India’s new ambassador to Saudi Arabia Dr. Suhel Ajaz Khan assumed office on Monday amid welcoming voices and expectations from many quarters amidst positive momentum of deepening engagement between both countries.
Dr. Khan formally assumed charge in the embassy on Monday by unfurling the national flag following presenting his credentials to the Saudi foreign affairs ministry where he was received by the Chief of Protocol at the ministry, according to the Indian Embassy.
His posting is considered important as cooperation between the two countries have assumed greater significance in the last few years. Some high profile and key official visits between both countries are expected to begin soon.
Dr. Khan, a 1997-batch IFS was Indian Ambassador to Lebanon. A medical graduate and native of Indore in Madhya Pradesh, he had two stints earlier in Saudi Arabia.
source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> News> Middle East / by Irfan Mohammed / posted by Neha Khan / January 16th, 2023
As digital payment applications like PhonePe, Google Pay, PayTM, etc have become easy means of transaction across India, a young man from Assam has developed an online payment system and given it the name Assam Pay Commission.
The money transfer application developed by Mustafizur Rahman of Dalgaon in the Darang district has recently received the government’s approval and recognition. The app is registered with the Government of India’s ‘Bharat Bill Payment System’ and is also available in the Google Play Store.
Mustafizur Rahman, son of Zulfikar Ali and Jyosnara Begum, is currently a B-Voc IT undergraduate student at Kharupetia College. Mustafizur has been interested in technology since his childhood.
Mustafiur Rahman working on his computer
Mustafizur spends most of the day with his mobile and computer. He has already submitted his app for registration with India Start Up. He is also planning to register his innovation with Assam Start-Up.
Speaking with Awaz-The Voice, Mustafizur Rahman said: “I was thinking about making this app for a long time. I was also facing a lot of financial problems. But, I have been able to get involved in the app over the past 3 months. Just like PhonePe, Google Pay, and PayTM, people can recharge, transfer money, pay bills etc. Our Assam Pay app has all the features of the leading apps in trend. People don’t always get cashback when they recharge on other apps. But, in our app, they get the cashback for every transaction.”
He said, “I was always interested in mobiles and computers. I always used Google Pay, PhonePe, etc. Using these, I thought that many people use these apps. But there is no profit. So, I started working on my app. Those who have used our app are very happy. We take the problems faced by the users seriously and try to fix them as soon as possible. In our app there is a help link, click on it and you can call or message. If you tell us your problem, we will fix it.”
The logo of Mustafizur Rahman’s app
He adds he plans to add more features to Assam Pay app in the future. Like the way updates keep coming on other apps, Assam Pay users will also be able to get new features through new updates.
“I am working on another big project. I cannot reveal it right now. But a very nice service will be launched soon,” Mustafizur said about his plans.
source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaaz, The Voice / Home> Youth / by awazthevoice.in / by Ariful Islam, Guwahati / January 21st, 2023
A good archaeologist needs both research and writing skills. M.A. Qaiyum, who passed away on Thursday night, had these qualities in equal measure. But he wrote more than he excavated.
Archaeology holds the key to understanding who we are and where we come from. In that sense, Qaiyum had all the answers to who, what, where, when, how and why.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that he knew Hyderabad like the back of his hand. A walking encyclopaedia indeed as far as Hyderabad goes. Qaiyum also had thorough knowledge and wrote extensively about Mughal and Deccan history. No wonder he explained the initials of his name as: Mughal, Asafjahi and Qutb Shahi.
The noted archaeologist died at a hospital in Banjara Hills where he was admitted for fever and lung infection. He suffered a massive heart attack around 8.30 p.m on Thursday night. But doctors succeeded in reviving him through (CPR), Cardiopulmonary resuscitation procedure. After some time he suffered another attack and passed away. Two days ago when he was taken out from ICU, Qaiyum kept speaking in English to the surprise of the doctors and his family members. He spoke mostly about Hyderabad, its history and the Department of Archaeology. “He breathed his last peacefully with a smile on his face”, said his son, M.A. Basith.
Qaiyum was 76 and is survived by wife, two sons and a daughter. His funeral prayers were held at Masjid-e-Suffa, Janki Nagar and the mortal remains were laid to rest at the graveyard in First Lancer. Qaiyum joined the Department of Archaeology and Museums in 1965 as Assistant Director and retired in 2004 as Deputy Director. During his long service lasting 39 years he gained firsthand knowledge about the Qutb Shahi, Mughal and Asaf Jahi architecture along with historical background of those periods. He also had thorough knowledge about the Chalukyan, Kakatiyan and Buddhist monuments situated in the combined Andhra Pradesh.
With his death, the city has lost an important historian. A few months ago another great historian of Hyderabad, M.A. Nayeem, had passed away.
What was unique about Qaiyum was that he was not the run-of-the-mill archaeologist. Nor was he the typical nine-to-five officer. He went beyond the call of duty and engaged himself in delving into the past. As Deputy Director, Department of Archaeology and Museums, he researched and wrote extensively.
Even after retirement his passion for history and heritage did not wane. In fact he wrote two books – one on Charminar and another on Taj Mahal. His knowledge and experience came handy in identification and protection of sites of heritage and archaeological value. “Like all cities Hyderabad too is caught in a time-wrap,” he used to say and called for sustained efforts to retain its rich past.
Years after his retirement, the Archaeology Department took his services in preparing a database of all antiquities and archaeological findings in the State. Qaiyum helped in preparation of archaeological resources in terms of built heritage, sites and antiquities right from Badshahi Ashoorkhana to Makkah Masjid, Paigah Tombs, Hayat Bakshi Mosque, Monsieur Raymond Tomb and Gun Foundry.
Qaiyum had a sharp eye for artefacts. When everyone preferred to relax on Sundays, he would visit Charminar and its surroundings looking for rare objects and books. And he hit pay dirt every time he went out. Qaiyum has a good collection of historical books and rare objects. Once he stumbled upon a 450 year old copper coin minted during the time of Ibrahim Qutb Shah. Coins of the third Qutb Shahi ruler are not to be found even in the A.P. State Museum, which boasts of thousands of copper coins. And Qaiyum got it for a song on the Old City pavement.
Unlike other archaeologists, Qaiyum took pains to write about his findings. He is perhaps the only archaeologist who wrote a comprehensive book on Hyderabad’s famous icon, Charminar. The book –Charminar in Replica of Paradise – throws light on monuments all over the world which sport ‘minars’ to explain the concept of minarets. In this book Qaiyum also explains the magic of ‘four’ in Charminar. He explains in detail the geometric combinations and mathematical reasoning that went into the construction of Charminar. The number ‘char’ (four) and its multiples, according to him, figure in the design of the structure. He discovered at least 22 spots where the magic of four dazzles.
Such was his knowledge about the Hyderabad monuments that he was invariably deputed as a guide to conduct the VVIP’s visits to historical landmarks like Charminar, Golconda Fort and the royal mausoleums of Qutb Shahi kings. He had the privilege of showing the historical monuments to Queen Elizabeth in 1983, Prince Charles and Princesses Diana in 1992, Boris Johnson, then British Foreign Secretary, film star, Dilip Kumar, Turkish novelist and Nobel Prize winner, Orhan Pamuk.
Qaiyum had the knack of surprising foreign delegates by pointing out the historical connection of India and Hyderabad with their countries.
A voracious reader, Qaiyum authored five books in all. His first book “Hyderabad – Tab Aur Ab (Hyderabad – Then and Now) was published by the Siasat Daily. Then he came up with another book – Great Achievements of Turks in India. He also penned a comprehensive book on Charminar followed by Khas Mahal to Taj Mahal. This apart he published hundreds of research articles on Mughal and Hyderabad monuments.
In his death, Hyderabad has lost a great historian who immensely loved the city of his birth.
source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> News> Hyderabad / by JS Ifthekhar / September 16th, 2022
(L-R) Guyanese President HE Mohammed Irfaan Ali , Indian American businessman, Lutfi Syed Hassan and former chairman of CII, Madhya Pradesh, Mr Praveen Agarwal.
Guyanese President HE Mohammed Irfaan Ali converted the official visit into a business interactive opportunity for Guyanese business delegation.
President Mohammed Irfaan Ali was focused on educating the audience of the humongous investment opportunities Guyana offers to friendly nations like India in many facets of developments taking place in the Co-Operative Republic of Guyana.
Indian American businessman, Lutfi Syed Hassan, remained one of the key movers behind the grand event held at The Park Hotel Indore. Mr Hassan serves as the Honorary Consul General to the Southwestern United States. Along with Mr Hassan, former chairman of CII, Madhya Pradesh, Mr Praveen Agarwal also one of the prominent faces of the Business Meet which saw the participation of as many as over 50 successful Indian firms participated in the Business Meet.
Business community from Guyana and India attending the Meet.
A day after the business meet, MoUs were signed between Guyanese & Indian manufacturing companies as a precursor to many other positive developments to follow through.
“The key is for all these successful Indian firms who attended Meet .. to visit Guyana in the near future to monetize on the opportunities the president has laid out. There is a new awakening taking place about Guyana across the world. The sooner you get there, the better it is for companies to situate themselves in the most business friendly environment the beautiful country of Guyana offers,” the co-organizer, Mr Hassan stated.
On the sidelines of the Meet President Ali attended a lunch meeting with the PM Modi on 9th January and an award ceremony was felicitated to him by the President on 10th January.
Meanwhile, President Ali on Thursday was honored for his hard work, dedication, and responsible approach to leadership and development with an Honorary Doctorate of Philosophy and Management Studies.
The degree was conferred to him by his alma mater, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University in Delhi, India during a special ceremony.
During his 5 days official visit the President visited Indore, Delhi, Kanpur and Bangalore.
Guyana received a huge boost in terms of recognition as the top emerging economies of the world with a 57% GDP growth last year.
Hassan, a resident of Houston, Texas for the past 40 years originally hails from Hyderabad and has been associated with Democratic Party for the past 28 years.
source: http://www.muslimmirror.com / Muslim Mirror / Home> Economy / by Special Correspondent / January 18th, 2023
HAMD HOME PRODUCTS IS BUSINESS VENTURE OF TWO MANGALURU BUSINESSWOMEN HOPING TO ‘HEALTHIFY’ HOMES
Hamd Home Products is business ventrue of two Mangaluru Businesswomen hoping to ‘Healthify’ Homes.
Mangaluru:
A business endeavor of two Mangaluru women achieved the milestone of inaugurating their first store in the city on Monday when the first Hamd Home Products store was inaugurated here at Millennium Towers near Highland Hospital in the city.
Dr. Maryam Anjum Iftekhar, Gynaecological Oncologist at the Zulekha Yenepoya Institute of Oncology Mangalore inaugurated the store.
Dr. Maryam congratulated the women entrepreneurs on their successful inauguration of the store and hoped the business would grow multifold in the years to come.
Dr. Disha Ajila, Gynecologist & Obstetrician, Shehnaz M, Editor Anupama Women’s Monthly, Saira Lobo, Entrepreneur, Shabina Akhtar of Asare Women’s Foundation and Samshad Aboobakkar, Corporator MCC were present as Chief Guests during the inauguration event.
Two Mangaluru Women Entrepreneurs Shahida and Shahira began Hamd Home Products in 2018 as a small venture with 20 home products. The duo used to deliver the products themselves before inaugurating the store in the city on Monday.
The company manufactures a variety of fresh food ingredients ranging from various spices powders to the stone ground paste. Standing true to its motto ‘Healthy food, Healthy Life’, Hamd Home Products offers taste and interesting platters which are organic, natural, chemical-free, and preservative-free.
“Hamd has been delivering fresh food to our customers for about 5 years now, only to find ourselves opening our first ever outlet with more than 75 products today. Our motto hasn’t changed much ever since, if something has changed it’s our products which only got better, and our kitchen, bigger.” The co-founders said after the inauguration of their first store.
“It didn’t take long for us to realize that our products were running out of storage sooner than before and hence we decided to upgrade Hamd Home Products to Hamd Home Store, filling out the shelves with a variety of products not just from our company but other similar organic products companies too. For more transparency and to develop trust, we have now opened the Hamd Home Store, wherein we have made it easy for the customers to see the products before buying them, to rid of uneasiness often faced during online shopping.
“When you pick up a packet of Hamd products, you choose food made in a homely atmosphere, with immense care and hygiene. Products weighed and sealed are fresh, nutritious & delicious. Additionally, our products are produced and packed in a small range to preserve freshness. We make sure it has no contaminants, or any damages all the way from our kitchen to your table.” They added.
Nasuha recited verses from the holy Quran while Aisha Ayat welcomed the guests. Ayesha Hassan, Sadiq Hassan, and others were present.
source: http://english.varthabharati.in / Vartha Bharati / Home >Karavali / January 16th, 2023
The celebrations will include a series of live performances.
The Westin Kolkata Rajarhat is evoking the memories of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, the last Nawab of the Kingdom of Awadh and the man behind introducing the Urdu culture and the rich Awadhi cuisine in Kolkata. The great grandson of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, Shahanshah Mirza in collaboration with The Westin Kolkata Rajarhat, has curated a series of soiree and Awadhi cuisine on January 8, 2023, to celebrate the 200th birth anniversary of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah.
This is the only occasion in the world where Shaam-e-Awadh is being organised in honour of Wajid Ali Shah’s 200th birth anniversary. The celebration will commence with a series of live performances where guests can immerse in the diverse Urdu culture. The evening is set to begin with a Kathak performance by Nandini Sinha, an eminent Lucknowi Gharana-style Kathak exponent. The Kathak performance will be followed by Mehfil-e-Tarannum, also known as Dastangoi, a soulful poetry performance directed by Askari Naqvi. Adding to the celebration, Atif Ali Khan, the great grandson of the doyen of Indian Classical music, Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, singer of Kasur Gharana, will enchant the audiences with his nostalgic Ghazal and Hindustani classical performance.
To mark the birth anniversary celebration, Awadhi Begum Sheeba Iqbal and Chef Shafiqun along with the culinary team of The Westin Kolkata Rajarhat will showcase the ambrosial spread of Awadhi cuisine with dishes include non-vegetarian classics like ‘Kakori Kebab’ and ‘Mutton Nihari’, ‘Seekh kebabs’, ‘Ghutwan kabab’, ‘Yakhni Pulao’ and vegetarian classic such as ‘Ulte Pulte’, ‘Sagpaita with Ghee Chawal’ ‘Qiwami Seewai’, ‘Tali gobhi ka salaan’ to name a few. Through the skills of Chef Sheeba Iqbal and Chef Shafiqun, the food festival will offer delicacies of not just Awadhi cuisine but also of the remnants of the Awadhi food of the royals.
Commenting on the event, Subhash Sinha, General Manager of The Westin Kolkata Rajarhat said, “We are honoured to celebrate the 200th Birth Anniversary of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah of Awadh with his great grandson Shahanshah Mirza. It is a privilege to host a one-of-kind Shaam-e-Awadh evening with such great fervour and gusto. Guests will get to witness an evening filled with performances by eminent artists showcasing a varied rich culture from Lucknow through Kathak, Ghazal and Awadhi delicacies. It is a pleasure and an honour to host both Chef Sheeba Iqbal and Chef Shafiqun as we continue to exhibit and collaborate with culinary masters from across the country. Our aim at The Westin Kolkata Rajarhat has always been to provide guests with the opportunity to experience unique events and cuisines. We look forward to hosting more such soulful evenings in the City of Joy.”
Commenting on the event, Shahanshah Mirza, the great grandson of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah said, “I am very grateful to The Westin Kolkata Rajarhat, which is one of the finest five star hotels in this country, for organising this event. This is perhaps the only occasion in the world where Shaam-e-Awadh is being organised in honour of Wajid Ali Shah’s 200th birth anniversary. It will be an evening which will be memorable and an evening which people will remember for a very long time.”
source: http://www.bwhotelier.businessworld.in / BW Hotelier.com / Home / by BW Online Bureau / December 27th, 2022
The Rs 15-crore, 40,000 sqft modern facility that can accommodate 300 people was opened last week.
Yusuffali M A and Punalur Somarajan bring two wheelchair-bound inmates to the prayer hall of Gandhibhavan.
Kochi:
In September 2016, after laying the foundation stone of his proposed mall in Thiruvananthapuram, Lulu Group chairman and managing director Yusuffali M A visited Gandhibhavan, a destitute home for senior citizens and children in Pathanapuram, Kollam. The sight of elderly women left orphaned by their children troubled the UAE-based businessman, who runs 255 stores and shopping malls in the Gulf and other parts of the globe.
“He could not fathom how aged mothers could be abandoned in a destitute home by their children. And this troubled him no end,” a confidant said. The next few months and years saw Yusuffali visiting the inmates of Gandhibhavan at regular intervals and supporting them with their medical, food and other requirements. In the process, he supported the home with around Rs 7.5 crore for the medical, food, and clothing needs of the inmates.
Around the same time, Yusuffali also got personally involved in setting up a three-storey elderly home for the women of Gandhibhavan. The Rs 15-crore, 40,000 sqft modern facility that can accommodate 300 people was opened last week. Gandhibhavan, founded by Dr Punalur Somarajan, a public figure who lost his mother early in his life, will be run as earlier with Yusuffali as its mentor.
Gandhibhavan building
inauguration of the new building, constructed over three years, was also unique: it was carried out by three aged mothers of the care home, and no politician was invited. The ‘griha pravesh’ (housewarming) was completed when Yusuffali and Somarajan helped two inmates in wheelchairs into their respective rooms. The billionaire has also provided adjustable side-rail beds, furniture, two lifts, a laboratory, pharmacy, library, prayer rooms, dining hall, a doctor’s consulting room, and modern waste-management facility, among others, for the elderly home.
“The responsibility of taking care of aged parents rests with their children. Only 15 women of Gandhibhavan are unwed. The remaining women had grown-up children, who had abandoned them. I built the new facility so that their sunset years will be spent at a good place and in abundance,” Yussufali said at the opening of the new home.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Kerala / by Express News Service / January 12th, 2023
During his tenure as Viceroy General of India, Charles Hardinge, the 1st Baron Hardinge of Penshurst, came in touch with many practising hakims and vaidyas while opening medical colleges in India.
Ayurvedic and Unani Tibbia College in Karol Bagh. (Express Photo by Amit Mehra)
During the middle of the 18th Century, India had physicians from diverse backgrounds including vaidyas and hakims who practised Ayurveda and Unani respectively, and freely borrowed medicine recipes from each other. But, with the arrival of the British, both practices were sidelined.
During his tenure as Viceroy General of India, Charles Hardinge, the 1st Baron Hardinge of Penshurst, came in touch with many practising hakims and vaidyas while opening medical colleges in India. It was his friendship with Hakim Ajmal Khan, a practising Unani medical physician from the lineage of hakims of Mughal rulers, that made him lay the foundation stone of the Ayurvedic and Unani Tibbia College in 1916.
Prior to the college, currently situated in Karol Bagh, Hakim Ajmal Khan and his two elder brothers Hakim Abdul Majid Khan and Hakim Mohamed Wasal Khan worked under their father, Hakim Gulam Mehmood Khan, in their house, Sharif Manzil, in Chandni Chowk’s Ballimaran. Their father ran a small Unani school, named Unani Madrasa Tibbia, where they practised and taught Unani and Ayurvedic medicine to young scholars.
Hakim Ajmal Khan’s grandfather, Hakim Sharif Khan, was a physician to Mughal Emperor Shah Alam and had built Sharif Manzil, after which the family came to be known as “Sharifi”. Hakim Sharif Khan’s ancestors had come to India during the reign of Babar and were of imminent importance during Shah Jahan’s rule. They were then known as the aristocrats of Delhi and enjoyed a high social status.
Speaking with The Indian Express, the great grandson of Hakim Ajmal Khan, 80-year-old Masroor Ahmed Khan, said the Unani Madrasa Tibbia was opened in 1882. “We have 300 years of history and were known as royal hakims. When the Britishers came, they were bringing a new ordinance under which Allopathy medicine was going to be promoted more and Unani, Ayurveda were being sidelined. Until then, the education of Unani medicine was not institutionalised. Fearing that their practices will fade out, they started a college from Sharif Manzil,” he said.
Masroor added that he is the first in his family to not practise medicine.
He said the three brothers taught at Sharif Manzil and after the death of his two elder brothers, Hakim Ajmal Khan continued as the head of the college and raised the quality of the institution. “His popularity grew further, and he went on to become chief physician to the Nawab of Rampur. He was also a consultant for the royal families of Patiala, Jind, Gwalior, Gaikwad,” said Masroor.
The Unani Madrasa Tibbia was flourishing alongside Hakim Ajmal Khan’s popularity, and he then decided to buy land to build a new college for which a board of trustees was formed. With some influence and a promise that a wing of the hospital will be dedicated to Lady Hardinge, the trust received land from the British India government. The land in Karol Bagh was granted to the Anjuman-I-Tibbia on February 14, 1916, by the imperial Delhi Committee.
The foundation stone was laid on March 29, 1916, by Lord Hardinge after the board sent him a letter inviting him for the same.
Masroor said it was Hakim Ajmal Khan’s nationalistic approach because of which he named the college Ayurvedic and Unani Tibbia College, where 99% practitioners were of Unani medicine and only 2-3% of Ayurveda. “Hakim Ajmal Khan was also one of the founders of Jamia Millia Islamia and he was the only Muslim to chair a session of the Hindu Mahasabha. He was elected as president of the Indian National Congress from 1921-22 and also became president of the Muslim League and the All India Khilafat Committee,” said Masroor.
During his Khilafat movement days, Hakim Ajmal Khan had corresponded with Mahatma Gandhi to inaugurate the college, which the latter agreed to, and launched it on February 13, 1921.
Much before the Parliament, North and South avenues and India Gate, the college was an architectural marvel in the newly founded capital of India. The buildings represent a mix of Indian and Mughal architecture and house classrooms, laboratories, hospital pharmacies, hostels, office and staff quarters.
Hakim Ajmal Khan also helped in developing the college of more than 50 acres and also established a garden of herbs on the road across the college. The garden has now been named after him as ‘Ajmal Khan Park’ and is maintained by the MCD. The road has also been named after him – Ajmal Khan Road is now a popular shopping area of Delhi.
During the Partition, a majority of hakims of the family left for Pakistan and the college was taken over by Hakim Jamil Khan, son of Hakim Ajmal Khan, and while he was using the college as his own personal space, the then education minister Maulana Abul Kalam Azad decided to take over the college and run it as a government institution.
The matter reached the Supreme Court, which announced that the college will be a government run institution. The college is now being run by the Delhi government and admits students through the NEET exam.
According to college principal Mohammed Zubair, a total of 75 seats are through NEET. He said the college also provides courses in BUMS and BAMS and MD.
He added that post Covid, the perspective of students and patients in general has changed and a large number of students have opted for these courses. “We had students even before Covid but now a number of students who have done courses in physiotherapy and have done their BSc have come to study here.”
Not only this. Mohammed Zubair said a large number of patients too still believe in Unani and Ayurvedic medicine. “We have a footfall of 1,000 patients in our OPD. We also provide minor surgeries. The Delhi government had also established the Ayush Centre in our college where we admitted 989 Covid patients,” he said.
According to writer and historian Sohail Hashmi, there are a lot of people in smaller towns and remote places, where allopathy hasn’t reached or is not enough, who opt for traditional systems of medicines including Ayurveda, Unani and Siddha.
“Once we were colonised, it was then that our traditional systems were discarded. Colonisation colonised our minds. The Indian system of Ayurveda and Unani function on the basis of five groups of illnesses; so did Hippocrates’ four humors theory. There are a whole lot of commonalities in what Hippocrates discovered and it came to India from Greece via Iran and Arabia,” he said.
source: http://www.indianexpress.com / The Indian Express / Home> Cities> Delhi / by Ankita Upadhyay / New Delhi – November 13th, 2022
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced that Unani physicians will have a 10% reservation quota in the state’s public hospitals and primary healthcare facilities. He also said that the state needed a government-run Unani medical college. He made these commitments through a video message during the 40th National Unani Medicine Conference, which was hosted by the Nagpur branch of the All India Unani Tibbi Congress.
The Chief Minister thanked Unani physicians for their services during the deadly Covid epidemic in a brief speech. He assured the conference that every effort would be made to advance Unani medicine in the state.
Dr Wajahat Mirza, a Congress MLC and the head of the Maharashtra State Waqf Board, welcomed the Chief Minister’s decision in his speech and assured the gathering that he would exert all of his political power to see that the proposed government Unani Tibbi College would be realised. He claimed that if there had been no conflict over the city, the college would have been founded much earlier.
Former Congress minister and MLA Nitin Raut echoed his sentiments, saying that Unani medicine is a very efficient and cost-effective treatment and that it should be given every chance to flourish.
Dr Anis Ahmad, a former minister of Maharashtra, proposed building an Unani house with full facilities. He also offered to provide a plot of land to the intended centre.
AIUTC national president Professor Mushtaq Ahmad, who was presiding over the conference, praised the Maharashtra chief minister and noted that this was the first time the Maharashtra government has made a significant announcement about the development of Unani medicine. He also expressed his joy at the All India Unani Tibbi Congress Nagpur branch’s pompous arrangement of this magnificent conference, in which devoted Unani physicians from all across the country took part with great zeal.
In his keynote address Dr Syed Ahmed Khan, general secretary of AIUTC provided a snapshot of the organisation’s activities. He listed problems faced by the Unani fraternity at the national and state levels. He pointed out that Unani representation was overlooked in the new decision-making process as it was clubbed with a regional medicine of system. He called upon the Unani fraternity to make concentrated efforts for the advancement of Unani Tibb.
As far as Maharashtra is concerned, according to the conference’s organising chairman Dr Niyazuddin Siddiqui, it is a model state for Unani medicine because it enjoys the support of the state government. He claimed that there are 200 Unani doctors practising in and around Nagpur city and demanded the revival of the Unani Tibbi college, which was shut down in 20024. The college was started in 1991. He claimed Nagpur had become a hub for unani medicine.
In a similar vein, Special Guest Dr Vaidya Jayant Devpujari (Chairman, NCISM Government of India) stated in his speech that our primary goal is to standardise medical colleges. He said, “Such a conference is very important for the promotion of Unani medicine, and the role played by Unani medicine in Covid-19 is commendable. I also wish to congratulate the members of the All India Unani Tibbi Congress Nagpur for organising a very standard and grand programme which will send a strong message about Unani medicine throughout the country.
Dr Nadim Usmani, the advisor to AIUTC Maharasthra, also shed light on the activities of State Unani unit. He said Unani medicine is a bright future in the state.
The 40th Conference titled ‘Role of Unani Medicine In present Scenario’has sessions on specialised lectures on some major diseases. The experts and academics presented their papers through power-point. Professor Ahsan Farooqui presented his paper on Fasd(Venesection): Concept and Application with Demonstration. Dr Shabbir Raja’s topic was Dialysis and RenalTransplant: Myths and Facts. Cancer Management with Unani Medicine by Dr Mastan Shaikh, Pain Management in Unani Medicine by Prof Khan Mohammad Qiaser and Management of PCOS in Unani Medicine by Prof Nafees Bano.
Prof. Arif Zaidi, Dean, Faculty of Unani Medicine, Jamia Hamdard also spoke on the occasion.
The conference held on December 25 also released a souvenir highlighting the achievements of Unani Tibb in Maharashtra.
In the end, the 40th conference also passed several resolutions including the Directorate of AYUSH, Government of Maharashtra must create a post, Deputy Director – Unani, Assistant Director – Unani in the Directorate to represent the Unani System of Medicine in the State of Maharashtra.
The other resolutions are as follows:
*- Ministry of Food and Drugs Administration, Government of Maharashtra must create a post of Licensing Authority – Unani / Technical Officer- Unani / Drug Inspector – Unani in FDA to serve as an expert of Unani under provisions given in Drugs and Cosmetic Act 1940 and Rules 1945.
* Follow up to complete implementation for the establishment of Government Unani Medical College in the State of Maharashtra As per the declaration of Chief Minister of Maharashtra Shri Eknath Shinde Ji on 25th Dec 2022 at Nagpur to establish one Government Unani Medical College in the State of Maharashtra.
* Central Government and Delhi NCR must declare and approve Ayurvedic and Unani Tibbia College, karol baugh as Hakim Ajmal khan Ayurvedic and Unani Tibbia University.
* Ministry of AYUSH and NCISM, New Delhi must proposed to amend the Act NCISM 2020 to felicitate separate Unani Board under NCISM
* There are No proper representation in NCISM and its constituted authority/committee, hence a sufficient number of Unani representatives must be there.
* Strong recommendation for Empanelment of Unani System of Medicine in the Ministry of Defence / Defence Department to serve healthcare services to Defence personnel as Ayurveda is already empanelled.
source: http://www.muslimmirror.com / Muslim Mirror / Home> Health> Indian Muslim / by Abdul Bari Masoud / December 30th, 2022
Sheikh Asif, founder, Thames Infotech, holding one of his books
Breaking the stereotype of a company chief, Srinagar’s Asif Sheikh, a school dropout, is the CEO and founder of Thames Infotech, a Manchester-based company with a turnover of Rs 5 crore! He has just turned 28.
“I believe that a person who works hard, with dedication and honesty is always successful; he can never give up even when many a time one loses the courage to carry on. There were setbacks and at the time I did seem to lose courage, but I did not give up,” Sheikh Asif told Awaz-the Voice in a telephonic interview.
Asif’s success is extraordinary given his poor educational background and reaching a position that many persons with degrees from top-end colleges aspire to.
Besides being a successful entrepreneur, Asif is also a professional web designer, developer, graphic designer, digital marketer, and writer. He also gives back to society by giving free tuition to students from all over the world.
Sheikh Asif’s work profile is interesting: he worked with a tour and travel company, sold medical equipment for a company, and with telecom companies like Airtel, Vodafone, and Aircel.
Sheikh Asif deliving a talk on business
In the year 2000, Sheikh Asif was 8 years old when his father’s health deteriorated. His father was a head constable. Due to his father’s illness, the family was reduced to penury. Sheikh Asif says that his father’s illness remains a mystery as the family consulted experts and eminent doctors but nobody could diagnose it.
Sheikh Asif told Awaz-the Voice that his mother sold most of the household assets and took loans to pay for his father’s treatment.
Recalling those days, Asif says that he can never forget one particular day when he was studying in the eighth grade and was to write his exam, but he had no pen. “I was leaving for the examination hall and was worried. My mother came to know the reason for my worry, she sold a copper dish from her kitchen to buy me a pen.”
He says that his mother often sold household goods for the family, especially to meet the needs of the children.
The conditions at home were not conducive for Sheikh Asif to continue his studies. He left school and started working to support his family.
“I went against my mother’s wishes, as she wanted me to become a doctor most parents in Kashmir do, but I gave up my studies to support my financially broke family,” said. He was 15 years old in 2008 when he started earning for his family by doing odd jobs.
Sheikh Asif
Sheikh Asif was always fascinated by computers and spent a lot of time on them. Due to this, he got his first job as a data entry operator with a local tour and travel company at the age of 16. He earned a salary of Rs 1500.
Sheikh Asif said seeing his interest his father took a loan from a bank to buy him a computer. The turning point in his life came as he watched an interview with Microsoft founder Bill Gates on BBC.
He took full advantage of his computer and yet the challenge was the lack of a high-speed broadband facility in Kashmir. While the rest of the world was running 4G internet, in his locality only 2G internet was available.
He left his first job within two months and started working in a local shop as a salesman for four years. Here he honed his skills and learned all the basics including graphics designing, web designing, etc.
Again there was a rough patch in his life as in the 2014 Kashmir floods, his house was washed away. He used all his savings in rebuilding his house. The family had to start from scratch as all their household belonging had got damaged and washed away.
In the year 2014, he quit his job and started his business, but it turned out to be a year full of troubles for him.
Sheikh Asif’s Srinagar office
However, fortunately, the next year Asif got an opportunity to work in Delhi, and the exposure there opened his mind to a bigger canvas.
“The 2014 flood severely damaged our house and we had to repair or renovate it periodically for four consecutive years after the flood and finally had to sell the house in 2018,” he said.
In the meantime, he worked with OLX from April 2015, and from there he was offered a job at Trimax Printing and Graphics, a UK-based company owned by Tajinder Singh. He was working for the company Hayes Harlington. The company runs an online general store and it had no element of graphic designing till then.
Sheikh Asif told Awaz-The Voice: “I worked for Chanda Trimax Printings & Graphics. Meanwhile, the killing of a militant in Kashmir saw the valley under lockdown for nearly three months. For this reason, I left for Delhi.”
When he met Tajinder Singh in Delhi, the latter was facing issues with his business. His business was suffering due to low sales. Having seen his latent, Tajinder Singh offered him a job at Hayes, Harlington, UK, where Tajinder’s brothers were already working.
Sheikh Asif says he consulted his mother before picking the UKL job. He signed an agreement to work for 18 months and an assured return flight ticket to India.
“They told me that they had changed the name of Trimax Printings & Graphics to Thames Infotech on June 6, 2016,” Asif said.
He set foot on foreign soil for the first time in the first week of November 2016. However, the business did not show positive results there either, thus Tajinder’s brother advised him to find a part-time job in the UK to meet his expenses.
“When I was looking for a part-time job, I met Rizwan, a Kashmiri man originally from Baramulla district in North Kashmir, who came to Manchester in 2000 and now runs a restaurant, Riz Spices.
Sheikh Rizwan offered him a space in his restaurant to set up a part-time business. “Two months later I met another man, Hamza Salim, a senior software engineer at Google, who asked me to build a website for his tech company, on the condition that only if he liked my work I would be paid,” he said.
After approving his website design, Hamza Salim offered him 50 percent equity in his firm.
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During this time, Asif meet many people including natives and others, and kept looking for opportunities.
One such person was Rudrigo Ruiz Karvajal, who frequented the restaurant. He offered me a place that was quite conveniently located. He told me that his father had started his business from there.
“I got my first order for a logo for which I was paid 500 pounds and I was only expecting 30-40 pounds. They gave me another order to build a website for which I was paid 7000 pounds.”
“I was wondering if it’s a dream. Never expected such high remuneration. This order was from the largest food chain in London called Zabka.”
On June 9, 2016, Asif took over the Thames Infotech Manchester UK company which has a current turnover of Rs 5 crore.
It has an office at Advent Colony in Naugam, Srinagar, Kashmir. He employs 35 locals including 32 in UK and 3 in Kashmir for website designing and development, digital marketing, graphics designing, personal branding, social media handling, etc.
Sheikh Asif told Awaz-The Voice that our company is a leading web designing company and has won the 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 awards as the Three Best Rated UK, and Best IT Service Provider Award 2018, 2019 organized by Top Developers USA, he claims.
Sheikh Asif said that he received the first award in the year 2003, less than one year after his launching of his company.
So far, Asif has trained around 1000 students, helped 40 businesses through the Covid-19 pandemic, and has published three books – Digitization In Business, Online Business Idea, and Start a Business.
Sheikh Asif was named Entrepreneur of the year 2022 by The Fireboxx. There he was honored by Google as a Digital Marketing Expert in 2018.
To the youth, Sheikh Asif says they must never lose hope and always keep their focus on business. Secondly, they must avoid drugs. They shouldn’t waste their lives by getting immersed in romantic liaison and heartbreaks; these are temporary phases of life and not a goal. “Your personality is your work,” he says.
source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Youth / by Shah Imran Hasan, New Delhi / December 17th, 2022
