Category Archives: Community Involvement / Social Issues

Unsung Hero: Bhopal’s Syed Abid Helps Bring Stranded Citizens Home From Across The World

Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Community Involvement / Social Issues, World Opinion

Bhopal, MADHYA PRADESH:

Abid, a painter, puts immense effort to help bring back stranded people to India, the act which brings cheers to the families. He has mastered the skill, how to deal with embassies, journalists, officials and celebs to raise each issue and bring back the lost person.

Syed Abid Hussain

Bhopal:

A man has been quietly helping Indian citizens caught in difficult circumstances in countries across the world for years.

Known for lending a helping hand to any family whose kin is trapped far away, he uses all his links and puts energy into the efforts to bring the person back home.

Syed Abid Hussain has mastered the skill to deal with the bureaucracy in different countries and with the use of social media, reunites such people with their families.

By profession, Abid is neither a bureaucrat nor a politician, who has contacts and departments to follow their instructions but he is just a painter and single man army.

And even not being associated with any government organisation, he has so far helped hundreds of people stuck in countries spread over the Middle East, West Asia, Europe and other parts of the world. Abid keeps getting calls and messages from families who have their kin caught in a country and even those whose whereabouts are not known.

The ‘Mesiah’ has developed a style of his own to resolve these cases. Whether it’s the case of a person who is untraceable or has been kept unlawfully by someone in a foreign land, Abid uses social media, particularly Twitter, to bring focus on the disappearance of the person or his plight. He tags officials of the particular country, their embassies and the Indian Embassy.

He also messages prominent personalities of the particular country, including peaceniks or activists, film actors, journalists and urges them to raise the issue. Subsequently, it comes in media in those countries, gets attention and opens the door to the person’s return.

During the Russia and Ukraine crisis, he helped dozens of youth to return with his efforts.

“I don’t have a strong financial background but I never take a penny for this work. It’s just for the sake of humanity and social work”, he says.

The number of people Abid helped bring back to the country is uncounted now. “I don’t do it for any number or statistics, I stopped counting, the figure is more than 500,” he says. “Whenever I get a call I start working on the mission. I feel that the victim’s family must not get depressed and lose hope”, he adds. One of the first cases that brought him nationwide attention was when he helped the family of a missing boy, Kailash Arjunwar.

“I found through a newspaper report about Kailash, who is from Madhya Pradesh that he had somehow overstayed on the other side of the border and was caught, and kept in jail. I began my efforts. After a long process, Kailash was rescued with the help of the foreign ministry. I constantly kept raising his issue until it got resolved”, he recalled.

Recently, Abid helped get 12 people from a country in West Asia to return to India. These people, Harendra Ram, hails from Siwan (Bihar), Jai Soorat (Ghazipur), Dharmendra Kumar (Deoria), Sheetal Singh (Kapurthala), Husan Lal (Jalandhar), Surendra Verma (Sant Kabir Nagar), Ved Prakash (Kushinagar), Hardas Prakash (Ghazipur) and Shiv Locahn of Mau along with others were reunited with their families.

From yet another country, he helped bring 48 persons back to India, in January.
A painter by profession, he was born in Faizabad, UP.

Abid, 38, says that when he started helping people stuck in foreign lands, he came to know about a lot of factors, especially how some people who are less educated are fooled by their employers or agents who take them to those countries but they end up working as bonded labourers sometimes & are even not allowed to contact families.

When Abid comes to know about a family that has a person ‘lost’ in a country, he takes documents and contacts the government, foreign ministry, the particular country’s consulate and embassies in both countries. Mostly he manages to get them returned. Former Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj also used to know him for his efforts.
Sandeep Kumar, who was helped rescued by Abid recalls, “Our company had promised a job in the construction sector. After paying money to the agent, we were cheated.” “Our families told Abid bhai, who started the campaign because we couldn’t do anything. He also ran a hashtag to save us and this led to action (return),” says Sandeep, who is thankful to the activist for his role.

In the case of Babar Ali, who was stuck in Mozambique, the family approached Abid. “Babar was promised a big salary but when he reached there, he was not paid and made to work 18 hrs daily apart from harassment and torture”, said his family members. “He made a video and managed to send it. Then Abid took up the case and the Embassy acted, bringing Babar back”, a family member mentioned.

Abid has been felicitated many times and got awards too for his work.

Abid has been affectionately called ‘Bajrangi Bhaijan’ because of the movie and the similarity of his work with the Salman Khan starrer Bollywood flick.

source: http://www.enewsroom.in / eNews Room India / Home> Freshly Brewed> Madhya Pradesh / by Shams Ur Rehman Alavi / February 02nd, 2023

Mehboob Ali Kaiser, NDA’s Lone Muslim MP In Bihar, Joins RJD

Community Involvement / Social Issues, Leaders, ,

BIHAR :

“Kaiser-saheb is joining us after a meeting with party president Lalu Prasad-ji. We stand to gain from his experience. It is a development that will send across a strong message in favour of our fight to protect the Constitution, which is facing threat from the ruling dispensation,” said Tejashwi Yadav.

Mehboob Ali Kaiser joins RJD /  Photo: PT

LJP MP Mehboob Ali Kaiser, the lone Muslim to have been elected to the Lok Sabha from the BJP-led NDA in Bihar, joined the RJD on Sunday, in a shot in the arm for the opposition party amid the elections.

Kaiser, who sided with former Union minister Pashupati Kumar Paras when the latter split the LJP, and was denied a ticket this time by Chirag Paswan despite efforts to seek rapprochement, joined the RJD in the presence of its leader Tejashwi Yadav.

“Kaiser-saheb is joining us after a meeting with party president Lalu Prasad-ji. We stand to gain from his experience. It is a development that will send across a strong message in favour of our fight to protect the Constitution, which is facing threat from the ruling dispensation,” said Yadav.

Born into the family that ruled the erstwhile princely state of Simri Bakhtiyarpur in Saharsa district, Kaiser started his political career with the Congress and headed the party’s state unit till 2013.

He joined the LJP in 2014 and won the Khagaria seat, which he retained five years later.

His relations with Chirag Paswan, the then LJP president, began to sour when the party denied a ticket to his son Yusuf Salahuddin in the 2020 assembly polls.

Salahuddin went on to contest and win the Simri Bakhtiyarpur seat on an RJD ticket.

It was not immediately known whether the RJD, which has announced candidates for all but one of the 23 Lok Sabha seats it is contesting, will be fielding Kaiser in the ongoing elections.

source: http://www.outlookindia.com / Outlook / Home> Elections / by PTI / August 21st, 2024

India’s new UNESCO site museum reveals Mughal emperor’s life, legacy

Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Leaders, Museums, Libraries (wef. April 16th, 2022), Royal Families, PreIndependence -Descendants (wef. Jan 02nd,2022), Travel & Tourism, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

NEW DELHI :

  • Humayun World Heritage Site Museum in New Delhi opened for visitors on Tuesday
  • Latest addition to 16th-century tomb complex ‘brings alive 700 years of heritage’

Visitors look at artifacts at the Humayun World Heritage Site Museum — the newest addition in Humayun’s Tomb complex — in New Delhi on July 29, 2024. (AN Photo)

https://arab.news/4zpjh

New Delhi :

The second Mughal emperor Humayun was widely known as an avid reader fond of journeys, architecture, and storytelling. Almost half a millennium after his death, a new museum in the heart of New Delhi highlights his role in shaping India’s cultural heritage.


Opened for visitors on Tuesday, the Humayun World Heritage Site Museum is the newest addition in Humayun’s Tomb complex — a landmark 300-acre area in New Delhi’s Nizamuddin that features dozens of historical monuments and includes Sunder Nursery, a 16th-century heritage park.


The advent of the Mughal dynasty, which ruled the Indian subcontinent between the 16th and 19th centuries, marked the global revival of Islamic architecture, with works that until today are examples of the highest quality and refinement.


Originally from Central Asia, the Mughals carried cultural elements borrowed from Arabs, Persians and Ottomans. As they settled in India, they fused these with the various local styles found in their new domains.


Humayun was the son and successor of Babur, founder of the dynasty, and ruled the empire from 1530 to 1540 and again from 1555 until his death the following year.


The new museum, established by the Agha Khan Trust for Culture and the Archaeological Survey of India, traces Humayun and his descendants’ lives, as well as the 700-year-old history of the whole Nizamuddin locality and its influence on Indian culture.


“There are hundreds of stories to be told, which the stones don’t speak,” Ratish Nanda, conservation architect and projects director at the AKTC, told Arab News. “The idea is to bring alive 700 years of heritage.”


The museum is located in Humayun’s Tomb, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the first of the grand mausoleums that became synonymous with Mughal architectural innovations and, three generations later, culminated in the construction of India’s most iconic monument, the Taj Mahal.
About 7 million tourists from across India and abroad visit the complex every year.


“The idea is that people who now visit the World Heritage Site come with a deep understanding of the site,” Nanda said.


“We’ve been able to … combine architectural elements with incredible manuscripts, miniature paintings, calligraphy, textiles, coins, metalware, architectural elements — one is two one scale — with lots of films and digital technology, and models and so on.”


Spanning five galleries, the underground museum has over 500 artefacts sourced from the collections of the National Museum in New Delhi, ASI and AKTC.


“It captures the 700 years of history that is associated with the region of Nizamuddin and the World Heritage site of Humayun’s Tomb …This museum really captures the history,” said Ujwala Menon, AKTC conservation architect.


“The principal gallery talks about Humayun. There’s very little known about this emperor, and one of the things with this museum is to really address that … Then we have a second section of this gallery which talks about the personalities that are associated with Nizamuddin.”


Among the famed figures featured in the second gallery are Nizamuddin Auliya and Amir Khusro.
Auliya was an 13th-century Indian Sunni Muslim scholar, Sufi saint of the Chishti Order, and is one of the most famous Sufis from the Indian subcontinent. His shrine and tomb are located near Humayun’s complex.


Khusro was a 13th-century poet and scholar who remains an iconic figure in the culture of the subcontinent.


Both Auliya and Khusro lived during the period of the Delhi Sultanate, which Humayun’s father conquered, leading to its succession by the Mughal empire. The museum shows how the empire did not come to its bloom in a cultural vacuum, but drew from and incorporated the culture of its predecessors.


“There was this idea of pluralism that existed during the Mughal period,” Menon said.
“And this (museum) really captures all of that.”

source: http://www.arabnews.com / Arab News / Home> World / by Sanjay Kumar / July 31st, 2024

From Sunil Dutt to Salman Khan: Baba Siddique was a political powerhouse with strong bollywood connections

Community Involvement / Social Issues, Leaders

Mumbai, MAHARASHTRA :

Bollywood and politics unite in grief after Baba Siddique’s tragic murder in Mumbai.

He played peacemaker between one-time warring superstars Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan at what was one of the most viral moments of 2013 before the social media rage kicked in and was a protege, even a second son, to cinema veteran Sunil Dutt.

NCP leader and former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique, who was shot dead on Saturday night, epitomised the symbiotic relationship between politics and the Hindi film industry.

Baba Siddique with Salman Khan X/@BabaSiddique

His grand iftar parties were a starry affair attended by right from the Khans to filmmaker Kabir Khan, celebrity designer Manish Malhotra, and actors Urmila Matondkar, Katrina Kaif, Huma Qureshi, Sonu Sood, Sushant Singh Rajput, Ankita Lokhande, Kiara Advani, R Madhavan, and Aditi Rao Hydari.

Dutt’s daughter and Congress leader Priya Dutt said she is “shocked” by Siddique’s death.

“Baba was more than a political associate; he was family. To my father, Baba Siddique was like a son, and to me, he was a brother and a dear friend,” she wrote in an X post.

With Suniel Shetty/ X/@BabaSiddique

Siddique, a popular figure in Bollywood circles who earned praise for supplying life-saving medicines to patients during the COVID-19 pandemic, was waylaid by three men at Kher Nagar in Mumbai’s Bandra area just outside his MLA son Zeeshan Siddique’s office and shot at on Saturday night.

He was taken to the Lilavati Hospital where he was declared dead.

Siddique, 66, was brought into politics by the late Congress MP Dutt, who represented Mumbai North West for five consecutive terms.

With Sohail Khan/ X/@BabaSiddique

Siddique joined the Indian National Congress (INC) as a teenager back in 1977. Even when he became a part of the Ajit Pawar-led National Congress Party (NCP) in February, he acknowledged the role of Dutt in his political career.

Priya Dutt said Siddique stood “steadfast” by her father throughout his political journey and beyond.

“When I entered politics, he guided me through its ups and downs, offering his unwavering support. His loss feels like the departure of a family member. My heart bleeds for Bhabhi, Zeeshan, and Arshia.

With Chunky Pandey X/@BabaSiddique

“May God grant them the resilience to bear this immense sorrow. May his soul rest in eternal peace. Farewell, dear brother. #BabaSiddiqui,” she wrote on the microblogging site.

It was his connection to Dutt that helped Siddique secure an MLA ticket in 1999 from Bandra West, a seat he retained for three back-to-back terms. Not only politics, former actor Dutt also introduced the political leader to the world of Bollywood.

After the news of Siddique’s death broke, Dutt’s son, actor Sanjay Dutt was one of the first celebrities to visit the late politician at the Lilavati Hospital where he was declared dead on Saturday night.

With Javed Jaffrey/ X/@BabaSiddique

Salman and Shilpa Shetty, along with her businessman-husband Raj Kundra, were also photographed reaching the hospital to meet Siddique’s family.

It was at Siddique’s 2013 iftar party, hosted at a five-star hotel in Mumbai, that Salman and Shah Rukh buried the hatchet.

The two Khans were on unfriendly terms since their spat at Katrina’s birthday party in 2008. The feud was so bitter that they avoided each other not only at private parties but also at public events.

There are several videos on the Internet capturing one of the highlights for the fans of the duo hugging it out back in 2013.

With Salman and Shahrukh Khan/ PTI

The iftar was on when Salman patted Shah Rukh on his shoulder, who was sitting next to his screenwriter-father Salim Khan, to embrace his “Karan-Arjun” co-star, thus ending their infamous rivalry.

A year later, Salman also endorsed Congress’ Siddique when he spent an afternoon in Ahmedabad with the then BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi on the kite-flying festival of Uttarayan.

“In our constituency Bandra, where it’s my responsibility to cast a vote, the best people there are Baba Siddiqui and Priya Dutt. You have to give Modi sahab the vote, I have to give my people the vote,” the superstar said.

With Rapper MC Stan X/@BabaSiddique

Matondkar, a Shiv Sena member, said she was “extremely saddened” to learn about Siddique’s death.

“May God grant strength to @zeeshan_iyc and his family in this tragic time. Prayers for the soul departed,” the former Congress leader said.

“My heart goes out to @zeeshan_iyc and the entire family- May god give them strength to brave this difficult time. The perpetrators of this horrific crime must be brought to justice,” actor Riteish Deshmukh wrote on X.

With Sunil Dutt X/@BabaSiddique

Two of the accused have been arrested — Gurmail Baljit Singh (23), a resident of Haryana, and Dharmaraj Rajesh Kashyap (19), a native of Uttar Pradesh. Some teams have also been sent out of Maharashtra to nab the third accused who is still at large, police said.

The accused have been booked under relevant Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections, including for murder, as well as provisions of the Arms Act and the Maharashtra Police Act, they said. 

source: http://www.telegraphindia.com / The Telegraph Online / Home / October 13th, 2024

Zakaat, the Islamic form of charity, frees jail inmates during Ramzan

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TELANGANA :

Over the past few years, some organisations have a part of their savings during the holy month set aside for charity, to free prisoners who cannot afford bail, thereby helping them and their families.

Movement for Peace and Justice secretary Shaik Kasim Sahah with Khammam district jail authorities. Photo: Special Arrangement

It is in the month of Ramzan that most Muslims busy themselves in calculating zakaat, a prominent manifestation of charity in Islam. Usually given to those in abject poverty, over the past few years, zakaat funds, calculated at 2.5% of an individual’s annual savings, are being used to free inmates of jails who have served their prison sentences but have no support systems to pay fines associated with their convictions.

Moin Pasha, an octogenarian, says, “It was two years ago that I got to know of an organisation that uses zakaat money to pay those who cannot afford bail. Some of these prisoners are sole breadwinners and everything depends on them,” she says, adding that the consequences of imprisonment for the person’s wife and children are often disastrous.

The Movement for Peace and Justice (MPJ), a non-profit, is one such organisation that has been gathering zakaat from donors and channelling these funds to secure prisoner release. “Since last year we have paid 130 fines that are associated with prison sentences. Additionally, we have paid bail money for 35 prisoners and have got them all released,” Ahmed Hameeduddin Shakeel, finance secretary, MPJ, says. 

The MPJ, an affiliate of the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, a socio-religious organisation, after due diligence, identifies prisoners who are first-time offenders involved in small crimes, and who have no family or friends to pay bail or fines. “We have been active since 2007-08 and have seen cases in which family members have no idea of the whereabouts of the prison inmate. It is only much later, maybe after weeks or months, that they get to know that they were in jail. The situation is so bad that families cannot even afford to pay ₹500. The aim and object of our organisation is to help everyone. Of our varied activities, we also work as facilitators for prisoner release,” he says. 

Like Ms. Pasha, Ghazala Ahmed (name changed upon request), an entrepreneur, too has been earmarking a part of her zakaat funds for this cause. She says that Islam prescribes the freeing of prisoners within the legal system, and it is considered an important act. “Usually, people give zakaat to madrasas and those in need, especially poor relatives. But the goodness here is two-fold: a religious injunction is being fulfilled, and we help a family in dire need. Some organisations have networks and an understanding of how prisoner releases are done,” she says. 

The All India Milli Council, another socio-religious group, has secured the release of 68 inmates lodged in prisons in and around Hyderabad, since last year, according to its office-bearer Mufti Omar Abedeen Qasmi Madani. Explaining the issue from an Islamic jurisprudential perspective, he says, “Before slavery came to an end, zakaat money was used to free slaves. The expression used to describe this in the scriptures was to “free necks of slaves”, an act that was greatly encouraged. Fines paid to secure releases were between ₹500 and ₹5,000. “This may seem like a small amount, but for the poor, they are unfortunately unaffordable,” he says. 

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> India> Telangana / by Syed Mohammed / March 31st, 2024

Rana Ayyub Bags 2024 Int’l Press Freedom Award

Amazing Feats, Community Involvement / Social Issues, NRI's / PIO's, Women/Girls(since May26-2021), World Opinion, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Mumbai, MAHARASHTRA / U.S.A :

Rana Ayyub, an Indian investigative journalist and Global Opinion Writer at The Washington Post, is the recipient of one of the two coveted 2024 International Press Freedom Awards, as announced by Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE). She has been named for this award for her reporting that tenaciously upholds press freedom while holding governments accountable.

Ayyub will attend the CJFE Gala: A Night to Celebrate Courage in Journalism, where she will accept the award in Toronto on October 23.

When Ayyub went undercover in 2010 to look into the government’s role in communal violence – which is defined as violence based on race or religion – she established her reputation for fearless reporting. Since then, she has provided news and investigative reports about the persecution of minorities, state-sanctioned violence, and communal politics for a variety of Indian and international publications, such as The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Guardian, The Atlantic, and Foreign Policy. Her best-selling book, Gujarat Files: Anatomy of a Cover-up was released in 2016.

The Modi administration has reacted angrily to Ayyub’s political exposés. Ayyub is one of India’s most harassed and abused reporters, according to the International Centre for Journalists, and the UN special rapporteur has urged Indian government to stop the “relentless misogynistic and sectarian attacks” against her.

source: http://www.radiancenews.com / Radiance News / Home> Pride of the Nation> Awards / by Radiance News Bureau / October 04th, 2024

Aamir Qutub Wins 2024 IABCA Young Professional of the Year Award

Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Community Involvement / Social Issues, COVID 19 - Community of Soldiers, NRI's / PIO's, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

INDIA / AUSTRALIA :

Aamir Qutub, an India-born entrepreneur and CEO of Australian IT multinational Enterprise Monkey, has been awarded the 2024 India Australia Business and Community Alliance (IABCA) Young Professional of the Year Award. The accolade recognizes his exceptional contributions to entrepreneurship and social service in Australia.

Upon receiving the award, Qutub expressed his gratitude in a conversation with Radiance from Australia. “More than a decade ago, when I left my hometown for Australia, I never imagined standing in the grand Parliament Hall, receiving an international award in the presence of the Prime Minister. I am deeply humbled and honored to have received the 2024 IABCA Young Professional of the Year Award.”

Reflecting on his journey, Aamir shared, “This recognition is not just about my individual efforts but highlights the power of community support. From my early days in India to establishing myself in Australia, the backing of people around me has been crucial. This award is for my work as a founder and CEO, where we have created jobs and contributed to the local economy. Our initiative, Angel Next Door, played a key role in helping over 100,000 Australians during the COVID-19 crisis.”

Aamir also offered advice to emerging entrepreneurs in India, encouraging them to pursue their dreams, regardless of their background.

“I come from a middle-class family in a small Tier 3 city, but I dared to dream big. The journey was not easy, but persistence, adaptability, and continuous learning made it possible. Your background does not define your future – your determination does. Every small step you take today contributes to tomorrow’s success,” he said.

Reflecting on his journey, Aamir acknowledged the many people and institutions that played a role in his success.

“From the regional city of Aligarh and the nurturing environment at AMU, where I laid my foundation, to the vibrant city of Geelong, where Deakin University provided me with a platform to grow – this journey has been shaped by countless hands and hearts,” he added.

A proud alumnus of AMU, Aamir has received numerous accolades, including being a finalist for the Australian Young Business Leader Award. He was the youngest General Manager of ICT Geelong and also served as Digital Manager for Australian Sports Tech Network. In the early stages of his career, Aamir worked as a cleaner during the day and a newspaper delivery boy at night to fund his startup. He has also demonstrated his commitment to social causes by spending a night on the streets with other CEOs to experience the life of homelessness, raising awareness for Australians without shelter.

Aamir’s professional journey began with Honda Cars India as a Production Manager before he co-founded the Stand India Foundation, a not-for-profit social venture. He holds an MBA in Information Management from Deakin University and a Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering from AMU, where he served as General Secretary of the AMU Students’ Union.

source: http://www.radiancenews.com / Radiance News / Home> Pride of the Nation> Award> Markers of Excellence> Latest News / by Radiance News Bureau / October 07th, 2024

Book Review: An Account Of A Life In Indian Politics

Amazing Feats, Books (incl.Biographies - w.e.f.01 jan 2018 ), Community Involvement / Social Issues, Leaders, Women/Girls(since May26-2021), , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Barabanki District, UTTAR PRADESH :

This is just not another memoir of a politician happily or unhappily bounds to look back; the author, instead, talks like a grandmother narrating a story of post-independent India somewhat interlinked with the Congress.

Mohsina Kidwai, author of the book ‘My Life in Indian Politics’

Book Review: Non-fiction (Memoir)/2022; My Life in Indian Politics by Mohsina Kidwai (As told to Rasheed Kidwai); HarperCollins, 300pp (Hardback)
 
Indian politics is a sort of ‘wonder’ and its unique existential positioning can’t be imagined without people behind its ups and downs. Reading the memoirs, especially of those who served in public life for long, is amongst the rewarding pastimes of a reader. I read Mohsina Kidwai’s memoir as a manuscript, and of course, I reread it even more carefully in its print version. Here is a candid account of a prominent political figure of India who dispels the stereotyped traditional notions that are usually expected to be self-centred and being extra boastful in the first person narrative.

Mohsina Kidwai has been in public life as a member of the Indian National Congress for over six decades. A cabinet minister in several successive central governments and a senior office-holder in the Congress, she has had a ringside view of Indian politics for almost the entire span of independent India’s existence. She has witnessed, and been a participant in, the tenures of prime ministers from Jawaharlal Nehru to Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, and was a member of parliament until 2016, one of only twenty Muslim women to have been elected to the Lok Sabha since 1951. She has had a prolific track record that can’t be compared with her fellow women politicians, more so, from the Muslim community.

My Life in Indian Politics by Mohsina Kidwai

The book reflects well on her long and eventful life in politics and covers quite skilfully her contributions to public life, and also succeeds in providing an honest appraisal of the turn in fortunes of the political party she has remained a loyal member of over the decades. The author along with co-author and senior journalist Rasheed Kidwai, endow the readers with rare glimpses to homes, lives and hurly-burly of election campaigns from bygone era when Congress dominated the political landscape at centre and in the states.
 
One such memorable one was the Azamgarh bypoll in 1978, which Mohsina Kidwai won as Uttar Pradesh Congress Chief, and which signalled a revival of the Congress’s fortune after its spectacular defeat in the post-Emergency general elections of 1977. The book’s cover informs you and inside, the details and rich and beautifully presented. 
 
We get to see little known facts about India’s Prime Ministers Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and P V Narsimha Rao. Similarly, she is forthright in accepting that her move to join the breakaway Tiwari Congress in 1995 was a mistake.
 
Here is a quick recap of a few of them:
 
Mohsina Kidwai talks about an incident which happened when Lal Bahadur Shastri had visited Barabanki sometime in the early 1950s. “A few years after marriage, I saw Shastriji, who had come to meet my father-in-law. Jameel ur Rahman Kidwai Saab had stood for elections and Shastriji was canvassing for him. Shastriji was a simple man. Our domestic help, who did not recognize him, asked him where he was from. Shastriji, by then already a Union minister, replied that he had come in connection with the election and wished to meet Jameel Saab.
 
“He will return home in the evening,” the domestic help told Shastriji and asked him to wait. Shastriji waited. The servant served him tea.
  
In the evening, when my father-in-law returned, he saw Shastriji waiting.
 
A little embarrassed, my father-in-law scolded the servant for not informing him about the guest. After that Shastriji became a member of our extended family.” 
Some rarest accounts on Indira Gandhi: 
 
“Indiraji was extremely caring and attentive. I can go on talking about many instances. Sometime after the 1977 Lok Sabha polls when Indira ji was in opposition, she planned to visit Badrinath for puja. I and Narayan Dutt Tiwari and I accompanied her. It was an October month. We were told that puja starts at 4 am. Asking us to wait, she went to the temple for Puja. We were to start at 6 am on the return journey to New Delhi. At 5 am, Indiraji returned from the temple and checked whether all the vehicles of our convoy were ready. The pundit of the temple offered us breakfast. When we were having breakfast, the drivers were heating the engines of their respective vehicles. I told Indiraji, we had breakfast but poor drivers must be hungry. They have not even had tea as they were busy heating vehicle engines. I suggested we stop at the first tea shop in return for the drivers to have tea. She agreed.
 
Indiraji had the habit of carrying some snacks with her in a basket during travel. After a while I saw her taking out some biscuits from the basket kept beneath her seat. She tore the biscuits in four pieces and asked the driver to pick the pieces one by one from her hand while driving. She extended her hand carrying biscuit pieces and the driver did what he was told to do. Indiraji used to enjoy such affection and spontaneous display of it that it often stunned me and used to fill my heart with admiration and pride for my leader.”
 
“Indiraji could also sense what people around her were feeling. Once we were traveling by an overnight train to Gorakhpur and I suddenly realised I was alone with the Prime Minister in the first-class coupe. She sensed that I was a little uncomfortable and directed me to turn my face towards the wall and go off to sleep,” adds the author.

Undeniably, the book is written with honesty and simplicity, and should be better known as a work to assess an entire era in Indian politics. This is just not another memoir of a politician happily or unhappily bound to look back. She, instead, talks like a grandmother narrating a story of post-independent India somewhat interlinked with the Congress. The book is essential reading for anyone interested in knowing India, its democracy and the foundational stories of a remarkable journey.
 
(The author is a policy professional, columnist and writer with a special focus on South Asia. Views expressed are personal.)

source: http://www.outlook.com / Outlookindia.com / Home> Culture & Society> Book Review / by Atul K Thakur / January 07th, 2023

2024 Haryana Assembly to have 05 Muslim MLAs

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HARYANA :

The total number of Muslims winning the 2024 Haryana elections is 02 more than their tally in 2019 and 2014

Nuh MLA Aftab Ahmed with LoP Rahul Gandhi in a file photo.

2024 Haryana Assembly Election Results: 

A total of 05 Muslims – all from the Congress party, have won the 2024 Haryana Assembly elections results of which were announced on Tuesday October 08, 2024.

The total number of Muslims winning the 2024 Haryana elections is 02 more than their tally in 2019 and 2014.

Haryana has a Muslim population of about 7%, and the state assembly has a total of 90 seats. Based on their population and the number of seats in the state assembly, representation of Muslims should have been higher.

List of Muslims who won the 2024 Haryana Elections

  1. Mannan Khan (Mamman Khan) of Congress (Ferozepur Jhirka)
  2. Aftab Ahmed of Congress (Nuh)
  3. Mohd Ilyas of Congress (Punhana)
  4. Akram Khan of Congress (Jagadhri)
  5. Mohd Israeil of Congress (Hathin)

Aftab Ahmed, sitting MLA, former minister and Vice President of Haryana Congress, has defeated Tahir Hussain of Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) by more than 46,000 votes.

On the other hand, Mamman Khan defeated Naseem Ahmed, a BJP candidate, by 98,441 votes to win the Ferozepur Jhirka seat.

Congress candidates Mohammad Ilyas defeated Rahish Khan (Independent) and Mohd Aizaz Khan of BJP in Punhana.

Mohd Israel defeated his immediate rival Manoj Kumar of BJP in Hathin seat andTayub Hussain urf Nazir Ahmed. Akram Khan won the Jadaghdri assemby seat defeating Kanwar Pal of BJP.

According to the final result announced by the Election Commission, the ruling BJP has won 48 seats, Congress has won 38 seats, Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) has won 02 seats and Independent candidates have won 03 seats.

A party needs the support of at least 45 MLAs to form government in the state. Results, however, indicate that the state will have a hung house.

source: http://www.ummid.com / Ummid.com / Home> Haryana Elections Results 2024 / by Ummid.com News Network / October 08th, 2024

When Syed Ahmad Barelvi asked a Maratha to join hands against British

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

BRITISH INDIA / Rae Barelli ( United Provinces of Agra & Oudh), UTTAR PRADESH :

Freedom movement in Bihar

The British used the policy of dividing Indian resistance against their rule based on religions, castes, languages, regions, etc. They used historians to write about Indian history as a constant conflict among different religions, especially between Hindus and Muslims. The propaganda was so successful that even today, after more than seven decades of Independence Indian scholars repeat these distorted versions of history.

A Slice Of History

Syed Ahmad Barelvi, or Syed Ahmad Shahid, of Rai Bareilly, is a freedom fighter whose image was distorted by historians employed by the british. The perception is that Syed Ahmad was a fanatical militant Muslim leader who waged war against Sikhs and Hindus. His movement was erroneously called Wahabi by colonial officials to create rifts among Muslims in particular and Indians in general.

The fact is that Syed Ahmad was a military leader who wanted to reform Muslim society during the early 19th century. He organised Muslims against extravagance, promoted widow remarriage, and asked people to follow the path of religion. Like most of the movements of that period, his movement also became political. Foreign rule was considered one of the major reasons for the backwardness and corruption among the Indian Muslims. His teacher, Shah Abdul Aziz was the first to pronounce a fatwa to boycott and fight against British rule.

Contrary to popular opinion, Syed Ahmad did not raise arms to establish an Islamic state. His movement was not limited to Muslims, let alone Wahabis. In 1957, K. K. Datta wrote History of the Freedom Movement in Bihar, which was a project by the Government of Bihar.

In the book, he published a letter by Syed Ahmad which was given to him by his research assistant F. Balkhi. This letter was written to Raja Hindu Rai, a Maratha chief of the Scindia clan.

Syed Ahmad asked Raja to join hands with him against the British. The letter reads, “It is apparent to you that unfriendly foreigners of a distant land have become master of the country, that traders have assumed the dignity of ‘Sultanate’ and destroyed the rule of great rulers and chieftainship of high-placed chiefs by depriving them of their respect and honour.”

“Since the rulers and statesmen have sought refuge in privacy, a band of poor and helpless persons have girded up their loins. This weak band does not aspire to any worldly gains. They are inspired by the spirit of service to God without the least desire for wealth and power.

“The moment India is cleared of the foreigners and the arrow of efforts reaches its target, the offices and rulership shall remain intact for those who want it and their dignity and power shall be strengthened. This weak band wants only this much from the great rulers and high dignitaries that while they occupy the masnad of rulership, service to Islam with heart and soul should be done.

“Although this poor band has not got ample means, yet by the desire of the Lord, it is glad and cheerful and detests the desire for power and pelf, and keeps its hands off from wealth and riches which they do not want to enjoy either now or in future.

Any one of the rulers of old states that may come forward to help will only be strengthening the foundation of his state. The purport of this affectionate letter will truly be explained to you in detail by Haji Bahadur Shah who is an old associate of mine.”

In another letter, Syed Ahmad wrote that his intent was not to carve out a state for himself to rule, or to establish a new system. He wanted to kick the Europeans out of India and let Indians, Hindus, and Muslims, rule among themselves like they were living before British imperialism.

source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Story / by Saquib Salim / September 28th, 2024