Category Archives: Amazing Feats

Building a future from rubble: Jharkhand IAS officer transforms abandoned govt buildings into libraries

Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Books (incl.Biographies - w.e.f.01 jan 2018 ), Community Involvement / Social Issues, Leaders, , ,

Jamtara , JHARKHAND :

These libraries are then handed over to local villagers for day-to-day management by forming a committee.

The renovated buildings – libraries — are provided a general set of books, chairs, tables and other amenities through crowd-funding and under the Corporate Social Responsibility funds.

Jharkhand : 

IAS officer Faiz Aq Ahmed Mumtaz has a unique task at hand — that of setting up rural libraries in remote villages of Jamtara so that the poor are motivated to read and write. For that he has made use of abandoned government buildings which have been transformed into 30 libraries under different panchayats of the district. Ahmed says the idea is to provide a better environment to develop reading habits and space at the doorstep of rural youths so that they can clear competitive exams without moving out to cities and towns.

The renovated buildings – libraries — are provided a general set of books, chairs, tables and other amenities through crowd-funding and under the Corporate Social Responsibility funds. These libraries are then handed over to local villagers for day-to-day management by forming a committee. Ahmed says his initiative serves two purposes: the dilapidated buildings are put to use after renovation and, secondly, it develops a community feeling among the villagers.

It has especially benefited girls whose parents are reluctant to send them to a city for education. The deputy commissioner hit upon the idea while holding a ‘janta darbar’ in Chengadih panchayat. A villager while pointing at the lack of education facilities said a library could be a great help for youths who have no means to travel to nearby towns for preparing competitive exams. “I thought in every gram panchayat, there is at least one government building which remains unused. I started renovating these buildings into community libraries.

A first such library was set up at Chengaidih panchayat on November 13 last year,” said Ahmed. The availability of books in these libraries is being ensured under public participation which requires only a modest expenditure, he said. Ahmed said resources are being mobilised with the help of different departments in terms of providing water and electricity to these libraries for which the committee, formed for the purpose, pays. Resources like tables and cupboards are being raised from CSR funds and books are being collected through donations and crowdfunding, he said.

“One bank account has been opened for each library which will help the local committee to raise funds through donations and other means,” said the Deputy Commissioner. The enthusiasm of local villagers has prompted him to expand the initiative to all 118 panchayat in Jamtara. “Reading and education should be given more importance and a library culture should be developed and promoted with community participation. Once this model is successful and a culture of reading develops among rural youths, inter-library competitions could be organized in order to provide a better learning environment to the people, he said. Ahmed believes that libraries can play an important role in the development of any community. “Jamtara is notorious for cyber crimes.

My initiative can help in removing the tag of ‘hub of cyber-crimes’ for Jamtara. Cyber-crimes possibly spread due to the lack of education in the region,” said the Deputy Commissioner. Jharkhand Assembly Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahto, who has inaugurated several such libraries in his Assembly constituency Nala, appreciates Ahmed’s initiative. “Libraries are the temple of knowledge. They ignite our thirst for knowledge and raise one’s mental level,” said the Speaker.

“This is a commendable step taken by the Deputy Commissioner”, he said. Youths are excited about such libraries. “We must thank the deputy commissioner for the precious gift to Chengadih panchayat. We had to travel long distances to get a book,” said Nasiruddin Ansari, a student. “The library is helping us a lot for preparing for various competitive exams”, he said. Ashraf Ali, another student, said the library has given a new hope to the youths in his village. “The library in Chengadih has brought about a positive change among the youths; they are now more serious about books and their studies,” Ali said. Dipankar Mondal, a student, said many youths like him will make him proud one day.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Good News / by Express News Service / January 24th, 2021

Joe Biden names Indian-American Sameera Fazili as Deputy Director of National Economic Council

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Srinagar, JAMMU & KASHMIR / Atlanta, Georgia ,U.S.A. :

File image of Sameera Fazili, Deputy Director, National Economic Council at the White House| Twitter/ Sameera Fazili

‘Sameera Fazili has been named as Deputy Director, National Economic Council at the White House, the Biden-Harris Transition announced on Friday.

US President-elect Joe Biden has appointed Indian-American Sameera Fazili to a key White House position related to economy.

Sameera Fazili has been named as Deputy Director, National Economic Council at the White House, the Biden-Harris Transition announced on Friday.

The National Economic Council coordinates the economic policy making process and provide economic policy advice to the US president.

Fazili is currently the Economic Agency lead on the Biden-Harris Transition. She was earlier posted at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta where she served as the Director of Engagement for Community and Economic Development.

Fazili is the second Kashmiri-origin Indian-American appointed to a key position in the incoming Biden administration.

In December, Aisha Shah was named as Partnerships Manager at the White House Office of Digital Strategy.

In the Obama-Biden administration, Fazili served as a senior policy advisor on the White House’s National Economic Council and as a senior advisor at the US Treasury Department in both Domestic Finance and International Affairs.

Prior to that she was a clinical lecturer of law at Yale Law School. Originally from Buffalo, she now lives in Georgia with her husband and three children. Fazili is a graduate of Yale Law School and Harvard College.

Before her time in government, Fazili was a clinical lecturer at Yale Law School’s community and economic development clinic, where she helped start a CDFI bank and a local anti-foreclosure initiative, and expanded the clinic’s work to international microfinance.

She also worked at ShoreBank, the nation’s first CDFI (community development financial institution) bank. Her work in finance has spanned consumer, housing, small business and microfinance.

She received her law degree from Yale Law School and her bachelor of arts in social studies from Harvard College.

source: http://www.indianexpress.com / The Indian Express / Home> World / by PTI / Washington – January 16th, 2021

Mangaluru: Syed Mohammed Adnan bags gold medal, top ranks in MBBS

Amazing Feats, Education, Karnataka (under research project), , , , , , , ,

Mangaluru, KARNATAKA :

A future surgeon in the making, Syed Mohammed Adnan has done the city proud by bagging an array of gold medals and ranks in MBBS from Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences.

In the recently announced results, Adnan secured the first rank in physiology, third rank in pediatrics, sixth rank in ophthalmology, and ninth rank in forensic medicine, totally four ranks in MBBS.

A former student of Expert College, Mangaluru, Adnan is the son of Dr Syed Ashraf and Nazma Tabassum Ashraf, and grandson of Syed Abubaker and the late M Azeezuddin.

pix: daijiworld.com

A brilliant, hard-working student, Adnan’s dedicated all his time and energy to following a strict study schedule while pursuing his goals.

He bagged free admission to Al-Ameen Medical College, Vijayapura along with winning a scholarship from Karnataka government for four years.

For his accomplishments, Adnan will be felicitated with a gold medal by his college on the day of convocation on February 7.

Asked about his plans for the future, the young doctor said that he wants to become a surgeon and help the underprivileged and economically weaker sections of society who do not have the means to access healthcare.

Here’s wishing Adnan all the best in his endeavours!

source: http://www.daijiworld.com / DaijiWorld / Home> Top Stories / by Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru / January 17th, 2021

Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan (1931-2020): Open to all music forms, teacher to the greats

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Badaun, UTTAR PRADESH / Mumbai, MAHARASHTRA :

He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1991, Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2003, Padma Bhushan in 2006 and Padma Vibhushan in 2018.

Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan

In Umrao Jaan (1980), filmmaker Muzaffar Ali’s seminal film, a five-minute melody manages to put life’s ebb and flow in perspective. The raagmala Pratham dhar dhyaan dinesh illustrates the induction of the protagonist, Ameeran, into classical music and dance and showcases her metamorphosis into Lucknow’s fanciful courtesan, Umrao Jaan.

Composer Khayyam’s composition is ambitious and arduous—based on seven ragas each of which defines time, mood and colour of varied moments in life. To sing this, Ali chose Ut Ghulam Mustafa Khan—the Hindustani classical giant whose deep and dazzling voice was representative of not just an iconic lineage but also a rigorous riyaaz and years spent teaching some of the greatest musicians of our time.

Opening with an alaap that chimes with the word Allah, the melody merges into Brahma, giving a glimpse into the Awadh of the 19th century, when the syncretic fusion of cultures in music was a norm. But a more remembered piece is perhaps Jhoola kinne daala re amaraiyan in raag Desh, the story of a bedecked swing on which two lovers sway together.

Ut Ghulam Mustafa, one of the finest Hindustani classical vocalists and torchbearer of the Rampur Sahaswan gharana, died at his home in Mumbai on Sunday. He was 89.

Expressing his condolences, PM Narendra Modi tweeted, “The passing away of Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan Sahab leaves our cultural world poorer. He was a doyen of music, a stalwart of creativity whose works endeared him to people across generations. I have fond memories of interacting with him. Condolences…”

President Ram Nath Kovind tweeted, “…In his passing, music world has lost not only a doyen but also a mentor for young generation…”.

Ut Ghulam Mustafa was born and raised in Badaun, Uttar Pradesh. His mother was the daughter of the legendary vocalist Ut Inayat Hussain Khan, the court musician in Nawab Wajid Ali Khan’s court. He learned from his father Warish Hussain Khan, followed by tutelage under other family members, including Ut Fida Hussain Khan, court singer of Baroda’s royal durbar and then his cousin, Ut Nissar Hussain Khan.

His first performance was at a Janmashtami concert at the age of eight, where he was hailed as a child prodigy. What was also interesting about Ut Ghulam Mustafa was his openness to all forms of music, a rarity in classical maestros of his time. So when most classical singers were banishing Hindi film music, he found it easier to adapt.

According to Pune-based dhrupad maestro Uday Bhawalkar, Ut Ghulam Mustafa changed the colour and tone of how music in Rampur Sahaswan gharana sounded. “Someone like the great Ut Nissar Hussain had an aggression in the tone. Ut Ghulam Mustafa toned it down and made it softer,” says Bhawalkar.

The musician also sang in Mrinal Sen’s Bhuvan Shome (1969), and Badnam Basti (1969) among others. Another significant performance was a part of Coke Studio @MTV where composer and Ut Ghulam Mustafa’s student AR Rahman presented his guru on stage. The musician sang a composition in raag Yaman alongside guitars and drums.

Ut Ghulam Mustafa, till he died, remained an eminent guru to many leading musicians including Asha Bhosle, Manna Dey, Ut Rashid Khan (also his nephew), Waheeda Rehman, Geeta Dutt, Hariharan, Sonu Nigam, Alisha Chinoy and Shilpa Rao.

He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1991, Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2003, Padma Bhushan in 2006 and Padma Vibhushan in 2018.

Once at a concert in Mumbai, Ut Ghulam Mustafa sang a thumri in Pilu, and got Ut Bade Ghulam Ali Khan on his feet. “Iitne dooble patle ho, kahan se gaate ho?” asked the musician. Ut Ghulam Mustafa Khan’s music, his bracing voice, its irrepressible vigour, probably came from his strict training. But also, from the joy he got from the seven notes that represented life for him.

source: http://www.indianexpress.com / The Indian Express / Home> Lifestyle> Art and Culture / by Suanshu Khurana, New Delhi / January 18th, 2021

‘Azim Premji: The Man Beyond the Billions’ review: The making of an entrepreneur and a philanthropist

Amazing Feats, Books (incl.Biographies - w.e.f.01 jan 2018 ), Business & Economy, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Education, Green Products, Karnataka (under research project), Leaders, Science & Technology, World Opinion, , , , , , ,

Bengaluru, KARNATAKA / Mumbai, MAHARASHTRA :

How Azim Premji expanded his business from vegetable oils to info-tech and put his money where his heart is

The story of a person can be inspiring. The authors have chosen their subject well, for, everyone knows of Azim Premji, but few truly know what makes the man.

A book about such a person, if well-written, may possibly inspire the reader into action. In this case, soon after you read the book, it’s difficult not to look up the Azim Premji Foundation website, to see if it had any volunteering opportunities, even if you have done nothing like it before!

In chronicling any life, it is easy to get mired down with mind-numbing detail that comes your way if you are sifting through 50-odd years’ worth of the protagonist’s hits and misses. The authors have done well to stick to the most interesting parts of Premji’s life. Two things stand out across events and across time: his integrity and a penchant for frugality.

Zest for austerity

His insistence on paying for personal calls made on his office phone is legendary. His friends know of his love for cars but also about his unwillingness to spend fanciful amounts on one.

He once wanted to buy a Fiat that was registered in Wipro’s name. He got the finance department involved in the discussion as he wanted to play by the rules and pay for the purchase. But with depreciation, the car’s value was zero to the company. The transaction did not go through.

At one point, his friends were agog with excitement at his purchase of a Mercedes, but it was… hold your breath… a second-hand one!

At another time, when his team was preparing to welcome clients on a visit to headquarters, and took Premji over the arrangements that included meals from a five-star hotel, he quipped, “If our cafeteria is good enough for our employees, it should be good enough for clients too!”

It’s probably the same zest for austerity that had him pleased while on a U.S. visit, when two of his senior-most executives bought lunch for the three of them at a Burger King outlet for less than $7.50! And, this was a man who didn’t bat an eyelid when an employee of the vegetable oils business lost ₹25 lakh in a year in a trading position.

A long journey

The book chronicles the journey of Wipro from the time the Premjis put down roots in Mumbai. It throws light on the man’s spirit of entrepreneurship, as the company cautiously experimented with opportunities — expanding from vegetable oils to engineering products, computer hardware, tech services and consumer care and lighting. It also does not shy away from some of Wipro’s missteps such as the investment in financial services, a business which withered away despite the group’s entry into the space after much thought and preparation.

His management style

While doing justice to the man’s talent for perseverance, the authors have touched upon his management style that many say cramped some CEOs under his chairmanship. His taking over as CEO in 2005 after the abrupt exit of Vivek Paul, said to have been primed for the post, or his decision to have a joint CEO structure soon after, at a time when competitors were blazing ahead, had raised eyebrows in the world of IT services at the time.

The reader may get the sense that the authors occasionally sound deferential when talking about the man or his family. But, it’s difficult not to be overawed by someone who has never sold a single share in his company but who chose to give away $21 billion worth of wealth to his foundation, leaving his two sons with shares valued at about ₹65 crore. How can one give away so much wealth and still, on the morning the news about the latest transfer to the foundation breaks, irritably ask an employee — who speaks of congratulatory messages overwhelming social media — “What’s all the fuss about?” ?

This book is a must-read for anyone who can read English.

Azim Premji: The Man Beyond the Billions; Sundeep Khanna, Varun Sood, HarperCollins, ₹699.

bharatkumar.k@thehindu.co.in

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Books> Reviews> Profile / by K Bharat Kumar / January 16th, 2021

The learned emperor: ‘Baburnama’

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INDIA :

Resplendent: ‘Babur receives a courtier’ (1589) by Farrukh Baig.   | Photo Credit: Wiki Commons

Babur was a sensitive memoirist with the rare ability to distance himself from his writing

Babur’s memoir did not have a name but is referred to as Baburnama or Tuzuk-e-Baburi. It is the first autobiography from the subcontinent and one of the first in the world. Babur came from two different cultures, of which one was literate and aspired to high culture. This was his father’s ancestral family, which was Timurid. His mother came from the nomadic Mongols, who weren’t literate. Babur describes his maternal uncles in his memoir.

The Timurids had a tradition of poetry, hawking, music, and, of course, war. Babur was from a family of minor nobles who had inherited the governorship of Ferghana. His autobiography begins with a description of the geography and tells us that his father, Umar Shaikh Mirza, died in an accident when he was 39 and Babur 12. The young Babur struggled to hold on to his inheritance, losing several battles, including one in Ferghana, which he had to give up to the victor.

Babur describes these decades of his life in an unemotional and direct way: he hardly valorises his own achievements. Like the great Caesar, whose books on his wars in Gaul and against Pompey may as well have been written by a non-partisan observer, Babur has the ability to distance himself from his life.

Keen naturalist

Babur’s life turns when he is found to be the only living heir to the throne of Kabul. He takes it and turns his eyes to India. For 20 years, he campaigns against India, being held back at the borders each time.

Then, as we know, he defeated the Lodi dynasty (introducing firearms to the subcontinent for the first time) and captured north India in 1526 after a decisive battle at Panipat. Babur died four years later, spending much of this time travelling across India and writing his memoir in the afternoons.

These paragraphs show how much of a keen naturalist he was. “The elephant, which the Hindustanis call hathi, is one of the wild animals peculiar to Hindustan. It inhabits the western borders of the Kalpi country… the elephant is an immense animal and very sagacious. If people speak to it, it understands. If they command anything from it, it does it. Its value is according to its size — the larger it is, the higher the price. On some islands an elephant is rumoured to be as tall as 20 or 30 feet, but here it is not more than 10 feet. It eats and drinks entirely with its trunk. If it loses the trunk, it cannot live. It has two great teeth (tusks) in its upper jaw, one on each side of the trunk. By setting these against trees and walls, it is able to bring them down; with these it fights and does whatever hard tasks fall to it. These teeth are called ivory and are highly valued by Hindustanis.’

‘Like a goat, the elephant has no skin hair. It is relied on to accompany every troop of their armies. It crosses rivers with great ease, carrying a mass of baggage, and three or four can drag without trouble a special piece of artillery that takes four or five hundred men to haul. But its stomach is large. One elephant eats as much as a dozen camels.

Elegant and clean

Babur’s book was not freely available till a British amateur linguist named Annette Susannah Beveridge translated it. She taught herself the particular version of Turkish that Babur wrote in (later Mughals wrote in Farsi) and published it in four volumes from 1912 to 1922.

At the time of the first British census a century and a quarter ago, India was 4% literate. Most Indians even today don’t have four generations of literacy: in fact, the proportion of those of us who can claim to have had great-grandparents who could write is tiny. Babur came from a tradition that already had centuries of literacy.

His is elegant and clean writing of the sort that one would expect from a very literate and sensitive person. Babur’s daughter, Gulbadan Begum, sister of Humayun and aunt of Akbar, also wrote a lovely memoir in which she describes her father’s attention to detail which he passed on to his family.

These two works, along with Jahangir’s autobiography, are some of the best material available on the Mughals. It’s a shame that these books are not taught in India’s schools today.

Aakar Patel is a columnist and translator of Urdu and Gujarati non-fiction works.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Books – Leather Bound / by Aakar Patel / January 16th, 2020

Meet Rizwan, first Malayali to score ODI hundred

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Sondarapally Village (Thalassery), KERALA / Sharjah , UAE :

C P Rizwan won the man-of-the-match award his 109 against Ireland in the first ODI on Friday

Kannur:

The story of C P Rizwan, who on Friday became the first Keralite to score a One-Day International (ODI) century representing any country, bears testimony to the fact that if you strive hard and stay focussed, you will ultimately realise your dreams. 

The 32-year-old hailing from Thalassery, the cradle of cricket in Kerala, never gave up and never lost hope, even when his career hit a roadblock. 

Growing up at Saidar Pally, a small village near Thalassery, Rizwan’s childhood mostly revolved around playing cricket with his friends in the locality. The youngster was gifted with the qualities that make a batsman successful at the top level and had the potential to become a future star.

He went on to represent Kerala in the junior levels and captained the U-25 state team. Although his performance in age-group categories was rewarded with a place in the senior side which included the likes of Sanju Samson and Sachin Baby, he was never given a chance in the playing eleven. 

As it was frustrating sitting on the bench, he moved to the UAE in 2014 and landed a job in Sharjah. He continued to play cricket there and was able to catch the attention of the local cricket fraternity with consistent performances in domestic tournaments. In 2018, Rizwan completed the four years required for him to be eligible to play for the UAE and was duly included in the national team.

Rizwan celebrates his hundred against Ireland

An electrical engineering graduate from the Cochin University of Science and Technology, Rizwan made his debut for the UAE on January 26, 2019, in an ODI against Nepal. The Emirates Cricket Board offered him a one-year central contract last month in recognition of his excellent batting against against the USA and Zimbabwe. Apart from him, two other Keralites – Basil Hameed and Alishan Sharafu – also made it to the squad.

On Friday, Rizwan made history when he guided the UAE to a six-wicket win over Ireland in the first ODI of the four-match series in Abu Dhabi by scoring 109 off 136 balls. The splendid knock, which earned him the man-of-the-match award, was laced with nine boundaries and a six. He shared a fourth-wicket partnership of 184 with Lahore-born Muhammed Usman, who made an unbeaten 102, and made short work of the 269-run target set by Ireland.

Centurions Rizwan and Muhammed Usman after the first one-dayer against Ireland

Born on April 19, 1988, to M P Abdul Rouf and C P Nasreen of Poovathankandy, Rizwan studied at the St Joseph’s Higher Secondary School in Thalassery and played for the local Students Cricket Club  and the Kochi-based Cordiant Sports Foundation in his formative years. 

The right-hander, who bats at No. 3, has so far scored 288 runs from 10 ODIs at an average of 32. 

He is currently employed with the Eastern International LLC in Sharjah.

source: http://www.onmanorama.com / OnManorama / Home> Sports / by G. Dinesh Kumar / January 09th, 2021

RMP turns saviour for injured dog

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Singarayapalem Village, Konjerala Mandal, Khammam District) , TELANGANA :

An injured street being helped to move with a two-wheeled frame in Konjerla mandal of Khammam district.   | Photo Credit: G.N Rao

Makes a two-wheeled mobility aid for the dog enabling it to walk

Moved by the plight of an injured street dog, an animal lover of Singarayapalem village in Konijerla mandal designed a makeshift mobility aid using wheels of a kid’s stroller and pieces of plastic pipes helping the injured canine to move around.

Mohammed Aasha, a Registered Medical Practitioner (RMP), turned saviour for a dog struggling to move with both its rear legs badly injured with suspected multiple fractures near his residence two days ago.

He immediately shifted the dog to his home where he cleaned the injured legs and offered food to the canine.

The idea of making an improvised mobility aid struck him after he noticed the dog desperately trying to crawl by dragging its injured hind legs.

The Registered Medical Practitioner translated his idea into action by making a two-wheeled mobility aid resembling a wheel-chair by using the components of a defunct children’s stroller and toys besides some unused household items.

He then delicately attached the two-wheeled mobility aid to the dog enabling it to walk around providing the much-needed relief to the canine, albeit temporarily.

“The plight of the injured female dog aged above six years prompted me to design the makeshift mobility aid to alleviate its suffering,” Mr. Aasha told The Hindu.

“I rescued the street dog after finding it wreathing in pain on the roadside with its back legs injured,” the Registered Medical Practitioner said, adding that he would take the canine to the veterinary hospital in Khammam to ensure proper treatment for its injured legs and make it walk independently.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Telangana / by P. Sridhar / Khammam – January 08th, 2021

Syud Hossain: A forgotten ambassador brought back to life

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Cairo, EGYPT :

New Delhi:

Among the multitudes of tombs in the City of the Dead in Cairo, there lies buried a lone Indian — an eminent scholar, writer, debonair statesman and a leader of the Indian freedom movement. Who is he? How did he get there? For a man who used both the lectern and the pen to devastating effect in the cause of the Indian Independence movement led by the likes of Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel and Jawaharlal Nehru, very little is known of Syud Hossain.

Born to an aristocratic family in Calcutta, he started a career in journalism early in life and became the editor of Motilal Nehru’s nationalist newspaper, “The Independent”. After a brief elopement with Nehru’s sister, Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit, Hossain, under immense pressure from Motilal Nehru and Gandhi, annulled the marriage and was asked to stay away from the country for a few years. Thus began several years of exile.

Eventually, he landed in the US where he imparted Gandhi’s message far and wide across the country. Gathering a group of Indian freedom fighters around him, he fought for India’s freedom from afar, decrying British oppression and garnering support in the US for his cause. Flitting from one place to another, making homes of hotel rooms, Syud Hossain inspired and irked in equal measure. With every speech he delivered and every editorial he penned, he sent a shiver down the spine of the colonial rulers.

Adding to his formidable list of causes, Hossain also took on the fight for Indian immigrant rights in the US, one that successfully culminated in President Harry Truman signing the Luce-Celler Bill into an Act in 1946. He returned to India to witness the triumph of her Independence, as well as the tragedy of Gandhi’s assassination. He was appointed the first ever Indian ambassador to Egypt, where he died while in service and was laid to rest in Cairo.

“A Forgotten Ambassador in Cairo” (Simon & Schuster) offers an illuminating narrative of Hossain’s life interspersed with historical details that landscapes a vivid political picture of that era. Through primary sources that include Hossain’s private papers, the British Intelligence files, letters of his friends and contemporary newspapers, N.S. Vinodh brilliantly brings to life a man who has been relegated far too long to the shadows of time. Vinodh, is a civil engineering graduate from IIT, Madras, and a M.B.A. from IIM, Lucknow. In a corporate career spanning 25 years, he has held senior positions in corporate real estate with leading multi-national financial services companies such as ANZ Grindlays Bank, HSBC, and Fidelity Investments. He opted for early retirement to start his own boutique real estate company, as well as pursue his passion of travelling and history. He is married to Sheela and they have two sons, both based in the United States. He is based in Bangalore.

IANS

source: http://www.thehawk.in / The Hawk / Home>Lifestyle / by IANS / December 30th, 2020

Shamsur Rahman Faruqi Dies a Month After Recovering from Covid-19

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NEW DELHI / Allahabad, UTTAR PRADESH :

Shamsur Rahman Faruqi.

The legendary Urdu critic and Padma Shri awardee has contributed immensely to modern literary discourse

New Delhi :

Legendary Urdu writer and critic Shamsur Rahman Faruqi died in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, on Friday. His death came after a month of recovering from Covid-19. Faruqi, 85, was discharged from a hospital in Delhi on November 23.

“He had been insisting to go back to his home in Allahabad. We reached here only this morning and within half an hour he passed away at around 11,” Faruqi’s nephew and writer Mahmood Farooqui told PTI.

He used to live in Delhi after retiring as a chief postmaster-general and member of the Postal Services Board in 1994.

Faruqi was born on 30 September 1935 in Uttar Pradesh.

Author of several books, Faruqi has contributed to modern literary discourse with a profundity rarely seen in contemporary Urdu critics. His books of fiction, The Mirror of Beauty (translated into English from the Urdu Kai Chaand The Sar-e-Aasmaan in 2006), and The Sun That Rose From The Earth (Penguin India, 2014), have been highly critically acclaimed.

He used to edit a literary magazine Shabkhoon which he himself had launched. He is also credited with reviving “Dastangoi”, a 16th century Urdu oral storytelling art form.

Faruqi was the recipient of numerous honours including Padma Shri, Sahitya Akademi award and Saraswati Samman award.

His burial will take place at Ashok Nagar cemetery in Allahabad at 6 pm on Friday.

Writer William Dalrymple took to Twitter to mourn the demise of Faruqi.

“RIP, Janab Shamsur Rahman Faruqi saheb, one of the last great Padshahs of the Urdu literary world. This is such sad news,” Dalrymple said.

Sanjiv Saraf, the founder of the famous Rekhta portal, also condoled the death of “the century’s most iconic figure in the realm of Urdu literature”.

“His demise has left us bereaved as an entire generation of literature lovers mourn this loss. I extend heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones,” Saraf said.

source: http://www.clarionindia.net / Clarion India / Home> India / by Team Clarion / December 25th, 2020