Category Archives: World Opinion

Sania Mirza-Martina Hingis win Wuhan Open title

October 4, 2015Sports, World Opinionmpositiveone@gmail.com

This is the seventh title that the Sania-Martina combination has won this year. (Getty Images)

Wuhan :

Ace Indian tennis star Sania Mirza continued her superb run with Swiss partner Martina Hingis as the duo clinched its seventh title together by winning the Wuhan Open women’s doubles trophy on Saturday.

The top-seeded pair eased past the Romanian team of Irina-Camelia Begu and Monica Niculescu 6-2, 6-3 in the title clash.

“Title number 7 #SanTina @mhingis #WuhanOpen,” the Indian star tweeted accompanied by a picture of the duo with the trophy.

Sania and Hingis had it relatively easy in the second round, quarterfinals and semi-finals after getting a first round bye in the tournament.

Sania and Hingis dropped serve three times and fought back from a 2-0 deficit in the second set to emerge triumphant in the summit clash today.

With this win, the Indo-Swiss pairing has seven WTA doubles titles together this year — Indian Wells, Miami, Charleston, Wimbledon, the US Open, Guangzhou and Wuhan.

They have won their last three tournaments and their last 13 matches without dropping a single set.

They now head to the China Open in Beijing, where they have been given the top billing.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> Sports> Tennis / PTI / October 03rd, 2015

Tipu’s legacy endures…

September 30, 2015Business & Economy, Leaders, World Opinionmpositiveone@gmail.com

The 216th death anniversary of Tipu Sultan was commemorated on Monday.— Photo: M.A. Sriram / The Hindu

The expansion of sericulture in Mysuru region has been credited to Tipu Sultan

The death of Tipu Sultan on May 4, 1799, brought to close a fascinating chapter in Indian history; but his legacy continues to endure notwithstanding the controversy surrounding him in the present times.

Though it has been 216 years since the death of Tipu Sultan, historians are unanimous in pointing out that his initiatives in the socio-economic fields have continued to endure, though these were fast fading from public memory.

The expansion of sericulture in the Mysuru region has been credited to Tipu Sultan. The Mysore Gazetteer notes that Tipu secured the know-how from Bengal and introduced mulberry cultivation in 21 centres. In what could be described as a step to encourage local industry, he banned the export of cotton to ensure that local weavers were not denied the raw material.

The introduction of sugarcane on a large scale has also been attributed to Tipu Sultan for which he secured the assistance of Chinese experts, according to the Gazetteer, which notes that quality sugar and candy were produced with their assistance.

During the pause between the various wars he fought, Tipu Sultan took some reformatory measures including a ban on alcohol. Cattle being closely linked to agriculture, Tipu Sultan encouraged livestock breeding. Hallikar and Amrit Mahal breeds are believed to be products of this initiative.

Rocket technology

Modern day historians also credit Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan with an elementary knowledge of missile or rocket technology, which is considered to be the prototype of present-day missiles and rockets. They were put to full use during the wars with the British. Some of these have been preserved at the Royal Artillery Museum in England. The paintings at Dariya Daulat, the summer palace of Tipu Sultan at Srirangapatana, are a clear indicator of the use of these missiles in wars.

A courtyard within the ruins of the Srirangapatana Fort was identified by archaeologists as the possible spot from where the missiles were launched. Scientists from DRDO have also visited the spot on many occasions in a bid to ensure better maintenance. Plans for a ‘missile museum’ are yet to materialise.

The expansion of sericulture in Mysuru region has been credited to Tipu Sultan

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Karnataka / by R. Krishna Kumar / Mysuru, May 05th, 2015

Tipu Sultan: a secular internationalist, not a bigot

September 30, 2015Amazing Feats, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Leaders, World Opinionmpositiveone@gmail.com

Tipu Sultan cannot be reduced to a singular narrative or tradition of intolerance or bigotry as he represented multiple traditions. Photo: M.A. Sriram / The Hindu

The recent offer made by a film producer to Tamil superstar Rajinikanth to act in a movie on the ‘Tiger of Mysore’, Tipu Sultan, has yet again opened up a Pandora’s Box. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and some Hindutva groups have demanded that Rajinikanth refuse the offer. This argument is made on the grounds that Tipu, the 18th century ruler of Mysore state, was a “tyrant” who killed thousands of Hindus as they refused to convert to Islam.

This is not the first time that Tipu’s name has been dragged into a controversy. It began some years back when Sanjay Khan made a tele-serial based on Bhagwan S. Gidwani’s book, The Sword of Tipu Sultan. His name was once again dragged into a controversy when the Congress government intended to celebrate his birth anniversary in 2014. There was opposition when a proposal was made to establish a university named after him.

Tipu’s very name has become contentious for two reasons: first, his controversial steps in dealing with different communities and people who rose against him. Second, different perspectives through which history was constructed and his image built.

Colonial historians have projected Tipu as a “religious bigot”, who was instrumental in killing and converting to Islam thousands of Nayars of Kerala, Catholics of Dakshina Kannada and Coorgis of Kodagu. Even Kannada chauvinists have projected him as anti-Kannadiga as he was instrumental in changing the local names of places and introducing Persian vocabulary into administration. Marxist historians, on the other hand, have viewed him as “one of the foremost commanders of independence struggle” and a “harbinger of new productive forces”.

History is unkind to Tipu Sultan. The fact is that Tipu cannot be reduced to a singular narrative or tradition of intolerance or bigotry as he represented multiple traditions. He combined tolerant inter-religious traditions, liberal and secular traditions, anti-colonialism and internationalism. He could do this as he had strong roots in Sufism, which is not explored much by historians. He belonged to the Chisti/Bande Nawaz tradition of Sufism.

In fact, Tipu was radical in more than one sense. He was the first to ban consumption of alcohol in the entire State, not on religious grounds, but on moral and health grounds. He went to the extent of saying: “A total prohibition is very near to my heart.” He is credited with introducing missile or rocket technology in war. He was the first to introduce sericulture to the then Mysore state. He was the first to confiscate the property of upper castes, including Mutts, and distribute it among the Shudras. He is also credited with sowing the seeds of capitalist development at a time when the country was completely feudal. He thought about constructing a dam across the Cauvery in the present-day location of Krishnaraja Sagar. He completed the task of establishing a biodiversity garden named Lal Bagh.

His tolerance is reflected in his annual grants to no less than 156 temples, which included land deeds and jewellery. His army was largely composed of Shudras. When the famed Sringeri Mutt, established by Shankaracharya, was invaded by the Maratha army, he issued a firman to provide financial assistance for reinstallation of the holy idol and restoring the tradition of worship at the Mutt. His donation to the famous Srikanteshwara temple at Nanjangud; the donation of 10,000 gold coins to complete temple work at Kanchi; settling the disputes between two sects of priests at the Melkote temple; and gifts to Lakshmikanta temple at Kalale are all well-known. Interestingly, Srirangapatna, a temple town, remained his permanent capital till the end of his rule. He was also instrumental in constructing the first-ever church in Mysuru. Incidentally, well-known historian B.A. Saletore calls him “defender of Hindu Dharma”.

The allegation of forcible conversions has to be seen in the background of political exigencies — either they were with the colonialists such as in the case of Christians of Dakshina Kannada, or were waging a protracted guerrilla war as in the case of Coorg. Here, historians have distorted the facts by reducing political exigencies to the “communal ideology” of Tipu.

A ruler, who once identified himself with the American and French Revolution and Jacobinism, has remained an enigma to many. That a man who ruled for just 16 years continues to haunt Hindutva groups obviously means that Tipu continues to exist in the political discourses, political narratives as well as in the imagination of nation-building. This is where the irony of history lies — one cannot just bury Tipu in the annals of history.

(The writer is chairman, department of political science at the University of Mysore. muzaffar.assadi@gmail.com.)

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Karnataka / by Muzaffar Assadi / September 27th, 2015

Laham Mandi tickles city palate

September 30, 2015Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Travel & Tourism, World Opinionmpositiveone@gmail.com

Hyderabad :

The traditional Hyderabadi dastarkhwan has a new entrant: Laham Mandi.

From the exotic desert peninsula, the simple dish of rice and tender mutton has taken the city by storm. And nothing could explain the success that it has found as it enjoys a place alongside zafrani biryani, a delicacy Hyderabadis swear by.

But how did Laham Mandi make inroads into the Hyderabadi dastarkhwan that denizens are so fiercely protective of? Experts point out that it is the Hyderabadi diaspora, spread across Arabian countries, which has imported Mandi and its variants to the city.

“There was an import of culture as soon as Indians set foot in the Middle East. Though shawarma came to India before Laham Mandi, the latter became a huge hit with the youngsters. They want something different. The trend, particularly with wedding feasts is about two years old,” says Chef Taha Mohammed Quadri from Feast Express, a company that specialises in Arabian cuisine. “Now, bridegrooms are insisting that Mandi be on the dulhe ka dastar along with biryani,” he adds.

Ask Mohammed Abdul Rasheed, an engineer who recently tied the knot, why Mandi was on the menu and pat comes the reply, “All my friends love gorging on Mandi. Also, it is something different from the tried and tested affair.”

Traditional bawarchis say that the dish itself is simple to make. The meat is boiled in water till the time it is succulent and the rice is cooked separately. However, others, like seasoned chef Mir Asif Ali Khan from Arabian Nights argue that Laham Mandi is a madfoon dish, meaning that it is cooked in a cavity in the earth. He has lost count of the number of Hyderabadi weddings in which he has served Laham Mandi, he claims. While listing the traditional Hyderabadi fare on a dastarkhwan, he says, “The traditional dastarkhwan cannot go without lukhmi, qubani ka meetha, double ka meetha and of course, biryani. The introduction of Mandi is a fad.”

Khan explains that affordability and its large portions have led to its popularity. “The quantity of rice per person is huge, so much so that as many as three people can share it. Not just that, the average quantity of meat per portion is around 300 grams, for just Rs 240. What else would a youngster want,” he asks.

Others like Mohammed Moinuddin from Moghal Caterers says that for those who are not too keen on having Laham Mandi at weddings, the dish has found its place in pre-wedding parties. “Sanchak and Mehendi rituals are examples,” he says.

Experts say that restaurants in Toli Chowki like Four Seasons were one of the first to introduce the dish in the city about a decade ago. But, it was around three years ago that it started to gain popularity -courtesy the Arab tribals residing in Barkas, an Old City suburb. According to sources, of the 50-odd restaurants and cafes in the area, almost a third of them serve Mandi.

“The Yemeni tribes in Barkas used it to their advantage. They exploited their exotic lineage, made Mandi affordable and experimented with it by offering chicken and fish Mandi,” says Waseem Khan, a Mandi lover. The ambience in these restaurants is exotic, he adds. “You sit cross legged on the floor and people eat from the same large plate. Portraits of Arab rulers hang from the walls and there is calligraphy. All this adds to the exoticism,” he explains. Restaurants in Toli Chowki with Arabic names have mushroomed. Others like Spice 6 and All Seasons have made Laham Mandi a fine dining experience, he adds.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Hyderabad / TNN / September 28th, 2015

How I survived Haj stampede in 2006

September 26, 2015Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Books (incl.Biographies - w.e.f.01 jan 2018 ), Community Involvement / Social Issues, Education, Karnataka (under research project), Travel & Tourism, World OpinionA K Pasha, A M Ahmadi - Chief Justice of India, Aftab Kamal Pasha, AK Pasha, Chief Justice of India - A M Ahmadi, CJI A M Ahmadi, Prof A K Pasha, Prof A K Pasha - West Asian Politics - JNU, Prof Aftab Kamal Pasha - JNU, Prof AK Pasha - West Asian Politics- JNUmpositiveone@gmail.com

Mysuru, KARNATAKA / NEW DELHI :

People usually hurry to reach Mina creating tremendous risk for themselves and others. It’s during this ritual that chaos is triggered.

I went for Haj pilgrimage with my wife in December-January 2006. During the journey, we noticed that the Gulf region was unstable owing to the trial of the deposed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein in Baghdad and emotions were running high among the Arabs. The political fever in the region also spread among Haj pilgrims. Emotions and arguments add to the atmospherics of Haj. One can imagine the energy and excitement of a pilgrimage in which millions of people from diverse linguistic, ethnic and racial backgrounds are united by religion.

Our delegation was special as we were being accompanied by former Chief Justice of India A.M. Ahmadi and other dignitaries from different parts of India. But from the beginning of the journey, I saw that arrangements on the ground were not quite right. The Saudi officials gave out instructions only in Arabic, though most of the pilgrims were unfamiliar with the language.

Countries that send the largest number of pilgrims are from South and Southeast Asia like Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and India. People from this region speak many languages. Special attention is needed for the elderly, many of whom undertake foreign travel for the first time and, therefore, are quite disoriented and find it difficult to adjust to sudden orders yelled out in Arabic by policemen.

Also, the Saudi rules aim at segregation of men and women which creates a lot of problems for first-time travellers from our region. Often families which are separated by the Saudi police have to endure hardship, which is multiplied because neither the pilgrims nor the police can understand each other.

The process of Haj starts from Mina where one has to begin early after a prayer, followed by the circumambulation of the holy mosque Kaaba. The pilgrimage ends at Mina following the ritual of ‘Stoning the Shaitan.’ This last ritual at Mina needs to be completed before sunset and people usually hurry to reach Mina creating tremendous risk for themselves and others. It’s during this ritual that chaos is triggered.

On January 12, as we were returning to Mina for the last ritual of Haj, we saw the big stampede from a distance as waves of people collided. Dust and fear enveloped us. Our group stopped midway out of fear and went back to Mecca.

Next morning, we started early at 3 a.m. for the dash to Mina. On the way, we saw huge piles of shoes, clothes, and water bottles left behind by the stampede victims being loaded onto the trucks by the police. Officials informed us that around 350 people had died in the stampede and hundreds more were injured. The possessions of the pilgrims left behind made me suspicious of the official account.

The road to Mina which is where the stampedes often happen is very risky as it’s the only one for the journey to Mina and for returning to Mecca. I am told that the Saudi government has created an alternative route for the pilgrims returning to Mecca but that route is longer and many pilgrims continue to return by the old, shorter and narrow route which puts them at risk.

Year after year, stampedes have taken place on the same route near Mina, yet the Saudi authorities have failed to do anything to reduce the risk.

The occasion of Haj brings more than three million pilgrims to Mecca. A number of factors can trigger a crisis and a stampede on the ground where the crowd is united by religion and divided by political sentiments of the Arab countries. Sabotage is often suspected when such tragedies take place.

The Saudi government should also be open to learning from other countries where a large number of pilgrims congregate, for example in India’s Kumbh Melas and in the Vatican where authorities take care of the linguistic differences while managing people. There is no harm in learning from others.

Prof. Pasha teaches West Asian politics in JNU.

(As told to Kallol Bhattacherjee)

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National / by Prof. A.K. Pasha / September 26th, 2015

Motocross is the ultimate mix of Man and Machine, says Mysuru lad Tanveer

September 18, 2015Sports, World Opinionmpositiveone@gmail.com

Motorcycle racing is one of the most exciting and thrilling competition one could see. The riders or skilled racers risk serious injury or worse to become champion. Racers are part of the bike and both the machine and rider have to work in harmony.

Mysuru city has produced good racers and one such racer is Abdul Wahid Tanveer, fondly called as Tanni by his fans.

This bike-riding fanatic is the youngest member of a family full of motocross riders, who started racing (Dirt Track) when he was studying in class eight at St. Mathias School in city.

Tanveer’s skills have led him to scoop a collection of medals and trophies. “I had a room full of trophies and medals, but I gave away some to my fans as mementos as I did not have place to keep them all,” said Tanveer with a grin.

Tanveer, speaking to SOM, said that he was crazy about motocross racing since a kid and the interest grew when he used to see his elder brother Abdul Majid, a National-level bike racer practice.

He said that his first race was when he was studying in eighth standard where he finished fourth and added that this encouraged him to practice more to become perfect. In the next year, when he was studying in ninth standard, he won his first title ‘Best Rider’ award by riding his modified Yamaha 135 two stroke and Yamaha YBX 4 stroke bikes.

His father late Mohammed Shafi, a wrestler, popularly known as Chirag Pailwan, who was a timber merchant and his mother, a housewife, initially refused to allow him to go racing as he was the youngest and the most pampered kid in the family.

But when he overcame all odds and won the first title in the National-level racing in Bengaluru while he was studying in 10 std., his parents began to encourage him and from then, there was no looking back for Tanveer, it was only winning trophies and medals.

Tanveer, who joined TVS as a racer in 2014, has won many championships including MRF Championship and Rally De Bengaluru in 2014, where he was the overall champion, Dakshin Dare Rally in 2015 in which he was adjudged as the ‘Best Rider’ in the Ultimate Bike category and an Overall Champion.

He has won races in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Hassan, Chikkamagaluru, Coorg and other places in the country and aims to make it to the Great Himalayan Rally this year. He says “I have participated in all categories in different events and Indian Open Class is my favourite.”

Tanveer said, “You got to finish to win. Of course, you got to be fast to win too, otherwise everybody would be doing it.”

This year, Tanveer has participated in over 25 races, both local and National and has won prizes in all.

He is now participating in the MRF Championship which is being held in six rounds in Ahmedabad, Chennai, Hyderabad, Coimbatore and Pune. Of which, three races have been completed with the first held at Ahmedabad, the second at Coimbatore and the third at Chennai.

He said that he now leads the race with 12 points and the remaining three races will be held at Hyderabad, Bengaluru with the final race to be held in Pune.

When asked which bike he uses for the races, he said that he races in three groups and uses three different bikes such as a custom made TVS 300FX for Group-B, custom made Apache RTR 180 for Group- B and Apache RTR 160 for Group-C and said that he enjoys riding his Apache RTR 180.

Speaking about injuries, Tanveer said that in 2014, when he was leading in the MRF Championship, he crashed during a practice session and suffered elbow fracture besides suffering from severe burns as the bike fell on him leaving him hospitalised which resulted him being out of the race.

When asked if racing got encouragement in Mysuru, Tanveer said that there is no encouragement for racing in Mysuru and it was only his family members and a few friends who are encouraging him from the beginning. He said that earlier, Zabiulla, a mechanic near Ya-allah Masjid, used to tune his vehicle when he began racing.

He also said that as there was no encouragement, he had stopped racing for a year in 2012 and added that it was a person from Kerala who persuaded him to continue and it is then he began to race again and continue his winning streak.

Speaking about precautions to be taken during racing, Tanveer said that it is always necessary to wear safety equipment, no matter what the circumstances, wear well fitting Motocross Protection equipment, if you are just starting out, take things slow, find an experienced person who knows about Motocross to give you tips, do some practice before you race, keep in mind that your protection is always more important than winning and finally, do not be afraid to race.

Strength Training

Tanveer said that racers need a strength training programme that targets key muscle groups and keeps them in balance. He said that his strength training is based on four principles that improves not only the strength but the lap time too.

Tanveer says concentrate on your back as the back muscles are equally important in maintaining a proper riding stance. A weak posterior chain will lead to a slumped posture and fatigue the chest, shoulders, arms, and quads, more rapidly leading to general fatigue.

Strong Core Muscles are Key: Proper training of the core region is needed to maintaining proper form and function during a race.

If the core muscles are weak, a rider will alter his posture and riding position, therefore transferring work to the weaker shoulders and arms. When this happens, the arms, shoulders and even legs do more of the work and become fatigue quickly.

Weight Train for Strength not Endurance: Motocross racers are experts at endurance training and therefore usually weight train for endurance. But lifting heavier weights for fewer reps is necessary for building strength.

Concentrate on Total Body Movements: The key to an efficient total body strength programme is to incorporate exercises that require the use of multiple joints versus isolation exercises.

Giving his piece of advice to youngsters, Tanveer said “The streets or roads are not racing tracks,” this should be always in the mind of youngsters. Do not race on streets as it will not only cause problems to the riders but also to others which is against the law. While on road, follow traffic rules.

It does not matter if you are the smoothest rider or you are out of control, pain does not discriminate and wearing proper safety gear could save you, or someone else from a painful experience, Tanveer said.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles / by S. Kenneth Shishir / September 18th, 2015

BETWEEN WICKETS – Indian ‘braves’ who ran the Englishman Close

September 16, 2015Amazing Feats, Sports, World Opinionmpositiveone@gmail.com

Excessive bravery, like genius, comes with a touch of madness

Brian Close who passed away on Sunday was, by common consent in England, the bravest man to have played cricket.

As a batsman, Close stepped out to the West Indies fast bowlers Wes Hall and Charlie Griffith, taking blows to the body. As a fielder at short leg he was renowned for getting hit. His bare upper body was the staple of photographs on sports pages — complete with deep impressions of the cricket ball. In colour pages, you could tell the black from the blue! A well-known comedian said it was always possible to know when the cricket season began in England: “by the sound of leather hitting Close.”

Every country has its tales of the bravest — or the most foolhardy. Players, who, with scant regard for personal safety simply got on with the game. Many have become legends for a single act of bravery — Rick McCosker batting with a bandaged jaw, Colin Cowdrey stepping out to bat with his arm in a sling, Hanif Mohammed making a triple century even as the skin under his eyes kept peeling off.

Iron man of Indian cricket

Indian cricket’s bravest have always been measured against their first Test captain, C.K. Nayudu. On his final tour of England, aged 41, he was struck on the under the heart by fast bowler Gubby Allen. It was just the incentive he needed to make his highest Test score, 81.

Hit on the mouth by Dattu Phadkar in a Ranji Trophy match, Nayudu waved away assistance, swept away his teeth from the pitch, and when served up a full toss next ball, berated the bowler for this. He was in his 50s then. Chandu Borde has written about how “even at the age of 58, Nayudu was the iron man of Indian cricket.”

Nayudu played his last first class match in 1963-64. By then, Tiger Pataudi was India captain. Tiger was, perhaps, the bravest man to play for India. The mere thought of taking the field with just one good eye against bowlers around the world is mind boggling. For some years between the reigns of Nayudu and Tiger, India had earned a reputation for being soft. There were even stories of players pulling out of difficult tours.

With the arrival — and success — of Tiger Pataudi, things began to change. Apart from injecting his players with self-respect, Tiger also toughened them. He hasn’t been given enough credit for this. After all, it would have been ridiculous to whine to a captain who had such a serious handicap.

Thus was born the next generation of Indian ‘braves’ — Abid Ali, Eknath Solkar, Mohinder Amarnath, Sunil Gavaskar. Abid and Solkar at short leg picked up catches off genuine sweeps by batsmen that they ought to have been ducking from.

Amarnath’s heroics against the fast bowlers in Pakistan and the West Indies make up one of the inspiring chapters of Indian batting. For a brief period he was the best in the world. For barely getting hit as an opener in a career spanning 125 Tests, Gavaskar was special. A combination of technique and heart made up his game.

During a tour, we once calculated the number of days in a year when big, strong men with a cricket ball in their hands were attempting to incapacitate him. Sometimes bravery is calculated by what you don’t do. Close ensured he got hit; Gavaskar ensured he didn’t. That was perhaps even more admirable.

Kumble’s valour

In recent years, thanks to better equipment, better protection and better pitches, batsmen and fielders have felt safer. The single bravest act on a cricket field by an Indian remains, however, Anil Kumble bowling with a broken jaw in the Antigua Test of 2002. Kumble, hit by Merv Dillon while batting, sent down 14 consecutive overs and became the first bowler to dismiss Brian Lara while bowling with his jaw strapped up. He was due to fly back to Bangalore the following day for surgery, and said, “At least I can now go home with the thought that I tried my best.”

“It was one of the bravest things I’ve seen on the field of play,” said Viv Richards later.

An Abid Ali refusing to flinch, even charging out to the fast bowlers. A Solkar keeping his eyes on the ball, placing the taking of a catch above self-preservation. A Nayudu acknowledging a fast bowler’s dental skill. All part of legend now.

Close was a brave player. He was also, as Vic Marks has pointed out in a tribute, “a wee bit mad.” Perhaps, like genius, excessive bravery comes with a touch of madness.

by Suresh Menon

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sport> Cricket / by Suresh Menon / September 16th, 2015

The last days of Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar in Burma

September 14, 2015Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Leaders, Travel & Tourism, World Opinionmpositiveone@gmail.com

by Dr. Syed Ahmed for TwoCircles.net,

Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, during his recent visit to Myanmar (erstwhile Burma), offered floral tributes at the memorial of last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar which lies at 6 Ziwaka Road in Dagon, Yangon. Prime Minister, accompanied by his wife Gursharan Kaur and External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna, offered prayer at the graveyard/mazar of the former ruler, who died four years after he was exiled to Yangon following his defeat in the 1857 war of independence.

It has been a tradition for the dignitaries from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh to pay their visit to the graveyard of the Mughal emperor and pay their respect. It is said that Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose started his “Delhi Chalo” campaign in 1942 after paying his respect to the former emperor. Rajiv Gandhi during his official visit to Myanmar in Dec. 1987 paid his tribute to the grave. He wrote in the visitor’s book placed at the grave: “Although you (Bahadur Shah) do not have land in India, you have it here, your name is alive… I pay homage to the memory of the symbol and rallying point of India’s first war of independence….”

Bahadur Shah Zafar [Photo Courtesy: exoticindia.es]

The Great Uprising of 1857

Bahadur Shah was 82 years old and in poor health when the revolting sepoys from Meerut stormed into the palace on 11 May 1857. According to William Dalrymple (The Last Mughal, 2006), sepoys and cavalrymen from Meerut numbering 300 rode into Delhi in the morning and massacred Christian men, women and children they could find in the city, and proclaimed Bahadur Shah as their leader and emperor. Bahadur Shah gave his blessing to the sepoys. A.G. Noorani (Indian Political Trails 1775-1947) writes, “Bahadur Shah was the one around whom both the communities rallied as a symbol of revolt and unity…In him have still been centered the hopes and aspirations of millions. They have looked upon him as the source of honour, and, more than this, he has proved the rallying point not only to Muhammadans, but to thousands of others with whom it was supposed no bond of fanatical union could possibly be established.”

The outbreak started in Meerut and Barrackpur from January to May 1857, and then spread to Lucknow, Allahabad, Ghaziabad, Delhi, Allahabad, Kanpur, Jhansi, Gwalior, Bareilley, Madras, Bombay, and several places in Punjab. Leaders like Nana Sahib, Tantia Tope, Bhakt Khan, Azimullah Khan, Rani Laxmi Bai, Begum Hazrat Mahal, Kunwar Singh, Maulvi Ahmadullah, Bahadur Khan, Rao Tula Ram and Raja Nahar Singh of Punjab led the local uprisings.

Within 4 months the uprising was crushed by the British with a strong hand. Poets and princes, mullahs and merchants, Sufis and scholars were hunted down and hanged. Palaces, mosques, shrines, gardens and houses of Mughal Delhi were destroyed. The properties of the Muslims were confiscated. All the leaders of the uprising were either killed or drove out of India.

Bahadur Shah surrendered on 21 Sept. 1857. The next day, Major William Hodson set out to Humayun Tomb to arrest his sons, Mirza Mughal and Mirza Khizr Sultan, and his grandson, Mirza Abu Bakr. Hodson took the princes to Sher Shah Suri’s outpost, then known as Kabuli Darwaza or Lal Darwaza. They were stripped naked and shot. Since the incident the outpost came to be known as Khooni Darwaza. Hodson paid the price for his misdeeds. A few months after the shoot-out, he was killed at Begum Kothi in Lucknow on 11 Mar. 1858.

With the arrest of Bahadur Shah the four centuries of Mughal rule in India came to an end and the Mughal emperor was made a prisoner. He was brought to the walled city and kept under house arrest. Sadly, the poet was not given even a pen to write while in captivity. He scribbled some of his last verses on the wall with a burnt stick.

The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh signing the visitors book during his visit to the Mazar of Bahadur Shah Zafar, in Yangon, Myanmar on May 29, 2012.

Last Days of Bahadur Shah

Bahadur Shah’s trial began on 27 Jan. 1858 and ended on 9 Mar. 1858. The trial recommended the transportation of Bahadur Shah to Burma. In Oct 1858, Bahadur Shah accompanied, according to William Dalrymple, by his wife Zinat Mahal and 2 sons Mirza Jiwan Bhakt and Mirza Shah Abbas and daughter-in-law and wife of Jawan Bhakt, Shah Zamani Begum (generally referred to as Raunaq Zamani, the granddaughter of the emperor), who all chose to follow the emperor departed from Delhi for Calcutta, where they were placed on board a warship called Magara and taken to Rangoon.

In Burma British Commissioner Captain H. Nelson Davies received Bahadur Shah and his family. The family was then lodged in a quarter near the Shwe Dagon Pagoda under the supervision of Nelson Davies. The family was provided 4 rooms each of 16 ft. sq., one allotted for Bahadur Shah, another for Jawan Bhakt and his wife Zamani Begum, the rest for Zinat Mahal and Shah Abbas. Pen, ink and paper were completely forbidden. The family was provided 4 Indian attendants (a chaprasi, water carrier, washer-man and a sweeper).

Bahadur Shah died on Nov. 7, 1862 at the ripe old age of 87. Fearing another revolt the last rites of the emperor was performed without informing anyone. The janajah was performed by an old Moulana along with the two princes. After a week Nelson Davies informed about the death of the emperor to the higher officials in London. He wrote in his letter, “Have since visited the remaining State Prisoners- the scum of the reduced Asiatic harem; found all correct…The death of the ex-king may be said to have no effect on the Mohamedan part of the populace of Rangoon, except perhaps for a few final triumph of Islam. A bamboo fence surrounds the grave, and by the time the fence is worn out, the grass will again have properly covered the spot, and no vestige will remain to distinguish where the last of the Great Moghuls rests.” The news of the death of Bahadur Shah reached Delhi a fortnight later.

In one of his couplet Bahadur Shah had lamented on the irony of his fate thus:

Umr-e-daraaz maang ke laye the char din/Do aarzu mein kat gaye, do intezar mein
Hai kitna badnasseb Zafar dafn ke liye/Do gaz zameen bhi mil na saki koo-e-yaar mein.
Na kisii kii ankh ka nur na kisii ke dil ka qarar hun/Jo kisii ke kam na a sake main vo ek musht-e-Gubar hun
Na to main kisii ka habiib hun na to main kisii ka raqiib hun/Jo bigar gaya vo nasiib hun jo ujar gaya vo dayar hun
hamane duniyaa mein aake kyaa dekha/dekhaa jo kucch so Khvaab-saa dekhaa/hai to insaan Khaak kaa putlaa/lekin paanii ka bulbulaa dekhaa)I had requested for a long life a life of four days/Two passed by in pining, and two in waiting/How unlucky is Zafar! For burial/Even two yards of land were not to be had, in the land (of the) beloved./My life gives no ray of light, I bring no solace to heart or eye/Out of dust to dust again, of no use to anyone am I/Barred the door of the fate for me, bereft of my dear ones am I/The spring of a flower garden ruined/Alas, my autumn wind am I/I came into the world and what did I see?/Whatever I saw was just like a dream/Man is moulded from clay but/I saw him as a bubble of water.In 1867 the family of Bahadur Shah was allowed to leave the prison enclosure and to settle elsewhere in the Rangoon cantonment. The long confinement made Shah Zamani Begum, who was just around 15 years old, became seriously ill suffering from extreme depression. She started getting blind. To improve her condition she along with her husband was given another house not far from the Rangoon jail. By 1872 Shah Zamani Begum became completely blind. Mirza Shah Abbas married a girl from Rangoon, a daughter of a local Muslim merchant. His descendants still live in Rangoon today. Zinat Mahal lived on alone, comforting her loneliness with opium. She died in 1886. Her body was buried near her husband’s grave. Few years later Mirza Jawan Bakht died of stroke. He was 42.

The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh and his wife Smt. Gursharan Kaur pray after offering chadar at the Mazar of Bahadur Shah Zafar, in Yangon, Myanmar on May 29, 2012.

A delegation of visitors from India visited Burma in 1903 to pay their respects at the burial place of Bahadur Shah. By then, due to long years of neglect, the exact location of the graves of Bahadur Shah and his wife became uncertain. In 1905 the Muslims of Rangoon protest demanding that the grave of Bahadur Shah should be marked. The British authorities agreed in 1907 and a railing was also erected around an supposed site of the grave, and the engraved stone slab, marked, “Bahadur Shah, the ex-king of Delhi died at Rangoon Nov. 7th 1862 and was buried near this spot” and “Zinath Mahal wife of Bahadur Shah who died on the 17th July 1886 is also buried near this stone,” was placed.

Surprisingly, in Feb. 1991 labourers while digging a drain at the back of the shrine uncovered the original brick-lined grave of Bahadur Shah. It was found 3 feet under the ground, and about 25 feet away from the earlier supposed graveyard of the emperor. This original graveyard has over the years become a popular place of pilgrimage for the Burmese Muslims. The local Muslims, who believed Bahadur Shah as a powerful saint, come to seek his spiritual blessing and favours. A prayer hall was also constructed in front of the graveyard with Indian assistance, which was inaugurated on 15 Dec. 1994. Today the graveyard is managed by a trust named Bahadur Shah Zafar Mausoleum Committee. Before the military takeover in Myanmar, the shrine was managed by a trust set up by the descendants of Bahadur Shah.

[Photo Courtesy: PIB]

source: http://www.twocircles.net / TwoCircles.net / Home / by Dr. Syed Ahmed for TwoCircles.net / May 31st, 2012

Guinness recognition awaits Hyderabadi for fastest nose-typing

September 14, 2015Amazing Feats, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Sports, World Opinionmpositiveone@gmail.com

Mohammed Kursheed Hussain nose-typing in Hyderabad on Monday.- Photo: By Arrangement

How fast do you think you can type?’ Before most would have gone half-way with the sentence, 24-year-old Mohammed Kursheed Hussain of Hyderabad would have finished typing, with his nose.

Mr. Hussain attempted to break a Guinness world record for fastest nose-typing here on Monday. In 43.85 seconds, he typed the 103-character long ‘Guinness world records have challenged me to type this sentence using my nose in the fastest time’. He had to best 46.30 seconds, the standing record that was set in December 2014. An official word from Guinness is awaited to confirm his Monday’s feat.

Incidentally, Mr. Hussain had set a nose-typing Guinness record in February last year when he typed the challenge sentence in 47.44 seconds.

“I was told by Guinness in January this year that the record I had set was broken. Since then I trained to break the record,” said Mr. Hussain, who is a masters student at a university in Indiana, US.

Hussain’s tryst with typing began when he turned seven. It was however not until he turned 18, did he realise the uniqueness of his skill.

“I thought nothing of my typing ability until I had gone to college. That is when my friends made me realise that I had skill that others did not have. But I never thought that I would be a Guinness record holder,” he said. In 2012, Hussain hand typed the English alphabet with spaces in record 3.43 seconds, debuting in the annals of the Guinness World Records.

“I had to beat 3.52 seconds. It seemed impossible then,” he said. That record stands unbroken for three years now. Ask how he types with his nose when keys are blurred at nose’s width away from the keyboard,

Mr. Hussain offers a plausible explanation. “I think I just have a big nose,” he chuckles.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by Rohit P.S./ Hyderabad – August 18th, 2015