Author Nuzhat Khan weaves a story of love and loss against the backdrop of Uttarakhand’s forest fire catastrophe in her latest novel.
Author Nuzhat Khan | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Author Nuzhat Khan is among the growing tribe of writers confronting the world’s most pressing issue — climate emergency and the unfolding weather catastrophe — through a genre of fiction set in natural ecosystems. In her latest novel Whistling Woods (Petals Publishers), she highlights the impact of forest fire on people’s livelihood in Uttarakhand along with the story of two strangers — Akshay and Kaveri — who embark on a journey of self-discovery to the hills.
Nuzhat says the book is her way of doing her bit for Nature and the environment. “Growing up in Almora hill station amidst the snow-capped Himalayan ranges of Uttarakhand, I was blown away by the stunning landscape. This is the case with anyone who belongs to the hills. It pained me to watch forest fires ravage the serene hills.” She decided to act by writing a light-hearted story around the issue to reach out to more people. “I thought presenting plain facts and figures would be drab on topics like, what’s fuelling forest fires that continue to scorch hectares of green cover? I have tried to propose a solution, although it may not be the perfect one,” she says.
Her style of storytelling, both evocative and driven by research, helps readers get a grip of the issue while enjoying the budding romance between the lead characters. “I have attempted to capture a mix of human emotions, complexity of relationships, and the innocence of love. The setting helped me run parallels between urban and rural lives. For people in villages, even access to clean drinking water can be challenging ” explains Nuzhat adding that the book has been in the making for five years which also involved several trips to institutes like Avani Bio-Energy plant in Pithoragarh, the Naula Foundation, an NGO that creates awareness on the problems of dying aquifiers (naulas) in the hills of Uttarakhand.
“My interactions with the locals and forest department officials was an eye-opener. They are constantly working to mitigate the problem. Organisations like the Himalayan Institute For Environment, Ecology & Development have developed fire reporting apps that can alert people on forest fires across various locations.”
She points out that the ashram described in the book that works towards empowering girl children was inspired by the Lakshmi Ashram run by a couple in Uttarakhand. “Some of the characters are not entirely fictional,” she hints.
The book also touches upon excessive tourism in the hills. “Several unplanned constructions in the form of resorts have come up usurping the forest cover and triggering landslides. The region is also prone to earthquakes.” She wants people to sit up and take note of Uttarakhand. “Everyone wants to live in the hills. I want to tell them it is beautiful, but everyday life can be challenging.”
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Books / by K Jeshi / December 26th, 2023
Muslim Women Study Circle’s Team Kolkata offering namaz at Botanical Garden, Kolkata
A Kolkata-based collective Muslim Women Study Circle is working towards reclaiming the agency of Muslim women at a time when Islamophobia has been reared into the country’s social and political fabric.
New Delhi:
In April 2019, a collective of Muslim women predominantly belonging to Metiabruz, a suburb in Kolkata, came together to understand the Quran, Hadith, and contemporary news events. As the year progressed, the group actively participated in the protests against the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act. This prompted the realization of a need for a more extensive network of Muslim women from across India, which marked the beginning of the Muslim Women Study Circle (MWSC).
The formation of the MWSC comes at a time of unprecedented rise of islamophobia in India with Indian Muslim women, a regular target of the Hindu right wing. For instance, in 2021, Hindu right-wing men scraped the internet for pictures of prominent Indian Muslim women and uploaded them to an app called Sulli Deals, hosted on GitHub, listing them on “sale” with the intent to humiliate them. A year later they held a similar “auction” with pictures of Muslim women posted on another app called Bulli Bai. Same year, the high court in India’s Karnataka state ruled that the hijab is not “essential” to Islam. Amidst this, digital platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp, YouTube, and Reddit have accelerated the spread of anti-Muslim hate.
However, as COVID-19 spread in India, MWSC transitioned to the online platform, broadening its reach and significantly enhancing engagement. This transition facilitated the systematic recording, archiving, and dissemination of their sessions through various social media platforms.
MWSC operates as a porous organisation. Volunteers from across the country, including Islamic reverts participate in discussions that are conducted mainly in English, Urdu, and Hindi. Sessions with experts are conducted by the core team or MWSC Chat group, comprising around seven people. Beyond that, MWSC dedicates time to its Muslim Women Mental Health Support Group. These sessions provide a safe space to delve into issues pertinent to Muslim women, addressing challenges and solutions.
In day-to-day functioning, the organisation remains active on multiple fronts. WhatsApp chat groups buzz with conversations spanning the Muslim Women Book Club readings, subjects such as domestic violence, secularism, caste, creative writing politics, citizenship, legal rights, academic scholarships, etc., and the creation of materials for social media platforms.
“We explored ideas at the intersection of politics and spirituality, which were never previously discussed before, and were often overlooked in the context of Muslim women. Moving to an online platform helped us connect with other Muslim women specialising in different fields, such as academics, journalists, mental health professionals, religious scholars, etc. While sharing their knowledge, they also got to amplify their voices. Once we got that momentum, it just kept going,” said Sania Mariam, a MWSC founder and a research scholar of Political Science and Governance at IIT Bombay’s Monash Research Academy.
Bringing Muslim Women to Mosques
Women praying together at Ishat-e-Islam Mosque, New Delhi as a part of the Masjid Project
Despite the global historical prevalence of Muslim women praying in mosques, such spaces are noticeably lacking in India. MWSC’s ‘Muslim Women Masjid Project’, inspired by Al-Masjid-an-Nabawi (The Prophet’s Mosque), not only served as a palace of prayer for both men and women but also sheltered the homeless and the hungry.
The project started by making a catalog of existing women-friendly mosques. Along with open- discussions on “Women in masjids” online, MWSC started with Quranic dars on the importance of women in prayer spaces. They found that a huge number of women longed for offering namaz in Eidgah, instead of being at home waiting for the men to come back.
Aisha Masooma, a volunteer with MWSC from Guwahati said, “It is common to find women’s prayer areas confined to small rooms or basements of the mosques. When I was volunteering for the Assam chapter of this project, I was astonished to find women who had never been acquainted with the idea of visiting a mosque. So many Muslim women told me that the very idea of attending a mosque is an alien concept to them.”
Women the organisation visited different mosques to inquire about spaces for women to pray. “We made a list of such mosques and talked to the Imams. In Kolkata, for example, we had a one-on-one conversation with Imams, and they appreciated the ideas. Even if there was no separate place for women to pray, they allowed women to come, designating them an area in the mosque and promised to make a separate space for women in the future,” said Mariam.
A Petition Challenging the Hijab-Ban
In 2022, with the Hijab ban issue in Karnataka and court proceedings, MWSC recognized that among the arguments and counter-arguments by different parties, the most critical voice of the discourse was silenced, that of young Muslim women who chose to pursue their education as well as their faith.
They believed that the Hijab-row in Karnataka was essentially infantilising, and dismissing Muslim women, forcing them to choose between non-existing binaries such as education or hijab, Indianness or Muslimness, especially at a time when Muslim women are one of the lowestliteracy rates in the country.
Therefore, in July 2022, MWSC challenged the Karnataka High Court’s decision to ban Hijabs in educational institutes in the Supreme Court. Prominent lawyer-activist Prashant Bhushan pro-bono represented the organisation.
While the petition challenged the idea that the two, Hijab and education are antagonistic in principle, it was also meant to create awareness that oppositional forces exist to the country’s increasing saffronisation. As a result, MWSC aimed to create an active role for Muslim women in the public sphere, and demand to creation of more such spaces. “There is a lot of skepticism related to Muslim women owning their agency from the existing political scenario. People always think, about who’s funding them, and which political arm they belong to. There is skepticism from within the community,” said Mariam.
She said that as Muslim women trying to create a forum like MWSC, they are often boxed into distinct categories such as secular Muslims, feminist Muslims, and religious Muslims. “It is difficult for them to imagine that there are Muslim women who want to be committed to their Deen [religion] while achieving a lot in this world,” she told Two Circles.
Backlash and Targeting From Hindu Right-Wing
In India, Muslims have been experiencing discrimination across various spheres, such as employment, education, housing, law, and justice among others. This pattern of discrimination has notably marginalised Muslim women, materialising in their isolation, for instance, a recent study revealed that Muslim women in India are half as likely to get callbacks for entry-level jobs as compared to Hindu women. Another study underscores the compounded disadvantage faced by Muslim women, positioning them as one of the least empowered segments of society. This disadvantage stems from their dual status as women and as members of the minority community in India.
During the Sulli deals incident, certain members of MWSC were subjected to an “online auction” due to their outspoken political views on social media. The organization has consistently encountered online trolling, with a notable example being a video addressing Hindu nationalism that attracted numerous offensive comments. The backlash has emanated from both inside and outside the Muslim community.
Ghazala Jamil, assistant professor at the Centre for the Study of Law and Governance, Jawaharlal Nehru University said, “Muslim Women’s organisations like the MWSC can be seen as a corner in the larger public sphere or a satellite public sphere, which can give Muslim women a chance to express their views without feeling they have to maintain silence about or hide their Muslim identity.”
Across the subcontinent, a dynamic wave of Muslim women’s rights networks is actively challenging essentialist perceptions of Muslim womanhood. Situated within the burgeoning Islamic feminist movement, these organisations articulate the multiple identities of Muslim women, cultivating a unique Islamic feminist consciousness as opposed to the idea of ‘universal sisterhood.’
“Instead of criticising these spaces as regressive or causing division, we should recognise them as opportunities for learning within the larger movement for gender equality. Organisations specifically for Muslim women provide a valuable place for them to express themselves without feeling overshadowed by dominant perspectives of Hindu or liberal feminists,” Jamil added.
The founders do not intend to convert the organisation into an NGO but rather see it as a diversified environment where Muslim women may freely express themselves and share their perspectives. “We just wanted to be a collective where women can come, speak, and put their views forward. They develop their agency, they get inspired. We aim to be better Muslims, better Muslim women, more confident Muslim women,” said Mariam.
Tasneem Khan is a student of History at Delhi’s St. Stephens College.
Nuzhat Khan is an independent reporter based in Delhi.
source: http://www.twocircles.net / TwoCircles.net / Home> Indian Muslim / by Tasneem Khan and Nuzhat Khan / January 11th, 2024
Mohammad Sehab Beig and Muhammad Shaan Sheikh with their car
Mohammad Sehab Beig and Muhammad Shaan Sheikh, two classmates from Shantadurga Higher Secondary School in Goa’s Bicholim town, were assigned a 20-mark physics assignment for 11th grade. The two youngsters, together with their friend Moun Mamlekar, a commerce student, worked for a month to develop an electric car powered by a lead acid battery.
The car gained attention when it was displayed at Delhi’s Ravindra Bhavan as part of ‘The Western India Science Fair Competition’. The electric car is powered by a lead acid battery rather than a lithium battery, which reduces its cost significantly.
From a Physics Project To Developing an EV
Sheikh and Beig had been friends since childhood and used to repair remote-controlled cars when they broke down, so when their physics teacher, Deviya Gaonkar, assigned them a physics project to build something innovative worth 20 points, the boys seized the opportunity to demonstrate their talent for building things.
Shaan & Sehab with their teacher Deviya Gaonkar
“When our teacher assigned us the project and specified that we may design anything related to physics, our initial goal was to build an engine, but we later decided not to limit ourselves to just engines. So, taking a step forward, we decided to build an entire car,” Sheikh told Two Circles.
The motive for developing an electric car aligns with the growing demand for sustainable transportation options, as electric vehicles dramatically reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, thereby addressing environmental concerns.
Mamlekar, whose family owns an automobile garage, assisted Sheikh and Beig with the technical aspects of the project.
They showed the model to their teacher, Goankar, and after receiving a positive response, they began collecting the parts and materials required to build the car.
Specifications of the Electric Car
After working tirelessly for a month, the duo completed the automobile, which includes a brushless DC motor that converts electrical energy into mechanical energy and a 48-volt lead-acid battery system connected in series with four 12-volt batteries. Its standout feature is its strong load-bearing capacity, which can support up to one tonne of weight.
Charging the vehicle is achieved by connecting it to a power source compatible with the lead-acid battery setup. While charging periods may be longer than with advanced lithium-ion batteries, the lead-acid configuration remains a practical option. In terms of speed, the automobile can reach a maximum of 60-70 kilometers per hour, demonstrating its ability to cover moderate distances efficiently, making it suitable for diverse urban and suburban commuting needs.
Shaan with his family
Hindrances Along the Way
Building the electric car was a difficult endeavour, and they faced discouragement from others. Gaonkar, their physics teacher, stated that many people discouraged them from building the car, but they persevered and completed it.
The two spent over INR 70,000 on making the car, which they received from their parents and several well-wishers.
They have also attempted to raise funds to upgrade their automobile to ones that can be auto-charged while in motion but have had little success. The project is only two alternators away from being self-sufficient in terms of charging.
Sehab with his family
‘Parents Have Always Been a Huge Support’
Sheikh’s mother is a chemist, and his father is a businessman; both are very supportive of their son’s project.
Beig’s mother, Mubina Beig, who runs a pre-primary school in town, helped them in finding spare parts for the car.
“My parents have always been a huge support when it comes to my inclination towards experimenting with things,” he stated.
A Career in Innovation
This is not the duo’s first innovative design. Sheikh created a small solar vehicle a few years ago, while Beig made a generator in fifth grade and a hydraulic crane in eighth grade.
Speaking about their goals, Beig stated that he wants to pursue a career in science and research to enhance his curiosity and innovative tendencies, whilst Sheikh is interested in a career that allows him to blend science and compassion to contribute to the well-being of others.
They intend to submit their design to vehicle manufacturers. “If a compelling proposition arises, we are open to collaboration,” Sheikh said.
Imran Inamdar is an independent reporter based in Goa, India.
source: http://www.twocircles.net / TwoCircles.net / Home> India News / by Imran Inamdar, TwoCircles.net / January 16th, 2024
Kalpakancheri (Malappuram District), KERALA / Dubai, U.A.E:
Indian recalls journey from being a fundraiser to rebuild a mosque to emerging a tycoon.
A young Azad Moopen at the inauguration of one of his clinics / Image Credit: Supplied
HIGHLIGHTS
Dr Azad Moopen came to the UAE in February 1987 to raise money for the renovation of a mosque in his hometown, Kalpakancheri in Malappuram district, Kerala.
Dr Moopen leased a two-bedroom apartment in Bur Dubai to start a clinic
In 2008, Dr Moopen invited a private equity firm to invest in the company and they valued Aster DM Healthcare at $100 million.
In 2010 and 2011, Dr Moopen was awarded the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman and Padma Shri, respectively, by the Government of India.
Aster DM is listed at NSE and BSE
Dubai:
Azad Moopen came to Dubai 34 years ago to raise money for the renovation of a mosque in his hometown, Kalpakancheri, in the Malappuram district, Kerala. He needed Rs1 million then, or Dh250,000 as per the currency exchange rate in 1987. The plan was just to collect the funds and return home. He had no intention to settle in the UAE.
Destiny, however, had other plans for Moopen – a gold medallist in general medicine and a lecturer at the Calicut Medical College at the time. Looking back, Moopen said it was this noble intention that perhaps set the background for something big to happen in his life.
Fast forward to today, he is now a household name in the UAE. Just about everybody in the region knows him well as the multi-billion dollar businessman and developer of health-care facilities in the UAE and Asia-Pacific region. He is the chairman and managing director of Aster DM Healthcare, a conglomerate in the Middle East and India that Moopen founded in December 1987, just ten months after arriving in the UAE to raise funds for a mosque.
According to a report published in September 2018, he owned and managed 21 hospitals, 113 clinics and 216 pharmacies. The health-care company serves 50,000 patients a day in nine countries. In 2018, Aster treated 17 million patients across all its facilities. Of this these, 15 million patients were from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, while two million were from India.
In 2017, Forbes ranked him sixth on the ‘Top 100 Indian Leaders in UAE’ list and his total wealth was estimated at approximately $5.9 billion (Dh21.7 billion).
How it all started
“When I finished collecting money for the mosque reconstruction, my job was over in the UAE. It was time to return home, but when I went home, I was not happy. There was something pulling me back to this country as there was magic here,” said Moopen. “In June (1987), I came back on a visit to the UAE. I stayed with a friend in Ajman who was a doctor as well. There were plenty of opportunities for a doctor like me and I was raring to tap into some of them.”
Azad Moopen receives a Lifetime Achievement Award / Image Credit: Supplied
Moopen’s friend was setting up a clinic in Ajman and he invited him to join there as a physician. Back in the day, there were no post-graduate doctors practising in Ajman and Moopen, who was a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) and a Doctor of Medicine, with a a Diploma in treating Tuberculosis and Chest Diseases (DTCD), was already highly qualified. In fact, his varied degrees made him quite a sought-after doctor in Ajman.
“But my friend bowled me a googlie, as we say in cricketing terms! He turned around one day and told me to start a clinic in Dubai. To be honest, I thought he did not like me and that’s why he was pushing me away to Dubai. But I took his advice and today, I believe he is my guardian angel. That moment, when I heeded his advise and came to Dubai, it was the turning point in my life. I know now he was a friend, he was a God-sent and he is ‘the person’ in my life.”
No matter how successful you become in life, you never forget the people who helped you along the way. And this, to me, has been the biggest reason for my success.
– Azad Moopen
In December 1987, Moopen leased a two-bedroom apartment in Bur Dubai close to the Port Rashid area. “Port Rashid was one of the main areas in Dubai where there were many ongoing activities. A lot of people worked here and I wanted to serve them.”
He said the consultation charges were between Dh10 and 15. Some people got reimbursement from their companies while others paid the bills from their pocket.
“The challenge, however, was collecting money from some blue collared workers who could not afford to pay even this amount. So every Tuesday we started offering free consultations for half a day. We also kept sample medicines which we gave to these workers.”
Within a year, the clinic started receiving 100 patients a day. There were just two doctors – Moopen and a gynaecologist.
Dr. Azad Moopen receiving an award from late Indian President APJ Kalam / Image Credit: Supplied
“I myself worked from 8 in the morning until mid-night. But it was becoming very congested and we needed to move to a bigger place,” he said. “I found a three-bedroom apartment in Al Rafa and we moved there. We hired two more doctors – both paediatricians. We were able to see more patients as a result.”
By that time in 1988, Moopen was getting a hang of running a health-care facility. “One of the things we discovered early on was that people came to us for consultation, but were picking up medicines from another pharmacy. So, we thought why not make this in-house? And that is how Al Rafa Pharmacy was born.”
Moopen said that in 2008, he had his real brush with success. “Until then, I was just doing my job of opening clinics, hospitals and pharmacies. I was not really counting or sitting down to see and evaluate the success of my business. In 2008, as part of our expansion plans, we invited a private equity firm to invest with us. They valued our company at $100 million and that reality hit me. We had grown and how! It was an emotional moment for me, reading the valuation report and made me think of how hard the company staff and me had worked to bring it that far,” he said.
Dr. Azad Moopen with his youngest daughter Zeba Moopen who is now a practicing doctor / Image Credit: Supplied
In 2012, a second private equity firm came on board and they valued Aster DM Healthcare at $400 million. “This means we had grown four times in four years. It was massive.”
Today, Aster DM is listed at the National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) and the company’s total revenue in 2019 was fixed at a massive $1.4 billion.
Reason behind this phenomenal success
“Without batting an eyelid I will say that it is my staff, my people, my doctors who have made this company successful. I am blessed and lucky to have these people working for me for decades. Our doctor turnover at the consultant level is as low as five per cent. This means our doctors practically never leave us. And, because of this, our patients never leave us.
Azad Moopen with cricketer Sachin Tendulkar during the latter’s book launch. / Image Credit: Supplied
“No matter how successful you become in life, you never forget the people who helped you along the way. And this, to me, has been the biggest reason for my success. To give you an example, the other day, one of my CEOs brought me a staff member’s performance report. He wanted me to fire him as he was not performing well. When I saw the report I realised he was an old friend’s son. This friend, I remember, had loaned me Dh500 when I had come to the UAE for the first time.”
“As the memories flooded me, I simply refused to sign the sack letter. Instead, I called this young boy and his father and told them about the report. From my part, I have given this boy a second chance. I pray he will make use of the opportunity given to him.”
Challenges
Dr. Moopen during one of his philanthropic activities / Image Credit: Supplied
“There are always challenges in business. If you want your career graph to have a smooth ride, then you must not pick business as your profession. Success in business lies in finding your challenges and meeting them head-on,” said Moopen.
“For example, the UAE’s mandatory insurance has proved to be beneficial for the consumer, but for health-care providers like us, it is a challenge. People would come to us because of our credibility. Now, it has to do with the kind of insurance coverage they have.”
Philanthropy the way to life
Moopen has pledged to give 20 per cent of his wealth to charity. An off-shoot of this has been the ‘Aster Volunteers’ programme to help patients with free consultations, treatment and surgeries. More than 900,000 lives have been touched by the programme.
Dr. Moopen with his family in an earlier picture / Image Credit: Supplied
In 2010 and 2011, Moopen was awarded the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman and Padma Shri, respectively, by the Government of India.
Dr. Azad Moopen awarded the coveted Padma Shri in 2011 / Image Credit: Supplied
“By God’s grace, I have everything in life. Name, fame, wealth, a great family. It is my duty and responsibility now to help others. When I started out, I was in the right place at the right time with the right people. I want others to be in my shoes. I am nearing retirement and my only dream now is to hand over my business to my team of professionals who, I believe, will do a better job than me.”
‘Conversations with Aurangzeb’ reimagines the story of the most controversial Mughal emperor
A 17th century painting of Aurangzeb in his ‘darbar’. | Photo Credit: Wiki Commons
Tamil writer Charu Nivedita’s Conversations with Aurangzeb, translated by Nandini Krishnan,is an unpredictable book. In it, a writer begins a novel with an idea but soon meets the spirit of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, who decides to seize the opportunity to tell his side of the story. This is an irreverent, indignant Aurangzeb, most unlike the historical character we are familiar with.The writer and Aurangzeb speak of the past and present, of Mughals and Marxism, of satire and Sunny Leone, and a host of other contemporary subjects. Krishnan says the novel is “defiant of all genres”.
discuss the wildly imaginative book, their collaborative process, and the latest translation fad. Edited excerpts:
Author Charu Nivedita | Photo Credit: Backiaraj M.
You’ve given an unpopular historical figure a voice to defend his actions. In a country where satire is often lost on a lot of people, did you ever feel this book was a risky proposition?
Charu Nivedita: All my writing is risky because I always choose taboo topics. I have always been a misunderstood guy. In a historical perspective, Aurangzeb is also a misunderstood guy. So, I find some similarity between Aurangzeb and myself as a writer.
There are Tamil references throughout the novel. Why and how did you decide to weave these in?
CN: Even though I live in Tamil Nadu, I don’t agree with the culture here. My fellow writers don’t consider me a writer; I always feel like an outsider. Though I write in Tamil, I imagine a European, South American or an Arab readership. I mock the land in which I live. I feel sometimes that I live in a circus when I see the film industry, the paal abhishekam (a ritual of worship with milk)for the cut-outs of actors, or the happenings in the political arena. Self-mocking is important. One who is ready to parody himself or herself can do that with others.
You have said in your translator’s note that some books are untranslatable. Why is that?
NK: I mean there are certain books that are extremely localised. For example, anyone in India who has watched Hindi films would find the line ‘Kitne aadmi the? (How many men were there?)’ funny in any context. But if you’re going to use that line with an American audience or with someone who doesn’t watch Hindi films, it would make no sense at all.
The history of Tamil cinema is as old as modern Tamil writing. There are constant references and cross-references to it in literature. Even in (Nivedita’s) Zero Degree, there is a reference to a scene from the film Chinna Gounder. Unless you get its context, it is not jarring or funny or discomfiting in any way. That’s why I felt Zero Degree was untranslatable.
There is a larger reach now of Tamil books for an English reading audience. What do you think of this translation boom?
NK: Right now, translations are sexy because Geetanjali Shree won the International Booker Prize in 2022. In the 90s, because of Vikram Seth’s enormous advance and later because of Arundhati Roy’s Booker win, Indian writing in English became sexy. This is just a fad. This has also given space to some very subpar translations because everyone is trying to get 20 books translated. We need to maintain the quality of someone like a Charu Nivedita or Ashokamitran or Perumal Murugan or Thamizhachi Thangapandian. Translations do have reach, but does the same quality of work reach an audience? I don’t know.
Also, there is a lot of focus on the writer’s story rather than the story that the writer is telling. And by that, I mean the writer’s gender, caste, their politics, and so on. Unless we go beyond these to the quality of their stories, we are in trouble.
CN: There is a translation boom. But unless there is a miracle, as in the case of Perumal Murugan or Vivek Shanbhag, one is unknown outside their own region. I am unknown outside Tamil Nadu or Kerala. There is no controversy or award because of which people might know me. This is the sad state of affairs.
radhika.s@thehindu.co.in
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Litfest> Interview / by Radhika Santhanam / January 18th, 2024
The Champaran Satyagraha is a landmark chapter in India’s history, and an important catalyst for it was journalist Pir Muhammed Munis, whose letter to Gandhi set the stage for the monumental resistance.
In 1917, when British rule prevailed over India, the government prepared a list to keep track of 32 of MK Gandhi’s closest associates. At number 10 was a name that history hasn’t forgotten since.
Pir Muhammed Munis, a journalist known for the power of his pen, was instrumental in his role in the Champaran Satyagraha movement, also touted as India’s first organised act of civil disobedience.
Through his body of work, he scripted a record of heroism that is etched into the sands of time.
To truly appreciate Munis’ role in the struggle for Independence, we trace our steps to 1916, when the British Raj was exercising exceeding control over Indians. One particularly vulnerable group were the farmers in Champaran, Bihar.
The source of contention was the agrarian practices in the region. While the British were intent on the peasants growing indigo, a lucrative cash crop with sizable demand in the markets abroad, the farmers were deprived of land for growing food crops instead. This tussle culminated in a famine, causing the farmers to rise in revolt against the dominion of the British. As the conflict escalated, word reached Gandhi. How?
Pir Muhammed Munis was behind it.
A ‘rouge journalist’
The uprising of the peasants in Champaran wasn’t going unnoticed. The country was reading about it thanks to Munis, who left no stone unturned in letting his views reflect his patriotic feelings. In the years to come, Pir Muhammed Munis would go down in history as the journalist who raised his voice when it was most difficult to be heard.
He chronicled the efforts of the farmers, the unlawful practices of the British and more such news in Hindi — despite the elite class being fluent in Urdu, Persian and English — displaying his ardent love for the language. In his later life, he went on to advocate for Hindi to be propagated amongst the masses. Anecdotes suggest during his later interactions with Gandhi, Munis even went on to teach the legend the language, a skill that greatly helped the latter.
So persistent and vocal was he about his patriotic opinions that he was termed as “notorious”, “bitter” and “dangerous” by the British, eventually being branded as a ‘badmash patrakar (rouge journalist)’.
A British Police document from the Azadi Ke Deewane Museum at Red Fort reads, “Pir Muhammed Munis is actually a dangerous and hoodlum journalist who through his questionable literature, brought to light the sufferings of a backward place like Champaran in Bihar.”
The letter that set the stage for the uprising
Pir Muhammed Munis fought for the farmers in the Champaran region of Bihar, Picture source: Twitter: Muslims of India
But nothing stopped Munis from continuing to write, his pen a double-edged sword. His works appeared frequently in Pratap, a Hindi weekly, and monthlys such as Gyanshakti and Gorakhpur. He was also on the editorial board of Desh launched and edited by Dr Rajendra Prasad.
The most famous letter among his repertoire of literary works is a letter he penned with local farmer Rajkumar Shukla, intended to be sent to Gandhi on 27 February 1917. Shukla conveyed the grievances of the farming community, while Munis coupled this with his power of words. An excerpt from the letter reads, “Our sad tale is much worse than what you and your comrades have suffered in South Africa”.
In another letter dated 22 March 1917, Munis once again voiced his concerns about the peasants in Champaran, and asked Gandhi to pay them a visit. And when he did on 10 April 1917, people commended the bond between the two, often calling Munis Gandhi’s pillar as he hatched plans for the Champaran Satyagraha.
As the first Satyagraha movement, it set the stage for future mass protests and uprisings. Gandhi set up schools in the Champaran area, gathered volunteers, conducted village surveys, organised protests, and strikes, and advocated for control over the sale of crops to be given to the farmers. And through this mutiny, Munis was by his side.
This did not go down well with the British. As a letter written by W H Lewis, sub-division officer to the commissioner of Tirhut division indicates, “… Mr Gandhi got offers of assistance, the most prominent is Pir Muhammad. I have not (sic) full details of his career, but either Whitty or Marsham could give them. He is, I believe, a convert to Muhammadanism and was a teacher in the Raj School. He was dismissed from his post for virulent attacks on local management published in or about 1915 in the press. He lives in Bettiah and works as a press correspondent for the Pratap of Lucknow, a paper which distinguished itself for its immoderate expressions on Champaran Questions… Pir Muhammad is the link between this Bettiah class of mostly educated and semi-educated men and the next class, i.e. the Raiyats’ own leaders…”
The result of the tyranny
History never forgets the cries of the just, and the Champaran Satyagraha was proof of this.
The mutiny ended with the British officers agreeing to formulate the Champaran Agrarian Act of 1918. The Act abolished the forcible cultivation of indigo and thus relieved tremendous pressure being put on the farmers here. The event has gone down in history as one of the first major revolts that forced the English to introduce a Bill in favour of the Indians.
With the Tinkathia system being abolished, the farmers thought the worst was over. But the British continued to oppress them in different ways. Fuelled by ending this once and for all, Munis started Raiyati Sabha, a platform that would advocate for and protect the rights of the farming community. For this, Munis faced a six-month jail term.
This wasn’t the last of imprisonment. In 1930 he was imprisoned in the Patna Camp jail for three months for his participation in the Salt Satyagraha of the Civil Disobedience Movement.
However, nothing could deter him from his goal of protecting the rights of his countrymen. In 1937, he led sugarcane producers who were protesting against intermediaries who were pocketing a major part of the earnings. He was also elected member of the Champaran Zila Parishad (District Board) on the Congress ticket and became President of Bettiah Local Board, from which he resigned to join the Individual Civil Disobedience Movement.
Throughout his lifetime, he advocated for rural development, popularisation of Hindi in primary schools and the rights of his fellow Indians. Until his passing away on 23 September 1949 Munis continued to be a leader worth looking up to for his countrymen.
Lauding the efforts of Munis on his passing away, Pratap editor Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi, wrote in his newspaper, “We have the utmost sorrow that Pir Muhammed Munis of Bettiah, Champaran district has died. We have the privilege to see such souls who are quietly lying aside. The world doesn’t come to know anything about their issues. The lesser these sons of Mother India are renowned, the more profound is their work, the more philanthropic.”
He further wrote, “You recited the dreadful story of Champaran to Gandhi ji and this was a result of your hard-work only that Mahatma Gandhi visited Champaran which made this land a pious place and the place which is unerasable in the pages of history”.
The President, Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil presenting the Padma Shri Award to Prof. (Dr.) M. Ahmed Ali, at an Investiture Ceremony II, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi on April 01, 2011./ pix: en.wikipedia.org
Dr. Ahmed Ali can perhaps scale Mount Everest to gain knowledge in surgery, and will come back to serve the poor and needy. That is the thirst he has, and the skill gained by his extra ordinary, photographic memory power.
After obtaining the highest degree in surgery such as M.Ch, he was awarded the prestigious Doctor of Science D.Sc.in surgery.
The Padma Shree Awardees, listed on January 31, 2011, Dr. Ahmed Ali, won the nation’s prestigious award.
A dedicated, and most devoted to his profession, he declined an opportunity, assigned in New York soon after post graduation in gastroenterology and proctology. Surgery is an art to him same as a gifted and a born artist plays with his brush and colors. There is no exaggeration that if it is said that his tournament is surgery.
He visits every month to his native town to impart free service, in addition he gives nutrient suppliments and other vitamins and other additives to less fortunates. He does this as a token of gratitude to the school he studied and for the people who mutually loved.
Born in Ambur in 1940, graduated from Madras Medical College, and after retiring from service, he is concentrating his profession in Mehtha Nursing Home,Chetpet in Chennai.
His only son Dr. Mansoor is a surgical specialist in liver, pancreas, and bile duct (Hepato Pancreato Bilary Specialist) working in Kings Hospital, London UK. Dr. Mansoor is as good as his father, and was the student of Dr. Rela, the world renowned liver specialist.
Ambur, a town in Vellore District in Tamil Nadu is famous for leather industry, as well the elite of the society Ambur Muslim Educational Society, and it is fully devoted in concentrating women’s education and the students performance is par excellent.
Mr. Mecca Rafeeque Ahmed, a renowned leather industrialist, from Ambur also awarded Padma Shree for his industrial achievements.
Dr. Ali was felicitated with standing ovation by different groups elites, but he stood humble and modest.
source: http://www.amityindias.blogspot.com / April 05th, 2011
Dr Valli is the scientist who made the world realise the importance of food grains
He had a comfortable US job that he left to return to India and make it healthy. More than two decades since he launched his mission, India’s ‘Millet Man’ Dr Khadar Valli Dudekula was recognised by the government of India with the civilian honour Padma Shri during the 74th Republic Day celebrations on Thursday, January 26.
Dr Valli is the scientist who made the world realise the importance of food grains. He has numerous researches to his name and has worked extensively for revival of grains over 20 years. As per The Better India, Dr Valli woke up to the problem of diet-related consequences in society around 1986-87 when he came across the case of a girl who had started menstruating at 6 years of age. Shocked by this, he decided to return to his country in 1997 and settled in Mysuru to work towards a healthy society rather than in a foreign nation.
Dr Valli is an independent scientist and food expert. In his pioneering work, he has revived five types of disappearing millets. He is a leading advocate of Millet cultivation and use. He was born in a humble background in Kadapa District of Andhra Pradesh. He pursued his BSc (Education) and MSc (Education) from Regional College of Education, Mysuru before earning a PhD in Steroids from the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru. Besides being an agricultural scientist, he is also a homoeopath.
After completing education in India, he became a postdoctoral fellow in environmental science at Beaverton, Oregon for three years. He then worked as a scientist with Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) for four years before working with DuPont for a year in India and four plus years in the US. He discovered medicinal properties of grains during his research and named 5 specific types of grains he prescribed as “Siridhanyalu”.
source: http://www.dnaindia.com / DNA / Home> India / by DNA Web Team / January 28th, 2023
Khilorband (Patharkandi Village, Karimganj District), ASSAM:
By establishing nine schools with the money collected from driving an autorickshaw, Ali has helped bridge the gap between education and poverty in his community.
Ahmed Ali, from Assam’s Karimganj district, is a true inspiration for many, especially those who are determined to make a positive difference in their communities. Despite facing financial challenges, the 87-year-old decided to take matters into his own hands and established schools in his village to provide education to underprivileged children.
By establishing nine schools with the money collected from driving an autorickshaw, Ali has helped bridge the gap between education and poverty in his community. He understands that education is the key to unlocking opportunities and breaking the cycle of poverty. His schools offer affordable education to students who would otherwise not have access to it.
He is a resident of Khilorband, a marginal village of Patharkandi in the Indian state of Assam, bordering Bangladesh. Ali started the first school in 1978 in his village Madhurband. He sold some of his land and donated a part of the land to the school, on which it was built. Out of his 36 bigha land, he donated 32 bigha land for the construction of the school. Funding of the school is also done from its deposits, daily earnings and donations.
His high School was set up in 1990. In addition to it, he also established three lower secondary schools, five secondary schools and one higher secondary school. He hopes to establish a college in the future.
Besides donating his own land for the schools’ construction, Ali also works hard to keep them running. He drives a rickshaw during the day to earn a living, and at night, he cuts wood to help maintain the school’s finances. His dedication and hard work have made a significant impact on the education of many children in his community.
Ahmed Ali’s work has not gone unnoticed. He was nominated for the News18 Rising India Real Heroes Award in the education category, and he will be conferred with the award at the News18 Rising India Summit at the Taj Palace Hotel in New Delhi on March 30.
His story has been shared by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his radio programme ‘Mann Ki Baat,’ inspiring many others to take action in their own communities. Narendra Modi said, “I have come to know that a rickshaw puller named Ahmed Ali of Assam’s Karimganj district has opened nine schools for the education of poor children. It is a beautiful manifestation of the will of the people of our country.” Ali was also invited to Delhi as a speaker by an NGO Jookto.
source: http://www.news18.com / News 18 / Home> India / by Akhi Das, edited by Jessica Nani / March 29th, 2023
Sahaswan (Budaun) , UTTAR PRADESH / Kolkata, WEST BENGAL :
He could captivate the audience and eradicate the thin line between a structured format and the playfulness of a classical composition while his voice moved through the shades of ragas.
Rashid Khan./ Sourced by The Telegraph
The name of Ustad Rashid Khan reminds one of the words of T.S. Eliot: “Music heard so deeply/that is not heard at all, but/you are the music/while the music lasts.’’
A born genius, talented and extraordinary musician… adjectives are too limited to describe the golden voice of Rashid Khan.
The fulfilment of an art form touches immortality when the artist becomes the art, as the poet said. Diehard listeners of Rashid Khan and ardent music lovers know the truth because they have discovered the artiste’s voice in different genres of music and steeped integrated melodies.
The great-grandson of the legendary Ustad Inayat Hussain Khan, the founder of the Rampur Sahaswan Gharana, Rashid was born on July 1, 1968, at Badaun in Uttar Pradesh.
Memory and melancholy created the soul of the artiste, although he was completely unaware he would one day become one of the greats of Indian classical music. He lost his mother and younger brother at a very early age; he found solace in kabaddi and cricket.
Rashid studied in Mumbai for about a year and after coming back to his hometown, his tutelage was started under his illustrious granduncle and guru, Ustad Nissar Hussain Khan. He also carried the lineage of renowned vocalists like Mushtaq Hussain Khan and Ghulam Mustafa Khan. But the rather authoritarian Ustad Nissar Hussain Khan changed the course of his life and made him what he became over the years. He nurtured the latent potential of Rashid through his training, first at his own residence at Badaun and subsequently at the Sangeet Research Academy in Calcutta.
Young Rashid Khan, an assured voice of the future of Indian classical vocal music, certified by none other than Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, was to evolve into a formidable talent, especially with his prowess in taankari and gamak.
His full-throated voice was an exceptional amalgamation of depth and rhythmic generosity. He could captivate the audience and eradicate the thin line between a structured format and the playfulness of a classical composition while his voice moved through the shades of ragas. He was adept at the instrumental stroke-based style which he inherited from his gharana, as well as an expert at infusing emotion into an elaborate musical verse.
Probably this is the reason he was successful in different styles of singing and innovation despite being a rooted classical musician.
For example, when he sang Tagore songs based on various ragas, he focused on the rendition of the quintessential flavour; his command over the notes and tunes brought out the charm of the song with skilful originality.
Rashid had fond memories of the town of Badaun and its surroundings where he spent his early days. The river which flows by the town was a witness to the number of hours Rashid spent by its side singing.
He paid his respects on his visits to his hometown at the cemetery where his parents and young brother were laid to rest.
It may well be the inexplicable pain and loneliness of childhood filtered through his every rendition of ‘Yaad Piya ki Aye’ (composed originally by Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan) — a Rashid reinvention that became very popular. As with the Bollywood hit ‘Aoge Jab tum o saajna’ from Jab We Met.
He skilfully obliterated differences between musical genres and was able to recreate a unique combination of love and exuberance with the full boom of his voice in three octaves, as manifested in each and every song. In numerous playback essays, he successfully broke traditional boundaries with his scintillating voice and evoked sensibilities even when he was out of his core expertise.
In the words of senior organiser of the Dover Lane Music Conference, Bappa Sen: “Rashid contributed an unparallel range to the music fraternity. We have seen him grow as a man as well as an artiste and witnessed his excellence in all spheres of music. He was an integral part of this music festival from a very young age and even performed in the periodicals. Along with his talent, he excelled himself to heights that required enormous hard work and open-mindedness. As a person he was as humble and respectful to all of us as he was from the very first day.”
Sarodiya Amaan Ali Khan thinks: “Unki voice mein to Ishwar hain.” He had countless memories with this senior artiste, fellow musician and co-performer who, Amaan says, was always an inspiration to him. “He was a person as clear as water,” said Amaan.
To his close friends and contemporary musicians, Rashid Khan was an irreplaceable voice and human being in every sense. The absence of Rashid’s mortal existence has now created a vacuum in the world of Indian classical music which is now devoid of his rich depth of voice.
Rashid’s son Armaan is carrying the torch of the legacy, his daughters Suha and Shaona are into Sufi music.
Rashid flourished as the breaking dawn with Lalit, Ahir Bhairon, Miyan ki Todi, returned to the root with Puriya Kalyan, Puriya Dhaneshree, Shree, sparkled with Sohini.
He has left behind an unforgettable repertoire of renditions and the gift of his unbridled imagination to lovers of his singular work.
source: http://www.telegraphindia.com / The Telegraph Online / Home> Culture> Music / by The Telegraph / January 10th, 2024
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