A quick glance at Roshni Misbah’s Instagram account and she seems like every other young woman today, posing in the occasional high-heeled boots, with her own unique style and a definite flair for fashion, and a loyal following of over 130,000 people. Okay, maybe that last one isn’t all that typical and once you scroll through her profile, you quickly see that Misbah isn’t very ordinary at all!
Misbah’s love for motorbikes is more than evident on her page and most of her posts will attest to that. Dubbed the Hijabi Biker of Delhi, the 23-year-old rider from India has been spotted around her city riding her Honda CBR 250 cc, to the surprise of many in Delhi and quickly becoming an inspiration to young hijabis across the world.
Her IG profile describes her as Punjabi-Muslim, an Arab and Islamic Studies scholar (at Jamia Millia Islamia in New Delhi), a businesswoman, and the only “girl in Indian to own the fastest bike.” According to Hindustan Times, Misbah started riding bikes in her school years, in the ninth standard. After practicing on her friend’s and her father’s motorcycle for years, she got her very first bike, a Bajaj Avenger Cruiser 220, which she paid half for and her father the rest.
Speaking to the news site, Misbah said, “Unlike many girls, I wanted to ride a bike rather than a scooty (gearless). I always had a passion for bikes and I am fulfilling it.” The young rider is today part of several biking groups in her city, including Bikerni, which is an all-female bikers’ group based in Delhi. Her celebrity status is not restricted to social media as the young rider often has fans around the city who recognize her and wave at her. In university, she also receives praise from other female students, who often ask if she could teach them to ride a motorbike.
To date, Misbah has driven over 24,000 kilometers across India and more than 60 bikes, according to SportsWallah.com. When she’s not riding the streets of Delhi and beyond, Misbah is working on plans to continue a PhD in Arab culture, helping her father in the family business, and planning her next motorbike purchase, her sights set on a Triumph Rocket 2300 cc.
source: http://www.abouther.com / About Her / Home> Lifestyle> Influencers
Izaan Ali, a 12-year old from the city, has made an entry into India Book of Records by making the smallest functional model of hovercraft measuring 10 inches x 6 inches.
Izaan’s hovercraft is remotely controlled and is connected to a GPS system. It uses four brushless motors and 3D printed components to run. This initiative that leverages smart technologies to revolutionise healthcare services was approved by the India Book of Records.
Currently studying in Class 7 at a private school in Ludhiana, Izaan thought of the idea years ago when he lost his grandfather to cardiac arrest. He said the family could not get urgent medical aid during the golden hour.
The hovercraft has been envisioned to seamlessly fill in the current lags in access to essential supplies which are currently restricted by operational constraints like working hours of delivery platforms, thus saving precious lives. An official launch and commercialisation are awaited.
Izaan’s parents are committed to his ambitions. While his father, Imtiaz Ali is an educational consultant, his mother Seher Imtiaz, is a rehabilitation psychologist. Residents of Dugri phase III, his parents shared that Izaan worked on this idea for around six-eight months and burnt the midnight oil (even during) his exams to achieve his goal.
Sharing details, Izaan Ali told TOI, “This hovercraft operates by creating a cushion of air underneath itself, allowing it to float above a surface. The main propulsion and lift for this hovercraft are provided by four brushless motors. The structure was enhanced using 3D printed components, making it customisable and relatively easy to repair or modify.”
His parents said the project is a demonstration of his commitment to renewable and sustainable technology and their importance in modern engineering. The project’s use of four brushless motors for propulsion and lift showcases its commitment to efficiency and performance. This design allows the hovercraft to glide smoothly over various terrains, opening up new possibilities for transportation in diverse environments.
“Furthermore, the project’s approach not only makes the hovercraft more adaptable to different needs but also emphasizes the importance of eco-friendly manufacturing practices.” Izaan added. Aiming to become an automobile engineer, he said, “ It me took around 6-8 months of time and around Rs 20,000 to create the prototype.”
Dimple Verma, Izaan’s mentor said, “This is a 4th generation mode of transport which reduces friction by 20-30% and can be beneficial for medical deliveries to rescue people who do not have connectivity, or are disadvantaged and die in challenging terrain.”
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> News> City News> Ludhiana News / April 04th, 2024
Proud to be Punjabi. That’s the well-heeled Punjabi community of the Capital, a community with established business interests, its own way of living, its own burial ground, says VIVEK SHUKLA….
Book your place to avoid disappointment… but only if you are a Punjabi Muslim as this burial ground near Shiddipura is reserved for Punjabis. Photo: S. Subramanium.
A MUSLIM family along with their friends and relatives recently went to a burial ground in Shiddipura near Idgah mosque known as Qabristan Qaum Punjabian for the last rites of a relative. They were, however, told by the guard of the burial ground that this place is only for Delhi’s Punjabi Muslim community.
Principal of Delhi University’s Zakir Hussain College, Prof. Riaz Umer, who is also the president of the Anjuman Vakile Qaum Punjabian of Delhi, the organisation looking after the institutions run by this community, informs that other than their own community members they only allow the burial of somebody who has made a significant contribution for their community.
This is a very unique community as Punjabi Muslims still vigorously preserve their own identity. The elders of Punjabi Muslim community came here for the first time in mid-17th Century from a place called Bhera in West Punjab, now in Pakistan. They were Khatri Hindus with surnames like Khanna, Channa, Sapra, Baluja, Saluja, Sehgal, Mehndiratta, Bahri and Sachdeva, etc., before embracing Islam.
Legend has is that a group of Punjabi Khatris from Bhera was going to Haridwar for a holy dip in Ganga. On the way, they met Sufi Shamsuddin Tabrez who asked where were they going. When he was told by the Khatris about their plan, the saint reportedly asked whether they would become Muslim if he brought the Ganga right there. The Hindu Khatris accepted his offer and the saint literally brought the Ganga there and then the awe-struck Hindus as promised converted to Islam.
S.M. Abdullah, a prominent member of Delhi’s Punjabi Muslim community, says that while it is true that their forefathers embraced Islam, nevertheless they vigorously guard their exclusive heritage. “Come, what may, Punjabi Muslims will not marry outside the community. We ensure that the bride or groom’s family is Punjabi Muslim, that too from Bhera,” says Abdullah, proudly adding that his surname is Mehndiratta.
It is said that 64 Punjabi Muslim families came to Delhi at the outset. They set up their base somewhere around the present-day Shalimar Bagh. The male members started going downtown to find work. “With the passage of time they started doing small jobs here but were rather shabbily treated by the locals as they were not sophisticated enough to communicate with the more refined and cultured Delhiwallahs,” says Nasser, another member of this dwindling community and a leading model.
According to Abdullah, the Punjabi Muslims’ big time came when the Moghul Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar was looking for some rare herb called Bahadra. When only the Punjabi Muslims could provide the herb, the king and his courtiers were really surprised. He called important members of this community and asked them whether they wanted anything from him. The Punjabi Muslims, among other things, sought permission to do business in downtown Delhi and a separate piece of land for their burial ground. The demand for business was granted and land was allotted to them near the present-day Raj Niwas, the official bungalow of Delhi’s Lt. Governor for burials. Once the first ground was full, another burial ground was made near the historic Idgah mosque at Shiddipura. Known as Qabristan Qaum Punjabian, the burial ground can only be used by Punjabi Muslims. There is no place for any non-Punjabi here.
It is said that 75 per cent of the Walled City belongs to this community. Except for a handful of doctors, teachers, engineers and advocates, they are all into business. Once G.B. Road was almost totally owned members of Punjabi Muslims. After Partition, many of them left India and the authorities confiscated their properties.
The famous Marina Hotel is also partially owned by one Haroon Japanwala while the famous Dehalvi family of Shama Publications fame are also Punjabi Muslims.
The historic Hardinge Library is also said to be financed by one Buksh Elahi, a cigarette merchant. He also belonged to this community.
The Punjabi Muslims community also conducts its own census every 10 years. According to the latest census report, the total population of this community in Delhi is 5090. The literacy rate is over 50 per cent. It is more than the literacy rate of Muslims in the Capital.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Metro Plus Delhi – online edition / by Vivek Shukla / March 06th, 2003
