Tag Archives: Indian Muslims of Pune

Pune couple run Roti Bank and send children of poor to school

Pune Kondhwa, MAHARASHTRA :

Aliya and Nasir Shaikh serving food

Following the Islamic principle that ‘if your neighbors sleep hungry while you are there, then you are not a true Muslim,’ neighbours in Pune Kondhwa in Maharashtra have replicated the initiatives of “Roti Bank” (bread bank) across many Indian cities and soup kitchens run by religious organization in the West, to address the hunger in the IT hub.

“Ark Charitable Trust’ was launched in August 2019 when many people in the city had lost jobs or livelihoods due to the COVID and hunger was rampant.

The trust was set up by a Kondhwah couple Aliya Shaikh and Nasir Shaikh from their house. The trust has been running a “Roti Bank” to and feeding widows and destitute women who are forced to wander around in search of food of alms to buy it.

Gradually, the Shaikhs realized that feeding people was a temporary solution to the problem of poverty and they started focusing on its root – lack of education. The trust got involved in educating children wandering on streets picking trash and leftover food and enrolled them in various schools

The trust has also provided job works to many widows whom they came in contact with while distributing food.

The Trust distributes food among people of all castes and religions.

Aliya Shaikh says she completed her 12th from Abeda Inamdar College in Lashkar area of ​​Pune.

“I wanted to study, but I got married early, so I could not and then I realized what if I did not study? I can teach the girls living around me. My children today are doing well; studying in schools but what about those who do not have money? That is why I am trying to ensure that no one’s education stops due to financial constrains.”

Nasir also completed his schooling from Moledina High School in Lashkar area. Though he joined class eleventh he had to drop out due to financial problems at home. He started working as a commercial painter.

Nasir says, “Food satisfies the hunger of the stomach, while education satisfies the hunger of the mind. That is why both are considered basic needs.” 

After seeing the work of Nasir and Aliya, a neighbor Ayesha Shaikh also joined them.

Ayesha, 65 has retired from a good position in a multinational company. Aliya, 30, works as a beautician and Nasir, 40, is a building contractor. All three work for ‘Ark’ while handling their business and family responsibilities.

In many weddings a lot of food is left over. To ensure this food doesn’t end in trash bins of the city, the Trust has displayed boards in key points in the city with this statement printed on these: ‘If you have leftover food, contact us… We will deliver this food to the hungry stomachs.’

‘Ark’ also gets financial support from various people and institutions on their auspicious occasions.

The three started this work from their homes without any funds. For the first eight days, Aliya used to cook food while Nasir distributed it. For the next eight days, Nasir took to cooking and Aliya to distribution. They would alternate their responsibilities ensuring that no single person has to take workload.

Aliya says, “We kept reaching out to the needy. As the work progressed, other people came forward to help us. Some started helping us financially, other by donating rations like oil, grains, etc.”

Soon many others more people had joined Ark.

Nasir empathises more with poor and says they are very sensitive. Instead of doling out food, the trio started a ‘Roti Bank’ to give dignity to those needing food.

Nasir says, “The work of ‘Roti Bank’ is not a one-day job. We cannot do one program in one month and then do the next program the next month. It has to be continuous work.

“It’s a challenge to feed their children and send them to school. But it’s also satisfying to see that someone’s life is changing because of you.”

“We have seen people cooking using paper as the only fuel. We have seen them struggling to satisfy their hunger,” says Ayesha. Food is provided to 50 families every day through ‘Ark’. Children’s education fees are paid.”

Aliya, Ayesha and Nasir deliver food to the people of Kondhwa, Bhagyodayanagar area. But the needy people of Hadapsar and Katraj area are not able to reach them every day, nor is it possible for Aliya, Ayesha and Nasir to take food boxes there every day.

So all three of them go to that area and distribute enough ration for at least two months on the basis of the given identity card. They also offer ‘Sehri’ and ‘Iftari’ facilities during Ramzan. A satisfied Ayesha says,

“It is a pleasure to be able to reach out and help the needy. Because of the work of Aliya and Nasir, I am associated with a good organization.”

source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Stories / by Chhaya Kavire, Pune / April 04th, 2024

Javed Shaikh lights up the homes of the poor in Pune

Yerawada, Pune, MAHARASHTRA:

Javed Shaikh filling potholes of the roads in Pune

‘Make a sacrifice for others’ happiness; God will surely reward you..’. Such remarks are read in the stories of Saints and Sufis. However, some people around us are silently walking this talk. Javed Shaikh, a young man from Pune, Maharashtra, is one of them.

Javed’s work has changed the lives of many people and inspired others to be changemakers.

Pune is a bustling city that shines in the night under the impact of electricity. However, some bastis in this city continue to remain enveloped in the darkness and inconspicuous. Those living in the brightness of electricity often tend to overlook the dark houses and huts.

While most tend to ignore these dark spots, Javed Shaikh was drawn to them.

Javed lives in the Yerwada area of Pune. In his locality when he spotted human dwellings without electricity, he knocked at the doors and inquired why the inmates lived in darkness. Their reply invariably was: “We have no money to get an electricity connection; the connection has been removed due to non-payment of bill.”

Javed Shaikh gifting a solar panel to a beneficiary

It made him sad; the helplessness of poor people was overwhelming. He decided to use his knowledge to help them. He thought of using solar energy to get these people rid of the cycle of paying electricity bills.

Growing up in Pune, the 34-year-old Javed had grown up with frequent power disruptions due to shedding by electricity suppliers. He graduated from the Sinhagad College of Engineering, Pune.

Philanthropy was always part of his family’s culture and therefore he too was keen to contribute to making a difference in society.

As against the tendency to seek a job after completing studies and setting down, Javed started his business like his uncle Sadiq Sheikh whom he always admired.

Javed lives with his mother, wife, and elder sister. Like Javed, his sister Wazia also wanted to do social service. Therefore, both the siblings set up the ‘Yusuf Foundation’ in memory of their father. The Foundation was set up in 2020 during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic.

With the idea that the Foundation must start with fulfilling the basic needs of the people, he paid attention to the missing electricity in the lives of the poor.

He started researching low-cost options for providing electricity and zeroed in on solar energy. He thought that if solar panels were installed at the roof of each house, the poor could get electricity and also rid of the recurring bills.

​Javed started from his neighborhood. To begin with, he chose families where either the male head was missing or non-working due to unemployment or disability.

Initially, the foundation installed solar panels on the houses of 10 families.

The solar panels were selected to provide continuous power for eight hours on a single charge. The inmates of the houses could use electric bulbs, run fans, and also charge their mobiles with it.

Javed Shaikh and his sister serving people

When the first solar panel lit a bulb in front of a big crowd, people instantly called Javed “Allah ka banda: (Allah’s man). However, his help is not for people of a specific religion. Poverty is the sole criterion for the foundation to provide solar panels to the people.

Yusuf Foundation took another initiative to fill the potholes on the main roads, which are dangerous and have resulted in many accidents.The problem of potholes becomes even more deadly during the rainy season. The Yusuf Foundation filled potholes on many busy roads of Pune with the help of modern technology ‘cold mix’. This saved many lives. His initiative was greatly appreciated.

On the plans of the Yusuf Foundation, Javed told Awaz-the Voice that he would like to work on the environment.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Yusuf Foundation distributed essential items like facial masks, food, and water in large quantities to the needy. It also organised a competition for orphans in the Azam Campus College in collaboration with the Center of Arts, Pune.

Javed is responsible for raising funds for such programs.

Javed keeps a part of his income from business aside from social work. The families believe in giving back to society and thanking the Almighty by helping others.

source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Stories / by Panmamd, Pune / February 10th, 2024

Mehrunnisa Dalwai: An Unsung Muslim Activist | #IndianWomenInHistory

Pune / Mumbai, MAHARASHTRA:

Mehrunissa Dalwai is not a common name heard amongst the slew of activists & yet she played an integral role in the Muslim reformist movement.

India, as a nation, treasures the ‘image‘ of women. There is a great sense of respect and reverence for female goddesses, traditional housewives and of course, the concept of our ‘motherland‘. Yet, when this image of a woman intersects with religion, caste and class, this view gets blurry and distorted. Similarly, being a Muslim woman in India is a battle unlike any other and brings with it a series of struggles, discrimination and prejudice. The nation is graced with a history of several prominent social activists who have been instrumental in bringing about change across the country, with several of them being unhonoured and forgotten, such as Mehrunnisa Dalwai. 

Mehrunnisa Dalwai: An Unsung Muslim Activist | #IndianWomenInHistory |  Feminism in India
Source: The Hindu

Mehrunissa Dalwai is not a common name heard amongst the slew of social reformers and activists that are popular in Indian society. Yet here we have a woman who played an integral role in the Muslim reformist movement. Born on May 25, 1930, and brought up in Pune, Dalwai came from a conservative, Urdu-speaking Muslim family.

While Mehrunnisa Dalwai underwent a traditional Urdu education, she still managed to master the language of Marathi. She later went on to write her autobiography ‘Mi Bharoon Paavle Aahe‘ in the Marathi language (where she also writes in detail regarding food and recipes). After completing her matriculation, she worked at the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) in the city of Mumbai.

The beginning of her journey

After moving to Mumbai, it was here that Mehrunnisa Dalwai met the progressive Muslim reformer, Hamid Dalwai, and thus her fate as a future representative of the Muslim community was sealed. Hamid came from a poor Konkani Muslim family, a stark difference from Mehrunissa, and worked for the upliftment of the poor status of women in the Muslim community.

His name was established in the community for his daring stances like the condemnation of practices of triple talaq, alimony and polygamy. He was also an author, publishing the classic, ‘Indhan’ in 1965 and was courageous to take a stand against Brahmanical Hinduism as well as radical Islam and the two of them contributed greatly towards the liberalisation of the Muslim community. 

Being a Muslim woman in India is a battle unlike any other and brings with it a series of struggles, discrimination and prejudice.

However, being such a controversial figure, he remained unemployed. His most controversial take yet was when Mehrunnisa Dalwai declared that she would marry him. The large class disparity and general stigma of an upper-class woman marrying beneath her caused quite the stir which Hamid of course was used to. The two were married through traditional Muslim rituals and after a month also married through the ‘Special Marriage Act‘ (1954), which possibly made them one of the first marriages of a Muslim couple to be registered that way.

Mehrunnisa Dalwai: An Unsung Muslim Activist | #IndianWomenInHistory |  Feminism in India
Source: Jargon Josh

The Special Marriage Act was one of Independent India’s methods of maintaining a secular fabric in society, mainly to protect and legalise interreligious and inter-caste marriages that were atypical to the usually arranged marriages of dominant Indian culture. The newly married couple found a space for themselves in the Majaswadi area of Jogeshwari. They resided in a small room which got even smaller as they were joined by Hamid’s younger siblings, one of whom was Hussain Dalwai, the Rajya Sabha MP of the Congress party, who had completed his education in Mumbai. 

The social work of the Mehrunnisa Dalwai

In his wife, he found a partner in crime, a fellow crusader and together they took many bold stands for justice and equal rights of Muslim women. Mehrunnisa Dalwai continued working as well as remaining dedicated to her ascribed role of a housewife, maintaining their life at home. Although juggling the two seems like a modern concept of a 21st-century working woman, Mehrunissa was ahead of her time and supported her husband’s endeavours.

Mehrunnisa’s salary was their only stable and regular source of income, but along with this she still found the time to put a part of herself into Hamid’s work of the organisation of movements, social protests and campaigns along with bringing about a rational and scientific school of thought to the forefront to eradicate the rigid and blind dogmas within Muslim community which caused an unequal balance of power and rights of men and women. 

Mehrunnisa Dalwai: An Unsung Muslim Activist | #IndianWomenInHistory |  Feminism in India
Source: Amazon

In Mehrunissa Dalwai’s autobiography, she mentions her husband’s gratitude for her role and the satisfaction that she was able to economically support her family during these times. The life of a social activist and reformer is not one of ease. Dalwai also mentions the tensions within the protest movements and the threats that were posed against her husband by the orthodox Muslim community. Although she herself was not actively involved in the movement until after his death, through her writing, it is visible that being tied to Hamid meant being under the fire.

Source: The Indian Express Marathi

Sadly, Hamid passed away from kidney failure in 1977 at the age of 44. After the tragic death of her husband, she threw herself into his work. She dedicated her time to the Muslim Satyashodak Mandal which was the reformist organisation founded by Hamid in Pune, focussing on providing solutions to the Muslim community and creating a space for its history and socio-cultural transformation.

Mehrunissa Dalwai dedicated a good part of her life to this organisation and was the first executive President and later served as President for several decades.

Mehrunnisa’s journey of leadership

In April 1996, Mehrunissa Dalwai boldly led a march to ‘Mantralaya’ in Mumbai along with six other women carrying on the work of her late husband in the abolition of triple talaq. There, they met Vasantrao Naik, the Chief Minister of Maharashtra at the time and gave him their memorandum of demands. This caused a big stir leading to strong opposition, meetings being constantly interrupted and even reached the extent of death threats.

Mehrunnisa Dalwai: An Unsung Muslim Activist | #IndianWomenInHistory |  Feminism in India
Source: News 18

Mehrunissa Dalwai continued to lead the movement of protecting the rights of Muslim women and the modern reformation of the Muslim community. She later founded the Hamid Dalwai Islamic Research Institute as well as the Maharashtra Talaw Mukti Morcha.

The Shah Bano case

During Dalwai’s leadership of the Muslim Satsyashodak Mandal, the organisation played an important role in the Shah Bano case. This case was seen as a milestone in the fight for equal rights of Muslim women in India as well as the ongoing battle against the orthodoxy of Muslim personal law. The case was unprecedented and paved the way for other women to make similar legitimate claims. 

In 1978, a 62-year-old Muslim woman, Shah Bano filed a petition in court against her divorced husband Mohammed Ahmad Khan, demanding maintenance (alimony) after she was given talaq by Khan. After a series of detailed sessions in court, in 1985, it was taken to the Supreme Court where Chief Justice Y. V. Chandrachud upheld the decision made in the High Court, ensuring that maintenance would be given to Shah Bano (under CrPC, the Code of Criminal Procedure). However, the Congress led by Rajiv Gandhi overturned the decision of the Supreme Court under serious pressure faced by Ulemas and Maulavis but the Muslim Satyashodak Mandal boldly opposed this action and through a series of protests, insisted that it be implemented.

Mehrunnisa Dalwai: An Unsung Muslim Activist | #IndianWomenInHistory |  Feminism in India
Source: One India One People

Mehrunissa Dalwai passed away at the age of 87 at her home in Pune, survived by her two daughters and as per her last wishes, her body was donated. Maharashtra has had a history of significantly active social reformers and social activists, especially in Pune. They have been important in altering the culture and norms of the city with their hard work and effort and have brought about positive change in society.

In this process, there are many names that get lost, therefore it is essential to remember those like Mehrunissa Dalwai so as to not forget that they are an important and enriching part of our history. 

source: http://www.feminisminindia.com / Feminism In India / Home> History / by Gia Alvares / April 10th, 2023

‘We Created History’: MC Stan is the First Rapper to Win ‘Bigg Boss’

Pune, MAHARASHTRA:

The Pune rapper and producer hails the national spotlight from the reality show as a win for the Indian hip-hop community.

MC Stan with actor and host Salman Khan after winning ‘Bigg Boss’ Season 16. Photo: Courtesy of Endemol Shine India

After four months in the Bigg Boss house, Pune rapper and producer MC Stan aka Altaf Tadavi Shaikh emerged as the winner of Season 16 of the reality show, taking home the trophy and a reported cash prize of ₹31.80 lakhs following public voting. With this, Stan is the first Indian rapper and musician to win the long-running reality show, which has generally been dominated by actors and film industry celebrities.

“The journey has been very powerful. I got a lot of experience,” Stan said in a post-win press conference in Mumbai. After actor and host Salman Khan held up Stan’s hand to judge him the winner, the first photos from his win came with the rapper holding the Bigg Boss horse trophy with Khan.

In an Instagram post celebrating the win, Stan wrote, “We created history, stayed real throughout, repped hip-hop on national T.V. Ammi ka Sapna poora hogaya [My mother’s dream came true]. Trophy P-town aagayi [The trophy has come to Pune].”

Seated amongst press in a black leather jacket, with all his chains and rings in place, Stan was reflecting where Indian hip-hop can reach in terms of public consciousness. “If you go to see, this is a win for a lot of people; the rap community — whoever’s here from the gullies and [those] areas — I don’t know honestly what people saw and liked in me, but I’m grateful for their love,” he said at one point.

Winning and surviving 133 days in the Bigg Boss house through public voting, Stan acknowledged the role that the public played in keeping him in the competition. He adds, “I saw a lot of housemates talk about how they want to win, but I didn’t think I could make that claim, because it’s not in my hands. Woh Hindustan ka haath mein tha [It was in India’s hands].”

By January, it was clear that MC Stan was a top contender to win Bigg Boss Season 16, owing to how he often kept his head down and just went with the flow, although he was occasionally involved in a few fights with other housemates. In addition to his in-house concert with hip-hop acts like Seedhe Maut and Ikka, MC Stan was at first adamant to get done and go home, but eventually stuck it out to win.

source:http://www.rollingstoneindia.com / Rolling Stone India / Home> HomeFlashbox> News & Updates / by Anurag Tagat / February 13th, 2023

Fatima Sheikh Birth Anniversary: Google Doodle Pays Tribute to India’s First Muslim Woman Teacher

Gang Peth (Pune), MAHARASHTRA :

Sunday’s Google Doodle: Alongside fellow pioneers and social reformers Jyotirao and Savitribai Phule, Sheikh co-founded the Indigenous Library in 1848, one of India’s first schools for girls

Fatima Sheikh Birth Anniversary: Google Doodle Pays Tribute to India's  First Muslim Woman Teacher
pix: Google Doodle / Janaury 9th Google Doodle features India’s first Muslim woman teacher, Fatima Sheikh. (Image: Google.com)

Google is celebrating the 191st birth anniversary of Indian educator and feminist icon Fatima Sheikh, who is widely considered to be India’s first Muslim woman teacher, by featuring a doodle for her. Alongside fellow pioneers and social reformers Jyotirao and Savitribai Phule, Sheikh co-founded the Indigenous Library in 1848, one of India’s first schools for girls.

Fatima was born on this day in 1831 in Pune. She lived with her brother Usman, and the siblings opened their home to the Phules after the couple was evicted for attempting to educate people in lower castes. The Indigenous Library opened under the Sheikhs’ roof.

Here, Savitribai Phule and Fatima Sheikh taught communities of marginalized Dalit and Muslim women and children who were denied education based on class, religion, or gender.

The Phules’ efforts to provide educational opportunities to those born into lower castes became known as the Satyashodhak Samaj (Truthseekers’ Society) movement. As a lifelong champion of this movement for equality, Sheikh went door-to-door to invite the downtrodden in her community to learn at the Indigenous Library and escape the rigidity of the caste system.

She met great resistance from the dominant classes who attempted to humiliate those involved in the Satyashodhak movement, but Sheikh and her allies persisted.

Although Sheikh’s story has been historically overlooked, the Indian government shone new light on her achievements in 2014 by featuring her profile in Urdu textbooks alongside other trailblazing Indian educators.

source: http://www.news18.com / News 18 / Honme> News> Lifestyle / January 09th, 2022