In 1984, Dr Ismail started his first polyclinic in Karama, which soon became a familiar name for patients from South Asian communities in Dubai.
UAE resident Dr Ismail Kazia and his family are among the latest recipients of the coveted Golden Visa, thanks to his service in the field of medicine.
Hailing from Bhatkal, a coastal town in the state of Karnataka, India, Dr Ismail came to Dubai in 1982, at a time when only a few localities existed, together with a few hospitals and clinics. Karama has been his home ever since.
The doctor took up a post at an American clinic — but though he was “offered a good salary compared to other hospitals”, he said he soon realised there was a specific need for a clinic in Karama.
In 1984, he started the Dr Ismail Polyclinic in Karama, which soon became a familiar name for patients from the Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Nepali community in Dubai.
“We are very blessed and thankful for the Golden Visa, which is valid till May 2031,” he said, adding, “A few doctors in my hospital have also been granted the visa for their service during the pandemic.”
Dr Ismail has four sons, all of whom have followed him into the medical profession to become doctors themselves.
The eldest, Dr Mohammed Dawood Kazia, holds a Doctorate of Medicine (DM) in Gastroenterology, while his second son, Dr Mohammed Nooh Kazia, works as an endodontist at their polyclinic in Karama.
The third son, Dr Sheesh Kazia, is presently working at Kanachur Medical College in Mangalore, Karnataka — while his younger brother, Dr Mohammed Yusha Kazia, completed his MBBS recently.
Dr Ismail also has a son-in-law, Dr Anas Mohtesham, who works at the Royal Wing of Rashid Hospital.
The oldest, Dr Dawood Kazia, said: “It’s a blessing to work here in Dubai. My brothers, who are presently in India, have also been granted Golden Visas by the authorities. My younger brother Dr Sheesh will also join us in the coming days. We thank the authorities for recognising the efforts of doctors.”
Dr Ismail now has a day surgical centre in Karama along with six polyclinics at various locations in Dubai. He also has clinics at labour camps in Al Quoz, Jebel Ali and Sonapur, which are dedicated to the treatment of labourers at minimal charges.
He has reportedly offered his services to people of over 80 nationalities, something he considers a bit of a personal achievement, given that there are over 200 nationalities residing in Dubai.
ayaz@khaleejtimes.com
source: http://www.khaleejtimes.com / Khaleej Times / Home> News / by SM Ayaz Zakir, Dubai / June 06th, 2021
Locals claim ‘Noorjahan’ mangoes are of Afghan origin and cultivated only in the Katthiwada region of Alirajpur district adjacent to the Gujarat border, approximately 250 km from Indore.
The ‘Noorjahan’ mango, cultivated in Madhya Pradesh’s Alirajpur district, is fetching a higher price this year thanks to the good yield and sheer size of the fruit compared with the last year.
The ‘Noorjahan’ mango is priced at Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 apiece this season, a farmer said on Sunday, adding unlike the last year, the yield of this variety of mangoes has been good this time due to favourable weather conditions.
Locals claim ‘Noorjahan’ mangoes are of Afghan origin and cultivated only in the Katthiwada region of Alirajpur district adjacent to the Gujarat border, approximately 250 km from Indore.
“The three Noojahan mango trees in my orchard have produced 250 mangoes. The fruit has been priced between Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 per piece. Bookings have already been done for these mangoes,” Shivraj Singh Jadhav, a mango cultivator from Katthiwada, told PTI.
He said people who have booked ‘Noorjahan’ mangoes in advance include fruit lovers from Madhya Pradesh as well as neighbouring Gujarat.
“This time the weight of a Noorjahan mango is going to be between 2 kg to 3.5 kg,” Jadhav added.
Ishaq Mansoori, an expert in cultivating ‘Noorjahan’ mangoes in Katthiwada, said, “This time the crop of this variety has been good but the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the business”.
He said ‘Noorjahan’ trees could not flower properly due to unfavourable climatic conditions in 2020.
“In 2019, one mango of this variety weighed around 2.75 kg at an average and buyers paid as high as Rs 1,200 apiece for it,” he added.
The ‘Noorjahan’ variety produces fruits towards the beginning of June.
These trees start flowering in January- February.
A ‘Noorjahan’ mango can grow up to a foot long and its kernels weigh between 150 to 200 grams, local cultivators claimed.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Nation / by PTI / Indore – June 06th, 2021
Young Eshal’s great achievement was recorded in the International Book of Records of 2021.
At just four years old, little genius Eshal Marwa Firos Khan set the world record for reciting all the elements in the Periodic Table in just 2 minutes and 28 seconds.
The kindergartener at Doha Modern Indian School didn’t only learn all the elements of the periodic table by heart, but also recited them in record-breaking time, earning her a spot in the International Book of Records on March 26, 2021.
“The World Record of “FASTEST RECITATION OF PERIODIC TABLE BY A KID” is achieved by ESHAL MARWA FIROS KHAN on 26th March 2021 from Doha, Qatar,” the organisation said.
“4 years 8 months Eshal recited all the elements of periodic table in 2 minutes 28 seconds and has set a new world record for International Book of Records,” it added.
Now, Eshal holds the record for “Fastest Recitation of Periodic Table By a Kid,” making her family and wider community in Qatar proud.
But that’s not the little girl’s only achievement.
Eshal is also documented in the India Book of Records and Champions Book of Records for identifying 55 critical human body parts, eight planets of the solar system, and 14 prime ministers of India in the shortest possible time.
Highlighting the girl’s achievement, the school extended their gratitude and pride towards her teachers for their support and guidance.
“On behalf of our esteemed Principal, Senior Leadership Team, Management, Staff and Students of DMIS we wish her further success and greater glory in the years to come,” said DMIS.
source: http://www.dohanews.co / Doha News / Home> Family Life / by Menatella Ibrahim / May 02nd, 2021
Close to 24 lakh candidates had appeared in the national level test conducted under the Craftsmen Training Scheme.
Bhubaneswar:
Zaibul Nisha, a Muslim girl from Odisha, is among the four toppers of All India Trade Test (AITT) 2020.
Close to 24 lakh candidates had appeared in the national level test conducted under the Craftsmen Training Scheme.
In an impressive performance, all top four positions of AITT 2020 have been secured by Odisha professionals.
“All four AITT toppers from Odisha”
Besides Zaibul Nisha, other AITT toppers are Pooja Mahar, Sai Charan Das and Birendra Seth.
A beaming Chief Minister, Naveen Patnaik, has congratulated the four on their historic success.
“CM @Naveen_Odisha congratulated @skilled_odisha professionals – Zaibul Nisha, Pooja Mahar, Sai Charan Das & Birendra Seth for making it to top 10 in the Craftsmen Training Scheme. CM expressed happiness that concerted effort to build a robust skill ecosystem is being recognized”, a message posted on CMO Odisha official Twitter handle said.
Odisha Skill Development Authority too is on cloud nine after the success of Odisha professionals.
“#SkilledInOdisha professionals ace it again at the national level! Glad to share that 4 of our professionals – Zaibul Nisha, Pooja Mahar, Sai Charan Das & Birendra Seth are national toppers Craftsmen Training Scheme (CTS) – All India TradeTest 2020”, it wrote on its Twitter handle.
“About All India Trade Test”
All India Trade Test (AITT) is conducted by the Directorate General of Training under the aegis of National Council for Vocational Training (NCVT) for its various schemes. The exam is held twice a year.
The Craftsmen Training Scheme is implemented through about 15,000 Industrial Training Institutes (it is) in 137 trades.
The AITT is held at the end of the training year. Candidates who qualify in the AITT are awarded National Trade Certificates (NTC).
source: http://www.ummid.com / Ummid.com / Home> Education & Career / by ummid.com News Network / June 04th, 2021
Born on 21 October 1933, Shakeb grew up in Hyderabad and Aurangabad . He received a BA in Political Science from the Osmania University , and an MA from the Aligarh Muslim University in 1956. He completed his doctorate on Relations of Golkonda with Iran from Deccan College in 1976.
Shakeb together with Vasanth Kumar Bawa, setup the first-ever Hyderabad Urban Development Authority which is now referred to as Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority.
In 1962, he was appointed as an archivist at the State Archives of Andhra Pradesh in Hyderabad. Whilst here he created the Mughal Record Room. His publications include Mughal Archives Vol I: A Descriptive Catalogue of the Documents Pertaining to the Reign of Shah Jahan, in 1977 which remains critical reading for those seeking to learn how to read administrative documents in Indo-Persian. He went on to write many publications for The British Library , State Archives Andhra Pradesh and other repositories, universities, and auction houses.
From 1980 to 1987, Shakeb taught Indian history and the history of Indo-Islamic art and culture in the Department of Indology at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.
He later on worked as a consultant for Christie’s in their department of Islamic and Indian Art as their leading expert on Persian and Arabic manuscripts for 30 years.
He also continued to work on Indo-Persian manuscripts and Mughal documents and catalogued such manuscripts in the British Library, such as the Batala Collection of Mughal Documents 1527-1757 in 1990. Throughout this time he supervised many doctoral researchers in the fields of Mughal history, Deccan studies and Urdu and Persian literature.
Shakeb was also the Director of Urdu teachers training at Middlesex University up until 1998.
He also played a key role in setting up the Haroon Khan Sherwani Center for Deccan Studies at Maulana Azad National Urdu University and had been a member of the center’s first advisory board. He was considered a pioneer, having helped lay the foundations of Deccan Studies
Shakeb was an authority on various poets from the Indian subcontinent and Persia, writing books and organising and speaking at conferences on Bedil, Amir Khusrau, Iqbal, Ghalib and Rumi .
Shakeb died in London on 20 January 2021, aged 87. He is survived by his wife, Farhat Ahmed, two daughters, a son and nine grandchildren.
source: http://www.indianmuslim.org.uk / Indian Muslim UK / Home> Obituary / by Mohmed / April 03rd, 2021
Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) has seen unprecedented number of cases and deaths during the second wave of Coronavirus pandemic
Bareilly , UTTAR PRADESH / Jubail, SAUDI ARABIA :
Rehan Alam Siddiqui
Aligarh:
At a time when universities across the country are been adversely affected by the pandemic, Rehan Alam Siddiqui, a Non Resident Indian (NRI) based in Jubail, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has donated Rs 15 lakhs to Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) to set up an oxygen generation plant at its Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College (JNMC).
Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) has seen unprecedented number of cases and deaths during the second wave of Coronavirus pandemic which is yet to be brought under control.
As per the last update , as many as 18 working faculties besides a number of other retired professors and serving employees have become victim of the deadly virus so far.
“Alarming death toll”
The alarming death toll has sent shock-waves leading to apprehensions that a deadlier ‘AMU strain’ of the virus is wreaking havoc. It was also reported that for the first time in the history of the university, the AMU cemetry is running short of space and old graves are now being dug up to bury the dead.
Against this backdrop the university had issued appealed to the government and other public and private organisations and individuals for help and support.
True well wisher of AMU”
Rehan Siddiqui obliged and donated the huge sum to his alma mater. Extending gratitude on the largesse, AMU Vice Chancellor, Prof Tariq Mansoor said:
“Mr Rehan is a true well wisher of the university, whose donation will be very beneficial to upgrade the existing health infrastructure for an effective Covid Response”.
“We at AMU are making all possible efforts to contain the spread of this pandemic and Mr Siddiqui’s donation will go a long way in serving the sick and the distraught with the lifesaving oxygen supply”, he added.
Born and brought up in a middle-class family in Bareilly (UP), Rehan Siddiqui has emerged as one of the fastest growing businessmen and industrialists in the Eastern Region of KSA.
Rehan Siddiqui is promoting better relations of the Indian community with the Indian consulate in KSA. He also organises cultural and academic programmes.
“Rs 3L donation by TSA”
In another development, members of the Technical Staff Association (TSA), Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) donated Rs 3 lakhs to facilitate Medical Attendance Scheme (MAS) to purchase equipments to be used for the treatment of registered employees and to strengthen the MAS Covid Response team.
The cheque was handed over to the university officials after the TSA members, Faisal Rais (TSA President), Abid Ali Zaidi (TSA Secretary General) and Kamran Husain (TSA Treasurer) met the Vice Chancellor, Prof Tariq Mansoor and Registrar, Mr Abdul Hamid (IPS).
source: http://www.ummid.com / Ummid.com / Home> India / by ummid.com News Network / May 31st, 2021
A leading Islamic scholar and freedom fighter Mufti Abd-ur-Razzaq Khan of Bhopal, who was national vice president of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind (Maulana Arshad Madani faction), breathed his last after a prolonged illness here on May 26. He was about 96 years of age.
Mufti Abd-ur-Razzaq was laid to rest on May 27 afternoon with state Guard of Honours granted by the Madhya Pradesh Government. Since he was a popular figure and had followers cutting across the barriers of religion, cast and creed, the funeral was held amidst tight security apprehending mass turnout in the face of prevailing lockdown and Corona curfew in the city.
He had authored more than 50 books including Sarzamīn-e-Hind: Ambiyā kirām aur Islām; Qur’ān mai kya hai?, Āzādi; Aslāf aur Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind; Islāmi zindagi: paidā’ish se jannat tak; Ahle Qur’ān aur ahle kitāb etc.
Police sealed walled city
Meanwhile, considering the popularity and his large number of followers, police took precautionary measures to avoid large congregation during his last rites because of corona curfew. The police put up barricades at prominent squares and roads of old city areas and police officers along with district administration also appealed people to avoid gathering because of the Corona curfew. Bhopal entry points from all sides were also sealed to prevent followers and admirers of the cleric from all the districts of the state from entering the city.
Police barricaded the roads in old Bhopal. Only family members and limited people were allowed to attend the funeral. The heavy police force was deployed at all the prime squares and areas including Tarjama Wali Mosque, Iqbal Maidan, Peer Gate, Bhopal Talkies, Nadra bus stand, Alpana Talkies, Sangam Talkies, Moti Masjid, Ret Ghat, Kamla Park and adjoining areas. In addition to barricading all the routes to old Bhopal, the old city area was guarded by additional force of 700 policemen. The routes connecting Bhopal from borders and the roads towards old city areas remained closed.
Equally respected in all circles
Mufti Abd-ur-Razzaq in 1958 had established the Madrasa Islamia Arabia in Bhopal and a mosque popularly known as Tarjama Wali Masjid of Bhopal. He used to teach Islamic preaching in Indian language because of which the mosque gained the name Tarjama (translation) mosque. He was an Indian Muslim scholar, mufti and an activist of Indian freedom struggle, who was equally respected in political, social, civil and all circles. The Governor of Madhya Pradesh, Anandiben Patel, honoured him in January 2021 for his participation in the Indian freedom struggle.
The high point of his life was that he was able to establish a chain of Madrasas/Maktabs all over Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh wherein thousands of students receive Deeni Taleem (Religious education). He was revered by leaders of all religions. He used to organise meetings of leaders of various faiths to establish inter-religious dialogue with objective of creating communal harmony among the people. He was among those religious leaders who ran one of the oldest Gaushala on the outskirt of the city.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh, MP Congress Committee president & former chief minister Kamal Nath, Rajya Sabha member and Digvijay Singh expressed grief over his demise.
Mufti Abd-ur-Razzaq was born on 13th August 1925. He was schooled in “Masjid Malang Shah”, Jamia Darul Uloom Ilāhiya and Jamia Aḥmadiya in Bhopal. In July 1952, he joined the Darul Uloom Deoband to complete his studies. He studied Sahih Bukhari with Hussain Ahmad Madani; Sahih Muslim with Fakhrul Hasan Moradabadi; Jami’ al-Tirmidhi with Muḥammad Ibrāhim Balyawi; Sunan Abu Dawud with Bashīr Aḥmad; Sunan Nasai and Sunan ibn Majah with Mubārak Hussain; Muwatta Imām Muḥammad with Meraj-ul-Haq Deobandi; Muwatta Imam Malik with Sayyid Hasan; Shama’il Muhammadiyah with Muhammad Tayyib Qasmi; and Sharah Wiqāyah with Muhammad Salim Qasmi. He completed studying the “Dars-e-Nizami” course in 1377 AH and then specialized in “Ifta” with Mahdi Hasan Shahjahanpuri.
Participated in freedom struggle
Mufti Abd-ur-Razzaq participated in the Indian freedom struggle. In 1947, he was part of a fight that took place in Bhopal’s Qazi camp against the British colonialism. In 1958, he established Madrasa Islamia Arabia, one of the oldest and largest Islamic seminary in Bhopal. He was patron of various Islamic seminaries in Madhya Pradesh. He was also the state-president of the Darul Uloom Deoband’s “Rābta Madāris-e-Islamiya” for Madhya Pradesh. He is credited with the growth and development of Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind in Madhya Pradesh. He served as its national vice-president and the state-president for Madhya Pradesh. In 1958, he was appointed the vice-mufti of Bhopal’s “Dārul Qadha” (Islamic court); and chief-judge in 1968. He served as the Mufti of Bhopal city from 1974 to 1983. He promoted inter-religious harmony by organizing meetings with leaders of various faiths.[10] He was a vivid speaker and instructed Muslims to cope with communal riots with ways befitting the situation.
In 2016, denouncing the RashtriyaSwayamsevak Sangh, Vishva Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal activities in Madhya Pradesh, he told Muslims to maintain peace and not to engage in rioting or other things that could damage the peaceful atmosphere in the State. He expressed, “if someone attacks you and you don’t have any other solution but to kill him or to die for saving others from rioters, do not hesitate and go ahead. He also asked the political leaders of Madhya Pradesh to control these right-wing organisations and stop them from attacking and abusing Muslims.
source: http://www.indiatomorrow.net / India Tomorrow / Home> Featured> Religion / by Parvez Bari, India Tomorrow / May 31st, 2021
Dhangri Village (Rajouri District), JAMMU & KASHMIR :
Dr. Shakeel Ahmed
Srinagar :
Life has come full circle for a 31-year-old scientist from the border district of Rajouri, who has become one of the youngest Indians to figure on Stanford University’s list of top 2 percent scientists in the world.
Dr. Shakeel Ahmed, Assistant Professor at the Department of Chemistry in Government Degree College, Mendhar, has published research papers on green nanomaterials and biopolymers for various applications including biomedical, packaging, and water treatment.
He has penned more than 15 books on polymers, nanomaterials, and green materials. The database of the independent study has been published in one of the highly-rated journals, `PLOS Biology’. He is a member of American Chemical Society and Royal Society of Chemistry.
“It is a moment of gratification to be on the list. It will inspire the young generation of Jammu and Kashmir to work for furthering science especially from Pir Panjal region”, Dr. Shakeel said.
It was a hard-earned success for a 31-year-old scientist who lost his father when he was just a year old.
“I was just one year old when my father passed away. At that time there was no breadwinner in my family. I had suffered a lot during my childhood and sometimes it was difficult for me to continue my studies. I am first generation learner in my family”, he said.
Principal of GDC, Mendhar, Dileep K. Raina said it is a matter of great pride that Dr Shakeel has featured on the prestigious list. “It is a matter of great pride for Government Degree College Mendhar that Dr. Shakeel Ahmed of the Department of Chemistry (GDCM) has been named among the top 2% scientists of the world in the field of polymer chemistry,” said the college in a statement.
Stanford University recently released a list of 1,59,683 top 2 percent of most-cited scientists in various disciplines. It includes 1,500 Indians and most of them are from IITs, IISc, and other top institutions.
Hailing from Dhangri village, Dr. Shakeel completed his B.Sc from Government PG College, Rajouri. He completed M.Sc in 2012 from Dr. Saiqa Ikram Department of Chemistry, Jamia Milia Islamia. In 2016, he completed his Ph.D. from Jamia Milia Islamia.
For the last three and a half years, he is serving as an assistant professor in GDC, Mendhar in Poonch district. He has authored numerous books that are available on Amazon and other platforms.
Some of the books include `Green and Sustainable Materials: Processing and Characterization’, `Alginates: Applications in the Biomedical and Food Industries and `Marine Polysaccharides: Advances and Multifaceted Applications’.
source: http://www.indiatomorrow.net / India Tomorrow / Home> Education / by Ishfaq-Ul-Hasan , India Tomorrow / Srinagar – November 10th, 2020
Four-year-old Qatar resident gets an entry in India Book of Records for identifying maximum number of car logos in 30 seconds.
Ahmed Aahil Nafraz, a KG2 student of Noble Indian Kindergarten, also answered general knowledge questions regarding India and Qatar, various questions regarding sense organs, animals, professions etc on April 13, 2021.
He is now waiting for an entry in International Book of Records.
Ahmed was interested in cars from a very early age and with help from family members started identifying and memorizing various logos as a hobby and with help of family friends he applied for the record and easily achieved the same.
source: http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com / The Peninsula / Home> Doha Today> Community / by The Peninsula Online / May 10th, 2021
A file photo of Prince Anjum Qudr, Dr Kaukub Quder Sajjad Ali Meerza and Prince Nayyar Qudr posing for a photo with Meerza’s daughter, Manzilat Fatima, at Imambara Sibtainabadin Metiabruz, Kolkata, sometime during 1985-1986
Kolkata / Lucknow :
Kaukub Quder Sajjad Ali Meerza, the great-grandson of Awadh’s last monarch, Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, and grandson of Nawab Birjis Quder, died of Covid-19 in Kolkata on Sunday afternoon, aged 87.
Considered an authority on Wajid Ali Shah’s literary and cultural contributions, he is survived by his wife, two sons and four daughters.
Meerza may be buried on Monday at the royal burial ground(Gulshanabad Imambara), about a kilometre from the Sibtainabad Imambarah in Metiabruz, where Wajid Ali Shah rests.
A popular figure in the billiards and snooker fraternity of the country, Quder had graduated with honours in economics from St Xavier’s College in the same batch as Amartya Sen. He studied political science and then a three-year law course.
Subsequently, he studied Urdu at CU, won a silver medal in 1962 and also earned a UGC Junior Fellowship for research on the “Literary & Cultural Contributions of Wajid Ali Shah” in the department of Urdu at Aligarh Muslim University. In 1967, he joined the department as a lecturer and earned a doctorate for his thesis.
Kaukub Quder Sajjad Ali Meerza’s daughter, Talat Fatima, is now translating his book from Urdu to English. “His research was extremely rich. This book, published in the late 70s, has a compilation of some 42 works of Wajid Ali Shah. Some of them are in Persian,” she said, adding that her father preferred to be addressed as “Dr Kaukub Quder Sajjad Ali Meerza” instead of using the title of a prince.
It was his academic interest in his forefather that had also got Satyajit Ray to get in touch with him during the making of “Shatranj ke Khilari”.
On Ray’s birth anniversary this year, his daughter, Manzilat , had tweeted: “There are a couple of letters that were exchanged between Bawa [her father] and Satyajit Ray during the making of Shatranj Ke Khilari.” On Sunday, she spoke about how Ray had even visited their 11 Marsden Street residence that is popularly known as ‘House of Awadh’. “Ray could have gone to anyone else for information. But he chose to get in touch with my father. In fact, he had made many attempts to meet my father but the meeting never happened. Hence, it was through correspondence that he got the information regarding Wajid Ali Shah. I feel Ray had portrayed Wajid Ali Shah in the right light. Many often claim that Wajid Ali Shah had been exiled, but that isn’t true. He had left the kingdom of his own volition. I believe my father’s information helped him give authentic information about Wajid Ali Shah,” she said.
Quder was also a great connoisseur of food. A big photograph of him along with his two brothers hangs in the rooftop restaurant opened by his daughter. “He was happy when he saw how, in my capacity, I was upholding the family name. Awadhi food was already losing its identity. He was happy I was making the effort to popularize that food,” Manzilat said.
Incidentally, he was the chief referee of first World Snooker Championship held at the Great Eastern Hotel in Kolkata in 1963-64. He had remained the chief referee of the National Billiards & Snooker Championship till it left the Palm Court of the Great Eastern Hotel in the 70s .
“It was my father who coached me to play snooker and billiards. I became the first woman participant from India to play the games at the national level,” said Manzilat.
The rolling trophy of the IBSF World Snooker Championship, the MM Baig Trophy, was designed by him. In the 70s, he had also brought out a pioneering Billiards magazine, “The Baulkline”.
According to his son, Irfan Ali Mirza, “He was the founder-secretary of The Billiards & Snooker Federation of India, The West Bengal Billiards Association and The Uttar Pradesh Billiards & Snooker Association.
Sudipta Mitra, the chief executive officer (CEO) of Peerless Hospital and a student of Meerza, describes his mentor’s demise as a “huge loss”. “A part of our cultural history is lost with his demise. He came with pneumonia and was admitted to the ICCU. Unfortunately, he passed away today afternoon due to Covid pneumonia. Jawaharlal Nehru had initiated the idea of the government of India bearing the expense of his education. He was my research guide while writing the book titled ‘Pearl by the River: Nawab Wajid Ali Shah’s Kingdom in Exile’,” Mitra said
The Peerless Hospital CEO, said according to his research, he was “the last royal pension holder”. “In 1892, the British government had created a royal pension book where only the lineage of Birjish and his wife, Mahtab Ara Begum, who was the granddaughter of Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last Mughal Emperor of India, was recognized.
Birjish, who was the only son of Wajid Ali Shah and Begum Hazrat Mahal, was the eldest surviving son of Wajid Ali Shah when the latter died in 1887. That is why this lineage has been recognized for royal pension,” Mitra said.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> News> City News> Kolkata / by Priyanka Dasgupta and Yusra Husain / TNN / September 14th, 2020
