Tauseef Ahmed from Mangalore , a renowned figure in animal rescue, has been awarded the prestigious ‘International Iconic Animal Rescue Hero 2024’ in Mumbai Film City. He was recognized in the social service category for his significant contributions to rescuing animals from the streets of Mangalore over the past 15 years.
Known as Mister Rescuer on Instagram, Tauseef Ahmed has rescued more than 8,000 street animals to date. His dedication extends beyond cats and dogs to include reptiles and birds. Despite facing threats from the cattle mafia, Ahmed’s commitment to animal rescue has continued. His efforts earned him the ‘Best Street Care and Rescue Award’ from India for Animals (IFA) in Hyderabad in 2018.
Originally from Kudremukh in Chikkamagaluru district, Tauseef Ahmed relocated to Mangalore at a young age. His passion for animals led him to join the Animal Care Trust (ACT) in 2010, where he discovered his life’s purpose. He quickly became one of the leading rescuers within the trust. During the devastating floods in Kodagu in 2018, Ahmed’s team played a key role in rescuing hundreds of animals abandoned by their owners, some even untied from their sheds.
In 2019, Ahmed delivered a TEDx talk titled ‘Our Planet, Theirs Too’ at Nitte Deemed to be University, emphasizing the importance of conserving and protecting not only exotic wildlife but also common animals.
Despite holding an MBA degree and owning a real-estate firm, Ahmed remains dedicated to his mission.
He trained in first aid and basic veterinary treatment under Dr. Lakshmi to enhance his rescue efforts during emergencies.
His first book, ‘Straying Around,’ is based on his experiences in animal rescue.
source: http://www.english.varthabharati.in / Vartha Bharati / Home> Karavali / by Vartha Bharati / June 08th, 2024
It’s the author’s well-founded belief that Salim Ali’s life offers today’s children a role model.
Here’s hope for those young people who are mediocre with mathematics and other studies, and likely to be uninterested in business. Salim (pronounced Saalim, not Saleem) Ali’s interest in birds began to awaken when he shot a male sparrow, standing guard over its mate’s nest, with an air rifle. Next morning he found that another male sparrow had taken its place, and he shot that too… This went on until he had shot eight male sparrows, and then wonderment took the place of whatever had urged him to shoot those sparrows. This wonderment gave his life a foundation of incredible strength. It enabled him to survive the loss of several salaried jobs, and, later, the loss of Tehmina, his wife, who, throughout their 21 years together, supported his efforts wholeheartedly.
This book is his life story, told simply, and for children. It’s the author’s well-founded belief that Salim Ali’s life offers today’s children a role model.
The author makes no effort to sugar-coat the story. Salim’s initial difficulties with academics are covered in some detail, as well as mediocre performance in school, and his inability, found in many others of his extended family, to run a business successfully. This mediocrity at school had nothing to with his powers of observation, though. For example, it was known that the houbara bustard he saw in Sind (now in Pakistan), under normal hot and dry conditions, has a colour that affords perfect camouflage, enabling it to hide easily in the sand. Salim discovered, however, that the bustard’s colour changes in the rains, enabling it to hide in wet sand as well!
Also included is the story of Salim’s relationship with Colonel Richard Meinertzhagen, a former British Intelligence officer. The Colonel’s claims to being a hero might have been authentic, but his claims as an ornithologist were proven false in the 1990s, decades after his death. It illustrates Salim’s naivete with people, but also warns youngsters of the possibility of charlatanry in science.
My favourite story, though, is about Salim’s encounter with a bandit in the summer of 1945. Near the Tibetan border, poking around among the bushes, he saw a bandit armed with a dagger and a rifle. Escape was impossible, so he resorted to a ruse. He had a collapsible chair, a small folding seat on a stick. He pretended that the stick was a rifle barrel, and clicked the folding seat open to give the impression that he was loading and cocking his own rifle. It worked, for the bandit fled.
So here’s proof that commitment, integrity, and hard work — combined with observation, quick thinking, and luck — will get you where a great academic background won’t. A terrific lesson for youngsters, and packaged well, to boot.
The Bird Man of India: Salim Ali for Children
By Zai Whitaker / Hachette / pp. 142; Rs 350
source: http://www.asianage.com / Asian Age / Home> Books / by Shashi Warrier / August 27th, 2023
“It was while commuting to college that I began exploring ideas for safe travel for women after personally facing security issues. I researched extensively to find a way for women to commute without harassment and inconveniences,” said Zainab Khatoon, one of the founders of Dovely — India’s only bike taxi service for women, driven by women.
Zainab, along with her friend Masarrat and her siblings Obaidullah Khan and Uzma Khatoon, deliberated extensively and came up with the idea of running taxi bikes for women, where both the passengers and the service providers are women. Together they founded an app (Dovely) to cater to women and girls who want to travel safely in the city.
“‘DOVE’ is a bird, which represents peace and harmony, and ‘LY’ stands for ladies,” shared another founder, Uzma.
They launched the app on June 15, 2022, initially with very few users. However, they now have around 80-100 riders registered, with 20-25 working as full-fledged riders.
Zainab, who heads the company, personally interviews every candidate to ensure they have a valid license and can navigate Hyderabad’s busy streets. Their riding skills are also tested by a team of experts.
“All of the women who are registered with us share the same concern for women’s safety. Besides, they see this as an opportunity to earn income,” explained Zainab.
Most registered bikers are young women aged 18-50. Some are single mothers, seeking to support their families, while others are students — earning pocket money. Their passengers include working women, students and middle-aged women visiting relatives or doctors.
The initial stages were challenging, as many Hyderabad residents were unaccustomed to seeing women bikers, especially those wearing burqa (veil). Some questioned the young bikers why they needed to earn money by becoming drivers when there were other job opportunities. They perhaps overlooked the fact that many girls are passionate about riding.
“Once a woman passenger books a ride with Dovely, she often becomes a regular customer and subscribes to the app,” claimed Zainab.
“Many aunties give us lots of duas (blessings) after we drop them safely at their destination,” she said.
Uzma Khatoon, Zainab’s sister and co-founder of the firm, shared, “I am humbled to be part of many women’s stories and want to help them fulfill their passion through Dovely.”
One young woman, Tasneem (name changed), shared that she tried working with other delivery platforms but quit on the first day because she had to deal mainly with men. She said she feels safe and comfortable working with Dovely.
The founders claimed they get compliments for contributing to a safe commuting experience for ladies. “This feedback from our passengers and partners keeps us going. The feeling that we are empowering women in our own way and ensuring that at least 100 women travel safely every day makes us happy,” said Zainab.
A member of the Dovely team monitors rides, tracking the live location from pick-up to drop-off. However, some women are also unhappy due to the limited number of drivers and busy schedules. The Dovely team hopes to resolve this issue as they recruit more women drivers.
Currently, it provides services through WhatsApp and plans to launch the app on the Play Store after achieving the target of over 200 rides. The app is still being developed, and the four founders are funding their venture — taking baby steps for now.
Dovely operates at ‘zero’ commission, unlike other service providers — who charge drivers. The team feels they have a long way to go.
Currently, services run until 8:30 pm, but they may extend the time if more safety measures are in place for women commuting at night. In the future, they plan to expand to auto-rickshaws and cabs, all managed by women. They also aim to handle transport and logistics led by women.
The Dovely team is driven by the passion to empower women.
source: http://www.twocircles.net / TwoCircles.net / Home> Indian Muslim / by Nikhat Fatima, TwoCircles.net / June 03rd, 2024
In a thumbing victory, IUML continues its consistent legacy of electoral successes right from 1952 Loksabha Elections.
The party retained it’s bastions of Malapuram and Ponnani with a record breaking victory margin along with a blitzkrieg victory in Ramanathapuram, decimating the BJP and AIADMK
Kerala registered a record winning the 3 of 3 seats it contested. Party worker’s enthusiastic campaigns and IUML’s strategic electoral support to INDIA Allaince partners also ensured in restricting the authoritarian ruling party to retaining power.
While E.T. MOHAMMED BASHEER won from Malapuram and DR. M.P ABDUSSAMAD SAMADANI Ponnani from Kerala, NAVASKANI K got elected from Ramanathapuram in Tamil Nadu.
IUML backed, Congress led UDF also secured 18 seats out of 20 in Kerala, while DMK-IUML- Congress Allaince swept TamilNadu Loksabha securing all 39 seats of the state.
Congratulations on the stellar electoral performance with record vote margins. May the elected parliamentarians stand steadfast in the fight against minority infringements and protection of human rights.
source: http://www.muslimmirror.com / Muslim Mirror / Home> Election 2024> Indian Muslims> Politics / by Muslim Mirror Staff / June 05th, 2024
Sajda Ahmed of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Iqra Munawwar Hasan Chaudhary of the Samajwadi Party are among the 24 Muslim members who have been elected to the 18th Lok Sabha in the just concluded election.
The entry of 24 Muslims in the Lok Sabha is seen as a positive move towards the participation of India’s second-largest religious community in Parliamentary democracy.
While the 27-year-old year Iqra is a law graduate who won from the Kairana constituency in Western Uttar Pradesh on the ticket of the Samajwadi party Sajda Ahmed is a veteran leader who has won for Lok Sabha election a third time.
Sajda Ahmed has been re-elected from the Uluberia constituency where she secured 694,945 votes and defeated her nearest rival of the BJP Arun Uday Pal Chaudhary.
Iqra, a debutant defeated her nearest rival BJP’s Pradeep Kumar by 69,116 votes in a closely contested election.
Iqra, an alumnus of the Lady Sri Ram College of New Delhi – she also graduated in law from the UK – hails from a political family of Shamli.
The number of Muslims elected to Lok Sabha doesn’t look as low as was feared by the Community. Muslims have been complaining about their diminishing presence in India’s political spectrum.
However, this time political parties had fielded only 78 candidates from the Muslim community as against 115 in the 2019 election.
The most well-known Muslim who successfully contested elections is cricketer Yusuf Pathan. He not only won his maiden political battle as the candidate of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) from the Baharampur constituency of West Bengal, he also turned out to be a giant killer as he defeated Congress veteran Adhir Ranjan Chaudhary.
Muslim leaders like the two former Chief Ministers of Jammu and Kashmir – Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah – were defeated in their respective constituencies. Omar was defeated by an independent candidate Abdul Rashid Sheikh who is known by his nickname of Engineer Rashid, whose campaign was run in absentia by his two sons.
Engineer Rashid, whose real name is Abdul Rashid Sheikh won the Baramulla seat by securing 4.7 lakh votes against his main rival Omar Abdullah, former Chief Minister and vice-president of the National Conference. He too is a giant killer in this election.
Interestingly, Engineer Rashid’s campaign was carried on by his two sons as he has been in Delhi’s Tihar Jail for five years facing trial for his alleged involvement in supporting terrorists in Kashmir.
In Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag-Rajouri seat, National Conference’s Mian Altaf Ahmed defeated Mehbooba Mufti by 2,81,794 votes, and in the Srinagar constituency, NC candidate Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehndi got 3,56,866 votes against PDP’s Wahid Para.
From Ladakh, Independent candidate Mohammad Hanifa won by a margin of 27,862 votes.
In Uttar Pradesh, Samajwadi Party’s Maulana Mohibullah fought the election for the first time and he won on the ticket of the Samajwadi Party from the Rampur seat by securing 4,81,503 votes.
Ziaur Rahman of the Samajwadi Party from Uttar Pradesh has been elected from the Sambhal constituency.
Afzal Ansari has won from the Ghazipur on the ticket of the Samajwadi party. He is the brother of the gangster Mukhtar Ansari who died while serving a sentence for murder in the jail.
Imran Masood of Congress won against his BJP rival Raghav Lakhanpal from Saharanpur.
From Hyderabad (Telangana) Asaduddin Owaisi of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen(AIMIM) won against BJP’s K. Madhavi Latha. He has won the Lok Sabha election for the fifth time.
In the 16th Lok Sabha, there were only 22 Muslim Members while the highest number of Muslims elected to the lower house – 49 – was in 1980 and most of them were from Congress. In the last General election 115 Muslim contested while only 22 won.
As against this, in the 2024 elections, only 78 Muslim candidates were fielded and 24 of them won.
West Bengal has elected the highest number of Muslim MPs in the just concluded elections. They are: Khalilur Rahaman, Jangipur, Yusuf Pathan, Baharampur, Abu Taher Khan, Murshidabad, S K Nurul, (Basirhat), Sajda Ahmed, (Uluberia), Isha Khan Choudhary, (Maldaha Dakshin).
Bihar: Muhammad Javed Kishanganj and Tariq Anwar Katihar (Congress)
Assam: Raqib Hussain Dhubri
Kerala: Shafi Parambil (Vadakara), ET Muhammad Basheer (Malappuram) and Dr. MP Abdul Samad Samdani (Ponnani)
Lakshdeep: Muhammad Hamdullah Saeed
Tamil Nadu: Nivas Kinis Ramanathapuram
source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Story / posted by Aasha Kosa / June 05th, 2024
Following her victory from the Cuttack seat, Congress candidate Sofia Firdous has become the first Muslim woman MLA in the history of Odisha since Independence.
Sofia Firdous won the Barabati-Cuttack seat with a margin of 8001 after a neck-to-neck contest with BJP’s Purna Chandra Mahapatra. Firdous replaced her father and sitting MLA Mohammed Moquim from the seat.
In the Lok Sabha elections across the country, at least 15 Muslim candidates successfully secured seats in the lower house. The list includes TMC nominee and former India cricketer Yusuf Pathan who secured a comfortable victory over Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury in the Congress veteran’s Baharampur bastion. ( With Agencies Inputs )
source: http://www.muslimmirror.com / Muslim Mirror / Home> Indian Muslim> Politics> Women / by Muslim Mirror Staff / June 06th, 2024
Shaheen Bagh: From ‘Anti-National’ to Nation Saviour Author: Asad
Don’t judge a book by the cover, they say. But in this book, the cover has a lot going for it. The photo is arresting. A Muslim man, dressed in a PPE suit and a white skullcap, holding an oxygen cylinder. His eyes stare right at the reader. COVID narratives are all over mainstream and alternative media. There have been films made on the pandemic; featuring some testimonies and narratives. But overall, they have been a discomfiting read. Many people, despite appreciating the quality of the film, found themselves struggling to get through films such as Bheed (2023), a stirring black-and-white account of the workers’ migration and the quarantine. No one wishes to revisit some of the darkest times in recent history. It is also perhaps too soon. 2023 was perhaps the first year since the pandemic resembling full ‘normalcy’. But where is the normalcy for those who suffered directly from it? Asad’s book is a haunting testimony to those days, particularly in Delhi.
Ask any Delhiite and they will tell you that the sound of ambulances in those times is not forgotten. This book too, takes you back into those days. Many videos of families stranded outside hospitals with no knowledge of their loved ones come back to mind as you flip through the pages. A large chunk of Asad’s narrative is based in Jamia Nagar and Okhla. The award-winning journalist brings to life familiar names and familiar losses.
Resilience is a common term that comes to mind in times of great tragedy. Cities that suffer great loss are called resilient. They bounce back. Resilience is a running theme here too. When you reach the end of the book and you can feel the sirens slowing down for a while, you breathe a sigh of relief. But then, you think – the book might be over, but the trauma isn’t, for many families. Does resilience need to go hand in hand with justice, restoration and adequate redressal?
There are many parts of the book that highlight and centre the subtitle of the book – from ‘anti-national’ to nation saviour.
Muslims became the target of a media campaign. Members of the Tablighi Jamaat were unfairly arrested and held responsible for the pandemic. Shaheen Bagh had been cleared forcefully. A pogrom ripped through the city. The facts do not need to be repeated but recalled. Muslims emerged to fight back against this narrative and help out their own; people set up helplines, task forces, did everything in their human capacity to help others even at great human risk. Asad, with the true quality of a journalist, does not gloss over failures or places where more efficiency was needed.
The book, unfortunately, like many other self-publishing efforts was in dire need of a good editor. There are errors and lack of standardisation that can be corrected if a second edition emerges. The book also needed more structure to make it clearer; in parts, the book reads like news reports and first-person narratives running into one. However, as an act of record-keeping, it is a vital contribution and a brave effort, and must be supported.
source: http://www.radiancenews.com / Radiance News / Home> Focus> Review Article / by Shayma S / Radiance News Bureau / February 08th, 2024
For the uninitiated, Bilkis Bano has no connection to Gujarat. She is a KPCC general secretary from Bhadravathi in Shivamogga, who once used to work closely with the Janata Parivar and has known Chief Minister Siddaramaiah from those days.
Bilkis Bano is KPCC general secretary from Bhadravathi in Shivamogga. Photo | X
Bengaluru :
With a certain Bilkis Bano figuring in the list of Congress nominees, the question on everyone’s mind is: Who on earth is she?
For the uninitiated, Bilkis Bano has no connection to Gujarat. She is a KPCC general secretary from Bhadravathi in Shivamogga, who once used to work closely with the Janata Parivar and has known Chief Minister Siddaramaiah from those days.
Sources said she is Siddaramaiah’s candidate while his’s son Yathindra, who sacrificed his Varuna seat for his father, is the high command nominee.
Other Siddaramaiah MLC nominees are minister NS Boseraju and K Govindraj. Vasanth Kumar and Basanagouda Badarli are AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge’s candidates while Ivan D’souza is said to be Krishna Byre Gowda’s man although he is said to be close to Siddaramaiah too.
It was a surprise that Deputy CM DK Shivakumar’s two nominees, Vijay Mulgund, who was also raided due to his closeness to the KPCC chief, and Vinay Karthik, who is an office bearer in the KPCC, did not make it to the final list.
The 10 Congress MLAs necessary for nomination of Bilkis Bano signed on her nomination and the proposer and seconders will be on Monday.
Sources said Bilkis Bano is respected as a loyal party worker. She is quite close to Bhadravathi MLA Sangamesh for whom she campaigned vigorously and personally led the canvassing in 2023. She has served formerly as the chairman of the Minorities Development Corporation during the previous tenure of Siddaramaiah as CM for about 18 months.
When TNIE tried to reach her on Sunday evening, all three of her numbers were either switched off or not reachable.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Karnataka / by Bansy Kalappa / June 03rd, 2024
S.N. Sikkander (second from Left) receiving the award
Chennai :
Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), a Dalit social movement and political party committed to combating caste-based discrimination and actively participating in Tamil Nadu’s politics, held an awards ceremony, on Saturday last, to honor prominent state leaders for their exemplary service to society.
VCK, currently represented by two MPs in the Lok Sabha, recognized seven individuals for their decades of selfless dedication to various social causes, ranging from political activism to fostering communal harmony
One of the distinguished awardees was S.N. Sikkander, State Secretary of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Tamil Nadu, former State President of Welfare Party of India, and editorial board member of Samarasam Magazine. He was awarded the ‘Qaid-e-Millath Crescent Award’ for his significant contributions to communal harmony, disaster relief efforts, and political activism.
Other notable awardees included Mr. R. Mutharasan, State Secretary of CPI; Advocate Arulmozhi, Secretary of Dravidar Kazhagam; actor Prakash Raj; Bishop Esra Sargunam; Mr. A. Subbarayulu, an epigrapher; and Professor Raj Gowthaman.
The award ceremony, held in Chennai, attracted thousands of spectators who echoed the importance of nurturing harmony, peace, and mutual respect among communities.
source: http://www.radiancenews.com / Radiance News / Home> Pride of the Nation> Awards / by Radiance News Bureau / June 01st, 2024
Despite the impressive show by the secular parties in the 2024 Parliamentary Elections, number of Muslim MPs in the new Lok Sabha has gone down by 04 as compared to their tally in the last house.
Iqra Hasan and Afzal Ansari – both have won from Uttar Pradesh
LS Election Result 2024:
Lok Sabha 2024 to have 23 Muslim MPs New Delhi: Despite the impressive show by the secular parties in the 2024 Parliamentary Elections, number of Muslim MPs in the new Lok Sabha has gone down by 04 as compared to their tally in the last house.
According to the final result released by the Election Commission of India (ECI), the 18th Lok Sabha will have a total of 23 Muslim MPs from different states of the country.
Of them a maximum 07 are from the Congress Party followed by 05 of the Trinamool Congress Party (TMC), 04 are of the Samajwadi Party (SP), 02 of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), 02 of the Jammu Kashmir National Conference, 01 of the All India Majlis e Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) and 02 Independents.
List of Muslims in 18th Lok Sabha
Congress
Rakibul Hussain Congress Dhubri, Assam
Mohammad Jawed Congress Kishanganj, Bihar
Tariq Anwar Congress Kathiar Bihar
Shafi Parambil Congress Vadakara, Kerala
Imran Masood Cngr Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh
Isha Khan Choudhury Maldaha Dakshin, West Bengal
Muhammed Hamdullah Sayeed Lakshadweep
Samajwadi Party (SP)
Iqra Choudhary Kairna, Uttar Pradesh
Mohibbullah Rampur, Uttar Pradesh
Zia Ur Rehman Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh
Afzal Ansari Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh
Trinamool Congress Party (TMC)
Khalilur Rahaman Jangipur, West Bengal
Yusuf Pathan Baharampu, West Bengal
Abu Taher Khan Murshidabad, West Bengal
Sk Nurul Islam Basirhat, West Bengal
Sajda Ahmed Uluberia, West Bengal
Indian Union Muslim League (IUML)
E.T. Mohammed Basheer Malappuram, Kerala
Dr. M.P Abdussamad Samadani, Ponnani, Kerala
Jammu Kashmir National Conference (JKNC)
Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi Srinagar, Jammu Kashmir
Mian Altaf Ahmad Anantnag-Rajouri. Jammu Kashmir
All India Majlis e Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM)
Asaduddin Owaisi Hyderabad, Telangana
Independent
Abdul Rashid Sheikh Baramulla, Kashmir
Mohmad Haneefa Ladakh
Prominent losers
Kanwar Danish Ali Amroha, Uttar Pradesh
Badruddin Ajmal Qasmi, Dhubri, Assam
Omar Abdullah, Jammu Kashmir
Mehbooba Mufti, Jammu Kashmir
Imtiaz Jaleel, Aurangabad Maharashtra
Hena Shahab, Siwan, Bihar
Mohd Salim CPI(M) West Bengal
None of the Muslim MPs are from the ruling BJP. The party had fielded Dr Abdul Salam from Malappuram Parliamentary seat in Kerala. He however lost the election to the IUML candidate.
Rakibul Hussain of the Congress won the 2024 Lok Sabha elections by more than 10 lakh votes which is the highest victory margin in India.
The number of Muslim MPs in 2014 was 23. However, Muslims improved their tally in 2019 by 04 despite a huge Modi wave.
LS Election 2024 Final Result
The Election Commission of India announced the final result late in the night Tuesday. According to which, the BJP led NDA alliance has won a total of 292 seats which include a total of 240 seats won by the BJP.
According to the ECI final data, the Congress led INDIA alliance has won a total of 234 seats which include 99 seats won by the Congress, 37 won by SP, 29 won by TMC and 22 won by DMK Tamil Nadu.
source: http://www.ummid.com / Ummid.com / Home / by Ummid.com News Network / June 05th, 2024
