On the occasion of Eid Milad-un-Nabi, muslim community members under the patronage of Jumma Masjid Trust Board organized a blood donation camp at Hazrat Khudus Saheb Eidgah (Khadriya Masjid, Bengaluru), Crescent School in Basavangudi and Chirayu Hospital in Thanisandra on Tuesday.
Over 500 hundred units of blood were collected during the camp through Jeevaraksha Blood Bank, Mediscope Hospital and St Philomenas Hospital.
The camp was organized in association with Emergency Response Team (ERT) Bengaluru, Karol Foundation, Zubeida Sulaiman Charitable Trust and Sunni Jamiyat-Ul-Ulama All Karnataka among others.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bengaluru / by Special Correspondent / Bengaluru – October 19th, 2021
AS they say – think individually, act globally – BENFA is doing just that. BENFA (Bengaluru Friends Alliance) was born with the common goal and the collective efforts of a group of doctors to help the underprivileged section of society. The organization extends financial help to the poor and helps them overcome their financial hurdles in education and healthcare.
Talking about the organization Dr. Saleem Mehkri, Vice President and Trustee, said, “We were already into helping poor Muslim population with their education and health issues.
Then, it was planned by Dr. Suhel Pasha to establish an umbrella organization to facilitate their charity works on a large scale. The organization primarily addresses a large number of poor Muslims and deserving non-Muslims, too.”
Dr. Suhel Pasha, President, BENFA, said, “Twenty percent of the city’s population lives in slums with the lowest standard of education, inefficient healthcare, lack of necessities, and most importantly low standard of living. Even today, one-third of the slum dwellers fall below the poverty line with an income of less than Rs. 2500 per month. So, to help these poor populations, BENFA was established in October 2020.”
BENFA is a registered charitable trust focusing on education, healthcare, and socio-economic empowerment of underprivileged parts of society. How BENFA assists in empowering the disadvantaged? Answered Abdul Mateen, BENFA General Secretary, “We have recently launched a micro-credit scheme to provide loans to the deserving women and men to start their small trades. The loans we give are free of interest. So, they have to return only the principal loan amount without any interest.”
Dr. Saleem informed, “We have launched schemes not only to empower poor men and women financially, but we also aim to empower them through adult education schemes. We provide education and training to unemployed youngsters/adults as per their skills and help them get government or private jobs. We have helped students to pay their fees and paid hospital bills too.”
According to Dr. Saleem, around five people are benefitted every week through their microcredit scheme. So, how does the organization arrange its finances? Replied Dr. Saleem, “We have around 500 members, including 400 male members and 100 female members, who voluntarily contribute and help run the organization successfully. Nobody is forced to contribute.”
Besides these programmes, BENFA actively distributes rations during Eid-Ul-Fitr, performs Qurbani/sacrifices during Eid-Al-Adha, and distributes meat amongst low-income families. Furthermore, BENFA has several groups focusing on different areas, namely-BEEP for education, BHCP for healthcare, BSSP for socio-economic support, BMCS for microcredit schemes, and BALP for adult learning programs.
That is not all. BENFA is slowly and steadily adding more to its activities for the betterment of society. Lately, in collaboration with the field experts, BENFA has organized several webinars related to health and education topics. Pointed out to Dr. Suhel, “We organized webinars to educate people on several issues that focus on health, education, amongst others. We also organize career counselling for youth. We invite experts to address the relevant topics.”
BENFA also played an active role amidst the raging COVID 19 by supplying oxygen to the patients. As Dr. Pasha said, “We supplied oxygen cylinders during COVID 19 and spread awareness regarding the vaccine and also organized a webinar to help people prepare themselves during COVID crisis.”
Dr. Saleem urged people to join the organization as members to extend help to a large number of underprivileged people.
source: http://www.indiatomorrow.net / India Tomorrow / Home> Development> Features / by Rashida Bakait / October 16th, 2021
Soha bags fourth title of the season at AITA women’s tennis event
Bengaluru:
Soha Sadiq came back from a set down to beat Akanksha Nitture of Maharashtra in the final as she bagged her third singles crown of the season at the AITA women’s tennis tournament played under the aegis of KSLTA here on Saturday.
The top seed from Karnataka beat Akanksha 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 to end the tournament with a fine double. Overall, this was Soha’s fourth title of the season as she and Akanksha had won the doubles crown on Friday.
After heavy rains had delayed the start of the final by more than two hours, the 23-year-old Soha dominated the proceedings from the start and was soon 4-1 up. However, she lost the momentum which was quickly grabbed by her opponent as third seed Akanksha went on to win five games on the trot to take the first set, according to information reaching here.
The second set saw both the rivals fight hard for each point until the sixth game with the scores being level. It was then that Soha stepped up on the gas and closed out the set at 6-3.
Soha, after a 2-1 lead, broke Akanksha’s serve in the fourth game of the decider which saw both of them reach deuce five times before the latter succumbed. There was no stopping Soha from that point as she just marched away with the set and the match.
“I am happy to win my third singles title of the season. I didn’t expect it to be a three-setter but luckily I found my rhythm when I needed it most,” Soha, who has just graduated in Commerce from Mount Carmel’s College, was quoted as saying by the KSLTA in a release.
Results (Seedings in pre-fix, States in brackets) Women’s Singles (Final): 1-Soha Sadiq (KAR) bt 3-Akanksha Nitture (MAH) 4-6, 6-3, 6-1.
(IANS)
source: http://www.ommcomnews.com / Ommcom News / Home> Sports / by Ommcom News / October 09th, 2021
Dubai was a drastically different city four decades ago — and Amjad Shahbandari has seen it all.
These days, first-time visitors to Dubai marvel at the sight of the towering Burj Khalifa. But back in the 1980s, Indian expat Amjad Shahbandari experienced the same feeling when he saw the Dubai World Trade Centre and Deira Clocktower.
In the olden days, Dubai was a drastically different city — and Amjad has seen it all.
Four decades ago, a person could buy a car load of fruits and vegetables from Al Hamriya Market for just Dh25. High-rise buildings were a rarity. A taxi from Dubai to Abu Dhabi cost just Dh5.
But now, Amjad, a resident of 44 years, is bidding goodbye to his second home today.
“When I came to Dubai, I never had any idea as to how long I will live in this city. And now, life will be tough after staying here for almost all my life,” he said.
Hailing from Bhatkal, a coastal town in the southern state of Karnataka, India, Amjad arrived in Dubai on August 15, 1977. At the time, only a few Indian cities had connectivity to Dubai and some were layover destinations for international carriers.
“I flew from Bombay by Biman Bangladesh Airlines and it was the first of day of the holy month of Ramadan that year. The food provided by the airline crew was very tasty. And that may be a reason people from India travelled by Biman,” Amjad said.
He recalled being stuck at the Dubai airport for a few hours because none of his cousins or friends came to pick him up.
“The moment any traveller lands in Dubai, their eyes search for the Burj Khalifa. The feeling was the same for the mighty World Trade Centre and the Deira Clocktower back then,” he said.
After working a few odd jobs, Amjad got a job as an accountant at Fugro Middle East in 1978 and later served as the public relations officer for the company. Having worked at the same company for 43 years, Amjad is now saying goodbye.
“Leaving a place like Dubai is a grief that cannot be expressed in words,” he said. “It can just be felt and I am quite sure many have experienced this grief.”
Remembering the good old days
People who lived in Dubai decades ago never could have imagined what the city is now, Amjad said.
“It is something only His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai could have visualised,” he said. “Back then, none of us had the slightest of idea that from just a creek town, the city would have towers ascending and tearing through the clouds.”
The lifeline of the city back then was the abra — the main public transport available at the time.
“The taxis were very cheap and people were dependent mostly on abra rides to cross the creek,” he said.
Amjad had a few relatives in Abu Dhabi, and travelled by taxi once a month to visit them.
“People shared taxis in the 1980s to go to Abu Dhabi and it was just Dh5 for a one-way travel. The journey to the Capital felt long and tiring. But after the massive world-class infrastructure developed in the country, travelling to Abu Dhabi is just a cake walk,” he said.
Amjad, who received his driving license in 1984, said the process was stressful, but having a license was a matter of prestige.
“It took about eight months to get my driving license, as we got the assessment dates once every three to six months,” he said.
Moreover, there were no driving schools and those who wanted to learn how to drive had to take private classes.
Expecting the unexpected
In the 80s, Amjad said he and other Dubai residents thought the housing and commercial rent may decline in the coming years, but it never happened.
“We always thought the rent will decrease, but it never did. The development was lightning fast and the thought that rents might decrease vanished,” he said.
The landscape of Dubai changed every decade, he added.
“Dubai is different every 10 years. Before, it was just the World Trade Centre that was visible from afar, and now it’s hundreds of buildings,” he said.
At the time, there were only two malls.
“Wafi Mall and Al Ghurair were the two favourite places of residents and if you see now, there are countless malls,” he said.
A city for sports and art
Expats from India, Bangladesh and Pakistan frequented cricket matches at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. Amjad still remembers the semi-final match between India and Pakistan during Rothmans Four-Nations Cup at the venue.
“March 22, 1985 was one of the most exciting days. We had been to the match and the Kapil Dev-led team was all out for 125,” he said.
After watching the first innings, he and his friends returned home disheartened with no intention of watching the second half.
“It was a Friday and it was our rest day. When we had been out in the evening, everyone was in a jovial mood as the Imran Khan-led side was all wicket down at 87 runs,” he said. “Witnessing such important events in this country cannot be forgotten.”
In addition to sports, Amjad said he has seen many cultural events, including performances by Indian poets Kaifi Azmi and Anjum Rehbar.
An ardent reader of Khaleej Times, Amjad added that he has proudly preserved the first edition of the paper.
“Khaleej Times is a gift to the UAE. It was the first English paper and expats depend on it for authentic and clear news,” he said.
He has also collected currencies of almost every nation as well as a few thousand telephone cards, 600 of which are Etisalat cards. “I have a few albums with currencies of every nation. It was a hobby and then developed into a passion.”
Amjad, who has three sons and a daughter, is flying to Mangalore, but plans to visit his second home regularly.
ayaz@khaleejtimes.com
source: http://www.khaleejtimes.com / Khaleej Times / Home> Year of the 50th / by SM Ayaz Zakir / September 23rd, 2021
Soundari Sindy (left), winner in Girls category and Mohd Rafiq who achieved a double
Chennai:
Bengaluru’s Mohd Rafiq dominated the opening day’s proceedings in the second round of MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Drag Racing Championship 2021 at the MMRT, here on Saturday, with a grand double while local challenger, Soundari Sindy topped the Girls category.
Rafiq was in imperious form as he won in both 2-Stroke 165cc and 130cc categories quite comfortably. After a disappointing practice run, he clocked 12.761 seconds in the Final Run of the 165cc class ahead of Chennai’s Prashanth (12.817) and Aiyaz Rem (12.969) for the 400-metre dash.
Earlier, Rafiq took the honours in the 130cc category with 12.962 seconds, followed by two others from Bengaluru, Touheed (13.438) and Abdul G (13.513).
Sindy emerged triumphant in a three-way battle in the Girls category (4-Stroke 165cc) as she overcame fellow-Chennai competitors Lani Zena Fernandez and Nivetha Jessica.
The two-day event concludes on Sunday when four-stroke bikes, including the superbikes, will be seen in action.
The results:
Girls (4-stroke, up to 165cc): 1. Soundari Sindy (Chennai) (16.462secs); 2. Lani Zena Fernandez (Chennai) (16.522); 3. Nivetha Jessica (Chennai) (17.291).
2-Stroke (up to 165cc):1. Mohd Rafiq (Bengaluru) (12.761); 2. Prashanth (Chennai) (12.817); 3. Aiyaz Rem (12.969).
Up to 130cc: 1. Mohd Rafiq (12.962); 2. Touheed (Bengaluru) (13.438); 3. Abdul G (Bengaluru) (13.513).
source: http://www.telanganatoday.com / Telangana Today / Home> Sport> Other Sports / by Telangana Today / October 02nd, 2021
Mysuru-boy Mustafa M. Raja, who won the Provincial Championships in British Columbia last month and was selected for the Nationals to be held in Montreal, Quebec, did well and emerged National Doubles Champion. Mustafa also came third in Singles.
The 14-year-old played consistent tennis all week at the 14-and-under Nationals held at the Carrefour Tennis Centre from Sept. 20 to 26. Tournament was held outdoors on clay courts.
In the Doubles finals, Mustafa and his partner Eric defeated Owen and Scotty. Mustafa and Eric came back from one set down and held their nerves to win the Nationals with the score of 2,6 6,4 and 10-7.
In the Singles, Mustafa lost to Adam in the semi-finals but won the match for the third spot against Andy Kepche with the score of 6,1 and 6,1 to get the third spot.
Mustafa, representing British Columbia, also won silver in the team standings of the provinces.
Mustafa was awarded a trophy for the National Doubles Champion, trophy for the third place in Singles and a silver medal for the provincial standings. With this performance, Mustafa will break into top 5 Singles rankings in Canada. Mustafa trains at the Tennis Centre in Vancouver and goes to Sullivan Heights Secondary School.
Mustafa, son of Murtuza Raja and Farida Raja, earlier train at the Nagaraj Tennis Centre in Mysuru for seven years and attended Excel Public School in Mysuru.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Sport / October 01st, 2021
Indian Social Forum Riyadh, Karnataka state committee held its committee election for term 2021-2024 on October 1 here.
pix: /twitter.com/SocialForum_Ksa
The committee elected Abdul Majid Punjalkatte as president, Sirajuddin Sajipa as general secretary, Umar Farooq Somawarpete as vice president, Jawad Basrur and Asghar Aboobakar Chakmaki as secretaries. Nizam Bajpe, Mihaf Sulthan, Nazeer Handel and Faisal Ammembala were elected as state committee members.
Indian Social Forum central committee members Haris Vavad and Mohammed were the returning officers who conducted the election process.
Outgoing president Sabith Bajpe addressed the gathering and urged the committee to continue its people-oriented initiatives and make the forum much stronger in the kingdom. General secretary Siraj Sajipa presented the three years’ activity report to the gathering.
Siddiq Madikeri rendered the vote of thanks.
source: http://www.daijiworld.com / Daijiworld.com / Home> Middle East / by Media Release / October 03rd, 2021
Alijanab Abdul Jabbar (90), former owner of Sterling Theatre in city and Secretary of Masjid-e-Rahmania at Agrahara, passed away yesterday morning in city.
A PWD Contractor and a resident of Siddapa Square, he leaves behind his children, relatives and friends.
Namaz-e -Janaza was held at Rahmania Masjid in Rahmania Mohalla this morning followed by the burial at the Muslim Burial Grounds on Mysuru-Ooty Road, according to a family sources.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / February 03rd, 2021
The ‘Green Walkathon – 2021’ organized by Beary’s Group was initiated in front of Mangala Auditorium of Mangalore University on Saturday September 25 morning.
The Green Walkathon, which is a part of the International Green Week – 2021 that started from in front of the university’s Mangala Auditorium moved towards Beary’s Turning Point at Deralakatte.
Mangalore University vice-chancellor, Dr P Subrahmanya Yadapadithaya, said that the environment will automatically become clean if our minds are clean. “We are following the policy of keeping our lives ahead of nature. For our lives to be saved, nature is very important. Therefore, we should join hands to conserve nature,” he stated.
Speaking after presiding over the programme, Beary’s Group president, Syed Muhammad Beary, felt that there is a need to create awareness to encourage a clean and green city. “Nature offers us several gifts. But it is important what we give in return to nature. We cut down many trees when constructing a house or building but we do not take care to plant a tree. Nature becomes green only if we keep planting the saplings. The walkathon is aimed at creating awareness about love of nature and clean environment,” he stated.
Syed Muhammad Beary said that environment in the world keeps on changing and it has cast grave influence on the hman beings. “Therefore, the humans have to strive to protect our earth. We are nothing in front of nature. We are not bigger than nature. We will survive only if we preserve nature,” he stated.
BIT principal, Dr S I Manzoor Pasha, welcomed, BEADS principal A R Ashok Mendonca, Dr Azuz Mustafa, Venkatesh Pai, Santosh D’Souza, BIT – ECE head of the department, Dr Abdulla Gubbi and others were present.
source: http://www.daijiworld.com / Daijiworld.com / Home> Top Stories / by Mohan Kuthar, Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (SP) / September 25th, 2021
Fish, which usually was found on the table during the dinner or lunch of coastal people has now been presented in the form of a crispy eatable which can become a regular item along with tea. The fish chakkuli (chakli) made by four women has succeeded in winning over the hearts of the fish lovers.
Savitri H S, Shaheeda Begum, Naseema an Harishiya, members of Samagra Sanjeevini self-help group of Layila, Beltangady taluk, have sold about 45 kg fish chakkuli during the last 18 days. They sell four varieties of fish chakkuli, i.e. Palak, pepper, Khara and ordinary (saada). Shaheeda Begum and Naseema said they have prepared products like Koduble, Happalam, Sandige and other products by using fish.
Speaking to Daijiworld.com, Savithri said, “We underwent training from August 23 to 28 at Fisheries College. NABARD, Fisheries College, Bharathiya Vikas Trust, Manipal helped us a lot to take up the manufacturing of fish snacks. From September 1, we started with an investment of Rs 25,000. So far, in the last 22 days, we have prepared around 60 kg fish snacks.”
Savitri said that this value added product can be kept for 45 to 50 days and they do not spoil.
Customers who have purchased the fish snacks said that the chakkuli gives the taste of eating the fish itself.
source: http://www.daijiworld.com / Daijiworld.com / Home> Top Stories / by Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (SP) / September 24th, 2021
