Shazia Ilmi interacting with the locals at Shivaji Nagar, Bangalore.
Bangalore :
The Door to Door campaign of Aam Aadmi Party’s “Mane Manege Aam Aadmi, Mane Maneyalli Aam Aadmi” was successfully launched today in Shivaji Nagar, Bangalore, by party’s national executive member Shazia Ilmi.
Shazia launched the campaign from Russell Market in Shivaji Nagar area in the presence of party functionaries and local citizens of the area. She started the campaign by talking to the shopkeepers of Russell market understanding their problems and also explaining them the vision of the party.
During the event, Shazia also addressed the public and volunteers and talked about the urgent need of transforming the governance of the nation before it gets too late.
She emphasized that Aam Aadmi Party is the platform available to the citizens to improve the model of governance delivery.
Shazia further went to the shops and residential areas in the locality and canvassed about the party’s vision and the model of ‘Swaraj’.
She also asked the people to join the revolution called “Aam Aadmi Party”. People from the area were very enthusiastic about the party and wished for its success.
During her campaign, Shazia received special blessings from the elders and women of the locality for the success of Aam Aadmi Party in the coming Lok Sabha elections.
Later, she went to a nearby Dargah to offer prayers for the success of the party.
source: http://www.newsoneindia.in / One India News / Oneindia> News> Bangalore / by Anisha / Tuesday – February 11th, 2014
ESI Scheme Director Dr. (Mrs.) Rahimunnisa inaugurated the programme.
Mysore :
0ver 300 pharmacists of ESI hospitals attended day-long Pharma Fest-2014, organised by the pharmacists Association of ESI Hospitals of State, which commenced this morning at Guru Residency on JLB Road here.
ESI Scheme Director Dr. (Mrs.) Rahimunnisa inaugurated the programme.
Addressing the gathering as chief guest, Karnataka State government Employees’ Association (KSGEA) General Secretary Patel Pandu opined that the role of a pharmacist in dispensing the right medicine prescribed by a doctor was very vital. He said that a pharmacist should always be attentive and cautious is work. He advised the pharmacists to always abide by moral ethics.
Dr. Rahimunnisa and Dr. Subramanya, who are due to retire on Feb. 28, were feted on the occasion.
Children of Pharmacists — Swathi, Navya S. Rai, Deepak and Nihal — who excelled in SSLC and PU were presented prizes.
KSGEA President H.K. Ramu, Pharmacists’ Association President D.B. Mahadevaiah, Secretary M.K. Manjunath, Working President B. Mohan, General Secretary K. Narasegowda and others were present.
The afternoon session featured interaction on pharma sector.
source:http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore /Home> General News / February 22nd, 2014
Dr AJ Ansari (52) Director, Pristine Medical Services
His commitment to running and reading helps this doctor juggle multiple activities.
A man with his finger in many pies, Dr AJ Ansari is also the President of the Classic Road Runner’s Athletic Club and MD-Chairman of Community House and Development (CHAD), an NGO. He even holds membership in various medical associations, and juggles a busy work day with multiple emails and responsibilities at the clinic. It is his exercise routine and spiritual quest that keeps him centred enough to power through his busy days.
“My day starts by 7.30 am and ends late — sometimes by midnight,” he says. But he doesn’t allow that to affect his essential rituals. As a child he would play football and basketball in Dubai, where he grew up. Later when he came to India for studies, he couldn’t join a sports club, but ensured that he was involved in some kind of sporting activity.
His running journey began a few years ago, when he participated in the Human Rights Day run organised by the Classic Road Runner’s Club. “I decided to become part of the club. We promote health through sports by conducting aerobics classes for people and continue to organise the Human Rights Day run.”
While he advocates sports to beat the stress of life, Dr Ansari is also a spiritual man. The divine texts of different religions are an important part of his morning. “I am a strong believer in God. Every morning I look for quotations from the holy writings. I have all of them. Each one has a kind of light which can guide you,” he believes. Late in the evening too, he finds solace in books, which help him “sleep better”.
It is these routines, that Dr Ansari follows without compromise, that streamline his life.
source: http://www.bangaloremirror.com / Bangalore Mirror / Home> Columns> Work / by Ayesha Tabassum, Bangalore Mirror Bureau / February 24th, 2014
Vice President Hamid Ansari on Monday said water scarcity was a developing crisis which needed to be addressed urgently. Ansari said desalination would become a major exercise in the not too distant future.
“We are facing a crisis situation. Why should we not look at desalinating water,” said the vice president, while releasing a book – Water, Peace, and War – by geostrategist Brahma Chellaney.
“A message needs to go to every family, every child that water is a scarce commodity which should not be wasted,” said Ansari.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> India / TNN / February 25th, 2014
It reminds one of the oldest mosque in Kerala in Calicut, maybe even in India – a quiet nondescript house sitting serenely in one of the most crowded areas in Mangalore called Bunder. We had been searching for it and so understated was it that we were directed to two other mosques before we actually found it.
The Zeenath Baksh Mosque is thousand years old
Maybe we should have asked for Jumma Masjid for that is its other name. We went through bustling alleys and streets, most of whom had their own mosques, new ones with domes of different shades of glistening green domes and minarets.
Finally we reached Bunder. The street was lined with shops selling a plethora of goods ranging from groceries to bicycle parts. By sheer happenstance we asked a particular shop owner where this mosque was and he pointed next door to say” It’s here only”. Here? We were surprised as it seemed like just another house.
It is housed a little inside from the road. We were conspicuous by our presence, my friend and I, for there were hardly any women going in or out. A young man in a kurta pajama and white cap came forward and my friend asked if we could take a picture. He agreed instantly and asked if we would like to come inside. But he said, you will have to cover your heads. We agreed and he took us around , very patiently explaining to us its history.
He said that it was a thousand years old; Islam in Kanara dates back to the twelfth century, as it had become the regional center for thriving international trade with Africa and Arabia. There are purportedly letters from Cairo assumed to be from an Abraham Ben Yiju, a North African Jew who settled here for twenty years.
This was unlike the other fellow traders who came and went intermittently, but ultimately went back to their land of origin. These missives are part of the Genizah documents (so called because they were found in the Genizah which is the back room of a synagogue) prove the existence of trade between Africa and Arabia and India. Author Amitav Ghosh researched these scholarly documents for his story in his brilliant novel “In an Antique Land”.
In a similar fashion, Muslim Arab traders had a cordial relationship with the rulers of the western coastal belt of India. This is attested to also by the writing of Ibn Batuta, the intrepid North African traveller who passed through India in 1342 who estimates that the Muslims in this region amounted to 4000.
The Masjid Zaynath Baksh in Bunder is said to have been established in Mangalore in 644 A.D and was inaugurated in February 644 A.D.
In the seventeenth century, Tipu Sultan renovated the mosque adding beautifully carved rosewood pillars and also a carved ceiling. The mosque was renamed after his daughter Zeenat Baksh. The prayer hall is on a plinth with an open colonnade running around the building under heavy overhanging eaves. The renovation coexists in harmony with the older, more ancient structure.
Men were praying with quiet intensity, some standing with stretched hands and some were sitting and praying. I traced the curlicues in the carved ornamentation of the pillars, standing solid and reassuring.
There is a pellucid ablution pool at the back and around the building is a cemetery.The façade of the mosque has green pillars supporting it.
Overall it gives the appearance of a dignified house of worship, providing a sacred sanctuary for both the dead and the living.
Maya Jayapal
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Supplements> Spectrum / by Maya Jayapal / February 25th, 2014
(sitting from left) Fiaz Pasha, Nisar Ahmed Khan, Team leader Mir Humayun, Dr. Abdul Ravoof, Dr. Muneer Ahmed; (standing) Meher Banu, Iftekahr Ahmed Khan, Rahmath Ulla Shariff, Abdul Rahman Shariff, Ahmed Saleem Ahmed and Nasreen Begum
Mysore :
In the elections to the new Managing Committee of Muslim Co-operative Bank held on Sunday at Vidyavardhaka Law College on Sheshadri Iyer road here, the ruling group led by Mir Humayun, President, retained all the 11 seats.
The following were elected to the new Managing Committee of the Bank for a term of 5 years:
Dr. Abdul Ravoof (1,650 votes), Mir Humayun (1,517), Abdul Rahman Shariff (1,495), Fayaz Pasha (1,363), Dr. Muneer Ahmed (1,349), A. Saleem Ahmed (1,278), Nisar Ahmed Khan (1,179), Rahmathulla Shariff (1,122), Iftekhar Ahmed Khan (Backward Reserved-1,179), Nasreen Begum (Women Reserved-1,187) and Meher Banu (Women – 1143).
Out of 5,357 eligible voters, 2,340 members cast their votes at the polling held up to 4pm. The counting was taken up at 4.30 pm in the auditorium of Vidyavardhaka Law Collegeunder the supervision of Returning Officer V. Srinivas Murthy.
The newly-elected Directors of the bank were greeted by Incharge General Manager Md. Khaleelulla Shariff.
On the occasion, Mir Huma-yun garlanded Srinivas Murthy and Sub-Inspector of Police Shabbir Hussain, who supervised the bandobast at election venue along with Inspector Rajanna.
Roshan Baig, Minister for Information, Infrastructure and Haj, congratulated Humayun and his group over phone on their victory.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / February 18th, 2014
Doctor Shah Nawaz with a patient at a private hospital in Kandahar in Afghanistan.
Shah Nawaz says he is happy to serve the Afghan people
Set to complete a decade in the former power hub of the Taliban, Dr Shah Nawaz, the ‘lone Indian’ here, is happy to help the war-weary Afghan people with their medical needs.
Nawaz, 45, is a doctor working at a private hospital. Officials said Dr. Nawaz is the only Indian working in the city apart from a handful of staff at the Indian Consulate in Kandahar city.
Recalling his journey to Afghanistan, Dr. Nawaz said an Afghan businessman in the dry fruits trade had contacts with his family in India. The businessman often spoke to Dr. Nawaz of the plight of people in Kandahar and their health requirements.
“I then gave him a proposal to build a hospital. He (the businessman) was ready to invest and I expressed readiness to come to Afghanistan and serve the people,” Dr. Nawaz said.
“People here are very simple, their needs are very limited. Actually even basic treatment is not available,” said Nawaz, who hails from Maharashtra.
“I am here since August 2005. My family is not here. They are in Malaysia. I visit them twice or thrice a year and they come once a year to India,” he said. Dr. Nawaz said he was the only Indian working in the city but a number of his compatriots were employed in a huge U.S. military base in Kandahar. According to sources, Indians working at the U.S. base come through Dubai and are not registered with the Consulate.
India last week helped Afghanistan establish its first agriculture university here as part of a major capacity-building project to help the war-torn country increase farm output and attain economic independence.
The Afghan National Agricultural Sciences and Technology University (ANASTU) is coming up in the sprawling Tarnak farm in the former Taliban stronghold of Kandahar.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News /by PTI / Kandahar, February 24th, 2014
Seven principles of brain scienceSharmin used them / Photo: BHagya Prakash k. / The Hindu
Chat Sharmin Ali believes that 90 days is all it takes to write a book
She wrote her first book in less than a week and now wants to help other budding novelists do the same. Meet debut novelist, entrepreneur, public speaker, blogger, theatre artist and motivational speaker, Sharmin Ali whose debut novel Y.O.U(You Own Yourself), reflects the author’s determination to bring about a positive change in the lives her readers.
Yet this has not come easily to this multi-faceted, self-possessed young woman who believes in doing things differently, “I had a stammering problem as a child,” she admits adding that the first person whose life she transformed was herself.
An engineer by profession, Sharmin worked in the corporate field for several years before quitting to do theatre.
She went on to co-found a production house, Plain Ice Productions and then decided to write, “I’ve always wanted to write but didn’t know how to put my ideas across. So I started reading a lot of best-sellers and understanding why they worked. After reading 10 of them, I realized I could predict how the eleventh would work. That made it easier for me to write my own and I went ahead and wrote my first non-fiction book is less than a week,” she says.
Her experience with writing her own book made her realize that there was a need to share it with other budding writers, “There are so many out there and I wanted to create something that would make it easier for them,” she says.
This has lead to the creation of her latest product Your-First-Book.com, a formula on how to become a published author in less than 90 days. The CD of the program was launched at the Oxford Bookstore earlier this month.
The product hand holds a budding writer through the journey of writing and includes tips on how to start, how to position yourself, what to write about and how to get published,
“I’ve used the seven principles of Brain Science while creating this product. This will help you create your Magnum opus,” she says adding, “At the end of the day it is attitude not aptitude that matters. You need to just get up and start doing things.”
PREETI ZACHARIAH
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> Metro Plus / by Preeti Zachariah / February 21st, 2014
Mohammed Aquil (left) with his father Mohammed Abdul Latheef at Camera Crafts./ Photos: K.V. Srinivasan / The Hindu
Spanning nine decades, Camera Crafts in the city has been a witness to the evolution of the photo industry
An auto screeches to a halt. A man gets down and walks in carrying a camera. Many customers have already settled into the backless seats at the store, and more filter in with cameras. Mohammed Aquil is busy shuffling in and out of his workshop at the back. Such scenes have remained unchanged at Camera Crafts in Triplicane for many years now. But what hasn’t changed is how the store has continuously adapted itself to the evolution of the photo industry.
Mohammed Abdul Sattar set up a camera repair shop in Triplicane in 1925 since there was nothing of that sort anywhere in the vicinity. “We were among the first in the Presidency,” says Aquil, as he wipes lenses carefully and places them aside. “My grandfather was good with carpentry and so, we started manufacturing wooden field cameras soon,” says Aquil, beside whom is a model of an old wooden camera with adaptable zoom lens.
For studios
Aquil says that his grandfather had told him how most of Camera Crafts’ customers back then were studios or wealthy locals who wanted their cameras repaired. Another aspect that Aquil remembers is Sattar narrating how military personnel visited the store during World War II. “Apparently, we were the only shop here then, so my grandfather would tend to all their cameras as well.”
When Sattar passed away in 1969, Aquil’s father Mohammed Abdul Latheef took over the business — just after the era of wooden cameras and at the beginning of the mechanical era. In keeping with the store’s tradition, he manufactured enlargers, studio lights and single-bulb flashes.
“Before the era of digital prints, one would need an enlarger to zoom images, and so my dad was making those. At one point, my father manufactured about 40,000 single-bulb flashes for studios such as Choksi Brothers spread across the country,” he says. And when electrical flashes became the norm, Aquil’s father decided to create sockets in older cameras to fit flashes. “He made those pre-War cameras compatible with flash,” he says.
In 1988, Aquil himself joined the shop, after completing a degree in electrical engineering. “We had a factory right here, which we demolished in the late 1980s. We moved the shop to a small one-room setup in the street opposite and functioned out of there for some time. Now, we have stopped manufacturing machines or cameras, and stick to just servicing. A lot of studios, professional and wildlife photographers continue to come here since we have been around for long.” He does sell cameras but not too many. “I mostly sell professional models.”
Cameras of yore: At Camera Crafts / The Hindu
However, he does have a large collection of cameras. “So many cupboardfuls,” he laughs. “Maybe 500 or even more.” Among the old cameras in his collection are the wooden field cameras his grandfather made — Leica and Rolleiflex. “A lot of them are pre-War cameras. I’m trying to restore as many as possible,” he adds. “Recently, I sold six cameras to a tourist who was looking for antiques. I just opened the cupboard and asked her to pick whatever she wanted.”
Camera Crafts has no visiting card. “Whatever customer base I have built is purely through word-of-mouth,” he smiles. “You can see for yourself.” Sure enough, more customers walk up to the counter with cameras.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus / by Anusha Parthasarathy / Chennai – February 06th, 2014
Shah Rukh Khan and former Mexican President Vicente Fox met on the sets of Red Chillies Entertainment Pvt Ltd’s film ‘Happy New Year’ on Feb 11, which is currently being shot in RK Studios in Mumbai. Fox was accompanied by his wife, Martha Fox, and the current Mexican ambassador to India Jamie Nualart. They discussed everything from Bollywood films, to things about Mexico and the importance of education.
About the meeting, Fox said, “We have been visiting many places, but meeting SRK and talking to him we feel he is a great person. The set is fabulous and the activity is just amazing. We hope that Mr Shah Rukh Khan would visit us at Mexico some day.” Well, no-one ever doubted SRK’s diplomatic skills!
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Entertainment> Hindi> Bollywood / by Reza Noorani, TNN / February 13th, 2014
