When Sania Mirza burst upon the global scene, the London-based New Statesman saw this “slender 18-year-old Muslim tennis player from India” as one of the 10 people who could change the world.
Jason Cowley, who wrote the article, believed that she had the “potential to change the world” for the following reasons: 1. She was the first Indian female tennis player to be ranked among the world’s Top 40. 2. She had made a breakthrough in sport despite coming from a country that usually discouraged women in sport. 3. She had discipline, tenacity, flamboyance. And all of this amounted to 4. She was going to “inspire a whole new generation of Indian girls”. Cowley’s article was written in October 2005, soon after a fatwa stipulated that Mirza should be prevented from playing tennis in skirts and T-shirts. Mirza instantly became a symbol of defiance, a “slender 18-year-old” girl who could stand up to Muslim hardliners. At around the same time, Time magazine hailed her as one of Asia’s heroes. AndThe New York Times said the weight of the country’s expectations rested on her.
I am at a loss to explain how or why the Sania phenomenon fizzled out in mainstream media. To be sure, she remains a remarkable player who will continue to inspire a whole generation of young women. But Mirza is no longer feted and hailed for her potentially transformative powers. I thought of Muslim role models once again when I saw the modest, self-effacing Allah Rakha Rahman accept his twin Oscars in Los Angeles.
There he was, up on stage in his very Indian designer sherwani singing Jai Ho, the song from Slumdog Millionaire. Or there he was on the red carpet with his wife, her head covered as she shyly posed for photographs. On stage, he was thanking God (“all glory and fame to God”) and his mother, talking of the path of love rather than hate that he had opted to follow. There was quiet dignity about him rather than the usual over-the-top Oscar exuberance. I suspected he would have had the same quiet smile had he lost.
Rahman is not known to be a man of many words. So, it was the subtext of what he said (or didn’t), that struck me as significant. Here was a Muslim who was confident in his identity as an Indian Muslim (in fact, with Maa Tujhe Salaam, he has done more to popularize Vande Mataram than the entire Sangh parivaar put together). Like the majority of Muslims everywhere, he believes in his God, in family values, in love and brotherhood. He was not out of place on the world stage performing with artistes drawn from all over the globe.
Rahman does not conform to any of the Muslim stereotypes. But he is undeniably an adherent of Islam, converting to the faith at the age of 21 along with his family. His views on politics are not widely known. But as a believing Muslim, he is reported to earmark one-third of his earnings to charity. Significantly, one of his first acts on returning home to India was to visit the Ameen Peer dargah at Kadappa in Andhra Pradesh to offer special prayers.
India’s Muslims have been singled out for their many unique qualities.
Thomas Friedman recently hailed the community’s decision to refuse burial in Mumbai to the Pakistani terrorists killed in the 26/11 attack. By denying terrorists the status of martyrs, the world’s second largest Muslim community was doing a “great service to Islam”, he said. Yet, one of the laments among Muslims is the lack of credible role models.
Bollywood within its secular framework has been able to throw up some figures—Javed Akhtar and Shabana Azmi most notably speak up for a pluralistic, democratic framework, but they’re not necessarily seen as strong adherents of Islam. Aamir Khan is the sensitive voice for the marginalized, not really a strong Muslim figure. Azim Premji is probably the richest Muslim in India but, once again, his success is defined in business, not religious terms.
In cricket, you could certainly look at the Pathan brothers who straddle both worlds—cricket and Islam. The sons of a poor muezzin who couldn’t afford even a pair of shoes, they now symbolize a can-do spirit. In a TV ad, they refer to their father as “abba”. It’s as if they’re saying, like Omar Abdullah, “We are Indians and Muslims and see no contradiction between the two.”
With his stunning Oscar win, Rahman reaffirms the same message to emerge as a new role model for young Indian Muslims. In equal parts a proud Muslim, proud Indian and proud professional, he stands as a counter to both the fanatic and the stereotype of the fanatic that many believe represent the average Muslim.
For this reason alone, I’m singing the new anthem: Jai Ho.
Namita Bhandare writes every other Tuesday on social trends. Respond to this column at lookingglass@livemint.com
source: http://www.livemint.com / Live Mint / Home> Explore> Looking Glass / by Namita Bhandare / March 02nd, 2009
In 1674, Shivaji crowned himself king, with classical ritual in full display. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
By accepting the concept of the Thulukka Nachiyar, within the temple, was a space created to locate the newcomer Muslim within the world of the orthodox Hindu?
India is a mosaic of many curious tales. But very often, seemingly incongruous elements that reside in the realm of fable and myth end up lending an ironic congruence to the concrete world of men. Throughout Indian history, whenever politics has found itself at an awkward crossroads, a generous fabrication of mythology has helped ease the process. One prominent example is Shivaji’s—the Maratha warrior had emerged as a powerful force in the late 17th century, with armies, treasure, and swathes of territory at his command. But rivals painted him merely as an over-strong rebel, so that in addition to power, what he needed was legitimacy too.
The answer to Shivaji’s woes came in 1674, when he decided to crown himself king, with classical ritual in full and extravagant display. A genealogy was invented connecting him to an ancient royal line, and retrospective rituals permitted him to take his place as a “pure” Kshatriya, when so far Brahmins had deemed him inferior in caste. It was a masterstroke: Shivaji now towered over other Maratha clans in status, while simultaneously alerting his Mughal enemies that he was no longer a “mountain rat”—he was an anointed, lawful monarch.
As a society too, India has been capable of negotiating disruptive changes through the invention of tradition. Reading scholar Richard H. Davis’ work recently reminded me of the bizarre, clever and typically Indian ways in which this was achieved. When Muslim might arrived in India in the form of invaders, a new chapter was inaugurated in the story of our subcontinent. The old order fell, and a different structure was fashioned. One way in which the elites on both sides tried to rationalize, in their respective world views, these painful changes is through what historian Aziz Ahmad called epics of conquest and resistance. Thus, for instance, we have Muslim accounts that exaggerated the “destruction of infidels”, when, in reality, even the terrifying Muhammad of Ghor’s coins prominently featured the “infidel” goddess Lakshmi, countered by Hindus with their own stories, the case of Padmavati preferring fire to the embrace of a Muslim being one such. Rhetoric was amplified on both sides, legends and tales competing for narrative dominance to come to grips with changes under way on the ground.
One such fascinating story from the 14th century features a Muslim woman recalled to this day by Hindus as Thulukka Nachiyar (literally, “Tughluq Princess”), who is said to have fallen in love with a Hindu god. The outline of the story is as follows: When Muslim troops from Delhi plundered temples in southern India, on their list was the great Vaishnava shrine at Srirangam in Tamil Nadu. Temple chronicles show that indeed idols were seized, and, in this story, the processional image of the deity is taken to Delhi. The reigning sultan consigns the idol to a storeroom, while a local Tamil woman, who had followed the troops, returns to Srirangam and informs the temple authorities of the precise whereabouts of their deity. Dozens of priests now make their way to court, where, after entertaining the sultan with a series of performances, they request the return of their lost idol. The cheerful Tughluq king is happy to grant them this, commanding his men to go to the storeroom and fetch Srirangam’s deity. Everyone is, at this point, rather pleased with the turn of events, and we have every hope of a happy ending.
This is where the twist occurs. It so happens that the sultan’s daughter had long before gone into the storeroom and collected the idol, taking it to her apartments and there playing with the deity as a doll. The implication, however, is that by dressing “him”, feeding him and garlanding him, as is done to deities in Hindu rituals, the princess was essentially worshipping the image, winning divine affection. When the appeal from the Srirangam party is heard, the deity puts her to sleep and agrees to return south, only for the Tughluq princess to wake up distraught—she hastens to catch up with the Brahmins, who meanwhile have split, one group hiding the idol in Tirupati. Arriving in Srirangam but not finding the deity even there, the princess perishes in the pangs of viraha (separation).
Her sacrifice is not for nothing, though. When eventually the deity comes home, He commands the priests to recognize his Muslim consort, commemorated ever since in a painting within the temple. On his processional tour of the premises, to this day, the deity is offered north Indian food at this spot (including chapatis).
The story is a remarkable one, with an exact parallel in the Melkote Thirunarayanapuram temple in Karnataka, where, in fact, she has been enshrined as a veiled idol. Though it seems unlikely that a Tughluq princess actually came to the south head over heels in love with a deity, could it have been that there was a Muslim woman instrumental in having idols released from Delhi? Or is it, as Davis suggests, a “counter-epic” where the roles are reversed: Instead of a Muslim king chasing after Hindu princesses, we have a Muslim princess besotted with the Hindu divine. By accepting the concept of the Thulukka Nachiyar, within the temple, was a space created to locate the newcomer Muslim within the world of the orthodox Hindu? The truth might lie in a combination of these possibilities, but we can be sure that it is a colourful, revealing narrative with a splendid cast, telling us once again that while there were moments of crisis between India’s faiths, legend and myth allowed them to see eye to eye and move on to fresh ground—a lesson we would be wise to remember in our own contentious times.
Medium Rare is a column on society, politics and history. Manu S. Pillai is the author of The Ivory Throne: Chronicles Of The House Of Travancore.
He tweets @UnamPIllai
source: http://www.livemint.com / LiveMint / Home> Explore / by Manu S. Pillai / March 30th, 2018
Rehana Khan, perhaps the first female stunt-woman to entertain the guests at Maut ka Kuan in Numaish, Hyderabad
28-year-old Rehana Khan
Numaish has been an integral part of every Hyderabadi, where year after year one doesn’t miss to take a stroll around the many stalls and rides. Not just the stalls but also the well of death — or maut ka kuan as it is popularly known — has always been a crowd-puller. Kids and adults alike would be excited to watch men get onto their bikes and cars as they take a round of the near-vertical pit with walls lined by wooden planks, at a high speed, often giving the audience a high five as they ride up!
However, this year the crowd hooted and cheered, as a stuntwoman made her entry and joined the team for the first time. 28-year-old Rehana Khan, who hails from Uttar Pradesh, has been performing stunts for the last six years and has been invited to be a part of Numaish for the first time.
Calling it her passion, Rehana says, “I would watch men do stunts on their bike and think to myself that if they can, then I can do it too. That is when I took it up as a challenge and started practising. It feels good that being a girl from a small town, I am doing something different, and not treading on the usual path.”
It’s been a little over two weeks and Hyderabad has welcomed the daredevil with open arms. “The audience here is very happy to watch my performance. They meet me after the show and I love the respect I have been getting. As girls have a bad (and clichéd) reputation for not riding properly on the road, when people see one attempt such deadly stunts, it leaves them in awe. Women feel happy and tell me that girls are not behind boys anymore,” she adds further.
Rehana stuns the audience at Numaish, Hyderabad
Stunts take Rehana to different parts of the country — Ranchi, places in Bihar and Chhattisgarh and Assam among others — but it is the respect she is getting in Hyderabad that she will “cherish forever”.
Rehana started practising right after college and it took her about six months to perfect the stunts. “If someone wants to pursue a career in it, they would require proper training. You have to make sure that you have no dizziness during or after riding on the ground. It would take a while for it to go, but once you get rid of it, the path ahead would seem easy,” she says adding, “Girls should try to create their own identity and not bow down to the stereotypes of the society. In today’s time, they are not behind men and can work as hard as them or even more.”
Her husband is always by her side, encouraging and proudly watching Rehana perform the stunts. “My family sees it as a dangerous profession but at the same time supports it since it is my passion,” she says adding that the money a stunt-woman earns is decent but it is the respect that she gets that makes it all worth.
Rehana stuns the audience at Numaish, Hyderabad
She entertains the audience from 5 to 11 pm every day with minimal breaks, but Rehana has no complaints and says with pride that she took the right path. “I wanted to be known for what I do, for the society to recognise me, to meet new people and to travel to different parts of the country showcasing my talent. Money is decent but what gives me happiness is to be among people, and be known for my talent. They respect you for taking up an unusual career. I must add that Hyderabad’s reaction has been very encouraging. I like it here,” concludes the daredevil, as she rushes to get ready for another show.
source: http://www.medium.com / Medium / Home / by Neha Jha / January 20th, 2019
It was a scholarship that helped Feroz A Padder to get the best education and become an interventional cardiologist. Now the proud owner of a hospital in the USA with a yearly turnover of $10 million, he tells Masood Hussain his story and how he has started paying back by creating a world-class school, in the memory of two slain kids, an idea, if successful, he wishes to clone a piece each for every Kashmir district
Ayesha Ali Academy
I was born in a Kulgam village called Kanipora. My father had died when I was three years old. I was raised by my mother.
But I stayed in the village until I was in the fifth primary. In sixth grade, I was selected by Jammu and Kashmir government for a scholarship to attend a premier school in India. It was a fully funded scholarship.
My mother didn’t want me to go. She was crying. A Pandit lady was our neighbour whose son was my friend. Probably, she also did not want me to go. She took my mother to a faith healer to stop me from going but the Soun Saeb told my mother that’s she should allow me to go. Later, my brothers convinced her but it was very hard for my mother.
It was a major scheme of Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah and Afzal Beg. In order to give an opportunity for poor students from government schools, they devised the visionary scheme. Almost 1000 students who would pass their fifth primary in the first class would sit in a written examination and those who passed faced an interview by a panel comprising Director School Education and the principals of various colleges. Finally, three students were selected from each district. I was one among them in the very first batch in 1976.
That is how I studied in Punjab Public School and later in DPS, Punjab. It was the destiny that I became a medical doctor.
But I am not the only doctor in the family. The fifth sibling in my family, I have two older brothers, two older sisters and another brother, three years younger to me. Except for my oldest sister, my older brother was in tenth class when our father died. He took a job in the forest department to run the family. During Sheikh Sahab’s time, the medical college started admitting students after matriculation, so one of my older brothers made it to the medical school in 1976.
Feroz A Padder
As my brother came to Srinagar, one of my older sisters also migrated. She was an art student but soon she changed her subjects, studied well and also joined the medical school. Later, my younger brother also took medical. Now we are four doctors in the family of which three pursued their studies from Srinagar. My younger brother studied psychiatry in South America; my older brother is a cardiologist and my sister is a family practitioner. We all work in the US.
After my brother went to London and later to the US, I followed him. Later, my sister and her husband came after me. Four of our families are in the US and our mother was with us all along till she died and we flew her body for burial in our ancestral graveyard.
My migration was dramatic. I finished my medical school in 1989 and was in the six months of house job when the situation deteriorated and my family wanted me to join them in the US. I did not get the US visa, so I went to the UK where I sat in an examination and started working. In 1992, I qualified for the US examination and went straight to America.
I was lucky again. I got jobs in higher level hospitals. I was in Boston where I did my residency. There I got a fellowship from the National Institute of Health, the biggest institute of health in the US. Later, I did my cardiology fellowship and combined with clinical fellowship. Then I went into more interventional cardiology in which I did further specialization from the University of Alabama, Birmingham. Once I came out after seven years of training, it turned out that I was the best fellow trained as a doctor in the whole country. I had almost nine interviews and eight job offers. But I came back to Maryland and took a job with John Hobbes University in 2000.
Soon, I realised that I didn’t want to work for anybody. I put in my papers and started my own practice, right before 9/11. As I grew gradually, I started hiring more people. Now, I have about seven cardiologists in my group and 19 physicians. I run my own group Padder Health Services with around 60 employees.
I have probably done thousands of invasive procedures. In our area, it is more competitive. We cover two to three geographical locations, and on average, I do around 400 interventions a year.
I am good at business ventures. I own a separate company Padder Reality which owns all the real estate that is under use of Padder Health Services. Right now, we have about the US $ 10 million yearly revenue and we are growing by 5-10 per cent every year. We are in talks with some people and if the process succeeds we will be taking over management of a chain of hospitals in the region, in which we already have strong footprints. That will help us reach the next level.
Dr Farooq Padder, my older brother, a cardiologist is an academic and works in New Jersey. Gulshan Nazir, my sister, is with me. A psychiatrist, my younger brother Tanveer does part-time with me. My wife, Edisa Tokovic, is a paediatrician and is originally from Bosnia but was raised in Michigan, US.
I got scholarships right from the start and whatever I am I owe this to Kashmir and its people. I want to produce thousands of myself. We can give education to the poor students the way I got. I want to pay back and contribute in any way. I run a charitable organisation which is basically our family foundation. We give scholarships to students, in memory of my mother. It has a marriage fund for the orphaned girls also.
Padder with his second wife and children.
It was a fully funded education that changed me. So I want to use education to replicate the same kind of stories. Finally, I decided to build a school – from nursery to twelfth grade – in Kulgam. It is already into operation.
We will give a scholarship to one-fourth of the enrolled students who are smart but are either orphaned or their parents are less privileged. If this brand and the business model works, I will replicate the same models in the other districts, hopefully in Baramulla and Srinagar, soon after.
The building has around 50,000 sq ft built-up the area and I have probably spent around Rs 8 – 10 crores on it. It’s my personal investment.
Once the school starts, our Foundation will fund it till it becomes self-sufficient. It eventually will be a private entity that will reinvest its excess earnings to fund the education of one-fourth students enrolled in it.
I have tied up with one of America’s oldest school systems to create a curriculum and teaching system which is global and the best. We have people in the USA who are willing to help us in imparting education and training the teachers. I pray the initiative is a success.
Behind the school is a story, a tragedy. It was in 2006 when my (first) wife met a road accident and died along with our two kids. She was from Pakistan; her name was Amira Abbas. She was a cardiologist too. Ayesha, my daughter, was nine years old, and Ali, my son, was five.
Ayesha was born on September 5, 1997, the same time when Lady Diana died. The very next day, Mother Teresa died. I used to tell her that God created you for a reason, not knowing that she would not live long. She was brilliant, religious and a loving daughter. She completed the Quran at age seven and there was a party for her scheduled for November 5. But she died on October 31. She had been selected for a kid leadership three-week course and I got the selection letter a week after her death.
When someone was driving me back from the accident spot, that time, I decided that whatever money I had saved for my children’s future, I will create an institution in their name. So I have named this school Ayesha Ali Academy. That’s why we initially created the Ayesha Ali Foundation.
I met my second wife in Washington DC where she was doing a residency. She is very much younger than me. We married in 2008. We have three kids – two sons and one daughter. Ibrahim, my older son, tells me: “God gave you two children back and one more in bonus.”
I tell my children that the two countries had to go to war for us to get married. It is unfortunate both these conflicts occurred. Had there been no crisis in Kashmir I might not have migrated. Same is true with my wife. She has been to Kashmir a few times. I come here often and I go to Bosnia too. But the only difference is that it is much militarized here unlike Bosnia.
I even thought of constructing a special hospital in Kashmir, but later, I thought I have to be physically here for that because it was such a big project. Since I have little kids, I didn’t want to take that chance. But I still have some ideas and I have been thinking about it. But if the school goes as per the script, we could get into health care too.
Ayesha and Ali, padder’s kids from his first wife had died in an accident.
We don’t even need a hospital to start with. I had a major polyclinic where we have a big infrastructure and where we have different doctors working under the same roof. But rather than being a government institution, it’s a private institute and most of the doctors have some stakes in it. Hopefully, we may try to develop that here in Kashmir.
In Kashmir, hospitals are understaffed and doctors overworked. There is less awareness among people about the preventive medicines. The absence of medical insurance is a crisis that would prevent quality investment in the health sector.
source: http://www.kashmirlife.net / Kashmir Life / Home> Cover Story> Diaspora / by Masood Hussain / March 27th, 2019
As the ownership of survey number 137 in the Masjid Banda lake lies with the revenue department, the government should ensure cancellation of NOC issued by AAI.
Hyderabad :
Hyderabad-based lake protection activist Lubna Sarwath wrote to Ranga Reddy district Collector and chairman of the Lake Protection Committee, highlighting alleged encroachment of lake due to discrepancy in issuing No Objection Certificate (NOC) by the Airports Authority of India(AAI) to real estate developer, Aparna Infra Housing Pvt Ltd, for allowing high-raised constructions.
In her letter on Tuesday, she alleged that one of the land parcels to which the AAI has issued an NOC for the real estate developer – survey number 137 of Kondapur, in Serilingampally mandal, is actually a part of the Masjid Banda lake.
She said that according to the cadastral map of the lake developed by HMDA, survey number 137 falls in the Masjid Banda lake and demanded that the NOC issued by AAI be cancelled. Sarwath pointed out that according to one of the clauses in the NOC, in case of any discrepancy being pointed out in the land demarcation for which NOC was sought, designated officer should be requested for cancellation of the NOC.
As the ownership of survey number 137 in the Masjid Banda lake lies with the revenue department, the government should ensure cancellation of NOC issued by AAI.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Hyderabad / by Express News Service / March 27th, 2019
17-year-old Shaikh Nasreen has won the gold medal in the Indian professional Boxing League tournament in Madurai, Tamil Nadu in January 2019. And this victory has gained her entry in the World Rural Sports Organisation’s Boxing Tournament at Toronto, Canada to be held in December 2019 in the ‘under 19 ‘category.
Nasreen, the youngest of the 3 children was inspired to learn boxing after watching Laila Ali on television when she was in class 8. At that time she used to go to play tennis with her friends and was thinking of excelling in tennis but now her interest changed to boxing. And when she told her father, “ Abba, I want to become a boxer”, he agreed just like that without any objection.
Nasreen’s father Shaikh Mastan and mother Shaikh Meera, are both tailors by profession. They run a tailoring shop on rent for ladies tailor and gents tailor in Rajahmundry, East Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh. Their 2 sons and a daughter are all students in college. Being from a lower middle-class family, it was not easy to educate for them to make ends meet and also ensure a good education to their children and also find a coach for their daughter.
Shaikh Nasreen with her parents
Mastan shaikh got the contact of Omkar Yadav, an Asian boxer in Hyderabad and soon the father-daughter moved to Hyderabad in 2014. And Nasreen underwent rigorous training.
Under Omkar, Nasreen won her first Gold Medal in the Telangana Boxing series in the lightweight category. “ At that time, I was happy with the state level Gold Medal and never thought one day I would qualify for International boxing.” She told TwoCircles.net
After that, she went on to win several gold medals at the state level events.
But her training was for only 6 months in Hyderabad as they were finding it difficult to meet the expenses in the city. Finding a place to stay, commute, meet the dietary expenses and schooling was proving difficult with only her mother working because her father was with her. So they moved back to their home town.
There again her father began looking for another coach and soon found one in Razole, the neighbouring town. And Nasreen once again continued her training under Chandrashekar a local boxer who taught her all the nuances and the fitness regime.
Many of her relatives and other Muslims in their town did not like Nasreen pursuing boxing as a career. They were of the opinion that this is not an ideal choice for a girl. But their conservative thoughts changed once Nasreen began winning. Says Nasreen, “ When they began to see me on TV taking part in the state level boxing events and saw that I was not only doing good but also emerging as the winner, they started ringing us with words of encouragement and appreciation. They used to tell me, ‘Shabash, you are making us proud. Keep going and make the whole country proud’”
In the last five years, Shaikh Nasreen has won 16 gold medals including 9 at the National level boxing in the lightweight category through her consistent practice.
Right now she is in Delhi coaching for her first International tournament at the Amjad Khan Boxing Academy under coach Naseem Ahmed.
Her idols are Mohammed Ali, Laila Ali and Mary Kom.
“I want to win at the International tournament and bring laurels to my country. I am inspired by Mary Kom who has won world championship 6 times” Nasreen told Twocircles.net
“But my training here is proving to be expensive and my parents are finding it very difficult to bear the expenses. Every month we have to shell out Rs.20,000/- and then there is the cost of my boxing kit.” She added thoughtfully.
She is looking for someone to support her for coaching.
She trains dedicatedly for more than 7 hours a day including her workout and is totally focussed on the gold at Toronto.
Right now she is awaiting her Intermediate results which are likely to be declared in May. She plans to continue her degree from Osmania University, Hyderabad through distance education.
Interestingly, her 2nd brother Sameer, though older than her, has recently taken up boxing. “ Inspired by me,” says Nasreen laughingly.
When she is free Nasreen likes to read. Her favourite book is ‘ Wings of Fire’ by APJ Abdul Kalam.
source: http://www.twocircles.net / TwoCircles.net / Home> Indian Muslim> Lead Story> TCN Positive / by Nikhat Fatima – TwoCirlcles.net / March 25th, 2019
The holistic makeover included an infrastructural transformation with new classrooms, toilets, multipurpose hall and astro-turf covered sports field, among other improvements.
Government Vocational Higher Secondary School for Girls, Nadakkavu (Photo| GVHSS website)
Kozhikode :
Government Vocational Higher Secondary School for Girls (GVHSS), Nadakkavu, that witnessed a massive transformation under the PRISM (Promoting Regional Schools to International Standards through Multiple Interventions) project of the state government and Faizal and Shabana Foundation, will soon gain recognition on global platforms.
The redevelopment of 120-year-old school has now been taken as a case study on ‘Venture Philanthropy in Education’ by Dr Sreevas Sahasranamam, a Chancellor’s Fellow at the Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship at University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK. Venture Philanthropy refers to an adventurous approach to fund unpopular social causes. The case study titled ‘Faizal & Shabana Foundation: A Venture Philanthropic Approach to Education’ will also be taught in some of the classes on corporate entrepreneurship at the university.
The study covers the refurbishment of school through philanthropic investments made by the Faizal and Shabana Foundation and the execution of the project amidst challenges. The Faizal and Shabana Foundation in collaboration with the state government had developed the PRISM project to improve the standards of government schools. GVHSS Nadakkavu was the flagship school renovated as part of this programme.
The holistic makeover included an infrastructural transformation with new classrooms, toilets, multipurpose hall and astro-turf covered sports field, among other improvements.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Kerala / by Express News Service / March 25th, 2019
A night’s stay in the hotel, which is set to open later this year, might cost up to Rs 8 lakh.
A view of the Great Scotland Yard (Photo | http://www.twenty14holdings.com)
Kochi :
Malayalee billionaire Yusuff Ali, who bought the Great Scotland Yard, which served as headquarters for the Metropolitan police in London, has converted it into a luxurious 5-star hotel. The renovation that cost Rs 685 cr. (£75 Million) was done in 3 years.
The business tycoon, who is chairman of Abu Dhabi-based retail giant LuLu Group had earlier bough the iconic building in 2015 for Rs 1000 crore (£110 Million). The renovated hotel is all set to open later this year and will be managed by the Hyatt Group.
When asked about the property, Yusuff Ali said: “This is a very prestigious project for us as this is one of the most well-known property not just in the UK but around the world. We have not left any stones unturned to make this the most sought-after hotel while retaining the essence of the original building, so that each of our guests get a truly memorable experience”.
Great Scotland Yard has special relevance in UK history as it was chosen by the then Prime Minister Sir Robert Peel as the headquarters for the Met police in 1829. Even after the renovation, the essence of the original building has been preserved.
The hotel will have 153 rooms and the tariff per night is expected to go up to Rs 7,79,842 (10,000 euro). These suites offer guests picturesque views of Nelson’s Column, Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace, making it one of the most unique locations in London.
The luxury hotel that is steeped in British political history will include references to the famous criminals of the time gone by. In a secret whisky bar, a decadent chandelier made of glass shards will be a nod to the Forty Elephants, the 19th-century gang of women known for smashing shop windows to steal jewellery. There will also be artwork by prisoners and old military uniforms.
Adeeb Ahamed, Son-in-law of Yusuff Ali and the Managing Director of Twenty14 Holdings, the hospitality arm of Lulu Group said, “Renovating the Great Scotland Yard building and unveiling the UK’s first Unbound Collection hotel will bring a truly individual and world-class hotel to London.
“The Great Scotland Yard is really an important part of the fabric of London and it is a great opportunity for us to be a part of the culture and legacy of this great city and help in its development. The Great Scotland Yard will be an enriching landmark in Westminster as a high-end luxury boutique hotel that recaptures the history, culture and essence of the London of yore.”
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Kerala / by Express News Service / March 26th, 2019
Curtain-raiser event for the 2019 INRC saw Ilyas take victory after Mascarenhas was handed a penalty.
The Sprint de Bengaluru 2019 took place over the weekend, acting as a non-championship, curtain-raiser event for the upcoming 2019 season of the Indian National Rally Championship. It was Kerala’s Younus Ilyas who took top honours at the event, after Bengaluru’s Dean Mascarenhas was handed a penalty.
Ilyas, along with navigator Harish Gowda, set the pace early on and held a 10 second lead at the end of the first day. But on the second day, Mascarenhas, who was driving a stock car in the INRC 3 category, started eating into Ilyas’ advantage. After completing the first two stages of the day just behind Ilyas, he managed to win the next two stages at the LG Champions County track, gaining nine and eight seconds on each stage.
However, Mascarenhas was then handed a six-minute penalty for reaching the starting point late on Saturday. This dropped him down to the bottom of the standings, handing victory to Ilyas.
“It was just bad luck,” lamented Mascarenhas. “My car didn’t start so I got delayed. I am, however, very happy with the way I drove and I am looking forward to a good season.”
“It was a great outing. And I loved being out here! The stages were interesting and were challenging at times. But I am really glad to have come out on top,” said Ilyas.
Dhruva Chandrashekar and navigator Musa Sherif took an understated 2nd place in the overall INRC category, taking victory in the INRC 3 category in the process. Sanjay Agarwal and navigator Smitha N rounded up the top three in the overall standings.
The event also featured a separate ladies class that was won by Shivani Pruthvi.
RESULTS:
INRC Overall: 1. Younus Ilyas / Harish KN; 2. Dhruva Chandrashekar / Musa Sherif; 3. Sanjay Agarwal / Smitha N
INRC 1: Suhem Kabeer / J. Jeevarathinam; 2. Lokesh Gowda / D Uday Kumar
Oscar-winning composer A.R. Rahman has created India’s Marvel anthem for the release of “Avengers: Endgame”
Oscar-winning composer A.R. Rahman has created India’s Marvel anthem for the release of “Avengers: Endgame”.
Oscar-winning composer A.R. Rahman has created India’s Marvel anthem for the release of “Avengers: Endgame”. It will come out in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.
Marvel India has teamed up with Rahman for the track, which will be released on April 1, according to a statement.
“Being surrounded by Marvel fans in my own family, there was too much pressure to come with something really satisfying and apt for ‘Avengers: Endgame’. I hope Marvel aficionados and music lovers enjoy the track,” said Rahman.
There is much anticipation for “Avengers: Endgame”, especially after the success of “Avengers: Infinity War”
“‘Avengers: Endgame’ is not just a movie, it’s an emotional journey for fans everywhere in India. An original composition by Oscar winner A.R. Rahman was the perfect way to celebrate the love for Marvel among fans in the country.
“This is our small way of thanking the fans here for their extraordinary support”, said Bikram Duggal, Head – Studios, Marvel India.
Kevin Feige has produced the movie, directed by Anthony and Joe Russo. The movie will release in India on April 26 in English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.
source: http://www.news18.c0m / News 18 / Home> News18> Movies / by IANS / March 25th, 2019
