu had a variety of dishes, such as simple hotchpotch, rice with vegetables, vegetable pulao, or rice with soya chunks curry. The menu consisted only of vegetarian meals since the recipients belong to diverse communities, which were served during the lunch hour.
This vehicle carries Anti-Hunger Squad Foundation’s relief materials.
This weekly event has become a part of a daily routine since April 28, 2019, when he started receiving phone calls from different places. Helped by funds from friends, family and through social media, he launched the dinner service. He does not accept cash donations directly from his donors rather engages restaurant kitchens to prepare meals for donors, which he collects and distributes. It gets difficult for him to prepare lunch and dinner on his own, despite having a kitchen.
Covid warrior Among the people he has fed are women, children and the elderly. Whether they are beggars, slum dwellers, destitute or prostitutes, all have benefited from his food distribution services. The underprivileged received food standing in a row during the Covid-19 lockdown while the middle-class people felt shy and refused to queue. They suffered the most during the lockdown.
Zeeshan wanted to help them, so he created a ‘Secret Santa’ project for them with a helpline. On his social media platforms, he advertised that those in need of the ration kit could send him a text. Their ration kits would be delivered to their homes without revealing their identities.
Zeeshan Majeed serving food to hungry people.
During the first lockdown, more than 1000 ration kits were distributed in Sonagachi, Kolkata’s sex-workers area. Ten kilograms of rice and five kilograms of pulses were included in the kits. Furthermore, the Anti-Hunger Squad Foundation distributed over 1200 kits each day under the Secret Santa project. Over 5000 people were helped.
This Samaritan from Kolkata has not only distributed food but also masks, medicine and oxygen cylinders at times of crisis. For his noble work, he was featured as a Covid Warrior in IPL 2020. He is included among the Covid Warriors in the Limca Book of Records – 2020-22 as well.
Former Indian Cricket Captain Sourav Gangulay presenting a gift hamper to Zeeshan Majeed.
“I always had two police guards with me during the Janata curfew or lockdown periods,” he said, acknowledging the maximum support he received from the Kolkata Police. “Their presence allowed me to distribute food properly while maintaining social distance with chalk marking, increasing sanitization awareness. Sometimes on the footpaths, beggars or physically challenged people would form a queue while some forlorn person would hand out disposable plates,” recalls Zeeshan, the owner of Golden Plastic, a footwear manufacturing company in Topsia.
His charitable foundation provided relief materials during natural disasters, such as floods or cyclones. He distributed food during the Amphan cyclone in May 2020 at Chandipur, Gosaba, Patharpratima, Basanti in Sundarban, as well as Harapur, Nalmuri, Bantala, Bhojerhat, Ghatakpukur in South 24-Parganas and other locations. When cyclone Yaas hit in May 2021, the food kits were also distributed to people in Mandarmuni, Purshottomnagar in East Midnapore and other Sundarban islands.
Zeeshan was born and brought up in Kolkata. He is the only son of Tarique Majeed and Nazli Tarique, who have four children. He finished his tenth standard in 2005 at Saifee Golden Jubilee English Public School and completed his 12th standard in 2007 from the same school. He graduated with a degree in commerce from Maulana Azad College in 2012, as well as an MBA degree in marketing from Sikkim Manipal University in 2015.
Zeeshan told TwoCircles.net, “Two days in my life are valuable—the day I was born and the day I discovered why I was born. Despite trying many things in life, including a job and a business, I never achieved satisfaction. That changed when I started distributing food.”
A Ballygunge resident, Zeeshan got married in October 2019. He plans to expand his charitable mission to the global level with this tagline – ‘Aao Ek Nayi Soch Banayay Kisi Bhukay Ko Khana Khilayay’ (Let’s think differently and help feed the hungry).
“I wish to serve people of the world. There are many people around the world who rarely get a square meal. If I have an opportunity, I will ensure that no one sleeps hungry,” he added.
Partho Burman is an award-winning independent journalist based in Kolkata. He writes inspirational, motivational and environmental stories. He tweets at @ParthoBurman.
source: http://www.twocirlces.net / TwoCircles.net / Home>Lead Story / by Partho Burman, TwoCircles.net / December 30th, 2021
He not only aims to bring medals for his country but also to help his community.
Now an established paraplegic swimmer with several accolades in his lap, Mohammad Shams Aalam Shaikh was born in a small village of Bihar.
This is the story of this champion who conquered the challenges thrown at him and went on to win four gold medals at the Indian Open Para Swimming Championship in 2018.
The village was surrounded by three rivers and thus, it was prone to floods. Naturally, Shams learned to swim when he was a kid. His grandfather was a wrestler, as told by his mother. As he grew up hearing the story of his grandfather, Shams always wanted to become a sportsperson. He was fond of martial arts and went on to get a black belt in Karate as he participated in Karate competitions nationally and internationally. Things were fairly well for him, he even completed his mechanical engineering and was all set for the corporate world.
However, in 2010, his life changed when he was diagnosed with a spinal tumour. Even after his surgery, there was not much improvement. As Shams got another checkup, he found out that the surgery was a failure and the tumour was still there. “Back then in 2010, I was going to represent my country in Asian games 2010 in Karate. But all my dreams shattered as the lower half of my body became ineffective. I became paraplegic,” recalled Shams. He lost sensations below his chest.
Shams got his disability certificate in 2012, which stated that he is 100 per cent disabled and it’s an eternal disability. “I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life crying about what has happened and now I want to move on. It took almost one and a half years for things to get back to normal,” said Shams.
In 2012, Shams went to a rehabilitation centre named Paraplegic Centre situated in Mumbai. At the centre, a doctor told him that swimming is good for the rejuvenation of the nervous system. Shams, who was already a Karate champion, also knew swimming very well. Unfortunately, he was told that he can’t swim, also if he does, the authorities will not take accountability if anything goes downhill.
It happened at the centre only that Shams met Raja Ram, also a differently-abled swimmer, who motivated Shams to pursue swimming. He started swimming, worked on his form and went on to win gold medals at state and national championships. While talking about the same, Shams said, “I never knew swimming would become my career. I won four gold medals in swimming and it gives me immense joy,” said Shams.
He further added, “After my disability, a lot has changed in my life. My perspective for people who have a disability has changed. I started the Parasport Association, Mumbai, which is now a registered body. It is a platform for people with disabilities to showcase their talent in sports.”
Credit: Supplied
He not only aims to bring medals for his country but also to help his community. He said, “Being featured in 300 most influential people in Asia 2020 by The New York Press News Agency is what makes me feel proud of myself. We are also working on making people with spinal cord injuries nationally registered with proper data. This will help our government and our society to recognise our problems and might even make things a little better.”
“We don’t have any qualified para swimmer coach in India, however, Raja Ram, who became my coach and mentor and is an International para swimmer, helped me to tackle technical issues and my physiotherapist helped me in gaining physical strength. Now, my father helps me in doing workouts,” said Shams.
Credit: Supplied
When we asked him about his opinion on Michael Phelps and him consuming 12,000 calories a day, he said, “Yes he consumes around 12,000 calories a day but it is not possible for me and I cannot compare myself with him since it is quite difficult for me and I have never counted how many calories I consume in a day.”
Credit: Supplied
According to Shams, in terms of techniques in swimming, there is no difference between a normal swimmer or para-swimmer. People like Shams who have severe disabilities do some things differently but there are not any major differences.
“I sometimes miss old Shams Aalam. But it is only sometimes, who I am today is a better version of myself,” said Shams.
In 2017, Shams broke his own record by completing 8 km of open-sea swimming in 4 hours and 4 minutes. He came to be the world record holder for completing the longest distance of open-sea swimming by a paraplegic. “I am going through the worst time now since swimming pools are closed due to covid and I am not able to do swimming. I could not qualify this time for the Paralympics 2020 which I wanted to qualify for,” said Shams.
When Shams was 13 years old, he loved watching Bruce Lee on his television and often imitated him. In 2002, he started playing Karate and participated in Karate competitions without thinking about the outcomes. However, the older Shams never had the greater visions of what he would become. He is grateful and continuously pushes him to achieve much more.
source: http://www.cityspidey.com / City Spidey / Home> News / by Anjali Singh / August 13th, 2021
Maqsud S. Alam has set an example of community harmony in his region. | Photo by Partho Burman
Forty-seven-year old Sheikh Maqsud Alam is a caretaker of a Christian cemetery. He looks after the Barrackpore Cemetery, which is one of the oldest burial grounds of the Christian community in West Bengal. He took charge at the age of 23 after his mother passed away in 1997. To this day, he continues to look after the cemetery with dedication.
Kolkata :
His responsibility doesn’t allow him to take a day off from his duty. Whether it rains or shines, he performs the last rites by laying coffins at the century-old Christian cemetery in Barrackpore, Kolkata. He sets the perfect example of communal harmony, yet his dawn-to-dusk relentless service towards society has gone unnoticed for the last 24 years.
Meet Sheikh Maqsud Alam, a 47-year-old caretaker of a Christian cemetery. He looks after the Barrackpore Cemetery, which is one of the oldest burial grounds of the Christian community in West Bengal. He took charge at the age of 23 after his mother Thurran Bibi passed away in 1997. He resides in a small room within the graveyard compound along with a few pet dogs.
The entrance to Barrackpore cemetery in Kolkata. | Photo by Partho Burman
The Diocese of Barrackpore notifies him before the coffin arrives. “I have to document the details of the departed soul in my register once the funeral group attends here. The burying process takes place only between sunrise and sunset. The excavation work is done based on the size of the coffin,” Sheikh Maqsud Alam told TwoCircles.net.
Born and brought up at the cemetery in a thatched house, Alam is one among nine siblings. He could not continue his studies after primary level due to poverty. Father Hanif Mali has also worked here as a gardener. Till he was alive, he was assigned to maintain the burials of World War I and World War II.
Established in circa 1820 AD, the Barrackpore Cemetery is also known as the Commonwealth War Grave. Situated at Barrackpore in Kolkata, it is one of the oldest Cantonments in India. It has 21 burials of the soldiers from the First World War and 113 graves of the combatants from the Second World War.
Second World War graves at the cemetery | Photo by Partho Burman
Officer on Special Duty at the West Bengal Heritage Commission, Basudev Malik told TwoCircles.net, “The Barrackpore Cemetery is declared as ‘Heritage’ property in 2019. The importance of heritage declaration is to create awareness among the local citizens. The declaration doesn’t mean that the State government would restore or renovate it, since the graveyard is under the Church authority, they will have to preserve it. However, they can move to the Chief Minister or ministers or local public representatives for it.”
A grave dating back to 1862 is found here. Some entombments of yesteryears might have been even older but those are either buried or veiled behind the cluttered dense woodland. Some British tombstones reflect colonial architecture while some contain loads of love, respect and care shown by their daughters, wives, fathers or sons – all of them have their feelings inscribed on the marbled tombstone in fond memories of their beloved.
Various stones such as sandstone, marble and granite were used. Some have canopies while some are quite simple. The garden of remembrance serves all the Christian communities in the area, including Catholic, Protestant and Pentecost. They show up when the mortal remains of their relatives or friends to be rested in peace here. Some Christian tribal communities also utilize the last resting place for their kith and kin.
The burial place has over 1100 memorials spread across 20 Bigha of land. It is also covered with plenty of trees, including palm, coconuts, guava, jackfruit, Indian blackberry, Indian plum, mango, neem and unwanted weeds. It also houses a number of bird species, venomous snakes, mongooses, jackals, civets, etc.
Talking to TwoCircles.net, secretary of Barrackpore Cemetery Committee, Father Achal Kumar Naru said that 3-4 are reported on average every month. There are certain norms required before burying the dead. “We issue a slip to the bereaved family and that needs to be produced before the caretaker to carry out the necessary work. We charge a nominal fee of Rs.600 for that,” informs Father Naru.
The ground is dug up to 5-feet for laying the coffin. In order to prevent the casket from surfacing, 10 bags of sand, 5 kg stone chips and 50 bricks are required to hold the box back in the soil. Two labourers assist the caretaker, who takes Rs 1500 for it.
Digging is not his only responsibility, but also to supervise the century-old mausoleum. Alam only draws Rs 1000 as salary per month from the Barrackpore Cemetery Committee for these uphill struggles. However, the short-figured man always wears a smile on his face and has no qualms about it. He couldn’t exactly remember the numbers of corpses he buried but it was around 400 bodies in the past 24 years. “Death is unpredictable. Sometimes 2-3 dead bodies come up in a day and sometimes you find none in the entire month,” claims Alam.
Married to Saina Sabina in 1992, the couple have two daughters. His family stays at a rented house in Naya Basti about 10-minute walking distance from the cemetery. Despite poverty, Alam sent his daughters to school with great struggle and both his girls are educated. The elder daughter has completed her 12th standard while the younger has finished her graduation in Arts.
Alam with his younger daughter Nilu Khatun at the cemetery. | Photo by Partho Burman
“I tried my best to educate my daughters under these hardships. I don’t want my daughters to follow the legacy of what our generations have been doing. Both are schooled and I wish to see them opting for some other profession,” concludes Alam.
Partho Burman is an award-winning independent journalist based in Kolkata. He writes inspirational, motivational and environmental stories. He tweets at @ParthoBurman.
source: http://www.twocircles.net / TwoCircles.net / Home> Lead Story / by Partho Burman, TwoCircles.net / December 20th, 2021
This is India’s first win at Centurion and the India skipper, recalling his team’s fantastic victory at Wanderers in the final Test in 2018, said that result instilled plenty of self-belief.
Mohammed Shami (Photo | AP)
Centurion :
Victorious Indian captain Virat Kohli on Thursday attributed the Test team’s fine results overseas in recent years to his pace attack and rated Mohammed Shami among the best three seamers in the world currently.
The formidable India pace unit destroyed a listless South Africa to fashion an emphatic 113-run win in the first Test here, setting the team on course for a maiden series victory in the country.
Kohli lavished rich praise on his colleagues after the team’s big win.
“Just the way these guys bowl together, it’s just a hallmark of our team getting a result from that position, not just in this game but also in the last two-three years,” Kohli said at the post-match presentation ceremony.
India were handed the advantage on the first day itself when centurion KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal set it up with a big opening partnership, and Kohli said that partnership made a huge difference to the outcome of the match.
“The discipline that the batters showed. Winning the toss, batting first overseas is a tough challenge. Credit to Mayank and KL the way they set it up. We knew we were in pole position with anything over 300-320. We have a lot of belief in our bowling unit and knew the bowlers will get the job done,” Kohli pointed out.
This is India’s first win at Centurion and the India skipper, recalling his team’s fantastic victory at Wanderers in the final Test of the 2018 Test series, said that result from the past instilled plenty of self-belief.
“It’s a top start for us. We have to understand one day was washed out — shows how well we played. It’s always a difficult place to play against South Africa. We got so much confidence out of Johannesburg last time. It’s a ground we love playing at.”
The next match is scheduled to be played at Johannesburg from January 3-7.
Speaking about Shami, he said, “He is absolutely world class talent. For me he’s in the best three seamers in the world at the moment. His strong wrist, his seam position and his ability to hit a length consistently. Very, very happy for him to get 200 wickets and have an impactful performances.”
Pacer Jasprit Bumrah could not bowl a lot in the first innings and Kohli felt his team could have got a bigger lead in the first innings if that wasn’t the case.
“Spoke about it in the change room — the fact he didn’t bowl much in the first innings, it allowed South Africa to get around 40 more runs.”
South African skipper Dean Elgar, who top-scored for his side with a fighting 77, said there were few positives for his team but expressed his disappointment with the batters.
This is only the third instance when South Africa had been dismissed under 200 in each innings of a Test match at home since their re-admission in 1991.
“Obviously not a nice thing knowing we lost a Test here. Did a few things wrong. Lot of positives coming out that we can use in the next two. Always the nature here. Always going to be tough because the wicket’s playing slower (first morning),” Elgar said.
Kohli lavished rich praise on his colleagues after the team’s big win.
“Just the way these guys bowl together, it’s just a hallmark of our team getting a result from that position, not just in this game but also in the last two-three years,” Kohli said at the post-match presentation ceremony.
India were handed the advantage on the first day itself when centurion KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal set it up with a big opening partnership, and Kohli said that partnership made a huge difference to the outcome of the match.
“The discipline that the batters showed. Winning the toss, batting first overseas is a tough challenge. Credit to Mayank and KL the way they set it up. We knew we were in pole position with anything over 300-320. We have a lot of belief in our bowling unit and knew the bowlers will get the job done,” Kohli pointed out.
This is India’s first win at Centurion and the India skipper, recalling his team’s fantastic victory at Wanderers in the final Test of the 2018 Test series, said that result from the past instilled plenty of self-belief.
“It’s a top start for us. We have to understand one day was washed out — shows how well we played. It’s always a difficult place to play against South Africa. We got so much confidence out of Johannesburg last time. It’s a ground we love playing at.”
The next match is scheduled to be played at Johannesburg from January 3-7.
Speaking about Shami, he said, “He is absolutely world class talent. For me he’s in the best three seamers in the world at the moment. His strong wrist, his seam position and his ability to hit a length consistently. Very, very happy for him to get 200 wickets and have an impactful performances.”
Pacer Jasprit Bumrah could not bowl a lot in the first innings and Kohli felt his team could have got a bigger lead in the first innings if that wasn’t the case.
“Spoke about it in the change room — the fact he didn’t bowl much in the first innings, it allowed South Africa to get around 40 more runs.”
South African skipper Dean Elgar, who top-scored for his side with a fighting 77, said there were few positives for his team but expressed his disappointment with the batters.
This is only the third instance when South Africa had been dismissed under 200 in each innings of a Test match at home since their re-admission in 1991.
“Obviously not a nice thing knowing we lost a Test here. Did a few things wrong. Lot of positives coming out that we can use in the next two. Always the nature here. Always going to be tough because the wicket’s playing slower (first morning),” Elgar said.
He added, “Indian openers did the fundamentals right. We didn’t quite execute the lengths well. After some good chats our bowlers executed the lengths and restricted India to what we thought was a par score. New ball is something you have to get through playing here. Can’t emphasise enough on the hard work our bowlers put in to get 20 wickets. Our batters let us down. I’d say the batting was the difference between the two sides. We’ll have a little sit-down with myself and the management to strategise. Didn’t do a lot of wrong things. Not all doom and gloom for us. We thrive under the pressure which is a positive for us.”
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Sport> Cricket / by PTI / December 30th, 2021
