Minority Welfare Department’s support instrumental in her success
Gaya :
Neha Parveen from Chandpur village in the Banke Bazar block of Bihar’s Gaya district, has achieved a significant milestone by becoming a sub-inspector. Parveen cleared the Bihar Police Service Commission (BPSSC) exam for the post, a result that brought joy to many candidates in Gaya district. The Minority Welfare Department played a crucial role in her success, providing her with education and accommodation at the Minority Girls’ Hostel in Gaya city.
Parveen, who did graduation and post-graduation while staying in the hostel, was warmly welcomed at the Minority Welfare Office in the Collectorate. District Assistant Director Rahul Kumar and Minority Girls Hostel Superintendent and Block Minority Welfare Officer Anujya felicitated her with saplings and sweets.
Expressing her gratitude, Parveen said, “After my family, the Minority Welfare Department has had a major contribution in my success. When my father Ghiyasuddin Ansari passed away in 2021, I faced many challenges. Losing a parent during one’s studies can disrupt education, but the support from the hostel kept me going.”
Neha Parveen, the youngest of her siblings with two married sisters and a younger brother, completed her graduation from Mirza Ghalib College and post-graduation from IGNOU. Despite initially not planning a career in the police force, Parveen sought independence and stability for her family. “I needed a job, not just for myself but also for my family. Government service was my goal, and though I faced several setbacks, I persevered,” she said.
The Minority Girls’ Hostel provided a conducive environment to her to continue her studies. “It was easier to prepare in the hostel compared to at home. The environment here was supportive, and the facilities offered by the Minority Welfare Department were excellent. The stipend I received helped me buy books and other needed things,” Parveen said.
Her dedication was further demonstrated through her physical training at Gaya Gandhi Maidan, where she prepared for the physical requirements for the sub-inspector post. She suggested that the hostel could benefit from online connections to Haj Bhawan classes to further enhance preparation for competitive exams.
The Minority Welfare Department, through initiatives like the Shaheed Abdul Hameed Boys and Girls Hostel in Shanti Bagh Seva Nagar, has been pivotal in supporting students from minority communities. These hostels provide essential resources, such as libraries with important books and computers, creating a favourable environment for academic and competitive exam preparations.
Neha Parveen’s journey is an inspiring story of resilience and determination. Despite losing her father, she did not lose hope and has now made her family and community proud by becoming a sub-inspector. “If a person desires in earnest, anything is possible. I hope to inspire other girls to pursue their dreams, no matter the obstacles,” Parveen concluded.
source: http://www.clarionindia.net / Clarion India / Home> Clarion Special> Indian Muslim / by Clarion India Team / July 15th, 2024
Her success is seen as a testament to the potential of Mewat’s daughters, who are now making their mark in various fields.
New Delhi :
Mewat, once considered a backward and uneducated region, is now witnessing its sons and daughters making significant strides in India and abroad. A remarkable example of this transformation is Shifa Ahmed, who has achieved an extraordinary feat by securing 1147th rank in the National General Category and 31st rank in the OBC category in the 2024 National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER) examination.
Shifa, the daughter of Mushtaq Ahmed from Rahna village in Haryana’s Nuh district, has consistently proven her academic prowess. She scored an impressive 93.4% in her 12th CBSE board exams and achieved 669 marks in her first attempt at the NEET 2024 examination.
This year, Shifa has once again brought immense pride to Mewat and her family. The competition was fierce, with about two lakh students from across the country participating in the NISER exams, but Shifa’s hard work and determination paid off. With only 200 students being selected for NISER, Shifa’s ranking ensures her selection from both the OBC and General categories, making her the first potential female scientist from Mewat.
Shifa’s father expressed his pride, saying, “She has always been a promising student. Scoring about 95% in her 12th exams and passing challenging exams like IISER and NISER is a significant achievement. Shifa has brought glory to our family and our region.”
Shifa’s success is seen as a testament to the potential of Mewat’s daughters, who are now making their mark in various fields. Mushtaq Ahmed also extended special thanks to Shifa’s teachers for their pivotal role in her accomplishments.
In her own words, Shifa credits her success to her teachers and parents, saying, “Thank God, I have succeeded in some of the country’s toughest exams. I want to bring glory to Mewat and the country, much like former President APJ Abdul Kalam.”
Social worker Abid Dani Bas, also Shifa’s uncle, shared his pride in her achievements. “Shifa is an up-and-coming girl with a calm nature and strong educational background. Her success as the first female scientist from Mewat is a monumental achievement, and I wish her a bright future.”
Shifa Ahmed’s remarkable achievements not only bring pride to her family and Mewat but also serve as an inspiration for many young girls in the region. Her story is a powerful reminder of the potential that lies within the youth of Mewat, ready to shine given the right opportunities and support.
source: http://www.clarionindia.net / Clarion India / Home> Editors Pick> Indian Muslim / by Clarion India Team / July 22nd, 2024
A. Sabina, a nurse from the Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu, has been awarded this year’s prestigious ‘Kalpana Chawla Award’ in recognition of her outstanding bravery and service during the recent natural disaster in Wayanad, Kerala.
The disaster occurred when a landslide caused the connecting bridge between Mundakai and Suralmalai to collapse, leaving many residents stranded and in urgent need of assistance.
With relief operations facing significant challenges, a zip line was quickly set up to reach the affected area.
Sabina, who has been working with an NGO in the Nilgiris for the past three years, immediately volunteered to participate in the rescue efforts.
“When my boss informed me about the landslide, he suggested we should assist since it happened nearby. Upon arrival, most people were fleeing in fear, but we stayed to provide first aid. Looking back, it’s terrifying to recall the scene, but in the moment, our sole focus was on the patients,” she shared.
source: http://www.english.varthabharati.in / Vartha Bharati / Home> India / by Vartha Bharati / August 16th, 2024
Jamaat-e-Islami Hind vice-president PROF SALIM ENGINEER is an interfaith leader promoting communal harmony and mutual understanding among members of different faith groups. He is also General Secretary of the Forum for Democracy and Communal Amity (FDCA) and national convenor of the Kendriya Dharmik Jan Morcha, a joint national forum of religious leaders.
In an interview with MOHD NAUSHAD KHAN, he talks about Sadbhavana Manchs floated at the local level across India to promote communal harmony and to create an India where there is peace and communal harmony. Here are the excerpts from the interview.
Question: To inform our readers, please let us know what is Sadbhavna Manch and what are its objectives. And why was it necessary to launch Sabhavna Manches all over the country?
Answer: India is a land of diversity and plurality. People follow different religions and speak different languages. In the last 10 years, communal harmony, unity, brotherhood, and fraternity have become the worst victims in India. Hate and divisive politics have dominated the political discourse. Political parties with vested interests promote their ideology, aiming to shape India into a nation dominated by a single culture and belief system. Discrimination has become their identity; they suppress one community and patronize others who support their ideology. They blatantly try to impose their culture and ideology on all others. All these efforts have badly hit communal harmony, togetherness, and fraternity.
In such a scenario, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) felt the need to make people aware of the challenges before the nation. It, therefore, decided to set up Sadbhavna Manches, or what could be called Goodwill Forums in the English language. The objective of the establishment of the Manch was to promote community amity and brotherhood, with representation from different faiths to make India a land of peace in the real sense. The response has been very encouraging and we are moving fast toward achieving our aims. We wish to make India into a “land of peace” through Sadbhavna Manchs across the country.
Question: What should the Sadbhavna Mach do under the current political atmosphere to achieve its basic objectives?
Answer: The Constitution is the foundation of our country. Constitutional values of freedom, liberty, equality, and fraternity should be our guiding principle. The State should not treat any community as superior or inferior, nor should there be any discrimination towards anyone. There must be justice for all. In the present atmosphere, promoting fraternity and brotherhood is highly significant. important. As hate and politics of polarisation have become the core agenda of some political outfits, the role of Sadbhavana Manch has become even more important. We need to politically weaken the divisive forces. At the same time, we also need to work for social transformation through Sadbhjavna Manchs to instill a sense of fraternity, togetherness, mutual trust, and respect to achieve the goal of communal harmony. Without peace and communal harmony,, India’s growth story will remain incomplete; therefore, such forums become very important.
Question: What do you think are the challenges before people or organizations working towards promoting peace and communal harmony?
Answer: During the process of formation of Sadbhavana Manch in different parts of India, we have also formed platforms for religious leaders under the banner of Dharmik Jan Morcha. There is a perception, and baseless propaganda is made, that religion is the root cause of many problems like division in society, hate, and violence. To me, it is a false belief and has no basis. These problems are not because of religion but because of the misuse of religion. The idea behind the formation of Dahrmik Jan Morcha is to dispel the myth against religion and religious leaders. Every religion talks of unity and therefore religion unites and never divides. To keep these challenges in mind, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind has established Dharmik Jan Morcha at the state and central levels comprising notable and respected religious figures from different religions to serve the purpose. Dharmik Jan Morcha is active in a dozen states while Sadbhavana Manch is at the local level and in the coming years around 1000 Sadbhavana Manch will be established across India. We have also decided to have Sadbhavana Manch for women and youth.
With these platforms, we wish to create an atmosphere of peace and communal harmony in the entire society across the nation as a nationwide campaign. At a time when there is an aggressive campaign for hate going on we wish to counter it through love and peace.
Question: In India, more than 85 percent of people want to live in peace. They believe in togetherness, mutual respect, and mutual co-existence. They are tolerant. Yet, the biggest threat India faces is communal harmony. What do you think is the reason?
Answer: Yes, it is true. Those who are trying to spread negativity in society, disturb the peace, and propagate hate and intolerance are few but they are organized and receive political patronage. They believe that they can do anything and get away; they think themselves above the law. They are being praised and even garlanded for their act of crime and violence. Those who want peace are no doubt in large numbers but they are not organized. Most of them are mute spectators, they are not vocal and they don’t raise their voice as and when required. We are trying to make our society proactive through these Sadbhavana Manch and Dharmik Jan Morcha. Unless and until the majority of the people rise and raise their voices against violence, injustice, atrocities, and discrimination, it will be difficult to achieve communal harmony as desired. We are trying to create awareness among those 85 percent to ensure peace and communal harmony. The silence of the vast majority will be tantamount to crime and detrimental to society and the nation at large. We can see that our efforts have a positive impact on society gradually.
Question: After the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, it was believed that the new government will not be as aggressive as before but there is no respite in hate and divisive agenda. How would you like to respond?
Answer: Yes, it is true to some extent but the message of the verdict from the people was loud and clear. It was a verdict against communalism, hate, and divisive politics. The people by and large rejected hate and divisive politics. People voted against where there was hate speech, efforts were made to polarize the people and divide them along communal lines. The message was clear that people won’t tolerate the divisive agenda and hate polity. People want peace and desire to live in mutual co-existence. But there has indeed been no change in the governance despite the clear message of the people against hate and divisive politics. The poison of hate has penetrated deep into the society and it will take years to fade out. It is the duty and responsibility of the government to ensure that the perpetrators of hate and violence are not encouraged but punished. Things will change if we continuously work to promote communal harmony.
Question: Recently, efforts were made in Karnataka to strengthen Sadbhavana Manch and to make it more effective and meaningful. Could you elaborate on it?
Answer: Promoting communal harmony is a core policy of the Jamaat, and efforts were made in the previous term as well. In this term, we are focusing on further strengthening these initiatives. I have travelled across several states to establish new Sadbhavana Manch units and to strengthen the existing ones.
The presidents and secretaries of JIH in various states are actively working toward similar goals. Recently, during my two-week visit to Karnataka, I travelled extensively across more than 20 districts and over 10 cities. We engaged with the local communities, held programmes where Sadbhavana Manch was already established, and created new units. The atmosphere in Karnataka was very positive, and people were eager to embrace and spread the message of Sadbhavana Manch to promote communal harmony.
The Lingayat community, which holds significant influence in Karnataka, was a key focus during our visit. We visited several of their mutts, including the mutt of Basava, the founder of the Lingayat community. In many places, religious leaders themselves organized programs within their mutts, demonstrating a strong commitment to bringing different communities together to foster peace.
source: http://www.indiatomorrow.net / India Tomorrow / Home> News> Society / by Mohd Naushad Khan / August 17th, 2024
The center was established in February 2021 by Faiz Aam Trust and Siasat Millat Fund with the aim to provide assistance to the residents of Osman Nagar.
Dr Mateen ul Jabbar Skill Centre
Hyderabad:
The convocation ceremony of Dr. Mateen ul Jabbar Computer and Skill Development Center located in Osman Nagar held at the office of Faiz-e-Aam Trust.
The center was established in February 2021 by Faiz Aam Trust and Siasat Millat Fund with the aim to provide assistance to the residents of Osman Nagar in Shaheen Nagar locality, which were severely affected by floods. In response to the devastating situation, the Faiz-e-Aam and Siasat Millat Fund initiated relief efforts, and under the guidance of Editor Siasat Mr. Zahid Ali Khan, Secretary, Faiz-e-Aam Mr. Iftikhar Hussain, and Managing Editor Siasat Mr. Zaheeruddin Ali Khan, various courses were taught to boys and girls to help rehabilitate and empower them.
Through this initiative, kits containing essential items such as masonry, bedding, medicines, and food were distributed to flood victims. Later, the Dr. Mateen Al Jabbar Computer and Skill Development Center was established, providing training opportunities for local students and individuals. Seven batches have already completed their training at the center and are now employed in Amazon, schools, colleges, supermarkets, and shopping centers, contributing to their families and society.
source: youtube.com
Mr. Iftikhar Hussain, Secretary of Faiz Aam Trust, praised the efforts of Zahid Ali Khan and Zaheeruddin Ali Khan in their vision to empower the youth and residents of Osman Nagar. The Skill Development Center has been instrumental in providing training and employment opportunities to numerous girls, a majority of the center’s beneficiaries.
During his address, News Editor, The Siasat Daily, Mr. Amer Ali Khan emphasized the importance of discipline, time management, for a bright future. He said “in the pursuit of success and development, discipline, time management, and hard work play crucial roles in shaping the younger generation of any community. Time management is a concept that has been emphasized in various organizations. However, this concept is not new; Islam introduced it 1445 years ago through the five daily prayers, serving as a prime example of time management and discipline.
He stated that Indians and Muslims in particular possess inherent abilities, and what they need is proper guidance. He compared children to diamonds that need shaping and polishing to shine. Khan highlighted the success stories of thousands of Muslim boys and girls who now serve in multinational companies.
He encouraged the youth to develop artistic skills and acquire practical knowledge, inspiring them to collaborate and establish start-ups.
Certificates were awarded to 66 students during the ceremony, and the efforts of Ms. Ayesha Samad, who provides diligent training to the students, were highly commended. Syed Abdul Sattar, Manager of Faiz Aam Trust, expressed gratitude to everyone involved and extended a vote of thanks to conclude the event. The Dr. Mateen ul Jabbar Computer and Skill Development Center stands as a testament to the power of education and empowerment in uplifting communities.
source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> News> Hyderabad / by Zahed Farooqui / July 30th, 2023
An Indian Muslim was the Anadolu Agency’s first employee in war-torn Anatolia.
Istanbul:
During the turbulent days of Turkey’s Independence War following the Ottoman Empire defeat in World War I, an Indian Muslim who fled his country to lend a hand to the ailing Ottomans became the first journalist for the Anadolu Agency, the nascent Turkey’s first news outlet and their first foreign affairs officer.
Working beside the Anadolu Agency’s two founders, the famous novelist Halide Edip (Adivar) and renowned journalist Yunus Nadi (Abalioglu), Abdurrahman Peshawari wrote his news stories in a small office, typing stories of wartime atrocities, victories and losses and sending them out, with only one finger “flying” over a typewriter, according to Yunus Nadi’s memoirs.
Abdurrahman Peshawari was born in the city of Peshawar in the famed Khyber Valley, and was only 26 when he sold his clothes and books to pay for his sea journey, despite the wishes of his wealthy family, who urged him to continue his studies.
Peshawari sailed with 26 Indian Muslims in an Italian ship from Mumbai to Istanbul, the capital of the Ottoman Empire, and during the long journey volunteer doctors in the group trained him in first aid. Peshawari was motivated by high Islamic ideals, fought with the Ottoman army and was injured three times while fighting at Gallipoli against the British Imperial navy, during which Ottoman troops managed to repel invading forces from the Dardanelles Strait.
He later joined with an Ottoman Red Crescent group, bringing financial aid from Indian Muslims to purchase medical equipment for the Ottoman armies fighting in the Balkans. Indian Muslim communities supported the Ottomans during the empire’s collapse and Peshawari was a notable member of this group, said Mucahit Arslan, a Turkish history researcher who uncovered the story of this “unknown hero” of Turkey’s Independence War.
The Caliphate Movement by Muslim communities in “British Raj” India began as early as 1912, while the Ottomans were fighting in the Balkans, and many Indian Muslims contributed, either financially or in person. Some wealthy Indians studying medicine in Europe established a field hospital during the battle of Gallipoli.
Peshawari joined the Ottoman army and saw active service in Beirut and Gallipoli during World War I.
After the war, despite his family urging him to return home, he chose to stay where the Turkish Republic was being established in Ankara in the midst of shattered and war-torn Anatolia, refusing his mother’s pleas to return by saying, “I cannot come back while the Muslim nation is under invasion.”
Peshawari served the nascent Turkish Republic, appointed by Ataturk as ambassador to Afghanistan until his story ended tragically when he was assassinated in Istanbul in 1925, apparently mistaken for a military commander.
This abrupt end to Peshawari’s career meant that he was denied the international fame which many other 20th century reporters found. Martha Gellhorn, George Orwell, Ernest Hemingway and Walter Cronkite are just some of the names who documented the most terrible conflicts of their time. However, in Turkey, Peshawari can truly be said to have been in a league of his own.
englishnews@aa.com.tr
source: http://www.aa.com.tr / Anadolu Agency / Home> Archive / May 07th, 2014
A diorama of Mahatma Gandhi leading satyagrahis in burning British clothes at Gandhi Smriti, New Delhi
Shaikh Mohammed Elias, son of Shaikh Mohammed Younus Fakhre Quaum often heard the story of his great-grandfather’s sacrifice for freedom.
Fazal e Elahi Gorey Fakhre Quaum was a wealthy dealer of foreign goods in the 1940s when the British Empire had reached its zenith in glory and power.
In that pre-Independence era, all rich Indian merchants did well by shipping exorbitant British products from Britain and selling them in India. Because of his buoyant import-export business, Fazal e Elahi and his family lived in the lap of luxury. In those days, when no one had big branded cars, he was driving his grand Impala car around!
He and his family lived in Delhi. However, due to the exponential trade with Kolkata as the British capital, he moved there for business prospects. Since he was dealing with the British, he was given the moniker of Gorey Wale by the local people for a person who traded with the ‘whites’.
Rukhshi Kadiri Elias, entrepreneur and founder of Taajira-The Businesswoman, is the great grand-daughter-in-law of Fazal e Elahi. She told Awaz-The Voice that her great grand-father-in-law’s nickname Gorey Wale stuck on with him until an incident happened that elevated his name to a title awarded to him by the community, “Fakhre Quaum (Pride of the community).
Her father-in-law Shaikh Mohammed Younus Fakhre Quaum told her that even Mahatma Gandhi who fought vigilantly for the freedom of India would visit Kolkata and stay with him in his home during his visits. The family shares that Fazal e Elahi was a grand, gracious, and dignified man who lived by ethics.
Fazal e Elahi Gorey Fakhre Quaum
The Swadeshi movement was gaining momentum with passions running high, and at this time, the boycott of British goods started to take on a fresh vigour. Ruskshi’s husband, Elias Mohammad Shaikh shares with the family how his great-grandfather, Fazal-e-Elahi in a defining moment took a bold step to join the Swadeshi movement.
Not thinking about himself, his family, or his future, he gathered the massive pile of British products from his warehouse, transported them to the Kolutolla crossing near the Mohammed Ali Library, and stacked them into a mountainous heap before the gaping crowds, he set the entire lot of goods ablaze in a roaring fire. His business days with the British were over and the Gorey Wale sealed all doors shut for any future trade with the British. Impressed, the crowds gave him the grand title of Fakhre Quaum, meaning “pride of the community.”
It only takes a spark to set a fire blazing. The locals watching him inspired by his sacrifice rushed back to their homes and gathered all the British products they were using, started to make little piles on that road and burn them up and soon the road was aflame with British merchandise. This was the start of the boycott movement in the Muslim community as well as all over Kolkata
Fazal-e-Elahi as a freedom fighter turned all his words into actions by bringing his entire warehouse of goods onto the streets to burn them. Setting an example to the others who never expected him to take this step, losing most of his business overnight, they perceived this act as going beyond mere words or loud speeches. It was a big turning point for himself as well as his family which would negatively impact his children bringing them financially down from this point forward.
He also used the remaining parts of his wealth to give make monetary contributions to the freedom struggle. To survive, he diversified into different Indian products and started making handmade candles, ink and other products and trading in the same. His son, Mohammad Younis also started on a small scale at a time when Bangladesh and West Bengal were one big state. During the Partition, while they had to shift from Bangladesh to Kolkata, they went through pain and struggle. Properties were confiscated and there was a great loss all around.
During the partition, many families of the freedom fighters split. Shaikh Mohammed Younus FakhreQuaum had nine brothers and two sisters with most of the family living in Pakistan, while four remained in India.
Gandhi addressing Satyagrahis
Fazal-e-Elahi’s family was from Sargodha located in Punjab province of Pakistan. In the 1900s, looking for better prospects in trade, they traveled by caravan to the courts of the Mughal emperor of Delhi. The emperor encouraged people to come and settle down in the new city of Delhi. Learning about this, the family embarked on a journey to Delhi. During their travels on the way, the Hindu Punjabi traders met a seer by the name of Hazrat Shams Tabrez.
Highly influenced by his inspiring speeches and extraordinary demeanor, the entire party in the caravan converted to Islam. When they came and settled in Delhi, they became Delhi wallas known as Delhiwal meaning they were Punjabis settled in Delhi. They adopted Urdu, the court language of Delhi. Even today, while settled all over the world, they are known as Delhiwal and these groups of people are mostly concentrated in Kolkata and Delhi and all called Delhiwal.
While propagating the Quit India Movement, Fazal-e-Elahi rose quickly to become the president of the Baradari (brotherhood) of the Delhiwal community in Kolkata. When travelling down narrow lanes to build up the movement of Quit India, he abandoned driving his Impala car and started to use a horse.
Quoting her father-in-law, Rukshi says that India saw amazing unity during the Freedom Movement. Those days, one could make friends so easily, and it was the most normal thing to build bonding friendships with anyone across different communities. The freedom movement drew Indians into close ties where Indians forgot all their differences and only had the motive to defeat the Enemy.
Fazal-e-Elahi Gorey Fakhre Quaum sacrificed his flourishing business without thinking twice about it towards establishing the freedom of India setting patriotism waves over the community. Rukhshi says, “How many people will do that today is the question in this materialistically attached generation that we live in today. It was pure selflessness because Fazal-e-Elahi Gorey Fakhre Quaum considered India his own country. Such people will revive the spirit of India, sacrifice, and unity.” With a laugh she adds, “I could never think of throwing away my lovely tea set I bought in Britain, but he did it so easily.”
Rita Farhat Mukand is an independent writer and author
source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Story / by Rita Farhat Mukand / August 12th, 2024
To celebrate the declaration of India as a democratic country, an Urdu periodical ‘Jamhoor’ was started from Aligarh, on the same day when the Indian Constitution came into force, i.e., on 26th January 1950.
Aligarh :
The Constitution of India was enacted in our country on 26th January 1950, after repealing an earlier act known as Government of India Act-1935. This implementation marked the beginning of the democratic form of government in India.
To celebrate the declaration of India as a democratic country, an Urdu periodical ‘Jamhoor’ was started from Aligarh, on the same day when the Indian Constitution came into force, i.e., on 26th January 1950. It was published three times a month, on 6th, 16th, and 26th day of the month. It was owned and edited by Mohammad Umar Khan Chattarvi (1924-2003), a well-known literary and pro-Urdu figure from Aligarh. Chattarvi was also the founding Secretary of the Urdu Board Aligarh and Idara-e- Ilm-o-Adab, Aligarh, under which he organised various Urdu literary activities and worked to promote Urdu education. He was a good poet and carried the pseudonym, “Samar”. In addition, he also held the posts of Secretary of Anjuman Taraaqi Urdu, Aligarh, and the National Anti-Communal Committee. He also served as the vice-president of the Aligarh Congress Committee.
Mohammad Umar Khan Chattarvi (1924-2003)
In 1957, in his editorials, he raised his protest against corruption in government circles and vehemently criticised its policies against the people. He questioned many decisions of the government, and in this regard, he exposed many faces. The then government did not appreciate his views, and he was soon arrested and sent to jail. Thereafter, protests started in Aligarh for his release. In 1958, the district court acquitted him honourably. Even after his release, he continued to edit ‘Jamhoor’. He believed that the strength of a democratic system rests on questioning and analysing the government’s work. He passed away on 16th March 2003, at the age of 77.
Every year, on the occasion of the Republic Day (26th January), “The Jamhoor” used to publish a special issue ‘Jamhooriat Number’ in which it meticulously examined Indian democracy and identified the real issues of the country, such as corruption in the government sector, educational inequality, poverty, illiteracy, minority issues, and communal problems, and so on. This special number was continuously published for thirteen years until it ceased its publication in 1962.
Jamhoor also started publishing a series of special articles on Indian democracy, contributed by Dr. Mohammad Hashim Kidwai who was then a young assistant professor of political science at AMU. This series was published continuously for about ten years. In his articles, Kidwai analysed and explored the political activities related to India over the previous year, highlighting the points that would contribute to the weakening of the Indian democracy.
On the cover page of the Republic Day special issue of 1951, under the title ‘Heroes of India’s Independence’, sketches of Mahatma Gandhi, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Acharya Kirpalani, and Sardar Patel were published. The same issue carried articles of Dr. Parasram, and Mohammad Hashim Kidwai, respectively titled “Position of Minorities in the Republic of India” and “Some Disturbing Thoughts on Democracy”.
‘Jamhoor’ helped the helpless Muslims at every stage of the post-independence period by fostering national unity and integrity and debunking Pakistan’s propaganda. Through their editorials and columns, ‘Jamhoor’ pulled Indian Muslims out of their inferiority complex and tried to convince them that their future is safe in India and they should not fall into Pakistan’s mischievous propaganda. For this purpose, it published messages, statements, and speeches of national leaders from time to time, so that the atmosphere of peace and tranquilly in the country can be maintained.
‘Jamhoor’ made a unique and indelible mark in the field of journalism. Its editorials and columns highlighted public concerns and issues in independent India, and helped to find new avenues. These features of ‘Jamhoor’ guaranteed its success and advanced its popularity.
At a critical juncture, during the early years of the post-independence years, when Hindus and Muslims were looking at each other suspiciously, there was a lot of prejudice on both sides, this newspaper played a significant role in promoting national unity and a peaceful society. Jamhoor apprised the government of the basic problems of the people, and exhorted both Hindus and Muslims to exercise patience and take steps towards the development of the country.
Many eminent scholars, such as Dr. Hashim Kidwai, Riyazur Rahman Sherwani, Muqtada Khan Sherwani, Waseem Alig, Dr. Ashraf, Haroon Khan Sherwani, Dr. Parasram, Zia Ahmed Badayuni, Abdul Shahid Sherwani, Zaheer Ahmad Siddiqui, Abu Anjum Qamar Sohouri, Aziz Ahmad Siddiqui, etc. immensely contributed to Jamhoor through their writings.
References:
Farooqui, Asad Faisal. Aligarh Ke Sahafat, Educationl Book House, 2016
Jamhoor, Aligarh (1951-1960) preserved in MAL library, AMU.
Idara-e-Ilm-o-Adab, Salana Report, 1959 (Annual Report, Compiled by Mohammad Umar Khan Chattarvi Samar)
The author may be contacted at asadfaisalamu@gmail.com
source: http://www.milligazette.com / The Milli Gazette / Home> News> Special Reports / by The Milli Gazette Online / by Asad Faisal Farooqui / March 16th, 2023
Ruins of Haveli of Basi Bangar, Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh
The history of the Khanpur Estate and Bara Basti (twelve villages) goes back to the reign of the Mughal Emperor Jahangir when a son of a Daudzai Afghan chieftain, Sheikh Ruknuddin Afghan founded a village on the banks of Ganga and gave it the name of “Basi Bangar”.
As a valiant warrior, Ruknuddin was inducted in the Mughal army. Later, his fortunes rose to the rank of Mansabdar and the title of Sher Khan was given to him. After his death, the emperor bestowed a portion of his jagir and rank to his brother and children. Later, his younger brother, Shaikh Allu Afghan was also inducted into the Mughal aristocracy and was awarded many grants.
Resting place of Shaikh Allu Afghan founder of Khanpur estate
A village with the name of “Khanpur” was established by Shaikh Allu Afghan. During his lifetime, he built a large mud fort, mosque and other structures in this village. This is how Khanpur became the administrative headquarters of Bara Basti, the settlements of Daudzai Afghans in the area.
Ruins of Khanpur fort
Role of Erstwhile Khanpur estate in the Great Uprising of 1857
During the Mughal era, there were only few taluqdar estates in the current Bulandshahr district and these were Khanpur Chattari, Kuchesar, Pahasu and Shikarpur. When the great Uprising of 1857 broke out, there wasn’t much force at Meerut camp.
Brand Sapte wrote letters to the taluqdars of district Bulandshahr asking for assistance of troops and horses. This request was positively responded immediately. However, the Khanpur Estate decided to join the Uprising.
Nawab Walidad Khan of Malagarh came to the Doab with a sanad from Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar.
Azim Khan alias Azam Khan was the deputy of Nawab Walidad Khan of Malagarh in the Bulandshahr district of the former United Provinces. The family owned the erstwhile Khanpur Estate in the same district.
During the Great Uprising of 1857, Nawab Walidad Khan, who was related the Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar by virtue of marriage within the royal family, was chosen as a leader of this movement to overthrow the colonial government.
On 10 October 1857, British forces attacked Malagarh. Azim Khan put up a stiff resistance under the overall command of Nawab Walidad Khan at Khurja and paralysed the British for a few days. He was finally arrested by Khusi Ram, the Police Officer of Anupshahr, while trying to cross the Ganga to move into Rohilkhand. He was tried by a court martial and subsequently hanged.
Haji Munir Khan was the only son of Azim Khan, the landlord of the Khanpur estate in Bulandshahr district. Munir Khan was the chief commander of the revolutionaries of the Bulandshahr district during the Great Uprising of 1857.
In the famous second battle of Gulaothi which was fought on 29 July 1857, British forces wanted to take control of the whole of the Bulandshahr district.
To stop their advance, Nawab Walidad Khan of Malagarh deputed his main commanders, Haji Munir Khan and Ismail Khan, to Gulaothi. Both of them established a picket on the canal just before Gulaothi to stop the colonial forces from entering the Bulandshahr district. In the ensuing battle, both Haji Munir Khan and Ismail Khan received severe sword cuts on their faces. Later, Haji Munir Khan crossed the Ganga with Walidad Khan and joined Khan Bahadur Khan’s forces and fought at Kachhlaghat and also served as Naib Kotwal under government of Khan Bahadur Khan rebel government. He continued fighting until his last breath.
Abdul Latif Khan was the nephew of Azim Khan, the landlord of the Khanpur’s estate in the Bulandshahr district. Abdul Latif Khan was the second wealthiest landholder in the district and the proprietor of 225 villages, with its headquarters in the Barah Basti villages.
During the Great Uprising of 1857, the British District Magistrate of Bulanshahr called upon all the principal landholders of the district, including Abdul Latif Khan, to help him by furnishing troops to suppress the revolt. Abdul Latif Khan initially refused to help the British, but when on 4 October 1857, Bulandshahr was occupied by the British force under Lieutenant Colonel Farquhar, he paid his due balance of land revenue to the British government. But he soon shifted his allegiance to Bahadur Shah Zafar.
Mosque in Basi Bangar on the shore of river Ganga and it’s very first village of Bara Basti settlement.
Though he never came to the battlefield, Abdul Latif Khan gave shelter to the revolutionaries of Bulandshahr district including Nawul Gujjar, Raheemoddeen and the Pathans of Barah Basti villages when they were engaged in fighting the British forces. For these acts, he was tried by a military court and sentenced to transportation for life to Andamans or Kala Pani for aiding the revolt of 1857.
The family’s erstwhile Khanpur estate in Bulandshahr district was subsequently confiscated by the British after the 1857 uprising was crushed by the colonial forces.
source: http://www.milligazette.com / The Milli Gazette / Home> News> Special Reports / by The Milli Gazette Online / by Musa Munir Khan / July 31st, 2024
110-year-old madrasa and library set ablaze by Hindutva mob during Ram Navami rally in Bihar. Photo: Meer Faisal/Maktoob
The 46th World Heritage Committee meeting is being held in India from July 21-31, 2024. The event’s webpage proudly displays the iconic Taj Mahal, a grand symbol of India’s resplendent past. However, using this monument to showcase India’s heritage is both ironic and deeply painful. The Taj Mahal, a symbol of India’s architectural grandeur and a testament to the rich cultural contributions of the Mughal era (1526-1857), is being showcased even as the country engages in a systematic erasure of its Muslim heritage. This stark juxtaposition highlights a troubling contradiction: while the Taj Mahal is celebrated globally as a symbol of India’s beauty, the political will of the government and segments of the public are actively undermining and erasing the broader historical and cultural presence of Muslims in India. The assault on the place of Muslims began many decades ago in 1992 with the destruction of the Babri Mosque, built by the first Mughal ruler of India, Zahir-ud-din Babur, in 1527 A.D.
On December 6th, 1992, the Babri Mosque was destroyed by Hindu Kar Sevaks affiliated with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). This mob, led by L.K. Advani, a prominent BJP figure and future Deputy Prime Minister (2002-2004), dismantled the over 400-year-old mosque. The world largely overlooked this deliberate destruction, perhaps viewing it as another in a series of violent riots between Hindus and Muslims in India. However, this was not just another riot. The destruction of the Babri Mosque was a political as well as an ontological act against Muslims, bringing their identity as Indians into question. Muslim history and heritage, and Muslims—collectively and individually—continue to be violated, undoing the secular national body.
I experienced the aftermath of the destruction of the Babri Mosque firsthand. Arriving in New Delhi from the US on the morning of December 8th, I encountered an eerily desolate airport, flights cancelled, and the skeleton staff at work refused to provide any assistance or guidance after checking my passport and recognizing that I am a Muslim. There was nowhere I could go; Delhi, the capital city of India, was under curfew. Sitting in the terminal, enveloped in a deadly silence and feeling a great sense of anxiety for my safety, I realized that the India I knew, my home, had undergone a seismic shift. The demolition signalled a significant turning point: Muslims and their history were now being cast as “outsiders,” foreigners who did not belong, and their legacy of nearly a millennium was under threat of erasure by charged religious-nationalist politics. Religion was no longer a private matter for personal practice and moral guidance; it had become a public discourse and weapon to use. Indian Muslims, the largest religious minority in India and globally, were under serious threat of survival. The Babri Mosque’s demolition was the beginning of erasing Muslims from the landscape of India; the extensive campaign aimed at obliterating the Muslim historical presence is ongoing.
In the years following the demolition, numerous other Muslim heritage sites, including mosques, Sufi shrines, libraries, community spaces, and private homes have faced similar fates. The deliberate and planned destruction of Muslim history has become a matter of celebration to claim Hindu pride. Every act of the physical destruction of a Muslim building is a public community event with men armed with different tools, supported by the tacit backing of the state, breaking and demolishing buildings. At the same time, thousands watch the violent spectacle of nationalism. Buildings are not just made of bricks and mortars, they are the storehouse of precious memories of a previous era and stand as silent reminders of people interconnected over generations—their sacrifices, dreams, everyday lives, emotions, and sentiments. For the destroyers of Muslim heritage, the sentiments of the past etched into the buildings do not matter; rather their concern is to disconnect Indian Muslims from India’s past, denying them a place in India’s future. The message is clear: Muslims are a minority, and as such, their life, death, memory, and future are controlled by the majority. Muslims’ claim of contributing to India’s rich heritage is no longer accepted in some political circles. This ontological destruction is the heart of the attack on Muslims in India—to cripple the community into the unknowability of its identity as Indian Muslims.
Would the 46th World Heritage Committee meeting in Delhi take account of the death of Muslim history in India? As a historian of India, I am deeply aware of the pain I felt when the Babri Mosque was demolished. I ask the leaders of the Heritage Committee: do they feel the pain of Muslims in India who are denied their heritage because some people want to make them “foreign” and irrelevant to India’s history? Can history be obliterated because one ethnic community, although a majority, wants to deny it to another ethnic community, a minority? Can history be made to disappear simply by the will and violence of the majority community? These and many more questions should be discussed and deliberated in the 46th World Heritage Committee meeting.
Mourning the destroyed buildings
The list of destruction of Muslim sites is far too many to do a comprehensive study; it is ongoing. In this frightful and destructive scenario, nothing is spared in the rampant violence – historic as well as newly built and permitted mosques, tombs of Sufis who preached coexistence and pluralism, public libraries, madrasas, cemeteries, public spaces, and so on are merrily destroyed or intentionally neglected. The destruction is justified as pay-back time for Muslims who supposedly destroyed 880 Hindu sites in the past, though historians’ rich empirical studies carefully document the falsity of such populist claims. By reclaiming these sites by force, the BJP leaders and followers advocate they will cleanse India culturally and spatially and make Hindus the rightful owners of India.
The mass carnival of destruction of Muslim sites commenced in 2002 in Gujarat during the Godhra genocide. In Khuldabad, Gujarat, 230 unique buildings were destroyed, including a 400-year-old mosque and the tomb of Sufi Vali Gujarati, and old Qurans were set on fire. The damage was so extensive that experts compare it with the much-publicized destruction of the Bamiyan Buddhas in Afghanistan or the wrecking of Tibet’s monasteries by the Maoist Red Guards.
Since then, religious nationalists have destroyed numerous mosques and tombs in Delhi and across India. In Delhi alone, a millennium-old Sufi shrine of Baba Haji Rozbih was demolished, as well as the 700-year-old Akhondji Mosque, the landmark Jannatul Firdaus Mosque, and the Sarai Kala Khan Mosque and Madrasa were razed to the ground. During the 2020 riots in East Delhi, 16 mosques were destroyed. The Shahi Masjid in Prayagraj city and the 300-year-old historic mosque in Muzaffarnagar were recently demolished under the pretext of road-widening projects. Similar fates befell several mosques in Gujarat, Hyderabad, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Karnataka. Meanwhile, the fate of the historic Sunheri Mosque in Delhi, the 800-year-old national heritage Shamsi Jama Masjid in Badaun, the Gyanvapi Mosque Complex in Varanasi, the Shahi Idgah Mosque in Mathura, the Dargah of Mumin Chup in Hyderabad, the Shahi Masjid in Gaya, the Chhoti Sona Masjid in West Bengal, and the mosque in the Qutb Minar Complex in the outskirts of Delhi, to name just a few, hang in the balance.
The government’s newest plan is to rename India to Bharat and connect the modern state to the religious knowledge of the Rigveda and the Mahabharata, where Bharatvarsha was used to describe the Indian subcontinent. Renaming India is the state’s effort to sever the knowledge of Muslims as Indians and their connections to the place, leading to a loss of historical continuity and identity.
“Nobody is crying about the loss of a building structure …It is the loss of our secular ethos,” Anand Patwardhan reminds us about the demolition of the Babri Mosque and the Muslim heritage buildings. The destruction of the Babri Mosque and various other mosques has not only eroded the secular ethos of India but has also diminished our capacity to appreciate the beauty, emotions, sentiments, sacrifices, skills, art, and painstaking work embodied in these structures. These buildings testify to the very project of humanity. Destroying them is tantamount to erasing our human capacity to value the people of the past as if they were less human. This is what we, as a collective of humans, should mourn, and this is what the 46th Heritage Meeting should take a moment to ponder. When the human element is destroyed, there will be no heritage left to preserve.
Why heritage matters
Cultural heritage is not simply a building nor just a resource to be protected: It is a central element in the stories that society tells about itself—its origins, the mixes and syntheses over time, future projects, values, and aspirations. David Lowenthal’s The Past is a Foreign Country (1985) explores the intricate relationships between the past and future by exploring the meaning of objects, calling for navigating the complexities of memory and politics that are imbued in them. The Muslim past of India is not of a foreign people who invaded, looted, and destroyed the country. Nor was India, for Muslims, a place for mere economic or geographic expansion where people came for personal gain, although this is how M.S. Golwalkar, a founding father of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), described the Muslim interest in India in We, or Our Nationhood Defined (1939) and Bunch of Thoughts (1966).
For Muslims, as the renowned historian Barbara Metcalf poignantly discussed in her 1995 Presidential Address to the Association for Asian Studies, India is their motherland and a “resting place of angels.” This deep attachment was evocatively inscribed on the Babri Mosque entrance. The paradisiacal imagery of India was enunciated as early as the thirteenth century by the Muslim poet Hazrat Amir Khusrau and it was repeated in the seventeenth-century Diwan-e Khas (Hall of Private Audiences) in the Red Fort of the Mughal Emperor, Shah Jahan which is also showcased on the webpage of the 46th World Heritage Committee meeting. The couplet reads: “If there is heaven on earth, it is this, it is this, it is this!” Downplaying this deep attachment to India for Muslims and making the history they created into a battleground for strategic manipulation to construct a monolithic national Hindu identity resonates with Lowenthal’s arguments about the political uses of the past in the present.
The destruction of Muslim heritage sites severs the historical knowledge and continuity of Muslims as integral contributors to the nation’s history and India’s cultural and historical fabric. The deliberate destruction dislocates the Muslim community’s sense of place and belonging; a strategic act of ‘culturecide’. The Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict (1954) requires states to ensure heritage is not damaged or misappropriated in war. But what about the destruction of heritage buildings during normal times? The 46th World Heritage Committee meeting should consider this question very seriously in their deliberations in India.
Preserving Muslim heritage in India is ultimately a human rights issue, connected to their freedom of expression, thought, conscience, and religion. Protecting the Muslim heritage of India cannot be overlooked any longer. The international group of leaders meeting in Delhi to discuss and deliberate on the importance of heritage can play an important role in stopping future violence not only to the buildings but to the people whose human security should be paramount. For Indian Muslims, India is their home; Muslims must feel safe and protected in India.
Yasmin Saikia is a professor of South Asian History and Peace Studies at Arizona State University. Her latest books are On Othering: The Processes and Politics of Unpeace (Athabasca University Press: 2024) and Cambridge Companion to Sayyid Ahmad Khan (Cambridge University Press: 2019)
source: http://www.maktoobmedia.com / Maktoob Media / Home> Features / by Yasmin Saikia / July 21st, 2024
