Alam died after a cardiac arrest at a private hospital in Mohali; last rites at Sirhind on Wednesday.
Mohd Izhar Alam, a former DGP, prisons, of Punjab Police, was inducted into the Shiromani Akali Dal after his retirement. His wife, Farzana Nissara Khatoon, is a former SAD MLA from Malerkotla. (HT file photo)
Mohammad Izhar Alam, 73, a former director general of police, prisons, died after a cardiac arrest at a private hospital in Mohali on Tuesday.
He is survived by wife Farzana Nissara Khatoon, a former Shiromani Akali Dal MLA from Malerkotla, three sons and two daughters.
The 1972-batch Indian Police Service officer was a Padma Shri awardee.
He had a controversial stint during the decade of militancy in Punjab.
Despite opposition, former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal inducted Alam into the SAD on November 18, 2009, and appointed him chairman of the Punjab Wakf Board.
In the 2012 assembly elections, Farzana won the Malerkotla seat on the SAD ticket, defeating Razia Sultana of the Congress.
Chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh also mourned the former DGP’s death.
The last rites will be performed in Sirhind on Wednesday.
source: http://www.hindustantimes.com / Hindustan Times / Home / by HT Correspondent / July 06th, 2021
In a prestigious recognition of intellectual depth and commitment to the ideals of unity and peace, Dr. Syed Mustafa Hashmi, IPS (P), a probationer from the 76th Regular Recruit (RR) batch borne on the Jharkhand cadre, has been awarded the Ministry of Home Affairs Trophy for the Best Essay on the theme “Communal Harmony and National Integration”.
His essay stood out among numerous entries submitted by IPS probationers across the country for its clarity, depth of analysis, and strong articulation of inclusive governance.
Securing the second prize in the same category was Anna Sinha, IPS (P), also from the 76 RR batch, who is borne on the AGMUT cadre. Her essay was lauded for its innovative approach and empathetic insights into India’s diverse societal fabric.
The awards were presented during the Valedictory Parade of Phase II training of the 76 RR IPS Probationers at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy (SVPNPA) in Hyderabad.
The ceremony marks the culmination of their intensive training that spanned law enforcement tactics, ethical policing, public service delivery, and nation-building.
The Director of SVPNPA, senior IPS officers, and faculty members were present during the function, which also included a ceremonial parade by the probationers — a symbol of their readiness to join the ranks of the Indian Police Service and serve the nation with integrity and valor.
This year’s training cohort included a diverse group of young officers from across India, representing various states and social backgrounds.
Their training included exposure to modern policing challenges such as cybercrime, terrorism, social media monitoring, community policing, and strategies to foster communal harmony and inclusive development.
Home Ministry’s Essay Competition: A Platform for Thought Leadership
The Ministry of Home Affairs Essay Competition is an annual initiative that encourages future IPS officers to reflect on themes central to India’s national unity. By promoting intellectual discourse on critical social issues, it aims to create a cadre of officers who are not only efficient administrators but also thought leaders in promoting harmony, justice, and inclusive governance.
Dr. Hashmi, who has a background in medicine prior to joining the IPS, emphasized in his essay the role of empathetic policing, grassroots engagement, and inclusive policymaking as tools to bridge communal divides.
He has been praised for blending scholarly analysis with practical insights drawn from his field experiences during training.-
Anna Sinha, in her essay, highlighted the role of women in peace building and the need for greater representation and sensitivity in community policing. Her perspectives reflected a balanced understanding of law enforcement challenges and the human dimension of national integration.
A Pledge to Serve
The valedictory function ended with the probationers taking a solemn oath to uphold the Constitution, maintain law and order, and serve with dedication, impartiality, and compassion. The entire 76 RR batch is now set to report to their respective cadres and districts, where they will begin their real-world policing assignments as Assistant Superintendents of Police (ASPs).
As they embark on their careers, recognitions like the Home Ministry Essay Trophy serve as a reminder of the intellectual and moral leadership expected from the IPS — to not only enforce law, but also to be torchbearers of national unity and harmony.
source: http://www.uditvani.in / Udit Vani, English News / Home / July 25th, 2025
Raziya Sultana, wife of a top cop and third time MLA, is the only Muslim legislator in the 117-member Punjab Assembly]
Malerkotla (Punjab):
Raziya Sultana, wife of a top cop and third time MLA, is the only Muslim legislator in the 117-member Punjab Assembly. Congress is set to form its government in the state, and Raziya Sultana as one of the seniormost members in the party, eyes for a key post in the government.
Raziya Sultana, who contested the 2017 Punjab Assembly elections as Congress candidate, defeated her nearest rival Mohammad Owais of Akali Dal by over 12,000 votes. Raziya Sultana is wife of Mohammad Mustafa DGP Punjab who was bestowed with with five gallantry medals.
According to the final result of Punjab Assembly elections declared by the State Election Commission, Raziya Sultana polled a total of 58.982 votes whereas Mohammad Owais could bag just 46,280 votes.
Mohammad Arshad contesting from Malerkotla was the only Muslim candidate of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Mohammad Arshad came a distant third bagging 17,635 votes.
Raziya Sultana was defeated by F. Nesara Khatoon (Farzana Alam) of Akali Dal in the 2012 elections in Malerkotla – the seat she won in 2002 and 2007.
Malerkotla has been represented by Muslims most of the time since 1957. Yusuf Zaman Begum was the first Muslim to win from Malerkotla in 1962. She was followed by H. H. N. I. A. Khan in 1967, Nawab Iftikhar Ali Khan in 1969, Sajida Begum in 1972 and 1980, Anwar Ahmad Khan in 1977, Nusrat Ali Khan in 1985 and 1997 and Abdul Ghaffar in 1992 state elections.
The Punjab Assembly had 02 Muslim MLAs in 2012. Besides, F. Nesara Khatoon (Farzana Alam) of Akali Dal who won from Malerkotla in 2012, Mohammad Sadique of the Congress won from Bhadaur Assembly seat in 2012.
Congress MLA Mohammad Sadique contested the 2017 elections from Jaito Assembly seat. But, he lost the elections to Baldev Singh of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) by some 10,000 votes. Baldev Singh polled 45,344 votes and Mohammad Sadique bagged 35,351 votes.
In Qadia, hub of Ahmadiyas, Fatehjang Singh Bajwa of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) won the elections. No muslim candidate was in fray in this constituency.
Congress has fielded 02 Muslim candidates in 2017 Punjab Assembly elections, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Akali Dali has given party ticket to 01 Muslim each. The BJP has not fielded any Muslim in the 2017 state elections
Overall, the Congress has won 77 of the total 117 seats of the Punjab Assembly. AAP is a distant second with 20 seats.
Akali Dal and BJP, ruling the state since last ten years, ended with 15 and 03 seats respectively. Lok Insaaf Party won 02 seats.
source: http://www.ummid.com / Ummid.com / Home> Politics / by ummid.com & Agencies / March 13th, 2017
This unusual sight is the heart of Slums to Oxford, a movement built on the belief that learning has no age or boundary.
For 15 years — 5,748 days without a break — Mohammed Asif Hussain Sohail’s team has served free lunch in low-income neighbourhoods across Hyderabad.Photo | special arrangement
Hyderabad :
Every evening, in the narrow lanes of the city’s slums, classrooms stir to life. But these are not filled with children alone. A 78-year-old grandmother grips a pencil for the first time, vegetable vendors practise alphabets after long hours at the market and daily wage workers sit shoulder to shoulder, determined to read, write and count.
This unusual sight is the heart of Slums to Oxford, a movement built on the belief that learning has no age or boundary. Its founder, Mohammed Asif Hussain Sohail, tells TNIE that when elderly people take up education, they inspire children and grandchildren to follow.
Across three evening schools, more than 1,000 learners aged between eight and 80 are rewriting their destinies. Lessons go beyond alphabets and numbers to address social realities — domestic violence, human trafficking and drug abuse, among others — while also offering vocational training, particularly for women.
But education is only one part of Sohail’s mission. For 15 years — 5,748 days without a break — his team has served free lunch in low-income neighbourhoods across Hyderabad. What began with 50 plates has grown into thousands each day, cooked in community kitchens. For abandoned elders, the homeless or those battling addiction, these meals provide not just sustenance but also a path into rehabilitation and work opportunities. “Food is beyond caste or religion,” Sohail says. “It is humanity’s need.”
Healthcare, too, is central to his vision of community care. Monthly blood donation drives collect 300-400 units for hospitals. Families struggling with groceries, children needing surgeries and individuals seeking rehabilitation often find support at his centres. For many, these classrooms and kitchens have become places of dignity and trust.
This journey began not as an organisation but in personal grief. Fifteen years ago, Sohail lost his young daughter, Sakina, to pneumonia and organ failure. At the time, he was pursuing a political career. But tragedy changed everything. He left politics to build a living legacy in her memory. “God took one daughter from me, but he gave me thousands more,” he says softly. “Till my last breath, I will serve the needy and be the voice of the voiceless. This is what I learned from my parents.”
In her name, he founded the Sakina Foundation, which has since become a lifeline for many. Over the years, it has served free meals to more than 40 lakh underprivileged people, contributed over 15,000 units of blood, supported lakhs with rations, medical treatment and school fees, and organised over 111 medical and blood donation camps. Through Slums to Oxford learning and skill centres, thousands of children and adults have gained education and vocational training.
Beyond the recognition
Though honoured with state, national and international awards, Sohail remains unaffected. “I am not working for awards,” he says. “My reward comes from the Creator.”
He does not accept donations either, believing his responsibility is to spend from what he earns. “Whatever I have is given by the Almighty. I am not going to take anything back.”
From abandoned elders finally learning to write their names, to children enrolling in schools, to families depending on a daily meal, Sohail’s initiatives weave threads of hope into Hyderabad’s urban fabric. His vision remains simple but profound: “The person who stays in a slum should have the chance to reach Oxford.”
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Good News / by Khyati Shah / September 28th, 2025
Lover of wildlife, celebrated hunter, sharp-shooter, tranquillising expert and more…
Dwindling forest covers, rampaging rogue elephants, man-eating tigers and man-animal conflict are all very frightening realities in today’s world, especially in our country. The Forest Departments across the country are faced with these huge challenges. In spite of their best efforts, the problems persist.
However, the solutions by a few who have grown up understanding wildlife like the back of their hand are hardly taken.
One such Wildlife Conservationist is Nawab Shafath Ali Khan from Hyderabad, who had been invited by the Jharkhand government last month to put down a rogue elephant that had killed 15 people. He is the most celebrated hunter and the only tranquillising and culling expert in the country.
He also runs a chain of resorts in Masinagudi, Tamil Nadu.
Star of Mysore Features Editor N. Niranjan Nikam travelled all the way to meet the Sharp-Shooter at his den in the midst of the jungle at the Safari Land Resorts in Masinagudi.
The Nawab opened his heart out for nearly two hours in this exclusive interview and spoke about royalty, how to manage forests, man-animal conflict, radio-collaring, culling, animal right activists and his anguish about the villagers and forest-dwellers. Excerpts…
Star of Mysore (SOM): You are not only a Nawab at heart but also a real Nawab from Hyderabad. How much of ‘Nawabipan’ is still there in you?
Nawab Shafath Ali Khan: Well, in well-bred horses the genes carry on in the blood. So I am a Nawab. But I devoted my life to the cause of poor Indians who suffer silently, like forest-dwellers, tribals, aborigines, having lost their lives and property to wild animals.
SOM: You are the most celebrated hunter in the country. Where did it all begin?
Shafath Ali Khan: Hunting was a family ritual. And my grandfather Nawab Sultan Ali Khan Bahadur was Advisor to the British Government on man-animal conflict. I grew up at a time when the Wildlife Protection Act came into being and from controlled hunting the transition to a total ban on hunting was introduced in the country. With the royalty and nobility hanging up their hunting rifles there was a vacuum of traditional knowledge of tracking animals that had generated over generations. I tried to fill this vacuum and worked for saving India’s wildlife as a Conservationist. Hunting is a tool of conservation and all advanced countries across the world are practicing and encouraging controlled hunting and their wildlife is growing.
SOM: You are the only authorised tranquillising expert and culling officer in the country. When there is a Forest Department, which has a rich history, what are the Officers doing?
Shafath Ali Khan: As I said, traditional knowledge acquired over generations cannot be found in textbooks. The art of reading pug marks, identifying it as a tiger or tigress just by seeing it or coming to conclusions about the height of an elephant by measuring the circumference of pad mark of the forefoot is traditional knowledge. Rulers had Shikaris who managed their forests with a vested interest of hunting. The rulers’ passion for hunting not only saved trees and grasslands but also kept a check on excess animal population. Unfortunately, after Independence forest management came into the hands of Officers who were bereft of ground realities. Large scale deforestation started and wildlife mismanagement reached its apex. Certain species grew in numbers beyond controllable figures like wild boar and blue bull. Across the country, tiger population reduced due to habitat destruction and revenge killings.
Large scale destruction is caused by elephant herds that have strayed considerable distances away from protected areas into agriculture fields. Neglected National Parks are overridden with noxious weeds like lantana and parthenium forcing our precious wildlife outside protected areas.
This is the crux of man-animal conflict that has frustrated farmers and forest-dwellers; giving them no option but to poison or electrocute elephants. According to project elephant figures, there were 15,700 elephants in the country in 1980 and today we have over 32,000. The forest cover on the other hand has reduced. The think-tanks who manage wildlife in the country did not plan this explosion in elephant population resulting in excessive man-animal conflict that we face today.
SOM: As a boy of 19 years you were in Mysore Race Club (MRC) as Assistant Secretary. How did this happen?
Shafath Ali Khan: My grandfather was India’s senior-most Handicapper (a person appointed to fix or assess a competitor’s handicap, especially in golf or horse-racing) and my father was Senior Stipendiary Steward and Secretary of Bangalore Turf Club (BTC).
High taxation on horse-racing was killing the industry and both BTC and MRC were finding it difficult to even pay salaries to their staff. My father Nawab Arshad Ali Khan started off-course betting between BTC and RWITC (Royal Western India Turf Club) in 1977 and this gave a new lease of life to the racing industry across the country.
Jawa motorcycle factory Founder Farookh Irani whom I always called Uncle Irani, Chairman of MRC, in consultation with my dad, started off-course betting between BTC and MRC and soon the fortunes of MRC blossomed. MRC was setting up photo-petrol cameras to record the races and I was sent, raw out of school, to Mysore to identify where the twin towers of the cameras had to be installed. I was already a National Champion in Equestrian sports and a top rider in the country. When I finished identifying the setting up of photo-petrol camera towers, having worked under Uncle Irani for a week, he decided to absorb me under MRC and I had the good fortune of learning from him. I was there for three years.
The crux of the man-animal conflict today is that old, weak and handicapped species are pushed out of the forest by the younger and stronger animals. These animals before they could create havoc were eliminated. The village folks were happy, revenge killing was never heard of and we didn’t have elephants straying into private lands like Hassan and Coorg like we are facing today.
Star of Mysore (SOM): The fight between humans and elephants, in other words man-animal conflict is resulting in shocking number of deaths. Planters in Kodagu are facing the heat with their crops being destroyed because of huge elephant menace there. What do you think can be done about this?
Nawab Shafath Ali Khan: The problem is not only in pockets of Karnataka but across the country. Any wild animal requires space. We cannot comprehend compressing them into smaller forest areas. With the number of elephants increasing in the country, the land to animal ratio has gone haywire. National Parks are not being de-weeded and cleared of noxious weeds; to provide enough fodder to the elephants and to restrain them within the parks. Hungry elephants are forced to stray out into agricultural lands for their survival.
Elephant is wise to the fact that nutritional value is found more in sugarcane, bananas, paddy and jackfruit compared to what it gets in barren government-controlled forests. So the Department is putting animals under tremendous pressure. This pressure is changing the metabolism of elephants making them aggressive, attacking people and raiding crops with impunity.
This man-made pressure on elephants and tigers have changed their psychological persona and they are also attacking humans. We have left the problems drift so much that it’s hard to find a win-win situation at this point of time. Anyway my thinking after spending 40 years in the field is that 70 per cent of our wild elephants are outside the forests. This is a very alarming figure. There is no shortage of fund as far as Forest Department is concerned. We are sitting on Rs. 35,000 crore of CAMPA (Compensation Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority) Funds. The States can utilise this money and have an elephant-proof trench all around government protected forests. All stray elephants outside this trench will be herded in or translocated.
The carcass of the man-eating leopard stretched out on the lawns of Thunag Rest House in Himachal Pradesh.
Wildlife management and human habitations have to be compartmentalised. Solar powered borewells have to be erected every 5-km radius within the National Parks. Clean and sufficient drinking water should be provided to the animals. However, the hard decision that we need to take but from which we have drifted for decades is, how many animals can survive in the relatively small National Parks and buffer areas.
Excess animals sadly will have to be culled not only for their own survival but also to maintain a healthy forest. Overgrazing and over-browsing is casting tremendous pressure on our precious forests.
SOM: There is a story that late Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar fell in love with the Land Rover you were driving and bought it. Is this true?
Shafath Ali Khan: Yes, it is true. We were all fond of cars and I had a Land Rover that I had maintained in immaculate condition. The Prince (as Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar was called by many who were close to him) fell in love with it and wanted to buy it. But, I was reluctant to sell it. Soon, the Prince and the Princess (Pramoda Devi Wadiyar) came to attend my wedding and the Prince brought a Convertible Red Triumph Sports Car which he gifted to me at the wedding. Now, I had no option but give my Land Rover to him. He enjoyed the Land Rover and I and my wife, newly-married, thoroughly enjoyed the Convertible Sports Car. Prince was very close to me and I was one of the few who had access to the gun rack that was just beside his bedroom. I had the pleasure and honour of cleaning and repairing those beautiful rifles which belonged to the late Highness Jayachamaraja Wadiyar.
The young bridegroom Nawab Shafath Ali Khan (third from left) seen with (from left) late Sirdar K.B. Ramachandra Raj Urs, late Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar, bride Begum Shaheen Khan, Pramoda Devi Wadiyar and the Nawab’s mother Begum Arshad Ali Khan at his wedding reception in Bangalore Turf Club (BTC) in 1976. Picture right shows Jawa Factory Founder F.K. Irani greeting Nawab Shafath Ali Khan at the wedding.
SOM: Isn’t there a contradiction when you say nobility indulged in hunting but they also protected forests?
Shafath Ali Khan: It was a paradox that controlled hunting that had a code and a strict set of rules where only males of deer were shot subsequent to the breeding season. Old rogue elephants and dying tigers beyond breeding age were painlessly shot using high-powered rifles in the hands of our expert shooters. Survival of the fittest is the law in the jungle.
The crux of the man-animal conflict today is that old, weak and handicapped species are pushed out of the forest by the younger and stronger animals. These animals before they could create havoc were eliminated. The village folks were happy, revenge killing was never heard of and we didn’t have elephants straying into private lands like Hassan and Coorg like we are facing today.
Wildlife management was much better balanced compared to what it is today. Across the world animal population have reduced or gone haywire wherever government imposed total ban on hunting.
Meet Nawab Shafath Ali Khan- 3 (September 08th, 2017)
When Star of Mysore Features Editor N. Niranjan Nikam travelled all the way to meet the Sharp-Shooter at his den in the midst of the jungle at the Safari Land Resorts in Masinagudi, Tamil Nadu, Nawab Shafath Ali Khan and his son Asghar Ali Khan, drove this writer in the jungle in their American Jeep M-38 A1, a 1952 model four-wheeler late in the evening and it was a hair-raising experience as the young driver at the wheel negotiated the tough, lovely, Blue Nilgiri Hills range.
Both of them are attuned to every sight and sound in the forest even as the Nawab spotted two elephants and a calf at quite a distance instinctively. Later, the Nawab sat in his unique restaurant and for nearly two hours spoke freely in this exclusive interview about royalty, how to manage forests, the officials in the department, man-animal conflict, his views on radio collaring, culling, animal right activists and his anguish about the forest-dwellers and the villagers living in the fringes of the forest.
Star of Mysore (SOM): How much of preparation goes when you shoot man-eating tigers and rogue elephants?
Nawab Shafath Ali Khan: Bascially physical fitness and mental alertness are the major factors. A hunter is a complete man. He knows how to repair his vehicle, stitch his shoes in the forest, carry out minor repair to his weapons and who could read the forest, pick up the slightest sound and check the direction of the wind. Patience has to be in abundance. I don’t remember how many nights I have spent on a tiny machan on a tree in freezing cold and rainy night.
Tracking rogue elephants one has to walk 10-20 kms a day and this can be quite taxing. Preparing for these operations has become a way of life for me. I live on the most wildlife rich area of the sub-continent where I see wild elephants, tiger, leopard and sloth bear in my morning and evening walk. This keeps my mind alert and greatly helps in dangerous and close encounters with dangerous beasts that I have to tranquillise or eliminate as per government orders.
When Star of Mysore Features Editor N. Niranjan Nikam travelled all the way to meet the Sharp-Shooter at his den in the midst of the jungle at the Safari Land Resorts in Masinagudi, Tamil Nadu, Nawab Shafath Ali Khan and his son Asghar Ali Khan, drove this writer in the jungle in their American Jeep M-38 A1, a 1952 model four-wheeler late in the evening and it was a hair-raising experience as the young driver at the wheel negotiated the tough, lovely, Blue Nilgiri Hills range. Both of them are attuned to every sight and sound in the forest even as the Nawab spotted two elephants and a calf at quite a distance instinctively. Later, the Nawab sat in his unique restaurant and for nearly two hours spoke freely in this exclusive interview about royalty, how to manage forests, the officials in the department, man-animal conflict, his views on radio collaring, culling, animal right activists and his anguish about the forest-dwellers and the villagers living in the fringes of the forest.
SOM: There is no scientific basis in culling and it is not very successful in Africa as you claim, criticise a few. How do you react to this?
Shafath Ali Khan: There is no place for sentiment and religious connotation in wildlife management. I have been asked this question in several national workshops that I have attended. But when I ask them for an alternate solution no doable common sense approach has come forth.
I basically don’t like culling or shooting. I am now an authorised tranquilliser and resource person for six States and run an NGO ‘Wild Life Tranquil Force.’
SOM: What do you do here in the NGO?
Shafath Ali Khan: We are training front-line forest staff and veterinarians of six States in the country. I don’t see any alternative to scientific culling as far as our country is concerned. As an advisor and culling officer to Forest Department of Bihar, I have conducted several experiments to arrest the exploding population of blue bulls. Bihar is a fertile State with Ganges and several rivers flowing. The Gangetic plains are rich in crops. Overpopulation of the blue bulls from the forest, which consist of only 5 percent has found its way into agricultural fields causing as much as 35 percent damage to the farmers.
If at all there is a substitute to culling, it would have been adopted long ago and population controlled. Today UP, Jharkhand, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Uttarakhand are reeling under the problem of overpopulation of wild boar and blue bulls and no solution is in sight.
Animal right activists might have a vested interest. These organisations get funds from abroad and with politicians and muscle power they arm-twist the senior forest officers to do what they want them to do rather than what is in the interest of the country. They are often bulldozed to falling in line and let matters drift.
Don’t be surprised if the price of Dal becomes Rs. 600 a kg as blue bulls, antelopes deliver two calves annually and wild boar sow delivers anywhere up to 19 piglets in a span of three months. There are virtually no carnivores to control this population explosion outside the forest. So, what are we heading for is anyone’s guess.
Shafath Ali Khan with his son Asghar Ali Khan.
SOM: As a wildlife conservationist, what is your view on radio collaring of tigers and other animals?
Shafath Ali Khan: In my opinion it is an utter failure. The reason why I say this is, it affects the breeding of tigers. Because when the tiger mounts a tigress, he starts biting on the top of her neck and it is a natural instinct. When the radio collar is there, the tiger bites into the radio collar and finds something hard and abnormal and it withdraws. I have seen this phenomenon physically.
In Siriska Tiger Reserve, when they introduced tigers with radio collar there was no breeding at all and I had predicted this 30 years ago.
Each radio collar weighs almost 1.5 Kgs and when a wild tiger is all of a sudden burdened with it then his entire movement and body language changes. This famous tiger Jay, which was tranquillised and radio collared, his home range, which was 38 sq. metres before the radio collaring, increased to 58 sq.mtrs.
SOM: Why is that?
Shafath Ali Khan: When you have something implanted in an animal, then its entire movement changes and it may come closer to human habitation also.
Also, the battery life which is supposed to last one year, never lasts that long. For instance, in this tiger Jay in Umed Sanctuary in Maharashtra, the battery ran out in two months and it disappeared. It was a pretty tiger and later it even died.
Then each radio collar costs about Rs. 3.5 lakh to Rs. 5 lakh and the cost involved in catching a wild tiger is another Rs. 5 lakh. With all this operation, it does not come cheap.
There is my own experience of a leopard that I tranquillised in Gundlupet in Muntipara village. This leopard had a radio collar, which had gone dead long time back. This animal entered a house and but for my early intervention, the girl living in that house would have been dead. It was a problematic leopard which was caught, radio collared and released and it again entered human habitation. The biggest problem of radio collaring is it gives the Forest Department a false sense of temerity to release the animal that should not be released. As a result the lives of villagers and poor forest dwellers are shackled.
SOM: Have you had any near-death-like experiences as a sharp-shooter in all these years?
Shafath Ali Khan: The most memorable day in my life was on Dec.17, 1976, when I was called by Van Ingen and Van Ingen (the famous taxidermists in the country) to shoot a rogue elephant that had killed 12 people. Since, late Uncle Joubert Van Ingen (who, at the age of 100, had written a foreword to the book ‘Man-Eaters And Wildlife Challenges’ by the Nawab. He dictated the foreword at one breath without a single mistake!) thought he was too old to trace the rogue elephant, he requested the Forest Department to invite me to shoot it at H.D. Kote. I traced the elephant and shot it and this incidence is rich in my memory.
The other near-death-like experience I can recall was just last month, on Aug. 11, 2017, when I was invited by the Jharkand Government to put down a rogue elephant that had killed 15 people and we tracked it for three days in most difficult terrain and thick impenetrable jungle, the rogue tusker turned around and came for us.
My two trackers fled leaving the Veterinarian Dr. Ajay Kumar and me. I saw the 10-foot tall tusker from hardly 10 metres coming for us like a railway engine with a loud trumpet. He raised his head to grab me with his trunk covering the forehead which is the only vital spot to shoot at that close range. A wrongly placed shot would have ended me in a fraction of a second. I took him at 9 metres and shot him in the mouth. The heavy bullet from .458 Magnum brought him to his knees. But he tried to get up in a fraction of a second. Working the bolt fast I fired the second shot in between the eyes and brought him down painlessly and death was instantaneous.
I often strive hard to see that the animal is put out with least pain and agony. Shooting, for me is the last option, when all other remedies have exhausted.
SOM: What about the experience of shooting a man-eating tiger?
Shafath Ali Khan: In July 2017, I was invited by the Maharashtra Government to tranquillise a man-eating tigress that had claimed four human lives. I darted from a distance of 15 metres when she was galloping away. But the most hair-raising incidence was shooting a man-eating tigress in 2009 in UP, where I tracked her for 35 days and nights and shot her when she charged from a distance of six metres.
SOM: Asghar Ali Khan, your son is also an authorised shooter. So, the family tradition continues?
Shafath Ali Khan: Asghar, is an authorised shooter and a crack shot. He has a .470 double rifle on his licence and helps me in dangerous tranquillising operation. But he along with my wife Shaheen keep the fire burning and looks after our chain of resorts in the Nilgiris. Often when a long drawn operation is coming to a conclusion, I summon him to join me as a backup.
SOM: Running Safari Land Resort must be a great experience for you and your family?
Shafath Ali Khan: Definitely yes. The very thought of living in a deep jungle arouses a sense of bliss within me. Forests and wildlife are very close to my heart. Riding in the jungle every morning is a thrill that I have no words to explain. Safari Land has given what no other luxurious Palace in the world can give us.
SOM: But are you related to the Nizam family of Hyderabad?
Shafath Ali Khan: Yes, yes. We are from the royal family of Hyderabad. We were equal to the Nizams, like you had the Maharajas and Ursus in Mysuru. The Nizam married into our family, our daughters were given in the Nizams family. So we were equals.
SOM: How long do you think you can carry this crusade of yours as a hunter and sharp- shooter?
Shafath Ali Khan: My priorities are no longer shooting. Having worked for several assignments for the past four decades, I have been involved in 24 dangerous operations and have culled thousands of animals. No one in the country has shot as many animals as I have done. My priority is not shooting or culling any more. My focus is to help those five crore people who are living in 1,87,000 villages and the forests across the country in most adverse conditions. Since I have worked, stayed and eaten with them, I know what it means by hunger.
Several interior villagers are living in a state of anarchy, in constant fear of wild elephants that raid the villages, break their huts, and eat away their rations. Women with infants in their arms run in the middle of the night to the next village 3 kms away. There is no one to wipe their tears. This is fresh in my mind from Jharkhand. I sometimes wonder whether the Constitutional rights, the right to life and liberty is guaranteed only for the elite and not my brothers and sisters who suffer in silence.
My passion now is to work for them, get them the due compensation, get the government to erect solar fencing to protect them. I don’t charge the government for service and time that I give. Tears of gratitude from underprivileged forest-dwellers when I shoot down a rogue elephant or a man-eating tiger, give me energy to work for them for another 100 years.
[Concluded]
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles / by N Niranjan Nikam (3 part feature articles) / September 18th, 2017
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy releasing a book titled “Loyalty & Legacy: 45 Years with Congress Party” chronicling the political journey of Congress veteran Mohammed Ali Shabbir, in Hyderabad on Sunday.
Hyderabad :
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, on Sunday, released a book titled “Loyalty & Legacy: 45 Years with Congress Party” on the enduring political journey of senior Congress leader and Telangana Government Adviser Mohammed Ali Shabbir.
The book is a detailed chronicle of Mr. Shabbir’s life in politics, spanning more than four decades in which he remained loyal to the Congress party. It narrates how he began his journey as a Youth Congress leader and NSUI activist inspired by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
Mr. Shabbir served at various levels from municipal councillor to APCC vice-president and convener of the Political Affairs Committee (PAC), to Minister, legislator, Opposition leader, and finally as a government Adviser.
His career has been closely linked with the leadership of the Gandhi family. He served as a Minister twice, under three Chief Ministers. The book records how, in just 58 days after returning to power in 2004, the Congress government issued an order granting 5% reservation for Muslims, and later readjusted to 4% after judicial scrutiny.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> India> Telangana / by The Hindu Bureau / August 24th, 2025
The Social Work and Outreach Activities Club of Women’s College, Aligarh Muslim University held an inaugural talk and launched its membership programme.
Highlighting the objectives of the club, Prof. Shadab Bano drew the critical distinction between charity and social work, and stressed that receiving an education gives us a responsibility to share its benefits with others. She urged the students to view social work as a civic duty.
Prof. Nazura Usmani emphasized the importance of the disability support committee and discussed strategies to foster inclusivity and increase the representation of differently-abled students on campus. She stressed the need for disability sensitization among the student body to build a more understanding and accessible environment for everyone.
Dr. Eisha Rahman announced the club’s committees and introduced the coordinators; Prof. Nazura Usmani and Prof. Shadab Bano as Main Coordinators; Dr. Arshi Shoaib and Dr. Shagufta Munir for Remedial Classes for Abdullah School students; Dr. Shagufta Niyaz and Dr. Mahjabeen for Disability Support; Dr. Arshia Shafqat, Dr. Fozia Waheed, and Dr. Eisha Rahman for Tuitions for Non-Teaching Staff’s children; Dr. Heena Parveen and Dr. Eisha Rahman for Adult Education for Fourth Grade Employees; and Dr. Fozia Waheed, Dr. Mohd. Firoz Ahamed, Dr. Mahjabeen and Dr. Masudullah Khan for the Locality Cleanliness Drive.
Prof. Shadab Bano and Dr. Eisha Rahman addressed the queries of the participants, providing clarity on the club’s goals and activities. About 65 students registered themselves as the members of the club.
Dr. Mohd Firoz Ahamed concluded the event, encouraging students to join the club for bringing meaningful changes and making a positive impact on their community.
source: http://www.indiaeducationdiary.in / India Education Diary / Home> National News / by India Education Diary / November 07th, 2024
Bomb Blast Acquit Turned Advocate Abdul Wahid Shaikh Awarded PhD at MGM University, Aurangabad
Advocate Abdul Wahid Shaikh, noted lawyer, prison rights activist, and the first person person acquitted in the 2006 Mumbai train blast case, was conferred with a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree at MGM University, Aurangabad. The degree was presented by Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Vilas Sakpal during a formal convocation ceremony.
Dr. Shaikh’s doctoral research, titled “Prison Literature: Post-Independence”, brings focus to the writings emerging from Indian prisons, highlighting voices of resistance, resilience, and injustice. His work underscores how incarcerated individuals have shaped Urdu literature and contributed to broader narratives of social justice in post-independence India.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Shaikh said:“This PhD is not just an academic milestone, but a continuation of my struggle for prison justice. Prison literature is the voice of the silenced, the testimony of those behind bars, and a mirror to our society’s conscience.”
As General Secretary of the Innocence Network, Dr. Shaikh has long campaigned for the release of wrongfully imprisoned individuals and advocated for humane prison reforms. His latest academic achievement strengthens his commitment to legal activism and adds a scholarly dimension to his work.
Faculty members, scholars, students, and well-wishers attended the convocation, applauding Dr. Shaikh’s perseverance and his contribution at the crossroads of academia, activism, and law.
His achievement is a landmark—demonstrating how an exoneree can turn personal suffering into intellectual strength and contribute meaningfully to the pursuit of justice and the rights of the incarcerated.
source: http://www.muslimmirror.com / Muslim Mirror / Home> Positive Story / by Muslim Mirror Special Correspondent / September 29th, 2025
Late Abdur Razzak Kalsekar, Chairman, Rasasi Group
Dubai/Mumbai:
Distinguished citizen, pioneer businessman and philanthropist, Haji Abdul Razak Kalsekar passed away on Monday at Dubai.
The well-known educationist and philanthropist who ran Kalsekar Trust, Kalsekar College and Kalsekar Hospital among many other charitable institutions. His special interest lay in the education sector and he had established many schools, colleges and orphanages.
“His philanthropy in India and West Asia will be remembered forever. He was very much concerned towards the upliftment of the downtrodden and empowerment of women.
Among his educational institutions, Kalsekar Girls Degree College for Women in Mumbra was established in order to provide quality education to girls. He was also very instrumental in setting up many hospitals, engineering, pharmacy and architecture colleges,” Aamir Edresy, president of the Association of Muslim Professionals, said.
Razzaq ran a perfume business in Dubai.
The AMP team offered deep condolences to his family and thousands of people, who considered him not just as an employer but also as a father and a guide.
source: http://www.twocircles.net / TwoCircles.net / Home> Indian Muslim / by TCN News / August 11th, 2015
Indian Muslims as a community, due to various social and political influences, have remained educationally backward. The Sachar Committee Report in 2006 revealed the dismal state of education among Muslims. The report was an eye-opener for the community and led to the efforts to spread education among Muslims. Muslims introspected and asked how come a community that believes in “Read with the name of your Lord who created (everything)” – the first Quranic revelation – lagged in education. Not only did the community urge the country’s political leadership to address it but also made efforts to improve the state of affairs.
The efforts have not gone in vain. The data compiled in the Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) by the Union Ministry of Education, points towards a remarkable increase in school-going Muslims in Uttar Pradesh, the most populous state in India.
Changing trends among Muslims
The UDISE survey reveals that in U.P, 4,53,62,059 students were studying in schools, from pre-nursery to class XII, during the 2019-20 session. Out of these, 70,18,201, or 15.47%, were Muslims. Because the Muslims are 19.26% of the population in the state, this number seems insufficient, which it is. But, if we consider the fact that seven years ago, in the 2012-13 session, out of 4,69,61,179 school-going children only 52,49,664, or 11.18%, were Muslims, the significance of the present numbers becomes evident.
The numbers show that the proportion of Muslims is steadily increasing and moving towards their proportion in the population, i.e. 19.26%. From the 2015-16 session till 2019-20, the percentage of Muslims among school-going children has been registered to be 11.08%, 12.40%, 12.32%, 13.88%, and 15.47% in successive years. If we talk in pure numbers, in 2015-16, there were 53,63,670 Muslim kids out of 4,84,06,853 students. In 2019-20, this figure has increased by more than 16 lakh to reach 70,18,201 as the total school enrolment in the state dropped by more than 30 lakhs.
Graphic explanation of the changing trend in Muslim education-1
In order to understand the recent awakening in the community, one needs to look at the new enrollments. At the entry-level, Muslim students have reached very near to their proportion in the population. In the 2019-20 session, out of 51,48,352 students enrolled in class I, 9,71,229 were Muslims. This translates into 18.86% of the total class I students. It is a significant increase from 2018-19 when 16.92% of class I students were found to be Muslims, and in the year before the ratio was at 16.23%.
The people working in the education sector among the Muslims of U.P often complain about the high dropout rates. As we go up the education levels, the proportion of Muslims tends to decrease. The apprehension is true, but the recent trends show an improvement in Muslim representation in higher classes. The survey found 3,73,304 Muslim students out of a total of 30,73,228 studying in class X, during the 2019-20 session. This makes 12.15% of the total class X students in the state, a significant rise from 2016-17 when only 7.65% of the total class X students were from the community. In the last four academic sessions, the proportion of Muslims in class X is, 7.65%, 8.38%, 10.90%, and 12.15%, successively.
At Higher Secondary (+2), XI & XII, the proportion of Muslims enrolled has increased from 7.24% in the 2016-17 to 10.48% in the 2019-20 session. In successive sessions this proportion has been registered as 7.24% in 2016-17, 7.81% in 2017-18, 10.08% in 2018-19 and 10.48% in 2019-20.
These numbers are no yardstick of the quality of education Muslims are availing. To get an idea we need to look at the type of schools at which these students are enrolled. As a matter of fact, in U.P, it is commonly believed that private schools are in a better condition than schools owned by the Department of Education. Out of the total 2,20,69,303 students enrolled in private schools, 25,95,073, or 11.76%, were found to be Muslims in 2019-20. This was a considerable increase from 2016-17 when 8.07% of the private school students were Muslims. In the last four academic sessions since 2016-17, the Muslim proportion in private schools was found to be 8.07%, 8.48%, 10.38%, and 11.76% respectively.
Changing trends in Muslims’ education Graph-II
On the other hand, in the schools of the Department of Education, Muslim proportion remained more or less constant. In 2016-17, 12.34% of the students at the Department’s schools were Muslims which has shown a marginal increase at 12.50% in 2019-20. Another very important aspect of education among Muslims is that almost one out of every five school-going Muslims attends a Wakf/ Madrasa Board recognized Madrasa/ Maktab. In the 2019-20 session, 19.76% of the Muslim children were enrolled in these Madrasas. It is an increase from 2016-17 when 16.49% of Muslims were attending these institutions. But this shift can be attributed to a positive shift. In 2016-17, 5.31% of Muslim kids were attending unrecognized Madrasas which came down to 3.10% in 2019-20. It is a welcome change that Madrasa-going children are attending recognized Madrasa of Madrasa / Wakf Board instead of unrecognized Madrasas.
Prof. Aquil Ahmed (Statistics & OR), AMU, believes that an increase in enrolments in private schools and status quo in Department of Education’s schools is a pointer that this increase in education among Muslims owes itself to the efforts from within. In recent years, he says that the community has started understanding the importance of education and hence without much help from the government people have started spending on education more and sending their children to schools.
Bhim Rao Ambedkar said that women’s education and empowerment were the yardstick to measure the development of a society. The survey gives us immense hope as we analyze the data on girl students among Muslims. It is an open secret that ours is a patriarchal society. Irrespective of religion or caste, people discriminate against girls. It was not a surprise to see that, in 2019-20, out of 45,39,933 students enrolled in Higher Secondary (+2) in the state, 54.30% were boys and 45.70% were girls. Similarly, in class X, 54.46% of the total students were boys. On a similar pattern, for the same session, 55.17% of students enrolled in private schools were boys during the same session. But, the sweet surprise was the ratio of girls among Muslim students of U.P. In Higher Secondary,
Changing trends in Muslims’ education Graph-III
In 2019-20, 50.31% of the total Muslim students were girls while their proportion was 48.31% in class X. In private schools also enrolment of boys among Muslims was 53.96%. This means, among Muslims, proportionally more girls are being admitted in private schools than the average of the state. This positive approach towards women’s education is a welcome trend.
The survey suggests that Muslims as a community are paying more attention to women’s education. As discussed above, in 2019-20, 10.48% of the total enrolments in Higher Secondary (+2) belonged to the Muslim community. If we look at gender then we find that, in 2019-20, of all the girls enrolled in +2, 12.06% were Muslims while 9.67% of the boys came from the community. This trend is a feature of all the preceding years as well. In 2019-20, in private schools out of all the girls enrolled 12.08% were Muslims while the proportion among boys was 11.50%.
Interestingly, in higher secondary education in private schools, the proportion of Muslims among girls stands at 10.22% while among boys it is 8.94%. In each session we find more Muslim girls taking admissions in higher secondary than Muslim boys. The proportion of Muslims among girls is much higher than their proportion among boys. For class X, in 2019-20, 12.88% of girls were Muslims while among boys they were 11.53%. The trend breaks the stereotype that Muslims do not send their girls to school. Moreover, it shows that Muslims are moving away from the orthodox traditions faster than the other communities.
Prof. Nazura Usmani (AMU), believes that access of younger generations to religious texts has made this women empowerment possible. Muslims, on understanding the true message of religion, are breaking the shackles of traditional orthodoxies, which kept women caged for centuries. Now, people are understanding that women’s education is part of religion and also there is growing acceptance in the community towards economically working women. She says that those people who do not identify themselves with revolutionary feminism are accepting that women should be educated and economically independent.
The UDISE survey report brings out a positive trend of increasing education among Muslims. Though the community is still lagging the developments of recent years instills hope. Moreover, the survey brings out that Muslims are showing more gender parity when it comes to education than other communities.
(Saquib Salim is a Historian and a Writer)
source: http: //www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Stories / by Saquib Salim / December 09th, 2021
