Category Archives: Amazing Feats

Meet Abbas Moontasir, the Asian All-Star who rose from Mumbai’s basketball courts

Amazing Feats, Leaders, Sports, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Mumbai, MAHARASHTRA :

The 75-year-old is one of the biggest names to emerge from the Late Bachookhan Municipal Playground in Nagpada.

Scroll.in photo

The tall frame of Gulam Abbas Moontasir stands out in the narrow by-lane with mushrooming slums that leads to the Nagpada Basketball Association courts. The ground has the distinction of producing almost a dozen internationals and many more national-level players. The 75-year-old Moontasir is one of the biggest names to emerge from the Late Bachookhan Municipal Playground.

Moontasir’s elder brothers were more inclined to body building but the youngster picked up basketball at the age of nine thanks to a group of friends and insists that he was a very bad player and can’t really explain when the transformation really took place.

“I was very bad. As an athlete, I just couldn’t run. Any child could have beaten me straight away but I don’t know I got into it. One thing we did because of our elder brothers was that they put us into weight training in the 1950s,’ says the man who captained India in the 1969 and 1975.

The strong foundation soon became the bedrock of Moontasir’s style of play as he was known to dominate play with his sheer physical presence as the Nagpada hoopsters began to first dominate arch rivals Mastan YMCA and then the state and national scene.

“It was physical but isn’t basketball also a physical game? I’ll tell you, some of my friends. For eg, Narsimha Sharma, who is in the US now, would tell me, ‘just grab the ball, you don’t have to push in your weight.’

“When I started out Napgpada was not a big name in basketball. It was known for its volleyball. But slowly we made a name for ourselves… The first tournament we won was under 5 feet. We beat Mastan YMCA in 1953. I was 11 years old. After that of course Nagpada picked up basketball.

“In 1957, before I was 16 years, we won the men’s state championship. And we were Nagpada ‘B’ team, not Nagpada ‘A’ team. We beat them in the finals in 1957. I was selected of course for the state team also then it was Bombay. Next year, I was the captain of the Bombay state team in nationals and I was ranked 3rd in the country in the men’s section,” explains Moontasir, who went on to ply his trade at the national and international level for three decades and became the first player from Nagpada to be honoured with the Arjuna Award in 1970.

Railways boost

His career really blossomed after he joined Western Railways as the side boasted of the country’s top stars and Moontasir was the pivot around whom the team revolved.

Ask him about his own memorable game and Moontasir prefers to speak about the worst one rather than the best. “It was in Bangalore. It was so bad that the children you see [points at youngsters dribbling in a basketball court] would have played better. I just couldn’t hold the ball. People always ask me about what my best game was. I say, I remember my worst game which I will never forget in my life.

“I don’t know why. I would double-dribble, I would fall down, I would lose the ball,” stating these were the kind of games that one needs to learn from.

Never the one to mince words, Moontasir was suspended twice for his run-ins with the referees and lost out almost three years of his career.

“Twice I got suspended for arguing with the referee. And I was suspended for three years. Arguing with the referee. Not abusing, not hammering, not doing anything. Just arguing with the referee I was suspended for three years. Anyway I did come back after that,” he adds.

He made his international debut during an exhibition game against Australia in 1960 and the high point of his career probably came in 1970 when Moontasir became the first Indian to be named in the Asian All-Star team after a brilliant showing in the Asian Games in Bangkok.

“We were supposed to tour Europe but we didn’t,” he says with little regret, adding he then tried to move to United States of America to make a career in basketball but things did not materialise.

“In fact, I had applied for an overseas scholarship in America. But unfortunately they said ‘We don’t give scholarships to overseas students.’ And then in those days I had to pay $3000 which I didn’t have. So I didn’t go,” he adds.

Moontasir, who played his last nationals for his employer at the age of 44 and continued playing competitive basketball for four more years, insists that even if had got a chance to go to America he would have had to work extremely hard on his fitness to match the standards of the players there.

A stickler for hard work, Moontasir uses the phrase “working very very hard” almost a dozen times during the half-an-hour interaction and goes on to explain why he would appreciate an Ivan Lendl more than his idol John McEnroe.

“Between McEnroe and Lendl, who do I think I appreciate more? Lendl. It was because the guy had no talent. It was sheer hard work. If McEnroe had worked as hard as Lendl, he would have had 30 Grand Slams,” he adds, before stating that the Indian players who are trying their luck in USA’s National Basketball Association League will have to really step up on the fitness front or would not stand a chance.

This is also why, Moontasir did not really venture into coaching after his playing career apart from working with the Western Railway women’s team.

Even today he visits the Nagpada Basketball Association courts occasionally and those running the show definitely want him to provide some inputs to the young trainees who are looking to make a mark on the domestic scene.

But Moontasir, who has even acted in a few feature films, isn’t really interested. “During our playing times we were told that a basketball player never walks on the court but runs. I don’t see that kind of intensity in these players now.”

The 75-year-old insists that even the Basketball Federation of India isn’t providing enough exposure and game time for the players to mature and excel. “We are far away from world standards. But we can definitely be among the top five in Asia and that should be our primary aim,” he signs off.

source: http://www.scroll.in / Scroll.in / Home> The Field> Field Watch / by Abhijeet Kulkarni, Shashank Rajaram and Crystelle Rita Nunes / December 17th, 2017

Indian woman who won Dhs15 million in Big Ticket raffle, says she bought the ticket for the first time

Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, NRI's / PIO's, World Opinion, , , , , , , ,

KERALA / Doha, QATAR :

Thasleena Puthiya Purayil with her husband and children.

Indian expat based in Qatar Thasleena Puthiya Purayil has hit the Dhs15 million Big Ticket jackpot in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.

Thasleena who lives in Doha bought the winning ticket online.

Thasleena, who hails from Kerala, took home the mega prize amid pandemic.

Big Ticket Abu Dhabi wrote on Facebook, “Congratulations to Thasleena Puthiya Purayil, from India, with winning ticket no. 291310. She won Dhs15 Million in The Fantastic 15 Million series 224.”

Thasleena told Big Ticket officials that she brought the ticket for the first time.

In Qatar, Thasleena and her husband Abdul Gaddaf run a chain of restaurant and their business is doing quite well.

The happy couple has 3 children, a son who is studying in a University in Dubai, daughter and an infant.

Big Ticket also wrote, “Congratulations to Wilma Danthi with Ticket No. 001517 from India for winning the Dream Car Range Rover series 1!”


Apart from Thasleena, 7 other Indians won prize money between Dhs350,000 to Dhs20,000 in the raffle draw.

The Big Ticket, the longest-running and biggest raffle draw in the UAE is hosted at Abu Dhabi International Airport, Al Ain Airport and online at www.bigticket.ae

The raffle draw said, “What started out with a Million Dirham cash prize, gradually grew over the years and now on Big Ticket’s 29th year, we’re giving away grand prize’s of up to 20 Million Dirham.”

The raffle draw guarantees cash prizes vary from month to month with Big Ticket giving away a minimum of 10million dirham up to our biggest jackpot of 20 million.

source: http:///www.gulftoday.ae / Gulf Today / Home> News / by Gulf Today, Staff Reporter / February 06th, 2021


Meet Sameera Khan from Andhra Pradesh with ‘Himalayan’ ambitions

Amazing Feats, Sports, Travel & Tourism, World Opinion, , , , , ,

Anantapur, ANDHRA PRADESH / Hyderabad, TELANGANA :

Sameera Khan is a cyclist and a mountaineer. Image courtesy: IANS

Hyderabad:

A cyclist and mountaineer, she is out to prove to the world that girls are capable of doing anything without family support.

After losing mother when she was just nine and her father, a tailor, few years ago, P. Sameera Khan overcame all odds to come up in life and is now looking for sponsors to fulfill her ambition of scaling Mount Everest, the highest peak in the world.

A solo traveller, she has already cycled her way to 20 countries. The 30-year-old from Anantapur in in Andhra Pradesh has already scaled four mountains, the highest being 6,858 meter high Ama Dablam in Nepal.

“I want to tell the world that a girl in India needs lot of support from her parents. I am trying to pursue my dream, earning for it, spending for it, everything on my own but now I have come to a point where I need some financial support to attain my ambition. I want to tell the world that girls are capable of doing everything despite not having family support,” Sameera told IANS.

The backpacker’s Mt Everest expedition requires Rs 30-35 lakh. “I have some money and I need sponsorship. The kind of work I do should be getting lot of support,” she said.

She wants to scale Mt Everest from Tibet side and not Nepal, which she said is commercial and easy. ” “From Tibet side, it is tough and also very technical. Rather than doing just for the sake of doing, I want to do something which makes me feel I have done the whole thing beyond my ability,” she said.

Sameera said she approached the government authorities for help but they refused as they don’t consider mountaineering as a sport.

Youngest among five siblings, she lost her mother at the age of nine and was brought up by her father, a tailor.

While pursuing medical lab technology course after 10th standard, the family finances forced her to take up a job in BPO in Bengaluru.

During Srinagar floods of 2014, she travelled to Kashmir as a volunteer. She went on a solo Pahalgam valley trek for two days and soon she started learning how to survive in tough conditions.

Sameera, who lost her father in 2015, started undertaking solo travels with her savings. She cycled across South Asian and South East Asian countries. In India, she cycled for over 1,000 km covering various states.

Her trekking expedition started with Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand and later extended to Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. She has already covered 550 km high altitude trekking.

She has have not done any course in mountaineering. “I was already cyclist. I cycled in 20 countries . I think that boosted my confidence to become a high-altitude trekker,” said Sameera currently an entrepreneur at Kepler Home Cinema in Hyderabad.

Always ready to accept new challenges, Sameera started high altitude mountaineering. “Mountaineering is very down thing. It’s toughest of all sports. People who are into mountaineering have to be mentally and physically tough. Only those people who are not afraid of death can survive,” she said.

On November 13, 2018, she climbed 6,859 meters high Ama Dablam mountain peak in Nepal. This came barely a month after she had ascended 6,160 meters high Imja Tse (island) peak.

This further boosted her confidence and she started training for scaling Mount Everest. She has to go to the UK for advance training, which alone will cost Rs 3.50 lakh.

“I want to attribute to my demised parents a legacy of my lifetime achievement by inspiring women and girls from the suburbs of South India. Then I want to publish my book and make a small documentary on my life journey. I want the world to respect women and regard them high,” shared Sameera, whose all four sisters are married.

She said that she has so much to say to the world but before that wants to scale the peak. “I can be heard if only I am at the top as people listen to eminent and dynamic personalities,” added the girl with Himalayan ambitions.

source: http://www.onmanorama.com / OnManorama / Home> Lifestyle / by IANS / February 05th, 2021

Meet Rahmatunnisa, The First Collegegoer From Her Family, Among Bangalore University Gold Medallists

Amazing Feats, Education, , ,

Bengalauru, KARNATAKA :

Rahmathunnisa, currently an MCom student at Bengaluru City University, is the first from her family to attend college. On Saturday, she bagged eight awards- five gold medals and three cash prizes for BCom at the Bangalore University convocation.

Rahmathunnisa, who was a student of BBMP First Grade College said she has always been a government or an aided school student and credits her success to paying attention to the classes in college.

She plans to crack competitive exams, and says her family is supportive of her studies.

Rahmathunnisa’s father passed away when she was only three years old, and she grew up with her mother, a homemaker, and three elder sisters and an elder brother. The brother is now into aluminium fabrication, while the elder sisters are married.

In all, 319 gold medals and 90 cash prizes were awarded to 19 meritorious students during Bangalore University’s convocation ceremony. A total of 184 PhD degrees were given in different disciplines. Due to the Covid-19 situation, only gold medallists, prize winners and PhD awardees were invited in person.

source: http://www.thecognate.com / The Cognate / Home> Education / by Rushda Fatima Khan / February 01st, 2021

Wonder techpreneur from Hyderabad to appear on TV show

Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Education, Science & Technology, , , , ,

Hyderabad, TELANGANA :

Zunaira Khan, 14, who runs her own tech company, dreams of expanding it and turning  into an investor.

Hyderabad : 

Zunaira Khan, a 14-year-old from Hyderabad is anything but your average teenager. She is a tech-savvy genius. A tech entrepreneur and software developer she got her first client at the tender age of nine. At the age of 11, she started teaching BTech students. Zunaira started her own website ‘ZM Infocom’ — a software development and consultancy firm — when she was just 12.

The wonder kid has developed business, mobile, and web applications for clients such as Licious, Fooditnow, Daily Ninja to name a few. The tech girl started learning at the age of seven and developing software from the age of eight. “My mother is a professional software developer. At the age of six, my sister and I after school, we used to be in her office.

When I was seven, I asked her to teach me coding and, she taught me everything,” says the spunky teen who lives in Nacharam industrial area with her family.  Zunaira has also been conferred with the title of ‘Digital Ambassador’ of Delhi Public School. She says, “I feel good when I get these recognitions and the biggest award I get is the satisfaction in my parents’ eyes.” 

How does she manage school and work? Zunaira’s hobbies are reading books and singing songs, and she says, “At the beginning, it was a bit difficult, but my principal and teachers are supportive. So after school, I give five to six hours to my company, then I study.”  What is her advice to those chasing their dreams? She replies: “The secret of my success is that you need to believe in yourself.

You need to find your interest. You need to share everything with your parents because they are the ones who will show you the way. Start small, but think big and that big should be the goal.” What does the future hold for her? “Right now we are a service-based company, but I want to also make it product-based. I wish to provide maximum employment and I want to make this company reach the highest level… I also see myself as a big investor.”

Zunaira will be seen in the upcoming episode of Byju’s Young Genius show on Network 18 with actor Rajkummar Rao which will be telecast on February 6 where they talk about their first paychecks. The shooting for the show was in Mumbai and the starry-eyed girlscomments, “It was a big honour for me to meet Rajkumar Rao.”

— Tamanna S Mehdi  tamanna@newindianexpress.com  @tamannamehdi

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Hyderabad / by Tamanna S. Mehdi / Express News Service / February 04th, 2021

Felicitation of 540 Muslim students admitted to MBBS in 32 medical colleges

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

Hyderabad, TELANGANA :

MBBS

Hyderabad:

“It is heartening to know today that the Muslim students are excelling not only in their education but in every walk of life.  Diamonds are always formed and picked from the dark coal mines.  This is an apt situation for the Muslim community in contemporary India.  However, the good tidings are around the corner and there is no need to be pessimists. We need to brave the adverse circumstances to march towards the path of progress and advancement,” said Siasat News Editor Aamir Ali Khan.

Khan was speaking on the eve of a ceremony held yesterday at Mehboob Husain Jigar Hall at Siasat compound to distribute merit certificates and awards to 540 Muslim students of Telangana state who were succeeded in getting admissions for MBBS for the current academic year.  

Khan said, “Medical profession is a sacred mission and to do justice to its sacredness is the need of the day.”  He said the doctors today increase the anxiety of the patients by their unethical and commercial behavior.  He advised the young students – girls and boys –  to “work with a missionary zeal to serve the humanity”.

The awards were given to those Muslim students who obtained admissions in Government, private, and Minority medical colleges in Telangana through the convener quota. 

Speaking as an honorary guest, Director MS Education Academy Anwar Ahmed said,  that the Muslim students are doing extremely well in Engineering, Medicine, and IIT’s these days.  He informed that MS Educational Academy is helping Muslim students for civil services.  Nine students have succeeded in the first phase of preliminary exams. The introductory note was delivered by M A Hamid and presented the report.  Another honorary guest Engineer Syed Haider Ali distributed the awards among the students.   A large gathering of the students and their parents from the city and other districts attended this ceremony.

source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> News> Hyderabad News / by Mohammed Hussain Ahmed / January 27th, 2021

UAE Businessman M.A. Yusuffali Nominated for Govt’s Centre for Migration As Expert Member

Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Leaders, NRI's / PIO's, World Opinion, , , , ,

KERALA / U.A.E. :

M.A. Yusuffali.

Chairman and Managing Director of UAE-based Lulu Group International is an employer of more than 30,000 Indians abroad.

Thiruvananthapuram :

M.A. Yusuffali, Chairman and Managing Director of UAE-based Lulu Group International has been nominated as expert member of the Governing Council of India Centre for Migration (ICM) by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

ICM is a committee that undertakes research and studies on migration of Indian workers for overseas employment and supports informed policy making in MEA.

Among other objectives, ICM is tasked with equipping the country’s human resources in the field of employment to international standards, providing guidance for promoting employment in foreign countries, highlighting India as a country with a highly qualified and skilled workforce, and preparing welfare schemes for the Indian working community abroad.

The committee, chaired by the Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs, also includes the Secretary, Ministry of Finance, the Secretary, Ministry of Labour and the Secretary, Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises.

Yusuffali, while thanking Indian government and the prime minister for this important nomination, said that he will use his experience of almost 5 decades in the Middle East both as an NRI businessman and as an employer of more than 30,000 Indians to further enrich the diaspora.

“My efforts will be more towards preparing the new generation as a global professional fit for today’s fast-evolving business environment, especially considering the challenging times we are going through,” UAE-based Indian businessman said. — IANS

source: http://www.clarionindia.net / Clarion India / Home> Editor’s Pick / by IANS / January 19th, 2021

P.B. Nooh, a man with a gift for instant decision-making, at Kerala’s ground zero of crisis

Amazing Feats, Community Involvement / Social Issues, COVID 19 - Community of Soldiers, Leaders, , ,

KERALA :

PB Nooh opened a control room with some 50 young doctors and volunteers for the exercise, which technology helped a great deal.
PB Nooh opened a control room with some 50 young doctors and volunteers for the exercise, which technology helped a great deal
  • P.B Nooh, who grew up in Kerala’s Perumbavoor, near Ernakulam district, studied in a public school before graduating from the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru
  • PB Nooh opened a control room with some 50 young doctors and volunteers for the exercise, which technology helped a great deal

P.B. Nooh, the collector of Pathanamthitta district, is known to be an aggressive young man, facing adversities with a smile and having the capability to take quick decisions. And, he is at the ground-zero of Kerala’s coronavirus crisis.

While he has been regularly hitting the streets without any complaint, for many other young civil servants it would have been a nightmare. In fact, this is third attempt to help the state sail out of a crisis of giant proportions.

Shortly after he was appointed as the district collector, and just 15 days after having a surgery, Kerala had witnessed the worst floods in over a century. In August 2018, when the waters started rising, the low-lying areas of Pathanamthitta were one of the most affected. Nooh was tasked with the largest rescue operation ever seen: Around .14 million people were rescued and moved to safer locations uphill within hours.

Months later, the district hogged national headlines as the epicentre of the Sabarimala protests. But Nooh stood tall as the protests over the ban on the entry of menstruating women in the hill shrine, and dealt with the situation with an iron hand.

Nooh, who grew up in Kerala’s Perumbavoor, near Ernakulam district, studied in a public school before graduating from the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru. He followed his elder brother P.B. Saleem to the civil services, with a ranking of 48 in 2012.

“Ever since, he has weathered crisis after crisis, but the current one has simply been no match to all previous occasions,” said an official of the chief minister’s office who has worked with closely with Nooh, requesting anonymity.

“When we called him to enquire about the first three Covid-19 cases (in Pathanamthitta), he was away on work in Trivandrum. He reached Pathanamthitta around 12am the same night, did not rest until he traced those three patients, and their primary contacts, isolated them in hospitals, and prepared an action plan in consultation with several experts, including doctors,” the official added.

“It must have all ended by 3am or so. We would have faced a bigger crisis if he had not acted that quickly. He has the gift for instant decision-making, and is a god-sent gift for us. Young turks like him are the ones who really enable chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s CEO style of operation.”

The next day, on 8 March, the district administration announced about five residents of Ranni, who had evaded health screening at Kochi airport on their return from Italy about a week ago, and subsequently tested positive for Covid-19.

The case of the couple and their son came as a shocker to Kerala, as it came to light only after two other relatives were infected with the deadly virus. The state was immediately put on high alert, as the family had travelled to several places across Pathanamthitta and Kottayam districts, including a local health clinic. Two nonagenarian family members were also shifted to the Kottayam Medical College hospital with high fever.

“The Italy-returned family hid their travel details from the health authorities. Such practices have to be seen as a crime,” said an angry Kerala health minister K.K. Shailaja to reporters that day. By the following day, it became clear that the family had inflected about eight others, India’s most number of Covid-19 cases for a district back then. And, Nooh was key to the success of the rapid action team.

Mint could not get Nooh’s comments. But, in an interview with Mathrubhumi News on Thursday, he said: “That was a scary moment. This was an unprecedented situation. Until we set an action plan, I was a bit disturbed.”

“Societally, we knew the news would create a lot of panic and trauma. Second, the government is answerable on how they escaped. So, I called the superintendent of police and said, look we only have this night, we have to get hold of these guys before sun rise. SP The did a good job and by 1.00am we had them.” The district administration then went into a massive drive to trace the contacts who were in touch with the family.

Nooh opened a control room with some 50 young doctors and volunteers for the exercise, which technology helped a great deal. Soon after, Nooh helped devise a strategy with the help of the police to track a patient’s phone number and trace tower locations, before marking the places of visit on Google Maps to zero in on possible contacts. Within six days, all contacts were traced and at least 4,000 people, including 2,000 people who returned from foreign countries, were traced and home quarantined. The challenge for Nooh will only increase by the day, but he could be central to Kerala’s fight against Covid-19.

source: http://www.livemint.com / Mint / Home> India / by Nidheesh M K / March 21st, 2020

‘Ambulance Dada’ Ferries Over 5500 Patients to Hospitals On His Motorbike

Amazing Feats, Community Involvement / Social Issues, FREE : Healthcare / Assistance, Useful / HEALTHCARE, World Opinion, , , , , , , ,

Jalpaiguri District, WEST BENGAL :

Awarded the Padma Shri in 2017, Karimul Haque began helping the sick commute to the hospital in his village. But his reason will bring you to tears.

Jugaad – a flexible approach to problem-solving that uses limited resources in an innovative way.

The reason I start with this definition of a colloquial Hindi term is only because the protagonist of my story—Karimul Haque (55), who is also referred to as ‘Ambulance Dada’—truly embodies the meaning of the word jugaad.

Losing his mother due to the non-availability of an ambulance in time led him to start his own motorcycle ambulance in 1998. Since then he has ferried over 5,500 patients from across 20 villages in West Bengal’s  Jalpaiguri district.

In 2017, Karimul was also awarded with a Padma Shri for his service. Karimul is a stellar example of the phrase – ‘service above self’.

No one should die for lack of treatment

Karimul Haque – Ambulance Dada

Having seen his mother pass away due to lack of timely access to treatment, Karimul says that his constant thought was to find a way to ensure that this does not happen to anyone else. He says, “It was just another day when I was working in the tea garden. I saw a fellow worker collapse and without thinking about it, I put him on my motorbike, tied him to me and took him to the nearest hospital.” It worked and Karimul managed to save his life.

“That incident was all the push I needed. I decided to use my motorbike to ferry those in need,” he says, adding, “I realised that in my area, a motorbike works better than a van or a full ambulance. The reason why a bike ambulance works best in this area is because the roads are not conducive for a larger vehicle to cross and sometimes even the rivers overflow. It is easiest to maneuver a motorbike in these conditions.”

‘People would mock and even laugh at my face’

Ambulance Dada providing first aid to an elderly.

Since the ambulance that Karimul operates is not one that follows conventional norms, he says he was often mocked and even laughed at. “But once they saw the work that I was able to do and the number of people I was able to help, people’s perception started to change,” he says. Besides always being there for people when he is called upon, Karimul also seems to always have a solution to the problems people come to him with.

Not just an ambulance service provider

Day and night ambulance service.

With the passage of time, Karimul and his sons also got trained in administering basic first aid to patients. He says, “Today, I also organise regular health camps in the village. The kind of poverty that the villagers live in often stops them from visiting a doctor or the hospital. With these camps, many small niggling health issues are being corrected.”

Karimul has also gone one step further and converted a part of the land his house is built on to serve as a hospital. “We have tie-ups with doctors who also do video consultations now. Basic tests like sugar and blood pressure are also conducted at the hospital. In the case of an emergency, I am also trained to administer saline drips,” he says.

With former President Pranab Mukherjee.

Dr Soumen Mondal, a general surgeon practicing in Jalpaiguri says, “I have known ‘Ambulance Dada’ – Karimul since 2013. Not just dedicated but he is also someone who will go out of his way to help those in need. I have personally trained him in many of the basic first aid techniques and often help through video consults as well.”

Even busier during the pandemicpix06

At a time when a majority of us stayed indoors during the lockdown period, Karimul and his sons have been busy. “Besides ferrying patients to the hospital on my motorbike ambulance, we also saw that many of them were not even able to afford one meal a day. That was when we decided to start supplying rice to as many people as we could,” says Karimul.

So far close to 1,000 people have benefitted by the rice that Karimul and his family have distributed and another 200 families have been provided with cooked food. “These are migrant labourers, and with no work, they had no income whatsoever. We started cooking at home and serving these families,” says Raju, the elder son of Karimul.

He goes on, “Now people know baba (Karimul) and we also get donations and sponsorships. We have used the money to buy and provide blankets and food to those in need near our village.”

Raju ends the conversation by saying, “We have grown up seeing him readily available to everyone at whatever time they needed. Even though he is in his 50s, the energy he has sometimes even puts me to shame.”

This nine-times over grandfather says, “I may be 55 years of age but mentally and even physically I am not a day older than 30. It is my duty to serve those in need and will do so until the day I can’t any more.”

(Edited by Yoshita Rao)

source: http://www.thebetterindia.com / The Better India / Home / by Vidya Raja / December 04th, 2020

Eight Muslims selected for Padma awards this year

Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Leaders, Science & Technology, World Opinion, , , , , , , , , ,

NEW DELHI : 

The BJP-led Hindu nationalist government has conferred Padma awards on 119 personalities. The awardees include eight Muslims.

Two renowned Islamic scholars, Maulana Wahiduddin Khan and Maulana Kalbe Sadiq have also been selected for the award.

Padma Vibhushan, the second-highest civilian award have been presented to Maulana Wahiduddin Khan, while Maulana Kalbe Sadiq have been provided Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian award.

Both the scholars had urged Muslims to give away their claim on Babri Masjid. Currently, a Ram Temple is being constructed on the site where Babri Masjid was standing till its demolition by Hindutva mobs, aided by BJP-RSS veterans, on 6 December 1992.

The awardees include, polymath Ali Manikfan, who has been awarded with the Padma Shri for his contribution in grassroots level innovations at Lakshwadeep. Born into an aristocratic family in 1938 in the Minicoy Island of Lakshwadeep, Manikfan is as marine researcher, ecologist, shipbuilder, agriculturist, and a polyglot.

Gulfam Ahmed from Uttar Pradesh for his contribution in the field of Art, Lakha Khan for Literature from Rajasthan, and Ghulam Rasool Khan for Art from Jammu and Kashmir, Sanjida Khatun for Art from Bangladesh and Col Quazi Sajjad Ali Zahir for Public Affairs from Bangladesh are among the recipients of the Padma Shri.

These awards cater to various disciplines including art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports and civil service. While ‘Padma Shri’ is awarded for distinguished service in any field, ‘Padma Bhushan’ is awarded for distinguished service of high order. ‘Padma Vibhushan’ is awarded for exceptional and distinguished service.

source: http://www.muslimmirror.com /Muslim Mirror / Home> Featured / by Muslim Mirror Staff / January 28th, 2021