Ahmedabad-born Indian woman Conservative nominee for UK poll
London (IANS) :
Indian origin Tamkeen Shaikh, born and raised in Ahmedabad, has been selected as the Conservative Party candidate for the Barking constituency for the December 12 UK elections.
“Delighted to be selected as the Conservative Party Candidate for Barking. Hard work begins now! #BlueBarking,” Shaikh, who studied and worked as a journalist in India before coming to the UK, tweeted on being named candidate.
A staunch supporter of Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Brexit, Shaikh left home 14 years ago for a Masters in media and management in the UK.
Married with two children, Shaikh is now working in the education sector.
She says: “The reason I have joined politics and particularly the Conservative Party is, it’s the best way to contribute to the society and the party believes in creating opportunities for business and innovation.
“Here the Parliament is pushing to have 50:50 representation of men and women and are encouraging women on a wider scale to get involved in politics. If elected my priority is to draw more investments in school, social enterprise, youth engagement, building family homes and care for the elderly.”
“The mantra that has worked for me is ato be consistent and persistent’ that will lead you to achieve your goals. Indians are a large economical contributors in UK and continue to do so. Indian community has integrated well within the community and are making huge progress in all sectors,” she adds.
“Like the majority of Barking residents, I voted Leave and I want to get Brexit done.
“You only have to look at the epidemic of fly-tipping, the state of Barking Station and our failing high streets to realise the Labour Party is failing us. We deserve better than Labour. I live in Barking, my children go to a local school and so I understand the needs of local people.
“We need an MP who will fight for more investment in our schools, improved care for the elderly and to give young people things to occupy them to keep them off the streets and give them a better future.
“I want to see a thriving high street that will benefit social enterprises and small businesses, providing jobs for residents. I am your local candidate representing the local people of Barking and I will get Brexit done,” she promised.
source: http://www.therahnuma.com / The Rahnuma Daily / Home> World / by IANS / November 26th, 2019
The museum has a large cache of 1,700 such rockets that were recovered from an old well at Nagara village in Hosanagar taluk last year.
An image of the ‘Tipu rockets.’
Shivamogga :
A dedicated gallery housing metal cased rockets used during Tipu Sultan period (18th century) has been opened in Shivamogga city. However, it was thrown open to the public without a formal inauguration by people’s representatives, which according to sources, is due to the recent controversy surrounding the ruler.
The gallery was opened to the public on the first day of the Heritage Week on November 21.
The gallery has been set up at the Shivappa Nayaka Palace which is also a museum. It is the first and largest gallery having the “Tipu rockets” or “Mysore rockets” in the world.
While the Royal Artillery Museum, Woolwich Arsenal in London, is home to a collection of two such rockets, three pieces are at the government museum in Bengaluru. There was no dedicated gallery for the rockets until the one in Shivamogga opened.
The museum has a large cache of 1,700 such rockets that were recovered from an old well at Nagara village in Hosanagar taluk last year. However, only 15 are kept in the gallery owing to lack of space.
The length of the rockets now housed at Shivappa Nayaka Museum ranges from 190 mm to 260 mm and the diameter ranges from 33 mm to 65 mm. While the lightest specimen weighs 372 g, the highest one weighs 1.75 kg.
History buffs throng museum to see ‘rockets’
Sources in the Archeology, Museums and Heritage Department told TNIE that a formal inauguration was not done to “avoid any further controversy.” Earlier, the BJP State government had decided not to celebrate Tipu Jayanti at the government level and is thinking of removing lessons related to the ruler from textbooks.
History enthusiast Ajay Kumar Sharma said, “The department also avoided naming the gallery as Tipu Rockets Gallery but played safe by naming it as Mysore Rockets Gallery. There is also an argument that similar rockets were used by the Marathas. However, thorough carbon dating needs to be done to determine the period. Though it is not clear who invented these rockets, it is said that they were used during the period of Hyder Ali and his son Tipu Sultan.”
‘World’s first metal cased rockets’
Information put up at the gallery states that Mysore in the 18th century was the greatest threat to the development of the British colonial enterprise in India. The British fought them at every step. It was in this series of wars that England and the wider world was introduced to a new weapon of war – The Mysore metal cased rocket. The instant bamboo stick or sword blade attached to the rocket passed through a man’s body.
It resumed its initial speed and destroyed 10 or 20 men until the combustible matter with which it was charged was spent.
“Mysore was the first state in the world to have moved to the next stage of rocket development from wooden firework rockets to metal war rockets successfully,” the information reads. Though there was no formal inauguration, the gallery has already attracted history buffs who are visiting the gallery each day.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Marx Tejaswi / Express News Service / November 23rd, 2019
The Taj Mahal and 4 other monuments earned Rs 146.05 crore, more than half the total revenue generated by centrally-protected monuments, in 2017-18.
New Delhi:
Fringe Hindu groups and even some BJP leaders may have sought to belittle their significance but official data shows that India’s top five revenue generating monuments were all built by Muslim rulers – the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, Qutub Minar, Fatehpur Sikri and Red Fort.
While Qutub Minar was built by rulers of the Delhi Sultanate, the rest were constructed by the Mughals.
These five monuments together earned the government Rs 146.05 crore in 2017-18, according Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) data. This is more than half the total revenue of Rs 271.8 crore generated by all centrally-protected monuments.
The Print
The Taj Mahal, which has been in the news for all the wrong reasons in recent years, with the Supreme Court last month pulling up the ASI for its poor maintenance, continued to be the highest earner at Rs 56.83 crore.
While some politicians sparked a controversy last year by arguing that the Mughal-era monument did not represent Indian culture, the number of visitors to it, both Indian and foreign, only increased since 2016-17.
A total of 64.58 lakh people visited the Taj Mahal in 2017-18 compared to 50.66 lakh in 2016-17.
Last year, the UP tourism department had even omitted the Taj Mahal, a UNESCO world heritage site, from a brochure listing the state’s principal attractions.
With total earnings of Rs 30.55 crore, Agra Fort built by Mughal emperor Akbar, another UNESCO world heritage site, was the second highest revenue generator in the last financial year.
While the Konark Sun Temple in Odisha came second after the Taj Mahal in terms of number of visitors (32.3 lakh), it generated only Rs 10.06 crore as revenue. This, officials said, is because the temple is mostly popular only with Indian tourists, with 32.21 lakh domestic visitors making the trip last year.
While Indian tourists are charged Rs 30 per head as entry fee to world heritage monuments across the country, foreign tourists have to pay Rs 500 each.
“It is impossible to communalise the entire Indian population through the meaningless political venom spewed by politicians,” said historian S. Irfan Habib, explaining the increase in visitors to the Taj.
“No matter what they say about the Taj Mahal and Red Fort, Indians will continue going there,” he added.
source: http://www.theprint.in / The Print / Home> India> Governanace / by Sanya Dhingra / June 07th, 2018
Amidst well-organized and power-backed attempts to erase M-word from the history of India’s freedom movement, has come out a humble academic bid to preserve in black and white the key role of Ulema or Muslim clerics in the ‘bloody’ freedom struggle spreading over around one century. Written by a young writer Syed Ubaidur Rahman, who is just 44, the book ‘Ulema’s Role in India’s Freedom Movements: With focus on Silk Letter Movement (Reshmi Rumal Tehrik) captures Ulema’s sacrifices in the Mutiny of 1857 and 1858, Faraizi Movement and Sayyid Ahmad Barelvi’s movement besides mainly focusing on the Silk Letter Movement as the title declares.
“The word ‘Ulema’ has become a rather very misunderstood term in the present day Indian society. Like everything Muslim, a conscious effort has been made to malign and ridicule the Muslim clergy…Over the last few centuries, the Muslim scholars have contributed immensely in seeing to it that the nation remains a single, united and cohesive unit and have made significant contributions to this end,” writes the author in the introduction of the book.
While admitting that “Ulema’s role in the society has considerably shrunk over the last several centuries,” he says that Ulema “used to have a very important place in the Indian society during Muslim rule in the country and even after the dismantling of the Mughal empire…over the centuries, on many occasions, they have led not just on spiritual front but on temporal front as well.”
“Every time in the past, when the country found itself in challenging situations, they stepped in and tried to play a much bigger role than what is usually anticipated from them. This was seen during different phases of freedom movements beginning with the first war of independence of 1857,” writes Rahman, a journalist by career who has penned several books in the last one decade, besides regularly writing articles and columns for various periodicals.
The 280-page book deals with different phases of India’s freedom struggle “with special focus on Silken Letter Conspiracy, better known as the Reshmi Rumal Tehrik.”
Highlighting the need and relevance of the book, the author says: “Not much has been written on Reshmi Rumal Tehrik or the people behind it and thus it remains shrouded in mystery. The book also discusses at length the Mutiny of 1857 and 1858, Faraizi Movement that was anti-colonial movement launched and sustained by Islamic scholars, besides Tehrik-e-Jihad of Sayyid Ahmad Barelvi in North Western Frontiers and Kashmir.”
The author says: “Despite the slide of the Muslim empire and the subsequent dismemberment, first between Muslim nawabs in the North, Deccan and South India, and later the annexation of these territories by the East India Company, Muslim scholars remained instrumental in trying to keep the Muslim empire intact. They were at the forefront in trying to stop the slide, and in posing challenges, first against those who fought the Mughals and later against the British East India Company. Shah Waliullah, the legendary Islamic scholar and reformist, did everything to stop the Mughal Empire from going to dogs. But, when despite all his efforts nothing happened, he sent a later to Ahmad Shah Abdali and also to Nawab of Oudh and Hafiz Rahmat Khan, the shrewd Ruhella chieftain. The rest is history.”
Deliberating on the core topic of the book, that is the role of Ulema in India’s freedom movement, the author writes: “Muslim ulema’s role was not limited to merely giving advice to the rulers and then become mute spectators of what was taking place. On the contrary, when they realized that there was no one coming forward to lead the masses, they took up leadership role, and fought off the invaders. From Bengal to Balakot and from Delhi to Lucknow, Muslim ulema played prominent roles in all the uprisings against the British (mis)rule. Be it Faraizi Movement, first war of independence of 1857 or the Reshmi Rumal Tehrik, they were instrumental and took leadership role. During the Mutiny of 1857, ulema were at the forefront and paid heavy price for their leadership role.”
The book highlights the contributions of some Ulema during the Mutiny of 1857 and subsequent fights.
The author says: Maulavi Ahmadullah Shah was one of the most prominent leaders of the entire freedom movement, who led on many war fronts and collaborated with all other renowned freedom fighters. Despite being among the most prominent leaders of the 1857 Mutiny, Maulavi Ahmadullah Shah remains a rather unknown figure in the country.He was a stalwart, a shrewd military planner, a great scholar of Islamic sciences and above all a unifier beyond any iota of doubt. He allied with almost all the leading actors of the 1857 revolution, be it Tantia Topi, Nana Sahib, Begum Hazrat Mahal, Bakht Khan Ruhilla, Khan Bahadur Khan Rohilla of Bareilly or any other freedom fighter of repute. It is an irony that despite his military successes against the British East India Company in 1857 from Lucknow to Bareilly and Shahjahanpur, his name is not even mentioned. His military planning unnerved the colonial rulers and his bravery won praise from the British generals like George Bruce Malleson and Thomas Seaton.
Haji Imdadullah Muhajir Makki was another alim of repute, known for his personal piety, scholarship, courage and military exploits during the Mutiny of 1857. A father figure among ulema of his time, his most renowned disciples include Maulana Qasim Nanotwi and Maulana Rasheed Ahmad Gangohi who not just fought alongside him in Thana Bhawan and Shamli but later went on to launch Darul Ulum Deoband. Maulvi Liaqat Ali, another alim was behind the uprising in Allahabad and evicting the East India Company out of the major North Indian town. It was his personal charisma and shrewd military planning that first brought together the mutineers and later successfully beat back the Company forces. Many more ulema played prominent roles during the uprising and paid dearly when the Company came back with a vengeance. Tens of thousands of ulema were hanged to death. Even those ulema who had nothing to do with the Mutiny were implicated, jailed, sent to kalapani and unceremoniously killed. However, this dance macabre didn’t stop them from taking to the same means to defeat the colonial rulers later.
Silk Letter Movement
The author says: “Reshmi Rumal Tehrik is a freedom movement that remains largely unknown. Not much has been written on it and both its top leaders, Mahmud Hasan and Ubaidullah Sindhi, despite their stellar roles and sacrifices, remain rather unknown. While Shaikhul Hind spent three years in trying circumstances in Malta, Ubaidullah Sindhi spent more than three decades in exile, first in Afghanistan and then in Turkey and Hejaz.”
Silk Letter Movement, known more widely as the Reshmi Rumal Tehrik, was launched by ulema of Deoband, particularly Mahmud Hasan and his renowned disciple Ubaidullah Sindhi, who later went on to become the Home Minister in the first provisional government established in Kabul. Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh was its President and Maulana Barkatullah Bhopali was its Prime Minister. The Reshmi Rumal Tehrik had a two-fold objective, one to incite the tribal people in North Western Frontier region and then forging alliance with other world powers including Afghanistan, Turkey and Germany. While Mahmud Hasan headed to Hijaz to seek help from Turkish officials, Ubaidullah Sindhi went to Kabul to forge alliance with Afghan amir. Both were very successful in their planning, but while Mahmud Hasan was still in Hijaz, Ottomans suffered heavy reverses against Sharif of Mecca who was being propped by Britain. At the same time, the entire planning of Ubaidullah Sindhi was discovered when the Silken Letters, sent by him to Mahmud Hasan were unearthed by the British CID. Hundreds of their supporters across Punjab, United Provinces and Delhi were arrested by British police.
In the introduction of the book, author Rahman says: “The pages that follow unravel a history that has been often suppressed and not much has been written on it. To many people, this side of the history may seem rather bewildering as I examine it and try to make sense as to what happened in our part of the world and how those brave men, despite the failure of 1857 mutiny rose repeatedly to defy the British Raj.”
How Important Is This Book when saffron eraser is moving fast on the canvas of freedom history of India?
Talking to India Tomorrow, the author responded to the question: “History needs to be preserved. It is the responsibility of the people, communities and the nations to preserve their histories and present right perspectives to what happened in the past. Indian Muslims have done precious little when it comes to presenting their perspective in right context. On the contrary, the Sangh Parivar, bent upon distorting the history of the last few centuries, has made strides in this field. Despite the fact they were never part of the freedom movement, they have claimed an important role for them, and have tried to co-opt major historic figures as part of their narrative. This began with Patel. Now they are trying to claim Gandhi and Ambedkar as their own, despite both being fiercely opposed to their ideology of hate. On the contrary, the Muslims have ignored this part completely. Hope this book serves its purpose and creates awareness among masses about what Muslim scholars and ulama did for the nation in the freedom struggle.”
The book has come out at a time when the BJP government in Karnataka has decided to scrap the state’s official celebrations around Tipu Sultan’s birth anniversary. Going one step ahead, the government announced to remove the lesson on the 18th century Mysore ruler from school history books.
Author Syed Obaidur Rahman
Given the communal hatred widening the gulf between Hindus and Muslims, the author wants the book reaches the masses.
“While this is of paramount importance to render this book in Hindi and other vernacular languages, this seems a hard nut to crack due to want of resources. God willing, I would definitely like to bring it in Urdu, Hindi and other regional languages,” says Rahman who has several other books to his credit, including Muslim Freedom Fighters: Contribution of Indian Muslims in the Freedom Movement, Understanding Muslim Leadership in India and Muslim Mujahideen e Aazadi, aur Tehrik e Azadi mein unki khidmaat (Urdu).
Book:Ulema’s Role in India’s Freedom Movements: With focus on the Silk Letter Movement (RESHMI RUMAL TEHRIK)
FPG/HULTON ARCHIVE/GETTY IMAGES
Image caption
Indian troops serving with the British army pray outside the Shah Jahan Mosque in Woking, Surrey
A hundred years since the end of World War One, historians think recognising the contribution of Muslims can help tackle contemporary issues such as Islamophobia.
“Muslim soldiers have been forgotten about over time,” Hayyan Bhabha, from the Muslim Experience, says.
“The core far-right narrative is that Muslims have never done anything for us.
“Well, actually, with facts that are over 100 years old, we can say Muslims fought and died for the history and security of Europe.”
It is estimated that 1.5 million Indian troops fought to defend Britain. Of those, 400,000 were Muslim soldiers.
The Muslim Experience is working to highlight the global contribution of Muslim soldiers to World War One and says raising awareness could silence anti-Muslim rhetoric by far-right groups in Britain today.
Mr Bhabha says his team is now opening up documents and discovering new information about their role in the War.
“Accessing archives from 19 countries, we have discovered that more than four million Muslims either fought or served as labourers during the War, from around the world,” he says.
Image copyright FORGOTTEN HEROES 14-19 Image caption Muslim graves in French military cemetery Notre Dame de Lorette.
One of those was Sepoy Khudadad Khan, an Indian soldier who fought alongside British troops.
He was the sole survivor of a team assigned to defend vital ports in France and Belgium from German forces.
According to accounts, Khan managed to hold off the enemy advance long enough for British reinforcements to arrive.
On 31 October 1914, Khan, of the 129th Duke of Connaught’s Own Baluchis Regiment, became the first South Asian to receive the Victoria Cross, Britain’s highest military honour.
‘Feel more British’
Groups such as the Muslim Experience want stories of soldiers to be heard.
They also want more British Muslims to find out if they have a personal connection to World War One.
Just as a local GP in Nottingham, Dr Irfan Malik, did after he had a chance conversation with a patient that led him to discover two of his great-grandfathers had fought for Britain.
Image copyright FORGOTTEN HEROES 14-19 Image caption It is estimated that millions of Muslims fought for the Allied forces globally
Dr Malik’s great-grandparents, Capt Ghulam Mohammad and Subedar Mohammad Khan, were two of 460 soldiers from a tiny village called Dulmial, in modern-day Pakistan, sent to fight in the 1914-18 conflict.
“One of my patients is a researcher of Commonwealth contribution to World War One and I told him about a village in modern-day Pakistan where I’m from that has a cannon commemorating the Great War,” he says.
“From that point four years ago, my journey began and I found out my two great-grandparents fought for Britain.
“I’m very fortunate to have images from 100 years ago. It means a huge amount to me. It’s made me feel more British as we have this shared history in common and I believe it helps community cohesion.”
Dr Irfan Malik has collected pictures of his great-grandfather Subedar Mohammed Khan
But how connected do British Muslims feel to the War and how aware is the community itself of its links to British military history?
Mr Bhabha thinks some young Muslims in particular are not engaged with British military history.
“Most Muslims are not engaged with military history because they can’t relate to it,” he says. “The way it is taught currently is very European-centric.
“The history that is taught doesn’t show the true diversity of everyone that took part in the First World War.”
Indian Muslim soldiers in the village of Dulmial, modern-day Pakistan
So, it has launched a campaign, Remember Together, to raise awareness in schools.
Steve Ballinger, from British Future, says: “Finding out that Muslim soldiers fought and died for Britain to protect us and to protect the freedoms we enjoy today, that’s an important history for everyone to know.”
Pupils at Eden Girls School learn about the Muslim contribution to World War One
It has certainly meant a lot to Daleesha Naz, 14, of Eden Girls School, in east London.
“Today I learned that 400,000 Muslims fought in the British Indian army and it has made me feel closer and more connected to British history,” she says.
As the 100th anniversary of the end of World War One is remembered, historians, campaigners, and descendants of the soldiers are making sure the contribution of Muslims is never forgotten.
Luc Ferrier, who chairs Forgotten Heroes 14-19 – the umbrella group for the Muslim Experience – says: “If the world really wants to reach out to the international Muslim community, then they need to know the enormous contribution these people have made, fighting a war none of their making.
“Only by recognising and honouring the global Muslim sacrifices, not only these of the British colonies, we are reaching out to them and saying a genuine thank you”.
source: http://www.bbc.com / BBC News / Home> UK / by Rahil Sheikh / BBC Asian News Network / November 09th, 2018
Homeschooled for the early part of his life, Azad is considered to be the father of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs). Here is a look at some of the major initiatives taken by him in setting up the Indian education system.
Maulana Abdul Kalam Aazad (File Photo)
Bharat Ratna awardee and India’s first Minister of Human Resource Development (HRD), Maulana Abul Kalam Azad was not only an educationalist but also a journalist. Homeschooled for the early part of his life, Azad is considered to be the father of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) which are still considered among the best Indian educational institutes. Here is a look at some of the major initiatives taken by him in setting up the Indian education system.
Naming IITs – When India was looking to set up higher educational institutes which would impart knowledge in the field of science and technology, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology-like (MIT) model was thought of. The name ‘Indian Institute of Technology’ was adopted by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad before the inauguration of the institutes. The first Indian Institutes of Technology – IIT Kharagpur came into establishment in 1950.
Establishing UGC – A committee headed by S Radhakrishnan under the leadership of Azad as HRD Minister suggested extending the Universities Grant Commission (UGC)’s role to supervise work of all Indian varsities, make recommendations and grant funds. Earlier, UGC looked after three central universities, namely Aligarh, Benaras and Delhi.
DU and IISc – He laid the foundation stone of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in 1909, then known as the Tata Institute and granted deemed university status in 1958. Azad also oversaw the setting up of the ‘Central Institute of Education, Delhi’, which later became part of University of Delhi (DU) as the Department of Education. He was also a member of the foundation committee to establish Jamia Millia Islamia at Aligarh in UP.
Minority community – A supporter of education for poor, women and minority communities, Azad had said, “It is a birthright of every individual to receive at least the basic education without which he cannot fully discharge his duties as a citizen.”
To honour his efforts, Ministry of Minority Affairs of the Central Government of India set up the Maulana Azad Education Foundation to promote education among educationally backward sections of the society. The Ministry also provides the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad National Fellowship, an integrated five-year fellowship in the form of financial assistance to students from minority communities to pursue higher studies. The education institutes include Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology, the Maulana Azad College among others.
source: http://www.indianexpress.com / The Indian Express / Home> Education / by Education Desk , New Delhi / November 11th, 2019
Their medals ensured India secured a record 15 quota places for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, easily surpassing the 12 for the 2016 Rio Games and 11 for London 2012.
FILE PHOTO: There was a shoot-off for the gold medal and Angad Vir Singh Bajwa prevailed 6-5 against Mairaj Ahmad Khan, after both were tied on 56 at the Lusail Shooting Complex.
Gold medallist Angad Vir Singh Bajwa and silver winner Mairaj Ahmad Khan added to India’s rich Olympic quota haul with a sensational 1-2 finish in the men’s skeet event at the 14th Asian Championships on Sunday.
Their medals ensured India secured a record 15 quota places for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, easily surpassing the 12 for the 2016 Rio Games and 11 for London 2012.
There was a shoot-off for the gold medal and Bajwa prevailed 6-5 against his compatriot after both were tied on 56 at the Lusail Shooting Complex.
India won three quotas on Sunday, including teenager Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar’s bronze in men’s 50m rifle 3 positions.
“15 quotas and a very special 1st & 2nd in Skeet. Angad and Mairaj – Bravo boys super proud of you two. Way to go team India you exceeded my estimate by an additional quota!” National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) president Raninder Singh tweeted.
Raninder Singh@RaninderSingh
15 quotas and a very special 1st & 2nd in Skeet. Angad and Mairaj – Bravo boys super proud of you two. Way to go team India you exceeded my estimate by an additional quota!
Meanwhile, continuing India’s impressive performance at the prestigious championships, the duo of Manu Bhaker and Abhishek Verma got the better of compatriots Saurabh Chaudhary and Yashaswini Singh Deswal 16-10 to win the gold medal in the 10m air pistol mixed team event.
Bhaker and Verma shot 577 and 387 in the two qualifications, while Chaudhary and Deswal managed 576 and 387.
Before India’s exploits in the mixed event, the 18-year-old Tomar shot 449.1 in the eight-man final to finish third on the podium, behind gold medallist Kim Jonghyun (459.9) of Korea and Chinese Zhonghao Zhao (459.1).
source: http://www.sportstar.thehindu.com / SportStar / Home> Shooting / by PTI / Doha, November 10th, 2019
It is an irony that Tipu Sultan, the Tiger of Mysore, whom the current government in Karnataka wants to remove from its history, is celebrated in Britain, France and the US in song, drama, opera, novel, poetry and paintings. A wealth of Tipu’s personal effects, curiosities and artifacts have found way into numerous art galleries and museums in many countries in the West. There’s not a major museum in the UK that does not exhibit some artifact related to Tipu.
The 75th Highlanders were a regiment raised in Scotland to exclusively fight Tipu. Scottish generals like Sir Hector Munro, Baillie, Beatson, Fraser, Gordon, Dunlop and others participated in the wars against Tipu. The Scots, more than the English, were in the forefront of the British forces in all the Anglo-Mysore wars fought by Tipu as well as his father Hyder Ali. That explains the importance of the display of Tipu memorabilia in Edinburgh and Glasgow.
After Tipu was finally defeated and killed in 1799 by the British, under the command of Arthur Wellesley, the future Lord Wellington who 16 years later defeated Napoleon Bonaparte in the Battle of Waterloo, images of Tipu, his capital Srirangapatam (Srirangapatna) and his numerous impregnable forts and fortresses, proliferated throughout Britain. No other Indian ruler ever captured the imagination of the average Englishman as Tipu did. It is said that British housewives would quieten their babies by whispering “else, Tipu Sultan will come and get you.” Even three decades after Tipu’s death, his name was such a terror that when Ram Mohan Roy visited England on a mission from the then Mughal emperor, hostile crowds confronted him in London, mistaking him to be related to Tipu because his headgear resembled Tipu’s iconic turban.
Tipu Sultan, his capital city Srirangapatam, and the wars he fought against the British became favourite subjects for paintings, sketches and etchings by some of the most famous artists of the day in England and Scotland. When Ker Porter, the famous Scottish painter’s Panorama — a single large painting of Tipu — was displayed in Edinburgh, there was euphoria among the public as they rushed to have a glimpse of it. JMW Turner, the renowned British painter, painted portraits of Tipu and scenes of Srirangapatam and other places in Mysore kingdom. Sir David Willkie, another famous painter, was commissioned by the widow of David Baird to paint the poignant “Discovering the body of Tipu Sahib on 4 May, 1799”. It was exhibited in 1838 in the Royal Academy of Arts in London. David Baird had spent several years in Srirangapatam as Tipu’s prisoner, and had his revenge in the final assault on him.
Alexander Allen travelled to India to personally see the hill forts of Mysore kingdom and produced captivating scenes in his paintings. William Darnell Beckford, Holmes, Hunter and many others made several stunning paintings of Tipu and his palaces. Sir Walter Scott, the great Scottish novelist, wrote works of fiction based on Tipu and his times. Charles Dickens, Wilkes Collins and Jules Verne have all depicted themes from Tipu’s life in their novels.
The numerous artifacts of Tipu Sultan, pilfered, looted and spirited away by the British after the fall of Srirangapatam, became collectors’ items. Tipu’s dismantled throne, his numerous swords, daggers, bejeweled sword belts, hookahs, ivory caskets , nutcrackers, gold watches, precious jewels and many other priceless items occupy the pride of place in museums in London, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Wales.
The most awesome of these artifacts is the life-size toy tiger depicted devouring a British soldier. It has cast a spell over generations eve since it was spirited away by Wellesley to England where it was displayed at the Kensington Museum, now known as Victoria and Albert Museum (V& A Museum). This toy tiger in bright yellow strips has in its belly a mechanical pipe organ hidden, which creates wailing shrieks and a loud road when its handle is turned. There was near stampede for months in front of the museum when people flocked to see the wonder toy of Tipu Sultan. The fact that it is kept in an exclusive large room in the otherwise crowded V&A Museum, and with separate security, speaks of the importance that is accorded to this curious Mysore object. A replica of it is at the Scottish National Museum in Edinburgh. It was commissioned in 1999, when the bi-centenary of Tipu’s death was commemorated, as the original one at V&A could not be moved for fear of damaging it in transit.
The most significant of Tipu’s artifacts are at the Edinburgh castle. Inside the castle is the ‘National War Museum’, in which the battle honours of the Scottish Regiments are displayed. Here are seen several swords and arms used by the Scottish generals against Tipu and his Mysore armies. What is interesting are the words Carnatic, Mysore, and Srirangapatam engraved on the granite slabs displayed on the walls.
At a private museum in Powai Castle in Wales, one can see Tipu’s camp tent, made of silk and heavily embroidered, his camp cot made of sandalwood, his hookah and many other personal items, besides two large cannons.
A painting of Tipu with his war rockets hung on a wall at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia in the US was seen by young APJ Abdul Kalam when he was on a visit there in his early years at ISRO, about which he wrote as an inspiration many years later.
At the Edinburgh International Festival (EIF), held annually in August, Tipu’s memories come alive during the closing ceremony’s fireworks display when the Scots burst explosives and fire rockets around the castle to create scenes of their soldiers encountering deadly fires around Tipu’s forts in Nandidurg, Savandurg and other places.
Tipu Sultan, the Tiger of Mysore, died 220 years ago, but his legend continues in the lands of those he fought fiercely against, who appreciate his valour, unyielding spirit and reckless courage. In the land that he defended from them, his memory is sought to be erased from school textbooks.
(The writer is a former Professor of History at the University of Hyderabad)
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Opinion> Comment / by K S S Seshan / November 07th, 2019
Grapes from Vijayapura will be showcased during the international trade exhibition in Shanghai, China.
International exhibition begins in Shanghai today
Vijayapura district is known for cultivating tasty grapes and producing sweet raisins that are exported to many parts of India and West Asian countries; but now this fruit will be tasted even by the Chinese as one of the grapes and raisins traders of the city is participating in an international export trade exhibition to be held in China between November 5 and 10.
The event, which is being organised by the Ministry of Commerce, Government of India, is being held at Shanghai city of China in association with Agriculture and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority.
The young trader, who has an opportunity to participate and represent Vijayapura, is Aquib Almelkar. He would go to Shanghai to tell the Chinese about the quality and taste of grapes and raisins from the district.
“I am elated to be participating in the exhibition and represent India, and more importantly Vijayapura district, which is known for growing sweet and tasty varieties of grapes and raisins with a great demand in the domestic and international markets. As a representative, my job would be spread awareness among the Chinese about quality of our grape and Chinese to make sure that they show interest in the trade of this fruit”, he said.
He said that a stall has been allotted to him at the exhibition where he would be displaying produce that are packed in a special way that their quality is not affected.
Already, grapes and raisins from Vijayapura are already being exported to England and the West Asian countries. It may be noted that varieties such as Thomson and Super Sonaka are exported.
Grapes are cultivated in around 11,000 hectares of land in the district. Soil and the climatic conditions are considered to be suitable for cultivating grapes.
Meanwhile, the event is being organised to promote and popularise Indian produce with an objective of increasing exports to China.
The exhibition, which is expected to boost trade between the two countries, would be held for six days where 30 delegates of the authority would be participating from India, according to sources.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / Vijayapura – November 05th, 2019
Maj Abdul Quadir Khan of the Corps of Signals won a silver medal at the 53rd Asian Body Building and Physique Sports Championship.
Major Abdul Qadir Khan of the Corps of Signals gave India a reason to smile after he walked away with a silver medal dangling from his neck at the 53rd Asian Bodybuilding and Physique Sports Championships on Wednesday. Despite a busy regimental schedule, Major Abdul fueled his interest in bodybuilding in the year 2014. His decision to train at 1 Signals Training Centre in Jabalpur helped him establish himself on the national bodybuilding scene. The excellent training infrastructure with experienced coaches triggered his interest in the discipline.
ANI
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Indian Army’s Major Abdul Quadir Khan won a Silver Medal at 53rd Asian Body Building and Physique Sports Championship held at Batam in Indonesia on 2 Oct.
Maj Abdul Quadir Khan of the Corps of Signals won a silver medal at the 53rd Asian Body Building and Physique Sports Championship.
It was not very long ago that the stature of fitness sports in India was confined to wrestling and martial training centres alone. But with several thousand strength training centres across the country, India now seems to be poised for glory in bodybuilding , as it has come to bank on its ever-growing crop of dexterous bodybuilders. Major Abdul was privileged with a chance to represent India following a commendable performance in the Indian Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation (IBBFF) selection trials that were held at Khammam, Telangana in July this year.
Having come a long way since his early days in Jabalpur, Major Abdul refuses to rest on the past accomplishments and is looking to improve himself every day. Considering that this was his maiden event, Major Abdul’s successful venture is no serendipity. His grit, determination, and commitment to his passion for bodybuilding have what today made him long-jump over all metaphoric hurdles that came in the way. His accomplishment will most definitely resonate with athletes who aspire to march several steps ahead to climb newer heights in India’s sporting ecosystem.
Held at Batam in Indonesia, the Championships featured a total of 51 events running for a period of three days. Considered as the first continental association, the Asian Bodybuilding and Physique Sports Federation has seen its foundation exuding a steep growth from six to 40 national affiliates.
source: http://www.thebridge.in / The Bridge / Home> Bodybuilding / by The Bridge Desk / Octobter 05th, 2019
