List of 132 martyrs from Karnataka who laid down their lives during 1857 War of Independence

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KARNATAKA:

Mangaluru:

Many parts of India, including parts of Kananda-speaking states, witnessed revolts against the British Raj following the mutiny of 1857. The following 132 names of the martyrs of the 1857 War of Independence are from Karnataka (hundreds of martyrs remain unaccounted for). These included Hindus-Muslims-Sikhs as well as people of all Castes and sections, women included. These names have been gathered from Dictionary of Martyrs: India’s Freedom Struggle 1857-1947, v. 5, Ministry of Culture, Government of India & ICHR, 2018. It is based on contemporary British official documents including ‘Mutiny Records’. This list has been compiled by Dr. Shamsul Islam, former Associate Professor of Delhi University, and published as a Poster during the BV Kakkilaya Oration 2023, held at University College, Mangalore on September 9, 2023.

Koppala Durga (Fort) Battle 1858

The bloodiest anti-British rebellion was at Koppala Fort under the leadership of Bhima Rao Nadagouda, also known as Mundaragi Bhima Raya. Bhima Raya was born as the son of Ranga Rao, Tehsildar of Bellary. Bhimaraya himself served as a Mamledar (a land revenue official) in Bellary, Hoovina Hadagali, and Harapana Halli. He could not stand the exploitation of peasantry under British rule and he was finally dismissed from his position as a result of his protests against the British exploitation of the peasantry. He led the anti-tax propaganda in Dharwad and urged people to join the anti-British movement. In 1857, he gathered 300-400 people and planned a revolt at Hammigi.

However, he had to hold the plan as the information leaked and the District Collector got to know about their plan. He was a friend of Nana Saheb and the latter urged him to revolt in his letters.

He contacted various groups of Beda fighters and started accumulating arms and creating ammunition dumps at various places. He organized an anti-British alliance of patriotic chiefs like Kenchan Gowda Sirnagowda of Govenkop, Srinivas Desai of Dumbal, and Bhaskar Rao Bhave of Nargund, and raised an army of over 3,000 soldiers. On 23 May 1858, the founder of Dambal raided one such arms cache of Kenchan Gowda at Hammigi and sealed it. Rao and his comrade Soratur Desai gathered supporters and marched on Hemmigi took back all the arms and ammunition and shifted to a safer place in Shirahatti. Then he started raiding British armories in various places. Many local landowners and kings supported Bhimaraya and joined him in the revolt. When the British took Bhimaraya’s wife and kids as hostages, Bhimaraya came with his army freed his family went to the fort in Koppal, and prepared to fight with a large stock of food, arms, and ammunition. By May 30, they and Kenchan Gowda had fled to Koppal Fort after killing the security guards, looting the weapons, and attacking the treasuries at Dambal and Gadag. British gathered a large force from their stations at Dharwad, Raichur, Hyderabad, and Bellary and marched on Koppal fort. After a fierce fight, Bhimaraya fell to the bullets on 1 June 1858. British carried out brutal reprisals against Bhimaraya’s associates and supporters.

Martyrs of the Koppaladurg Battle 1858

Bhim Rao Nadgowda: Mundargi, Gadag. Leader. Fell at the battleground after gallant resistance and died on 1 June 1858. Kenchan Gowda Sirnagowda: Hammigi, Mundaragi, Gadag. Leader. Killed during the battle near the gateway of the fort on 1 June 1858. Captured by the British during the battle, sentenced to death, and shot dead by firing squad or blown away with a cannon in June 1858.

  1. Bala Saheb: Kurlahalli, Mundargi, Gadag

2. Baramappa: Kurlahalli, Mundargi, Gadag.

3. Barma: Kurlahalli, Mundargi, Gadag.

4. Bani Saheb: Hammigi, Mundargi, Gadag.

5. Barmappa: Nowli, Hadagali, Ballary.

6. Basava: Mundwad, Mundargi, Gadag.

7. Basavanna: Navalagund, Dharwad.

8. Basayya: Kurlahalli, Mundargi, Gadag.

9. Basayya: Wadarhatti, Mundargi, Gadag.

10. Basayya Talari: Tahrargi, Mundargi, Gadag

11. Bawa/Baba Saheb: Kurlahalli, Gadag.

12. Beemah: Kurlahalli, Mundargi, Gadag.

13. Beemnah: Hammigi, Mundargi, Gadag.

14. Bassya: Kundgul, Dharwad.

15. Bhim: Kurlahalli, Mundargi, Gadag.

16. Bhima: Kukanur, Yelburga, Koppal.

17. Bhima: Kurlahalli, Mundargi, Gadag.

18. Bhimanna: Kurlahalli, Mundargi, Gadag.

19. Bhimappa: Hirenandihal, Koppal.

20. Burmah: Kurlahalli, Mundargi, Gadag.

21. Channappa: Betageri, Gadag.

22. Chenna: Singtalur, Mundargi, Gadag.

23. Chunia Virappa: Hammigi, Mundargi, Gadag.

24. Daud Saheb: Venkatapur, Mundargi, Gadag.

25. Durga: Kurlahalli, Mundargi, Gadag.

26. Ella: Hammigi, Gadag.

27. Eman Saheb: Kurlahali, Mundargi, Gadag.

28. Fakeer Saheb: Kurlahali, Mundargi, Gadag.

29. Girianna: Kurlahali, Mundargi, Gadag.

30. Gograppa: Hemmigi, Mundargi, Gadag.

31. Gograppa: Kurlahalli, Gadag.

32. Gurda: Hesarur, Mundargi, Gadag.

33. Hamid Sahib: Kurlahalli, Mundargi, Gadag.

34. Hammanna: Hesarur, Mundargi, Gadag.

35. Hanagowda: Gangapur, Mundargi, Gadag.

36. Hanumanna: Kurlahalli, Mundargi, Gadag.

37. Hareah Saheb: Kurlahalli, Mundargi, Gadag.

38. Hayat Saheb: Kurlahalli, Mundargi, Gadag.

39. Hayat Saib: Bannur, Koppal Hiriyappa:

40. Hesarur, Mundargi, Gadag.

41. Hulgia: Kurlahalli, Mundargi, Gadag.

42. Hunma: Waddarhatti, Mundargi, Gadag.

43. Hunnamah: Kurlahalli, Mundargi, Gadag.

44. Hussun Saib: Kurlahalli, Mundargi, Gadag

45. Jivan Sahib: Hammigi, Mundargi, Gadag.

46. Junah: Hammigi, Raichur.

47. Kajah: Kurlahalli, Mundargi, Gadag.

48. Karka: Kurlahalli, Mundargi, Gadag.

49. Karka: Hammigi, Mundargi, Gadag.

50. Karyanna: Hammigi, Mundargi, Gadag.

51. Lakshmana: Kurlahalli, Mundargi, Gadag.

52. Latchma: Bagewardi, Gadag.

53. Laxmana: Bagewadi, Mundargi, Gadag.

54. Linga: Hammigi, Mundargi, Gadag.

55. Linga: Harpanahalli, Bellary.

56. Linga: Kurlahalli, Mundargi, Gadag.

57. Madarangah: Hesarur, Mundargi, Gadag.

58. Malliah: Waddarhatti, Mundargi, Gadag.

59. Mudallaner: Kuran, Koppal.

60. Mulla (II): Kurlahalli, Mundargi, Gadag.

61. Mulla (I): Kurlahalli, Mundargi, Gadag.

62. Peeru: Hesarur, Mundargi, Gadag.

63. Pongari: Kurlahalli, Mundargi, Gadag.

64. Punee Saheb: Hammigi, Gadag.

65. Ramannah: Singatalur, Mundargi, Gadag.

66. Ranga (II): Kurlahalli, Mundargi, Gadag

67. Ranga (I): Kurlahalli, Mundargi, Gadag.

68. Sahib Husain: Kurlahali, Mundargi, Gadag.

69. Shidda: Bagwadi, Mundargi, Gadag.

70. Syed Budin: Bankapur, Haveri.

71. Tammanna: Kukanur, Yelburga, Koppal.

72. Tammayya: Hesarur, Mundargi, Gadag.

73. Timma: Kurlahalli, Mundargi, Gadag.

74. Tummanah Talari: Hesarur, Mundargi, Gadag.

75. Ukunda: Kurlahalli, Mundargi, Gadag.

76. Urvee: Hammigi, Mundargi, Gadag.

77. Vallabhadas: Bagewadi, Mundargi, Gadag.

78. Veerappa: Raichur.

79.Vobul Doss: Begewadi, Gadag.

80. Yalya: Hammigi, Mundargi, Gadag.

81. Yllya: Hammigi, Mundargi, Gadag.

82. Balakristayya: Bhalki, distt. Bidar is a descendant of the royal family of Satara. Captured by the British and sentenced to transportation for life, died in penal servitude.

(notes 83and 84 to be rectified)

Nargund Revolt

The principality of Nargund was under British overlordship and Bhaskar Rao Bhave also known as Baba Saheb rose to the throne of Nargund in 1842. As he did not have a son, he wanted to adopt one to create an heir for Nargund. The British refused permission and this enraged Baba Saheb and he got in touch with several rulers in Karnataka like Mundaragi Bhimaraya, Surpur Venkatappa Nayaka, the Desais of Hammigi, Dambal, Soratur, and many others. He was aware of the North Indian uprising and wanted to time his revolt in June of 1857. However, he postponed the date at the last moment. In May 1858 when the British sent a force to prevent his networking with other rulers, he attacked them and brought the decapitated head of Officer Manson, the head of the British force sent to suppress him, to his fort and displayed it to the people. The British army marched to Nargund Fort on 1st June. Baba Saheb, upon realizing the treachery of his close associates sought help from Bhimrao and Kenchan Gowda. But they were busy fighting the British at Koppal. The British force killed around 70 men and burned the possessions of Saheb. Though he escaped from the fort, he was later captured at Toragal forest. He was tried and hanged at Haystack Hill at Belgaum on 12 June 1858.

Martyrs of Naragund Revolt

  1. Bhaskar Rao Bhave: Ruler of Nargund Princely State, Gadag. Revolted against the British for the question of adoption, murdered S. J. Manson. He was caught and hanged at Haystack Hill at Belgaum on 12 June 1858.

2. Vishnu Hirekoppa alias Vishnu Kulkarni: Hirekoppa, Nargund, Gadag. Reported to have beheaded the British Officer, Manson, at Sureban on the night of 29 May 1858. Hirekoppa was captured and hanged publicly at Nargund in 1860.

3. Srinivas Veenkatadri Desai: Dumbal, Gadag. Joined the Chief of Nargund, Bhimrao Mundargi, and others on 24 May 1858. Caught and blown away with a gun on 12 June 1858.

4. Bapu: Nargund, Gadag. He was Naik (leader) of the Shetsanadis of Nargund. On the charge of assisting the Chief of Nargund in his rebellion against the British, he was caught on 10 June 1858 and hanged in front of the Petah of Nargund.

5. Arjun: Nargund, Gadag. Arrested and hanged on 24 June 1858 in front of the Petah of Nargund.

6. Basappa: Nargund, Gadag. Arrested and shot dead by firing squad at Nargund on 10 June 1858 at 5 p.m.

7. Basappa: Amargol, Nargund, Gadag. Caught on 18 June 1858 and hanged in front of the Petah of Nargund Basappa

8. Sindagi: Nargund, Gadag. Arrested and shot dead by musketry at Nargund on 12 June 1858.

9. Basappa Tambe: Nargund, Gadag. Caught and hanged at a public place at Dharwad in June 1858.

10. Bhawani Singh: Koppal, Kiledar of Koppal. Captured and shot dead

11. Fakir Mohammad: Nargund, Gadag. Arrested, shot dead by firing squad at Nargund on 10 June 1858 at 5 p.m.

12. Faras Khan: Nargund, Gadag. Arrested, shot dead by firing squad at Nargund on 10 June 1858 at 5 p.m.

13. Gangadhar Chintamun alias Anna Sahasrabudhe: Nargund, Gadag. He was a Clerk in the Nargund Princely State; aged 24. Arrested, hanged to death at a public place at Dharwad in June 1858.

14. Govind Dhanagar: Nargund, Gadag. Arrested and shot dead by firing squad at Nargund on 12 June 1858.

15. Govind Narayan Parachure alias Anna Parachure: Nargund, Gadag. Arrested and hanged at Dharwad in June 1858.

16. Guddu: Nargund, Gadag. Arrested, shot dead by firing squad at Nargund on 10 June 1858 at 5 p.m.

17. Hanumant Ghatage: Nargund, Gadag. Arrested and shot dead by firing squad on 28 June 1858. Hanumanta: Nargund, Gadag. Captured and hanged at Dharwad in the last week of June 1858.

18. Imam Ismail: Nargund, Gadag. Shot dead by musketry at Nargund on 10 June 1858 at 5 p.m.

19. Kallappa: Shirole, Nargund, Gadag. Captured and shot dead by firing squad on 28 June 1858

20. Laxman Janardan: Nargund, Gadag arrested and shot dead by musketry at Nargund on 10 June 1858 at 5 p.m.

21.Linga: Nargund, Gadag. Arrested on 18 June 1858 and hanged in front of the Petah of Nargund.

22. Piraji: Nargund, Gadag. Captured, shot dead by firing squad at Nargund on 10 June 1858 at 5 p.m.

23. Raghoba Limaya: Nargund, Gadag. Arrested and hanged in front of the Petah of Nargund on 16 June 1858 at 6 p.m.

24. Rehaman Khan: Nargund, Gadag. Arrested and charged with waging war against the British between 24 May and 2 June 1858, was shot dead by firing squad at Nargund on 12 June 1858.

25.Raju: Nargund, Gadag. Arrested and hanged on 24 June 1858 in front of the Petah of Nargund.

26. Ramappa: Nargund, Gadag. Captured, shot dead by firing squad at Nargund on 10 June 1858 at 5 p.m.

27. Shankrappa Desai: Kalas and Madathi, Nargund, Gadag. Arrested and hanged on 24 June 1858 in front of the Petah of Nargund.

28. Tammanna: Nargund, Gadag. Captured and shot dead by firing squad on 28 June 1858.

29. Timmappa alias Rangappa Mazumdar: Nargund, Gadag. Captured and hanged by neck on 28 June 1858.

30. Tukaram: Nargund, Gadag. Captured and shot dead by firing squad at Nargund on 10 June 1858 at 5 p.m.

31. Venkappa Naik: Nargund, Gadag. Arrested, and hanged on 24 June 1858 in front of the Petah of Nargund.

32. Vyanakatrao Bhosle: Nargund, Gadag. Arrested and shot dead by firing squad on 28 June 1858.

33. Bhikajipant Ganesh Gokhale: Nargund, Gadag. Arrested and sentenced to transportation beyond the Sea for life. He was deported to the Andaman Islands where he died in custody.

Bedas of Halagali

Bedas were one of the fighting tribes that fought the British tooth and nail from the 1820s and formed the backbone of many uprisings in the Deccan. Bearing arms to protect themselves and the community and their king was part of their life and they did it with great pride. The prince of Mudhol had accepted British overlordship and the Bedas in the area were seething with dissatisfaction. The East India Company announced on 11 September 1857 that all Indians should disarm, submit their arms to the company and then get licences to carry arms. This was simply out of the question for Bedas. Hence when the Company Sarkar’s edict was sought to be implemented by the King of Mudhol principality, the Bedas of Halagali and surrounding areas considered it a great insult and defied him. Declaring that bearing arms was their birthright and that they did not need anybody’s permission for the same, they did not allow any official to enter their villages. The revolt, which started in Halagali, kept snowballing and started spreading to surrounding areas. The British Raj saw it as a serious threat to its rule and when the local ruler was not able to suppress it, the southern Maratha regiment led by Lt Col Seton Karr was sent to quell it. The Bedas, though vastly outnumbered, fought fiercely for their rights. The British after the final battle captured 290 Bedas and hanged 19 leaders of the uprising in Mudhol market in December 1857.

Martyrs of Halagali

01. Babaji Sovaji Nimbalkar: Halagali, Mudhol Princely State, Bagalakot. The chief organizer of the revolt against the British. Killed in a clash on 30 November 1857.

02. Balappa: Halagali, Mudhol, Bagalkot, Karnataka. Arrested and shot dead in the Belgaum prison.

03. Basappa: Halagali, Mudhol, Bagalakot. Captured and hanged at a public place at Dharwad in the last week of June 1858.

04. Bhimanna Mandagai: Halagali, Mudhol, Bagalakot. Caught and blown away with a cannon at Halagali on 14 December 1857.

05. Dadanna: Halagali, Mudhol, Bagalakot. Killed while fighting on 30 November 1857.

06. Dyamavva: Halagali, Mudhol, Bagalakot. She was killed while fighting on 30 November 1857.

07. Jadagannavar Jadagappa: Halagali, Mudhol. Killed in the course of a battle on 30 November 1857.

08. Madar Dyamanna: Halagali, Mudhol, Bagalakot. Killed in an encounter with the British on 30 November 1857.

09. Pujari Hanamma: Halagali, Mudhol, Bagalakot. Killed in fighting on 30 November 1857.

10. Rama: Halagali, Mudhol, Bagalakot. Killed in fighting on 30 November 1857.

Surpur Rebellion

Surapur or Shorapur near Yadgiri, was ruled by Beda Nayak kings who had a fighting tradition. When Raja Krishnappa Nayak died in 1842, Prince Venkatappa Nayak the 4th was only 8 years old. Although he was enthroned, Meadows Taylor a British administrator was appointed as the Regent. In 1853 Taylor handed over the reins to 19-year-old Venkatappa Nayak. In 1857, the British got wind that some representatives of Nana Saheb came to Surapur and had secret meetings with young Raja Venkatappa Nayak. The information that Venkatappa Kayak was closely working with other rebels in the neighboring areas such as Koppal, Naragund, Raichur, Miraj, etc., increased the anxiety of the British. In February 1858, they sent troops led by Capt Windham and Maj Hughes to attack Surapur and a fierce battle ensued. When they were outnumbered, the Raja escaped to Hyderabad but he was handed over to the British. The Raja was sentenced to life imprisonment and while he was being transported to Chenglepet jail from Sikandarabad, shot himself dead on 11 May 1858 at Ambatur

Martyrs of Surapur

01. Venkatappa Nayak: Raja of Surapur, Yadagiri. Arrested for his refusal to bow down and for organizing an anti-British revolt. While being escorted to Chinglepet Prison in Madras Presidency, shot himself dead on 11 May 1858 at Ambatur.

02. Mahipal Singh: Bujora in Banda in Bengal Presidency. He was an emissary of the Chief of Surapur to organize the revolt against the British at Belgaum; he was caught and executed on 14 August 1857 at the age of 35.

03. Hanamappa Naik: Surapur, Yadagir. Played a prominent role in organizing the rebellion of the Arab troops stationed in the area. He was captured by the British and promptly executed by hanging in 1857.

04. Tasdiq Husein: Surapur, Yadagiri. A chief leader and organizer of the rising of the Surapur army, Husein was caught and publicly hanged at a marketplace of Surapur Town, on 3 July 1858.

Other Martyrs

05. Basalingappa: Jambagi, Bijapur. A peasant proprietor. Captured by the British in Jambagi, he was hanged in 1858.

06. Chhattu Singh Rajput: Jamakhandi, Bijapur. A farm laborer refused to surrender arms and to give land revenue; was arrested by the British and executed by hanging in 1857.

07. Chhotu Singh: Commandant of the troops in the Jamakhandi Princely State. Arrested by the British, he was blown away with a cannon in October 1858 at Jamakhandi

08. Mohammed Hussain (Munshi): Poona, Maharashtra. A disciple of Nurul Huda of Poona, he was sent from Poona to Belgaum to give the Sepoys anti-British hostilities. He was apprehended there and executed on 14 August 1857 on the charge of treason.

source: http://www.english.varthabharati.in / Vartha Bharati / Home> Karavali / compiled by Dr Shamsul Islam / September 09th, 2023

Drove an Uber in Delhi, rower Salman Khan now has an Asian Games medal

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Pure Dhingar (Amethi District), UTTAR PRADESH :


Salman Khan used to drive a cab in New Delhi, now he has a medal at the Asian Games. Alongside Satnam Singh, Salman won India’s first ever bronze medal in the men’s double sculls on Thursday, September 24.

Salman Khan (left) and Satnam Singh (right) win India’s first ever bronze medal in double sculls at the Asian Games. (PTI Photo)

Indian rowers Satnam Singh and Salman Khan won bronze in the men’s double sculls at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya on Thursday, September 24, securing India’s first-ever medal in the event. The Indian pair clocked 6:13.25 in the final to finish behind China’s Yi Xudi and Yide Nie, who won gold, and Uzbekistan’s Pavel Sorin and Mekhrojbek Mamatkulov, who took silver.

Satnam and Salman were firmly in medal contention for much of the race, staying second at the 500m, 1000m and 1500m marks. They were eventually overtaken in the closing stages, slipping to third in the final 500m, but held on to secure the bronze.

For Salman, the medal marks his first podium finish at the Asian Games and another major step in a rowing career that began only after he joined the Indian Army. Before he found his way into the sport, Salman was driving an Uber in Delhi to support his family.

WHO IS SALMAN KHAN?

Salman Khan was born in Pure Dhingai in Uttar Pradesh’s Amethi district and grew up as the eldest of four brothers and two sisters. His father, Mohd Kasim Khan, worked in truck-body construction in Tauru, Haryana, where Salman completed his schooling.

His life changed when his father died of dengue when Salman was 18.

With the responsibility of supporting his younger siblings falling on him, his plans of joining the Indian Army were put on hold. Salman instead moved towards earning a living, driving an Uber cab in Delhi and working day and night to help support his family.

His Army dream eventually returned.

A friend pointed out that Salman’s height and physical build could make him suitable for the armed forces. He handed the cab over to another driver and spent four months preparing for recruitment before clearing the recruitment rally, medical and written examinations.

Salman joined the Bombay Engineer Group in Pune on September 25, 2018.

It was after joining the Army that he was introduced to rowing.

Coaches Satywan, Satish Siraat and Prabhat Mishra noticed his physical attributes and encouraged him to try the sport. Salman was initially reluctant, as rowing was not something he had planned to pursue. But his coaches persisted and eventually put him into the boat.

His first inter-centre regatta brought a silver medal, giving him confidence to continue. He went on to win medals at battalion and inter-centre competitions before clearing the ergometer benchmarks in 2021 and earning selection for the Army Rowing Node at CME Pune.

Training alongside some of India’s leading rowers helped Salman see rowing as more than something he had been encouraged to try.

He twice came close to quitting the sport, but his coaches convinced him to continue. Senior coach Kudrat Ali and Training Officer Major Nagendra Hooda were among those who guided the next stage of his development.

The results soon began to reflect that progress.

Salman won gold at the 36th National Games in Gujarat in 2022 and also claimed gold at the 5th Indoor National Championship that year. In 2023, he won silver at the Senior National Championships and gold at the Open Sprint National Championships.

He also represented India at the World Rowing Cup III in Lucerne in 2023.

Salman was inducted into the Target Olympic Podium Scheme in 2023, receiving Rs 4,09,100 in support under TOPS. He also received Rs 12,16,589 under the Annual Calendar for Training and Competition programme.

He won gold at the 37th National Games in Goa later that year before claiming gold at the Asian Rowing Cup in 2024. The result also earned him a promotion to the rank of Naib Subedar in the Indian Army.

His international record continued to grow, with silver medals at the Australian Rowing Championships in Tasmania and the Asian Rowing Championships in Vietnam in 2025. He also won gold at the 38th National Games in Uttarakhand and the 42nd Senior National Rowing Championships in Bhopal that year.

The Asian Games medal was the next significant addition to that record.

India’s bronze winning team in men’s double sculls at the Asian Games 2026. (PTI Photo)

WHO IS SATNAM SINGH?

Salman’s partner in the historic bronze, Satnam Singh, also arrived at rowing after starting out in another sport.

Satnam was a national-level handball player before switching to rowing in 2018. Olympian Swarn Singh Virk recognised his physical potential and encouraged him to take up the sport.

The move quickly developed into a career.

Hailing from Punjab’s Mansa district, Satnam represented India at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games, where he finished eighth in the men’s pair. He later established himself among India’s leading rowers and won the men’s single sculls title at the 40th Senior National Rowing Championships, becoming the first Indian Navy rower to win the event.

Satnam’s first Asian Games medal came at Hangzhou in 2023, when he was part of India’s men’s quadruple sculls crew that won bronze.

He added more international success in 2025, winning gold in the men’s quadruple sculls at the Asian Rowing Championships in Vietnam. He also won silver in the indoor Asian Championships in the men’s double sculls.

The pairing with Salman at Aichi-Nagoya came after India’s rowing team underwent a late reshuffle.

Satnam and Salman had initially been part of the men’s quadruple sculls crew but were moved into the double sculls, while other rowers were shifted between events. The changes came just days before the rowing competition and led to frustration among members of the Indian team.

The two adapted quickly to their new combination.

On Thursday, they stayed in the medal positions throughout most of the final before securing bronze in 6:13.25. For Satnam, it was another Asian Games medal. For Salman, it was the first. And for Indian rowing, it was a historic first in the men’s double sculls.

source: http://www.indiatody.in / India Today / Home> Sports> Asian Games / by India Today Sports Desk – Kingshuk Kusari / September 24th, 2026

Asian Games 2026: Mairaj Ahmad Khan makes big statement after India’s historic skeet medal haul

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Khurja, UTTAR PRADESH :

Veteran shooter Mairaj Ahmad Khan said India’s three skeet bronze medals at the Asian Games 2026 are a big boost for the LA Olympics, but felt the men’s team could have won gold.

Indian shooter Mairaj Ahmad Khan said India’s three skeet medals at the Asian Games 2026 are a good step towards the Los Angeles Olympics, but the team could have done better. India won bronze in all three skeet team events at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. It was a historic first for Indian skeet.

Historic bronze for the men’s team

Mairaj Ahmad Khan won his first Asian Games medal, a bronze, as part of the men’s skeet team with Anantjeet Singh Naruka and Bhavtegh Singh Gill. The team defeated Kazakhstan in a shoot-off with a score of 346 points. Mairaj returned to the Games in 2026 after competing in 2006, 2010 and 2014.

He has won three World Cup gold medals in New Delhi (2021), Changwon (2022) and Cairo (2023), along with a silver in Rio (2016) and a bronze in Cairo (2021). At the Asian Championships, he has one gold, two silver and three bronze medals. Speaking about the bronze, Mairaj told TimesofIndia.com from Japan, “Aur achha ho sakta tha. We could have won a gold medal. The stage was set, but no problem, next time.” He also spoke about his individual event. He said he felt tired. “In the individual event, hunger was not there. I think I was a little tired. I was relaxed, mentally tired, overworked. Maybe the calendar is so busy,” he said.

Women’s and mixed teams also won bronze

India’s women’s skeet team, comprising Raiza Dhillon, Parinaaz Dhaliwal and Maheshwari Chauhan, won a bronze medal, marking the country’s first-ever Asian Games medal in this category. Additionally, Anantjeet and Parinaaz secured another bronze in the mixed team event, achieving medals in all three skeet team events within two days. 

Focus on LA Olympics

Mairaj said he is proud of Anantjeet and Parinaaz. “I am really proud of the way Anant and Parinaaz have performed. We are building a team together for the LA Olympics,” he said. Mairaj said his journey is not over. “I will not stop. Ever since I picked up the gun, I have felt that I could have done better. I have made some mistakes. The fight is on for the LA Olympics. Gold was the dream and it will remain the dream,” he said.

source: http://www.dnaindia.com / DNA / Home> Latest News>Sports / by Anishka Pandey / September 24th, 2026

Shahnavaz Khan wins bronze medal in long jump in World Athletics U-20 Championships 2026

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Madhaipur Village (Pratapganj District), UTTAR PRADESH :

Shahnavaz Khan is now the first Indian man to win a long jump medal at the World Athletics U-20 Championships; Shaili Singh had won silver in women’s long jump in 2021.

File – Shahnavaz Khan in action during qualification at the 2026 World Athletics U20 Championships. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

Shahnavaz Khan bagged the bronze medal in the men’s long jump event in the World Athletics U-20 Championships 2026 in Oregon on Saturday.

Shahnavaz Khan bagged the bronze medal in the men’s long jump event in the World Athletics U-20 Championships 2026 in Oregon on Saturday.

This is now India’s third medal of the championships, following silvers from Ashish Yadav (javelin) and Basant Kumar Meghwal (high jump).

Shahnavaz is also the first Indian man to win a long jump medal at the World Athletics U-20 Championships; Shaili Singh had won silver in women’s long jump in 2021.

The bronze, though, might feel like a missed opportunity for Shahnavaz, whose best leap on Saturday (7.84m) was significantly shorter than his personal best (8.30m).

Similarly, R.C. Jithin Arjunan, the other Indian finalist in Oregon, too failed to get close to his personal best (8.12m), as he finished eighth with a best jump of 7.59m

Daniele Leonardo Inzoli of Italy won gold with a 7.97m leap. Silver medallist Australia’s Mason McGroder came agonisingly close to winning the championship, when he touched 7.96m (personal best) with his last jump.

source: http://www.sportstar.thehindu.com / Sportstar / Home> Athletics / by Team Sportstar / August 09th, 2026

Zulekha Shakoor Rajani helps Gen Z deal with instant gratification syndrome

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Bengaluru, KARNATAKA :

Zulekha Shakoor Rajani, Head of the Department of Islamic Psychology at Ummeed

The average scroll lasts seconds. The average craving wants an answer now. We have built a culture around instant gratification and then wondered why patience, self-understanding, and emotional regulation feel so difficult. Zulekha Shakoor Rajani wants to slow down that conversation.

A Counselling and Spiritual Psychologist, Clinical Director, and Head of the Department of Islamic Psychology at Ummeed Counselling Centre in Bengaluru, Rajani works at an unusual but increasingly relevant intersection: psychology and faith. With more than 8,000 hours of clinical practice, she works across counselling, psychoeducation, mentoring and professional training, while exploring what it means to understand the human being through an Islamic psychological framework.

Her message to young people is simple: before trying to fix your life, understand yourself.

For Rajani, the journey towards psychology and Islamic Psychology was not the result of a single defining moment. It grew from two interests that had been present since childhood.

Raised in an Islamic environment and surrounded by scholars through her family, she developed an interest in Islam alongside her fascination with psychology. She describes her abilities and opportunities through the concept of salahiyah, the capacities Allah gives a person, and believes her path was shaped by the opportunities that followed.

  Zulekha Shakoor Rajani

Those opportunities eventually took her beyond India. At Cambridge Muslim College, she studied Islamic Psychology, gaining exposure to both theory and practice alongside a select international cohort.

She later trained through the Khalil Centre, including clinical Islamic psychology experiences in Chicago and Istanbul, while also pursuing specialised training in Tazkiyah Therapy, Islamic Psychology, and Marital Counselling.

Her professional journey in Islamic Psychology began taking a more definite shape six years ago. Today, her work spans clinical practice, research, supervision and training. She also serves as a facilitator and teacher at Al Balagh Academy and as an Executive Advisory Member of International Students of Islamic Psychology India.

But for Rajani, the growing need for this field is inseparable from the state of mental health awareness in India.

“The concept of mental health has been very weak in India,” she says.

Zulekha Shakoor Rajani speaking in a function

Although psychological discourse has expanded significantly, she believes India still has considerable ground to cover when it comes to recognition, acceptance and understanding of mental health care.

Within Muslim communities, she sees an additional opportunity to explore the relationship between psychology and iman in a way that is culturally and spiritually meaningful.

“There is a lot around psychology and iman,” she says, pointing to the scope for developing approaches that speak to the lived realities of Muslim communities.

Yet awareness can easily be distorted. Rajani believes the media has a significant role in shaping how society understands mental health and sometimes in creating misconceptions around it.

“The media plays a very important role in misconceptions regarding mental health,” she says.

Zulekha Shakoor Rajani with her colleagues

One of the biggest challenges, she believes, is that people often wait too long before seeking professional support. There are stages in life when seeking help can prevent a concern from becoming much more difficult, but recognising that need remains uncommon.

Her clinical work has shown her what meaningful change can look like. Some of the moments she finds most rewarding are deeply human ones: seeing a couple reconcile after working through their differences, or watching someone move beyond patterns of early repression and begin coping in healthier ways.

For a relatively young field in India, however, there is another obstacle: a shortage of adequately trained professionals. Rajani believes expanding the field responsibly through both clinical work and research is essential.

Her concern becomes particularly urgent when she talks about young people.

Gen Z has grown up in an ecosystem designed around immediacy. Social media offers constant comparison; entertainment is available on demand; food, shopping and communication are increasingly built around convenience. Rajani sees the psychological consequences in what she describes as a growing “urgency” among young people.

“There is a lot of urgency in this generation,” she observes, linking it to reduced patience and what she calls “dopamine hijack.”

Her answer is not to reject technology or modern life, but to develop greater awareness of self. Young people, she believes, need to understand their insecurities, their attachments and the ways their nafs, their inner drives and tendencies, shape their behaviour.

Zulekha Shakoor Rajani (Right) with an unidentified person

Social comparison is another serious concern. Constantly measuring one’s appearance, achievements, relationships or lifestyle against carefully curated online versions of other people’s lives can quietly erode self-esteem and satisfaction.

Relationships, too, are changing. Rajani points to attachment issues involving spouses and children, parenting concerns, shifting family roles and struggles around boundaries. These changes, she says, are creating difficult questions about identity and the place of women in society.

This is where her understanding of Islamic Psychology moves beyond simply adding religious language to conventional therapy. Her work explores the human being through a broader bio-psycho-social-spiritual lens, bringing together psychological understanding, physical and social realities and spiritual dimensions.

That philosophy also informs her extensive work outside the clinic. Rajani has conducted more than 100 workshops, retreats and seminars addressing youth development, parenting, marital enrichment, addictions, emotional regulation, women’s psychology, resilience and the nafs. She has also presented at national and international forums on spirituality, psychology, counselling and psychosocial rehabilitation. Her work has increasingly focused on developing culturally rooted approaches to mental health and strengthening the research base of Islamic Psychology.

Her recent academic work reflects that direction. In 2026, she presented research on “Retraining the Nafs in the Age of the Screen: A TIIP Framework for Behavioural Addiction in Muslim Youth,” bringing together clinical learning, supervision and questions about technology’s influence on young Muslims.

In 2025, she was also recognised as one of the “40 Under 40 Leaders” by the All India Muslim Development Council, adding another milestone to a career increasingly focused on making mental health conversations more accessible and culturally grounded.

Yet perhaps her most important advice is the simplest.

“Don’t wait for things to get very bad,” she says. “One consultation would be helpful.”

For Rajani, seeking help is not a sign of failure. It can be the beginning of understanding what is happening within.

And in a generation constantly encouraged to optimise everything, from productivity to appearance to relationships, perhaps her most radical suggestion is to pause and look inward.

Because mental health, in her view, is not only about learning how to cope. It is also about intellectual stimulation, personal growth, understanding the nafs, reconnecting with one’s deeper sense of purpose, and asking a question that no algorithm can answer for us:Who are we becoming?

source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz,TheVoice / Home> Stories / by Saniya Anjum / September 25th, 2026

Karnataka Sahitya Academy to chronicle lives of 59 freedom fighters jailed in Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Amazing Feats, Books (incl.Biographies - w.e.f.01 jan 2018 ), First War of Independence 1857 / Naval Mutiny 1946 / Others PreIndependece (wef. July 27th, 2022), Freedom Fighters (under research project), Karnataka (under research project), , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

KARNATAKA :

The Academy has formed a committee comprising academicians and researchers, and they will be publishing a book on the lives of the freedom-fighters from Karnataka titled ‘Yaaroo Ariyada Veeraru’.

“59 persons from Karnataka, who were part of the 1857 rebellion, were imprisoned in the Cellular Jail in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. We don’t want their names to be erased from the chronicles of India’s freedom struggle,” says L.N. Mukundraj, president of the Karnataka Sahitya Academy.

Aiming to study the lives of these incarcerated people, the Academy has formed a committee comprising academicians and researchers. Soon, they will be publishing a book on their lives titled ‘Yaaroo Ariyada Veeraru’.

The Cellular Jail in Port Blair in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands was used by the British to exile freedom fighters and political prisoners who had to endure brutal and inhumane conditions.

Committee set up

Mr. Mukundraj explained, “We formed a committee led by writers and historians K.P. Suresh and Vijay Poonacha to study those from Karnataka who died in ‘Kala Pani’, as the punishment was called.” In the State Budget 2026-27, former chief minister Siddaramaiah had announced the publication of such a book.

The committee comprises 15 persons, of which eight will collect documents, and seven will do the fieldwork. The documentation team will search for documents in places that were earlier part of the Bombay Presidency. “Dharwad district is one place where we might find the details of many of these freedom fighters in government archives and libraries. The majority of them hailed from Nargund town in Gadag district.”

South Indians forgotten

Mr. Suresh added that those from southern India rarely figure in the annals of the freedom struggle. “These 59 persons incarcerated in Cellular Jail were mostly from north Karnataka and Uttara Kannada district,” he said, adding that often only big names like Hindutva ideologue V.D. Savarkar are highlighted while talking of those who suffered in Cellular Jail.

Some of these individuals were part of the rebellion of Halagali Bedas in 1857-58, from the village of Halagali near Mudhol. Writer Latha Guthi has published a book on the theme, called Kari Neeru. “This book is a source for us. Our field team and documentation team will head to different places in Karnataka to find such sources. We have decided to put up banners in the villages of these freedom fighters urging people to come forward, and tell us if they know anything, or have documents,” said Mr. Suresh.

Some names…

Among the 59 persons from Karnataka imprisoned in Cellular Jail were Balakrishna from Bidar, Gopal Bhandari from Karwar, Faras Khan from Nargund, Bikaji Ganesh Gokhale from Nargund, Vitu Gawli from Karwar, and Abdulla Moiuddin from Nargund.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> India> Karnataka / by Rashmi Patil / June 30th, 2026

IIT Bombay PhD Scholar, Henna K Seethi Refuses to Choose Between Research and Motherhood

Education, Education - Gold Medallists, Toppers, Merits, Achievers (wef. June 12th, 2023), Uncategorized, Women/Girls(since May26-2021), , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

KERALA / Mumbai, MAHARASHTRA :

Mumbai:

When her nanny cannot come, Henna K Seethi waits for the lab to empty before bringing her one-and-a-half-year-old son Omi inside. A bed, a bowl, and a blanket sit in the corner. She works. He plays. He sleeps. This is how a 29-year-old Muslim PhD scholar at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay navigates motherhood and academic research at the same time.

Henna is pursuing a doctorate in Health and Medical Psychology in the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences. Her academic journey spans Farook College in Calicut, where she earned a BSc in Psychology, Jamia Millia Islamia in New Delhi, where she completed an MA in Applied Psychology, and the Cancer Institute in Adyar, where she earned an MPhil in Psycho-Oncology. She cleared the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering in 2023 and set her sights on research in psycho-oncology.

Her son Omi was born in January 2025. He was three months old when she cleared the IIT Bombay entrance examination and relocated to Mumbai. Her husband, Muhammed Nizam ul Haq, also a psychologist, works in Kerala. She lives in Bhandup, around five kilometres from campus, while waiting for married-student accommodation to become available.

The financial and logistical pressures are real. Rent, childcare costs, and Mumbai’s cost of living make her husband’s financial support necessary. During examinations, the arrangements grow harder. On one occasion, her husband travelled from Kerala to care for Omi. On another, two fellow students offered to babysit so she could complete her exam.

She takes her son to classes with her professors’ permission. During lectures, she keeps him in a stroller and steps outside if he cries. Her mentor allows him at meetings. When her nanny returned to Kerala for several months after a bereavement, the dean granted Henna a temporary hostel room during end-semester examinations.

The emotional weight, she admits, does not lift. She experienced postpartum blues for a month or two after Omi’s birth and attends psychotherapy through the campus Student’s Wellness Centre. The guilt of splitting attention between research and her child stays with her. “When I give time to my baby, I feel like I’m not doing proper justice to my research. When I’m doing my work, I feel guilty about being a mother.”

Her drive traces back to watching her mother give up her own ambitions. “I don’t want to see my baby as a hurdle in pursuing anything,” she said. She hopes that once Omi turns two and campus accommodation comes through, daily life will settle into a more manageable routine.

source: http://www.radiancenews.com / Radiance News / Home> Latest News> Pride of the Nation> Markers of Excellence> Report / by Radiance News Bureau / September 14th, 2026

Everester Nahida Manzoor wants more women to climb peaks

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Srinagar, JAMMU & KASHMIR :

Kashmiri Everest climber Nahida Manzoor

Nahida Manzoor, Kashmir’s first woman to scale Mountain Everest at the age of 23, says that she does not see many women in India interesting in mountaineering and she wants to change that.

Speaking to Awaz-the voice, Srinagar-based Nahida, says that women don’t have to necessarily scale major peaks like Everest. “Mountaineering is meant to give one the experience, test one’s mental and physical stamina and discover their own capabilities.”

Nahida taking a troop on a trek 

“Adventure is not primarily about profit”, Nahida said.

“I believe India needs more trained mountaineers who are take encouraging people to experience the mountains as a personal responsibility. I regularly lead expeditions and longer treks involving groups of varying experience levels. Such trips can be challenging because participants differ considerably in speed, endurance and confidence”, Nahida shared.

Nahida heads Pampori and Daughters Adventure, a company through which she organises trekking, expeditions and outdoor activities.

Nahida Manzoor at Mt. Mahadev

“My approach is simple: nobody gets left behind”, Nahida believes. While leading a trek, she deliberately stays at the back of the group so that she can keep an eye on the slowest participants.

For her, the people accompanying her are her responsibility, and safety takes precedence over speed or reaching a destination quickly.

For Nahida Manzoor, mountains are not merely destinations to be conquered. They are spaces where courage is tested, limits are pushed and possibilities are expanded. A trained mountaineer from Srinagar, Nahida has transformed her childhood fascination with the hills into a career dedicated to adventure, trekking and encouraging more young people, particularly women, to enter mountaineering.

Her own journey demonstrates what becomes possible when training, family support and determination come together. From trekking around her Srinagar neighbourhood as a child to becoming the first Kashmiri woman to stand on Mount Everest, Nahida has often entered spaces where women remain underrepresented.

Nahida Manzoor at Mt. Sunset Peak

Her work has also extended to promoting adventure tourism in Kashmir. In 2024, she launched a paragliding venture in Barsoo village in Pulwama’s

Awantipora area, with the stated aim of creating employment opportunities for local residents.

Recently, she has climbed Sunset Peak, (4,745 metres), Shyn Mann Peak (4,300 metres) and Mount Harmukh, one of Kashmir’s most prominent mountains.

Nahida Mazoor at Mt. Sheen Myean Peak

In October 2025, Nahida recorded a scaled Mount Harmukh. A mountaineering summit registry records her ascent on October 17, 2025, at an elevation of about 5,142 metres.

Then came Mount Everest. In 2019, Nahida became the first woman from the Kashmir

Valley to summit Mount Everest. She reached the 8,848-metre peak with Sherpa guide Nima Kancha during her maiden Everest attempt. The expedition was not simply a physical challenge. Funding the climb itself was a major obstacle.

With the expedition estimated to cost around Rs 30 lakh, Nahida launched an online crowdfunding campaign after struggling to find sufficient sponsorship. Contributions from several supporters, government officials and organisations eventually helped make the expedition possible.

Nahida Manzoor at Mt. Friendship Peak

Her Everest achievement turned her into a symbol of determination for young women in Kashmir. But Nahida did not regard the summit as the end of her journey. Instead, it became the beginning of a larger mission.

Before it, she had already climbed peaks including Mount Deo Tibba in Himachal Pradesh, Friendship Peak, Mount Mahadev and Tatakooti Peak in Jammu and Kashmir.

Nahida’s journey as a mountaineer began when she joined the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM) in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhans to get trained in mountain climbing. She completed an advanced training, along with courses in skiing and rock climbing.

Her training taught her that climbing is as much about mental endurance and discipline as physical strength. This way Nahida, the girls amid Kashmir’s mountains turned her fascination for peaks into a profession.

Nahida Manzoor at Mt. Harmukh (5070 Mts.)

In an earlier interview, Nahida recalled deliberately carrying heavier loads during training to build stamina. The demanding preparation eventually helped her take on some of the most challenging mountains in the region and beyond.

Nahida’s latest expedition was Mt. Koh-e-Noor (South-West) which is 5146 mts. “This expedition was not only challenging but also meaningful and unforgetable for all of us. I am deeply honoured to become the first female climber to sucessfully summit Mt. Koh-e-Noor (SW) an add my name to the history of this mountain”, Nahida shared. 

Nahida Mazoor at Mt. Koh-e-Noor

Her relationship with the mountains began early. Nahida started trekking when she was around 10 years old, exploring the hills around her home. During her school years, she was an all-rounder and participated in several sports, including badminton, volleyball and table tennis.

She was even selected for a national-level table tennis championship but could not participate. Eventually, it was mountaineering that captured her imagination completely.

The second of three daughters, Nahida grew up in Zewan on the outskirts of Srinagar.

Her belief that “there’s nothing that a girl cannot do” was strengthened by a family that encouraged all three sisters to participate in sports and pursue their ambitions. Her father, Manzoor Ahmad Pampori, played an important role in supporting her sporting interests. Nahida has often credited her parents for giving her the freedom to chase unconventional dreams.

source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Stories / by Vidushi Gaur, New Delhi / September 22nd, 2026

The stories hidden in the ordinary: Andaleeb Wajid on writing young lives and everyday Muslim worlds

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Books (incl.Biographies - w.e.f.01 jan 2018 ), Karnataka (under research project), Women/Girls(since May26-2021), , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Bengaluru, KARNATAKA :

In an interview with Maktoob, author Andaleeb Wajid reflects on writing young lives, Muslim women and ordinary Muslim worlds, while discussing her latest novel Have You Met Me?, her memoir on grief and a writing career spanning more than 50 books.

In an interview with Ashikha N for Maktoob, writer Andaleeb Wajid discusses her latest novel Have You Met Me?, her enduring engagement with young adult fiction, writing across genres, the experience of writing her memoir Learning to Make Tea for One, and the complexities of writing Muslim women and ordinary Muslim lives.

Andaleeb Wajid has built a distinctive place for herself in Indian popular fiction by writing stories that find drama the familiar — in families, friendships, love, food, growing up and the small negotiations of everyday life. A prolific writer, she has published nearly 50 novels across genres, with young adult fiction and romance forming an important part of her body of work. Her books have found a devoted readership for their accessible, warm and deeply relatable characters. Her YA novel The Henna Start-Up won the Neev Literature Festival Award and the Crossword Book Award in 2024, while Asmara’s Summer was adapted into the Amazon Prime series Dil, Dosti, Dilemma. She has also written about grief and loss in her memoir Learning to Make Tea for One. Her latest book, Have You Met Me?, returns to young readers with a story of family, memory and belonging. Across her work, Wajid has remained interested in the lives women and young people lead beyond the usual binaries of rebellion and conformity — and in giving ordinary lives the space to become stories worth reading.

Andaleeb Wajid’s latest novel, Have You Met Me?, is also her 52nd novel. For Wajid, the book carries a strong connection to her childhood, particularly the summers she spent with her cousins at her grandmother’s home in Vellore. Recalling what made the book special to her, she says, “It’s special in many ways. Growing up, my siblings and I met my cousins in my grandmother’s home in Vellore. We actually had an old jhoola, like the one you see on the cover, and those summer holidays were some of the best times of my life. Time had a different quality to it, there was no homework or tuition and the day could just be spent doing nothing, lazing around on the jhoola, playing card games with my cousins. I wanted to relive that, recapture that but also focus on what it means to grow up and become distant. And I wanted to put that in a contemporary context and see how that story would flow.”

The book adds to a body of work that spans romance, YA, horror, mystery and children’s fiction. Asked about moving between genres, Wajid acknowledges the variety is intentional: “I don’t like to be boxed into just one genre, and that’s why I write across them. I also get bored if I have to write in the same genre over and over again. Switching genres is a way for me to keep my writing exciting and fresh, especially because every genre has its own rules and I have to be alert enough to know what I’m working on.”

Young adult fiction, however, remains particularly important to her. Explaining what draws her to the genre, Wajid tells us, “It’s not so much young readers but the themes that I like exploring in YA novels. It’s a different level of seriousness when you look at a young adult book. What might seem ordinary to an adult might be a life-changing moment for someone younger and I like to focus on those moments and draw them out. A good YA book for me is one that gets the young generation without trying too hard, but is also not preachy and trying to tell them how to live. A good YA novel is a good book, and it’s just the characters who are younger.”

Her approach to fiction is markedly different from the experience of writing Learning to Make Tea for One, her memoir about grief. Speaking about the difficulty of turning her own experience into a book, Wajid notes, “Writing this was one of the most difficult things I’ve done but I felt like it was something I needed to do. Grief fades over time and changes as we grow older, which is a good thing. But I also wanted to hold on to it and remember how it felt, which is a bit strange since I haven’t read it from start to finish even once, after it was published. I think it was a way of catharsis for me, and as a writer, writing is how I process everything, including my wounds. Fiction always comes easily. Creating imaginary lives where everything works out for everyone in the end is fun. Writing about my life felt starkly different in comparison.”

Wajid also writes romance under the pen name Inaara Sheikh. Explaining the decision behind the pseudonym, she says it was not primarily about artistic freedom. “The pen name is very new, just a year old, and I’ve written plenty of romances under my own name already and will also continue to do so in future. Inaara was more of an experiment to see how things would work on Amazon KDP where I self-publish these books. The reason for moving to Inaara wasn’t about creative freedom, but more a marketing move. When I self-publish more and more books under my name, I feel it gives a certain message to publishers which probably deters them from wanting to take my books. This is the main reason why I decided to self-publish on Amazon with a pen name.”

The sheer scale of her bibliography has also brought with it labels such as “prolific woman writer” and “Muslim woman writer”. Wajid points out that her response to these descriptions has changed over time. “Well, it used to irritate me at first but now I don’t bother myself with it. I can’t help the way others think about me, but what I can do is be consistent in writing and publishing. Eventually, I think people will see me as just a writer and not a Muslim writer. In any case, I don’t mind any longer. All women writers face this in different ways because they’re already being called ‘women’ writers. You don’t hear of any male writers being called ‘men writers’, do you?” 

At the same time, her Muslim identity has inevitably shaped the way readers encounter her work. Her Muslim characters are often allowed to exist beyond their religious identity, and Wajid elaborates this was not initially a deliberate representational strategy. “I didn’t think so deeply about it at first. I was writing stories about people like me, people I knew, the kind of life I was familiar with, if a little fantastical. However, readers felt like this was such a refreshing change to read about ‘normal’ Muslim lives and it really made me wonder, how much things have changed that a depiction of normalcy seems so out of the ordinary.”

Family is similarly central to her fiction, something Wajid connects directly to her own upbringing. “While families are supposed to be a safe space, this isn’t something that always happens and I like to see how characters evolve inside families that are not regular, that are fractured in their own ways.” Her female characters, meanwhile, have become increasingly assertive over the course of her career. Reflecting on that evolution, Wajid observes, “It probably has to do with my own evolution as a person, not just a woman. Also, I have this understanding that women are conditioned from a young age to settle, to adjust and to make do with whatever they are given. I think writing characters with more agency than women might have in real life is my way of making them aspirational.”

That agency does not necessarily require her female characters to reject their families. In Everything Sucks, for instance, the women negotiate family expectations without necessarily turning away from family itself. Wajid sees this less as rebellion than as a process of finding one’s place. “I think women are beginning to understand which battles to fight and which to not waste their time with. It isn’t so much as rebellion as finding one’s place in the world. Many women see themselves in relation to others and I think it’s important that they see themselves on their own too.” She sees a similar gendered distinction in the way ambition is perceived. Speaking about Abir, the protagonist of The Henna Start-Up, Wajid observes, “Ambition in women is considered unbecoming, no matter the context. There’s always a hushed sense of ‘oh, that one’s a hustler’, but this doesn’t apply to men. If a man hustles, he’s considered worldly-wise. For a woman, she’s considered to be aiming too high. Abir’s ambition in The Henna Start-up doesn’t care about how she is perceived, which is something I find inspiring.”

When asked which stereotype about Muslim women she would most like to see disappear, Wajid does not hesitate. “Just one? Sorry. It has to be the whole hijab/abaya perception as being oppressed and that we need someone who doesn’t subscribe to these so they can ‘come and save us” Her understanding of Muslim womanhood has also been part of her development as a writer. Looking back at the early stages of her career, Wajid recalls, “I think early on, I focused on my identity as a Muslim woman in India and I did not shy away from it in my writing. Understanding who I am goes a huge way in making my books the way they are.”

Even after 52 novels, Wajid is already working on what comes next. She adds, “I’m currently working on a Young Adult novel, as that’s one of my favourite genres. I would love to write crime fiction but I feel that it’s too realistic and also requires the sort of research I might not be able to do.”

With more than five decades of writing still ahead of her in spirit, Wajid’s work continues to find significance in lives that are often considered too ordinary to become stories. For Wajid, perhaps, there will always be another ordinary life, another relationship or another moment of growing up waiting to be turned into a story.

source: http://www.maktoobmedia.com / Maktooob Media / Home> Literature> Bookshelf / by Ashikha N / September 06th, 2026

JIH Andaman Honours Civil Services Topper and Urologist at Grand Felicitation Ceremony

Community Involvement / Social Issues, Education, Education - Gold Medallists, Toppers, Merits, Achievers (wef. June 12th, 2023), , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

ANDAMAN and NICOBAR Islands:

Wimberly Gunj:

Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, organised a grand felicitation ceremony at the GSSS Auditorium, Wimberly Gunj, to honour two distinguished achievers from the region.

The event celebrated Mr. Shiyad, who secured All India Rank 743 in the Civil Services Examination 2025, and Dr. C. Sabique, an accomplished Urologist.

The programme began at 6:30 PM with the recitation of verses from the Holy Qur’an by P. Mohammed Sajid, President of SIO. N. Abdul Salam delivered the welcome address, setting an inspiring tone for the evening.

Dr. Manoharan, Deputy Education Officer, Wimberly Gunj Zone, attended as Chief Guest. He stressed the need for institutions across the islands to actively support and guide students preparing for competitive examinations like the Civil Services, with the goal of raising academic standards across the region.

MK Mohammed, President of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind Andaman, delivered the presidential address. He highlighted the importance of using personal achievements and professional services to benefit humanity with dignity and responsibility.

Mementos were presented to Mr. Shiyad by MK Mohammed, and to Dr. C. Sabique by PK Mohammed Ali, Ex-President of JIH Andaman. The Islamic Welfare Society also presented Appreciation Certificates to both honourees. Mr. Shiyad received his certificate from Dr. Manoharan, while Dr. C. Sabique was honoured by M. Abdul Majeed, President of IWS.

Mr. Shiyad addressed the gathering and shared his personal journey, pointing to hard work, focus, and perseverance as the key drivers of his success. Dr. C. Sabique spoke about the value of patience and consistency in reaching long-term goals.

KP Mohammed Yunus, MB Abdul Rasheed, and N. Moosa also addressed the gathering, encouraging students to aim high. An interactive session followed, giving students the opportunity to ask Shiyad questions and draw practical insights from his experience.

Nearly 450 people attended the event, including PRI members from Ferrargunj Tehsil, school principals, and representatives from various organisations. P. Yousuf delivered the vote of thanks, expressing gratitude to all dignitaries, participants, and organisers.

source: http://www.radiancenews.com / Radiance News / Home> Latest News> Markers of Excellence> Report / by Radiance News Bureau / September 08th, 2026