Newly elected Karwan MLA Kausar Mohiuddin (center) along with his supporters at Majlis party headquarters Darussalam. PHOTO: ASIF YAR KHAN / The Hindu
Kauser Mohiuddin spends at least two hours daily interacting with people. The municipal ward office at Tolichowki served as his office for last many years from where he operated.
It was just a few days ago that Kauser Mohiuddin was elected as an MLA from Karwan and the 42 year-old is already on the job. Right from conducting inspection along with officials to meeting his constituents, the legislator is a busy man.
“It is a great responsibility and I have to live up to the expectations of the party and the voters. A lot of developmental works are to be taken up in my constituency,” the legislator says.
Mr. Mohiuddin was president of Hakeempet primary unit of MIM party and his wife Najma Sultana is a corporator from Nanalnagar municipal division.
The municipal ward office at Tolichowki served as his office for last many years from where he operated. He still spends at least two hours meeting public everyday at the place before heading to Majlis headquarters Darussalam.
Born and brought up in Hyderabad, Mr. Moinuddin stays in a joint family along with his mother and five brothers at Hakeempet. He completed his Intermediate from Anwarul Uloom College at Mallepally and did his high school from Medak. “Actually my relatives stay in Medak, so I was sent to a hostel for schooling” he says.
As a pastime Mr. Moinuddin occasionally goes to Medak district where his family owns some agriculture land. “I just go and sit there and watch the activity along with my mother and children. To be frank I do not know a bit about cultivation,” he smiles.
When asked about the developmental plans for his constituency. He replies, “My priority is to provide clean drinking water in Karwan area. Better roads and litter free colonies is also on my agenda.” Also on his priority is providing better facilities at the Government Girls’ Junior College, Golconda, and at the government-run schools in his constituency.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by Asif Yar Khan / Hyderabad – My 29th, 2014
The Governing Council of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI) has nominated Akbar Ebrahim, a renowned driver coach and former Formula race driver, as India’s deputy representative at the Federation Internationale de L’Automobile (FIA).
FMSCI Chairman Vijay Mallya endorsed the decision and the FIA was informed about this, according to a FMSCI Media release here Saturday.
Mallya is the Titular Delegate of India and a member of the prestigious World Motor Sports Council of the FIA, which is responsible for all aspects of international motorsport at every level from karting to Formula One.
Ebrahim has replaced Vicky Chandhok in the role and will represent the FMSCI to lend a hand to Mallya in the FIA, the release added.
Ebrahim said: “While my predecessor worked hard to get F1 to India, my priority now would be to get more Indians into F1 and its likes. We are going to work hard to create opportunities for our sportspersons to step out and take on the world.
“We will make sincere efforts to align with global best practices and avail all possible assistance from international associates.
“India has all that is required for our kids and our sport to unleash, and what we need to do now is to package and present our case to the world. To start the campaign, we need to lead the charge in the Asian Region.”
Ebrahim had recently met FIA President Jean Todt at the FIA Asia Pacific Region Motor Sport Forum in Sri Lanka, where Todt had drawn everyone’s attention to FIA’s taskforce that is currently in operation in the Asia Pacific region.
“The idea behind this initiative is to interact, assist and coordinate between motor sports federations in this region,” said Ebrahim.
source: http://www.business-standard.com / Business Standard / Home> News-IANS> Sports / by IANS / Chennai – May 17th, 2014
TRS legislator K.T. Rama Rao meets MIM chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi. (Photo: S. Surender Reddy)
Hyderabad:
MIM supremo Asaduddin Owaisi promised his party’s full support to the TRS government for the development of Telangana and Hyderabad city.
Mr Owaisi gave the assurance when a four-member TRS delegation led by Nayani Narasimha Reddy and comprising Etela Rajender, K.T. Rama Rao and T. Padma Rao met him and his brother, MIM Legislature Party leader Akbaruddin Owaisi, on Monday, and sought the MIM’s support for the new government.
The TRS has sought MIM support to accelerate development of the new state of Telangana and to improve the brand image of Hyderabad city, but gave no offer to it to join the government.
Asaduddin Owaisi said, “Joining is not important. We have to prove that Telangana will be one of the best perfor-ming states in the country. We have to strive for socio-economic development of the new state, and ensure pluralism…Ganga Jamuna tahzeeb. We have to further improve the brand image of Hyderabad.”
Mr Owaisi said he would meet TRS president K. Chandrasekhar Rao to carry forward the discussions on mutual cooperation.
Asked if the TRS would invite the MIM to join the government, Mr Narasimha Reddy said this was the first meeting and such decisions would be taken by Mr Chandrasekhar Rao.
The TRS has a simple majority of 63 in the Assembly of 119, but faces no threat from the Congress or BJP-TD combine since their numbers are too few. However, it may plan to consolidate its position by seeking the support of parties such as the MIM to ensure a smooth five-year tenure.
The MIM, which has seven MLAs and one MP, is a formidable force in Hyderabad and has influence in some pockets of Telangana. With MIM support, the TRS government would have the backing of 70 MLAs, and it would get the support of another 10 MLAs, TRS leaders claim.
“The MIM has decided to extend cooperation and support to the new government headed by KCR. We have discussed lots of issues about the development of Telangana. The city of Hyderabad must be developed at all costs and be made a favourable destination for multinational companies,” Mr Asaduddin Owaisi said after the luncheon meeting with the TRS delegation at Mr Akbaruddin Owaisi’s Banjara Hills residence.
Before the election results were out, there was talk that Mr Chandrasekhar Rao had offered the Deputy Chief Minister’s post to the MIM if the TRS missed the magic figure of 60 seats. But after the TRS got majority on its own, he made it clear that his party would form the government on its own.
TRS MLA K.T. Rama Rao said the people had bestowed a huge responsibility on the TRS and their prime task was to ensure accelerated development in all spheres in all the 10 districts and ensure peace and tranquillity in Hyderabad, and strive to improve the lot of Muslims, Christians and other minorities.
“We have to face the acid test in the next five years. Hyderabad’s growth engine needs a fillip. We sought MIM’s cooperation in implementing the Sachar committee report, protection of Wakf properties etc,” Mr Rama Rao added.
source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Nation> Politics / DC / by C R Gowri Shanker / May 20th, 2014
As their party suffered a rout in Delhi assembly election, Congress workers in Ballimaran had something to cheer about with Power Minister and four-time sitting MLA, Haroon Yusuf, retaining his seat.
Haroon Yusuf today defeated his closest rival BJP candidate Moti Lal Sodhi by a margin of 8,093 votes.
He was trailing Sodhi by over 2000 votes till the sixth round but after that the momentum was on his side.
As he inched towards the lead with each round, the lost zeal among his loyal supporters began to revive.
His party supporters took out a procession on the road outside the counting centre at the Industrial Training institute Pusa camps waving flags and shouting slogans.
This is the fifth time that Yusuf has gained victory in Ballimaran, a Muslim dominated Congress bastion.
source: http://www.indiatvnews.com / India TV / Home> Politics / PTI – December 08th, 2013
Did you know that Dr Pervez Ahmed, CEO, Max Healthcare Institute Limited, is an ardent reader of comparative religion and also loves adventurous sports? We give you a glimpse of his private world outside meetings and boardrooms.
He is a man who follows his heart. Piggybacking the success of his politician father (former President Late Fakhruddin Ali), he could have been a politician, but he chose to follow the profession of his grandfather, who was a medical professional during the British times.
Dr Pervez Ahmed, CEO, Max Healthcare Institute Limited, grew up in Shillong, nourishing the dream of becoming a doctor. A firm believer in ‘you will get what you want, provided you are ready to work for it!’, he left Shillong in 1964 for pre medical at Hindu College, Delhi University. He later joined AFMC, Pune for MBBS. He came to Delhi and joined Safdarjung Hospital. In 1972, he went to the US (SUNY Downstate and New York University) and finished his PG and fellowship in cardiology.
He wanted to come back to India after his studies, but decided to stay back on his father’s insistence that he garner practical experience. In the US, he was physician In-charge of ICU and Director of Critical Care Medicine at Brookdale Hospital Medical Centre, New York. He returned to India in 2005 and served as a Board Member of Max Healthcare from 2005 to 2007 and then in the capacity of Executive Medical Director from 2007-2009, before being designated as the CEO of Max Healthcare in January 2009.
So why did he decide to come back? “The desire was to impart the knowledge acquired in the other part of the world here,” he explains. As a CEO of one of the most popular names in healthcare, he wants to bring about a cultural change which starts by changing the mindset of people. He wants to reinforce teamwork, transparency, accountability and patient-centric approach. He affirms, “Today, healthcare should be safe, timely, effective and affordable and designed around a patient keeping these parameters in mind.”
So how important is money? “If money was important for me, I wouldn’t have returned to India,” he says. Besides, his efficiency and skills, he is also blessed with values like perseverance, hard work and integrity. Self-admittedly a very emotional person, he is known to be approachable at work— be it for professional or personal. He is known to be able to handle very crucial matters with utmost calmness.
Dr Pervez Ahmed with his family
This quality may be attributed to his deep inclination towards comparative religion (a field of religious study that analyses the similarities and differences of themes, myths, rituals and concepts among the world’s religions) and his deep faith in God. A self-confessed God-fearing person, he believes in giving his best to life and leaving the results to God. He believes that if one takes care of one’s body and soul, there can be a better home and in turn a better society.
Because he is passionate about studying comparative religion, he reads books on Sufism, Islam and other religions and compares them. Right now, he is reading ancient Hindu culture. “Forget the politics, the two religions (Hinduism and Islam) are quite similar,” says the liberal administrator. He also appreciates God for giving him a very comfortable childhood and supportive parents.
A complete family man, his family is the centre of his life. He is blessed with two daughters. The elder one, Talaiya Ahmed (33) is an IT professional but runs her own business and the younger one, Asema Ahmed Amanat (30) is a lawyer and runs a law firm. Both are settled in the US. Besides studying comparative religion, it’s spending time with his grandchildren that gives him immense happiness. “One of the happiest moments in my life was when my grandson was born,” he confides with a sparkle in his eyes.
This sensitive person possesses an adventure streak too! He enjoys outdoor sports like golf, squash, tennis, fishing, hunting, shooting, trekking, hiking, and traveling. Once he retires, he wants to travel more with his family. His fathers’ political streak may still show up sometime. He may follow the footsteps of his father and become a politician once he retires. For now, we make him share some of his life memories with us.
The Mixed Bag
Your best prize in life so far
My children.
Your first day in school
My school was in Shillong. My first day was terrible. I joined school at the age of two and a half. I had a miserable day.
Your first ambition
To become a doctor.
Your first day at work
At Safdarjung Hospital, I was getting a salary of Rs 150 per month, which was quite decent at that time.
The first time you fired somebody
I have always fired people on issues of integrity. I have zero tolerance for any kind of dishonesty.
The toughest decision you have taken
To return back to India. There were so many aspects to it. I was leaving behind my children, my two grand children and I didn’t know exactly how things would turn out here.
The best memory of your childhood
Quite a materialistic one! The first time when my father went to the US as an UN delegate (in 1950’s), I gave him a whole list of the comic books. When he arrived back, he had all of them. I am fortunate to have a good childhood.
Your happiest moment
I have a very strong and supportive wife. When I first met her, she was an intern at Safdarjung Hospital. The fact that I still remember what was she wearing then, it must have been a happy moment.
Your funniest moment
Quite a few. It is very difficult to recall the one which stands out.
Three things you can not do without
My wife, freedom of choice and opportunity for personal growth. I can live without all material things.
One trait that you would like to change about yourself
I don’t hide my emotions. I always cry while watching a Hindi film (smiles).
Your first vehicle
With my own money, Dodge Dart (1973) was the first vehicle that I purchased.
One parental advice that you remember
Study-this advice has always helped me.
Sonal Vij
source: http://www.healthcare.financialexpress.com / Financial Express / Express Healthcare / Home> Weekend> Article> Time Out / by Sonal Vij / April 2009
Lieutenant governor of Delhi Najeeb Jung took a meeting of top officials of various departments to assess their functioning.
The meeting was held at Delhi Secretariat, and along with Chief Secretary S K Srivastava, principal secretaries, secretaries and HODs of various departments like Public Works Department, Health, Revenue, Social Welfare Child Development and DTC were present.
The Lt governor was briefed about the improvement of work in various department since his field inspection, Delhi government officials said.
He was also told that Delhi Jal Board has been informed about the water and sewerage leakage points discovered during inspections. The governor was also told about the shortcomings related to electronic token system, non-operational CCTVs, incidence of touts, poor infrastructure, shortage of staff.
As for the industrial areas, Jung stressed on the need for immediate repair of roads, drains and signage, regular de-silting of drains including outfall connecting drains where discharge from industrial areas is falling.
Jung directed that closure orders issued to the polluting units by Delhi Pollution Control Committee should be enforced by concerned agencies.
source: http://www.business-standard.com / Business Standard / Home> PTI Stories> National> News / Press Trust of India / New Delhi – May 09th, 2014
Javed Usmani is the current chief secretary of Uttar Pradesh. (TOI file photo by Pawan Kumar)
New Delhi :
The new government may give seniority a miss in selecting the next Cabinet secretary and opt for a “relatively junior” officer as the country’s top bureaucrat, a senior BJP leader indicated on a day when exit polls predicted an NDA government at the Centre.
Ajit Seth, the current Cabinet secretary, is due to retire on June 13 and a successor is usually named a fortnight in advance. As a result, the new government will have to decide on a new Cabinet secretary within days of taking charge.
Going strictly by seniority, Sutanu Behuria, a 1976-batch Himachal cadre IAS officer is the next in line, followed by Alok Rawat from Sikkim. Although there are another eight officers from Rawat’s 1977 batch who are currently working at the Centre, the new government may ignore the entire batch and could opt for Javed Usmani, a 1978 batch official, who is currently Uttar Pradesh chief secretary.
What seems to be going in Usmani’s favour is his familiarity with working in the Prime Minister’s Office, having spent close to seven years — first during the United Front government and then as joint secretary during Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s term. He returned for a second stint from 2004 to 2007 when Manmohan Singh took charge.
If the Modi government goes ahead and appoints Usmani, it will break from recent trend when the government has played it safe and gone by seniority, both in case of Seth as well as his predecessor KM Chandrasekhar.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Lok Sabha Elections 2014> News / TNN / May 13th, 2014
A staff member poses with ‘The Blue’ diamond during an auction preview for Christie’s in Geneva. (Reuters photo)
New Delhi :
A rare necklace, engraved with names of Mughal emperors Akbar and Jahangir goes under the hammer in Geneva tomorrow by Christie’s, which is also auctioning the world’s largest flawless blue diamond, in a sale expected to total $80 million.
Dating 17th century, the seven Mughal engraved spinel bead necklace is estimated to fetch between $1,500,00 to $2,000,000 at ‘Magnificent Jewels’ sale, auctioneers said.
Mughal emperors were known for their love of precious stones. The tradition of engraving titles and names on stones began with the Timurids, who were the ancestors of Mughals. They did their engraving on diamonds, emeralds and other outstanding quality stones with large spinel beads considered to be their favourites.
As much as these gems were a symbol of the opulence and dignity of the empire, they were also treasured as protective talismans.
The Museum of Islamic Art in Qatar exhibits an important necklace with eleven Mughal spinel beads with a total weight of 877.23 carats. Three of them engraved with names of Emperor Jahangir and one with that of Emperor Shah Jahan.
Leading the ‘Magnificent Jewels’ sale is world’s largest flawless vivid blue diamond ‘The Blue’ estimated to fetch between $21,000,000- $25,000,000.
The diamond leads the 250 lot strong sale, estimated to mop up a total in the region of $80 million, Christie’s said.
Six months earlier, Christie’s Geneva sold ‘The Orange’ the largest fancy vivid orange diamond in the world for $35.5 million, a global record for an orange diamond and a world auction record price per carat for any diamond at $2.4 million.
The sale will also feature many important coloured and colourless diamonds such as the 5.50 carat ‘The Ocean Dream’, the largest fancy vivid blue-green diamond in the world to come to auction, with an estimate of $7,500,00- $9,500,000.
‘The Rajah Diamond’ a 26.14 carat old-mine brilliant-cut diamond of is among 14 jewels that are being auctioned under ‘A Passion for Jewels: Collection of an European Gentleman’. The diamond is estimated to go for $3,000,00-5,000,000.
Another section of the sale ‘Noble Jewels’ features a natural pearl and diamond necklace estimated at $550,000-700,000 and was orginally in the personal jewellery casket of Queen Elizabeth of Prussia.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> India / PTI / May 13th, 2014
The Air Force Station at Begumpet was one of six heritages of the city to be acknowledged with an award by the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (Intach) on the occasion of World Heritage Day 2014. The event brought into focus little known facts about Hyderabad’s history, including the city’s pioneering efforts in the field of aviation which commenced in 1911 when a Belgian aviator, Baron de Caters, along with his assistant Jules Tyck, arrived with a fleet of planes to give demonstration at the Secunderabad Parade Ground.
The three-day affair received wide publicity and drew large crowds of onlookers including quite a few women. A newspaper report preceding the event announced that “a popular society lady will be taken up by the Baron on the first day”. Unfortunately the identity of this enigmatic passenger remains unknown and it is believed that it must have been a member of the European community then living in the cantonment.
The first direct association of Hyderabad with aviation was established a few years later when during World War I, a British pilot challenged the enemy while flying an aircraft bearing the name of ‘Hyderabad’ over the skies of Germany in 1917. In recognition of contributions to the Imperial war effort, the names of native states had been inscribed on the aircraft of ‘Gift Squadrons’ raised and maintained with funds donated by the Indian rulers. Subsequently, the British formed two more Hyderabad Squadrons during World War II with public contributions raised at Hyderabad, and the Spitfires and Hurricanes of these units had the legend “Presented by His Exalted Highness, the Nizam of Hyderabad” emblazoned on their fuselage. Among the three Hyderabad Squadrons of the Royal Air Force, the 152nd had the Nizam’s crown, the distinctive ‘dastar’, displayed prominently on its insignia.
The credit of introducing Hyderabad to flying as a hobby goes to two adventurous youngsters, Babar Mirza and Pingle Madhusudhan Reddy, who developed a keen interest in flying while pursuing their studies in England. While Reddy managed to keep his passion for flying in check long enough to obtain a degree in mechanical engineering from Leeds, Mirza concentrated more on developing an expertise in handling aircraft. Reckless by nature, he purchased a Simmonds Spartan and set out from Croydon in late 1932 with the sole obsession of reaching Hyderabad within the shortest possible time despite his father having explicitly banned him from undertaking such a “perilous and foolish adventure”. Without giving a second thought to the logistics involved in undertaking such an arduous journey and despite refusal of permission to transit Turkey, Mirza successfully bluffed his way out of tricky situations including some perilous moments at Konya where he inadvertently landed on a military parade ground and was promptly marched off at gunpoint! Unable to take the punishment of the “Air Mad” Hyderabadi anymore, the plane’s engine gave way over the Iraqi desert. Rescued by Bedouins, he was packed off to India along with the wreckage of his aircraft.
Within a year of the mishap, Babar Mirza had somehow convinced his father Manzoor Jung to support his plans of establishing an Aero Club at Hyderabad. Laying out a landing strip on the polo ground of the family estate at Habsiguda, he flew in the now restored Spartan from Karachi and applied to the Nizam’s government for permission to start a private Flying Club and ordered another aircraft from London. Meanwhile Reddy, having purchased an Avro Avian in England in 1933, flew it to Hyderabad and touched down at Habsiguda to join the Deccan Aero Club. Official permission still pending, Babar Mirza took it upon himself to garner support and went about it in a unique way. Inviting the then Prime Minister of Hyderabad Maharaja Kishen Pershad and other elite to Habsiguda for an evening of flight demonstrations, he put on a show that they would never forget. After his colleagues had shown their skills in performing ‘loops’ and ‘rolls’, Mirza swooped down low over the heads of the visiting dignitaries creating ‘quite a sensation’! The dare seems to have had little effect on the administration as it was another three years before the Hyderabad State Aero Club was formally inaugurated in 1936. Mirza’s antics though, seem to have set a precedent for disgruntled aviators. Old-timers of the city narrate the exploits of another pioneer, a scion of the Bilgrami family who, jilted by his beloved because of a stubborn refusal to give up his ‘dangerous’ passion for flying, made repeated low passes over her wedding venue; blowing away the shamiana, scattering the guests and turning a lavish spread inedible with a coating of dust!
(This is the first of a two-part series on Hyderabad’s aviation. The writer is a heritage activist)
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Hyderabad / by Sajjad Shahid, TNN / April 27th, 2014
The founding of the Hyderabad State Aero Club ushered in an era of relative decorum and the unchecked exploits of buccaneering aviation pioneers of the city were finally tamed to a large extent. Over succeeding years Babar Mirza and P M Reddy, matured into serious aviators who took on the task of ensuring that aviation in the Deccan kept pace with international trends. Their enthusiasm for flying inspired others to take up the hobby and also hastened the plans of the Nizam’s government to establish an airline. Aban Pestonji Chenoy, the teenaged daughter of the Nizam’s Mint Master, became the first woman member of the Hyderabad State Aero Club to qualify for an aviator’s license in 1938, a year in which 55 of the club’s 70 members were Indians.
The club’s operations were suspended during World War II and its pilots, aircraft and facilities were commandeered for use by a training squadron. The association of Begumpet with the Air Force has continued ever since. The acute need for pilots during the war resulted in the establishment of a center of the Indian Air Training Corps on the Osmania University campus in 1945. Trained by Hyderabad’s own pilots along with British officers, cadets of the very first batch passing out from the Osmania University made such a strong impression on the recruiting board that a majority of them were recommended for a commission in the Air Force.
Princess Durru Shehwar laid the foundation stone for the passenger terminal at Begumpet in 1936 as part of the Nizam’s Silver Jubilee celebrations and Deccan Airways Limited was incorporated in 1945, becoming the first airline to be promoted by a native State. A joint venture of Hyderabad State and Tata Airlines, Deccan Airways had a fleet of a dozen Douglas DC-3 ‘Dakota’ aircraft when Hyderabad was absorbed into the Indian Union in 1948.
It was with Pingle Madhusudhan Reddy’s encouragement that the last Nizam, Mir Osman Ali Khan, first boarded an aircraft for a sortie over the city intended to check out his reactions to flying. Initially thrilled at being able to view from the skies, the Nizam is said to have later issued orders prohibiting any aircraft from flying over his palace. On one of his later flights in a twin engine aircraft, he enquired from PM as to what would happen if an engine conked off during flight. “Not a problem Your Exalted Highness”, PM replied, “We can safely carry on with the remaining engine”.
Years later when boarding a flight for Delhi, he pointed to the four engines of the Super Constellation and exclaimed; “Now that is what I call a safe aero-plane!”
By 1947 Deccan Airways had a fleet of sturdy Douglas DC-3 ‘Dakota’ aircraft which connected Hyderabad with key cities through regular services. Apart from scheduled flights, the airline also took on charters and diplomatic sorties on behalf of the Nizam and his government. The airline continued to serve the ruler of Hyderabad in his capacity as the Rajparmukh subsequent to merger and one of the tasks personally supervised by PM was to ensure a daily supply of fresh water for the Nizam during his sojourns away from Hyderabad. Drawn from a protected source which had supplied his ancestors, the waters of the Bam Rukn-ud Dowlah, a spring near the Mir Alam Tank, were shipped under guard in special sealed containers for the Nizam and his family.
Pingle Madhusudhan Reddy saw the airline through its most difficult phases of existence including a ban imposed by the Indian government just prior to the Police Action and later when Deccan Airways along with all other private airlines of the country, was nationalized in 1953 becoming part of the Indian Airlines Corporation. Having been appointed the first Operations Manager of Deccan Airways in 1945, he rose to become its General Manager and later Managing Director. Under his dynamic leadership Deccan Airways gained the reputation of being one of the best and the most efficient airlines in the country. Despite being named Regional Director of Indian Airlines, PM resigned and opted to revert to Hyderabad State service in 1954 and was put in charge of the Industrial Trust Fund and its operations; Praga Tools and Hyderabad Asbestos which was eventually handed over to the Birlas. At the request of the defense ministry, PM was released from state service and took charge of HAL Bangalore in 1957 to set up the jet engine factory from where he retired in 1967. After a long and eventful life PM passed away in Hyderabad in 1986.
(This is the second and concluding part of the column on pioneers of aviation in Hyderabad. The writer is a well known heritage activist)
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Hyderabad / by Sajjad Shahid, TNN / May 04th, 2014
LUSCIOUS: Syed Ghani Khan in his orchard at Kirugavalu village in Malavalli taluk of Mandya district. / The Hindu
Kirugavalu farmer has 116 mango trees which are 200-year-old
This farmer from Kirugavalu village in Malavalli taluk of Mandya district has preserved 116 mango trees dating back to the times of the then Mysore ruler Tipu Sultan.
Carbon dating and other scientific assessment by the Genetics and Plant Breeding Department of the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, have shown that these trees are more than 200 years old.
This 20-acre orchard, popularly known as ‘Bada Bagh’, is said to have been raised by those in the palace of Tipu, who was a great lover of fruits, especially mangoes. The orchard was later gifted to a farmer by Tipu. Syed Ghani Khan (39), who has inherited this from his forefathers, is preserving it with care.
According to Mr. Khan, the trees yield exotic varieties of fruits. “While some trees yield fruits that taste like sweet lime, others produce fruits with cumin flavour. There are some trees that yield fruits resembling the shape of fish,” he said.
In great demand
Till recently, his family used to sell the fruits locally. But from the last two years, he has been selling the fruits at organic outlets in Mysore apart from exporting them to Dubai and Abu Dhabi, where they are in great demand and also fetch a premium price.
In fact, Mr. Khan, who was passionate about becoming a curator at an archaeological museum, he did his graduation in archaeology and museology. But he had to return to his native village from Mysore to take care of his farm and support his family after his father became bedridden due to an ailment. “I then decided to turn my exotic farm itself into a live museum and started working on it,” he said.
Paddy varieties too
Mr. Khan also pursues another avocation passionately. He collects native varieties of paddy and grows them mainly to preserve those rare varieties. “Presently, I have a collection of about 600 native varieties of paddy, including ‘rakta dham’, ‘naadikeli’ and ‘jugal’,” he said.
His efforts paid off as his farm caught the attention of Delhi-based Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority, which has started registration of the exotic varieties of mangoes in the garden. He will get legal right over the plant species after the registration.
Mr. Khan was also honoured with the ‘Plant Genome Saviour Farmer Recognition’ award by the authority in 2012.
Mr. Khan now wants other farmers to grow these rare varieties of mangoes. He, however, is unable to take up propagation of these rare varieties systematically by constructing a poly-house as it requires big investment. As none of the government agencies offered him any help, Mr. Khan himself started an organisation to train farmers and students about local varieties of crops.
He is looking forward to getting government assistance to take his mission forward and ensure that these exotic varieties of mangoes are grown in the orchards of many more farmers.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Karnataka / by B. S. Satish Kumar / Bangalore – May 12th, 2014
