Category Archives: Books (incl.Biographies – w.e.f.01 jan 2018 )

Manzoor Nomani was ‘intrinsically Indian’ in the first place

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Lucknow, UTTAR PRADESH :

Maulana Manzoor Nomani. Courtesy: Quranwahadith.

Maulana Muhammed Manzoor Nomani (1905-1997), most arguably was one of the five prime most Muslims of the Indian sub-continent in the last century. He was the founding member of Jamaat-e-Islami and later got associated with Tablighi Jamaat and was also the member of founding committee of Muslim World League.

Maulana Khalil-ur-Rehman Sajjad Nomani is his son who gives every credence to his father, as that is what has made him, potentially what he is today; the most potent Muslim voice in the nation.

Sajjad Nomani’s command on Arabic, Quran, Hadith, Urdu, Hindi and English, in the same verve, depth and gravitas, apart from being an eloquent speaker, an indefatigable champion of Muslim cause, a voracious reader and a writer with an unquestionable command on the intricacies of linguistic theory and cultural praxis, are all the qualities he has embodied and imbibed from his late father.

Yours truly also did once saw Manzoor Nomani Sahab, at his Nazeerabad residence, Lucknow, as he sat on his wheel chair engrossed in an Urdu newspaper and also attended to his funeral at Aishbagh, Lucknow in 1997.

It would be worthy to recollect some of the anecdotes Sajjad Sahab shared about his late father, which all are a treasure trove to understand the ‘times’ about seventy-five years back.

He reminisced that Pakistan first Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan was very insistent that Manzoor Sahab visit Pakistan and become a part of Pakistan Constituent Assembly to ‘pave for the ingredients’ for Islamic Jurisprudence for the state of Pakistan, and ultimately even officially sought for it, as Manzoor Sahab was one of the most outstanding figures of Islamic Law and Jurisprudence at those times.

When India’s PM Jawahar Lal Nehru came to know of it, he communicated that though he does not want Maulana to volunteer it, yet if Maulana wanted then government of India was to facilitate it. But, there was no question of Manzoor Sahab even entertaining the idea as he was an unwavering Indian by his heart, not out of any chance but primarily for his choice, as Muslims after 1947 were to choose between India or Pakistan and Manzoor Sahab stood for India.

Maulana Khalilur Rahman Sajjad Nomani

Sajjad Sahab would also reflect that it was in 1976, when he was studying in Medina University, and had come to India on his vacations, that Manzoor Sahab kidneys collapsed all of a sudden and he went into coma. That was the time when emergency was in place. He informed that ‘intelligence inputs’ were given to PM Indira Gandhi that unless Maulana Ali Mian Nadwi, Maulana Manzoor Nomani and Qari Siddeeq Baandvi were to be arrested, Muslims were not relent to ‘vasectomy-sterilization’ and Indira Gandhi went to India’s President Fakhrudin Ali Ahmed, for his counsel on it, to which she was answered that all hell will break loose in the country in case of such an eventuality.

In the meantime, Indira Gandhi was also informed about the medical situation of Manzoor Sahab, and a chartered place to carry Maulana to Delhi was sent to Lucknow. The family members could not fathom for it, for they knew, that Maulana was be very angry once after the coma was to subside, the gesture of Indira Gandhi was hence refused, and fortunately by the midnight Maulana regained his senses, but then the next morning Indira Gandhi herself came down to Maulana’s residence. She would insist that Maulana may be flown to Delhi for his medical treatment, but all what Maulana sought from her was that she should implement justice as there was ‘tyranny’ all across the nation. He would address Indira Gandhi as his daughter and that when she played in her father’s courtyard, Maulana was to advice her father JL Nehru on critical issues.

Such has been the sense of belonging of Muslims for Manzoor Sahab , inherited too well by his son, is that while Jamshedpur raged under riots of 1979, Maulana went on to sit in a mosque for 21 days, draw into people and disbursed charity amongst the hapless Muslims, which continued for months. Maulana had an impeccable memory as Sajjad Sahab, relates, that shortly before his death, while he was searching for a Hadith, his ailing father, who was almost comatose, made him look for it on the exact page of Tirmezi- a great compendium of Hadith. Maulana Manzoor Sahab was a living authority and a luminary of Hadith-the sayings of Prophet of Islam.

Manzoor Nomani Sahab surely has left an indelible mark on Muslim civilization not across only in India but throughout the whole Muslim world. The best part however is that, it has all been very well innately translated into a relentless campaign for Muslim rights in India, by his son Sajjad Nomani, an activist always on his heels and one of the most credible voice of Muslims in the nation today. He is right now articulating the cause of Peace and Justice, a desperate call of the nation today. Sajjad Sahab is also the spokesperson of All India Muslim Personal Law Board, the Apex of Muslims in the country.

***

The writer is a former UP State Information Commissioner and writes on political issues.

source: http://www.mulimmirror.com / Muslim Mirror / Home> Muslim Scholars / by Haider Abbas / June 20th, 2022

Dr. Noor Amrohvi: Great personality of language, literature and poetry

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INDIA / Dallas, Texas, U.S.A :

Dr. Noor Amrohvi is one of the most important people in modern times for his knowledge of literature and poetry. Dr. Noor Amrohvi is a man of courage and many qualities. Apart from his immense love for literature, poetry and Urdu language, he also has a deep sympathy for the nation. They are popular among the people. He lives in the United States but his heart lives in India. They always strive for the development of the country, the welfare of the people and the promotion of Urdu language. And these are the things that make him stand out from others.

Dr. Noor Amrohvi belongs to a business family of India. He himself is also a businessman. Simultaneously, he is a renowned and popular poet and a literary figure. Although in the Dallas Texas Area there are a large number of poets and prose writers, yet the main difference between Noor and others is the level of popularity and fame that has come to Noor Amrohvi. He is certainly a distinguished and far more popular literary figure than others poets, speakers and writers.

Its manifest proof is proven by the release of his first book which has been released in a unique and charming manner. Although the release of this book has been carried out in an extremely distinguished and unique manner yet the most notable and enticing manner was visible in the celebration which was hosted by his admirers and readers in 2018 AD.  Its salient features were that every listener and guest was given a precious diamond. Moreover, precious pens were gifted to Dr Noor Amrohvi by adopted sister of Noor   In the light of all these festivities that party became one of the most unique and expensive functions which was neither witnessed nor celebrated.

Noor Amrohvi  is also the chairman of the famous literary and social organization named “ALNOOR INTERNATIONAL “. Every year Noor Amrohvi conducts an international program named,” an evening for peace and unity).

Noor Amrohvi enjoys the distinction of being the only expatriate person for holding an international Mushaira (poetry presentation). Every big and renowned poet aspires to take part in the poetry Mushairas conducted by Dr  Noor Amrohvi as an honor.

One can imagine the popularity and fame of Noor Amrohvi for his services for Urdu language,Asian community and poetry. That last in a Mushaira conducted at his residence, almost all the reputed and well-known celebrities of Dallas city  were present.

It may be mentioned that Dr. Noor Amrohvi has received so many and numerous awards. The expatriate residents of Dallas and Fort Worth cities have acknowledged that no one has so far received so many awards as Noor Amrohvi has been awarded.

Noor’s Ghazals have been sung by singers. The lyrics written by him have been used in the movies and also sung by renowned singers in India. The city of Dallas is very fortunate that it has a poet of eminence known asDr. Noor Amrohvi who represents Urdu language in the United States and Dallas city as well as elsewhere.

Although Dr. Shamsa Qureshi is the spoken sister of Dr. Noor Amrohvi, yet there is a great deal of understanding between them to the extent that both seem to be the real sister and brother.

Dr. Shamsa has a very soft and kind temperament and is the author of a volume of poetry. She is the custodian and patron of the Al-Noor International literary union. She is like the backbone of this literary union.

The people of Dallas have benefitted by this relationship of brother and sister that two Urdu literary and poetry sessions are held every year. These programs are held because of the support and patronage of Dr. Shamsa and Dr. Noor Amrohvi.

source: http://www.millattimes.com / Millat Times / Home> Opinion / by Saeed Qureshi, Editor – UprightOpinion.com / January 13th, 2021

Remembering Shahid Ali Khan: A Lifelong Benefactor of Urdu

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NEW DELHI :

Shahid sahab or Shahid bhai, as he was called by most, was not a writer or a poet himself but helped many become successful writers, poets and researchers.

Shahid Ali Khan at his Bookshop in New Delhi. Photo: Mahtab Alam

Since the onset of the pandemic, so many gems from the world of Urdu language and literature have been lost that I have now lost count. It was only last year that a few of us compiled a list of at least 75 Urdu writers and poets who had passed away. It included the likes of Shamsur Rahman Faruqi, Anand Mohan Zutshi ‘Gulzar Dehlvi’, Rahat Indori, Mujtaba Hussain, Nusrat Zaheer and Asrar Jamayee. Notably, this list does not include any Urdu writers, poets, researchers and translators outside India.

This year so far, we have not been able to gather the courage to collate such a list. I am sure the numbers are higher than last year, even though we are still to go through more than half the year. While it’s true that not all succumbed to the virus, the pandemic coupled with the lockdown ensured that most of the friends, admirers and other Urdu lovers were deprived of having one last glimpse or participating in the last journey of their favourite literary heroes.

One such person was Shahid Ali Khan, whom we lost in April this year. He passed away in the wee hours of April 21. This news was not wholly unexpected, as he was 91 years old and was not keeping well for the past few months. Despite that, when the news of his death reached me, I was engulfed in an inexplicable layer of grief. In fact, I felt more helpless than sad. Helpless because despite my strong will to participate in his last journey, I could not do so as I was down with a high-grade fever myself and had been briefly hospitalised due to COVID-19.

Shahid sahab or Shahid bhai, as he was called by most, was not a writer or a poet himself, but he helped and enabled many to become successful writers, poets and researchers. Ram Prakash Kapoor, who retired from the Bhilai Steel Plant, recounts in an article that Shahid sahab encouraged him to write in Urdu and invited him to write a guest editorial for one of the issues of Kitab Numa, a magazine of which Shahid sahab was the editor. Thanks to Shahid sahab’s constant encouragement, Kapoor went on to author at least two books in Urdu after his retirement.

Nai Kitab bookshop in Jamia Nagar, New Delhi. Photo: Mahtab Alam

Like Kapoor, there are probably dozens of writers who were nourished by Shahid sahab during his lifetime. Amongst his admirers included noted writers such as Shamsur Rahman Faruqi, Mujtaba Hussain, Shameem Hanafi, Sughra Mehdi and Sadiq-ur-Rahman Kidwai. For many years, he was also associated with the Maktaba Jamia, the Urdu publication division of Jamia Millia Islamia. The Maktaba is one of the largest and longest surviving Urdu publishers in India. He had joined the Maktaba in 1951 as a junior clerk and retired as its general manager in 2006.

He had also worked as the in-charge of Maktaba Jamia’s Mumbai branch. According to noted screenwriter and playwright Javed Siddiqi, there was a time when the Maktaba in Mumbai used to be packed with writers, poets, journalists, professors and (then) young lovers of literature like him. So much so that people had to take refuge on the steps of the Maktaba and the footpath outside it. It was a place for debate and discussions on issues related to literature and beyond. Every Saturday evening witnessed a literary gathering in which Urdu lovers from across the city used to participate.

It is here that he befriended writers and poets like Jan Nisar Akhtar, Meena Kumari, Sahir Ludhianvi, Kaifi Azmi and Jagan Nath Azad. Some of them were regular visitors at the Maktaba. There are several interesting stories about their friendship which can be heard here in his own words. Though he had left the city several decades ago, several Urdu writers and journalists who used to visit the Maktaba (located near JJ hospital naka) would tell me of how they missed Shahid Sahab’s presence.

He continued to attract and host Urdu lovers in Delhi. It would often happen that whenever an Urdu lover visited the city, they would make it a point to meet him. One of the reasons behind this was that he possessed an encyclopaedic knowledge about Urdu and its literature. He also often had Urdu books which were not available in the market. At times, he would also make arrangements for books on request.

After his retirement from the Maktaba, he started an independent publishing house and book store in Jamia Nagar by the name of Nai Kitab and a quarterly literary journal by the same name. It is here that I met him for the first time in 2007. Though the magazine ceased to be published after a few years – owing to his growing age and deteriorating health, he continued with the book shop even though it was time for him to take a break. “The bookstore is like oxygen for me,” he had once told me. It was open till a few months before the lockdown in March last year.

One of the attractions for me while visiting Jamia Nagar (after having shifted out) was to meet Shahid sahab and spend some time at his bookshop. It was not just another bookshop where one would primarily buy books. It was like a centre of learning and Shahid sahab was always there to host you no matter how young one was. He was a guide for those interested in Urdu and wanted to know more about the language and its literature.

During my umpteen visits to the bookstore, I always found him surrounded by people – poets, writers, journalists, researchers and students of varying ages. He would always pay individual attention to each visitor and if you were regular, you were likely to be treated with black tea and chips. It was no surprise then that Urdu lovers missed his warmth when the bookshop was closed.

“It is not just a bookshop but an institution where one got to meet noted writers and lovers of Urdu literature,” young Urdu poet Rizwan Khan, who used to visit the shop at least twice a week, told me last year. “I miss the black tea and chips that Shahid sahib served us with love and affection,” he recalled, adding that “he is a storehouse of information, and several veteran writers were his friends, so he would tell us stories all the time.”

In my own case, after enquiring about his khabar-khairyat on each of my visits, he would say, “Achcha aap bahut dino baad aayen hain, ye nayi kitaabein aayi hai dekh lein (You’ve come after a long time, here are some new books for your perusal),” pointing towards the book rack where new arrivals were kept or those that were on his table. It is no surprise to me that some of the best Urdu books in my personal library are from his shop, often on his recommendation. I had been reading the works of noted Urdu writer Shaukat Thanvi in the past few days, all brought from his shop and which are either out of print or seldom available in the market.

Shahid Ali Khan and other staff of Maktaba Jamia (Mumbai) with Zakir Hussain, former president of India and VC of Jamia Millia Islamia. Photo: Shahid Ali Khan: Ek Fard, Ek Idara (Arshia Publications)

It is our misfortune that despite requests from several admirers, he never paid heed to write his biography or memoirs. Had he done so, we would not have been deprived of the knowledge and stories which have now gone with him. In my understanding, he didn’t write his memoirs for two reasons. He was always busy with work and never had the time – so much so that his children would say that the Maktaba (and later, Nai Kitab) was his first love. Secondly, and more importantly, he hardly ever spoke about himself.

He had a special interest in young researchers of Urdu. God only knows how many of them he has helped by supplying important books and literature for their research, providing guidance (what to read, whom to interview or contact) and getting their work published.

There are many who claim to be, or are often referred to as Khadim-e-Urdu (Servant of Urdu). But I have not met a servant of Urdu like Shahid sahab. He was a selfless benefactor of Urdu and his services can’t and shouldn’t be forgotten. Now that Shahid sahab is no more, it is unlikely that the bookshop will open again. Even if it does, it will never be the same.

source: http://www.thewire.in / The Wire / Home> Culture / by Mahtab Alam / June 01st, 2021

Senior journalist Zeya Saheb has left us, as well

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Badharwa Fateh Mohammad Village, BIHAR / Lucknow, U.P. / NEW DELHI :

New Delhi :

Mohammad Zeyaul Haque, a senior journalist, well known in journalistic and intellectual circles of Delhi, Bihar and UP, passed away on Thursday after a short hospitalisation, the end came around 7:30 pm today. He was 72.

Born in 1948 in a remote village of Bihar called Badharwa Fateh Mohammad, under Dhaka subdivision of East Chamapran district, he received his early education in Dhaka. After schooling, he went to college in Motihari and later joined LS college, Muzaffarpur, from where he graduated with English Literature. Inclined towards Journalism and writing from college days, he went to Lucknow to pursue his Journalistic career, first joining Urdu daily, Qaumi Awaz, published by the associated journals limited which also published National Herald and Navjeevan in Hindi. His journalistic acumen, writing skills and intellectual calibre soon attracted the attention of the Editor of English daily, the pioneer of Lucknow who offered him a job as a reporter for his newspaper.

It was a big jump for a person who started out as a Journalist in an Urdu Daily. From there, there was no looking back for Mr Haque who was affectionately called Zeya Saheb by his friends and journalist colleagues. In Lucknow, he worked National Herald and Times of India which he left to join Russian Embassy to work for its publications as the consultant editor in Delhi. Later, Mr Haque took up the stewardship of a fortnightly, Nation and the World, as its Executive Editor, though he piloted it as its de facto Editor.

He was executive editor of The Milli Gazette and edited a number of books published by Pharos Media. Currently, he was editing the English translation of the Quran by Zafarul-Islam Khan.

He also edited the Magazine ‘The Encounter’, with distinction. Zeya saheb was a trilingual journalist who was a regular columnist of Rajasthan Patrika published from Jaipur and used to contribute articles to the multi-edition Hindi daily The Hindustan. At the time of his death, Zeya saheb was working for an NGO group, Institute of Objective Studies, New Delhi, which he served for long years, as its strongest pillars.

Coming from a rural background, Zeya saheb compared well with many of city-bred and public school educated peers. He had trained and inspired generations of Journalists. Apart from qualities of Head, he was also known for his qualities of heart. He was a thorough gentleman, kind and compassionate, helping people with his right hand without his left hand knowing it.

A gentleman to the core, he had exceptional grasp of English and was highly well-read. Always had a story to share from his treasure.

He is survived by two sons and one daughter and a lot of grandchildren and relatives. His eldest son Waqas is Senior Journalist with India Today and the other son Arafat, is a Senior Manager in an MNC, while his daughter Naila teaches English in Delhi University. May Zeya Saheb’s soul rest in peace.

source: http://www.milligazette.com / The Milli Gazette / Home> News> Community News / by The Milli Gazette Online / April 22nd, 2021

Watch | ‘Narendra Modi Is the Product of the Ayodhya Agitation

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NEW DELHI :

How did the politics of the Ram temple and the demolition of the Babri Masjid secure support for the militant Hindu nationalistic idea?

In this episode of ‘In Dino’, Mahtab Alam interviews senior journalist and author, Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay on the impact the Ram Janmabhoomi-Ayodhya movement had on India polity and society.

Mukhopadhyay in his latest book, The Demolition and the Verdict: Ayodhya and the Project to Reconfigure India (Speaking Tiger: 2021) analyses how politics of the Ram temple and demolition of Babri Masjid secured support for the militant Hindu nationalistic idea and the long-term implications of the imminent construction of the Ram Mandir.

source: http://www.thewire.in / The Wire / Home> Books / by Mahtab Alam / December 20th, 2021

Shamnad Basheer, My Friend And One of the Country’s Brightest Legal Minds

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KERALA / KOLKATA / Bengaluru, KARNATAKA :

Shamnad was not just an expert in intellectual property rights, but a relentless crusader who worked towards ensuring diversity and representation of marginalised communities in legal practice.

Shamnad Basheer. Photo: Devendra Purbiya Productions

The untimely and tragic death of professor Shamnad Basheer was a bolt from the blue for many of us. As I scuttled to get more information on what initially seemed impossible to believe, I realised that apart from the loss of a friend, the country had also lost one of its finest legal minds. Globally renowned for his expertise in the field of intellectual property rights (IPR), Shamnad was found dead in his car near Bababundangiri in Chikkamagaluru of Karnataka.

As news of his death spread and tributes started pouring in all over my social media timeline, there remained no doubt that his sudden demise was a great loss to the legal fraternity and academia across the globe. Shamnad was a relentless crusader, working day in and out to ensure diversity and representation of marginalised communities in the field of law and legal practice. An alumni of the National Law University, Bangalore and Oxford University, Shamnad was a man on a mission as he championed many causes ranging  from internet equality, fairness in IPR, public interest litigation, judicial accountability, to the rights of sexual minorities, visually impaired and physically disabled persons.

For me, Shamnad was more a social justice warrior than a globally-known IPR expert. He was not just the force behind Increasing Diversity by Increasing Access to Legal Education (IDIA), but also Access to Legal Education for Muslims in India (ALEM India).

I first heard of him in 2009, when he wrote a blog about remarks made by then Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju. In open court, Justice Katju equated a young Muslim sporting a beard with a Taliban militant. That year, Justice Katju had rejected an appeal of a Muslim student that he should be permitted to sport a beard in his convent school. Rejecting the plea the judge had remarked that, “We don’t want to have Talibans in the country. Tomorrow a girl student may come and say that she wants to wear a burqa. Can we allow it?”

According to Shamnad, “notwithstanding the merits of the case”, Justice Katju’s comments were “callous and insensitive” and he was “unfit to be an impartial judge”. Back then, Shamnad was the HRD ministry’s professor of intellectual property law at the National University of Juridical Sciences (NUJS), Kolkata. In the conclusion of his blog, he wrote:

“The Supreme Court bench may have been right in denying admission to Salim’s SLP. However, in view of Justice Katju’s statements made in open court that equated every bearded Muslim with a Taliban, the possibility of bias against a community cannot be ruled out. And the Chief Justice must not only censure such remarks, but take immediate steps to have this case reheard before another bench. For justice must not only be done, but also be seen to be done!”

Years passed by, and I kept reading his insightful articles and commentaries in various newspapers and websites. He was prolific, writing on a range of issues related to law, policy and public good. In 2015, a common friend (Tarunabh Khaitan) connected us, asking me if I would be interested in helping Shamnad’s team at IDIA to reach out to the Muslim community. Having admired Shamnad’s writings, the opportunity to work with him was like a dream come true. I readily agreed and eventually, we became good friends.

Shamnad Basheer at a panel discussion of intellectual property rights. Photo: Flickr/World Intellectual Property Organisation CC BY NC ND 2.0

Diversifying the legal field

More than anything, he was always on the lookout for ways and means to ensure that IDIA reaches the remotest parts of the country. To contextualise the need of diversity in national law schools, let me quote a study conducted by the students of NLS Bangalore in 2016. According to the study:

“While the students are somewhat evenly divided across sexes, the income, caste and religion statistics are telling of what constitutes ‘merit’ in this country. While 15% of the students reported their family’s annual income to be above Rs 36 lakh per annum, more than 50% reported an annual income of more than Rs. 12 lakh per annum. Eighty two percent were Hindus and the next largest religious group was the wealthy Jain community (5%), which constitute less than 0.5% of India’s population. On the other hand, Muslims, who constitute 14% of India’s population, make up only 0.5% of that of NLS. The NLS also has predominantly upper-caste students at 65%, with about 27% identifying as Brahmins.”

Similarly, another report found:

“In the last 15 years i.e., from 2000 onwards, only one Dalit advocate has been designated senior by the Supreme Court, and only two from the Muslim Community. The Advocates from backward States like Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand or Bihar have not been designated at all. The Advocates from rural background are totally ignored. Even with regard to a progressive State like Karnataka, only one Advocate has been designated after a gap of 25 years. It is relevant to mention that in the last round of designation, out of five advocates designated, four of them belonged to one caste.”

Despite being an extremely busy person, Shamnad believed in and practiced mentoring and coaching young minds, individually and personally. Few years ago, when I visited his flat in Bangalore, he was helping two students who were staying at his house to prepare for the CLAT exam. Both belonged to an unprivileged background, a common thread among the spectrum of students whom IDIA supported. A glance at IDIA scholars, like visually impaired Najrul Islam from Siliguri, West Bengal, who studies at the National Law University, Delhi (NLU) or Meraka Mani from Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh, currently studying at IFIM Law College, Bangalore, Aparna Amnekar from Nagpur, Maharashtra, a student of Government Law College, Mumbai, Sonia Sabu of Ernakulam district in Kerala, studying at NLIU, Bhopal and Vinatoli of Dimapur (Nagaland), studying at NUJS Kolkata shows an incredible initiative founded and run by him, with diversity and representation at its core.

Learning from IDIA’s experiment and under the guidance of Shamnad, ALEM India was started last year. The initiative tries to ensure access for socio-economically disadvantaged Muslims and improve their representation in Indian law schools.

Personally coaching legal professionals

His objective was not just to coach students for national law schools or produce batches of successful lawyers and legal professionals. He wanted to prepare young minds who are competent yet socially committed. It is hardly a surprise that IDIA produced graduates like Yogendra Yadav, better known as Yogi. The son of a manual labourer (working in Alang, Gujarat) and a resident of Pitij village in Chhatra district of Jharkhand, Yogi graduated from the National University for Study and Research in Law (NUSRL), Ranchi in 2017. He is currently a lawyer in the Ranchi high court. He worked as a newspaper hawker in and around his village from a very early age and it is while distributing newspapers that he got to know about IDIA and CLAT.

In the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, he contested as an independent candidate. Explaining his rationale to contest the election, Yogi told Bar & Bench, “IDIA always encouraged me to take up community causes and help as best as I could, They were training me to become a CHAMP and this is all part of that.” I clearly remember Shamnad informing us of Yogi’s inspiring story with pride. “Yogendra Yadav, our IDIA Scholar makes his Political Debut!,” read the email he had sent to some of us.

Shamnad was also keen to highlight IDIA scholars to people working in different walks of life, not just those in the law and judiciary. In 2017, got in touch with me to invite the anti-manual scavenging activist and convener of the Safai Karmachari Andolan, Bezwada Wilson, to deliver the key note address at the IDIA conference on creativity and leadership.

Bezwada Wilson. Photo: PTI

“We share the same set of ideals in terms of empowering the marginalised and building a more inclusive India,” he had written to Bezwada, copying me in the email. Bezwada’s key note, according to Shamnad was “a provocative address”. A year later, he also wrote an article on Bandicoot, a robot to replace manual scavenging. He noted:

“Bandicoot is not just a clever idea; it is a game changer, and dare I say a life saver! Putting some teeth back into India’s constitutional promise of “equality” for Dalits and other marginalized sections who’ve had to clean our crap for years. Only a few days ago, the Delhi high court ruled on a case involving the death of two manual scavengers; making the government pay for its murderous negligence!”

His latest email to me was in July this year, a heart breaker titled: “Deeply Disappointing News: 7 IDIA Scholars Still Without Committed Donors!”. “I am deeply saddened to bring you this disheartening message. Unfortunately, of the 12 IDIA scholars that gained admission to leading law schools this year, we found donor support (covering all expenses) for only 5 of our scholars. Which means 7 of our kids are left behind and it will be a struggle to put them through law school without some promise of a committed donor (or donors),” read his email. Little did I know then that this was going to be his last email to me.

Now that Shamnad is gone and we cherish his memory, our duty is to ensure that we carry forward the work he initiated, in the same spirit that he always professed. And that, I believe, would be our real tribute to him.

source: http://www.thewire.in / The Wire / Home> Law> Rights / by Mahtab Alam / August 11th, 2019

IP academic Prof Shamnad Basheer among six Infosys Prize winners

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KERALA :


Photo of Shamnad receiving the Infosys Prize (Humanities) in 2014 from Mr. Amartya Sen / pix: shamnad.com

Bengaluru : 

Indian Institute of Science (IISc) professor Jayant Haritsa and Intellectual Property (IP) academic and consultant professor Shamnad Basheer, both from Bengaluru, are among six winners of the Infosys Prize for this year.

Each prize, comprising a purse of Rs.55 lakh, a 22-carat gold medallion and a citation, is awarded by Infosys Science Foundation, a not-for-profit trust, set up by the global software major and funded by a corpus of Rs.100 crore ($16 million), contributed by the IT firm, its trustees and co-founders in 2009.

“Haritsa, computer science and automation department professor at IISc, has been awarded the prize under the Engineering and Computer Science category for his contribution to the design and optimisation of database engines,” the Foundation said in a statement here Thursday.

Haritsa also heads the supercomputer education and research centre at the institute.

Basheer, founder of SpicyIP, India, bagged the prize for his contribution to the analysis of a range of legal issues, including pharmaceutical patent injunctions and enforcement in the Humanities category.

As India’s premier blog on IP and innovation law and policy, SpicyIP does accurate reporting of IP developments across the country.

Basheer is also founder and managing trustee of Increasing Diversity by Increasing Access (IDIA) in Bengaluru.

Shubha Tole, associate professor at Mumbai-based Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), got the prize under the Life Sciences category for her contribution to studying the hippocampus and amygdale centres of learning and memory in the brain.

“Tole’s work can lead to a better understanding of human behaviour, cognition and emotions,” the statement noted.

Tole is also a principal investigator at the TIFR’s biological sciences department.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) adjunct professor Madhu Sudhan has been awarded the prize under the Mathematical Sciences category for his seminal contribution to probabilistically checkable proofs and error-correcting codes.

As a principal researcher at Microsoft Research in New England in the US, Sudan also heads the electrical engineering and computer sciences (EECS) department and computer science and artificial intelligence laboratory (CSASIL) at MIT in Boston.

Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) senior scientist Srivari Chandrasekhar at the Hyderabad-based Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT) has bagged the prize under the Physical Sciences category for his contribution to the synthetic organic chemistry with special focus on the synthesis of complex molecules from natural sources.

Abdul Latif Jameel Professor of Poverty Alleviation and Development Economics at MIT, Esther Duflo, got the prize under the Social Sciences category for her pioneering contribution to development economics, including the work related to India and Africa.

Duflo is also founder-director of Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab in the US.

“The Foundation has been able to recognise some of the best researchers of our time through the prize. Their contributions are an inspiration to students and professionals and have the potential for real-time impact on individuals and society,” Infosys co-founder and Foundation president N.R. Narayana Murthy said on the occasion.

A panel of jurors, comprising renowned scientists and professors from the world over, evaluated the noted winners.

The Infosys Prize jury chairs are Pradeep Khosla, Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen, Inder Verma, Srinivasa S.R. Varadhan, Shrinivas Kulkarni and Kaushik Basu.

President Pranab Mukherjee will award the winners and felicitate them Jan 5 in Kolkata.–-IANS

www.shamnad.com

source: http://www.muslimmirror.com / Muslim Mirror / Home> Exclusive Reports> Indian Muslims> Youth / November 15th, 2014

Healing through art

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Bengaluru, KARNATAKA :

After a near-death experience, Badrunissa Irfan, wife of Irfan Razack, CMD of Prestige Group, has put paintbrush to paper, expressing all that she’s been through.

Bengaluru : 

11 years ago, Badrunissa Irfan was in a comatose state for almost a month. Doctors had lost hope but Irfan pulled along.

Today, over a decade after the incident, Irfan is sharing what she experienced for the first time, through her art works. Titled ‘Freedom of the Soul’, 35 paintings of Irfan will be on display at Sublime Galleria in UB City through the month of June.

Picking up her acrylic paints after a 20-year break, Irfan questions what a soul is through her paintings. “I had a near-death experience where I was in a state of coma for 23 days and was declared clinically dead twice. But I came back to life and what I witnessed during those days is what I have painted now. I want to convey the message I received from the Almighty through my art.”

While she took to art at a young age, her passion took a backseat when life and responsibilities took over. “It was my daughter Uzma [Uzma Irfan, director of Prestige Group], who encouraged me to pick up the brushes again. When I told her that my body cannot do what it used to before, she sent her daughter (my granddaughter) Alayna Zaid (who is also an artist) to sit with me while working,” she says, adding that she started work on her paintings in January this year.

Talking about her paintings, Irfan says, “You’ll find that most of my paintings are of open skies, mountains, gushing streams, animals and birds.”

Starting at `75,000 and going up to `1,40,000, all proceeds from this show will be donated to charity. She recalls how she couldn’t hear anyone except her daughter reading verses from the Quran every day.

“In my unconscious state, there was a scenario where I felt like I was looking at my own body from the outside,” she says. Every experience that she went through during that period comes to life in this series. “The colours that I use depend completely on my mood. I spend about two hours in the afternoon and another two in the evening and finish one painting within two days. It might take a little longer if it’s a bigger one,” Irfan adds.

Irfan believes she ‘came back to life’ to share what she has seen and witnessed. “I personally feel more connected with nature, animals, birds, flowers and fruits. I feel humans are hypocrites and so I use my art to share the beauty I believe in,” says Irfan, who is also the author of cookbook Duniya-e-Ziyafat.


(Freedom of the Soul will be showcased from June 1 to 30 at Sublime Galleria. All proceeds from this show will be donated to charity)

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

Rare copies of Koran on display in Telangana

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TELANGANA :

One such is a miniature version that can be worn as an amulet

Ramzan marks the revelation of Koran and families go into a huddle reading it through the night. The Abul Kalam Azad Oriental Research Institute in Public Gardens is now hosting an exhibition of copies of some rare Korans.

One of them has been created in Hyderabad with Persian and Urdu translation and explanatory passages on the side. Another Koran is a miniature version which could be worn as an amulet. “This is among the 5,000 Koran amulets commissioned by Hasan Nizami, a legatee of Nizamuddin Aulia of Delhi. It is a priceless object as very few are in circulation,” informs S.M. Ahmed Ali of the institute.

Then there is a Koran which is a gift of Reza Shah Pehlavi, first Shah of the House of Pahlavi of the Imperial State of Iran, when his wife visited the city in 1960. It has the Persian translation along with the Arabic original.

A few facsimile copies show how different writing styles have evolved. A 7 th century Koran in Kufic script is without the diacritical marks. “This is one of the earliest copies and unique. It will be difficult to read as we are used to seeing the sound markers,” adds Mr. Ahmed.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Telangana / by The Hindu Bureau / Hyderabad – April 14th, 2022

“I believe in intuition while cooking”, Zohra Seemee

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NEW DELHI :

Zohra Seemee(L), her recipe book “Zaykah India Ka”

The month of Ramazan has entered its last leg and thus it is possible that the items on the Iftaar table at dusk must be getting mundane. Here, Awaz-the Voice spoke with Zohra Seeme, author of “Zaykah India ka” and founder of NGO Social Pride Welfare Society about how to pep up the Iftar platter for the family.

 “I learnt cooking after I got married..”, was Zohra Seeme’s reply to how and when she learnt how to cook. Zohra said as shewas distributing ration on behalf of Mahila Panchayat (an NGO she collaborates with) to the needy when Awaz the Voice reached her for a tete-a-tete.

Here’s her top dishes that can be tried this Ramazan:

Potato-Chicken Patty: potatoes boiled and mashed properly are used as a base that are then filled with minced meat of either chicken or mutton. Minced meat or keema that is prepared by roasting it with bare minimum spices and a dash of onions till cooked properly. 

Chane ki dal ke pakodas with Keema (Gram flour fitters filled with minced meat): preparing the gram flour dough by kneading it with a bit luke warm water, add salt to taste, take small portion, roll it flat, fill it with minced meat (as done with potato chicken patty) and just deep fry it or bake it (whatever suits you best). 

Zohra says, “I was the youngest at my place, thus I never touched a thing, but after I got married, my partner ate less but rich food, thus my journey of preparing food started..” “I don’t particularly follow any book, I believe in intuition rather..”, she replies when asked about her mantra behind the delicious recipes.

She adds, “I make up mind as and when I enter the kitchen, I try to think of flavours in my mind and when they click, I try to lay them on the dining table..”

A complete iftar table as laid out by Zohra Seemee

Asked about some oil-less, health conscious recipes she says, “ well, there’s Ghugni (a local name for chana dal soaked overnight and prepared with a dash of lemon, salt, black pepper, and finely chopped onions, tomatoes..”

A healthy potpourri can be prepared by taking sprouts of your choice(soak black gram, green lentils, yellow gram overnight), and just add lemon, salt, black pepper and salad of your choice.

When asked about an all time favourite recipe of her kids she says, “I prepare chicken roast, that is one recipe that is loved by all..”

Here’s the recipe: boil the preferred choice of meat with salt, garlic, ginger and water. Separate the water from the meat when tender. Add a pinch of fine flour (maida), edible food colour and either pan fry or deep fry the same. When done it is served with preferred salad dressing.

source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Women / by Shaista Fatima, New Delhi / April 24th, 2022