Category Archives: Uncategorized

Strandja Memorial Boxing: Nikhat Zareen, Nitu strike gold for India

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Hyderabad, TELANGANA :

Nikhat Zareen
pix: Nikhat Zareen [Instagram]

New Delhi: Indian boxers Nikhat Zareen (52kg) and Nitu (48kg) struck gold at the 73rd Strandja Memorial Tournament in Sofia, Bulgaria by notching up thoroughly comprehensive victories in their respective finals on Sunday.

Nitu prevailed 5-0 over Italy’s Erika Prisciandaro, a former youth world championship bronze-medallist. Zareen, on the other hand, outpunched Ukraine’s Tetiana Kob, a three-time European Championships medallist 4-1.

While Nitu produced a wonderful counter-attacking performance by taking full advantage of her longer reach and taller frame, Zareen was engaged in a draining and messy bout which had its fair share of clinching, holding and even some tumbling over in the ring.

“Both of them displayed completely different styles but both produced excellent performances. Credit to Nitu for keeping her composure and trusting her counter-attacks against an aggressive opponent,” national women’s team coach Bhaskar Bhatt told PTI over phone.

“Nikhat had to fight from close range throughout and she did well to land clear punches even though her opponent was not giving her a clear shot,” he said.

India thus finished the tournament with three medals this time, Nandini (+81kg) being the third podium finisher with a bronze.

The Hyderabad-based Zareen, who is a multiple-time national medallist, had won a gold medal at the Strandja Memorial’s 2019 edition as well. With another one added to her kitty this time, she became the first Indian boxer to claim two gold medals at the tournament.

“You can call me the queen of Strandja. I am just so happy right now,” the 25-year-old laughed, out enjoying the snowfall after her triumph.

“This one is the more special of the two as I beat an Olympic medallist (Turkey’s Buse Naz Cakiroglu who win silver in Tokyo Games) in the semifinals. It is a perfect confidence booster when three major events (the world championship, Commonwealth Games and Asian Games) are lined up,” she added.

Nitu is a two-time former youth world champion and is also a former gold-medallist at the Asian youth championships.

The 21-year-old hails from Haryana’s famed cradle of Indian boxing, Bhiwani’s Dhanana village.

The youngster was introduced to boxing by her father, who took a three-year leave without pay from his state government job to help her get coaching in her formative days.

He eventually rejoined work in Chandigarh when she started doing well at the international level.

“He works in the Haryana Secretariat and had a huge role to play in shaping her. She is a very hard-working girl,” Bhatt said.

India won two medals in the last edition of the tournament with Deepak Kumar and Naveen Boora securing silver and bronze respectively.

The performance of the men’s squad was underwhelming this time with none of the seven in fray managing to enter the medal rounds.

In all, the tournament featured over 450 boxers from 36 countries, including traditional powerhouses such as Kazakhstan, Italy, Russia, France and Ukraine, where Russia launched a military operation on Thursday despite global appeal for restraint.

The Strandja Memorial is one of Europe’s oldest boxing competitions and features high quality boxers from across the world.

India’s best ever performance in the prestigious tournament came in 2019, when world silver-medallist Amit Panghal, Zareen and Meena Kumari Devi claimed gold medals for the country in addition to a silver and three bronze medals.

In 2018, India came back with a higher tally of medals — 11 in all — but the gold count was lesser than 2019.

That year the country won two gold, three silver and six bronze medals with the men contributing five of them.

source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> News> Sports / by PTI / February 27th, 2022

Kashmiri woman gets new lease of life after a heart transplant in Chennai

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Chennai, TAMIL NADU / JAMMU & KASHMIR :

Shahzadi Fathima with the doctors of MGM Healthcare in Chennai. | Photo Credit: K. Pichumani

Shahzadi Fathima from Srinagar was lucky to receive the organ amid little hope of survival

A 33-year-old Kashmiri woman will be heading home with the heart of a Tamil youth. Shahzadi Fathima from Srinagar was lucky to receive the organ amid little hope of survival.

For the past six years, Ms. Fathima had been showing worsening signs of heart failure. Three years ago she was referred to R. Ravi Kumar, senior consultant and clinical lead- Cardiology and Heart Failure Programme at MGM Healthcare.

At that time she was prescribed medicines for swelling in her legs and it helped. But the disease progressed and her restrictive cardiomyopathy, a condition where the chambers of her heart stiffened over time, led to severe heart failure.

“In November we received a call from the doctor asking us to come. They hoped to make some arrangement for transplant,” said Ms. Fathima’s brother Yunis, a daily wager.

The siblings took a train to Chennai and were supported by Aishwarya Trust, a non-governmental organisation that finances cardiac surgeries and heart transplant for children. Chitra Viswanathan, who runs the trust, raised the funds.

Ms. Fathima was admitted to the hospital on Dec. 31 with signs of severe heart failure. On January 26, doctors identified a suitable brain-dead donor in a hospital in Tiruchi.

“An 18-year-old boy lost his life in a road accident and his family was willing to donate his organs,” K. Suresh Rao, co-director of the hospital’s Institute of Heart and Lung Transplant and Mechanical Circulatory Support said.

The heart was flown in and transplanted in Ms. Fathima. He condition is improving and she would be discharged in a couple of weeks. MGM Healthcare provided the transplant at a subsidised cost. Typically, a heart transplant could cost ₹ 25 lakh, doctors said.

K.R. Balakrishnan, who performed the surgery, said: “When she came, she couldn’t walk into her room. We waited three months (for the organ).” The donor had donated several organs of which the hospital used the heart and lungs. A resident of Besant Nagar received a donor lung, he said.

Ms. Fathima would have to visit the hospital six months later for a review. She would receive her supply of immuno suppresants and other medications for a certain period when she leaves for Srinagar. The doctors would monitor her health virtually through medical reports and blood tests that she would be advised to take periodically.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by Special Correspondent / Chennai – February 23rd, 2022

ICSI CS Professional Dec result 2021 declared; Abbas Ali Asghar, Tariq Hussain among toppers

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Representative image / ummid.com

INDIA :

Shruti Nagar has topped the December 2021 CS Professional exam securing the Rank 1 whereas Hari Haran bagged the second rank.

Two Muslim candidates have figured in the Merit List of 21 candidates who have emerged as toppers in CS Professional exam conducted by Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) in December 2021.

The two Muslims who figured in the CS Professional 2021 Merit List are Abbas Ali Asgar Sabuwala and Tariq Hussain.

While Abbas has secured the 7th Rank in the merit list, Tariq bagged the 14th rank.

CS Professional Toppers

Shruti Nagar has topped the December 2021 CS Professional exam securing the Rank 1 whereas Hari Haran bagged the second rank.

Three candidates – Jyoti Ashok Kumar Sah, Khushi Sanjay Mehta and Jay Jitendra Mehta, have jointly secured the 3rd Rank.

CSI has published the rank and roll number of the candidates. Their mark sheet and score have not been published on the official website.

ICSI declared the CS Professional 2021 result at 11:00 am Friday Feb 25, 2022. CS Executive result will be declared today at 02:00 pm.

Steps to check ICSI CS Professional Dec 2021 Result

1. Click here to go to official website: icsi.examresults.net.
2. Select Examination.
3. Enter Roll Number.
4. Enter 17 digit Registration Number.
5. Click on Submit button.

Along with the result, the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) will also release the list of 25 rank holders and toppers.

Candidates should note that ICSI will result in online mode. No physical copy of marksheet will be provided to the candidates who appeared for CS Executive Programme. Candidates who appeared for Professional Programme will get physical copy of their result on the registered address.

“The Result-cum-Marks Statement for Professional Programme (Old and New Syllabus) Examination will be dispatched to the candidates at their registered address soon after declaration of the result. In case the physical copy of Result-cum-Marks Statement is not received by any candidate within 30 days of declaration of result, such candidates may contact the Institute at : exam@icsi.edu along with his/her particulars”, the ICSI said.

The Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) had declared CS Foundation result of December 2021 on January 20, 2022. Three Muslims had figured in the CS Foundation Merit List.

Meanwhile, ICSI has also released the CS Executive and CS Professional exam 2022 dates. As per the time table released by ICSI, CS Executive and Professional exams will be conducted from June 1 to June 10, 2022.

Online application for June 2022 CS exams will begin on February 26.

source: http://www.ummid.com / Ummid.com / Home> India> Education & Careerts / by Ummid.com News Network / February 25th, 2022

Write call: workshops making people fall in love with writing once again

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

Bengaluru, KARNATAKA :

If you thought your handwriting doesn’t matter in the digital world, think again.

Imran Baig,Global Penmanship Academy (File Photo)

Bengaluru : 

Growing up, we’ve all heard that handwriting is a skill that never fades. However, over the years, writing has become less and less common thanks to gadgets taking over our existence. But Imran Baig, founder of Global Penmanship Academy, a handwriting analyst, is working on making people fall in love with writing once again, and supporting them to forge their future using the power of a pen.

“It’s a skill that many of us have but just don’t know the right approach to, and that’s why my workshops come in handy for them,” says Baig, who takes three classes over the weekends, teaching one the different tools to write and how to achieve the speed they want. 

Baig got certified in 2004 from Handwriting University International, California, at the age of 21, making him the youngest individual in the world to pass out of the university. He has developed specialised programmes on Handwriting Development for children and Grapho Therapy for adults.

“Since children are growing up, starting them out early is a good approach. This way, they will learn about which pen or pencil is ideal for them, based on their finger structure. They will also learn the right speed to write in so they can attend their exams more efficiently,” he says. 

“As for adults, finding their right signature is the most important factor as they are often influenced by something we have observed growing up. Through the workshops, I help them analyse and understand which style of theirs showcases their personality. This will help their personality development as well,” adds Baig.

He points out that grapho therapy — usually done after the detailed analysis of the overall personality of someone by studying their handwriting — is a great way to understand the compatibility of a person. 

“Though the workshop I had before Valentine’s Day wasn’t really related to the day, it’s important to talk about how one’s handwriting can help understand your compatibility with another person. In a world of texting and typing, I’m trying to encourage people to write more, rewire the way they think and present themselves and develop their personality along the way,” says Baig, who points out that comments like “Thank you for introducing me to myself” from those who attended his workshop is why he does what he does.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home>Lifestyle> Books / by Anila Kurien, Express News Service / February 21st, 2022

New twist to a timeless riddle

Books (incl.Biographies - w.e.f.01 jan 2018 ), Royal Families, PreIndependence -Descendants (wef. Jan 02nd,2022), Uncategorized, Women/Girls(since May26-2021), World Opinion

xxxx

REST IN PEACE Akbar and Mariam’s tomb are in close proximity at Sikandra  

With a Goan professor claiming her to be a Portuguese lady, the contentious issue of Jodha Bai’s existence refuses to fade away

The controversy over Jodha Bai never seems to die down. After the film Jodhaa Akbar, a Goan Professor of History, Luis de Assis Correia has claimed in his new book “Portuguese India and Mughal Relations 1510-1735” that she was actually a Portuguese lady, Dona Maria Mascarenhas. She and her sister Juliana were rescued from pirates by the Portuguese and handed over to Bahadur Shah of Gujarat who presented them to the court of Akbar.

According to the book, Akbar, then 18 married Maria (17) but the Portuguese were loathe to admit that one of their own was living in the harem. The Mughals on the other hand could not accept that a firangi had wed the Emperor. “Hence the myth of Jodha Bai was created.” However the “myth” did have some substance. As the name suggests, she was the bai from Jodhpur, “daughter of Mota Raja Uday Singh”.

Mughal records pre-dating the book say that Maria and Juliana were honoured ladies of the harem. Juliana was in charge of the Seragilo as harem physician while Maria occupied the position of Akbar’s confidante and companion. Juliana’s was married off by Akbar to the fugitive French prince, Jean Philippe de Bourbon and both died in Agra, leaving behind the Indian branch of Bourbons.

In the old Agra cemetery is the grave of Juliana’s so-called niece, Bibi Ammiana while that of Maria (no longer traceable) was in the graveyard behind Akbar’s Church, a mile or so away. Imagine a Portuguese lady giving birth to the Great Moghul’s heir apparent at the wilderness abode of Sheikh Salim Chisti! Sounds implausible.

Dr Ram Nath, former Head of the History Department of Rajasthan University, tends to agree that there is no mention in history of Akbar having wed Jodha Bai, though she is sometimes referred to as one of Jahangir’s wives, with a Mahal in Fatehpur Sikri adorned with the Star of David (also representing the six Ritus). Dr Shireen Moosvi of Aligarh Muslim University also emphasises that there is no mention of Jodha Bai in the “Akbarnama”. The Rajput princess Akbar married was the daughter of Raja Baarmal of Amber, the aunt of Maharaja Man Singh I, and she is only referred to by her title of Mariam-uz-Zamani, mother of Salim (which prompted some to aver that she was the Emperor’s Christian wife as Mariam corresponds to the name of the Virgin Mary, mother of Christ).

Dr Nath says, Akbar was 20 when he married his fourth wife in 1562. He contracted three other marriages thereafter. The names of all the wives are faithfully recorded and Maria is not among them. “Noteworthy is the fact that the so-called daughter of Raja Baarmal was only 10 or 12 years of age when she was married to Akbar. She lived for 61 years thereafter, and died in 1623, as her son Jahangir has recorded. That Raja Baarmal had a 10 or 12 years’ old daughter in 1562, when even his grandson Mansingh was 12, is neither a historical record, nor is warranted by circumstances as a reasonable proposition,” says Dr Nath. Incidentally, this Rajput princess is commemorated in a mausoleum built near Akbar’s tomb at Sikandra and known as Mariam’s maqbara (in keeping with her title of Mariam-uz-Zamani). This monument housed Sindhi refugees in Agra after Partition and suffered some damage as a result. Even now it is in urgent need of repairs.

Sarai and baoli

“Mariam Zamani (elaborates Dr Nath) is recorded to have built a large sarai (inn) with a monumental gate, a baoli (step-well) and a garden at Barah, a village situated 5 km from Bayana (Rajasthan) in 1613. Jahangir, her son, noted these buildings in his memoirs. The baoli and its Persian inscription have survived. It is surprising, nay, intriguing that she did not raise any building at Agra and Fatehpur Sikri where she mostly lived. She appears to have been more sentimentally attached to this village, than to Amber or any other place. This raises the question: why did the Queen of Akbar and mother of Jahangir prefer this remote obscure hamlet to large metropolitan Mughal towns as Agra, Delhi, Ajmer and Lahore, for this purpose, and how was she connected with this place ? Was she born there? It is all very mysterious as were, in fact, the secrets of the medieval Rajput raniwas and the Mughal ḥarem.”

Facts, however, suggest that Mariam belonged more to Barah than to Amber, asserts Dr Nath, though film-maker Gowarikar has tried to show Akbar’s wife in the form of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, “an incarnation of feminine beauty who looks more like the mythical Menaka or Urvashi, rather than an ethnic Rajput lady from Rajasthan.” Authenticity, says Dr Nath, “is in fact the most tragic casualty of the Jodhaa Akbar film, an anti-thesis of Mughal-e-Azam where history has been distorted.” As for Dona Maria Mascarhenas, Prof Correia’s claim will add to the riddle of Jodha Bai, who also had a palace and temple in the Agra Fort, not known as Maria Mahal or Firangi Mahal but Jahangiri Mahal.

The Mughals did keep their secrets close to their heart, among them (sic) the mystery of “Akbar’s Christian wife”. After all he had 3,000-odd zenana , including a Turkish Sultana. Maria was one of them but certainly not Salim’s mother, whom the prince called “Jagat-Gosain”.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Society> History & Culture> Down Memory Lane / by R.V. Smith / April 17th, 2017

7-yr-old receives mention in the India Book of Records for being the youngest one to create 100 paintings in 3 years

Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Community Involvement / Social Issues, COVID 19 - Community of Soldiers, Education, Karnataka (under research project), Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Bengaluru, KARNATAKA :

Mohamed went for it and most of the paintings were drawn during the pandemic. Out of the 100 paintings, 67 have already been sold.

Farhan Mohamed. (File photo)

Bengaluru : 

As a seven-year-ol d artist, we assume that Farhan Mohamed needs his parents’ help to explain his art work, but Fiza Taj, his mother, assures us that Mohamed will be more than happy to do it himself.

The young artist from the city has received a mention in the India Book of Records 2021 which is recognised by the Government of India, for being the youngest one to create 100 paintings in three years.

The art works were exhibited at the Bangalore International Centre, Domlur. “100 is just a number for the record, but Farhan has painted more than that. He puts up many of his paintings for sale and the proceeds go towards charity,” say Taj, who was told by the team of the India Book of Records 2021 that Mohamed needs to have 100 paintings in hand for the record.

Mohamed went for it and most of the paintings were drawn during the pandemic. Out of the 100 paintings, 67 have already been sold. “We collected around Rs 28,000 from the sale of the paintings. Out of which, a certain amount went towards charity and a token amount has been kept for Farhan,” says Taj , who is a physiotherapist.

Mohamed, who showed inclination towards art when he was merely three months old, was introduced to Tempera paints when he was six months old. “He began dabbling with myriad hues and by the time he was three-anda- half, he had already completed his first art work titled ‘Sunset In Africa’, inspired by a trip to Africa,” says Taj.

Mohamed, who is in Class 2 at Neev Academy, Yemalur, is quite inspired by the works of Van Gogh and Monet.

“Painting relaxes me and makes me happy. Whenever I have a hard day or feel unwell, sad or angry, I just paint. It helps calm me down. As soon as I see a range of colours, my day becomes bright and colourful and I feel better,” says Mohamed, who wants to visit the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam and wishes to recreate the famed artist’s series, Sunflower.

Mohamed loves drawing landscapes. “Last year I visited Kashmir with my grandparents. When I returned, I used to pick a picture that I clicked and would paint it,” says the prodigy.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Express News Service / January 31st, 2022

Khader to be Deputy Leader in House

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

Mangaluru, KARNATAKA :

U.T. Khader  

His appointment by Cong. is seen as an effort to soothe feelings of Muslims

Close on the heels of senior leader C.M. Ibrahim announcing his departure from the party, the Congress on Sunday appointed leader from coastal Karnataka U.T. Khader as Deputy Leader of the party in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly.

While Siddaramaiah became the Congress Legislature Party leader and Leader of the Opposition since the fall of the Janata Dal (Secular)-Congress coalition, the position of his deputy had remained vacant. Mr. Khader’s appointment comes in the light of internal rumblings among Muslim legislators that the community leaders were being ignored in the party platform when it came for distribution of power.

With just over a year away from the Assembly polls, the party has been making crucial appointments keeping caste and regional demands. While KPCC is helmed by D.K. Shivakumar, a Vokkaliga, the party appointed M.B. Patil, a Lingayat leader from north Karnataka as the chairman of the campaign committee.

Both Mr. Siddaramaiah and newly appointed Leader of the Opposition in Legislative Council B.K. Hariprasad belong to backward classes. MLC Saleem Ahmed was one of the four working presidents appointed recently to balance caste and community equations.

Party sources said Mr. Khader’s appointment to the post served the representation to Muslims as well as coastal Karnataka, and that the appointment comes as a damage control exercise after the outbursts of Mr. Ibrahim when he announced that he is set to quit the party and resign from his membership from the Council. Mr. Khader is a senior leader and gets along well with everyone in the party, the sources said.

As Mr. Ibrahim continued his tirade against Congress leaders in Hubballi on Sunday, Janata Dal (Secular) sources said the leader was expected to join the party shortly.

When JD(S) leader and former Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy met the veteran Congress leader, the former is learnt to have offered the party president post or head of the campaign committee.

Meanwhile, a congregation of several community leaders that met here on Sunday, under the leadership of Amir e Shariat Moulana Sageer Ahmed Khan to discuss the recent Naragund incident, also discussed political representation for the community.

“The meeting did not discuss about any one party or individual. The community has concerns that were communicated,” Moulana Shabeer Ahmed Nadvi told The Hindu.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / Bengaluru – January 30th, 2022

Indian Muslim women urged to plan career in civil services

Community Involvement / Social Issues, Education, Leaders, Uncategorized, Women/Girls(since May26-2021), , , , , , , , , ,

Patna, BIHAR :

M.W. Ansari, former Director General of Police, Chhattisgarh speaking

Patna:

A career awareness program on civil services was held at Dr. Usman Ghani Imarat Girls’ Institute in Patna on 26 September 2021.

The program started with recitation of the Holy Quran.

While talking on ‘What is Civil Services’, Mohammad Naushad Ansari, Hon’y vice chairman of the Institute, through a power-point presentation, elaborated details on the profession of civil services, the rewards and challenges of being in civil services. He emphasised that all graduates are eligible to appear in this exam. They can definitely crack and get a good rank provided they plan their preparation under good guidance and work very hard. It is seen that a good number of candidates qualifying in civil services exams come from lower strata of the society. “Civil Servants of different services are the officers behind implementation of government development plans. They are the people who keep law and order, and work as a link between the public and the government”, he stated.

The chief guest, Mr. M W Ansari, former Director General of Police, Chhattisgarh spoke on the topic ‘Career in Civil Services: Criteria, roles and opportunities’. He stated that the prestige, power and the status that one acquires after entering civil services is immense and unparalleled. Besides, this service provides opportunity to serve the society and the nation at a larger scale. More than 10 lakh students apply for this exam each year. The number of aspirants is increasing every year. This year 761 students have cracked this prestigious exam, out of which only 31 students are from the Muslim community. It is too low considering their population. We require good number of quality institutions, proper guidance and good mentors so that chances of success brighten considerably. In particular, he pointed out that the proportion of Muslim women in these services is negligible. The community cannot prosper without bringing quality education among their women. He also appreciated the contribution of Dr. Usman Ghani Imarat Girls’ Institute in imparting education to the weaker sections of the society with limited resources. In the question and answer session he advised the students that the preparation for Civil Services exam should start from tenth class itself. Bihar had been contributing a good number of Civil Servants every year and this year’s topper in the exam is from Bihar only.

Mr. Khurshid Anwar Arfi, Senior journalist, renowned author of many books and Hon’y chairman of the institute, in his presidential address, emphasised that the community must focus on quality education which should enable new generation to successfully face the modern challenges. The other area of attention should be job-oriented courses and professional educational.

This institute offers various courses viz., BCA, BBA, B Lib. Sc, DCA, Diploma in Dress Designing etc which gives immense opportunity to girls to gain access into good professions and earnings.

He informed that the institute has a plan to organise similar career guidance programs and will be providing all the assistance needed to the Civil Services aspirants for state as well as for UPSC exams.

He thanked all the honorary members of the institute including Mr. Enam Khan, Secretary of the institute, for dedicating his time and energy for the institution’s development.

He also thanked all the teachers and, in particular, Mrs. Ruby Nishat, for offering her services to the institute voluntarily for over two years.

He acknowledged and offered dua for Late Maulana Wali Rahmani who worked hard for development of Institute’s building and infrastructure.

The program was attended by a large number of students, teachers and others. The welcome address was delivered by Mrs. Rupa Sharma, Principal of the Institute and vote of thanks was given by Mrs. Nuzhat Ghousiya . The girls put forward various questions and got enlightened. They noted down details of study plan for the exam and also felt ignited to write this exam.

Dr. Usman Ghani Imarat Girls’ Institute, Patna was established and run by Imarat-e-Shariah Educational & Welfare Trust, Bihar. It is one of the Knowledge Resource Centre of Maulana Mazharul Haque Arabic & Persian University, Bihar.

Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is India’s premier central recruiting agency for central government public servants.

source: http://www.milligazette.com / The Milli Gazette / Home> News> Education & Careers / TheMilli Gazette Online / September 27th, 2021

UAE-based Indian Ayesha Khan sells four-course meals for just Rs 60 (Aed 3) in Dubai

Uncategorized

INDIA / Dubai, UAE :

A 45-year-old engineer, Ayesha is the founder of the cheapest food-ATM in the UAE.

pix: gulfnews.com

Abu Dhabi: 

United Arab Emirates (UAE) based Indian ex-patriate Ayesha Khan provides low-cost meals to blue-collar workers in the country at just 3 Dirhams (Rs 60).

A 45-year-old engineer, Khan is the founder of the cheapest food ATM in the UAE. Khan delivers three-course meals to 2,600 blue-collar workers daily in Dubai, Sharjah and Ajman. Ayesha says she can get a day’s supply for just 9 dirhams (Rs 181). Her team consists of 17 employees.

Food-ATM was launched in March 2019, where usually, a worker pays 5 dirhams in the UAE for a thick ‘roti’ (Indian bread), ‘dal’ or chicken. But Ayesha’s packed meal includes a box of biryani, a cup of yoghurt, some pickles and a small cup of dessert – all for just 3 dirhams.

Eight different menus are prepared every day to suit the tastes of Indian, Nepali and other South Asian workers. She does not want to limit her venture to any one nationality and the food can be availed even at 2 or 3 in the morning.

Khan’s menu also includes seven desserts for seven days—custard, rice pudding, sweet semolina, wheat pudding, cooked noodles in coconut powder milk and more.

How it all she started

Ayesha previously worked for a government entity in Dubai and Ajman before giving it up for her cause.

During her career as a professional, she shared her food with a few workers in her office, “One day, a worker came up to me and showed me a picture of his child attending school. He said that thanks to my help, he was able to save money on food and send it home for his child’s education. I felt very humbled and emotional. That got me thinking about how shallow our lives are sometimes. We only think along material terms and work for ourselves, but how many of us make that extra effort to do something for others?,” Gulf News reported, quoting Ayesha.

This made her quit her job with the Dubai government. The initial investment for setting up the business was quite daunting for her from getting a commercial license, arranging the facilities, paying salaries to the staff and other concerns.

Ayesha however, sold her house in India to pay for the venture and never looked back.

source: http://www.hydnews.in / HYD NEWS / Home> Middle East / October 03rd, 2021

Amid disastrous floods in Maharashtra, a Madrassa opens door to flood-affected people

Amazing Feats, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Leaders, Uncategorized

MAHARASHTRA :

Picture by arrangement

Amid disastrous floods in Maharashtra, a Madrassa opens door to flood-affected people.

Amidst scenes of chaos and mayhem, a Madrasa called Darul Ulum Imam Ahmed Raza in Kondivare, Ratnagiri, located 30-35 km from Chiplun and 100-150 km from Mahad in Maharashtra, offered its space to flood affected people. Named as Jani Miya Relief Center after the founder of the Madrasa, Ismail Ahmed Jani Miya, the centre offered relief, aid and succor to the affected people. One of its kind, the relief centre transformed the space of the university prayer hall, spanning across an area of 126×80 sq feet, into a makeshift mall where items of sustenance and daily use – starting from a hair comb to mattresses and ration were provided free of cost. 

MAHARASHTRA :

The districts of Ratnagiri and Raigad in Maharashtra were centres of a severe flood that hit the Konkan region on July 22. The worst-hit was Chiplun in Ratnagiri and Mahad in Raigad. The region, which is surrounded by the Sahyadri hills and two rivers Vashishthi and Shiv, is prone to flooding. This year the flooding occurred at an unprecedented level, aggravated by the over-flowing of the Koyna dam whose water regularly arrives at a reservoir close to Chiplun.

Talking to TwoCircles.net, Pankaj Dalwi, an environmentalist working in the Konkan said there are other factors such as extensive deforestation and poor urban planning as the cause of growing calamities.

A jarring example of a 21st-century man-made disaster, the flooding caused massive damage in terms of human life and livelihood. Hundreds of people in affected areas died (at least 209 deaths according to an Al- Jazeera report), thousands got displaced and entire villages and roads were turned into layers of debris and mud.

Amidst scenes of chaos and mayhem, a Madrasa called Darul Ulum Imam Ahmed Raza in Kondivare, Ratnagiri, located 30-35 km from Chiplun and 100-150 km from Mahad, offered its space to flood affected people. Named as Jani Miya Relief Center after the founder of the Madrasa, Ismail Ahmed Jani Miya, the centre offered relief, aid and succor to the affected people. One of its kind, the relief centre transformed the space of the university prayer hall, spanning across an area of 126×80 sq feet, into a makeshift mall where items of sustenance and daily use – starting from a hair comb to mattresses and ration were provided free of cost.

The flood had left entire communities without basic items of survival and the provisions provided by the relief centre were crucial for the survival of the affected community.

The members of the Madrasa undertook the mammoth task of providing a lifeline to the affected even if that meant working day and night, in rain or in cold.

TwoCircles.net spoke to fifty-year-old Qazi Mohammed Abdul Rahim Maqbooli, an important member of the Madrasa, about how they organized a centralized system of distribution.

Talking about how it all started, he said, “We first started distributing small ration kits and other essential items through a coupon system. Our volunteers visited each house, looked at the condition of the house, the number of family members in the household and issued coupons accordingly. These coupons were to be brought to the mall for receiving the provisions. Impressed by our fair and efficient system of distribution, trusts and NGOs providing relief from areas like Mumbai, Nasik, Malegaon, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Bhiwandi and many more started sending all kinds of items from combs, buckets, flex sheets, blankets, cylinders, stove, utensils, and so on to our mall. The mall became the distribution point for all items big and small,” he said.

The arrangements included well-thought-out needs of different members of the community of afflicted people. “We even gave out the special essentials required by women, old people, and babies including pads, diapers, small blankets for infants and so on,” Qazi told TwoCircles.net.

When asked about the challenges faced by the volunteer team in its operation, Qazi said that, “Sometimes people turned up without coupon. We didn’t want to turn them down and send them empty-handed. So we gave them basic ration kits with food essentials. We wanted to make sure that at least 1000-2000 rupees worth of goods is given to everyone.”

The Madrasa did not restrict itself to setting up the mall and distributing goods. They hired buses and drivers to drive people from their houses to the mall and back. “Our volunteers helped people load the bus with their goods that drove them and sometimes, all the way to Mahad, which is at least 100 kilometres away. Sometimes, we also delivered mattresses and other heavy items to the doorstep of the affected houses.”

The Madrasa sent out an appeal for help and mobilized a strong volunteer base of people of all ages from the nearby villages.

Qazi recalls that what was especially striking was the enthusiasm with which young volunteers and students of madrasa served the community. “This is what we teach our students in the school – to help everyone and work for the public good. My brother, Mufti Qazi Muhammed Ibrahim Maqbooli, who is also the principal of the school, and I provide free education and necessary items such as bags, stationery, books etc. free of cost to all our students.”

“At the Madrasa, we believe in serving humanity no matter what religion a person belongs to. Some Hindus in the area were hesitant about whether they will also receive the relief goods or not. We went to their houses to reassure them that we served everyone irrespective of religion,” Qazi said.

Talking about his motivation in serving the public, Qazi said, “Our parents always taught us to serve people. My father is bedridden and needs constant support and care. Despite this, all members of my family gave all their time to relief work. Last year, when the cyclone devastated thousands of homes in Konkan and there was no electricity for 3 months, we distributed ration kits to all affected areas. To me, the message of our faith is to love, share and view everyone with equality.”

What stands out in this brave example of relief work is not the generosity and benevolence of a charitable institution, but the humility and empathy of people who understand what it means to live in human society. Through their exemplary action, the people of the Madrasa and the volunteers of the region showed what it means to truly care and serve the people by opening up their spaces, giving their valuable time and providing labour for the welfare of a disaster-struck community.

source: http://www.twocircles.net / TwoCircles.net / Home> Lead Story / by Nikita D, Twocircles.net / August 23rd, 2021