Amina had taken a loan from the Keechery Service Co-Operative Bank for the wedding of their daughter by mortgaging their land and house.
The bank will return the documents for the land after changing it to Amina’s name at the earliest, officials said. (Photo| EPS)
Kochi :
Amina’s family will sleep peacefully at their home in Kanjiramattom, a suburb in Kochi, free from the fear of bank attachment, thanks to the large-heartedness of NRI businessman MA Yusuf Ali.
She had been spending sleepless nights and had forgotten what it felt like to have a normal day due to a bank loan, which the family struggled to repay.
Amina had taken a loan from the Keechery Service Co-Operative Bank for the wedding of their daughter by mortgaging their land and house. The land and house were under bank attachment due to the default in repayment. Her savings were used for the treatment of her husband, and there is no money left to pay the recovery amount.
On Sunday, Amina rushed to Panangad to meet Yusuf Ali, who had come to the village to visit Rajesh and his family, who rescued the Lulu group chairman after his helicopter crash-landed early this year. As soon as Yusuf Ali heard about Amina’s distress, he instructed his coworkers to deposit the money and pay off her loan amount at the earliest.
Amina never thought that her problems would be solved quickly when she expressed her grief over the threat of losing her home to the bank to Yusuf Ali. Amina’s husband Syed Mohammad is suffering from cancer.
On Monday, Amina and her husband were informed that someone had come to visit them. Both of them rushed to the place and were clueless about the visitors. They asked the visitors who they were and the purpose of their visit.
The visitors were the employees of Lulu Group. Though Amina didn’t understand who they were initially, the employees of Lulu told them that they had paid off the loan amount of Rs 3,81,160 that the couple owed to the bank. Amina and her husband were beyond belief when the media coordinator of Lulu Group NB Swaraj, handed over the receipt of the repayment of loan and interest to Amina. He also handed over a sum of Rs 50,000, including medical expenses, to the couple for treatment expenses on Yusuf Ali’s instructions.
The loan amount of Rs 2,14,242, and a total of Rs 3,81,160 including interest and penalty interest, was deposited by Yusuf Ali in the bank. The bank will return the documents for the land after changing it to Amina’s name at the earliest, officials said.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Good News / by Express News Service / December 07th, 2021
Numismatists and real estate mogul Rezwan Razack was conferred an honorary doctorate on Tuesday by GD Goenka University.
The honorary doctorate was conferred on him during a special convocation attended by Chancellor of the GD Goenka University Renu Goenka, Pro-Chancellor Nipun Goenka, Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr Tabrez Ahmad, Chairman of M3M group Basant Bansal, and Registrar of the university Dr Dhirendra Singh Parihar. Prof. Dr Tabrez Ahmad, Vice-Chancellor of the GD Goenka University, praised Razack for his contribution to numismatic studies and research.
Rezwan Razack is Co-Founder and Joint MD of Bangalore-based Prestige Group and is hailed as the largest collector of Indian currency. He is also the founder of South India’s first currency museum in Bengaluru, one of the largest and most authentic collections of Indian paper money and coins. He is co-author of the Revised Standard Reference Guide to Indian Paper Money.
After receiving the honorary doctorate from the GD Goenka University Razack said it was an honour for him. A graduate of prestigious St. Joseph College Razack is also the current chairman of the International Bank Notes Society-India Banknote Collectors’ Chapter.
source: http://www.thecognate.com / The Cognate / Home> Business / by The Cognate News Desk / November 25th, 2021
Ebrahim served time on Robben Island as a political prisoner alongside Mandela, Kathrada and others.
Ebrahim Ismail Ebrahim (Twitter Yeni Ozgur Politika)
Ebrahim Ismail Ebrahim, an Indian-origin anti-apartheid icon who spent years imprisoned on Robben Island alongside Nelson Mandela and Ahmed Kathrada, has died. He was 84, South Africa’s ruling party African National Congress (ANC) has announced.
Ebrahim died after a long illness at his home here on Monday, the party said in a statement on Monday.
“The ANC learnt with deep sadness of the passing of Ebrahim Ismail Ebrahim. We offer our heartfelt condolences to his wife and children, as well as their extended family, friends and comrades,” it said in the statement shared on Twitter.
“Comrade Ebi, as he was affectionately known, was a longstanding member of the ANC, a patriot who served his country in different capacities with humility, dedication and distinction,” the party said.
Ebrahim served time on Robben Island as a political prisoner alongside Mandela, Kathrada and others. After his father was arrested twice for defying laws that restricted the movement of Indians in South Africa, he joined the liberation struggle at the age of 13.
He often stated how he had been inspired by the Satyagraha style of Mahatma Gandhi, which he used in his passionate representation of the ANC in global conflict situations in Sri Lanka, Palestine, Rwanda, Kosovo, Bolivia and Nepal.
Ebrahim was arrested in 1963 and imprisoned on Robben Island, where he shared a cell with former president Jacob Zuma, whose role in state capture and corruption he later decried.
After his release, Ebrahim went into exile to continue his work with the ANC, but was abducted by apartheid-era security police from neighbouring Swaziland, tortured and sentenced to a second term on Robben Island.
He obtained two university degrees while on Robben Island.
After the release of all political prisoners and the election of Mandela as South Africa’s first democratic president, Ebrahim served in various capacities, including as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Parliamentary Counsellor to Mandela.
Sharing their condolences, the human rights organisation #Africa4Palestine acknowledged the role Ebrahim played in the ANC resolution for the immediate and unconditional downgrade of the South African Embassy in Israel to a Liaison Office in 2017.
The Congress of Business and Economics, an offshoot of the erstwhile Transvaal Indian Congress, honoured Ebrahim with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018.
“Comrade Ebie, as he was fondly known, recalled at the time how he had spent half of his adult life in prison but that he would do it all over again if he had to because of his firm belief in struggling for peace, justice and the end of the scourge of apartheid and racism across the world,” said CBE Executive Director Yusuf Moosajee.
“In all my interactions with Ebie, both locally and abroad, he was always passionate about South Africa and its role in world politics,” said internationally-renowned filmmaker Anant Singh in a tribute.
source: http://www.indianexpress.com / The Indian Express / Home> World / by PTI, Johannesburg / December 07th, 2021
Mysore Amity Round Table-156, in association with Pyramid Timber Pvt. Ltd., Round Table Luxemburg and Mysore Amity Ladies Circle-108 donated critical Operation Theatre equipment to MMA Hospital in Rajivnagar, Mysuru.
RTI Area 13 Chairman T.R. Vinay inaugurated the event in the presence of Area 13 Vice- Chairman H.H. Ram, MART-156 Chairman Hussain Vagh, MALC- 108 Chairperson Swathi Vagh, Area 13 Chairperson Sapna Kushal, floor tablers, President of MMA Hospital Khadeer Ahmed and Secretary Khaleem Ahmed.
MMA Hospital is run by a non-profit Charitable Trust and has 30 beds. The hospital had a need of critical equipment in their operation theatre and Mysore Amity Round Table-156 was able to support by providing OT table, OT light and anaesthesia machine, worth a total of Rs. 5 lakh to meet the needs of the hospital.
Speaking on the occasion, Hussain Vagh, said “Good quality equipment is critical at hospitals. We at Mysore Amity Round Table-156 raise funds to be given where there is a need.”
Over the past 15 years, Mysore Amity Round Table- 156 has constructed over 30 classrooms and 20 toilet blocks at Government-aided schools. Further, several medical treatments for patients and equipment and consumables to hospitals have been provided through various initiatives.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / November 27th, 2021
The 10th All India Minorities Business Summit and National Brand Awards for 2021, an initiative from Mumbai-based Maeeshat Media was organised at Kala Mandir, Kolkata and attended by hundreds of business leaders, delegates, entrepreneurs, social workers from across the country.
The summit provided a great opportunity for the participants from minority communities to come together on one platform to exchange their ideas, opinions, and strategies to drive up business activities both at the personal and community level.
As many as 15 women entrepreneurs working in different fields marked their presence at the event and got the opportunity to showcase their business models to a larger audience in a special segment called “Women Entrepreneurs Showcase 2021.”
Several issues afflicting women entrepreneurship came to the fore due to talks given by women attendees. The biggest obstacle for them is society’s attitude of discounting women’s ability to work beyond the household chores, let alone set up a business.
According to them, people fail to understand that if they are allowed to lead aspirational lives within the boundaries of Islamic laws, not only a family but also the community will benefit at large.
They stressed that with the world changing at a startling pace, minority communities must loosen the shackles on women, letting them pursue their entrepreneurial goals in a more free and welcoming environment.
“During the last two decades, women’s entrepreneurship has been recognized as a vital source of economic growth. Today women have made their existence felt in society by occupying prominent positions in the economy,” Sania Sami, Research Scholar, IISWBM and founder of Indian Institute of Research said.
All the entrepreneur women were high on praise for Maeeshat’s initiative to bring them together and recognise their entrepreneurial skills and hard work.
Maeeshat Media’s Director and group Editor expressed his gratitude and satisfaction over women entrepreneurs gracing the momentous occasion.
He said Maeeshat is committed to connecting minority women entrepreneurs across the country, showcasing their skills, and giving them expert advice so that they are enabled to leap forward in their businesses.
Such summits are annually organised by Maeeshat Media since 2010. This year’s event gave special focus on ensuring the participation of women entrepreneurs.
Here is the list of women entrepreneur attendees at 10th All India Business Summit 2021, Kolkata:
Name Entrepreneurial Business/Venture
Shumaila Khalid Juwi’s Elegant Fashion, Kolkata
Aalima Rahman Little Stars School, Kolkata
Nageena Eram Eram’s Academy, Kolkata
Zareen Khan ALINA SCOOTY TRAINING CENTER, Kolkata
Saba Hamid AKASH PAINTS & CHEMICAL WORKS, Kolkata
Afrin Golam She Fitness Ladies Gym, Kolkata
Arshia Ahmed Arshia’s Kitchen, Kolkata
Tanzeem Rahman Adn Interiors–feel the garden of Eden, Kolkata
Saima Bakhtiyar/Anjum Wasim Al Nikah Matrimonial, Kolkata
Jahan Ara Interiors Designer, Kolkata
Saiqa Azam Sabia’s Creation, Kolkata
Sabina Yasmin Velvet Touch, A Boutique of Choice
Miss Tasmiya Ansari Anees Defence Institute, Pune
Mrs Sania Sami Indian Institute of Research, Kolkata
source: http://www.mulimmirror.com / Muslim Mirror / Home> Economy / by Muslim Mirror Staff / November 24th, 2021
The story of what used to be Bengal’s highest seat of power and of some who braved the ascent
SOVEREIGN STONE : The throne of the Subedars of Bengal (in the foreground) at Victoria Memorial Hall in Calcutta / Paromita Sen
In the circular throne room of Hazarduari, or the palace of a thousand doors, in Murshidabad sits a solid silver chair on a marble platform whose fretwork shows signs of having once been gilded. That intricately carved chair, shaded by an intricately worked silver umbrella, used to be the seat of the nawabs of Bengal.
The maroon velvet cushioned throne, no bigger than a dining chair, might make one wonder how comfortable Siraj ud-Daulah would have been seated on it — after all, it is believed he was nearly seven-feet tall. It most definitely could not have been shared by two as was the black stone throne of Bengal.
In 1766, Robert Clive shared the black stone throne with Najm ud Dowla, second son of Mir Jafar. The East India Company had been granted the dewani of Subah Bangla by the then Mughal emperor. “Clive, as a representative of the company, sat on the throne because he had the right to collect revenue, while the Nawab had the right to dispense justice,” explains Santanu Biswas, amateur historian and Murshidabad resident.
Should you wonder into the Durbar Hall of Calcutta’s Victoria Memorial, you will find a low black table. You might be tempted to put your feet up on it — it is that inconspicuous. But that is it — the erstwhile musnud or throne of Subah Bangla. The throne that was once Shah Shuja’s, son of Shah Jahan; Murshid Quli Khan’s, after whom Murshidabad is named; Alivardi Khan’s, who stopped the Bargi attacks; Siraj ud-Daulah’s, the last independent Nawab of Bengal; the infamous Mir Jafar’s and Clive’s.
The throne is not round but 16-sided; each facet has a simple design inscribed and one of them bears a Persian inscription that declares it was made by “humblest of slaves, Khwajah Nazar of Bokhara” in Munger, Bihar, on November 11, 1641.
How did someone from Bukhara in Uzbekistan end up in Munger? Says Jayanta Sengupta, secretary and curator of Victoria Memorial Hall, “The Mughals were originally from that region. A lot of people came with them. Some kept the place of their origin as part of their name even after having lived in India for generations. It had prestige value.” So, Nazar may never have seen Bukhara.
Back to the musnud. The 18-inch-high platform, six-feet in diameter and sitting on four fat legs, is carved from a single block of black slate from the Kharkpur or Kharagpur Hills. A framed write-up at the memorial states that the throne must have belonged to Sultan Shuja and had originally been kept at Rajmahal (in what is now Jharkhand) before being moved to Dhaka and then Murshidabad (by Murshid Quli Khan) as the capital of Subah Bangla changed.
In Murshidabad too, the throne often changed residence. Mir Jafar, for instance, was enthroned in his palace in Mansurganj, on the western bank of the Bhagirathi, while Clive was enthroned in Motijheel Palace on the eastern bank. It seemed to be the practice for the throne to be moved to wherever the Nawab resided.
The throne is an austere structure. “In India it was always a takht or platform,” says Urvi Mukhopadhyay, associate professor at West Bengal State University. The chair-like throne is a European concept and came later. According to Mukhopadhyay, who is a medieval history expert, the king would always kneel on the throne as it was rude to display his feet.
The throne itself was not made of valuable material, its value derived from the post of the man who sat on it. Says Mukhopadhyay, “It was usually made of stone. You can still see Shah Jahan’s marble throne at the Red Fort, though guides are likely to tell you that it is a platform on which the throne was placed.” There was also a beautifully-embroidered chandoya or canopy over the throne and a richly embroidered screen behind it. The musnud of Murshidabad had four holes in four corners through which the poles that held the canopy were set.
The only readily-available photograph of the black stone musnud shows it in its unadorned state on the terrace before the Moti Mahal of Murshidabad’s Mubarak Manzil. This area was once called Findallbagh after the Briton who developed it.
Mubarak Ali Khan II, better known as Humayun Jah, was the great great grandson of Mir Jafar and the man who built Hazarduari. He bought Findallbagh in 1830 and built the Moti Mahal and the pleasure garden around it that he named Mubarak Manzil. He gave the throne of the Nawab Nazims of Bengal pride of place, but he held court in Hazarduari, on the silver throne that is called the chair of judgement of Humayun Jah.
In The Musnud of Murshidabad (1905), Purna Chandra Majumdar writes, “Drops of reddish liquid issue from certain parts of the stone which when dried up leaves stains, perhaps due to the presence of iron. These are, however, popularly regarded as tears which have flowed ever since the Subadars of Bengal handed the dewani over to the East India Company.”
At the height of their power the nawabs of Bengal sat on a simple platform of black stone, but when they turned puppets of the British their chair of power was solid silver. Perhaps there is a lesson in there somewhere.
source: http://www.telegraphindia.com / The Telegraph Online / Home> Culture / by Paromita Sen / November 28th, 2021
Two women, one war. What sets them apart? Professor Lakshmi Subramanian explores Rudrangshu Mukherjee’s ‘A Begum and A Rani’.
The focus of this work, as evident in the title, is two women who fought the same war in 1857 but who never met, whose lives were strangely similar and yet were recalled very differently. Why this was so, what made for a particular telling of their afterlives and how in course of the retrospective retelling, one became a legend and the other a mere trace, forms the core of Rudrangshu Mukherjee’s narrative.
It departs from his earlier work on the Revolt of 1857, where he placed emphasis initially on the diverse structural elements that made up the popular uprising in Awadh and subsequently on explaining the violence that characterised the actions of both the insurgents and their suppressors. Here, in contrast, Mukherjee prefers to focus on the individual as the actor of history and on the politics that animated the reconstruction of individual lives. He does so with elegance, ever attentive to the dictates of Clio, in unravelling the complexity of the context in which the two protagonists found themselves as they were sucked into the vortex of real politics and popular expectations.
(A Begum and A Rani was published by Penguin Allen Lane in July 2021. Buy it here.)
The first two chapters of the book give the reader a taste of the Revolt in its early stages, when a series of military mutinies collapsed into agrarian rebellion, bringing myriad elements into the fray, ranging from the aggrieved taluqdar to the oppressed peasant, from the disenfranchised ruler to the urban dweller. Amidst the clamour of the rebels for a return to Mughal rule and for an end to the unholy power of the hated firang, emerged a slow political front to embark on campaigns against the British forces and coordinate military activity.
Two parallel centres of authority
In Lucknow, the discarded wife of Wajid Ali Shah found herself at the epicentre of protest, whereas in Jhansi, Lakshmibai was urged by the rebels to take up their cause. While the latter was found in active combat, Hazrat seems to have attended to the day-to-day requirements of the troops, making sure that they were provisioned and supported. Hazrat seems to have also been pitted against one of the most charismatic leaders, Maulvi Amir Ali, who insisted on Hazrat becoming his disciple — which Hazrat herself resisted.
That these two individuals represented two parallel centres of authority is clear but what this implied in terms of differing conceptions of freedom is not readily apparent. However, in the analysis of the ishtahars or proclamations that were issued, Mukherjee makes the important point that religion was the integral and unifying idiom in the Mutiny.
The Afterlife
It is in the chapter titled Afterlife that the book really comes into its own. Here, Mukherjee tracks the moments in the emergence of a nationalist historical consciousness in Maharashtra, Bengal, and subsequently in North India, in which the status of the martyr queen gained traction. Analysing poetry, local memories, eulogies and early historical work on the Rani of Jhansi, Mukherjee tracks the making of a very particular historical memory and its amnesiac other, thereby engaging with the complex relationship between myth and history.
He suggests that these categories were not necessarily oppositional. Rather, both were exercises in remembering and forgetting and reconstructing. It is to his credit as a practitioner of history that he reconstructs as well as he does the lives of two women — one of whom was subsequently pushed on to the centre-stage while the other was relegated to the margins.
Lakshmi Subramanian is professor of History in BITS Pilani, Goa. She is the author of several works on music and nationalism as well as on India’s maritime history. Her latest book is Singing Gandhi’s India: Music and Sonic Nationalism. When she is not steeped in teaching and research, she likes to travel to the hills.
source: http://www.telegraphindia.com / The Telegraph, Online / Home> My Kolkata / by Lakshmi Subramanian / December 03rd, 2021
In a tragic incident, YSRCP MLC Muhammad Kareemunnisa passed away on Friday night due to a heart attack around 11 pm. She was 65.
According to the sources, Kareemunnisa was shifted to a private hospital after she fell ill where she breathed her last while undergoing treatment.
The YSRCP MLC attended the Assembly meeting on Friday morning.
She started her political career with the Congress party and later joined YSRCP. She was offered MLC seat by the YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy eight months ago.
YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy expressed grief over her death and offered heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family. He also said that the family members of Kareemunnisa will be given all support by the YSRCP.
source: http://www.thehansindia.com / The Hans India / Home> News> State> Andhra Pradesh / by Roja Mayabrahma / Hans News Service / November 20th, 2021
Muzaffar Assadi’s book examines the ways in which the social space was documented during colonial times
The cover of the book written by Muzaffar Assadi.
Muzaffar Assadi, professor of political science in the University of Mysore, has brought out a new book on caste among Muslims, a relatively unexplored area.
In the book Alpasankyakaru Mattu Jati Vyavaste: Asmite, Vasahatushahi Mattu Meesalati (Minorities and Caste System: Identity, Colonialism and Reservation), the author argues that Islam, one of the semitic religions known for its established rules and framework, is now tested against the remnants of caste practices.
Multiple factors
The book, which runs into 264 pages and is published by Bengaluru-based Bahuroopi, explores practices of caste that are not just the result of conversion but inherent in the logic of trade, the class interest of retaining property, social mobility from Central Asia, social identity, and political expansionism.
The author says that colonialism, while documenting various castes, did make a distinction between Hindu social order and Muslim social order. In the latter case, social space for internal mobility, spaces for enlisting as ‘Ashrafs’ (Sheikh, Sayyed), and for continuing traditional occupation was available. And social hierarchy and social distancing continued to perpetuate.
Noting that colonialism created new castes, Prof. Assadi pointed out that the larger agenda of documenting, enlisting caste was ultimately meant to hegemonise, control, and dominate. The book focuses significantly on the way Muslims became subaltern classes during the colonial rule.
“With the experience derived from colonial encounters, Indian Muslims were castigated and condemned again and again for their social backwardness. This was backed by enlisting hundreds of castes among Muslims, although enlisting remained incomplete,” the author argues.
Post-Independence
The legacy continued after the Independence with reports on backward classes/ethnographic studies identifying and enlisting social groups, known for practising caste. “This culminated in identity politics, demand for affirmative action and reservation policy,” Prof. Assadi notes.
The author painstakingly unearths issues of caste among Muslims by referring to material from history, including the colonial census reports, gazetteer, travelogues, missionary works, police records and writings of Muslim scholars. The book comes at a time when there is a demand to re-enumerate castes and a growing urge for enhanced reservation.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Naghesh Prabhu / Bengaluru – November 28th, 2021
“A successful woman is one who can build a firm foundation with the bricks thrown at her,” says Ar. Ishrat Nowshehri who has chosen architecture as her career and has been in the profession for the past two decades.
Talking to Rising Kashmir, Ishrat shared her vast experience of a 23 years career, when architecture as a career for a woman in Kashmir was unheard of.
Hailing from Soura area of Srinagar, Ishrat says that everything is possible if there is a true commitment behind that. She is a qualified architect by the Council of Architecture, New Delhi (COA).
Ishrat was awarded in 2005 by the J&K government for her architecture designed for the famous handicraft market “Kashmir Haat” which is located in the heart of Srinagar.
“When I started my schooling, I had an inclination towards designing, drawing and my parents were expecting that I may become an engineer,” she said.
After completing 12th class examinations from Presentation Convent School in Srinagar, it was not difficult to pursue her studies in architecture as her mind and heart were already ready for that.
Her father was Civil Engineer and she feared that he may force her to pursue studies in the same field. It was totally different when her parents supported her dream, she said.
They realized that it was in architecture and design that her heart lay; they backed her unconditionally, and later Ishrat became the first female architect of the Valley.
After that, Ishrat got enrolled in a five-year course for a bachelor’s in Architecture at Karnataka University in 1999, because in J&K there was no such college at that time providing such a course.
“I topped in my final year design jury among the three colleges of architecture in University,” she said while recalling her college days.
Ishrat said she got a couple of partnership offers in architectural firms in Dubai, UAE way back in the year 2008 but I opted to stay back in Kashmir and serve my own people.
“I believe that to be successful one needs to be committed, hardworking, and dedicated towards their profession,” she said.
Despite facing many difficulties Ishrat did not look back and continued her journey. After that, she was awarded nationally and internationally and has taken up projects like residential, commercial, interiors, renovations, landscaping, and turnkey projects too,” she said.
In 1999 she did her practical training with senior architects of India including “Ar. Munir Khan” for six months and then started her own architecture consultancy “Ishrat Nowshehri Associates” in the city.
She was awarded in 2005 by the Jammu and Kashmir government for her architecture design for the famous handicraft market, Kashmir Haat, located in the heart of Srinagar.
After that she got job offers to work in other places across India but love towards her motherland forced Ishrat to work in Kashmir and serve her own people.
She worked with many famed architects of Kashmir and under their guidance, she got an opportunity to work on projects in Srinagar city.
Apart from tradition, she also had an interest in contemporary Islamic architecture.
“I feel proud that I have designed architect work for both Masjids and Shrines in Kashmir. From my designs, I want to promote every local thing that is made here.
It may include wood carving, to promote Kashmiri designs and heritage rather than using imported things,” Ishrat says.
She believes that local architects know in depth the weather conditions; culture and house style of Kashmir and can serve them in a better way.
“Now people have become aware and they consult us before going for any construction because architects use the space which a normal mason cannot do,” Ishrat said.
She believes that there is a good scope in this field because people have become aware and they are coming forward.
Apart from Kashmir, she is also getting orders from outside states like Himachal Pradesh and Uttrakhand for special designs for houses, hotels situated at hill stations.
Ishrat works both on traditional and contemporary designs. Over the years, she has worked on various large projects including government buildings, hotels and residential houses.
Some of her architect master designs include Kashmir Haat at MG Road, Sheikh-Ul-Alam (RA) Chair at the University of Kashmir, Hotel Village Walk at Sonamarg, Jehlum automobiles at Awantipora, and many more private works across Kashmir.
As Kashmir witnesses moderate to heavy snowfall during winters every year, due to which scores of rooftops in the Valley collapse, Ishrat suggests that people should consult qualified architects and structural engineers for designing before going for any construction.
She believes that it is not fear that people are not consulting architects but there is a lack of awareness and information.
Ishrat believes that parents should not force their choices on their children because everyone has their own interests and taste.
Working in the male dominated sector is a challenge itself but she says that during the span of 23 years she had not faced anywhere gender bias.
This year in April, she was awarded by Brand Opus India for Outstanding Excellence in Architecture & Designing in Srinagar. Ishrat Nowshehri Associates and Innovative Architecture & Interior Design was adjudged as the Firm of the year 2021 by Architecture & Interior Design Excellence Awards & Conference 2021 Bengaluru.
She has also been awarded under various titles like “Finest architect in Srinagar”, “Bespoke residential architects and designers in Srinagar”, and awardee for “Women entrepreneur (architect) in Srinagar J&K”.
Apart from these awards, she was also nominated and awarded under the category of “finest architect in Srinagar” in India’s most prominent architect and design awards-2020 in New Delhi and “Best residential architects and designers in Srinagar” in “design Icon Awards-2020”.
She also bagged women entrepreneurs (architect) “The Real SuperWoman Award 2020”- at New Delhi. Global Icon Award of the year, Asia’s Creative Architect of the year award” from “RULA International Award” – at Malaysia, Global Shanti Samman & World Peace conference 2021 – at SKICC Srinagar, and other awards.
About her message to aspiring architects, Ishrat said there is always scope when one works with patience, dedication, and commitment.
“I always advise aspiring architects not to be forced into this field. Get in only, if they have patience and a good imagination for design with that one has to be hardworking, dedicated and committed towards their work,” she said.
source:http://www.risingkashmir.com / Rising Kashmir / Home / by Irfan Yattoo / November 07th, 2021
