Ahmad’s book, Caste and Social Stratification Among Muslims in India, is celebrated as pioneering work in the field.
Imtiaz Ahmad (1940-2023). Photo: Twitter/@syedurahman
New Delhi:
Imtiaz Ahmad, renowned scholar who taught political sociology at the Jawaharlal Nehru University in India, has died. He was 83.
Ahmad’s book, Caste and Social Stratification Among Muslims in India, is celebrated as pioneering work in the field.
Ahmad got his BA and MA degrees from the Lucknow University in 1958 and 1960 respectively. He started as a senior research analyst at the Institute of Economic Growth at the Delhi University in 1964 and two years later, became a lecturer in sociology in the same university.
After three years as visiting professor of anthropology at the University of Missouri in the US, Ahmad joined JNU as associate professor in political sociology in 1972. He became a professor in the department in 1983 and taught there for three decades.
Among his numerous publications are those which throw light on Muslim empowerment, minority rights, the role of education among Muslims, how Islamic ideologies mesh with social realities, how Muslim women are studied in India and communalism.
Ahmad also wrote critically on the Gujarat riots of 2002 in particular and communal politics in general. His work has been lauded as having shed light on the composite culture of India.
source: http://www.thewire.in / The Wire / Home> Education> Society / by The Wire Staff / June 19th, 2023
Jilani died during treatment at Lucknow’s Nishat Hospital in Qaiserbagh and is survived by daughter Maria Rehan, sons Najafzafar Jilani and Anaszafar Jilani, and wife Azra Jilani. The family resides in Qaiserbagh. Jilani was buried at the Qaiserbagh graveyard late Wednesday evening.
All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) secretary and senior advocate died at a Lucknow hospital on Wednesday after a prolonged illness followed by a fall in May 2021 during which he suffered brain haemorrhage. He was 73.
Jilani, a former Additional Advocate General for Uttar Pradesh, was the convenor of the Babri Masjid Action Committee and had argued in the Ram Janmabhoomi case in different courts over decades.
Jilani died during treatment at Lucknow’s Nishat Hospital in Qaiserbagh and is survived by daughter Maria Rehan, sons Najafzafar Jilani and Anaszafar Jilani, and wife Azra Jilani. The family resides in Qaiserbagh. Jilani was buried at the Qaiserbagh graveyard late Wednesday evening.
“He had multiple health issues for which he was being treated. He had a urinary tract infection which had spread to his lungs. His kidney and brain were also affected. All these issues started after he fell in May 2021 and suffered brain haemorrhage,” said a family member.
Jilani, a native of Malihabad town, was among the decorated alumnus of Aligarh Muslim University, from where he got his law degree.
He will be remembered for his soft-spoken nature and his in-depth knowledge of law, said his colleagues and peers.
Senior advocate SFA Naqvi said, “He was among the most soft-spoken and kind-hearted people I knew. There was a grace about him which is hard to put in words. But his arguments were never soft in court, and he had the law on his fingertips. We have lost a pioneer in law, and he will be missed.”
“During his time as the Additional Advocate General, even when I was arguing against him, he forgot all about it once we were outside the court. Then, we would go back to being friends. He always kept what happened in court to the courtroom only,” added Naqvi.
After the Supreme Court verdict in the Ram Janmabhoomi case in November 2019, Jilani had remarked, “The judgement has just been pronounced, it says a lot of things about the Constitution and about secularism. We are very dissatisfied with this judgement. Article 142 does not let you do this.”
After a special CBI court on September 30, 2020 acquitted all 32 surviving accused in the Babri Masjid demolition case, citing lack of evidence, Jilani had told The Indian Express , “The verdict is wrong. It is against the law and evidence (in the case). It is an erroneous judgement. However, a judgement is a judgement. We will avail the remedy available. The remedy is with the High Court. It has the power to reverse the judgement and we will go to the High Court.”
Advocate Rakesh Chaudhary, former president of the Oudh Bar Association, Allahabad High Court, said that Jilani had a great equation with everyone in the court. “He was a very helpful person, who never took anything personally. He had great sportsmanlike spirit,” said the lawyer.
Sarah Haque, a Delhi-based lawyer who worked alongside Jilani on the Babri Masjid case before the Supreme Court, said he was one of the kindest and most respected members of the Bar. “His demise is a huge loss to the legal fraternity. He was extremely passionate in his craft and made commendable efforts towards the pursuit of justice,” she said. “His attention and commitment to the Babri matter was laudable and he will be remembered forever.”
source: http://www.indianexpress.com / The Indian Express / Home> News> India / by Asad Rehman, Lucknow / May 18th, 2023
Mrs. Aaesha Munawar, General Secretary, U.P. Judo Association, has been nominated as a member of the Infrastructure Committee of the Indian Olympic Association.
Mr. Amitabh Sharma is the Chairman of this Committee. Apart from Aaesha Munawar, the other members are Mr. Bhola Nath Singh, Mr. Vaghish Pathak, Mr. Akhil Kumar, Mr. Ravi Bengani and Dr. Amit Bhalla. This Committee will serve till the year 2026.
This is for the very first time that a female Judoka from U.P. has been nominated in an IOA committee.
Mrs. P.T. Usha , President,IOA ; Mrs. Alaknanda Ashok , Joint Secretary, IOA; Mr. Harpal Singh and Mr. Bhupendra Singh Bajwa – Executive Council Member, all congratulated Mrs. Aaesha on her nomination.
Munawar Anzar, CEO, U.P. Judo Association.
source: http://www.ismatimes.com / Isma Times / Home> News> National / by Afzal Shah Madudi / March 13th, 2023
Mohd Aryaan Tariq jointly shares the first rank with four others in ISC. ( Photo courtesy HT )
In the results announced yesterday, a total of 98,505 students participated in the Council for Indian School Certificate Examinations 2023.
Of them, five students shared the top most rank with all scoring 99.75% marks.
Mohd Aryaan Tariq, Montessori Inter College, Rajajipuram, Lucknow is one of the top most scorers in the examination.
Riyya Aggarwal (Guwahati), Ipsita Bhattacharya (Thane), Shubham Kumar Aggarwal (Bhaktinagar) and Manya Gupta (Kolkata) are the other ones.
Tariq informed media that he regularly spent four hours daily for his studies. He remained cut off from social media to focus on his academic preparation.
He scored perfect 100 in chemistry, physical education and biology and hauled 99 out of 100 each in English and biotechnology.
Congratulations to all the successful students and good luck to those who couldn’t do better this time.
source: http://www.muslimmirror.com / Muslim Mirror / Home> Indian Muslim> Positive Story / by Muslim Mirror / May 15th, 2023
Dr Shaikh Yunus in the I.C.U of King George’s Medical University, Lucknow
Dr Shaikh Yonus, a Senior Resident in the Cardiology department of the prestigious King George’s Medical University, Lucknow, is the first Muslim doctor from the Jalna district of Central Maharashtra. He completed his MBBS degree in 2015.
This is no small accomplishment for this cheerful 34-year-old doctor who studied in a village school till Class X. His father even borrowed money to fund his medical education.
Shaikh grew up sowing cotton with his father Khudbuddin and elder brother Aslam in their four-acre land in Dadhegaon in Jalna district.
As a schoolboy, he remembers his relatives insisting that he be sent to a Madrasa along with their children. But Shaikh wanted to attend a regular school and his father respected his wish. He was always drawn to the science stream and chose his career path when he was in Class X.
Shaikh says that in his backward village of 800 people there was hardly anyone holding a high post. “Thankfully, my seniors in school had become career-minded and some become teachers. They inspired me to focus on my ambition.’’
Shaikh struggled against all odds and cracked the Medical college entrance test.
Dr. Yunus says, “It was a huge struggle. My father who passed away in August 2022, at the age of 62, was a cotton farmer. Because of the challenges that cotton farmers face in Maharashtra, he was on the brink of starvation. We are four siblings – two brothers, and two sisters. In 2008, my father’s annual income was Rs 30,000. It was difficult for him to pay Rs 3000 for my monthly room rent and living expenses for a year and annual fee of Rs 12,000 for professional coaching in Aurangabad for entrance examination of the medical college.”
Shaikh’s coaching cost Rs 50,000 per year. His father even took a loan of Rs 30,000 to fund his coaching.
This promising cardiologist says students in the village aspiring to study after Class X had to move out. So did Yunus. He then began studying in Ambad Taluk, 20 kilometres away from home, for Class XI and XII.
Although Shaikh managed to get an annual minority scholarship of Rs 25,000 for his six-year MBBS course in Government Medical College, Nagpur, he still had to depend on his father for Rs 3000 every month to meet his living expenses.
Looking back at his struggle, he says, “My father had limited means. Saving money to marry my sisters and having to set aside Rs 2000 for my fee was a huge challenge but he never let it bother me. The annual fee for MBBS was Rs 18,000. The annual hostel fee was Rs 4000. The remaining amount was spent on buying books. I still had to depend on Rs 2000 every month from my father. I could hardly afford to travel to my village. I was homesick but meeting my family members was a luxury. So, once in six months, I would take a 16-hour long journey by train to meet my family.’’
Shaikh’s first earning came after the final year of MBBS at Government Medical College in Nagpur. “During the year-long internship, the government was paying us Rs 6000 a month. After this, I appeared in the NEET examination for MD in Medicine. I got 104th rank in the country. There were only 26 seats for MD in Medicine in Maharashtra. “I got a chance to pursue MD for three years in Government Medical College in Miraj near Pune. I completed MD in 2020,’’ he recalls.
The competition for DM (Doctorate in Medicine) is even more difficult. Out of the 3,000 students who apply for DM in Cardiology every year, only one-tenth get through. KGMU admits only eight students every year after a nationwide selection. Dr Shaikh is among the eight doctors who was selected for DM in Cardiology in KGMU.
Dr Yunus is the only doctor in his extended family. “My father studied till class X but he stood behind me like a rock. He was determined to do whatever he could to help me fulfil my dreams. My sisters who are now married, studied only till Class IV or V. My mother, Shaheen is a homemaker. She too hardly studied. My elder brother did his postgraduation in Hindi from Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar University in Aurangabad but was not able to find a job. So, he took to cotton cultivation.’’
Although Dr Yunus is satisfied that his hard work helped him crack the examination, he deeply regrets that he was not able to save his father’s life last year. “I was on I.C.U. duty when I got a call from my family that my father was unwell. When I made a video call to the doctor who was attending to him in a private hospital, 50 km from my village home, I realized that he was critical. He had pneumonia. I specialize in treating these diseases but I could not save his life. This is a lifelong regret.’’
Dr Shaikh Yunus (in the lab coat) going through the records of a patient in KGMU, Lucknow
Like most of his colleagues, Dr Yunus who is in the second year of DM, has unbelievable duties in the Cardiology department of KGMU. “The disease burden is huge and the number of patient consultations and admissions is huge. There have been times when my colleagues and I have come for duty on Sunday and left on Friday. On an average, we see 400 patients in OPD (Monday to Saturday) and 200 in emergency who are coming from all over the country and even Bhutan, Nepal and Saudi Arabia.’’
He also wishes that more young students from Jalna district would join the medical stream and become doctors. “ It has been eight years from the time I finished my MBBS but so far, I have come across only two students from my district who were enrolled for MBBS courses in private universities in China or Russia. Only those students who are unable to crack the competitive examination in India, go there. I know how I have studied. I would sleep only five hours. ‘’
In February 2022, Dr. Yunus married Mahjabin, his junior who is now a surgical gynecologist in Bans-Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh. Dr. Yunus’ family who attended the wedding in Bareilly is extremely proud that their son and daughter-in-law are doctors. “ I first accompanied them on the train from Jalna to Delhi. That was the first time they saw the national capital. In so many years, that was the first time that they travelled outside the State. They enjoyed visiting Uttar Pradesh also. It was a 26-hour long journey.’’
Mahjabin who is working at Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences in Lucknow is deeply appreciative of Dr Yunus’ struggle. “ When I visited my in-laws after my marriage and after my father-in-law’s demise, I felt that they were very proud of the fact that both of us are doctors.’’
Dr. Yunus’s elder brother Aslam Shaikh is very proud of him. Aslam told this correspondent over the phone from his village “Other than my brother, no student from Jalna district has been able to get selected in competitive examination to enroll in MBBS.”
Aslam earns Rs 60,000 a year from cotton cultivation and supports a family of five. “I send my son, Arhaan Aslam Shaikh, 12 km away to study in an English medium school. My daughter, Jiya is only two and a half years old. I want them to become doctors like my brother and his wife. ”
After becoming a specialist, Dr Yunus has not forgotten his roots. He tends to his father’s farmland whenever he visits home. Ths doctor’s heart beats for the farmers of India.
source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Story / by Tripti Nath, Lucknow / March 24th, 2023
At a meeting of the Urdu Scientific Society, attended by prominent Doctors of Lucknow, Dr. Kausar Usman of King George Medical University, Lucknow was felicitated for the honor he received as a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, Edinburgh.
Presently working as a Professor of Internal Medicine at one of the prestigious medical institutions of India King George’s medical university, Dr. Usman is known for his expertise in the field of Medicine in general and Diabetes in particular. In 2016, Dr. Usman became the first Muslim Professor in the medicine department of King George’s Medical University, Lucknow.
Dr. Usman has participated actively in several national and international investigations and has a very solid foundation in research. Numerous national and international publications have published his work. He has more than 70 Publications to his name.
Prior to joining King George’s Medical University as a teaching faculty member, he worked in reputable medical institutions like Indraprasth Apollo Hospital in New Delhi.
In 2017, Dr. Usman had received a Fellowship Award FACP (Fellow of American College of Physicians) in San Diego, California.
Senior Urdu Scientific Society office bearers Padma Shri Dr. Mansoor Hasan, Maulana Khalid Rasheed, Dr. Iqtedar Farooqi, and Dr. Shakir Hashmi congratulated Dr. Usman for his extraordinary achievements.
source: http://www.muslimmirror.com / Muslim Mirror / Home> Indian Muslim> Positive Story / by Muslim Mirror Network / December 13th, 2022
At the 2022 International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) Shotgun World Championship, which was held on Monday in Osijek, Croatia, Indian shooter Areeba Khan took home the silver medal in the individual women’s junior skeet event.
Areeba Khan hit 29 of her 40 shots in the final, missing her final attempt, while Sophie Herrmann of Great Britain scored 30 shots to win the gold.
Raveca-Maria Islai of Romania took home the bronze medal after striking 20 shots, while Muffaddal Zahra Deesawala of India placed fourth after hitting 12 targets.
After Shapath Bharadwaj, Shardul Vihan, and Arya Tyagi won gold in the junior trap men’s team competition, this is India’s second medal in the shotgun competition.
After a shoot-off, Areeba Khan came in third place in the qualifying round. She then won her ranking match to advance to the final.
The 19-year-old Indian shooter competed for India’s junior women’s skeet squad in 2021, which won a gold medal.
No Indian shooter qualified for the ranking matches in the junior men’s individual skeet later in the day.
In qualifying, Bhavtegh Singh Gill, Abhay Singh Sekhon, and Ritu Raj Bundela came in at positions 32, 33, and 36, respectively. The ranking matches are limited to the top eight competitors.
