The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has decided to field P.P. Basheer as the Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidate for the Vengara Assembly byelections. However, the selection process in the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), which is to contest for the United Democratic Front (UDF), was not as calm as in the CPI(M), with its State general secretary K.P.A. Majeed deciding to keep off the electoral fray.
The CPI(M)’s decision was announced by party State secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan here. The CPI(M) leadership chose to stick to a party man contrary to expectations that it might experiment with an independent candidate as it had done in Tanur in the 2016 election.
Mr. Basheer had lost to IUML strongman P.K. Kunhalikutty by over 35,000 votes in Vengara in the 2016 polls. The decision to field Mr. Basheer once again was taken after the Malappuram district committee and Secretariat approved his candidature. Mr. Basheer expressed confidence in securing the seat for the LDF.
Mr. Majeed announced his decision to keep off the electoral fray in an interview to a private television channel. He said he had informed IUML president Panakkad Hyderali Shihab Thangal about his decision not to contest.
The decision appears to have been prompted by strong opposition from the younger elements in the party and the Youth League. But Mr. Majeed maintained that he had take the decision since the party was in the midst of its organisational election process.
With Mr. Majeed deciding to pull out of the fray, the IUML leadership will announce its candidate on Monday itself, instead of the earlier deadline of September 20. It is obvious that had Mr. Majeed decided otherwise, the party leadership would have had a tough time in deciding to exclude an old warhorse.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Kerala / by Special Correspondent / Thiruvananthapuram – September 17th, 2017
Saidullah has won many trophies (Pictures: Prashant Ravi)
Mohammed Saidullah, a resident of Motihari in the Indian state of Bihar, has received many awards and trophies in the last few years for his innovation.
In 1975, when his Jatwa-Janerwa village was swamped under flood waters – an annual monsoon menace – he pleaded with a local boatman to take him to safety.
When the boatman refused to give him space unless he paid for it, the young Saidullah looked for other ways to tackle the floodwater.
Necessity met creativity and in just three days, he made an amphibious bicycle which could easily negotiate the floodwaters.
He modified the conventional bicycle by adding four rectangular air floats to support it while it moved on water. Two fan blades were attached to the spokes of the rear wheel which enabled it to run on both water and land.
The blades were arranged in such a fashion that the cycle could be driven in reverse direction too.
Shining moment
Later, Mr Saidullah demonstrated the prowess of his vehicle before a stunned crowd, which included the then state governor, AR Kidwai, when he crossed the river Ganges in Patna city.
His big shining moment came in January 2005 when the then Indian President, APJ Abdul Kalam, presented him with the National Innovation Foundation’s (NIF) lifetime achievement award.
In the same year, he was selected as one of the 12 finalists for the prestigious Wall Street Journal Asian Innovation Awards.
Saidullah takes his grandchildren for a joy ride in his cycle-rickshaw
He was also profiled for the Discovery Channel’s “Beyond Tomorrow” programme.
In fact, he has won so many awards that he has lost count of them all.
An impressed NIF took away his bicycle and offered to get it patented.
But three years later, Mr Saidullah has neither got the patent nor the bicycle.
Today, he lives in penury.
Everyday, he pedals about 30 kms on his bicycle to sell honey so that he can feed his family of 16.
But the work brings him a paltry 1,500 rupees ($37) a month.
Grinding poverty
Unable to make the ends meet, he has now put up his roadside half-thatched, half-concrete house and the small plot of land – in Mathia Dih locality of Motihari in East Champaran district – on sale.
His disillusionment is such that Mr Saidullah wants to return all his awards and trophies.
“If you want to destroy someone, give him an award,” he says.
After the bicycle, Mr Saidullah also invented an amphibious cycle-rickshaw which he demonstrated before the BBC team in a nearby pond.
“On this, I can take my grandchildren for a joy ride in the water,” Mr Saidullah told the BBC.
The workshop is his favourite place
“But I feel hurt by what the NIF has done to me. They used us for their promotion,” he says.
“May I know how many innovators like me have been benefited and how many of us have been destroyed by them?” asks Mr Saidullah, with pain creasing his face.
NIF executive chairman, Anil Gupta, is sympathetic to Mr Saidullah’s plight: “We tried a lot, are still trying and will keep trying to explore things being done for Mr Saidullah’s amphibious bicycle. But yes his frustration is completely understandable.
“Despite our best efforts, for some reasons we failed to generate any entrepreneurship for his bicycle. We’ve given him the innovation fellowship of a fixed amount and we are ready to support him in future too,” Mr Gupta said.
There is still a chance that things may look up for him.
A senior official in Bihar state’s science and technology department, Ajay Kumar, told the BBC he would do all he could to help Mohammed Saidullah.
“Though there is no structured schemes for commercialisation of such innovations in my department but we would certainly help him in getting his product patented after talking with the NIF,” Mr Kumar said.
According to Mohammed Saidullah’s son, Mohammed Shakilurrahman, the family was not always poor. Mr Saidullah inherited acres of land, orchards, elephants and a big house from his father.
But, the rural scientist sold all his property to pursue his innovations, his son says.
New things
He blames his father’s “sheer madness” for the family’s poverty.
He too sells honey in the state capital.
However, Mr Saidullah’s bitter past experience has not stopped him from moving on to new things.
After the amphibious bicycle, he developed a key-operated table fan which can run non-stop for two hours, a mini-water pump that needs no fuel and a mini-tractor which can run for two hours on just five litres of diesel.
Saidullah names all his innovations after his wife, Noor
Now, he claims he’s making a helicopter which would cost the equivalent of $62,500 and a car that would be powered by air energy.
His dark, dingy workshop is crammed with a hand-made lathe machines and countless corroded nut-bolts littered on long rusty iron racks.
But it’s his favourite place. “I love to be here all the time,” he says.
Where would he go once his house and land is sold off?
“I’ll make a three-storey moving car with folding cots, pack my family in and park it on an open government land by the roadside anywhere,” he says.
The maverick innovator says he draws inspiration for his innovations from his everyday experiences. He has named all his creations after his loving wife, Noor Jahan.
“Noor means light and Inshallah a day would come when there would be light in our life too,” says Saidullah.
source: http://www.bbc.co.uk / BBC News / Home> South Asia / by Amarnath Tewary / Motihari – Bihar / March 03rd, 2008
Minister of State, Shri M.J. Akbar visited Senegal from 6-8 September 2017 as Special Envoy of Prime Minister Modi.
During the visit, he met President Mr. Macky Sall and handed over a Letter of Thanks from PM Modi for Senegal’s support for the re-election of India’s candidate Justice Dr. Dalveer Bhandari to the International Court of Justice for the term 2018-27, elections for which will be held in New York in November 2017. In this meeting, the newly appointed Prime Minister of Senegal Mr. Mouhamed Boun Abdallah Dionne was also present. Both MOS (MJA) and President Macky Sall discussed various aspects of India-Senegal bilateral relations.
MOS (MJA) handed over a cheque of Euro 50,000/- to the Secretary General of Foreign Ministry of Senegal Ambassador Mame Baba Cisse as India’s contribution to the Dakar International Forum for Peace and Security in Africa, to be held in November 2017. It is to be noted that India supported the Dakar International Forum for Peace and Security in Africa last year as well with a contribution of Euro 50,000/-.
MOS (MJA) gave a talk to Senegalese intelligentsia, academicians, ambassadors accredited to Senegal, and media personalities on “India’s Synergies with Africa” at the West African Research Center (WARC), a think-tank of Senegal.
He also gave a talk on “New India’s Transformation” to the Senegalese businessmen at the Dakar Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (CCIAD).
MOS (MJA) visited the ongoing Gandhi Exhibition at the Renaissance Monument where he distributed Mahatma Gandhi souvenirs to young Senegalese Gandhians. He also signed the Visitors Book at the Exhibition.
He also addressed the Indian Community in Senegal during a Reception held in his honour.
He visited Goree Island, an important slave trade point and UNESCO World Heritage site, and signed the Visitors Book at the Slave House at the island.
source: http://www.mea.gov.in / Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India / Home> Media Centre> Press Releases / New Delhi – September 14th, 2017
Adil Faras, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) corporator from Barai Mam ward, was on Friday elected as the new chairman of the civic body’s standing committee. Faras defeated Jan Surajya Shakti Party’s (JSSP) Mrudula Purekar by 11 votes.
Of the 16 members in the committee, 15 cast their votes by raising hands while one member — BJP’s Prabha Tipugade — remained absent citing health reasons. Faras got 13 votes while Purekar bagged just two.
At present, Congress and NCP are the ruling parties in the KMC with the support of JSSP and independent corporators. The elections to the civic body are scheduled in October-November this year. Hence, the NCP did not want to give up the chance to head the committee which has significant financial powers.
The run-up to the election turned interesting after the JSSP openly criticised NCP leader and former minister Hasan Mushrif and fielded its candidate against Faras.
Various speculations such as rift between the Congress and NCP came to the fore after Purekar decided to contest the election. The Congress has a majority in the committee with 7 members and votes of the party were decisive. Besides, it was also anticipated that some of the NCP corporators were hoping for a career in the BJP by supporting the JSSP corporator. The JSSP had helped BJP candidate Amal Mahadik in defeating former minister of state and Congress leader Satej Patil in the state assembly elections.
A Congress corporator said on the condition of anonymity, “Though there were speculations about rift between the Congress and NCP, both Patil and Mushrif had an understanding to continue the alliance till the next elections. Besides, the party leaders in the House issued a whip to the corporators to cross-vote which led to the win of Faras.”
For the last two days, both the Congress and NCP took the committee members to unknown place and brought them back to the city only on Friday morning to avoid any horse-trading. Sources said Pureker received her own vote along with that of Sambhaji Jadhav of Shiv Sena.
The election to the post of chairman of the transport committee was stayed by district collector and election monitoring officer Rajaram Mane after independent candidate Prakash Naiknaware opposed the nomination of Congress nominee Ajit Powar. Naiknaware said that Powar cannot contest the election since the corporator proposing his name is co-opted and claimed that the nomination of Powar is illegal.
Since Naiknaware has already moved the district sessions court over the issue, Mane stayed the election till the court issues further orders. The election has been stayed till January 9. Being close to Satej Patil, Powar had an upper hand over Naiknaware.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Kolhapur / TNN / January 03rd, 2015
In 2015, Dr Ruveda Salam became the very first woman IPS officer from Jammu & Kashmir. When Ruveda was growing up, her father often used to say that he wanted his daughter to become an IPS (Indian Administrative Service) officer. That’s when she first thought of becoming one. It inspired her and she decided to aim for it.
“As I have cleared the UPSC (Union Public Services Commission) exam for the second time, I will have to go for training again depending on the cadre. I think I will be posted as a sub-collector. Last year, I was selected to the Indian Police Service cadre. I went for training to Hyderabad. The training was very strenuous. Physically it was very hard. I joined the IPS cadre in Tamil Nadu and was posted as an Assistant Commissioner of Police in Chennai,” Ruveda said in a report in Rediff.com .
Before Ruveda cleared the UPSC (for the first time), she got into medical college, but even while studying medicine she used to read a lot. Ruveda found time to clear the Kashmir State Administrative Service exam. Instead of doing a post graduation in medicine, Ruveda started preparing for the UPSC.
As a young ACP, Ruveda has given motivational speeches to the youth, particularly girls. She encourages them to appear for the IPS exams in Jammu and Kashmir. Ruveda’s role is challenging. It carries a lot of responsibility. “I am in a state where people respect the police. I like it here (Tamil Nadu). When girls see me in uniform they look at me with admiration. I had conducted a workshop for girls in Hyderabad. The girls who attended said they wanted to join the IPS, but were apprehensive about whether their parents will support them,” Ruveda shared.
According to Ruveda, development will lead to peace in Jammu and Kashmir. “Peace and development go together. We should look to the future. Living outside has helped me understand the situation better,” said Ruveda.
source: http://www.yourstory.com / Your Story / Home> Her Story> Think Change India / May 11th, 2016
Raaheela Ahmed won the school board race in Prince George’s county of Maryland
Her father is from India and mother from Pakistan
Her victory gains significance as her district has 80 per cent of African-American population
Washington :
A Muslim-American woman, whose parents are from India and Pakistan, has won a key local election in the US state of Maryland which was dominated by anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim rhetoric.
Raaheela Ahmed, 23, won the school board race in Prince George’s county of Maryland by defeating a long-time system administrator by an impressive 15 per cent vote difference.
She had unsuccessfully run for this position four years ago in 2012. Her father is from India and mother from Pakistan. Her victory gains significance as her district has 80 per cent of African-American population.
She was endorsed by the former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steel.
“It’s interesting that on the same day Donald Trump was elected as president of the US, I as a hijabi Muslim young woman was also elected to serve in a public office. I think that speaks volumes about the diversity of American opinion, and that American dream is still well and alive,” Ahmed said.
“I’d like to act as a form of inspiration for other minorities that they can achieve what they will, given prayer, circumstance and hard work. This win would not have been possible without the support and belief that other people had in me,” she said.
“For my young minority women, please know that at the end of the day, you are worthy of your highest inspirations. You have to believe that you are able to achieve them, even if societal structures do not yet allow for that. Because one day, those glass ceilings will break. And who knows?” Ahmed said.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> NRI> US & Canada / PTI / November 22nd, 2016
Former Minister and popular Muslim leader of Cuttack city Syed Mustafiz Ahmed passed away while undergoing treatment at a private hospital here on Monday. He was 77 and ailing for past several months. He is survived by his wife and a son.
Beginning his political career as a Councillor of the Cuttack Municipality and later becoming its Vice-Chairman, Ahmed was first elected to the State Assembly from the city constituency as a Janata Dal candidate in 1985.
After retaining his seat in 1990, he was made a Minister in the Biju Patnaik Ministry. Initially in charge of Textiles and Industries, he was elevated to the Cabinet rank and was given the charge of Health and Family Welfare.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Jual Oram, among many other leaders, expressed their deep condolences to the family of Ahmed, describing him as a gifted organiser, an able administrator and, above all, a sincere social worker, who had donated blood for over a hundred times.
Though a minority community leader, Ahmed was also very popular among other communities in the city for his amiable and sociable behaviour.
Army Chief Gen. Bipin Rawat unveiled a memorial during the anniversary of Param Veer Chakra Havildar Abdul Hamid, in Bhamupur village of Ghazipur on Sunday. | Photo Credit: PTI
Army Chief Gen. Bipin Rawat on Sunday unveiled a bust of the 1965 Indo-Pak war hero Abdul Hamid here in Ghazipur district and felicitated the widow of the soldier who was awarded Param Vir Chakra, the highest wartime gallantry medal.
On the occasion of the 52nd anniversary of his sacrifice, Gen. Rawat and his wife Madhulika met Rasoolan Bibi, wife of Havildar Hamid, and several other war widows and felicitated them. The Army chief also unveiled a memorial in Hamid’s honour in Dhamupur.
Lauding the contribution made by the people of the district to the armed forces, Gen. Rawat said a recruitment drive will be held soon in Ghazipur to encourage the youth to join the Army and contribute to the country’s security.
Hamid had destroyed several tanks of the Pakistan Army during the 1965 war in the Lahore sector.
“Jahan Hindustan ki sena khadi hai, wahan khatra kisi aur se nahi hai [where the Indian Army is present, there is no threat from anyone],” the Army Chief said.
“Hamid is an inspiration for the youth and his extraordinary bravery made the country proud,” he said.
On the Dokalam issue, Gen. Rawat said India and China have held talks and the situation there is under control.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home>New> National / PTI / Dhamupur (U.P) / September 10, 2017
The general body of the Kolhapur Municipal Corporation (KMC) on Thursday elected Nationalist Congress Party’s Hasina Faras as the next mayor and Congress nominee Arjun Mane as the deputy mayor.
Kunal Khemnar, the chief executive officer of the zilla parishad, presided over the meet to elect mayor and deputy mayor.
The posts were vacant for the past few weeks after mayor Ashwini Ramane and deputy mayor Shama Mulla resigned.
Faras and Mane defeated Bharatiya Janata Party-Tararani Aghadi alliance candidates Smita Mane and Vijay Khade. Despite having less numbers in the house, the opposition alliance had decided to contest the election. Four Shiv Sena corporators abstained from voting, giving as easy win to the ruling alliance.
In the 81-member house, Faras and Mane secured 44 votes each, while the opposition candidates got 33. The opposition was banking on the support of four Sena corporators and was also aiming to get a few more corporators from either Congress or NCP. However, the ruling alliance had issued a whip to their members to vote for the official nominees. To avoid any unfavourable results, all 44 corporators of the ruling alliance were taken to an undisclosed location for two days and were brought directly to the meeting. The voting by raising hands made it easy for the floor leaders to keep a watch on the corporators and to avoid any defection.
Faras is wife of former mayor Babu Faras and mother of former standing committee chairman Adil Faras. She is the first Muslim woman to hold the mayor’s post in the KMC. Faras is close to NCP leader Hasan Mushrif but she may get just a six-month term before stepping down to pave way for other corporators from NCP to become mayor.
Faras said, “I will push the Mahalakshmi temple development plan and also ensure that the Wi-Fi project for the city is initiated. The second phase work of renovation of Keshavrao Bhosale Natyagruha is pending; I will try to get funds from the state government for it.”
The project of Wi-Fi hot spots at various places in the city was proposed by her son Adil when he was chairman of the standing committee. After the new body came into place last year, the project has been on the back burner.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Kolhapur News / TNN / December 09th, 2016
Acclaimed lyricist Shahryar of Umraao Jaan fame, 75, died of lung cancer last night at Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh.
Born at Aonla Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, he belonged to a Muslim Rajput family. Shahryar retired as chairman of the Urdu Department at the Aligarh Muslim University. Later, he used to co-edit the literary magazine Sher-o-Hikmat.
Originally christened Akhlaq Mohammed Khan, he was recognised for his lyrics in Muzaffar Ali’s films like Gaman (1978), Umrao Jaan (1981) and Anjuman (1986).
His last lyrics were for Mira Nair’s critically acclaimed The Namesake (2006). In 1987, he was rewarded with the Sahitya Akademi Award in Urdu for Khwab Ka Dar Band Hai (1987). He was the fourth Urdu writer to win the Jnanpith Award in 2008. In memoriam
I knew him since 1966. He was family to me. The news of his death came as a great shock to me. He was one of the greatest modern poets. He was my inspiration. I used his poetry in all my films. I met him last when he received the Jnanpith Award. It was two and a half months back. He was undergoing chemotherapy at that time. Actually, I was planning to go to Aligarh to meet him. However, it never materialised.
Shahryar’s death is not only a loss to me but to the world of poetry. He was an extremely well mannered person, particularly sensitive to social issues. As for his work, his maximum contribution was in Umraao Jaan. But you cannot rule out the value that he added to Anjuman and Gaman. It’s an irreparable loss. I will miss him.
I was shocked at the news. Shahryar had done some great work and wrote some outstanding songs in his film career, especially in Umrao Jaan. The songs were immortal. He understood the soul of the movies. Ek se ek gaane likhe the. He received an honorary doctorate, few years back. He also got the Jnanpith award and he deserved these awards. Bahut bade shayar hai hamare mulukh ke.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> Entertainment> Hindu> Bollywood News / Mumbai Mirror / February 14th, 2012
