Category Archives: Community Involvement / Social Issues

Muslim organisations too promoted cause of Telangana

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TELANGANA :

Many participated actively in the agitation for Statehood

At a time when the Telangana sentiment was at its peak, several Muslims and Muslim organisations jumped into the movement. Be it the 1969 agitation or, for that matter, more recently, in 2008 and 2009. And with the anniversary of the formation of the State on Saturday, some of those involved in the movement share their experiences.

Jamaat-e-Islami Hind Telangana and Odisha president Hamid Mohammed Khan says that it was in 2008 that the socio-religious organisation jumped in to the fray.

The Jamaat, he says, was aware of the region’s backwardness and its causes which is why the decision was taken to join the movement.

“We formed an advisory committee to study these injustices. We analysed a lot of government released data, Planning Commission reports and the distribution of resources to Telangana region. We analysed government employment patterns too. In 2008 we decided to wholeheartedly support the movement,” Mr. Khan says.

Organised garjanas

The Jamaat, he says, was a part of the Telangana Joint Action Committee, and its organs supported the cause. “We organised Telangana garjanas in all districts and used our established units to further the cause of Telangana,” he says.

While the Jamaat formally took part movement in 2008, the All India Majlis-e-Tameer-e-Millat (AIMTM), another socio-religious organisation was active during the 1960s.

According to its vice-president Ziauddin Nayyar, it was in 1969 that the then general secretary Laiq Ali Khan was actively associated with the Telangana Praja Samithi, co-founded by the then chief minister of erstwhile Andhra Pradesh M. Chenna Reddy.

“Several of the Tameer-e-Millat’s leaders were even jailed for being a part of the agitation. Our ties were so close with the movement. Another member, Tahir Osmani, was well known for his renditions of poetry and slogans for Telangana statehood,” Mr. Nayyar recalled.

Observers said that with the passage of time and weakening of the organisation, the AIMTM could not be an active part of the later years of the Telangana movement.

“Apart from these two organisations, several individuals too took part in the movement. They were well aware of the injustice meted out to the people of the state,” an observer said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by Syed Mohammed / Hyderabad – June 04th, 2018

False terror charges against local youth inspires Bhatkal boy to become a lawyer

Community Involvement / Social Issues, Education, Karnataka (under research project), ,

Bhatkal (Uttara Kannada District) , KARNATAKA :

NehzanMPOs04jun2018

Bhatkal has got another young man as a lawyer as Mr. Nehzan Ekkery s/o Abdul Azeez Ekkery successfully completed his studies and is poised to step into legal practise soon. Nehzan completed his studies at the School of Law in the prestigious Christ University, Bengaluru and was awarded the BA LLB degree in an official ceremony at his college on Sunday.

At 22, Nehzan Ekkery strikes people as a typical Bhatkali boy with an outgoing demeanour and a disarming smile. It’s when he starts speaking that you get a glimpse into the depth of his mind, the clarity of his purpose and the seriousness with which he grasps the subtle realities of life.

As a young Muslim man, especially as a Bhatkali youth, Nehzan is no stranger to the ongoing violations of human rights by law enforcement agencies in India, who have rounded up hundreds of young Muslims, accusing them of being involved in terrorism. According to a DNA report, hundreds of Muslim youth have been named in terror cases without proof.  While this has struck fear in the minds of many young men of the town, for Nehzan, it was the catalyst that put him on his current path. “The fundamental idea that every person is innocent until proven guilty is quite often put to shame by law enforcement agencies, and that was my propelling factor to pursue law as a profession.” He explains.  “I was moved when youngsters were being falsely implicated in criminal and anti-terrorism laws consequently being deprived of the right to life and personal liberty for too long.” he adds.

The profile of Mr. Nehzan Ekkery appeals more to the locals and people of Bhatkal because he is one of them. He completed his primary education in Naunihaal Centra School and Anjuman Hami-e-Muslimeen’s Islamia Anglo Urdu High School, both prominent educational establishments in Bhatkal. He later enrolled at Ryan International School in Surat and in 2013, was selected to study at the prestigious School of Law at the Christ University. He completed the five-year integrated program of BBA + LLB (Honors) with flying colors.
Nehzan is up for a flying start as he is beginning his practise as junior of Advocate K. Diwakara (legal advisor for Karnataka’s State Government). He willl be working in the High Court and other lower courts of Karnataka and will be handling Civil, Criminal and Arbitration matters.

With an inspiring confidence, he states that “he wants to be the thorn in sight of injustice, be the necessary disruption, a distraction with the passion that transcends the confines of my own consciousness and play my part, howsoever little in reinstating the faith in justice system.” He has been an active proponent against the government endorsed absurdity, policy paralysis and excesses of law and aims to play an imperative role in socio-political system with the instrument of law.

The Bhatkali community has seen an encouraging rise in the number of lawyers among locals in the last few years. The number saw a significant rise after a famous lawyer of the region, Naushad Kashimji was gunned down in Mangalore in 2009. Naushad’s shocking death had united the community at that time and many young men ha d vowed that they will avenge his death by becoming lawyers themselves. The trend caught on and currently, the town has several young lawyers who have established themselves not only in their practise but also in the public sphere as socio-political leaders.

source: http://www.sahilonline.net / Sahil Online / Home / source: S.O. News Service / Coastal News  – National News – Special Report / June 02nd, 2018

Noorpur Assembly bypoll results: Samajwadi Party’s Naim Ul Hasan defeats BJP’s Avani Singh

Community Involvement / Social Issues, Leaders, , , , ,

Noorpur (Bijnor District) , UTTAR PRADESH :

Samajwadi Party leader Naim Ul Hasan has defeated Avani Singh of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) by 6211 votes.

The bypoll in the Noorpur Assembly seat was necessitated after the death of sitting BJP MLA Lokendra Singh Chouhan. He was a two-time MLA from the seat.

While the BJP had reposed faith in Avani Singh, wife of late MLA Lokendra Chauhan, as its candidate, former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party fielded Naim Ul Hasan as its candidate.

Meanwhile, in Kairana Lok Sabha seat, BJP candidate Mriganka Singh is trailing against RLD leader Tabassum Hasan, who has been backed by opposition parties Congress, Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party.

After the defeat of the BJP in Gorakhpur and Phoolpur Lok Sabha bypolls, opposition parties were upbeat aiming to consolidate anti-BJP votes, whereas the ruling BJP had made extra efforts to retain both Kairana Lok Sabha and Noorpur Assembly seats in order to send a message to voters, party cadres — as well as opposition parties — that the recent reversals are a closed chapter now, and that it was still strong in western UP.

source: http://www.zeenews.india.com / Zee News / Home> News> India> Noorpur Assembly Bypoll Results / by Zee Media Bureau / May 31st, 2018

Prof. Durrani Passes Away

Community Involvement / Social Issues, Education, Karnataka (under research project), Leaders, , , , , , , ,

Mysuru, KARNATAKA :

ProfDurraniMPOs02jun2018

Mysuru:

Prof. Mohammed Ismail Khan Durrani, popularly known as Prof. M.I.K. Durrani (91), passed away in the wee hours of today at his residence ‘Durrani Manzil’ on B.N. Road, Mandi Mohalla.

He leaves behind his wife, two daughters, grand-children and a host of relatives and friends.

Namaz-e-Janaza was offered at Masjid-e-Umar Khan, B.N. Road, at 11.30 am followed by burial at Old Khabarasthan, behind Central Jail, Mysuru.

Profile: Prof. Durrani used to occasionally write a column titled Recollections…which was very popular among Star of Mysore readers during 2012-2016.

Prof. Durrani joined University of Mysore as a Lecturer in English in 1950, immediately after getting his BA (Hons) degree. Except for about three years during which he worked as a Lecturer at Intermediate College, Mandya, Prof. Durrani taught English at the constituent colleges of University of Mysore for 35 years.

He was associated with Yuvaraja’s College as a Lecturer and later on as a Reader for a major part of his career (about 25 years). In the year 1983, he was transferred to University Evening College as Professor of English from where he retired in 1988.

During his career as a Lecturer at Yuvaraja’s College, Prof. Durrani also served as an NCC Officer apart from producing and directing several English dramas.

After retirement, he joined the Muslim Educational Society, Mysuru, as an Executive Committee member and became the Founder-Principal of MES First Grade College in 1995. He also served as the President of  Muslim Educational Society which is catering to the educational needs of the community from nursery to college level.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / June 01st, 2018

Muslim Girl From Mandya Meets PM Modi: Thanks Him For His Help To Pursue MBA

Community Involvement / Social Issues, Education, Karnataka (under research project), , ,

Mandya, KARNATAKA :

SarahMPOs31may2018

Bengaluru:

Karnataka Assembly election witnessed a heart-warming incident amid a communally polarised environment. A Muslim girl from Mandya met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to thank him for providing financial assistance to pursue her education. She came all the way from Mandya to say “thank you” to the Prime Minister whose personal intervention enabled her to fulfil her higher education dream.

B.B. Sarah and her family members met Narendra Modi on stage at an election rally in Bengaluru on May 8 and presented him the book, ‘The Buddha and His Dhamma.’ The Prime Minister was humbled by her gesture and turned emotional on stage. He blessed her and wished her good luck for her future.

Sarah had written to the Prime Minister about her poor financial condition and requested him to provide financial assistance to her so that she could pursue MBA. She dreamt to do a masters course after scoring 83% in B.Com.

Her father Abdul Iliyaz, who works in Mysore Sugar Mill, had not received his salary for months, which left Sarah unable to find Rs.1.5 lakh that she needed to pay her tuition fees. She tried applying for loans, but was rejected by several banks as the financial condition of her family was bad.

That is when she wrote to the Prime Minister. To her surprise, the PMO responded to her letter in about 10 days and had asked the then State Chief Secretary Subhash Chandra Khuntia to take necessary steps to help the girl. She was subsequently sanctioned a loan of Rs.1.5 lakh by Vijaya Bank.

Before she wrote to the Prime Minister, the Central Bank of India had turned down her loan application owing to her poor financial background. Even after the communication was received by the Bank, the Central Bank Manager allegedly told her “we have done our duty and you have also done your duty. But it is not possible to sanction the loan.” Later, moved by Sarah’s case, Vijaya Bank sanctioned the loan.

It may be recalled here that Star of Mysore, on Mar.21, 2017, had published Sarah’s story in a report titled “PM Modi opens door for Muslim girl’s education in Mandya; Directs Bank to provide educational loan”

“I would like to personally meet Modi and thank him for helping me with education loan at a time when I was in urgent need. I was watching ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ programme on TV and this inspired me to write to the PM. I wish that Modi will bring out a scheme to help talented students like me who want to get involved with higher studies but face financial constraints to do so,” she said.

After meeting the Prime Minister, Sarah said, “Despite being a national leader, he is attached with the population. Whatever schemes he has initiated, he has implemented them. He has not launched them just for name sake purpose,” Sarah said. The girl’s father echoing similar sentiments lauded the Prime Minister for his apt response. “It’s quite unbelievable that out of 125 crore population, he took notice of Sarah’s letter and helped her,” he said.

Sarah has now completed MBA flying colours has now been employed in a multinational company in Bengaluru.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / May 10th, 2018

Meet Tabassum Hasan, UP’s only Muslim lawmaker in Lok Sabha since 2014, who crushed BJP in Kairana

Community Involvement / Social Issues, Leaders, , ,

Kairana, UTTAR PRADESH :

Tabassum Hasan PTI
Tabassum Hasan PTI

Tabassum Hasan is no stranger to Uttar Pradesh politics. She is wife of late Samajwadi Party leader Munawwar Hasan, who was an MP from UP during 1996 to 1998.

Tabassum Hasan, a former BSP MP who later joined the SP, fought the prestigious Kairana Lok Sabha bypolls on RLD ticket.

The face of united Opposition, who crushed the BJP in communally-sensitive Kairana Lok Sabha bypolls today, is Uttar Pradeh’s only Muslim lawmaker since 2014.

Though BJP’s Mriganka Singh, the daughter of late MP Hukum Singh, was banking on sympathy wave, on May 31st, the verdict showed that Kairana’s daughter-in-law had defeated ‘Kairana’s daughter’.

Hasan did her schooling from UP’s Saharanpur and studied till class X. She married late Munawwar Hasan in 1986 and has two children.

One of the key debating points in Kairana bypolls was the exodus Hindus from the area. Both Mriganka and Tabassum had divergent views on the exodus of Hindu families from Kairana, a claim made by Mriganka Singh’s father which became a major issue in the 2017 Uttar Pradesh Assembly election.

The exodus of Hindu families from Kairana has stopped, Mriganka  had said.

Before the 2017 UP Assembly elections hundreds of Hindu families had fled from Kairana out of fear and harassment. However, after the BJP government under Yogi Adityanath was formed, the law and order scenario in the region improved, she had said during campaigning.

However, Hasan maintained that there was no exodus from Kairana in the first place. Both Hindus and Muslims have been living here in harmony for generations. The exodus issue was flagged only to divert attention from important issues, to add a communal colour to the elections and divide voters, she haad said.

Conceding her defeat, Mriganka Singh today congratulated Hasan and said that they have emerged strong and BJP has to prepare for future.

“Many voters did vote for BJP, but with a lead of some thousand votes alliance has won. I would like to congratulate the candidate. The alliance has emerged strong and now we have to prepare better for future,” Mriganka told ANI.

The Kairana seat fell vacant in February 2018 after the death of BJP leader Hukum Singh, following which the party fielded his daughter Mriganka Singh from this seat.

(With agency inputs)

Thottara Puncha rice brand to hit market by June

Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Green Products, Leaders, , ,

Ernakulam (Kochi) , KERALA :

The Thottara Puncha before harvest. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The Thottara Puncha before harvest. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Government’s farming success story sees revival of 652 acres of paddy land

A rice bowl that had been lying almost fallow for over a decade has now been revived fully to produce some 1,500 metric tonnes of paddy in a joint effort by the Ernakulam district administration, Agriculture Department, paddy field collectives, and local bodies.

The rejuvenated Thottara Puncha, where 652 acres of paddy land were brought under cultivation last year, will now be a brand, with the rice produced here hitting the market in that name in the first week of June. The effort to breathe life back into the Puncha, trapped amid some nine hills, was spearheaded by District Collector K. Mohammed Y. Safirulla.

The plan is to market some 20 tonnes of rice initially, followed by another batch of 20 tonnes. Keecheri Service Cooperative Bank has completed collection of paddy, threshing, packing, and branding, said a release issued here.

Mr. Safirulla sought the support of Amballoor and Edakkattuvayal panchayats to cultivate some 350 acres of the 990 acres of the Puncha in Ernakulam district (the remaining 1,082 acres are in Kottayam) in 2016-17, and the results were stunning. “Preparation of fields itself was a challenge, but paddy field collectives worked in tandem to make it happen. This time around, we were able to bring under cultivation the maximum cultivable area — around 700 acres over nine paddy land collectives barring areas acquired for various projects, canals, farm roads, and irrigation channels,” said C.K. Prakash, general coordinator of the project.

Several departments, including irrigation, Land Development Corporation, and the State Electricity Board, supported the initiative. The canals were cleaned, and pumping facility was added to the sluices at Olippuram and Pulimukham (as a chunk of the Puncha being in low-lying areas will get heavily inundated during the monsoon).

“It posed some challenges, as not every area could be cultivated in October, which delayed harvesting too. We have now set up 12 high-power submersible pumps along the Puncha for de-watering, which will help us harvest the entire field by March next. This is going to drastically reduce the harvesting cost as well. And, the idea is to incorporate Kudumbasree in threshing paddy at our own mill and brand it,” said Mr. Prakash.

A Thottara Puncha Development Council will soon be formed, and a mill will be set up at a cost of ₹40 lakh. Terming it his pet project, Mr. Safirulla said all agencies and stakeholders had chipped in with verve to script the success story.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kochi / by Special Correspondent / May 25th, 2018

Danish Ali’s moment in the sun

Community Involvement / Social Issues, Karnataka (under research project), Leaders, , , , ,

Hapur, UTTAR PRADESH / NEW DELHI / KARNATAKA :

Key player: JD(S) leader Danish Ali (left) with party supremo H.D. Deve Gowda.
Key player: JD(S) leader Danish Ali (left) with party supremo H.D. Deve Gowda.

Gowda loyalist and JD(S) stalwart piloted alliance with Congress

The speed with which the Congress-Janata Dal(S) alliance came about on the afternoon of May 15 was a matter of much surprise to those who knew the strained relations between the two parties. That the alliance was stitched up, publicly announced and on the road to Raj Bhavan far ahead of the BJP’s move, was the product of three days of intense backroom talks between the two parties.

While the role of Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad is now well-known, the part played by JD(S)’ secretary general Kunwar Danish Ali remained unknown until he made it to all the photo-ops of Karnataka Chief Minister-designate H.D. Kumaraswamy with Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

According to sources, it was a midnight call between Mr. Azad and Mr. Ali on May 13, two days before the results were out, that set the ball rolling.

“It was clear to the JD(S) that talk of a secret deal with the BJP during the campaign had resulted in a desertion by minorities. The Congress, too, anticipated a less than stellar performance,” said a source. Mr. Ali was instrumental in speaking to both former prime minister Deve Gowda and Mr. Kumaraswamy about Mr. Azad’s call, but only on the night of May 14.

“Mr. Deve Gowda just told him to speak to Mr. Kumaraswamy, while the latter was a bit apprehensive after the bitter campaign by the Congress,” said a source. Mr. Deve Gowda was for a wait and watch approach, sources said, but Mr. Kumaraswamy, once convinced by Mr. Ali, issued a public statement sealing the alliance.

“He was convinced that this alliance would have far-reaching consequences for the 2019 polls too,” said a source.

Mr. Ali, 54, had also sewn up the party’s alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the All Indian Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) before the polls, with the BSP contesting in 20 seats and winning one, a historic first for them.

He entered politics as the national president of the Janata Dal student wing in 1994, as a student in Delhi’s Jamia Millia Islamia University, and has stuck with the Gowdas through thick and thin. He came to the attention of the former prime minister especially during the 1994 Assembly polls in Karnataka when he was speaking at a rally in Ramanagara.

In his more than quarter of a century with the Janata Dal(S) and its earlier avatar, Mr. Ali has contested one Assembly poll from Garhmukhteswar in Uttar Pradesh, the State he hails from. Apart from his grand uncle, Kunwar Mahmood Ali, who owed allegiance to the Indian National Lok Dal under late prime minister Chaudhary Charan Singh, and was Governor of Madhya Pradesh between 1992-93, no one else from his family is in politics.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Nistula Hebbar / New Delhi – May 23rd, 2018

Tributes paid to Vakkom Khader

Amazing Feats, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Freedom Fighters (under research project), , , , , ,

Vakkom Village (Thiruvananthapuram District) , KERALA :

On September 10, 1943, a young man named Abdul Khader was martyred in the fight for India’s independence.

Also known as Vakkom Khader, he was a member of Subash Chandra Bose’s Indian National Army (INA) and was sentenced to death for “conspiring to wage war against the British King.”

Commemorating Khader on the occasion of the 73rd anniversary of his martyrdom, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said it was important for the younger generations to know about the struggles of Khader and his fellow freedom fighters, so that they appreciate the freedom and rights they enjoy.

This is especially important today, given that questionable interpretations of patriotism and nationalism have arisen of late, he said.

The Chief Minister inaugurated the memorial meeting organised on Saturday by the INA Hero Vakkom Khader National Foundation.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Kerala / by Staff Reporter / Thiruvananthapuram – September 11th, 2016

Free Heart Surgeries for Children at AMU Medical College

Amazing Feats, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Education, Science & Technology, World Opinion, , , , , , , , , , ,

Aligarh, UTTAR PRADESH :

The collaboration with the Healing Little Hearts charity was initiated by AMU Vice Chancellor Tariq Mansoor, Tabassum Shahab (Pro Vice-Chancellor) and Shamshul Zoha, an AMU alumnus.

File photo of Aligarh Muslim University campus.
File photo of Aligarh Muslim University campus.

Aligarh:

Free heart surgeries will be available for children with congenital defects at the Aligarh Muslim University’s (AMU) Jawahar Lal Nehru Medical College (JNMC) after the varsity signed a deal with a British charity.

The collaboration with the Healing Little Hearts (HLH) charity was initiated by AMU Vice Chancellor Tariq Mansoor, Tabassum Shahab (Pro Vice-Chancellor) and Shamshul Zoha, an AMU alumnus.

Javaid Akhter (Registrar), Mohammad Hanif Beg (Chairperson, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery) and Azam Haseem signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with HLH’s Sanjiv Nichani (Consultant Paediatric Interventionist) and Zoha.

“Since independent researches show yearly births of over 100,000 babies with congenital heart defects in India, it is high time to take necessary steps for helping these children with heart ailments,” said professor Beg.

Many children requiring corrective heart surgeries do not get treated due to financial constraints and even the affordable treatment available is sub-standard with poor expertise.

JNMC provides affordable treatment with state-of-art facilities to patients from underprivileged sections, he added.​

source: http://www.news18.com / News18 / Home> India / by IANS / May 24th, 2018