The Muslim community had frowned upon the girl, who went to school to study English wearing burqa. She had faced the insult from her community but her father O V Abdulla, who was a religious scholar, stood with her and encouraged her to continue English education.
Mariyumma was an avid reader of English and hence local people used to call her English Mariyumma. Wikimedia Commons
THE FIRST Muslim woman in North Kerala to get English education, Maliyekkal Mariyumma, died on Friday in Thalassery, Kannur district. She was 95.
An icon of English education among Muslims in North Kerala, Mariyumma had been an inspiration for generations.
Condoling the death of Mariyumma, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said, “We have lost a person who had left her indelible footprints along with the history of Thalassery. Braving the barriers of conservatism, she learned English and thus became a guiding light for others. She fought for the educational rights of Muslim girls. Always a progressive face, she had also been an icon of religious harmony. Her death plunges a generation and a region into grief.”
Born in 1927, Mariyumma belonged to one of the prominent Muslim families in Thalassery. After completing lower primary education, she joined Sacred Heart Convent School in Thalassery for further studies. She was the only Muslim girl among 200-odd students at the school established in 1886. She studied the English alphabet in class 5.
Later, she recalled that as she did not understand English, her father consoled and encouraged her to continue studies. At noon, she used to go to a relative’s house for namaz. Realising this, the nuns arranged a facility for her namaz at the school. She recalled how nuns created a love for the English language in her mind.
The Muslim community had frowned upon the girl, who went to school to study English wearing burqa. She had faced the insult from her community but her father O V Abdulla, who was a religious scholar, stood with her and encouraged her to continue English education.
Abdulla had studied only up to class 2, but he used to read and write in English. Mariyumma continued her convent education till 1943, the year she was married off after she completed fifth forum (class 10).
After marriage, she associated herself with Muslim Mahila Samajam to continue her social work. Later, she focused on activities aimed at empowering women.
Mariyumma was an avid reader of English and hence local people used to call her English Mariyumma. The image of Mariymma reading English daily had inspired hundreds of Muslim girls to pursue education.
source: http://www.indianexpress.com / The Indian Express / Home> Cities> Thiruvananthapuram / by Shaju Philip / August 06th, 2022
Billionaires in Africa, Maha tycoons follow father, feed thousands in hometown
Yavatmal :
Decades ago, a humble Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) district driver Abdul Narsinghani had a strange habit before going off to work.
Every morning he would instruct his wife Fatima to pack a few ‘rotis’, he put them in his pocket and at various stops of his ST bus en route, would distribute them among a few poor people he encountered.
His young kids — sons Aman, Aslam and daughter Farida — closely watched all this but often wondered at their father’s undue concern for others when they themselves eked out a bare existence in a 200 square feet slum tenement in Yavatmal.
Years later, Aman, 45, and Aslam, 43 are successful business magnates in Congo, (formerly Zaire), Africa, and Farida I. Budhwani is a housewife in Mumbai, but now they warmly cherish their simple father’s small acts of charity for fellow beings.
“We brothers completed our high secondary school (Class XII) and got jobs in Uganda, so we went there in 1998. In just three years (2000), we got an offer to start a pharmaceutical business in the adjoining country, Congo, and we grabbed the opportunity,” Aman told IANS.
That was the turning point for the Narsinghani brothers, and they became the first Indians to start a business in Congo, and their venture is named Sara Pharmaceuticals.
“Many Africans have a fetish to pop in medicines for everything… We imported various types of medicines from India or China and then sold them there… Slowly, that tiny business has grown into a pharma-cum-electronics empire with a turnover of over Rs 1,200 crore per annum,” said Aman.
On their frequent trips back home from Africa, they never forgot their father’s daily habit of donating ‘rotis’ or his wise advice – ‘Let nobody go empty handed from my door’ – and decided to do something to take it forward.
“From 2009, we have launched a community kitchen that feeds around 750 people for lunch and some 250 for dinner daily… 98 per cent of the beneficiaries are the local poor people, irrespective of religion or status, all are equally welcome…” said Aman.
The daily offering through ‘Khidmat-E-Khalk’ (Selfless Service) is either good quality rice-vegetables, lip-smacking vegetable or chicken biryanis and other foodstuff as the people may desire, and distributed at a couple of locations in Yavatmal, 365 days a year.
It was during the Covid-19 pandemic (2020-2021) lockdown that the small kitchen proved its true worth and utility for lakhs of deprived people, especially the migrant folks stranded far from home.
“In the first six months of the stringent lockdown, we fed over 1.50 crore people. We also distributed food-kits of around 25 kg rations worth Rs 2 crore to the helpless people who had lost their jobs,” said Aslam.
After the lockdown eased a bit from October 2020 onwards, the Narsinghani brothers shifted their attention to the local Shri Vasantrao Naik Government Medical College & Hospital, where they served free food to all the patients for over one year.
As the pharma business of the siblings flourished in Central Africa, the duo also progressed, upgrading from their humble 200-sq.ft. slum abode to a palatial 10,000 sq.ft mansion in Yavatmal, where they rank among the most esteemed citizens.
The devout Khoja Muslim, Abdul Narsinghani, who gave his children an invaluable lesson to care for fellow humans, witnessed everything with joy and pride. He passed away peacefully in 2015, while his widow Fatima, 71, continues to guide and support her two sons in all their ventures.
Doing business in Africa is not everybody’s cup tea, given the political turmoil in many countries there, plus the social, cultural and language barriers, but the Narsinghani brothers managed to learn Swahili in just a couple of years and were accepted with open arms in Uganda, Congo and other countries in Central African region.
“Though we have seen a lot of social-cultural-political upheavals there in the past 25 years, but luckily, the Indian community there does not face problems from any quarter and we are probably treated as ‘more than equals’ among the rest,” Aman smiled.
The pharma business has gradually expanded within Africa, and lately the duo diversified into electronics trading which is picking up hugely through their several retail outlets.
“The Almighty has been magnanimous and benevolent to us and coupled with what our parents bequeathed us, we are trying in our own little way, to repay all the blessings,” acknowledge the Narsinghanis. — IANS
source: http://www.muslimmirror.com / Muslim Mirror / Home> Culture> Indian Muslims / by IANS / December 04th, 2022
Kumrava, Nawada District) BIHAR / Kolkata, WEST BENGAL :
He had accompanied Mahatma Gandhi on the Dandi March and later spent several days with him in a prison in Cuttack. In 2007, he was conferred with the Padma Bhushan for his fight against the British rule in India.
Syed Mohammad Sharfuddin Quadri being conferred with the Padma Bhushan by the then President APJ Abdul Kalam.
Late on Monday night, Syed Mohammad Sharfuddin Quadri, who was affectionately referred to as hakim sahab in his neighbourhood in Rippon Street, passed away three days after celebrating his 114th birthday.
Quadri, a renowned Unani practitioner who was instrumental in founding the Unani Medical College and Hospital in Abdul Halim Lane in central Kolkata, was born on December 25, in 1901 when Kolkata was still the capital of the country and Mahatma Gandhi had not returned to India.
“My father was imprisoned with Gandhiji by the British in Cuttack. He would accompany him everywhere during the Civil Disobedience Movement,” said son Manzar Sadique in the family’s home in 84/9 Rippon Street.
“In October, abba had travelled to Lucknow where he was the chief guest at a conference of Unani practitioners. Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav had invited him over to his house,” informs Sadique.
Quadri was born in the remote village of Kumrava in Nawada district of Bihar on Christmas Day in 1901. His family moved to Calcutta in the mid-1930s. Hakimji would begin his day with Fajar (the morning namaaz) at the break of dawn followed by his visit to his chamber, Swadeshi Dawa khana on Haji Mohammed Mohsin Square, where patients would already be waiting for him. He would examine more than 100 patients every day free of cost, says son Sadique.
“Unani was his passion and he could identify the ailment just by feeling the pulse of the patient,” says Sadique.
The centurion who specialized in treating infertility would never miss his customary walk after work. “He suffered from arthritis which is why he took special care of his fitness,” said Sadique.
Quadri who began an informal school for children and triggered an adult literacy campaign in Rippon Street was the founder member of the
Once Quadri once revealed the secret behind his fitness and longevity to his friends. “I drink two glasses of neem juice every day,” he has said. This fitness mantra was handed over to him by his father Mohammad Mohibbudin who had died at the age of 121 years!
Hasnain Imam, a teacher and resident of Rippon Street fondly recalled the time he had spent with “hakim sahib” when he was in college. “He was a treasure trove of knowledge. From politics to medicine to Sufism, we would discuss a wide range of topics. They don’t make people like them anymore,” said Imam.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / Times of India / Home> News> Kolkata News / by Zeeshan Javed / TNN / December 30th, 2015
The young nurses believe that more Muslim girls across the country should opt for the nursing profession to serve society.
Patna (Bihar) :
Two Muslim nurses Naziya Parveen and Shabrun Khatun from Bihar were awarded this year’sNational Florence Nightingale Awards (NFNA) by the President of India, Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan earlier this month.
The National Florence Nightingale Awards (NFNA) were instituted in 1973 by the Government of India’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare as a mark of recognition for the meritorious services rendered by nurses and nursing professionals to the society.
Sajeeda Banu of Karnataka, Ahmedullah Wani of Jammu & Kashmir, and Mohammed Kasim AB of Lakshadweep are the other Muslims who were awarded this year.
She was among 51 people from around the country who were awarded in different categories by the President. Her citation states that she has contributed to the establishment of the labor room and for helping in preparing the standard operating procedure.
32-year-old Naziya Parveen receiving the award from the President Murmu. | Picture by arrangement
Hailing from Sultanganj, Bhagalpur, Naziya is the eldest of three sisters. She is married to a microbiologist Mohammad Shams of Gaya. After completing her high secondary education in Dumka, Jharkhand she studied nursing for GNM at JawaharLal Medical College, Bhagalpur, and worked with Jamia Hamdard in New Delhi for six years. It was challenging to move from Delhi to Araria but her family supported her as “there isn’t much scope of work in Sadar Hospital.”
“I feel quite proud to be awarded as our society does not recognize the work of nurses. I am elated for being a Muslim awardee as we don’t get nominated for such awards. I was asked if I was from Kashmir as I was wearing a hijab,” she said.
Mother of two kids, Naziya has inspired other Muslim girls to take admission to nursing courses. Local newspapers in the state ran stories featuring her.
“We need to change our attitude towards this profession. It is a good job and one can draw good income from it. The nursing course is such that even if one does not opt for a job, they can get the chance to serve from home and earn. I am of the view that more Muslim girls should study nursing as a profession,” she said.
28-year-old Shabrun Khatun was awarded in the ANM (Auxiliary Nurse and Midwife) category. | Picture by arrangement
28-year-old Shabrun Khatun was awarded in the ANM (Auxiliary Nurse and Midwife) category. She works at Darbhanga Sadar primary health center. She had applied for the award previously but it was her work during Covid-19 that won her an award this year. She recalled how she went for a door-to-door screening of Covid-19 in April 2020 while being on fast and continued to work in 2021.
Shabrun told TwoCircles.net that receiving the award from President Murmu was quite encouraging.
Her journey to success has not been smooth. She had to work in local hospitals to support her family but this experience helped her. “I was good at studies in school and got prizes for my co-curricular activities. I wanted to be a medical doctor. I was selected for MBBS at a private medical college but did not have enough money to take admission. I also wished to be an officer in administration but my father’s proximity to doctors got me into nursing.”
Shabrun’s father Mohammad Akhtar is a tailor who would stitch clothes for operation theaters of hospitals nearby. She had cleared the preliminary test for selection in the police department but finally settled for a nursing course after her graduation in Zoology from her hometown of Rosera Bazar in Samastipur district in Bihar.
Shabrun said that she had to face unfriendly treatment in society after she chose to become a nurse. “But seeing my success now, everyone is happy,” she said.
She is of the view that Muslim girls who are not able to qualify for MBBS should consider nursing as a career as “it gives the satisfaction of serving humanity in one small way.”
In December this year, she would be felicitated on the foundation day of the Darbhanga district.
Sami Ahmad is a journalist based in Patna, Bihar. He tweets @samipkb
source: http://www.twocircles.net / TwoCircles.net / Home> Lead Story / by Sami Ahmad, TwoCircles.net / November 25th, 2022
Gulf Medical University (GMU), Ajman, the biggest private medical university in the Middle East region celebrated its 24th anniversary, with a special ceremony attended by Dr. Thumbay Moideen – Founder, President Board of Trustees GMU, Prof. Hossam Hamdy – Chancellor of GMU, Mr. Akbar Moideen Thumbay – Vice President of the Healthcare Division of Thumbay Group, and Deans of the colleges of the University as well as other staff and students.
The celebration was an occasion to reflect GMU’s achievements till date, at the same time reaffirming its commitment to foster continued evolution of Gulf Medical University as an international powerhouse of health professions education, research and innovation.
Highlighting the evolution and development of the Gulf Medical University in terms of buildings, staff, students and scientific and educational degrees, Dr. Thumbay Moideen said, “From humble beginnings as the region’s first private medical University, today GMU is a testament of along and distinguished success story of being the region’s only private Academic Health System- delivering futuristic medical education at the same time playing an important role in providing state-of-the-art healthcare and promoting innovative research.
Our progress over the last 24 years has been driven by the dedication of our staff, students and partners, in addition to GMU’s philosophy of constant innovation and above all, the Grace of the Almighty. We have also received excellent support from the government throughout this journey.
Prof. Hossam Hamdy said that GMU has developed a unique model in the form of the Gulf Medical University Academic Health System, showcasing on a global front that the future of medical education is ‘systems’ linking education, healthcare and research. “The shared philosophies of the six colleges under Gulf Medical University, its teaching hospital and the passion for supporting all-round excellence has helped in making many distinctive contributions to the overall community over the last two decades. In addition, our response to the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the great value of our academic community and the strengths of our basic, convergent and translational science.”
Recently, the ‘Academic Team’ at Gulf Medical University unveiled a long-term strategic growth plan of doubling its capacity in the next three to four years, aligning to future requirements and strategic direction of education policies laid down by the United Arab Emirates and thereby creating an Emirati healthcare workforce to serve the region
Gulf Medical University and Thumbay network of academic hospitals daycare, Labs, Pharmacies and clinics together train around 20 percent of the doctors and approximately 60 percent of the healthcare professionals in the country, creating a significant impact on the healthcare sector of the country and the region.
Moreover, students benefit with adequate opportunities to showcase their achievements through student activities, Interprofessional skills, sporting and cultural events that train them to be multi-disciplinary experts.
Other benefits provided to the students include: Clinical training sites of unmatched quality at 8 hospitals, 10 clinics, 5 labs and 48 pharmacies and a total of 700 beds; tie-ups with other local entities as clinical training sites with over 400 qualified faculty, doctors and adjunct faculty who provide one-on-one clinical training to students and quality care to the patients of UAE; access to technological platforms and an outstanding infrastructure for research on imaging, functional genomics, sequencing with NGS facility.
In terms of advancing healthcare in the UAE and globally, GMU has launched the establishment of the first liquid biopsy facility in the region, the zebra fish and a platform for drug discovery and development. This has led to achieving its position as a leader in research in medical education in UAE and the entire region with 70% of all papers published in medical education in the UAE coming from GMU.
Since its inception, around 2000 students have graduated from GMU, advancing their career and securing successful positions including CEOs, COOs, Medical Directors and Heads of Departments in the healthcare and research across the Middle East, Africa, South Asia, Europe, North America and Australia.
Moreover, the university’s academic and research tie-ups with over 70 international universities and research institutions has ensured global recognition and employability for GMU graduates.
To name a few, GMU’s collaboration with International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has led to humanitarian learning in healthcare to create a model youth force in the country that will be equipped with all the basic skills and knowledge to fight any emergency crisis as per international standards.
Likewise, the ‘Future Scientist program’ has been an innovative educational enrichment internship program for Male/ Female Emirati talent who are motivated to nurture their interest in biomedical and drug discovery research. The program helps in preparing them for an exciting career as research scientists.
Recently, GMU has also achieved international accreditation by the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA)-the agency responsible for accrediting higher education institutions in the UK utilizing european standards and guidelines for Quality assurance.
Besides, Gulf Medical University has won several global recognitions such as Forbes, Dubai Quality Award, QS Awards, QS Reimagine WRC Leaders and Ranking from QS University Rankings, Times Higher Education, placing placed the university among top health professions education institutions in the region and globally.
source: http://ww.english.varthabharati.in / Vartha Bharati / Home / by press release / November 21st, 2022
Bazm-E-Niswan, an all women’s charitable trust distributed Rs. 1 crore 51 lakhs in scholarships to 4146 female students from the economically weaker section of the community on Sunday. While 2,166 beneficiaries are PU students, 1,796 are pursuing undergraduate courses. As many as 59 are diploma students and 125 are post-graduate students.
The organisation has been distributing scholarships since its inception in 1971 and has so far given financial aid to over 67000 students to complete their higher education
The purpose behind the yearly scholarships is to encourage Muslim girls from deprived sections to pursue higher studies, Mrs Husna Ziaullah Sheriff, president, Bazm-E-Niswan said.
These girls are now successfully qualified as teachers, professors, doctors, lawyers, government officers, businesswomen, engineers, journalists, trainers, nurses, paramedics and in many other professional courses, she said.
Students applied for the scholarship online through Bazm-E-Niswan’ website. Candidates were required to fill out an online application and submit the hard copy of the application at the trust’s office. The fresh students who had secured more than 50 per cent in their previous exam were selected.
“We received 5,200 online applications this year as against 4,505 last year. The increase in applications indicates the growing need for scholarship due to the financial crisis post Covid 19,” Ms Sheriff said.
“Overall 69.7% students belong to BPL families and 30.3% belong to non BPL families,” she said.
However, the total number of applicants in Post Graduation was only 152, compared to 2,350 in Under Graduation. “This shows only 6.46% girls pursue Post graduation after completing their UG,” it was observed.
source: http://www.thecognate.com / The Cognate / Home> Education / by Shaik Zakeer Hussain / November 27th, 2022
Haji Mahommed Mohsin, a philanthropist, with scholarly zeal and a heart so big it could feed the entire town’s impoverished, has been a name that got lost in the celebration of the great men of India. Born into the family of Agha Fazlullah, one of the wealthiest Persian merchants settled in Hooghly with his son Haji Fazlullah, Mahommed Mohsin had been the fortunate recipient of generational wealth and fortune.
His elder half-sister, daughter of Agha Motaher, Manu Jan Khanum was his closest companion and with her help, he maintained the Imambara built by their forefathers. He received his early education while being home-tutored in Arabic and Persian studies.
His tutor Agha Shirazi, a Persian himself, would narrate stories of his travels and adventures to them, which ignited an interest in travel in Mohsin as well. At the age of thirty-two, he departed Hooghly to travel and see what the world had to offer.
The unsung Philanthropist of India , Haji Mahommed Mohsin
His penmanship was highly revered and he also copied the Koran in his time of leisure. It is said that some of these copies were sold for a thousand rupees back then because of how ornately he had produced them. And he produced a total of 72 copies which were given to the poor. He was also a prominent figure during the Great Bengal famine of 1770 for helping the poor and suffering, significantly.
His travels took him to Arabia from where he went on a pilgrimage to Mecca and Madina, thereby conferring himself the title of ‘Haji’. He traveled through Arabia, Persia, Hindustan, and, Central Asia over the span of 27 years before finally coming back to Murshidabad (while briefly stopping in Lucknow) at the age of 60. However, he had to return to Hooghly eventually took care of his sister’s business and estates after Manu Jan Khanum’s beloved husband’s demise, the management of these estates had become cumbersome for her. Moreover, she relied only on Mohsin to take care of them respectfully.
After her death, she bequeathed her entire estate to Mohsin making him lavishly affluent at the age of 73. Mahommed Mohsin, however, led a simple life and only approved of his wealth in so far as he could help the poverty-stricken in as many ways as possible. In 1806, he signed a Deed of Trust conceding to use his entire income for charitable purposes. The Imambara in Hooghly still has a copy of this deed inscribed on one of its walls. He passed away at the age of eighty-two in 1812 buried close to his sister, Manu Jan Khanum.
However, it was because of Rajib Ali Khan and Shakir Ali Khan (two of Mohsin’s trusted) and later on their sons’ treachery that the trust fund put in place by Mohsin had been misused for personal purposes. Greed got the best of them and the nine shares, among which 7 shares were dedicated to religious and non-religious charities were also abused by these people. Eventually, the Government took this under its control and freed them from this mishandled management.
In 1836, the Hooghly College, now known as the Hooghly Mohsin College (changed in its centenary year) was inaugurated with the surplus funds in the hands of the government. The college was affiliated with the University of Calcutta and was built originally by General Perron on the banks of Hooghly. It still stands as an underappreciated yet beautiful and pristine college dedicated to an under-acknowledged man of iron.
source: http://www.heritagetimes.in / Heritage Times / Home> Education / by Kasturi Ghosh / November 17th, 2022
The four years of the World War 1 saw the service of 1.3 million Indians, of whom 74,000 never made it back home.
The First World War , or the Great War as it is also called, raged across Europe and several war arenas scattered across the world from 28 July 1914 to 11 November 1918. These four years saw the service of 1.3 million Indians, of whom 74,000 never made it back home. For their families, the war was something they couldn’t quite understand.
Given the large-scale Indian involvement in a war that the majority of Indians could not fully comprehend, we shall once again look into the mirror of Urud to see how the poet viewed the momentous years of the Jang-e Azeem as the Great War came to be called in Urdu.
Several poets, lost in the veils of time and virtually unknown today, made interventions as did the more famous ones who continue to be well known though possibly not in the context of what they had to say about World War I.
Urdu’s Rendition of the Greatest Human Tragedy
Presented below is a sampling of the socially-conscious, politically-aware message of the poets of the times. Not all of these poets are well-known today nor is their poetry of a high caliber yet fragments of their work have been included here simply to illustrate how the poet had his finger to the pulse of his age and circumstance.
Let us begin with Sibli Nomani and his wryly mocking Jang-e Europeaur Hindustani that deserves to be quoted in full:
Ek German ne mujh se kaha az rah-e ghuroor
‘Asaan nahi hai fatah to dushwar bhi nahin
Bartania ki fauj hai dus lakh se bhi kum
Aur iss pe lutf yeh hai ke tayyar bhi nahin
Baquii raha France to woh rind-e lam yazal
Aain shanaas-e shewa-e paikaar bhi nahin’
Maine kaha ghalat hai tera dawa-e ghuroor
Diwana to nahi hai tu hoshiyar bhi nahin
Hum log ahl-e Hind hain German se dus guneh
Tujhko tameez-e andak-o bisiar bhi nahin
Sunta raha woh ghaur se mera kalaam aur
Phir woh kaha jo laiq-e izhaar bhi nahin
‘Iss saadgi pe kaun na mar jaaye ai Khuda
Larhte hain aur haath mein talwar bhi nahin!’
(Consumed with pride, a German said to me:
‘Victory is not easy but it isn’t impossible either
The army of Britannia is less than ten lakh
And not even prepared on top of that
As for France, they are a bunch of drunks
And not even familiar with the art of warfare’
I said your arrogant claim is all wrong
If not mad you are certainly not wise
We the people of Hind are ten times the Germans
Cleary you cannot tell big from small
He listened carefully to what I had to say
Then he said something that can’t can’t be described
‘By God, anyone will lay down their life for such simplicity
You are willing to fight but without even a sword in your hand!’)
That the Urdu poet was not content with mere high-flying rhetoric and was rooted in and aware of immediate contemporary realities, becomes evident when Brij Narain Chakbast declares in his Watan ka Raag (‘The Song of the Homeland’):
Zamin Hind ki rutba mein arsh-e-aala hai
Yeh Home Rule ki ummid ka ujala hai
Mrs Besant ne is aarzu ko paala hai
Faqir qaum ke hain aur ye raag maala hai
Talab fuzool hai kante ki phool ke badle
Na lein bahisht bhi hum Home Rule ke badle
(The land of Hind is higher in rank than the highest skies
All because of the light of hope brought forth by Home Rule
This hope has been nurtured by Mrs Besant
I am a mendicant of this land and this is my song
It’s futile to wish for the thorn instead of the flower
We shall not accept even paradise instead of Home Rule)
Poems Charged With the Spirit of Revolution
Similarly, Hasrat Mohani, in a poem called Montagu Reforms, is scathing about the so-called reforms that were given as SOPs to gullible Indians during the war years, which were mere kaagaz ke phool (paper flowers) with no khushboo (fragrance) even for namesake. The poem ends with a fervent plea that the people of Hind should not be taken in by the sorcery of the reforms.
Ai Hindi saada dil khabardar
Hargiz na chale tujh pe jadu
ya paayega khaak phir jab inse
Iss waqt bhi kuchh na le saka tu
(O simple people of Hind beware
Don’t let this spell work on you
If you couldn’t couldn’t take anything from them now
You’re not likely to get anything at all)
Josh Malihabadi who acquired his moniker of the shair-e- inquilab or the ‘revolutionary poet’ during the war period, talks with vim and vigour of the revolution that is nigh, a revolution that will shake the foundations of the British empire in his Shikast-e Zindaan ka Khwaab (‘The Dream of a Defeated Prison’:
Kya Hind ka zindaan kaanp raha hai guunj rahi hain takbiren
Uktae hain shayad kuchh qaidi aur torh rahe hain zanjiren
Divaron ke niche aa aa kar yuun jama hue hain zindani
(How the prison of Hind is trembling and the cries of God’s greatness are echoing
Perhaps some prisoners have got fed up and are breaking their chains
The prisoners have gathered beneath the walls of the prisons)
Satire, Pain and Passion Punctuate These Poems
The ever-doubting, satirical voice of Akbar Allahabadi— a long- time critic of colonial rule and a newfound admirer of Gandhi, shows us the great inescapable link between commerce and empire that Tagore too had alluded to:
Cheezein woh hain jo banein Europe mein
Baat woh hai jo Pioneer mein chhapey…
Europe mein hai jo jung ki quwwat barhi huwi
Lekin fuzoon hai uss se tijarat barhi huwi
Mumkin nahin laga sakein woh tope har jagah
Dekho magar Pears ka hai soap har jagah
(Real goods are those that are made in Europe
Real matter is that which is printed in the Pioneer…
Though Europe has great capability to do war
Greater still is her power to do business
They cannot install a canon everywhere
But the soap made by Pears is everywhere)
The great visionary poet Iqbal, who is at his most active, most powerful during these years, does not make direct references to actual events in the war arena;
nevertheless, he is asking Indians to be careful, to heed the signs in Tasveer-e Dard (‘A Picture of Pain’):
Watan ki fikr kar nadan musibat aane waali hai
Tiri barbadiyon ke mashvare hain asmanon mein
(Worry for your homeland, O innocents, trouble is brewing
The portents of disaster awaiting you are written in the skies.)
Adopting a fake admiring tone, Ahmaq Phaphoondvi seems to be praising the sharpness of the British brain in Angrezi Zehn ki ki Tezi (‘The Cleverness of the English Mind’) when he’s actually warning his readers of the perils of being divided while the British lord over them.
Kis tarah bapa hoon hangama aapas mein ho kyun kar khunaraizi
Hai khatam unhein schemon main angrezi zehn ki sab tezi
Ye qatl-o khoon ye jung-o jadal, ye zor-o sitam ye bajuz-o hasad
Baquii hii raheinge mulk mein sab, baqui hai agar raj angrezi
(Look at the turmoil and the bloodshed among our people
The cleverness of the English mind is used up in all such schemes
This murder ’n mayhem, wars ’n battles, cruelties ’n malice
The country’s garden is barren, with nothing but dust and desolation)
Towards Freedom and Fervour..
Zafar Ali Khan sounds an early, and as it turns out in the face of the British going back on their promise of self-governance, entirely premature bugle of freedom. While warning his fellow Indians to change with the changing winds that are blowing across the country as the war drags to an end, he’s also pointing our attention to the ‘Toadies’, a dreaded word for the subservient Indians who will gladly accept any crumbs by way of reforms in his poem Azaadi ka Bigul (‘The Bugle of Freedom’):
Bartania ki meiz se kuchh reze gire hain
Ai toadiyon chunne tum innhe peet ke bal jao
(Some crumbs have fallen from the table of Britannia
O Toadies, go crawling on your bellies to pick them)
In the end, there’s Agha Hashar Kashmiri who, in a sarcastic ode to Europe called Shukriya Europe, thanks it for turning the world into a matamkhana (mourning chamber), and for having successfully transformed the east into an example of hell.
Utth raha hai shor gham khakistar paamaal se
Keh raha hai Asia ro kar zaban-e haal se
Bar mazar-e ma ghariban ne chiraghe ne gule
Ne pare parwane sozo ne sada-e bulbule
(A shout is rising from the dust of the downtrodden
Asia is crying out and telling the world at large
On my poor grave there are neither lamps nor flowers
And not the wing of the moth or the sad song of the nightingale.)
(Rakhshanda Jalil is a writer, translator and literary historian. She writes on literature, culture and society. She runs Hindustani Awaaz, an organisation devoted to the popularisation of Urdu literature. She tweets at @RakshandaJalil
This is an opinion piece and the views expressed above are the author’s own. The Quint neither endorses nor is responsible for the same.)
source: http://www.thequint.com / The Quint / Home> Voices> Opinion / by Rakshanda Jalil / November 11th, 2022
‘People feel it is lucky to have tea here. There is something charming, something random about this place which makes it cool,’ said Ritu, a student.
People eat at a vegetarian restaurant ‘Lucky Tea Stall’ built on a graveyard, in Ahmedabad. (Photo | PTI)
Ahmedabad:
To the outsider, the idea of an eatery built on a Muslim graveyard, run by a Muslim, serving pure vegetarian food and frequented by all communities seems an anomaly.
Not so for its customers though, many who believe that Lucky is actually lucky for them.
Like Sagar Bhatt, a devout Hindu and a resident of Dariapur, who makes it a point to stop by for a cuppa every morning after visiting the temple.
“It feels auspicious to have tea at this place. There is something special about this place,” Bhatt, sporting a red ’tilak’ on his forehead, told PTI while pointing to a grave.
On one wall is a painting by M F Husain, showing an oasis, camels and a ‘kalma’ – ‘La Ilaha Illallah Muhammadur Rasul Allah’ (There is only one God and he is Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet).
“It is the only tea shop boasting a Husain painting,” said a proud Abdul Rajak Mansury, who operates the tea stall.
Every night, the painting by one of India’s most valued artists is taken off the wall and kept away safely.
The six-decade shop in what is essentially a Muslim-dominated area is a common person’s eating joint, he said.
As the campaign hots up, the tea stall in Old Ahmedabad’s Jamalpur-Khadia is also an oasis of calm, far removed from the din and aggression of the Gujarat assembly election being held in two phases on December 1 and 5.
While the Congress has fielded Imran Khedawala, its sitting MLA, the Aam Aadmi Party has given a ticket to Haroon Bhai Nagori and the BJP is fielding a Hindu candidate, Bhushan Bhatt.
The AIMIM is also contesting the seat with Sabir Kabliwala in the fray.
Talk of ‘dhandha’ (business) supersedes ‘dharam’ (religion) at Lucky – so popular that the traffic light point is also called Lucky Chowk.
It is at the centre of several colleges and offices, and a big hit with students and office-goers.
According to Bhatt, a small-time construction contractor, economic issues and issues impacting his business matter more than religious sentiments.
“Sir, I am following my religion but from the government, I expect to further improve the economy so that my business flourishes. For us Gujaratis Dhandha sab se pehle (business comes first),” he said.
On the menu is the perennial favourite ‘bun maska’ and a range of Chinese and Indian dishes. No eggs are used.
College students Ritu and Tanya said the place is cool. “People feel it is lucky to have tea here. There is something charming, something random about this place which makes it cool,” said Ritu, a third year commerce student.
The first-time voter said better jobs and better business environment are bigger issues for her as a student and daughter of a businessman.
Tanya, studying chartered accountancy, agreed. “The business environment in maru Gujarat (my Gujarat) is its USP, it should not be get disturbed at any cost.”
Lucky started on a handcart under a neem tree, and expanded and developed around the graveyard as business grew, said Mansury.
The 26 graves have grills around them.
The staff clean them everyday and place fresh flowers on them.
Some people put ‘chadars’ on the graves seeking fulfilment of their wishes.
Representing the best of a syncretic India, may many more Luckys flourish and thrive, hope its customers.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Nation / by PTI / November 23rd, 2022
A woman has made her village proud by reviving the dying art of Wooden Cutlery of Udayagiri in Nellore District of Andhra Pradesh.
Inheriting the craft from her father, Shaik Gousia Begum has trained 400 artisans in woodware. She has now been selected for YSR Award 2022.
Why is Udayagiri famous?
Situated 100 km from Nellore district headquarters, Udayagiri is known for its intricate wooden cutlery, soap cases, and bowls. More than a hundred years ago Sheikh Abdul Bashir was impressed by the softwood cutlery art of Dadasahib, a carpenter. Sheikh Abdul learnt the art and sold his products locally. He soon began improvising with intricate designs and carving. His cutlery caught the eye of tourists visiting Udayagiri and the Handicraft Department, which subsequently began training artisans, particularly women in the craft.
Shaik Gousiya Begum who is the third generation artisan, took up this job after her father fell sick. She trained many craftsmen. Later she also trained her son Zakeer Husain who is now a fourth-generation artisan.
“After my father fell sick in 2005, I took up the profession and started teaching people. From a batch of 5-6 members, now we have 400 artisans who work in the cluster at the village. Everyone is from a poor background. We used to make products and sell them in other states,” said Shaik Gousiya Begum.
She also received the State Award in 2005.
Her son takes it to social media
Begum’s son always wanted to become a police constable. But she wanted him to pursue business and keep the tradition alive. Zakeer Husain who learnt the work from his grandfather also trained other women. However, as time passed, Udayagiri Cutlery saw a downfall due to a lack of marketing. It was Hussain who promoted the products on social media platforms. “Now, my son is responsible for sales and promotion. We send our products to Lepakshi stalls in Hyderabad, and Andhra Pradesh. My son also travels to other countries to sell products in exhibitions”, said Begum.
Much Demand
Begam says their wood cutlery has a great demand. People book their products online. They have designed 150 different products. These include wooden spoons. forks, salad bowls, trays, and combs influenced by Persian motifs and patterns, earrings, toys, lamps, and many more.
How do they make it?
Wood cutlery takes a lot of time and patience for perfection. The local wood of Devadari, Nardi, and Khalidi is sourced from Durgampalli hills and dried for ten days. The wood is then soaked in water for 2 days, and then dried again in the shade for 3 days. The process of making cutlery then begins and takes time depending on the design.
Take it around the globe:
“I want to take this art form to other countries and make my grandfather proud. Previously, my grandfather used to make and sell locally. But later, I started to run the business on social media and set up stalls in every exhibition hosted by the government”, said Zakeer Hussain.
GI tag
Wood cutlery of Udayagiri got its significance when the village was granted Geographical Indications (GI) tag for being the only region with such a craft form in 2016. Then they started selling out at famous exhibitions such as Shilpararnam in Hyderabad. The women later set up the Udayagiri Cutlery Mutually-Aided Cooperative Society.
Need for development
Tucked away in a quaint corner of the Nellore district, the artisans said there is a need for the development of their cluster. They have been regularly asking the government for better space that can accommodate 400 workers.
. “Udayagiri has a great future and many prospective buyers. However, we need better manpower and machinery. Currently, 90% of the work has to be done by hand. Schemes and opportunities for training more people on this craft form are what we need” said Hussain.
source: http://www.m.dailyhunt.in / Daily Hunt / Home / NewsMeter / November 2022
