Category Archives: World Opinion

Humaira Gowher, A Kashmiri Scientist who is making Kashmir proud worldwide

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, NRI's / PIO's, Science & Technology, World Opinion, , , , , , ,

Srinagar, JAMMU & KASHMIR / Indiana, USA  :

HumairaGowherMPOsaug2017

“Never cease to question” is a prime rule that scientific acuity fosters upon. Here Gyawun in association with Insha Rasool representing JKScientists.org, brings an in-depth series of interviews with the scientists from the valley, who are doing cutting-edge research in different parts of the world.

Early inquisitiveness metamorphosed a Kashmiri girl into an expert in molecular biology research at Indiana, USA.Bringing the first in the series, here we discuss with Humaira Gowher, about her early life in Kashmir, her motivations and aspects of science that she finds most exciting and more importantly, the expertise she brings to University of Purdue, West lafayette, USA. Her research currently focuses on understanding the regulation of DNA methylation in development and disease.

Tell us about yourself

My name is Humaira Gowher. I was born and raised in Srinagar until I was 19. I was always lucky being among the first few batches to attend Caset Experimental School, headed by Prof C. L. Vishen, a visionary and an exceptional educationist. He followed Montessori style of primary school teaching. Back then, it was unknown in our part of the world. It was through discussions about inventions and discoveries in Vishen’s classroom, I treasured the feeling of becoming a scientist. The further excitement in the science of life was added by lectures from Physics and Biology professors.

I received my college education from Aligarh Muslim University, where I graduated with Bachelors (Hons) and Master’s degree in Biochemistry. I was again blessed with mentors including Prof. Imrana Naseem, Ms. Aziza Rizvi, who instilled the love for biochemistry and sports during my college years. The supporting culture of the Women’s College wiped every tear and healed wounds of separation from the homeland. Women’s College, AMU, was and still continues to be a place where you experience personal freedom. It creates a no judgment zone for young teenagers, who are given different opportunities to excel in cultural, sports, or academic championships, and I am thankful for those opportunities.

What motivated you to study at IISc, which is the finest institute in India? How comfortable was the transition from AMU to IISc and did your background in biochemistry helped you to adjust there? Share your experience with us; especially in what way did it help you to shape up your career?

During my second year in the Biochemistry Master’s program, I was exposed to experimental research as a summer trainee for a couple of months in Dr. S. E. Hasnein’s lab at the National Institute of Immunology, New Delhi. I always wanted to become a scientist, however, the experience in Dr. Hasnein’s lab gave me a realistic feel of what that means and I yearned for it more than ever. I was looking forward to getting my PhD degree from a premier institution in India. I applied to the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore and based on my high score in GATE and my performance in a series of interviews at IISc, I was able to secure a position as a PhD student in the Department of Biochemistry.

I stayed in the program for 2 years but due to family reasons, I had to move to Germany where my husband was placed in a Computer Engineering program in Essen-Duisburg University. I continued my PhD thesis work in Germany in the Department of Biochemistry, at Justus Liebig University. The field of research, “Epigenetics”, offered to me was the one I had acquired experience in and was close to my heart. It was very easy to work hard and publish, simply because I enjoyed doing it. With prior experience from IISc, I was able to finish my thesis in 2 ½ years and was awarded Summa Cum laude (Award of Excellence) for publishing 7 first author peer-reviewed manuscripts during this time.

After completion of your PhD, what kept you motivated in Science and how did you choose your position at the National Institute of Health (particularly in terms of place project and funding)?

Motivation to do science comes only from the passion to do it. It needs tremendous perseverance to stay in science given that you have to put up with failures and success is a rare occurrence. The act of doing the experiment excites me and I worry little about its failure. Similarly, I worry less about the experimental result that does not support my hypothesis, because if it does not, then I have more to do and figure out why which often is the fun part.

Like anyone else’s, my life was not just about doing science and publishing papers. It had all the other elements that helped balance it. After I finished my PhD, I continued to work in the same lab as a research associate for 2 more years until my husband got his degree. In 2005, after our first born, Hana Khan, turned 2, we decided to cross the Atlantic to continue our exciting journey. I was offered a post-doctoral fellowship at the National Institute of Health to work with Dr. Gary Felsenfeld’s, while my husband was easily assimilated in the Big IT world in the United States, thus helping us reach our respective career goals. Dr. Felsenfeld is a pioneer in chromatin biology and epigenetics. With my previous experience and his lifetime of expertise, I was looking forward to the most exciting and stimulating time in my scientific career. NIH provides a well-funded environment for your ideas to take the shape of an experiment with little to worry about the cost of doing it. Of course, one has to justify the experiment and make sure it is well-designed and expected to minimally open new ways of thinking in your field. Around Gary, at NIH, I found myself rubbing shoulders with people who had received the highest laurels for their achievements in science, had experienced the growth of knowledge, and understood the complexity of these systems.

Could you tell us about the most exciting project that you have worked on so far. How did the research community respond to the outcome of that study? 

Most exciting project….nothing I did until now was less exciting, so it is a tough question. Well, few things I discovered had more impact on the scientific world than others. During my PhD, my work was the first to show that the short catalytic domain of the mammalian DNA methyltransferases Dnmt3a and 3b are active without their large N-terminal part, which led to characterization, crystallization, and many studies of these enzymes by ours and multiple other labs around the world. My current lab continues to work on understanding the regulatory potential of these enzymes during development and in cancer. During my postdoc, my work on the regulatory elements of the genome called insulators was indeed very exciting given that these elements can control the expression of genes that are megabases away from them. It introduced me to the field of chromatin folding and architecture and its role in the regulation of gene expression, which I continue to work on.

What were the critical factors and considerations that you contemplated about while opting for the position at Purdue University, West Lafayette, USA?

I worked at NIH for some years and after gaining some experience decided to take the next step, which was to establish my own research program. In the US, most of the scientific research is supported by universities and medical schools. With my interest in teaching biochemistry, I was inclined to take a position at a state university, if offered. In 2011, due to an economic downturn in the US, only few positions were open and I was competing with over 400 applicants for each position. It took a few rounds of application and few more years and finally in 2013, I was offered a position of Assistant Professor in the Department of Biochemistry at the Purdue University. During my interview, I not only had to consider Purdue for the potential to do the research I wanted to, but also for possibilities for my husband to find a job in the vicinity and an environment where I could raise my children with dignity. Although Purdue offered my husband a possibility to work at the university under a faculty recruitment and retention program, but he got few offers from private industry in Indianapolis which was only an hour away. Purdue is one of the more diverse university campuses I have seen, which is reflected in the diverse population of students attending the neighborhood schools, thus providing a viable solution for my 10yr old Hana and 6yr old Ahmed.

What obstacles and challenges did you face while setting up your laboratory in the initial years?

Setting up a new lab has many challenges. It is like a small business and you have some investment, which you have to spend correctly to ensure the return. To make a decision on hiring people is the most challenging job since I never did it before. You interview a bunch of people for a position and hope you are looking for the right thing. I did take a lot of advice from my senior colleagues and my mentors while making these decisions. Nevertheless, of course, it did not work well every time. The other challenge is time management; you have much more responsibility now, teaching, service, research, home front, kids and yourself too…. switching hats and changing roles and doing it to its best is what drains you in initial years. Then I figured out the best possible ways of doing it. I also needed time to analyze the data, write papers, write grants, write lectures, write, write, write…something I was not previously used to at that scale.

In the recent decade, research has broadened immensely. How different does it feel to mentor a current lot of students as opposed to the training that you received at your time? What is your idea of mentoring in the current academic setting?

I agree that research has broadened and perplexingly, it is intricately connected, which makes it challenging. A student today requires knowing much more than when I started my graduate school. In research, every new idea comes from what we know from the previous research and it is challenging to keep it all together and carve your niche, which is unique. I encourage my students to read more and present the research from other peer-reviewed publications to get them to the speed. Since I traveled various continents during my education, I was exposed to various kinds of mentoring techniques, which are of course influenced by the social setup too. The objective of effective mentoring in an academic setting is to provide your mentee with all information you have acquired through your experiences and help him/her strategize his/her career path. To be able to help your mentee realize their true potential and in an honest but polite manner help them meet the reality. I mentor undergraduate, graduate, post-doctoral fellows and some high school students too. It is the most rewarding feeling when you get a Thank You card from your mentee and he/she got admission in the top school or got a job they wanted. My personal struggles in achieving and retaining the academic position come to a full circle through these achievements.

You have also written a book “How Do I Sing Nursery Rhymes in the Kashmiri Language? ” tell us something about how it happened

I left home, Kashmir, when I was about 19, a long time back. Wherever I went I simply cannot leave behind the person who my culture made out of me, my language, my hospitality, my favorite food, clothing, jokes, curses, poems, music…all that had compiled my personality in those 19-20 years. A couple of decades later, I find myself struggling with transferring this emotional relationship to all that is Kashmiri in me to my kids. Truth is that you know a culture when you can laugh at its jokes that is when you can speak its language. The Kashmiri diaspora in the United States decided to have an annual meeting to celebrate Kashmiri language, art and culture. Many of my friends complained that it was difficult to raise children bilingual with both Kashmiri and English as spoken languages. Most of us also agreed that at the baby/toddler stage, the introduction of English language happens through Nursery Rhymes and that our kids didn’t have a Kashmiri version of the popular rhymes to tune in. We thought it would be easy to have popular English rhymes translated to tune in Kashmiri so that they can simply sing them on the same rhythm.

I took this on me and thanks to a hidden poet gene (from my mother), I was able to translate six common Nursery Rhymes to English keeping the original tune in mind. My own kids could sing these within hours given that the words simply rhymed with the tune that they memorized as babies….it was truly satisfying.

What advice would you give to the students in research who are looking forward to becoming independent researchers?

If excelling is what you work toward, it is enough to advance you towards your goals.

Muslim Lifestyle Beyond Maqbara, Masjid and Madrasa

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Travel & Tourism, World Opinion, , , , , ,

Aligarh,  UTTAR PRADESH :

Housed in the Ibn Sina Academy, Aligarh, the museum is one man’s effort to preserve articles of Muslim lifestyle or tehzeeb that include textiles, crockery, manuscripts, and musical instruments among other things.

While Taj Mahal may be the edifice of the moment, caught in the eye of a political storm and being showered with both barbs and bouquets, not very far from it is a museum of Muslim ‘tehzeeb’ that brims with tales of nobility and sophistication. Housed in the Ibn Sina Academy, Aligarh, the museum is one man’s effort to preserve articles of Muslim lifestyle or tehzeeb that include textiles, crockery, manuscripts, and musical instruments among other things.

The academy is primarily a museum of Medieval Medicine and Sciences, founded by Padma Shri Hakim Syed Zillur Rehman in the year 2000, but soon it diversified into chronicling Muslim lifestyle and tehzeeb of the past. People wonder why a science museum would be generous enough to grow into accommodating the articles of Muslim lifestyle. And he answers all of the queries with a note of hope and love for future, “I have the articles of Muslim houses preserved in the cupboards of my museum, from the royal families of Bhopal, Hyderabad, and Rampur etc.”

He said that he is preserving all this for posterity – “After acquiring education, prosperity and wealth there will be a time when they would want to know their civilizational facts, culture and past and at that time my museum will give the future generation a glimpse into their tehzeeb and lifestyle. It will respond to their search for roots.”
There are almost 4,500 articles of Muslim tehzeeb showcased in his museum – which include crockery that keeps the food warm till the last bite because of the vacuum that takes hot water, there are dupattas three meter long that were tied differently in different Muslim societies of Hyderabad and Bhopal etc., there is a fruit tray from the dining table of Begum Sultan Jahan of Bhopal, her brooch made of precious stones, with her name inscribed in gold, a chogha that belonged to the Qazi Shamsuddin of Rewari, dating back to 1830, a paandaan weighing over 5 kg and a betel stand to name a few.

There are other items that chronicle Muslim culture through objects like: gramophones, harmoniums, costumes for weddings and trays for biryanis designed keeping the sense of style and comfort of those times. There are heavy paandaan (a box for preserving items used to make paan), ugaldaan (spittoon for the pan user), fancy haath ka pankha (a hand fan), and pretty batua (wallet), gem-studded gharara (a dress item), there are also silver-lined razais (quilts). The museum grew out of his fondness for all things with rich history, some of which were also priceless – coins from ancient times, stamps, pens and other artefacts. He makes sure to mention the source of the specimens he gets from Muslim families and pin them in the cupboard with the name of the person donating it or belonging to.

Times for Muslims have also changed in many ways, he said, “Somehow they are not able to think beyond maqbara, masjid and madarsa. They are always ready to contribute in the growth of masjid and madarsa but don’t understand the values of museum of heritage and culture of Muslim families. In this time of collective ignorance about out past I designing this for the future generation that will come in search for roots,” he added. Some of the objects on display were inherited by him. Some were gifted by people who saw that he had the wherewithal to preserve priceless items for posterity.

He takes pride in showing the guests original royal orders of Mughal emperors that have come to Rehman from his father, and a paper weight made of shells that was used by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan. These orders come from Aurangzeb, Babur and calligraphy by Bahadur Shah Zafar. When asked how he continues to enrich the museum of Muslim past in times of attack on Taj Mahal, he said, “The attacks on Taj Mahal or anything associated with our past are just seasonal things, it is more to do with politics than our society and its commitment to celebrate history.”

In his view these attacks don’t mean anything in the larger picture of history, “Taj Mahal and Qutub Minar are part of our pride, we cannot be attacking them because they were made in medieval times. By that logic Connaught Place and Parliament should also be broken down because they were made angrez (British),” he added.

Rahman served as a professor and chairman, department of Ilmul Advia at the Ajmal Khan Tibbiya College, Aligarh Muslim University. After serving as a dean, faculty of Unani medicine, he retired after 40 years. He is the author of 45 books and several papers on different aspects of Unani and boasts of being the possessor of the largest collection of books on Unani medicine. Conferred the Padma Shri in 2006 for his contribution in the field of Unani medicine he is now expanding his museums to start taking items like animal skin, which formed an important part of households of the past.

Also, unsure of who will take it forward after him, Rahman has given this endeavor to a Trust to take charge of it. There is huge collection of Ghalib’s work, which he claims to be one of the largest in South Asia and attracts scholars from other parts of the country to study. In his library lined with thousands of books, manuscripts and dedicated works of Ibn Sina and medieval medicine, sciences, youngsters from all backgrounds especially economically weaker come to study in the quiet atmosphere.

source:  http://www.news18.com / News18.com / Home> News18> India> Sunday Feature  / by Eram Agha, News18.c0m / November 05th, 2017

Qutb and Mehrauli: The Past and Present of an Iconic Site

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Travel & Tourism, World Opinion, , , , , , , , , , ,

Minnesota, USA / NEW DELHI :

In Delhi’s Qutb Complex, Catherine B. Asher goes beyond Mehrauli and Delhi to look at the afterlife of the iconic tower that is the Qutb Minar.

Qutb Minar. Credit: lensnmatter/Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
Qutb Minar. Credit: lensnmatter/Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

Mehrauli is truly a magical place. The average visitor skims but the surface, marvelling at the towering Qutb Minar and taking a cursory stroll through the other buildings that lie within the popular UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the Qutb complex. Those who go beyond, into the neighbouring village, may visit the shrine of the Sufi saint Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki, or a restaurant. There is now, of course, a smaller group of more adventurous explorers who are discovering the treasures of Mehrauli – particularly in the village and the Mehrauli Archaeological Park, mainly through the medium of increasingly popular ‘heritage walks’.

But though one may visit these monuments and learn the stories that lie in this locality’s long and eventful history, there are many layers that lie awaiting a more rigorous and meaningful analysis. A scholarly study by a leading art historian is, therefore, a very valuable addition to what is admittedly the rather sparse literature on the subject.

Catherine B. Asher Delhi’s Qutb Complex: the Minaret, Mosque and Mehrauli Marg Publications, 2017
Catherine B. Asher
Delhi’s Qutb Complex: the Minaret, Mosque and Mehrauli
Marg Publications, 2017

Catherine B. Asher’s Delhi’s Qutb Complex: The Minar, Mosque and Mehrauli starts by setting the monuments of the Qutb Complex within the physical space and history of Mehrauli, and in the context of its many historic structures. Construction on the oldest congregational mosque of Delhi and its attached monumental tower began in the late 12th century, and was commissioned by a newly-arrived political power, the Turks – under Muizzuddin Muhammad bin Sam, also known as Muhammad Ghori – as part of a capital complex that comprised fortifications, palaces and water works. Many structures had of course already been standing there, the legacy of the earlier regimes – those of the Chauhan and Tomar rulers.

Some of these relics of the earlier period were appropriated and modified, such as the city wall. Others were cleared away and their materials reused. Notable here are a number of temples, destroyed during the conquest, whose stones were used to build the congregational mosque. Asher relies on recent research to analyse the complex nature of this appropriation and reuse, and its cultural ramifications. The systematic way in which the various elements were placed in the newly constructed mosque suggests that they were not treated as random spolia. For instance, the largest and most elaborately carved pillars were used in the western arcade, the part of the mosque closest to Mecca, and therefore the direction in which the congregation faced.

While the tower, the mosque, royal tombs and some waterworks were commissioned by the rulers, significant construction in Mehrauli in that period is attributable to the many other inhabitants of the capital city. Important remnants include mosques, tombs and shrines of Sufi saints, which added a layer of Islamic sacred spaces, in addition to the pre-existing Yogmaya Temple, an ancient site dedicated to a revered goddess, and the 11th century Dadabari Jain temple.

Over the succeeding centuries, as the centre of power shifted and the capital moved to newer sites in Delhi, the character of Mehrauli shifted in favour of its spiritual significance, as the site of important shrines. The book describes many of the religious structures – dargahs, tombs, mosques, temples, a church and a Buddhist centre, that have been constructed here right up to modern times. It also details the many secular structures that were built as Mehrauli became a popular resort for those fleeing the crowded conditions of urban life in the capital city. These structures included mansions, gardens, the 19th-century palace of the last two Mughal emperors, and British ornamental ‘follies’. The overwhelming impression is one of the continuing importance of the site. This importance was reinforced through longstanding traditions, not only of religious observances such as the Urs of the Sufi saint, but of festivals like the Phool Walon ki Sair. The latter was instituted by the later Mughals in the early 19th century, and involved veneration of both the dargah of Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki and the Yogmaya Temple.

Catherine B. Asher. Credit: University of Minnesota website
Catherine B. Asher. Credit: University of Minnesota website

Asher has gone beyond Mehrauli and Delhi to look at the afterlife of the iconic tower that is the Qutb Minar. She shows us how strong its impact was on later structures, which mimicked its form in miniature, either as freestanding towers or engaged columns. Examples of such appropriation range from structures as far flung as the Qutbuddin Mubarak Khalji’s mosque in Daultabad, to several in Delhi itself, for instance the 16th century mosque in Lodi Garden.

And yet the meaning of the original tower and its attached mosque is not uncontested. There have been suggestions, expressed first by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, that the Qutb Minar was built by the Chauhans. While this is an opinion that is not generally espoused, at least by an educated readership, more common is the interpretation of both mosque and tower primarily as signifying the triumphalism of Islam. This is done on the one hand through an emphasis on the temple destruction associated with the site. On the other, it is fostered by the ASI signage and publications calling the mosque Quwwat al-Islam, literally, ‘strength of Islam’. This name, in fact, was not used for the mosque before the 19th century.

Asher questions many of these popular ideas, which often have their roots in colonial scholarship. She follows recent scholars such as Finbarr Flood, whom she refers to several times, in asking for a more nuanced reading of the site and what it signified in the past. Yet she does not break free of some of the more well-entrenched notions. Dichotomous ‘Islamic’ and ‘Indic’ traditions are treated as a given, without going into details of the motifs that are seen on the early Sultanate architecture to analyse their roots. The problem of the discipline of history becomes very apparent in such cases. A scholar of ‘Islamic’ art and architecture is trained to see the Qutub complex as Islamic architecture. The author, while she makes detailed comment on the calligraphy that adorned the early Sultanate structures, has no comment on the use of motifs like the lotus and the kalash, Indian motifs which also feature in the surface decoration. These motifs, in fact, persisted as an integral part of the ornamentation of mosques and tombs in Mehrauli and elsewhere, through the centuries, till the end of the Mughals.

Moreover, while it is important to study the architectural creations of the Ghurids in Afghanistan, as Asher has done, to understand their buildings in Delhi, it may not be enough to trace the roots of Ghurid architecture in Afghanistan merely to the previous ‘Islamic’ dynasty – the Ghaznavids. There were examples of pre-Ghaznavi art and architecture that abounded in the landscape – notably the great Gandhara tradition. It is time that its significance for later developments is also studied.

On the whole, however, the book is a valuable resource and informative read on a very important archaeological site. The inclusion of a large number of contemporary photographs and also archival images, match the scholarship, and live up to the standards set by the Marg series of scholarly volumes.

Swapna Liddle wrote her PhD thesis on the cultural and intellectual history of 19th-century Delhi. She is the author of Delhi: 14 Historic Walks and Chandni Chowk: The Mughal City of Old Delhi.

source: http://www.thewire.in / The Wire / Home> Books / by Swapna Liddle / November 30th, 2017

Trial advocacy team represented by Indian American Shahina Khan won over Georgetown University

Community Involvement / Social Issues, Education, NRI's / PIO's, World Opinion, , , , , ,

Hyderabad, TELANGANA / Chicago, USA :

ShahinaMPOs29nov2017

Chicago:

The Chicago-Kent trial advocacy team represented by Shahina Khan, 3rd year JD student with three other students in the National Civil Trial Competition Championship 2017, held at Santa Monica and Los Angeles, Calif. Chicago-Kent won over Georgetown University Law Center, Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law, and American University Washington College of Law twice in the quarter and semi finals rounds.

In the finals, Chicago-Kent got 1st runnerup to the team of Stamford University Cumberland School of Law. She also the recipient of prestigious J.J. Bittenbinder Award in UIC and the Obama Award for her championship in extra and co curricular activities during High School years .

Shahina02MPOs29nov2017

Shahina Khan belongs to the aristocratic and respectable family of old Hyderabad Estate. She is the daughter of Engineer. Ameer Mohammed Ali Khan, Practicing Consultant of IDOT, and grand daughter of President’s Gold Medalist, Late Nawab Wajid Ali Khan, Superintendent of Police, Ex. AP, India.

Shahina Khan’s great grand father, Late Abul Faiz Mirza Mohammed Ali Baig, was an eminent lawyer in pre and post independent India Hyderabad. He was the President of Bar Councils, Civil and Criminal courts, Hyderabad, India. He was one of the few eminent lawyers of India who had an opportunity to write the constitution of India.

Shahina Khan is the President for Criminal Law Society, Muslim Law Student Association and member of Trail advocacy Team ( 2017-2018).

Earlier to this, she also served as the Vice President for these associations. She graduated from University of Illinois at Chicago in 2015 with a bachelors in Criminal law with honors. She is doing her internship in Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, Chicago. She wants to pursue a career in Criminal Litigation.

source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> News> NRIs Corner / November 02nd, 2017

Experienced Shamim Khan weathers the storm, beats young Veer Ahlawat in playoff to lift second IndianOil SERVO Masters Golf title

Sports, World Opinion, , , ,

NEW DELHI :

Shamim narrows gap with Order of Merit leader Udayan Mane.

Shamim produced a fine performance through the week to lift the title
Shamim produced a fine performance through the week to lift the title

Digboi, Assam : 

The experienced Shamim Khan weathered the storm called Veer Ahlawat to register his second win at the IndianOil SERVO Masters Golf on Saturday.

The 39-year-old Shamim came through in a playoff against the 21-year-old Veer after both the Delhi-based professionals ended the regulation 72 holes with identical scores of nine-under-279 at the tranquil Digboi Golf Links. It was Khan’s third title of the season and his 15th overall.

Khan took home the winner’s cheque of Rs. 6 lakh from the Rs. 40 lakh event and continued in second place on the PGTI Order of Merit. However, with Shamim’s season earnings moving to Rs. 35,58,250, he has now narrowed the gap between himself and the money list leader Udayan Mane to just Rs. 1 lakh.

Shamim Khan (72-66-71-70), the overnight joint leader, looked in control when he sank his second birdie of the day, a 35-footer on the fifth, which gave him a two-shot lead. But there was a twist when Veer Ahlawat (71-70-69-69), who was overnight tied third and one off the lead, produced birdies on the sixth, seventh and ninth while Shamim dropped a bogey on the eighth.

After nine holes, Veer, playing one group ahead of the leaders, drew level with Shamim to emerge as a top contender. Ahlawat, playing only his second season as a professional, finally took the sole lead when he drove the 12th green to set up a birdie. Veer, who plays at the DLF Golf & Country Club, Gurgaon, dropped a shot on the 13th but regained his outright lead with a brilliant chip-putt birdie on the 15th.

Ahlawat then missed a few chances to seal his maiden title, notably an up and down for par on the 18th. The match went into a playoff as Khan made pars on his last 10 holes which included a crucial five feet conversion on the 18th.

Veer hit the green while Shamim was in the bunker after two shots each during the playoff on the par-4 18th. Khan managed to turn the tables with a gem of a bunker shot that set up a tap-in for par. The six-foot-three-inch tall Ahlawat, on the other hand, three-putted from 20 feet for a bogey that gave Shamim his 13th PGTI title.

Shamim, who previously won in Digboi in 2014, said, “My putting wasn’t great for the second consecutive day and when I missed a two-footer for par on the eighth, I knew I was in trouble.

“However, I hung in there with pars all the way till the end. I was quite happy to take it into the playoff after having trailed Veer on the back-nine. In a playoff situation, experience always counts. That’s what saw me through at the end. I felt Veer tried a bit too hard during the playoff.

“The birdies were hard to come by on the last two days but my chipping average was excellent. I landed all my chips within a short distance of the pins. The win puts me in a good position to once again contend for the Order of Merit crown,” added Khan, the 2012 PGTI Order of Merit champion.

Veer Ahlawat, who came close to causing a major upset on Saturday, jumped 14 spots to 16th position in the Order of Merit as a result of his career-best runner-up finish.

Ahlawat said, “The four birdies on the first 12 holes really got my confidence going. I checked the leaderboard on the 15th and that’s when I realized that I was very close to victory.

“I knew Shamim will not be easy to beat but I was quite confident as I was hitting and putting really well. I just couldn’t end it well. I didn’t feel much pressure but I think I got a little excited.

“But I’m quite happy with this performance as it is my best finish as a professional. I feel I’m now coming into my own after an ordinary rookie season on the PGTI last year. Every aspect of my game is better this year.”

Manu Gandas of Gurgaon, another 21-year-old, fired a final round of 71 to take third place at seven-under-281.

Bangladesh’s Md Zamal Hossain Mollah struck a 67, the best score of the last round, to end up in tied fourth at five-under-283 along with Noida’s Rahul Bajaj (71).

Bengaluru’s M Dharma, the joint leader from round three, slipped to tied 10th at two-under-286 after a fourth round of 77.

Digboi’s Dulal Kalowar (76-74-76-77), the only local player to make the cut, shot a 77 on Saturday to end the week in tied 47th at 15-over-303.

IndianOilMPOs27nov2017

source: http://www.sportskeeda.com / SportsKeeda  / Home> Golf / by Press Release / November 25th, 2017

Mairaj Ahmad Khan crowned Skeet champion at Shotgun Nationals

Amazing Feats, Sports, World Opinion, , , , , , , , ,

Khurja (Bulandshahr District), UTTAR PRADESH :

Mairaj emerged victorious after edging out youngster Angad Vir Singh Bajwa of Punjab 26-25 in a marathon shoot-off.

Mairaj Ahmad Khan via Facebook
Mairaj Ahmad Khan via Facebook

India’s top Skeet shooter, Mairaj Ahmad Khan, was on Saturday crowned national champion after a marathon final at New Delhi’s Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range on the concluding day of the 61st National Shooting Championship Competitions for Shotgun events.

In a battle between India’s present and future of Men’s Skeet shooting, Mairaj, representing Uttar Pradesh (UP) and youngster Angad Vir Singh Bajwa of Punjab, were engaged in a grueling battle for top honours as both recorded 57 out of 60 hits in the final and then went through a marathon shoot-off before Mairaj came through 26-25 to clinch gold. Man Singh of Haryana won the Bronze with a score of 46 in the finals.

Earlier in qualification, Angad topped the field with a high score of 123 out of 125 while Mairaj was third among six to qualify with a score of 122. Angad however won the Team gold in the event, combining with Amarinder Cheema and Sukhbir Singh Harika for a total of 356, ahead of Haryana’s 351.

Mairaj and his UP team won Bronze with a combined total of 348.

There was another shoot-off to determine the winner of the gold medal in the Junior Men’s Skeet, where Chattisgarh’s Mohammad Hamza Sheikh prevailed over Punjab’s Gurnihal Singh Garcha 7-6 after both were tied on 53 hits.

Ayush Rudraraju of Tripura won Bronze recording 38 hits in the final.

Just like Angad in Men’s Skeet, Gurnihal did manage to win the Junior Team Gold with his Punjab teammates Abinash Pratap Singh Sidhu and Indereshwar Singh Sekhon recording a combined total of 336, ahead of second placed Rajasthan with 326 and third placed Madhya Pradesh with 285.

We welcome your comments at letters@scroll.in.

source: http://www.thefield.scroll.in / Scroll.in / Home> The Field> Indian Sport / by Scroll Staff / November 25th, 2017

Bastar SP Sheikh Aarif Hussain is first IPS officer to be honoured with IACP award

Community Involvement / Social Issues, Leaders, World Opinion, , , ,

Bastar, CHHATTISGARH :

Pennsylvania :

Arif Sheikh has become the only Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the country to win this award in community policing twice in a row.

Arif Sheikh has become the only Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the country to win this award in community policing twice in a row. (Photo: ANI | Twitter)
Arif Sheikh has become the only Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the country to win this award in community policing twice in a row. (Photo: ANI | Twitter)

Bastar:

Bastar Superintendent of Police (SP) Sheikh Aarif Hussain has been awarded the prestigious International Association of Chief of Police (IACP) Award 2017 in Pennsylvania in the ‘Homeland Security’ category for his campaign ‘Amcho Bastar, Amcho Police’.

Arif Sheikh has become the only Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the country to win this award in community policing twice in a row.

Arif Shaikh has dedicated this award to the martyrs, who have sacrificed their life at the altar of their duty in Bastar and to the brave and innocent tribals of the region, who have supported and collaborated with the Bastar Police in this fight against the Naxalism.

Through his campaign, the Bastar Police have come to the aid of few children, who were trapped in the clutches of the Bal Sangham of Maoists, who were used to plant IEDs against the security personnel. They also tried to bring back the surrendered Maoists into the mainstream by giving them alternative earning opportunities.

The ‘Amcho Bastar, Amcho Police’ initiative aimed at bridging the gap between the police and the tribal communities by assimilating with their culture. At the same time, the police has focussed on neutralising the Left wing extremist and also by encouraging the ultras to surrender and join the main stream.

The annual IACP award ceremony and Banquet was held on Wednesday in the Pennsylvania convention centre in a majestic ceremony.

The IACP is a 126-year-old organisation of all the chiefs of police in the U.S. with its headquarters located in Virginia.

The IACP president, Donald W. De Lucca, was the chief guest. The other guests of honour were the executive board directors of the IACP.

Total 15 different awards were given in various categories including forensic sciences, prevention of terrorism, community policing, human rights awards, victim services awards and Reuters awards for excellence in criminal investigations et al.

The IACP/Cisco Leadership award in community policing recognises outstanding community policing initiatives undertaken by law enforcement agencies worldwide.

The other agencies across the world which won the community policing awards were the Oelwein Police department from Iowa, the Monrovia Police department from California, the Roanoke Police department from Virginia, the Fujairah Police department from the UAE and the Arlington Police department from Texas.

source: http://www.asianage.com / The Asian Age / Home> Newsmakers / by ANI / October 25th, 2017

Mughals were leaders of first independence war, says NALSAR University of Law V-C

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Education, Leaders, World Opinion, , , , , , , , , ,

Aligarh, UTTAR PRADESH :

SirSyedMPOs22nov2017

Lucknow :

These are times of aggressive nationalism we are living in, said vice chancellor of NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad, Faizan Mustafa, where we have started to consider Mughals not part of the country. Mustafa speaking at the grand 200th bicentenary birth anniversary celebrations of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan in Lucknow on Tuesday went ahead to say that Mughals were in fact leaders of the first war of independence of 1857 and were considered so by the likes of Tipu Sultan, Tatya Tope and others.

“Mughals were an integral part of India who could not be fragmented from its soul and now we are here in these times of aggressive nationalism where we are having doubts about them. And this nationalism has not only made us target the Mughals, but also recently there were similar talks about Rabindranath Tagore,” said Mustafa who was the guest of honour at the Sir Syed Day organised by Aligarh Muslim University’s (AMU) Old Boys’ Association. Filmmaker Muzaffar Ali was the chief guest on the day, both of whom being former pupils of the university, recounted their time spent at AMU.

Mustafa also cleared that now when criticising the government is equated to being seditious, it was in 1860 after a fatwa (decree) from clerics at Deoband against the British that the law of sedition as a charge was enacted. Mustafa also exhorted his fellow Aligs (as past pupils of AMU are popularly known) that the dream of Sir Syed has not yet been realised with Muslims lagging in both modern education and securing government jobs.

In his brief speech, Mustafa also touched upon the controversy around AMU’s minority status and said, “People say that the minority status was for the college and with AMU a university, it does not stand now. I researched for this when I had to submit in Allahabad high court as AMU’s stand on the case and I found that when Sir Syed laid the foundation of the madrasa it was the university he had in mind and when he gave his first speech in 1877 when the school was raised to the college level, in front of Lord Lytton he said that one day the college would be a university.

Mustafa also said that blaming Sir Syed for the two nation theory was not just wrong but also absurd. “In several of his recorded speeches, he has identified and defined both Hindus and Muslims as not separate identities but one qaum (community) and one nation. Mustafa considered an authority on law also said that reforms in Muslim personal laws were needed and could only be possible through the ideas of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan.

ON the day, the AMU Old Boys’ Association and its members that had gathered in the city from different parts of the state passed the resolution to raise demand of Bharat Ratna for Sir Syed and to generate funds for a Sir Syed House in Lucknow to carry on his Aligarh movement of education.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Lucknow News / by Yusra Hussain / TNN / October 18th, 2017

Jamia Milia Islamia alumni meet evokes nostalgic memories

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, NRI's / PIO's, World Opinion, , , , , , , ,

NEW DELHI :

The ex-Jamia students came all the way from India, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the UK for the meet
The ex-Jamia students came all the way from India, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the UK for the meet

The meet not only fostered the alumni bond, but also extended a helping hand to fresh graduates

It was an evening steeped in nostalgia, as over 500 alumni of New Delhi’s central university and one of India’s most famous – Jamia Millia Islamia – came from all across the world to celebrate their alma mater’s 97th birthday.

Scores of ex-Jamia students who travelled all the way from India, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the UK along with their families, attended the event at Hyatt Regency, Dubai Creek Heights.

Apart from the distinguished guest list that included Ambassador of India to UAE Navdeep Singh Suri, the university’s vice chancellor Talat Ahmed and other dignitaries, successful alumni shared nostalgic memories of their time at the school.

The programme began with a recitation from the Holy Quran, followed by the university’s anthem called sung with full enthusiasm.

Addressing the gathering, prominent alumni Parvez Akram Siddquie welcomed the guests and JMI alumni and highlighted the university’s key objectives. He spoke about starting a medical college in the university’s campus, expansion of the campus, and campus placement for students.

Talking about the role of the alumni meet, Siddquie added: “The heart of the alumni meet lies in giving back in kind to their alma mater. Such meets not only aim to bring together and foster a bond among alumni, but also are a means of extending a helping hand to fresh graduates in different aspects, from job-hunting to settling down in the UAE. Many a time, the alumni chapter has also generated funds for pressing needs like a hostel accommodation at the university.”

Dr Haji Ibrahim, co-chairman of Malabar Gold & Diamonds, announced the company’s support in building the hostel facility for students, on the Jamia campus.

JMI vice-chancellor Talat Ahmed delivered a powerful speech on the values and ideals that define the university. Stating that JMI is a confluence of modern and age-old values of brotherhood and mutual coexistence, he said: “JMI is a platform from which students embark on a journey of learning and self-discovery. It is a model of national integration where children of every religion, sect, and denomination study together,” Ahmed said.

“We recalled our college days today, as we met our batchmates and friends after so many years, even 20 years in some cases. We shared the same jokes that we cracked as students and had a great time catching up,” said Imtiyaz Ahmad, a JMI alumni and one of the meet’s organisers.

Suri assured his support in getting the Global Jamia Alumni Network (GJAN) official recognition and registration in the UAE.

Talking about the role of Indian expats in the UAE, Suri said: “I was talking to some very high officials in the UAE government, and they said we have been told to drive the India-UAE relationship because our leaders believe that Indians are the people we trust. Why? ‘Because, at home, we leave our children in the care of Indians, in hospitals we put our lives in the hands of Indian doctors, and in banks, we put our money in the hands of Indian bankers’ he said. There is a lot of goodwill earned by the Indian community.”

The show concluded with the vote of thanks by one of the main organisers and JMI alumni Nadeem Hasan. Others key alumni members who helped in organising the event were Imtiyaz Ahmad Ansari, Eqbal Ahmad, Abdul Khaliq, Abbad Khan, Ahmad Khan, Riyaz Khan, Shams Khan, Jalal Ahmad, Rizwan Ahmad, Salauddine Ansari and Amjad Khan has been appreciated to make this event successful and Syed Nadeem Zaidi.

saman@khaleejtimes.com

source: http://www.khaleejtimes.com / Khaleej Times / Home> Nation / October 24th, 2017

World record? 191 tumours removed from Omani woman’s uterus at Kerala hospital

Amazing Feats, Science & Technology, World Opinion, , , ,

Kozhikode, KERALA :

A doctor at the hospital said they performed the operation in four hours without removing the patient’s ovaries or uterus. The previous record was held by an Egyptian woman, who had 186 tumours removed from her body last December.

Mediapersons interview the medical team that conducted the surgical procedure. (HT Photo)
Mediapersons interview the medical team that conducted the surgical procedure. (HT Photo)

As many as 191 benign tumours were removed from the uterus of an Omani woman at a private hospital in Kozhikode, north Kerala, on Saturday.

Doctors at the city’s Starcare Hospital claimed this was a new world record. They said the previous one was held by an Egyptian woman, who had 186 tumours removed from her body last December.

Dr Abdul Rashid, the hospital’s chief gynaecologist, told Hindustan Times they performed the operation in four hours without removing the patient’s ovaries or uterus. “We blended keyhole and traditional mechanisms to do it. We were expecting 80-odd tumours, not so many,” he said, adding that the woman was now recuperating from the procedure.

The existing record in the country is 84 tumours.

Dr Rashid said the hospital will soon update Guinness World Records authorities on the development. “We did not operate on the 34-year-old woman to break any record. We had initially considered laparoscopic surgery, but decided against it when we realised that the tumour was really big,” he added.

A team of three doctors had performed the surgery.

The chief gynaecologist said a leading medical body has already confirmed that this was a unique case. “The woman seemed to be in an advanced stage of pregnancy when she first came here, but we were keen on protecting her ovaries and uterus. She can now lead a normal life, and even conceive after a couple of years,” he added.

According to Dr Rashid, there has been a significant rise in middle-eastern patients visiting super-specialty hospitals in the state lately. “Our facilities are economical when compared to hospitals in the West, while keeping with similar standards. Kerala has always been a leading tourist destination, but it may soon become a medical hub too,” he said.

source: http://www.hindustantimes.com / Hindustan  Times / Home> India / by Ramesh Babu – Hindustan Times, Thiruvananthapuram / November 19th, 2017