Saba Kausar has an eye for detail and we are taking the pun very literally here. The ophthalmologist has an inclination towards detailed, minute works and strives for perfection – a tendency which is seen in her profession as an eye specialist as well as her hobby of quilling.
“I was interested in arts and crafts since childhood but once I got into medical college in 2004, I stopped. I didn’t have time as I was concentrating on my studies. From the beginning of this year, when I finished my course and started working, I started devoting my spare time to this again,” she says.
From stuffed toys and handmade candles to quilling on plastic glasses and stitching – she has tried it all. “I think I got my interest in this field from my mother. She does a lot of embroidery and is a true perfectionist. I don’t think I have got her talent but I have tried to learn a few things from her,” says Saba, adding that the rest of her lessons were largely
by way of experimentation and watching YouTube videos.
Floral motifs are a recurring theme in her creations, many of which find their way into the hands of relatives and friends as gifts. “They love the fact that I spend so much time for them and make something that will reflect their likes and dislikes.
Out of all the things I have made so far, the nameplate that I made for my mother-in-law for her birthday remains my favourite. I was newly married and hadn’t started working yet. So I had time to sit and create something truly special and she loved it,” recalls Saba.
Time remains a constraint as she puts in many hours of work at the clinic every day but she still manages to find time to indulge in her passion and throw in an occasional visit to Raja Market as well.
“I get my raw materials from Raja Market. For me, that place is like heaven. You get anything and everything there, I feel so excited when I go there.”
For inspiration and feedback, Facebook is her go-to place. ” I am part of a group called ‘DIY Creations’ in Facebook. There, I put up pictures of my creations and also see what others are posting. There are many new and innovative things that people are trying and this inspires me. But my ideas are my own,” she says.
Saba plans to keep pursuing her interests even in future, both because she enjoys the pastime and because it acts like a stress buster for her, and wishes to display her works in a show or exhibition soon.
(Saba can be contacted on smanzar19@gmail.com)
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Supplements> Metrolife / by Rajitha Menon / November 06th, 2017
Abdul Qavi Desnavi’s 87th birth anniversary celebrated with a Google Doodle
The Google Doodle on Wednesday commemorated the 87th birthday of Urduwriter Abdul Qavi Desnavi.
Born on November 1, 1930 in Desna village of Bihar, Desnavi has over 50 books on Urdu literature to his credit.
Among his major works were Hayat-e-Abul Kalam Azad, a book on freedom fighter Maulana Abul Kalam Azad published in 2000.
Some of his other famous works include Sat Tahriren, Motala-E-Khotoot Ghalib and Talash-E-Azad.
“As the head of the Urdu Department at Bhopal’s Saifia College and a member of several regional and national literary bodies, he exerted a powerful influence on the evolution of Urdu literature and academic thought in India. At a personal level, he mentored some of India’s finest Urdu poets and writers such as Javed Akhtar and Iqbal Masood,” Google’s blog reads.
He died in July, 2011.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Books> Authors / by The Hindu Net Desk /November 01st, 2017
The sitar, tabla and flute played on. And the youngsters in the crowd heard the classical ensemble in awe. Sitar maestro Shujaat Khan says it’s surprising and heartening to witness the swelling number of youths — contrary to popular perception — at classical concerts.
“If you go to classical concerts across India, you will be surprised to see the number of people under 25 who are going and listening to them. It’s unbelievable.
“Around 40 per cent people (at concerts) are under 25, and it’s a wonderful thing that they are realising that there’s something more to life than just a three to four minute song, which is also okay to listen to,” Khan told IANS here.
The celebrated musician is the son and disciple of sitarist Ustad Vilayat Khan, and he belongs to the Imdad Khan gharana of the stringed instrument.
He was here to perform at the MTV India Music Summit, where a group of school and college students sat with rapt attention and appreciated the expertise, finesse and dedication of the artistes. Khan also sang.
“I’d like to reiterate what Prasoon Joshi says. Music can’t always be heard from the feet — it can’t always be for dance. It’s a good thing that they realise that you can even sit and listen to music, and enjoy it,” said Khan.
But why do most people often undermine the ability of youngsters to understand and appreciate the complexity of classical music?
“Because that’s what the job of the majority is. In the world, the majority will always go to something that’s easy, easily accessible and easily doable.
“If you go and play music on the stage for two hours, and vis-a-vis that, you do a three-minute performance, there will be a difference, right?
“So, whatever is easy for you as a listener, you’re accepting that. It’s upto you.”
He is all for more such platforms where artistes can congregrate and celebrate India’s glorious wealth of classical music.
“The more, the merrier. People are thinking about it. Gradually, literary festivals have started happening in different parts of the country.
“Music fests will also happen slowly and steadily as people will understand the need to get together and promote the cause of music,” Khan said, agreeing that the market has opened up in a big way for interanational artistes to come and perform.
Khan’s musical career began at the age of three when he began practicing on a specially-made small sitar. By the age of six, he was recognised and began giving public performances.
His album “Rain” was also nominated for the Grammy Awards.
Back in 2010, Khan had even composed for a Hindi movie titled “Mr. Singh/ Mrs. Mehta”. But now he is in no mood for film collaborations.
“I have no interest. I enjoy the more serious, longer format. I prefer that. Also, when someone offers you a film, with that, comes another offer — this is what we want you to do. So, I am not interested.”
(The writer’s trip was at the invitation of the event organisers. Radhika Bhirani can be contacted at radhika.b@ians.in)
–IANS
rb/in/vm
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
source: http://www.business-standard.com / Business Standard / Home> News-IANS / Jaipur – October 30th, 2017
A miniature silver replica of a rifle made by artist Sk. Musavir. | Photo Credit: K_ RAVIKUMAR
A silver miniature replica of a rifle was made by Nellore-based artist Sk. Musavir, to pay his respects to the martyrs on the eve of the Police Commemoration Day here on Friday.
The artist used two grams of silver and one gram of wood to make the miniature which measured 2 cm in height and 12 cm in length.
It was time to pay homage to all those officers who sacrificed their lives for the sake of peace and harmony, said Mr. Musavir.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Andhra Pradesh / by Special Correspondent / Nellore – October 21st, 2017
The stone and lime mortar tomb has been painted white in violation of conservation rules.(Pic: Syed Omar)
Hyderabad :
Hazrat Syed Khaja Hussain Shah Wali. The very mention of this revered name evokes spirituality and science. The saintengineer of the early Qutub Shahi period was responsible for the picturesque Hussainsagar that once irrigated vast stretches of green belts and quenched the thirst of thousands of people in the Hyderabad of yore. He also designed the Purana Pul, Hyderabad’s first bridge across the Musi. With the unique distinction of witnessing the reign of three Qutub Shahi kings, Hussain Shah Wali also oversaw the execution of the world’s first food-for work programme.
Sadly, large parcels of prime land attached to the grand mausoleum, where his mortal remains are buried, have fallen prey to land sharks.The mausoleum once had about 2,000 acres, but today only a small portion is free of illegal occupation. Encroachments have come up all around the mausoleum in utter disregard to the city’s spiritual and engineering heritage. Even the road leading to the dargah (tomb) is not free of encroachments. As if this was not enough, those manning the dargah have whitewashed the tomb built of stone and lime mortar, thus robbing it of its original beauty. Earlier, the managing committee had painted the tomb green. This is in clear violation of conservation rules. Neither the state Waqf Board nor the archaeology department has taken cognizance of this blatant violation.
“Heritage sites built of stone and mortar are not to be whitewashed or painted. Cement is never used for restoration as it is like cancer to mortar. The tomb was built during the reign of Abdullah Qutub Shah VII. Bad and unscientific upkeep has made the structure weak,” said city historian Dr Mohammad Safiullah, demanding that the tomb be restored by the government on the lines of the Qutub Shahi tombs where experts from the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) are working.
Hussain Shah Wali was the son-in-law of Ibrahim Qutub Shah IV. He was the head of all civil works in the kingdom. He built Hussainsagar in 1562. The saint-engineer died in 1620 and the tomb was constructed later by Abdullah Qutub Shah VII.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Hyderabad News / by Syed Akbar / TNN / October 29th, 2017
Tribute to the voice: Vice-President G.S. Pathak presenting the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for Hindustani vocal music to Begum Akhtar
It’s been an annual ritual for over 25 years. The first and last week of October have always had legendary ghazal and thumri singer Begum Akhtar spinning on my system. The doyenne was born on October 7, 1914, in Faizabad, Uttar Pradesh and passed away on October 30, 1974, in Ahmedabad. So a few days before the dates, I have this Begum Aapa trip.
If there’s a voice that defined pathos, dard, deepness, gehraai, technique, taiyyari, she was definitely somewhere on top, globally. Check out her rendition of Shakeel Badayuni’s ‘Mere Humnafas Mere Humnava’ and the picture is absolutely clear.
Begum Akhtar fans are totally devoted to her singing, and I am no exception. Strangely enough, I hated her the first time I heard her. She didn’t let me sleep in peace. This was back in Jaipur, where I was a young rookie journalist. I was more into rock bands like Jethro Tull, Pink Floyd and Moody Blues, but my senior colleague and room-mate Abhay Kant hated my taste and insisted on playing Begum Akhtar late at night. It was torture, initially. But in a few weeks, I just got hooked on to Mir Taqi Mir’s ‘Ulti Ho Gayi Sab Tadbeerein’ and Momin Khan Momin’s ‘Woh Jo Hum Mein Tum Mein Qaraar Tha’. Honestly, I discovered the names of these poets much later.
Equations changed. Tull and Floyd were put on hold and I would listen to Akhtar even after Kant slept. By the time he left the following year for another job, I think he was sick of my listening to her. Yet, he took all his cassettes with him, leaving me bereft. For the next five years, her songs would only appear as earworms in the recesses of my mind. One day, at Rhythm House, Mumbai, I picked up a double compilation. The surprise was that many compositions were credited to the great Khayyam.
Some old favourites like Badayuni’s ‘Ae Mohabbat Tere Anjaam Pe Rona Aaya’ and Mirza Ghalib’s ‘Dil Hi Toh Hai Na Sang-o-Khisht’. But the real discovery was her rendition of Sudarshan Faakir on ‘Kuch Toh Duniya Ki Inaayaat Ne Dil Tod Diya’, ‘Ishq Mein Ghairat-e-Jazbaat Ne Rone Na Diya’ and ‘Apunon Ke Sitam Hamse Bataaye Nahin Jaate’.
And there was Faiz Ahmed Faiz on ‘Aaye Kucch Abr Kuchh Sharaab Aaye’ and ‘Donon Jahaan Teri Mohabbat Mein Haarke’. Besides ghazals, there was light classical repertoire like ‘Deewana Banaana Hai Toh’ and ‘Hamari Atariya. What timbre, texture, throw, tonality, totality.
Akhtar has always been special. She physically left us 43 years ago, but her music still rings in our ears and resounds in our hearts. Interestingly, there is another musician I get back to this month. The great music director S.D. Burman was born on Oct 1, 1906, and passed away on October 31, 1975. Next week’s column is dedicated to him.
PS: Thank you Abhay Kant for the Begum Akhtar introduction. Sorry about blasting the rock music.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Entertainment> Music / by Narendra Kusnur / October 25th, 2017
Short-story writer, novelist and playwright Bolwar Mahammad Kunhi has been announced the winner of this year’s ‘Literary Achievement Award in Kannada’ presented by Atta Galatta and Bangalore Literature Festival.
The awardees have been announced ahead of the sixth edition of the literature festival on October 28 and 29.
This year, in the fiction category, Anees Salim has won the prize for his book ‘The SmallTown Sea’. In the non-fiction category, Ruskin Bond’s autobiography ‘Lone Fox Dancing’ has been selected for the prize. In the newly introduced category of ‘Popular Choice’, the prize has gone to Twinkle Khanna’s book ‘The Legend of Lakshmi Prasad’.
The prizes will be given away at an award ceremony during the festival which will be held at hotel Lalit Ashok on Kumara Krupa Road.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> City / DH News Service / Bengaluru – October 22nd, 2017
The master’s style became so well established that it has come to stay.
Abdul Karim Khan (centre)
Abdul Karim Khan was born on November 11, 1872, at Kirana, a village near Panipat. His father, Kale Khan, was also a musician and Abdul Karim and his two other brothers, Abdul-Majid and Abdulhug, imbibed their earliest lessons in music from him. It is said that Abdul Karim and one of his brothers left Kirana when they were still in their teens and came to Baroda where Abdul Karim soon earned a name for himself as a young poet and talented musician.
He then left Baroda and travelled to Poona and Bombay. He imparted his knowledge of music to a few earnest students and soon established himself as an outstanding musician of the Kirana gharana. He finally left Bombay and settled in Miraj, which was then a princely state. Among the well-known musicians of his time, he was the first who studied the complex problems of shruti. He was the principal and perhaps the only demonstrator of the shruti scale of the chromatic scale of Hindustani music. He demonstrated that the subdivision of the seven notes of the usual gamut into 22 parts was a fact to be reckoned with and not just a fantasy in the minds of ancient musicologists.
Abdul Karim was a man of simple and frugal habits, non-ostentatious and kindhearted. He did not bully or ill-treat his pupils and those who lived with him enjoyed parental care and attention. At Miraj, he developed an interest in the tanpura and brought his own musical knowledge to bear in the construction. He was on his way to Pondicherry when he experienced a severe pain in the chest at Chingalpeth. On October 27, 1937, he died peacefully on the platform at Singapuram Koilam, reciting Kalma in the raga Darbari.
We find it a little difficult to understand how it is that geophysical regionalism has become synonymous with the history of gharanas rather than the names of those maestros who have devoted their lives propagating and teaching the mode of music perfected by them in their own way and after their own heart. Is it the typical oriental philosophy of the impermanence of man that is responsible for the transference of credit and merit from man to place?
Geography of music
Tansen’s disciples made his music the music of the Gwalior gharana; Alladiya Khan’s complex music came to be linked with Jaipur or Atrauli; Fayyaz Khan and Vilayat Khan belonged to the Agra gharana; Bade Ghulam Ali was associated with the Patiala gharana; and Abdul Karim’s cultivated pattern of music came to be known as the Kirana gharana. Our inquiry into this aspect may not lead us on to any definite results. But it is important to explore how a gharana is born.
Let us consider the Kirana gharana and its distinguishing points. First, not much is known about Abdul Karim’s teacher, his father, Kale Khan. Abdul Wahid Khan, another exponent of the Kirana gharana, learnt his music from his father Hyder Khan. Not much is known about him either. Bande Ali Khan, the been maestro, is said to have belonged to this gharana and except for his celestial music and the romance which culminated in his marriage to his disciple, Chunna, there are few mentions of the Kirana gayaki. Most accounts of musicians, both living and dead, are anecdotal. They do not give us even a glimmer of the manner in which these great masters imbibed their music, the methods, the routine they followed and the influences which worked on them. It is not possible to convey accurately the idea of a gharana through words because our musical aesthetic or critical vocabulary have yet to arrive at a stage of absolute precision. It is still in a state of evolution. A listener feels the stamp of a gharana and there it rests; the musician, guided by his fancy and immersed in his own interpretation, has already left familiar ground and is in his own world where the gharana is as far removed from him as an airman from terra firma.
A common observation about the Kirana school is that the musician develops his song or cheeja merely on the strength of the alapi or elongated notes, so dovetailed that in his exposition of the melody, his only aim is to fix and cajole or caress a note, the only limitation being that of tala (the time measure), which beckons him to the point of return. The sweetness of melody is primarily due to the tonal quality, which imbibes a gradual, subtle use of semi-tones in the main note, whose placement in the scheme of the melodic weave is the main objective. For him the cheeja are only a help in articulation.
The Kirana musician seems to have all the time in the world once he has started and closed his eyes to mundane things like the audience. He weaves his net of alapi around a note and ascends the melodic structure as delicately as a gossamer spread over a leaf. He is in love with his swara he has captured that very moment. He plays with it, is engrossed in its nodal and sub-nodal musicality. This has provoked derisive and wholly unjustified remarks from listeners. They say if one Kirana gharana musician takes half an hour to reach gandhar, another musician of the same gharana will take one hour to do so.
The form matters
Some musicologists are of the opinion that this gayaki lacks form. The existence of so many gharanas is proof that what is termed form is an elastic, accommodative arrangement and not a principle of scientific rigidity. In our music, the artiste sets out and sings a cheeja perhaps once; he enunciates it properly and then begins to establish the melody in a multi-pronged manner. The chosen melody is set to a particular tala, and his beginning in slow tempo necessitates a slow and leisurely progress. Each school of music has decided over a long period of deliberation and practice its own mode of such measured progress. If we compare two music lovers’ assessments of a gharana, both of them may agree on the overall effect of the music but often disagree on individual movements or methods of elaboration. In our music there is really nothing inherent which dictates to us that only one arrangement is possible. Witness, for example, the different ways of enunciating the world kaku in Sanskrit musical treatises. Witness, also, the musician’s improvisations in changing the stress for the sama. One can pile up a whole list of such individual gimmicks employed by a musician.
In our music, the basic material is the melody or abstract series of sounds related in an artificial manner. These sounds are subject to some arrangements: for example, five-note ragas, six-note ragas and so on. It is easy to understand that once this arrangement is stretched over a composition, that is, on the musical theme, the musician is permitted a great amount of freedom in his handling of it. When we think of form in our music, we have to think of the sound content and not of a rigid structure superimposed on a cheeja and its movement. Hindustani music, is not written and, therefore, the duration of a performance differs from musician to musician. If a musician compresses all his art in a short period of time and another stretches his recital over a longer span, we do not consider it amiss. The total impression is what we finally have in mind.
When a Kirana musician creates an agreeable atmosphere of a melody by a succession of notes woven carefully and gradually, and when he expounds the cheeja with finesse and keeps you rooted to your seat, you cannot merely dismiss his art, and his effort as charming yet formless. We will have to grant then that the Kirana musician has evolved his own form and this is no mean achievement.
Focus on swara
A distinctive feature of this school of music can be briefly summarised thus: a Kirana musician places greater stress on the presentation of melody by employing alap or lengthened flights of swara continuation, running through the full time-measure. He does not play within the inherent rhythm or laya in the manner of a musician of the Agra gharana. In fact, his obsession with the swara overshadows every other facet of the presentation of music. He does not unfold the melody through playful hide-and-seek either with the time-measure or with intricate and complex variations of the rhythmic pace. His main concentration is on the note or swara, and with this as his base, he creates an atmosphere of deep reverence. A listener who concentrates on the performance notices that the Kirana musician does not deal with scattered or separate musical ideas, individual movements within the time-circle but builds up his melody, note by note, like a weaver.
Another distinctive feature of the Kirana musician is his voice culture. His gestures seem to indicate that he is really at great pains to produce a sound, and that he has some difficulty in sustaining it; but actually the artiste is not greatly constricted in his articulation. The Kirana musician’s sense of control of the subtle inflexions in voice production is remarkable and he has had to strive hard to attain it. He seeks to achieve the desired tunefulness. But his mannerisms appear somewhat odd; even so, they are natural to him. In his taans, there is more facial or jaw-bone control. The Kirana musician elaborates the sargam or notation of phrases deftly and in an ingratiating manner. In fact, this has become one of the notable and accepted ingredients of this gharana. His vocal line has a wide range – wider than that of most of the musicians of other schools of music.
One significant aspect of the Kirana musician is his presentation of the thumri in his own cultivated way. The Kirana musician’s voice culture is suited to singing the thumri because there is equal stress on both the composition and its meaningful presentation. The Kirana musician’s delineation of a thumri is again swara-dominated and tends towards a khayal pattern.
A genius arrives
Abdul Karim evolved and perfected the style entirely on the basis of his own genius. There is a gramophone disc of Abdul Karim, rare, yet still available in the possession of connoisseurs. It reveals an entirely different kind of musician. One can hardly place the musician as Abdul Karim even after ten guesses.
It is clear that Abdul Karim pondered over the problems of musical expression. He was gifted with a sweet and extremely pliant voice, which he cultivated in his own rigorous manner and it is on record that he enjoined his disciples to conform to the voice culture he taught them and to perfect it through persistent practice. Abdul Karim could reproduce all the 22 shrutis of our chromatic scale. Apparently, what we call form came to the musicians through the dhrupad style which was rigid in its structural presentation. Our musical progress, however, is traceable to rebels who boldly deviated from the uncompromising elements in the attitude of the dhrupadiyas. Abdul Karim ought to be applauded for the leadership he took in this battle.
Abdul Karim’s style is now so well established that it has come to stay. He who creates, lives. He has established his own norms, his own code of conduct. He lived at a time when great, very great and even outstanding musicians lived and performed in their own ways. If he rejected some of the ideas of other music styles, he must be applauded rather than accused of departing from them. New and upcoming musicians (like Kumar Gandharva or Vasantrao Deshpande) have also boldly created, established and consolidated their own styles and our music is the richer for their contributions.
Abdul Karim’s performances delighted his listeners. In addition to khayalgayaki, he raised thumri presentation to a new and beautiful state. During his performances, the listener experienced a mental repose. He sang khayal, thumris, Marathi stage songs, Marathi pads. He was not a purist or a dogmatic upholder of a particular tradition. He remained in his own sound of swara-dominated trance the whole day, and those who were close to him say he would pick up a tanpura and tune it to the basic note of a tanpura tuned the previous day, without striking the note of the harmonium for support. This meant that he was in constant harmony with that note both during his sleep and during his waking moments.
This article first appeared in ON Stage, the official monthly magazine of the National Centre for the Performing Arts, Mumbai.
“Tulla Dozing The Bull”, a documentary shot by Kashmiri filmmaker Jalal Ud Din Baba at Zojila has won the 3rd best film award at India International Science Film Festival (IISFF 2017).
Zojila is a high mountain pass in Jammu and Kashmir, located on the National Highway 1D between Srinagar and Leh in the western section of the Himalayan mountain range.
The documentary film narrates the life of Anayatullah Khan, 45 nicknamed Tulla who was born as a special kid to a shepherd family at Sonamarg. Tulla is unable to hear and speak. But Tulla is well prepared for such eventualities. He was born and brought up under the circumstances where life and its necessities teach a harder lesson in practice, sweat and blood.
Tulla is bulldozer driver and works at the Zojila pass to clear boulders, fifty feet high snow avalanches, cutting mountain patches, under the shooting stones so as to open the Srinagar-Leh National Highway after the six months of winter. He is a frontman earthmover operator.
“Tulla has never been to school for basics, brought up as a deprived and unprivileged boy without two natural inevitable abilities of a normal human being. Having restricted communicational ability and understanding, without which human skill, capability, capacity, aptitude, knack, proficiency, power, talent and aptitude becomes contemptible, unfit and unsavoury but Tulla is altogether diverse, special and praiseworthy, miles ahead of normally privileged human beings. His story is that of unmatched strength, brilliance and courage,” Jalal Ud Din Baba told TCN.
The documentary has won 3rd Best Film Award Competitive Film Category (A) for its green activism, film mastery, the remarkable art of storytelling, treatment and rare maturity of the filmmaker in his ability to trail the daily activity of his specially-abled protagonist Anaytullah Khan at Zojila.
The function at Delta Auditorium and Rosette Convention Centre National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM) Campus, Anna University, Chennai on Sunday October 15.
source: http://www.twocirlces.net / Two Circles / Home> Indian Muslims / by TwoCircles.net , Staff Reporter / October 18th, 2017
Hundreds of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) alumni from across the world who attended the Sir Syed Bicentenary AMU Alumni Meet 2017 at the university’s Kennedy Hall Auditorium were caught up in nostalgia as the meet concluded with a valedictory function. AMU Vice Chancellor, Professor Tariq Mansoor after thanking the alumni for their visit said that the university will soon have ‘Distinguished Alumni Awards’ in national and international categories.
He pointed out that there is a plan to introduce alumni meets for all the faculties separately, which will be organised under the aegis of a central body of university’s Alumni Affairs Committee. “However, the idea is subject to change and discussions and has yet to be finalised,” said Prof Mansoor.
The Vice Chancellor further said that AMU is also planning to connect children of Alumni with the university through internships and other programmes. “Children of many alumni living in different parts of India and abroad are attending universities in various parts of world, we would like them to connect with the alma mater of their parents through special programmes,” said Prof Mansoor adding that many universities have been doing this and it can be done in AMU too.
Prof O P Kalra (Vice Chancellor, Pt H L Sharma University of Health Sciences), who attended the function as the chief guest said that he came to Aligarh to appear in the MBBS entrance exam with hardly any money and a place to stay. “I stayed in a Gurudwara and was selected in the waiting list for admission in MBBS,” said Prof Kalra adding that my candidature for admission was selected in AMU’s Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and Banaras Hindu University’s Medical College at the same time.
“My father advised me to attend AMU and taught me Urdu,” recalled Mr Kalra pointing out that a few years ago he visited his hostel room and found a research scholar of Sanskrit from a Muslim background residing in his room. “This is exactly what Sir Syed’s vision was,” he said adding that a student from a Hindu background like him learnt Urdu in AMU, while a Muslim boy becomes a researcher scholar of Sanskrit in the same University.
USA based Dr Abdul Wasey (senior cardiologist) pointed out that the revelation of the Holy Quran began with the word Iqra, urging humanity to read in the name of Lord who has created them. He added that the religious scriptures invite people towards knowledge and wisdom and Sir Syed with his efforts led people to the light of knowledge from the darkness of ignorance.
He urged students to not get distracted and to keep focussing on their goals. “If you keep your focus and work hard with determination, success will sure come,” said Dr Wasey.
USA based entrepreneur, Taher Madraswala said that he reached New York with just $90 in his pocket and worked hard to put a 100 million dollars company. “My success has been because I was groomed by my teachers in the Zakir Hussain College of Engineering and Technology and I was loved by my seniors and juniors,” he said.
Madraswala urged students to gain knowledge in the 20s, apply that knowledge in the 30s, chase money in their 40s, enjoy the hard earned money in their 50’s and do charity when they retire.
Ali Harris Shere (Vice President, Britannia) said that his education in AMU shaped his value system and taught him to respect people. Recollecting a meeting with Bollywood superstar, Salman Khan; he said that the actor soon recognised his AMU background after meeting him. “Salman Khan told me that the ethos of AMU were reflecting in my conversations,” said Shere.
He urged students to keep their hunger for knowledge, have proper mentorship, be visible with their achievements, understand the importance of networking and to have fresh perspectives to succeed in life.
On the occasion, a newsletter and a book, ‘Sir Syed – Bharat ke Anmol Ratan’ authored by Ikhlas Ahmad Sherwani was released by the Vice Chancellor.
A special attraction of the meet was a session of AMU’s women achievers in which Prof Yasmin Saikia (Arizona State University), Arifa Khanam (Senior journalist), Sabiha Said (Vice President, KPMG), Tasneem Rasol Boaz (Indian Railway Traffic Services), Nuzhat Parveen Khan (Dean, Faculty of Law, Jamia Milia Islamia), Ghazala Kohkan Shamsi (New York, USA) and Taab Siddiqui (Owner, Harvest Gold Food India) were the panellists.
Meanwhile a session on Aligarh Open University, a platform through which AMU alumni spread all over the world share knowledge and experiences with current university students was also organised. Earlier, in the day students associated with the University Drama Club performed a play on Sir Syed.
A troupe of ‘Ahmadi School for Visually Challenged’ sang the Tarana and the National Anthem. Dr Shariq Aqeel conducted the programme, while Prof Suhail Sabir proposed the vote of thanks.
source: http://www.twocirlces.net / Two Circles / Home> Indian Muslim / October 17th, 2017
