Monthly Archives: February 2018

The story of a Hyderabad Nizam and his diamond paper weight

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Leaders, World Opinion, , , , , , , ,

Hyderabad, TELANGANA (formerly ANDHRA PRADESH ) :

Mahboob Ali Khan
Mahboob Ali Khan

Mir Mahboob Ali Khan was taken to court by the trader who sold him the huge Jacob diamond

Of all the Nizams who ruled Hyderabad ,Mir Mahaboob Ali Khan — the sixth Nizam — was the most delightful and pleasure-loving monarch. He had great liking for everything western, be it dress, cars, manners and habits.

Born in 1866, he came to the throne at the age of three after the death of his father Afzal ud Daulah, and ruled till 1911. Mahaboob Ali kept the most lavish court in Hyderabad that several native rulers in India tried to emulate. He had a passion for expensive jewellery and precious diamonds. A number of exquisite pieces of jewellery including that of the famed necklace of Mary Antoinette of France, found place in his prized collections. However, the most renowned in his collection was the Jacob diamond, said to be the fifth biggest in the world.

Victoria Diamond

Originally known as Victoria Diamond, Jacob diamond had a short, but eventful, history  before reaching Hyderabad. It was found in Kimberly mines in South Africa in 1884 and was secretly transported to England to avoid heavy duties then in place for raw diamonds. It was sold to a consortium of jewellers at the Hutton Garden diamond market in London. The gem was then sent to Amsterdam in 1887 where it was polished in a specially erected workshop. The finished gem, with 58 facets, weighing 185. 75 carats was stunningly beautiful, in its cut, clarity and colour. (Kohinoor weighed only 105.6 carats).

DiamondMPOs28feb2018

It was this Victoria diamond, also called Imperial diamond that Alexander Jacob, the Shimla-based diamond dealer, sold to Mahaboob Ali Khan, the Nizam of Hyderabad in 1891. Since then it came to be called, Jacob Diamond.

Deal Went Murky

Like many famous diamonds of the world, Jacob diamond too had its own tale of woes due to the shady deal in its sale by Jacob to the Nizam. Jacob was a well-known, but notorious, Jewish merchant dealing in antiques and jewels having a shop in Shimla. Quite aware of Mahaboob Ali Pasha’s obsession for diamonds, Jacob arrived in Hyderabad in early 1891 to sell the Victoria diamond that was still in London. Jacob met the Nizam through Albert Abid, Nizam’s trusted Chamberlin, himself a jeweller and like Jacob, a Jew.

Jacob, with his alluring eloquence, spoke of the fabulous Victoria diamond and showed its glass replica that he had got made. Finally, after negotiations, both agreed for a mutual price of ₹46 lakhs. Half of the agreed amount, ₹ 23 lakhs, was paid as advance immediately by depositing in the bank and the remaining amount was to be paid on delivery of the diamond.

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Czar Nicholas views Nizam’s Jewels
  • Czar Nicholas II, the last Emperor of Russia, was a guest of Mahboob Ali Khan in Hyderabad. Nicholas, as the Grand Duke of Russia, visited Hyderabad in 1892, two years before he succeeded his father as Emperor of Russia. The Duke stayed at the Falaknuma Palace along with other Russian officials accompanying him. The Nizam exhibited his famed jewel collection for the Russian Prince at a specially erected grand pavilion at the Chowmahalla Palace. Nicholas went on a hunting expedition in the Nekkonda forests near Warangal. A number of sports events were also organised at the magnificent Mahaboob Mansion in Malakpet for the visiting Prince and his entourage.
  • Much later, in the wake of Bolshevik Revolution that broke out in Russia, Czar Nicholas II was executed with family in July 1917

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It was Jacob’s suggestion that the Nizam would use it as a paper-weight on his official papers and that his image would go up with such a use.

On July 21, 1891, when Jacob came with the original diamond, the Nizam to his disappointment found the diamond was much smaller than what the model was. Therefore he refused to buy the diamond and Jacob was asked to return the money paid as advance. But the wily Jacob by then, contrary to the understanding, had withdrawn all the advance money from the bank.

Jacob insisted that the Nizam pay him the remaining amount, and went so far as to file a case in the High Court in Calcutta. During the trial, the Calcutta High Court wanted to interrogate the Nizam as a witness. Accordingly, the Nizam met the commission at the Residency on October 5, 1891 but felt it an insult to go before a Commission of enquiry. On returning from the Residency, the angry Nizam, wrapped Jacob Diamond in a piece of cloth that was used to wipe the nib of his pen, pushed it into a shoe, and staved it off in his table draw, vowing never to open.

His son and successor, Mir Osman Ali Khan who succeeded his father in 1911, discovered it and used as paper weight, the purpose for which his father bought it.

What happened to Jacob?

The case Jacob filed proved to be his nemesis for, he had to spend all his money on his advocates. Born in Armenia , to Jewish parents, Alexander Malcolm Jacob was an ambitious and unscrupulous person. He came to India in 1871 with nothing and grew enormously influential as a dealer in jewels, diamonds and antiques. After his relations with the Nizam were strained, other native rulers treated him like the plague and refused seeing him. Jacob ultimately died in penury in Bombay. His life served a model for India-born Rudyard Kipling, to create the character, Lurgan in his Nobel prize winning novel, Kim, published in 1901.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Society> History & Culture / by K S S Seshan / February 21st, 2018

Vidarbha skipper Faiz Fazal showing his aggressive side in DY Patil T20

Leaders, Sports, , , , , ,

Vidharba, MAHARASHTRA :

Faiz Fazal's strike rate in the tournament is currently 253.
Faiz Fazal’s strike rate in the tournament is currently 253.

Nagpur :

Faiz Fazal has always been a free-flowing player. He has all the shots in the book.

In fact, during his Under-19 days, he was known to be one of the talented stroke players in the country. His highest score in limited overs cricket at the Under-19 level was 181, which came against Railways. However, with responsibilities in the Vidarbha fold, he had to curb his natural instincts. He became the mainstay of Vidarbha batting right from his first season.

Despite scoring 912 runs in the latest Ranji Trophy, Faiz didn’t get a look in for the IPL. However, that hasn’t stopped him from performing well. The Vidarbha skipper is in blazing form during the ongoing DY Patil Twenty20 tournament in Mumbai, where most of the IPL players are playing.

Faiz, who plays in the Times Shield and DY Patil Twenty20 for Jain Irrigation, is hitting some big sixes. In fact, his power hitting has surprised some of the IPL scouts, who are keeping an eye on their players’ performance. His strike rate in the tournament is currently 253. His brilliant performance has helped Jain Irrigation qualify for the knockouts.

In the qualifier match against Income Tax, Faiz hit 72 in just 27 balls, which had eight sixes and two fours. “He hit some big sixes. Most of the hits were sixes in any ground in the world. It’s just pure bad luck he couldn’t get into any IPL team. Maybe this performance can remind talent scouts about this different aspect of his batting. This is a quality tournament where you get good bowlers,” a talent scout, who doesn’t wish to be named, told TOI on Thursday.

He had watched Faiz’s knock against Income Tax. Incidentally, Faiz got out to Vidarbha allrounder Himanshu Joshi.

The tournament, which is generally prelude to the IPL, was postponed as the BCCI preponed the Syed Mushtaq Ali Twenty20 Trophy. Now, it’s acting as a preparatory tournament for the IPL. In the first match of the main draw against Reliance 1, Faiz scored 31 in just 13 balls, hitting four boundaries and two sixes. He took India Under-19 pace sensation Kamlesh Nagarkoti to cleaners pulling him for a six and four. He also smashed Punjab seamer Baltej Singh for a six and four in the first four balls. Reliance 1 also had the Kerala seamer Nidhish MD, India Under-19 spinner Ankul Roy and leg-spinner Rahul Chahar.

Former India stumper Kiran More, who is part of the Reliance support staff, was all praise for Faiz’s aggressive display. “He played extremely well against us. There are a lot more permutations combinations in the IPL. There are many international players who didn’t get to any team. Teams know what and who they want and you need to fit into their requirement,” More told TOI.

“Faiz is good, compact player with a solid technique. He has all the shots in the book. If he performs like this, he will surely get his chances. He has played for the country so he knows what it takes to get there. Sometimes you need a bit of luck going your way. I don’t see age will be an issue for him,” More added.

In the second match against Air India, the 32-year-old scored 34 in just 16 balls with the help of four boundaries and two huge sixes. Jain Irrigation won both the matches by comfortable margins. These knocks are perfect answers to those who only term him a four-day player.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> Sports News> Cricket News / by Ruchir Mishra / TNN / February 25th, 2018

For Saif Faisal, All Roads Lead to Design

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Karnataka (under research project), , , , ,

Bengaluru, KARNATAKA :

SaifFaisal01MPOs28feb2018

It all started with cars, as Saif explained to us. His dream of becoming an Automotive Designer started early on to which point he even enrolled into an Architecture Undergraduate program near Bangalore just to be able to pursue a Master’s degree in car design. There, in college, he also joined the Formula Student Racing Team, where he acquired diverse experience in design and technical know-how. Now that’s real commitment.

But things took a U-turn when later he dropped the plan to go ahead with his Master’s, thinking that it was too restricting to be involved in just one specific field. At that point, he had discovered that only an Industrial Design course could give him the freedom to be multi-disciplinary, and to be able to work on Architecture, Product design, Automotive design and more. Then, the rest is history.

SaifFaisal02MPOs28feb2018

 

Winning design from EDIDA INDIA 2017: Qaiser Series (T) and Cork Trays (B).
Winning design from EDIDA INDIA 2017: Qaiser Series (T) and Cork Trays (B).

“Design, in general, is what gets me going,” he said, “So it is all a playful adventure.” Since setting up his creative office in 2014, Saif had been steadily creating designs that draw heavily from his appreciation of technology and processes. But it wasn’t until he won the recent EDIDA India for furniture and tabletop with the Qaiser Series and Cork Trays that he finally caught the eyes of the global design industry.

The former is a series of side tables with tops that used a unique craft form called ‘Bidriware’. “One of its kind in the world,” explained Saif, “It uses a special mud from the medieval fort in Bidar, in South India.  So it is made by us with local craftsmen.” The latter, a quite self-explanatory design, takes the shapes of typical hanging cutting boards, but with a thick border to hold objects in their place. Akin to Enzo Ferrari who used to build and sell cars to fund his racing, the trays are currently self-produced by Saif but would definitely like to be mass-produced. “Maybe by a manufacturer from Scandinavia perhaps…” he hoped. And so do we.

We talked to him about his journey so far and his future endeavours.

Qaiser Series used a unique craft form called 'Bidriware'.
Qaiser Series used a unique craft form called ‘Bidriware’.

 

In the process of making the Cork Trays.
In the process of making the Cork Trays.

For people who are not yet familiar with you, tell us about your background.

I’m an Industrial designer working on Architecture, Interiors, Product design, Brand Identity, Design Development, Creative Direction,  Motorcycle design, Automotive racing, Furniture, Lighting, Craft & Jewelry. I’ve always had an admiration for things and objects: their materials, beauty and how they were made. I always found it fascinating to watch a carpenter or a mason engaged in his craft. I could make stuff out of anything that was around; I used to make miniature farms with plantations and worked on irrigation, inspired by the country life I experienced during the summer stays at my grandfather’s farm. I’d also make models of scooters and bikes out of wheat flour dough. That’s one of the reasons I still love scale models so much, making them and collecting them. It was around 16 that I discovered design could be a legit career. I wanted to become an automotive designer. I’m an autodidact, and it’s quite natural for me to pick up something that interests me and pursue it with certain passion on my own, learning and doing on the way.

How do you describe your design aesthetic?

I’m an ‘ESSENTIALIST’; my focus is on sensitive, thoughtful and meaningful design. I have quite a contrasting way of looking at things; some designs are practical and functionalist while others are poetic expressions that can have certain humour and curiosity. All in all, everything has to have that beauty. Making stuff has been a huge part of the process; so much so that some of the products hardly have any drawings or detailed sketches – it’s just straight from the concept sketches to the making of the prototype.

 

Designing cars, including racing architecture has always been Saif's dream.
Designing cars, including racing architecture has always been Saif’s dream.

Lots of your pieces used natural materials like wood and cork. What's your fascination with these materials?

I love working with beautiful, humble natural materials; they have great quality regarding how they age gracefully. I love exploring their properties in new and expressive ways, for instance, the Cork trays have two variations of cork, the rubberised one for the strap and the hard one for the tray body, perfectly coming together, not to mention the ecological aspects of these materials.

Where are you based now?  What made you want to be here? What are the advantages?

I’m based in Bangalore at the moment; I came here for my undergraduate about 12 years ago, while doing my Architecture I was part of the Formula SAE team which mostly had Mechanical engineering students, I used to design the Chassis, Ergonomics, Suspension, Brakes, Safety and Packaging. During this time I developed a great network of vendors and suppliers. This field felt quite indispensable when I wanted to start my multidisciplinary studio. But I seem to have exhausted the potential of the city. Maybe I will shift to Scandinavia in future; you’ll never know…

What is the current design scene in India?

Its still evolving and not that refined at the moment. There is this underlying fascination with Bollywood and Kitsch with a ‘Royal’ hangover from the bygone era of the ‘Maharajas’ that I feel is quite hindering. But otherwise, there is new breed of young designers with a more progressive perspective that is doing some significant work that I feel would be worth something in the coming years.

Where do you find your inspiration?

Inspiration to me comes from a social concern, a beautiful material, an inspiring craft, a practical need, a curiosity… I look to other creative fields too. At this moment, in particular, I’m fascinated with the contemporary culinary scene. Also, it’s quite difficult not to notice the tech-innovations of late…

Another EDIDA winning design from 2016: Poise Lamp.
Another EDIDA winning design from 2016: Poise Lamp.

 

The new Euclid Series of candleholders.
The new Euclid Series of candleholders.

Where will we see you next?

We have several projects that we have completed and are speaking to different manufacturers to get them in production. Among other stuff, I’m working on an electric Café racer that will host a couple of very innovative features in response to the whole Autonomous vehicle scene. Also, I’ve been approached for an electric car; it’s more on conceptual lines at the moment focussing on the future of urban mobility in developing nations like India, I’m working on the Packaging, Interiors & Styling. One important thing at the moment is we are working with a manufacturer who is looking at working with a couple of craft form to launch innovative contemporary Art-Design pieces soon, hopefully during I Salone 2018 in Milan. This is a new direction for my work; I’m quite pleased with the progress at the moment.

For more info about Saif Faisal, visit here.

Any views or opinions in the post are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the company or contributors.

source: http://www.theartling.com / the Artling / Home / by Yen Kien Hang / January 26th, 2018

UK Asian Film Festival: Filmmaker Danish Iqbal’s movie will be screened

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, World Opinion, , , ,

Allahabad, UTTAR PRADESH / NEW DELHI :

Allahabad:

Filmmaker Danish Iqbal’s movie, “Sadho” will be screened at UK Asian Film Festival. This festival will begin on 14th March and is planned to be held in Edinburgh, Manchester Leicester and London.

Sadho is a film based on true events and it highlights Child Trafficking menace.

Talking about the movie, Mr. Danish said that Sadho is a heart touching film. In the film, character Sadho finds a newborn child who survives in a car accident. He was supposed to make a decision whether to return the child to parents or not.

It may be mentioned that the movie was produced by Mr. Varad Gupta. Role of Sadho was played by Mr. Sukumar Tudu.

Earlier, Sadho was selected in nine international film festivals.

In Haryana International Film Festival, the movie won best film critics award and best actor award.

Filmmaker Danish’s career started from the theatre in 1994. He did graduation from Allahabad University and was a student of National School of Drama and Central School of Speech and Drama, London.

He got British Council’s Charles Wallace Award, Sahitya Kala Parishad’s Mohan Rakesh Award and Sangeet Natak Akademi’s Ustad Bismillah Khan Award.

source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> Entertainment / February 21st, 2018

Kashmiri lensman bags 2016 Wisden-MCC Cricket ‘Photograph of the Year’ award

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Sports, World Opinion, ,

Srinagar, JAMMU & KASHMIR :

Saqib Majeed is the first Kashmiri and second Asian after Atul Kamble to receive the prestigious award.

Saqib01MPOs28feb2018

A Srinagar based freelance photographer has done Kashmir proud, pocketing the prestigious 2016 Wisden-MCC (Melbourne Cricket Council) Cricket Photograph of the Year for a stunning image, which captured boys playing cricket in the outskirts of the city, clicked by him.

Saqib Majeed, an engineer by profession clicked the award-winning picture at the Nishat garden in Srinagar.
Majeed is the first Kashmiri and second Asian after Atul Kamble to receive the prestigious award. Every year MCC publishes a book titled Wisden Cricketer Almanack, which includes best sports pictures from across the globe.

This year’s edition includes Majeed’s picture.

Majeed’s picture in Kashmir’s autumn setting certainly had all the ingredients to make the cut. It had nature’s own beauty coupled with cricketers playing the game in their own way that typify the sport with the man behind the camera having a feel of the occasion to capture the decisive moment.

SaqibMPOs28feb2018

“The historic Lords Cricket Ground will display my image for a year,” said a visibly happy Majeed, who was chosen among 450 participants.

“It was an autumn day when I visited the Nishat Garden with a friend to click some pictures. When I reached the garden, some guys were playing cricket under the shade of Chinar trees. I started to click the pictures for next half-an-hour,” he said.

Majeed recalls trying different angles to get a perfect shot, but ended up clicking only a few.
“I am very thankful to my family, friends and The Counselor Magazine, who always encouraged me,” he added.

source: http://www.inuth.com / inUth.com / Home> Sports> Cricket / by ANI News Agency / May 06th, 2017

Indian community bids farewell to Saleem

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Leaders, NRI's / PIO's, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Riyadh, SAUDI ARABIA :

SaleemMPOs28feb2018

Riyadh  :

The Indian community here bid farewell to longtime resident and senior NRI Arch. Mohammed Abdur Rahman Saleem, who is leaving the Kingdom after over four decades here.

Saleem who spent 43 years in the Kingdom, was a prominent social activist and promoter of the Urdu language and culture. He established different cultural and social organizations and organized many cultural events.

Saleem was the torch bearer of Urdu culture and tradition. After successfully establishing many organizations he formed the Toastmasters Club in Riyadh. Bazm-e-Urdu Toastmasters Club (BUTMC), which is successfully running with many youth joining it to excel in linguistic skills along with personality development and public speaking abilities.

By organizing elocution competitions for the students of Indian schools in Riyadh, Saleem was successful in attracting students to get interested in and opt for Urdu in their studies.

Chief Guest Dr. Hifzur Rahman Azmi, First Secretary, Embassy of India Riyadh, said, “Nowadays people with positivity are rarely found in our society whereas Saleem is a multi-faceted person who is filled with positivity. He dedicatedly works likes an organization in himself, and has organized many events on a grand scale. Even the Embassy needs the help of different organizations to arrange such events. In addition to organizing cultural events for entertainment, he has striven for many constructive works and events; elocution competition for school students is one such example.”

Rahman also disclosed that Saleem holds the credit of organizing the first Republic Day Mushaira in Riyadh, over 25 years back, under the banner of the Indian Embassy. His organization was associated with all the Mushairas organized by the Indian Embassy as he regularly felicitated all the poets.

Saleem successfully tried to link the people from all parts of India and managed to make an excellent group of like-minded people and hoped that his team will carry forward his legacy, he added.

In his welcome address THH and OUAAAR President Mohammed Qaiser said, “As an architect Saleem played an important role in giving beautiful buildings to this country. In addition to his professional commitments, his services and contributions towards the Indian community and for the promotion of Urdu were remarkable.”

K.N. Wasif read out a sketch about Saleem and said that he always was for justice among all and hence represents the justice of Jahangir. Ghouse Arsalan also read another sketch titled “Hindustani Tahzeeb ke Me’maar” (Architect of Indian culture) and said, Saleem truly represented the Deccani culture and tradition in the Kingdom and in USA.

Firasat Ali Khusro paid poetic tribute to Saleem’s long services and contributions. He said Saleem always did good deeds and never showed off, and it is very rare to find such humble people in the current period.

Taqiuddin Mir presented a humorous sketch “Pati Patni Aur Woh” about Saleem’s addiction to mobile and using social media to get in touch with all his friends. The community leaders from all parts of India spoke on various aspects of Saleem’s personality.

Zaigham Khan from Aligarh said that Saleem is Baba-e-Urdu of the Kingdom and will be remembered here for the long time. Ghazanfar Ali Khan said that Saleem has been the cultural ambassador of India to the Kingdom for over four decades.

Ghizal Mahdi appreciated Saleem’s affection for the Urdu language. Representing Jamia Millia Islamia, he said, Jamia played an important role in freedom struggle and its founders laid emphasis on education through mother tongue. Due to this factor Mahdi had long time association and friendship with Saleem.

Prominent Businessman Nadeem Tarin said that Saleem and his associates played an important role in introducing Hyderabadi community to the north Indian community, especially Aligs. Due to this a new impetus was prominent among both the communities and it was evident with the successful and historical events arranged and attended by all these communities.

AIUS President Dr. Mohammed Ashraf Ali appreciated the contributions and services of Saleem as he invited many prominent personalities from India and offered a platform to the community to interact with them.

Senior banker Shahid Ali Khan recalled his long time association with Saleem. Vice President Hindustani Bazm-e-Urdu Eng. Abdul Hameed introduced Saleem with the help of PPT presentation. Prominent Businessman Mir Muzaffar Ali was the Guest of Honor.

Saleem thanked the organizers, speakers and attendees for the marvelous display of love and affection for him. He promised that he will continue to strive for the promotion of Urdu wherever he goes. He announced that he will try his best to start Urdu Toastmasters Clubs in Hyderabad and USA.

On this occasion Mubibb-e-Urdu award was presented to Saleem. The organizing committee members presented him a memento of appreciation in recognition of his contributions and services.

Floral bouquets and gifts were presented by different organizations — Deccan Cultural Association, All India United Society, Ghazal Sara Group, Telangana NRI Forum, Paradise Group, Bazm-e-Farogh-e-Urdu and Bihar community.

Organizing committee members Aftab Nizami, Mohammed Mubin, Sohail Siddiqui, Mohammed Kaleem, Syed Ateeq, Aliuddin Ahmed, Shakeel Mah presented freshly prepared beautiful garland specially arranged for the event.

Mohammed Farooqui Shahbaz conducted the proceedings, while Dr. Shoukat Pervez, principal IISR proposed the vote of thanks. Hafiz Abdul Malik recited verses of Holy Qur’an at the start of the event. — SG

source: http://www.saudigazette.co.sa / Home> Saudi Arabia / Riyadh – February 22nd, 2018

 

UM’s Ikhlas Khan Wins Lifetime Achievement Award

Amazing Feats, Education, Green Products, Leaders, NRI's / PIO's, Science & Technology, World Opinion, , , , ,

Aligarh, UTTAR PRADESH / Mississippi,  U.S.A  :

Ikhlas Khan. Photo courtesy of Ole Miss Communications
Ikhlas Khan. Photo courtesy of Ole Miss Communications

Ikhlas Khan, director of the National Center for Natural Products Research at the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy, is the winner of AOAC International’s 2018 Harvey W. Wiley Award, which recognizes lifetime scientific achievement.

AOAC International develops global quality standards for microbiological and chemical materials, ranging from food to pharmaceuticals in an effort to ensure public health. Khan, who has been with the university since 1992 and directed the natural products center since 2017, has spent much of his career developing standards for dietary supplements.

“I’m very pleased to receive this award,” Khan said. “AOAC is the top organization for chemical standards, and I appreciate this recognition of my work in this area.”

As part of the honor, Khan will deliver the Wiley Award address and chair the Wiley Award Symposium at AOAC’s annual meeting in August in Toronto.

The Harvey W. Wiley Award has been given to one person a year since 1957, with past recipients including scientists from government, industry and academic institutions from around the world.

The National Center for Natural Products Research maintains a repository with more than 18,000 natural product specimens, derived extracts and pure compounds. Photo by Robert Jordan/Ole Miss Communications
The National Center for Natural Products Research maintains a repository with more than 18,000 natural product specimens, derived extracts and pure compounds. Photo by Robert Jordan/Ole Miss Communications

Story by Sydney Slotkin Dupriest, courtesy of Ole Miss Communications

source: http://www.hottytoddy.com / HottyToddy.com / Home> Headlines> News & Views / February 21st, 2018

HAM Leader and Former Minister Shahid Ali Khan Dies of Heart Attack

Community Involvement / Social Issues, Leaders, , ,

Patna, BIHAR :

HAM leader Shahid Ali Khan (file photo) / Patna Daily
HAM leader Shahid Ali Khan (file photo) / Patna Daily

Patna:

Former Bihar Minister and senior Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) leader Shahid Ali Khan died of a massive heart attack on Thursday during his visit to Ajmer Sharif in Rajasthan where the 54-year old politician had gone to pay a visit to the tomb of Khwaza Moinuddin Chishti.

Party spokesperson Danish Rizwan informed the press in Patna about the sudden passing away of Khan’s death.

Khan was elected to the state Assembly for the first time in 1990 from Sitamarhi on Janata Dal ticket, the forebearer of the current Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). At the time, he was the youngest person ever to be elected to the Bihar Assembly.

He was re-elected from the same constituency in 2000 under the RJD ticket and won twice as a Nitish-led Janata Dal – U candidate in 2005 and 2010 from Pupari and Sursand constituency. He held different portfolio under Nitish administration that included the Minority Welfare, IT, and Law departments.

He later resigned from the JD-U and joined hands with former Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi pledging allegiance to the HAM.

Khan leaves behind his wife and three daughters along with other family members.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, HAM President Jitan Ram Manjhi, former ministers Brishan Patel, Mahachandra Prasad, and JD-U state President Vashisht Narayan Singh were among many who expressed their condolences to the grieving members of the family calling it a huge loss for the state.

Khan had hit the headlines in 2014 when rumor of his alleged links with Indian Mujahideen terrorist outfit led to an investigation against him. He later, repeating a famous line from Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan’s film ‘My Name is Khan’, said “I am Shahid Ali Khan and I am not a terrorist” in the state Assembly.

The so-called investigation did not go anywhere as Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, at the time, called it a conspiracy by the ‘communal Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’ to malign a member of the minority community and a minister in the Nitish government.

The Chief Minister has announced a state funeral for the former minister.

source: http://www.patnadaily.com / Patna Daily / Home> News / January 04th, 2018

Africa, India and royalty

Leaders, World Opinion, , , , , , , ,

An on going art exhibition reveals the African legacy in India begins even before the Mughal period

Thriving in india -- Politically, culturally and socially
Thriving in india — Politically, culturally and socially

Gujarat is not only home to the lost city of Dwarka, but also houses another secret heritage, of African kings in India. Till date, two dynasties of African kings live on in the former princely states of Sachin and Janjira.

The exhibition “Africans in India — A Rediscovery”, on view at the Southern Regional Centre of the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), remembers their forgotten legacy. The exhibition has been curated by Dr. Sylviane A. Diouf and Dr. Kenneth X. Robbins of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, part of the New York Public Library.

The exhibition reveals how the African legacy in India begins even before the Mughal period in the 1400s. Beginning as slaves migrating from East African regions around Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somalia, Africans rose up the social ladder to become generals, commanders, admirals, prime ministers, rulers and architects, largely known as Sidis or Habshis.

“The exhibition portrays how a community that travelled across the globe and came to India thrived here, politically, culturally and socially. Most of the immigrants came as slaves and some of them reached high offices in the army, some even became rulers,” says Dr. Mangalam Swaminathan, Programme Director, IGNCA, New Delhi.

According to Mangalam, this aspect of heritage isn’t widely known because of lack of information and research. “Even this exhibit, according to curator Sylvianne is only a fraction of the material lying scattered,” she adds. Through photographic reproductions of paintings from several collections across U.K. and U.S.A., the exhibition thematically displays several significant milestones of this heritage captured in diverse paintings spanning across eras. The exhibition showcases the role played by the Africans in four major kingdoms in the regions of Bengal, Deccan, Sachin and Janjira.

Some of the most famous African rulers were Prime Minister Ikhlas Khan who was Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief for the Bijapur Sultanate, Malik Ambar, who was regent and Prime Minister in the Deccan and the Nawabs of Janjira and Sachin.

The forts, mosques, mausoleums and other physical testimonies to their skills as city planners, architects and rulers, can still be found in these regions. There were also some famous African queens, Mehr Lekha Begum Sahiba, Yasmin Mahal and Bamba Muller.

“The major aspect that one can take away India was a flourishing nation, where people came seeking employment, as far back as fourth century. Indian culture assimilated them into the society, as it had done with several other faiths, cultures and lifestyles. There was mutual give and take culturally, part of the broadminded tolerance of India. Africans in India are an indelible part of Indian history and heritage. We need to do more research and come up with exhibitions, research papers and publications,” says Mangala.

The exhibition was also taken to UNESCO in Paris, IGNCA New Delhi, National Science Center in Surat, M.S. University in Baroda and Gujarat National Law University in Ahmedabad. It was also shown at the India Africa Forum Summit in New Delhi.

The exhibition will be on view till December 26 at IGNCA-Southern Regional Centre (SRC), Kengute Circle, Magadi-Kengeri Ring Road, Near IIPM, Mallathalli, Jnanabharathi Post.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> MetroPlus / by Harshini Vakkalanka / December 21st, 2015

A fight to preserve history

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Education, , , ,

Kozhikode , KERALA :

Aysha Mahmood, alumnus of St Joseph’s HSS, is campaigning for safe keep of 150-year old building.

Children at St Joseph’s Anglo Indian Girl’s Higher Secondar School, the first school for girls in Malabar, built in 1862.(Photo: Venugopal)
Children at St Joseph’s Anglo Indian Girl’s Higher Secondar School, the first school for girls in Malabar, built in 1862. (Photo: Venugopal)

Thiruvananthapuram:

It was a chance meeting. Aysha Mahmood had come to her hometown, Kozhikode, to take part in the Offir Food Fest. She has been settled in Taiwan for a while, but couldn’t stop reacting to stories from home that shocked her.

Two years ago, she heard her beloved alma mater – St. Joseph’s Anglo Indian Girls’ Higher Secondary School – will have its oldest building demolished. A few of the alumni had then got together, spoke to the school and the idea had slowly died down. Now, after a chance meeting with someone she knew, Aysha heard the plan was back on.

Frantically, she gathered together some of the old girls who studied there, tried talking to the school, and finally had to start a petition online to save the old, old school – 155 years old.

“Some time back they celebrated the 155th anniversary of the building, now they are planning to pull it down, and in its place, build a glass and steel structure,” she says, remembering another old building that is no longer there. It was the boarding house where Aysha had spent many happy days. The building had a library in the centre which had a lot of really old Reader’s Digest magazines.

It was not accessible to the girls. But like in Enid Blyton novels, the girls found an old door from their dressing area that led to the library. Aysha’d sneak in, after opening the rusty hinge, and stay there with her torch or a candle, reading those old, old Reader’s Digest magazines.But that building and the library had got pulled down. Now there is only the original convent and this building they are planning to demolish, left of the first school for girls in Malabar, built in 1862. “We have very few 100 plus year old buildings left in Kozhikode. One reason they give for demolishing the building is space constraints. That they cannot have smart classrooms there. But there are architects interested in conserving it, who say, it can be done. We could add modern amenities, restore the building. A group from the NIT had gone there, to do a scientific study. But they were not allowed to. The school says they have done a study but they are not ready to share the report.”

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The school has been giving the reason that it concerns the safety of the students. “But we feel that is an excuse,” says Abdul Hameed, an electrical engineer who runs an architectural consultancy. He got involved only because of his love for his hometown.

“We suggest we can get the best structural engineers from NIT, to ascertain the safety of the building. And then do a programme to restore it. The funding – can be thought out later. These kind of colonial buildings – were before concrete, so it is totally made with bricks and masonry. The main structure can last for centuries like the old churches and other buildings across the world. But maintenance should be done.”Abdul, with the collector, the new building’s architect, and a few others are planning to meet the headmistress on Monday. “Lots of people are calling. Venu IAS, former tourism secretary, K.K. Muhammed, former ASI director, have all shown their interest,” Aysha says.

Her petition has collected 2574 signatures as this is written. But she adds, “There is no question that the safety of the children is primary. Our request is to do a proper study and if there is no way out, let’s demolish the building.”There might be a way out. Architect and another alumnus of the school Lakshmi Manohar has just come back from a visit to the school on Saturday evening.

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“We just wanted to meet the old teachers and find out what the issue is. According to us, the structure is weak. But there are provisions. They showed us the old classrooms. There are more students now, so the space is less, to take class. It is all congested. Their requirements need one or two floors more to the building. The question is whether the structure has the strength to withstand the extra floors. That’s what we should evaluate. The problems they cite are about the plaster wearing off, the laterite blocks becoming visible, foundation troubles, and so on – all of which can be fixed. But I am not a conservation architect. We should bring a technical expert to study the condition and tell what the situation is,” she says.

‘A collective memory which shaped Kozhikode society’
The St. Joseph’s building, since 1862, has played an undeniable role in making education attainable and accessible to girl children from all walks of life- par caste and creed. It contains the collective memory of thousands of women and girls, panning almost six generations. It has played alma mater to a large section of Calicut society- ensuring quality education. Keeping that heritage alive is of high importance.

Those interested in the demolishing of the building may be of the opinion that it affects the modern outlook of the management or that it is a threat to the safety. Both concerns can be addressed if the right people are involved.

There is a large Architects Guild active in Calicut that specialises in the restoration and strengthening of historical and heritage buildings. We must be prepared to give them a chance to present their expert opinion and help in this matter. The professors of NIT Architecture Department have made known their availability and deep interest in studying the building and presenting their proposal for the same.

While it does need some work, respected architects who have assessed it generally opine that the building is structurally sound. They feel that it could be refurbished at a cost lesser than that required for demolishing and rebuilding.The restoration will only add to the historical value and character of the school. A building that is  150 years old must be considered an asset to the city. In a world where characterless and soulless skyscrapers and steel-glass embodiments are dime a dozen, buildings like these serve as a place of solace for the soul and soothing to the sight. They embody our past and our culture. Caretakers of our colonial architecture and history must know that the St. Joseph’s School and its many buildings are rich and heavy with these values.To conclude, I think preserving buildings like these is essential because of the collective memories, Calicut and its people attach to it.

Generations are emotionally attached to this school building in which they have spend a big part of their childhood. It has had a formative and a positive role to play in all our lives and it will be the saddest day in our lives to see it being pulled down.
(Excerpts from the online petition of Aysha Mahmood)

source: http://www.asianage.com / The Asian Age / Home> India> All India / CRIS / February 23rd, 2018