Monthly Archives: April 2019

Neglected and lying in ruins, ‘world’s smallest mosque’ cries for attention

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Travel & Tourism, World Opinion, , , , , , , , ,

Hyderabad, TELANGANA :

Once the land on which the Jino-ki-Masjid and the Dargah was build was to the tune of 600 acre.

JinoKiMasjidMPOs24apr2019

Hyderabad :

Located a stone’s throw away from the Dargah Hazrath Syed Shah Imaad Uddin Mahmood Al Hussaini, a nondescript structure stands out in front of the scenic hilltop on the banks of Mir Alam tank. This Qutub Shahi structure, popularly known as the Jino-ki-Masjid, may well be the ‘smallest mosque’ in the world.

Less than 10 sq m in area, this structure has the traditional elements of Qutub Shahi architecture including turrets and a big arch, under which there is a small space for devotees to pray. However, although it is located within the complex of the Dargah, the small structure stands dilapidated. The lime plaster has given away at various places, revealing the skeletal brickwork underneath.

The turrets are also broken at places, and so arch. The way to the mosque is also rocky, with no clear path. The mosque’s state could very well pose as a risk for visitors. The mosque gains importance as the Dargah complex was home to Syed Shah Imamuddin Husaini alias Mir Mahmood Nimatullahi, one of the oldest sufis of Hyderabad. In ‘Landmarks of the Deccan’, its author Syed Ali Asgar Bilgrami wrote, “He first came to Hyderabad from Najaf (Mesopotamia) during the reign of Sultan Abdullah Qutub Shah and stayed on this hillock.”

Mahmood had laid several buildings erected on this hill. “The mason who worked here were paid over and above the wages and the pregnant women-labourers were paid double the wages,” Landmarks of the Deccan said, adding that since no one knew his source of income, “it was a general belief that the Saint had some supernatural means of income”.

Once the land on which the Jino-ki-Masjid and the Dargah was build was to the tune of 600 acre. However, now, with time, most of it is occupied with houses built on one side of the hillock. The place comes alive during Urs, usually held on the 13th Shaban of the Islamic Calender, which was on April 19. During that time, many visit the Dargah, and hence it becomes important to conserve and repair the ‘smallest mosque’.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Telangana / by Express News Service / April 23rd, 2019

After two years, century-old Ma Hajiani Dargah restored to glory

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Education, Leaders, Travel & Tourism, World Opinion, , , , , , , , ,

Worli – Mumbai, MAHARASHTRA :

MaHajianiDargah01MPOs23apr2019

Conservation architect Vikas Dilawari’s work on Worli shrine is a significant chapter in the city’s built heritage

Cocooned in the shielding hold of the bay, just off the arterial, traffic-clogged road that hugs the coastline, is the 111-year-old Ma Hajiani Dargah, restored to its former glory. The restoration of the building began in November 2017 and was completed by conservation architect Vikas Dilawari on April 19, which also marked the eve of Shab-e-Baraat.

The dargah is one of the lesser-known spots of quiet in the city, often interchanged with the more popular Haji Ali Dargah, a stone’s throw away. Built in 1908 when Sir George Sydenham was the Governor of Bombay — primarily in Porbandar stone and basalt ashlar plinth — it is an ideal example of Indo-Saracenic architecture. Subtle influences of the colonial style of construction are evident, particularly in the ornamental work. “This is a very unique building. It is a magical place, of tranquillity, at the tip of the land on a natural rocky outcrop, elevated so gracefully,” Mr. Dilawari said.

MaHajianiDargah02MPOs23apr2019

Over the years, the dargah’s neighbouring plots of land were sold to private developers. The towering Samudra Mahal — a piece of prime real estate — was where the residence of the Scindias of Gwalior once stood, before being demolished in 1960. “Until a few decades ago, the Mahalakshmi temple, the Haji Ali Dargah, and the Ma Hajiani Dargah would have been the beacons along the coast of Bombay. The proliferation of high-rises without appropriate urban design is certainly impacting the pristine setting, and this might change further with the introduction of the impending coastal road,” Mr. Dilawari said.

A nautical past

The dargah is the site of three graves: Ma Hajiani, Haji Ismail Hasham Yusuf, and his son, Sir Mohamed Yusuf, draped in red and green brocaded chaddars and rose petals. The Yusuf family has been eminent in shipping trade and philanthropy in the city. Haji Ismail Hasham Yusuf founded the Bombay Steam Navigation Company in the late 19th century, and established the erstwhile Marine College at Rashid Mansion in Worli as a charitable institute, later moved to the island of Nhava and still functional as Training Ship Rahaman.

The mausoleum is built in honour of Ma Hajiani, a saint believed to be the sister of Saint Pir Haji Ali Shah Bukhari. The Haji Ali Dargah, houses the tomb of the latter. According to legend, they died at sea and their bodies were washed ashore, a few metres from each other. They were then buried at the respective spots they were found. Subsequently, two tombs were built — Haji Ali for the brother and Ma Hajiani for the sister. At the Ma Hajiani Dargah, women have always been allowed to access the maqbara. Women frequent in large numbers, making offerings of red or green glass bangles: red indicating one’s wish for marriage, and green for offspring.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Society> History & Culture / by Khorshed Deboo / Mumbai – April 23rd, 2019

Haj House centre wins big in UPSC

Community Involvement / Social Issues, Education, Leaders, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Mumbai, MAHARASHTRA :

Muzammil Sayyed, a trainee at the centre from Latur, said, “We got a boost after three of our seniors cracked the UPSC examination.”

“The cell is good for freshers as it helps in clearing the UPSC preliminary examination,” said Mohammed Mustafa Aejaz.(Pratik Chorge/HT Photo)
“The cell is good for freshers as it helps in clearing the UPSC preliminary examination,” said Mohammed Mustafa Aejaz.(Pratik Chorge/HT Photo)

The civil services coaching centre at the city’s Haj House, which until now has had limited success in pushing Muslim youth towards civil services, got a boost, after three of its alumni were recently selected by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).

Junaid Ahmad, who hails from Bijnaur in Uttar Pradesh and was trained at the IAS and Allied Coaching and Guidance Cell, run by the Centre’s Haj Committee of India (HCI), for two years between 2013 and 2015, ranked third nationally in the UPSC examination. The other two successful aspirants – Zaib Shaikh, from Ahmednagar, and Mohammed Mustafa Aejaz, from Mehboob Nagar in Telangana – were placed at the 225th and 613th positions, respectively.

An HCI official said the news of these achievements has generated a renewed interest and awareness about the coaching facility among the community. “Ever since the UPSC results were declared [on April 5], we have been receiving enquiry calls from all across the country. I still get around 50 calls every day,” he said.

Muzammil Sayyed, a trainee at the centre from Latur, said, “We got a boost after three of our seniors cracked the UPSC examination.”

Last year, as many as 6,732 graduates from across the country had applied for the centre’s entrance test, up from around 1,500 registrations in 2017. This year, the HCI officials expect the number of applications to increase even further – the last day to apply is May 7.

The Cell was established in August 2009, in the backdrop of the Sachar Committee report, which found that Muslims lagged behind most of the other communities in the country in educationally, economically and politically. The report, released in November 2006, pointed out that while Muslims constitute 14% of the Indian population, they only comprise 3% of the civil services and 4% of the police service. Since then, the Muslim representation in civil services has improved to some extent. Of 1,099 candidates who cleared the civil services examination last year 50 (4.5%) were Muslims, the highest since Independence. So far, the coaching centre has produced seven UPSC achievers, including the three who were selected this year. Several other alumni have joined other government agencies, including Reserve Bank of India, Central Excise Department and various state services.

“The cell is good for freshers as it helps in clearing the UPSC preliminary examination,” said Mohammed Mustafa Aejaz.

According to SAM Hashmi, the founder director, who headed the cell between 2010 and 2013, lack of proper leadership at HCI and the cell is to be blamed for its slow progress. “The leaders lacked either academic experience or administrative experience or both,” said Hashmi, who was principal at Akbar Peerbhoy College, Grant Road, and now heads a coaching academy at Mumbra.

In the last ten years, the cell has had four directors. Anwar Khatau, the current director, has previously served at the accounts section of HCI as well as the state’s Maulana Azad Minorities Financial Development Corporation Limited. He was appointed in 2017.

The cell has been experimenting with various coaching techniques, including video lectures and in-person lectures. Last year, the HCI switched back to in-person lectures by faculty from a Pune-based academy, after video lectures by a Delhi-based academy failed to deliver desired results. MA Khan, who was appointed the chief executive officer (CEO) of HCI last year, said the cell is trying to extend every possible support to its students and alumni. “We are providing books, residence and monetary help to our former students for service-specific training at their own place. We have even roped-in non-government organisations for this purpose. We fulfil all the demands of the students of the current batch of the students. In fact, we sought their approval before appointing the faculty,” he said.

Among other changes, the HCI has also done away with the deeniyat (religious knowledge) section of the entrance test and admitted aspirants solely on the basis of their knowledge relevant to civil services. It has also introduced weekly tests and facilitates weekly interactive sessions with faculty. The cell has also encouraged interaction among students, including inter-gender interaction, which was discouraged until now. The students said that the environment at Haj House is conducive for preparing for civil services examinations. “After a year of coaching at Haj House, I stayed here for another year to prepare for the UPSC exam. I will now leave so other students get the opportunity,” said Rais Shaikh, a trainee from Thane.

Sajid Husain, a trainee from Jalpaiguri in West Bengal said that the Haj House facility needs wider publicity. “Many are still unaware of the scheme,” he said.

“There’s a proposal to start such coaching centres at the state-level Haj committee facilities,” said Sayyed.

source: http://www.hindustantimes.com / Hindustan Times / Home> Mumbai / by Hindustan Times, Mumbai / April 22nd, 2019

Lyricist Shakeel Badayuni’s Death Anniversary

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, , , , , ,

Badayun, UTTAR PRADESH / Mumbai, MAHARASHTRA :

Today is Lyricist Shakeel Badayuni’s death anniversary. Though he did not have poetry background like the other poets, Shakeel Sahab’s inspiration was his distant relative Zia-ul-Qasiri Badayuni, a religious poet. Honored by the Indian government as Geetkar-e-Azam (great lyricist), he penned several beautiful songs for about 89 Bollywood movies.

Bollywood and Lyricist Shakeel Badayuni’s Death Anniversary:

Some of my favorite Bollywood songs he penned in the 1940s and 1950s are:

Afsana likh rahi hoon… Dard (1947)

Suhani raat dhal chuki… Dulari (1949)

Milte hi ankhen dil hua deewana kisika… Babul (1950)

Akeli mat jaiyo Radhe Jamuna ke teer… Baiju Bawra (1952)

Door koi gaye dhun yeh sunaye… Baiju Bawra (1952)

Bachpan ki mohobbat ko… Baiju Bawra (1952)

Man tarapat Hari darshan ko aaj… Baiju Bawra (1952)

O duniya ke Rakhwale… Baiju Bawra (1952)

Zindagi denewale sun… Dil-e-Nadaan (1953)

Insaaf ka mandir hai yeh Bhagwan ka ghar hai… Amar (1954)

O door ke musafir humko bhi saath lele… Uran Khatola (1955)

source: http://www.lemonwire.com / Lemon Wire / Home> Bollywood / by Gayatri Rao / April 19th, 2019

Life after lynching: The widows of Nuh

Community Involvement / Social Issues, , , , , ,

Tapkan Village (Nuh District earlier called Mewat) , HARYANA :

Asmeena, the widow of Rakbar Khan, a dairy farmer who was murdered last year. | Photo Credit: Namita Bhandare
Asmeena, the widow of Rakbar Khan, a dairy farmer who was murdered last year. | Photo Credit: Namita Bhandare

Nuh is famous as India’s most backward district. It is also where Rakbar Khan and Pehlu Khan were lynched

Lying on a string cot beneath a row of pale green prayer beads that hangs from the wall, Asmeena Khan holds up a frail hand and says softly, “Please pray for me.”

There is no electricity and Asmeena cannot summon the strength to wave away the flies that settle on her face. She has been bedridden since being in a car accident four months ago. Her brother says the doctors have said she is paralysed from the waist down, and will never walk again.

Asmeena is the widow of Rakbar Khan, the dairy farmer who was killed by cow vigilantes on the night of July 20, 2018. After the murder of 28-year-old Rakbar, Asmeena, who has never been to school and is unsure even of her age, was left to raise her seven children. The eldest, 14-year-old Saahila, dropped out of school to help her mother with household chores and add to the family income by working as a daily wage labourer; four younger children were enrolled at a residential school in Aligarh run by a charitable society. The youngest two, aged six and three, have stayed with their mother in Tapkan village in Haryana’s Nuh district.

When the accident happened. Asmeena was on her way to visit her children in Aligarh in a taxi. A truck collided with the car she was in. The driver and a 19-year-old niece accompanying Asmeena were killed. Asmeena was first taken to the medical college in Nuh and then referred to a hospital in New Delhi, as her injuries were serious.

Bedridden and bereft

Four months later, she still lies on a cot in her parent’s home. Rakbar’s parents have refused to take her in, says her brother Irfan. But, reasons Asmeena, “Rakbar’s father is an old man who barely makes ends meet by keeping a few goats. Rakbar’s brothers add to his income, but he can barely feed himself.”

Asmeena got married when she was about 13. Three of her brothers work as drivers, two work in a poultry farm, and the youngest has dropped out of school and is learning to repair tyre punctures. Seventeen family members live in the two-room house at Tapkan. Two married sisters are visiting; they have come to find work as daily wage labourers, harvesting the ripened wheat in Nuh’s farms.

Nuh’s woes

Haryana’s Nuh district (earlier called Mewat), is just 75 km from Delhi and is part of the Gurgaon Parliamentary constituency. It is India’s ‘most backward district’, according to a 2018 ranking by Niti Aayog of 101 districts. The districts were graded on five parameters — health and nutrition, education, agriculture and water resources, financial inclusion and skill development, and basic infrastructure. Nuh came last.

The place has also seen some of the country’s most horrific hate crimes , tracked since 2012 by data journalism website IndiaSpend. In September 2016, a 20-year-old Muslim woman and her 14-year-old cousin were gang-raped and two other members of the family murdered by four men because the family had allegedly eaten beef.

A few days earlier, the Haryana Cow Welfare Commission chairman, Bhani Ram Mangla, had said the Haryana police would ‘check’ biryani dishes to ensure they don’t contain beef, which is banned in the State.

The Haryana Gauvansh Sanrakshan and Gausamvardhan Act of 2015 punishes anyone for possessing beef, or transporting / slaughtering cows, with up to 10 years in jail and a fine of up to ₹1 lakh. In Nuh, 792 such FIRs were registered between November 2015 and March 2019. In that period, 1,194 arrests were made.

But the lynchings seem to continue, despite a Supreme Court judgment last year that said “mob vigilantism and mob violence have to be prevented by the governments by taking strict action and by the vigil society who ought to report such incidents to the state machinery and the police instead of taking the law into their own hands.”

Rakbar was murdered when he was walking back with his friend Aslam from Alwar in Rajasthan after buying cattle. Confronted by a group of gau rakshaks near Lalawandi village, Aslam managed to run and hide, but Rakbar was severely beaten. The last photograph of him, shot in police custody, shows him alive. But a few hours later, his post-mortem report states, he died of internal injuries. In his statement to the police, Aslam said he heard the attackers name the local MLA, Gyan Dev Ahuja of the BJP, who is on record saying cow slaughter is a bigger crime than terrorism.

Left for dead

Like Rakbar, Umar Khan and two others, Tahir Khan and Javed, were transporting cows from Mewat to Bharatpur in Rajasthan on November 14, 2017. While Tahir and Javed were beaten, Umar was shot dead, and his body thrown near the railway tracks in the Ramgarh area of Alwar.

The most prominent of all lynching victims is Pehlu Khan, whose widow Jaibuna continues to live in their ramshackle house in Jaisinghpur in Nuh. The 55-year-old dairy farmer had gone to Jaipur to buy cows at a cattle fair. He was attacked on April 1, 2017 when he was returning home. Despite producing relevant documents, including a bill of sale, Pehlu and five others with him, including two of his sons, were beaten up by cow vigilantes near the Jaipur-Delhi national highway. Pehlu died of his injuries on April 3 that year.

He was buried in a cemetery close to his home. A simple stone slab, painted yellow, marks his name and the date of his death but says little of the circumstances of his death, or life.

In the background is a broken-down government school that seems to symbolise much of Nuh’s own predicament. Children walk home from school carrying small plates of rice with yoghurt, their mid-day meal, to share with families. Students study here until Class VIII, after which they must shift to a senior school some 10 km away. This is when many of the girls simply drop out.

On the day I meet Jaibuna, she is alone at home. Two daughters, studying in Class VIII, have taken time off school to earn some money harvesting wheat. The energetic voices of children reciting the alphabet punctuate our conversation.

Recorded death

Jaibuna says she learned of her husband’s death on social media. Somebody had video-taped the ghastly lynching and put it up on Facebook. She began watching, then one of her children took the phone away. “He was still alive,” she says. She still hasn’t seen the rest of the clip.

‘Justice’ is a big word for Jaibuna, who is just trying to get on with her life. An FIR was registered against six men. But a CID inquiry, which began after sustained protests by the family and civil society, said these men were not involved. In October 2018, witnesses for Pehlu, including his two sons and their lawyer, said they were shot at while going to court to record their statements. Police have dismissed the allegation as a ‘ploy’ to get the case transferred.

For a family that works for daily wages, it can be hard to keep track of court dates and hearings. Two sons work as truck drivers and one manages the half-acre patch of land on which they grow wheat, jowar and bajra. “Nobody from the government came to visit me after what happened,” says Jaibuna. “I will never get justice from this government.”

The family still owns a few goats and buffaloes. No cow has ever been bought since Pehlu Khan’s killing.

(With inputs from Mohd Arif)

The Delhi-based journalist writes on gender issues in India.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Society> Justice Denied / by Namita Bhandare / April 19th, 2019

INTERVIEW | Rahul’s candidature will help the UDF increase its seats: UDF Alappuzha candidate Shanimol Usman

Community Involvement / Social Issues, Leaders, , , , , , , , , , ,

Alappuzha, KERALA :

Former AICC secretary Shanimol Usman feels that the general polls in Kerala will be an evaluation of the misrule of the Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF Government.

Shanimol Usman. (Photo | Facebook)
Shanimol Usman. (Photo | Facebook)

The Congress has fielded former AICC secretary Shanimol Usman in the party’s sitting seat of Alappuzha. Following the unexpected withdrawal of incumbent MP KC Venugopal from the fray the UDF entrusted her with the task of retaining her home constituency. In an interview to Express Principal Correspondent Biju E Paul, Shanimol said the LS polls in Kerala will be an evaluation of the misrule of the Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF Government. Excerpts:

Q: Will Rahul Gandhi’s candidature in Wayanad bolster the prospects of the UDF candidates?

A: Definitely. The UDF winning all the 20 seats in Kerala is a possibility. It will boost the morale of the party workers across the state and help increase my victory margin in the constituency.

Q: Alappuzha is a sitting seat of the Congress. What are the targets of the Congress?

A: The UDF is aiming to increase the winning margin of KC Venugopal in Alappuzha in the 2014 election. The constituency has always been favourable to the UDF which won nine times in the last 13 Parliament elections. The wholehearted support of the fishermen and coastal people was the strength of the UDF in the previous polls. We will simply upset the LDF in the election.

Q: Will your delayed entry impact the poll outcome?

A: Like previous elections, the UDF declared its candidates after many rounds of discussions. It doesn’t affect the winnability of the UDF candidates. This time also, the delay happened and we will cover it through a systematic campaign. The organisational structure of the UDF is strong and active.

Q. What is UDF’s main poll plank?  

A: Pure politics is the campaign issue. The communal forces had gained an upper hand after the NDA Government led by Narendra Modi came to power at the Centre. Strong resentment is brewing among the public against the Centre. It is dividing people on communal lines. The LDF Government led by Pinarayi Vijayan divided people on issues like Sabarimala. They hurt people’s sentiments through unnecessary provocations.

Q: What is your opinion about the CPM-led LDF Government in the state?

A: The LDF Government is perpetuating criminal politics. The CBI probe into the Ariyil Shukkoor murder case revealed a CPM leader was behind it. It is again proved in the murder of Shuhaib and the murder of Youth Congress activists Sarath Lal and Kripesh at Kalliyot. The people of the state are fed up with the murder politics of the CPM and the election will be a judgement against the misrule of the CPM.

Q: What are the plans for the development of Alappuzha?

A: KC Venugopal had implemented development worth more than Rs 5,000 crore in the past 10 years in the form of roads, bridges, tourism sector and many more for the constituency. I will continue the development projects initiated by Venugopal. The UDF will implement projects to better the living condition of people of coastal areas, fishermen and coir workers.

Q. Will the stance of SNDP Yogam affect your poll prospects?

A: I will not comment about the stance of the SNDP. The UDF is keeping good relations with all organisations, including religious and social, especially SNDP Yogam. So, the members of these outfits will support me.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Kerala / by Biju E. Paul / Express News Service / April 04th, 2019

How chikankari crossed the road

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, World Opinion, , , , , , , , ,

Mumbai, MAHARASHTRA / NEW YORK, U.S.A :

Hues of an art Farha Ansari and her designs / Murali KUmar K
Hues of an art Farha Ansari and her designs / Murali KUmar K

From Hillary Clinton to Alia Bhatt, Ahilaya’s designs have invaded the wardrobes of celebrities

In the Bombay of the 1970s, when his daughters were young, Anwar Ansari started a hand-printed chikankari textile business called First Lucknowi, because he believed he was the first to start such a venture. Chikankari is a traditional embroidery style that originated in Lucknow. Anwar and his partners hired local artisans in Bombay and Lucknow to handcraft these designs on cotton, silk, chiffon and other fabric.

Almost half a century later, First Lucknowi is different yet, essentially, the same. Today, it goes by the name Ahilaya, named after the queen of the 18th Century Malwa kingdom, Rajmata Ahilyadevi Holkar.

Managed by Anwar’s daughters, Farha, Nagma and Sana, the number of employees has grown from 40 to 200 and its customer base has also increased. Many celebrities — Hillary Clinton, Ivanka Trump, Drew Barrymore, Anushka Sharma, Alia Bhatt among others — are among Ahilaya’s customers.

According to Farha, the chief reason for the brand’s longevity and success is, “We do everything and do not outsource anything.” “The materials have to be pure; there should not be any synthetic. We are stringent about that.”

The designs and raw material are couriered to the artisans in Lucknow and Mumbai, who in turn handcraft the clothes, she adds.

Farha, now lives in New York and oversees ‘Leaves of Grass’, an international offshoot of the family-run business. Though her sisters, Nagma and Sana, take care of the Indian affairs, Farha visits the Bengaluru store at least once a year. This visit is ritually followed by a meeting with craftsmen too.

“They feel happy when they learn that the clothes they make are worn by models and celebrities. We sometimes call them for photo shoots, order biryani and have a good time.”

The price range starts at Rs. 4,000. Farha says, exclusively handcrafted wear often costs more. Comparing synthetic and machine-made wear to handmade garments, according to her, “is like differentiating microwaved dinner from gourmet food. We also pay fair wages to our workers. If we reduce the price, we might not be able to do that.”

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus / by Praveen Sudevan / April 16th, 2019

A field all to herself

Community Involvement / Social Issues, Sports, , , , , , ,

Mumbai, MAHARASHTRA :

Non-profit Parcham has worked with authorities to create an exclusive sports ground for girls

Imagine an Indian city with open spaces full of girls playing, running, laughing… Imagine playgrounds spilling over with girls playing football, cricket and hockey. Imagine girls and their mothers in salwars , saris, tights, shorts and hijabs running across open fields chasing a ball, scoring goals, and loudly cheering. If you can imagine all this, you’re imagining a radically different Indian city! It’s different because girls don’t play. They certainly don’t play as much as boys. They definitely don’t dominate the playgrounds and maidans of our cities. Mostly they wait on the sidelines if they make it to the playground at all.

It’s a reality non-profit collectives such as Parcham, which uses football to engage with girls from marginalised communities in the Mumbai Metropolitan region, are working hard to create.

Their most recent initiative is the takeover of an empty plot of land adjacent to Mumbra’s Maulana Azad Stadium to create an exclusive sports ground for girls, the first of its kind in Maharashtra. “Parcham has been in dialogue with the Thane Municipal Corporation for a few years to create a safe space for women and girls to exercise their right to play,” says Sabah Khan, co-founder of Parcham. “Now that dream has been realised.”

Though the plot is yet to be levelled and cleared of construction debris, more than 100 girls and women recently staked claim to it by participating in the Third Fatima Bi Savitri Bai Football Tournament held at the new ground.

Image change for Mumbra

“Reserving a plot for girls to play is a big achievement for women who are minimally able to access public spaces,” says Salma Ansari, who trained in football with Parcham and now helps manage its football programme. “It’s also a major change in the image of Mumbra.” Like many Mumbra residents, Salma moved here with her family from Byculla after the 1992-93 Bombay riots. Since then, Mumbra has largely been perceived as a haphazardly-planned Muslim ghetto. “That Mumbra will now set the benchmark in working towards gender equality in public is revolutionary,” says Sabah.

This was part of Parcham’s goal when it initiated a football programme for 20 girls in Mumbra in 2012. “We wanted to make women visible in ways that were rarely seen, moving beyond narratives of victimhood reserved for Muslim girls,” explains Sabah. “We wanted women to visibly stake claim to public spaces; for girls to access playgrounds and have fun.”

The football programme now extends to 99 girls and includes the areas of Mankhurd, Bandra and Nerul.

The question that arises now is whether segregation of women from men is the only way to further women’s access to the public. In the current scenario, where any space in a building compound or open ground gets quickly overtaken by boys, it might be a viable short-term strategy.

“In our experience, when girls take the field, it’s like a mela — men hang around leering, staring, commenting, taking videos (that we ask them to delete),” says Salma. How do girls then develop the confidence to run freely, hold their bodies less rigidly and focus on developing game skills?

“While we maintain our claim to mainstream public spaces, till they accept a girl’s presence in the open field, till girls feel more confident, and their families more assured of their safety, a girls-only field may be a solution,” says Sabah. “Once the girls are hooked, it does not matter where they play; it’s only about making or saving a goal.” And in the end, that’s all that should matter.

As I wind up this Streetwise column, what better thought can I leave you with than that?

Sameera Khan is a Mumbai-based journalist, researcher and co-author,Why Loiter? Women & Risk on Mumbai Streets

Till girls’ presence in the open field is accepted and families are assured of their safety, a girls-only field may be a solution

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> Metro Plus / by Sameera Khan / April 17th, 2019

On radio: Kargil valour

Amazing Feats, Leaders, World Opinion, , , , , ,

NEW DELHI :

Captain Haneef Uddin was preparing to celebrate his 25th birthday at an altitude of 18,500 ft in Kargil when a bullet fell him in the summer of 1999.

CaptainHaneenuddinMPOs17apr2019

Calcutta:

Captain Haneef Uddin was preparing to celebrate his 25th birthday at an altitude of 18,500ft in Kargil when a bullet fell him in the summer of 1999.

The young officer’s story of valour remains at the centre of a 13-part series on little known heroes of the Kargil war on All India Radio’s FM Rainbow station that is played out at 3pm every Sunday.

On Kargil Vijay Diwas on Thursday, Major Akhil Pratap, an ex-army officer who has been hosting the series, will have family members of 13 such unsung heroes as guests for a live-chat on AIR.

“Kargil was one of those battles which witnessed many casualties. There are several faces whose stories have remained unheard and untold despite all the coverage by the media. I have tried to dust out some of those faces and present them to India,” said Akhil, who was last posted with the Rashtriya Rifles in Jammu and Kashmir in 2010.

“I believe this is the first time that AIR is hosting such a show on the occasion of Kargil Vijay Diwas.”

Born in Delhi, Captain Haneef was a service code officer attached to Rajputana Rifles and posted at Turtuk during the war. His body lay at the height for 46 days before it was handed over to his family.

The army later renamed a sub-sector in Kargil after Captain Haneef.

Apart from Captain Haneef, those feature in the radio series are Captain R Jerry Prem Raj from a small village in Venganoor near Thiruvananthapuram and several others who fell to bullets at Kargil.

“Each of these men had responded to the war-call differently. But they died almost the same way,” Akhil said.

Captain Prem Raj was with his wife on honeymoon in Ooty when a call came from his headquarters and he rushed to Drass.

On the intervening night of July 6 and 7, he was on duty as observation post officer, trying to locate enemy camps. A bullet first hit his shoulder. He fell down, stood up and fired back. A shower of bullets pierced Captain Prem Raj. The army has a hill to his dedication – the gun hill in the Drass sector.

Commissioned in June 1997, Haneef was doing his rounds braving the sub-zero temperature in Turtuk when he suddenly faced a shower of bullets from an altitude.

“Haneef’s parents didn’t seek anything, just his body. The government honoured him with Vir Chakra posthumously,” said Akhil.

Prem Raj, too, was honoured the same for taking bullets in the Drass sector two years after he was commissioned as an artillery officer.

“Prem Raj’s brother is an IAF person and elder to him by three years. Together, the two brothers had brought home several trophies and laurels. But when Prem Raj’s body arrived, his brother stood all alone,” said Akhil. “We want to share these stories with India.”

The Thursday’s live chat is scheduled for 8 am.

source: http://www.telegraphindia.com / The Telegraph, online edition / Home> West Bengal / by Kinsuk Basu in Calcutta / July 26th, 2018

Forgotten by govt, but not by people

Amazing Feats, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Freedom Fighters (under research project), Leaders, World Opinion, , , , , , , , , , ,

PUNJAB / NEW DELHI :

THE TRIBUNE COMMEMORATES JALLIANWALA BAGH CENTENARY

DrSaifuddinKitchlewMPOs15apr2019

Dr Kitchlew & Dr Satyapal were towering freedom fighters, their arrest led to Jallianwala rally

Dr Saifuddin Kitchlew and Dr Satyapal — a hundred years after Jallianwala, these are the two names with which each conversation about the massacre starts in Amritsar. But in the past 100 years, the governments have rarely mentioned their names.

The meeting that was “dispersed” by General Dyer’s bullets had been called to protest Dr Kitchlew and Dr Satyapal’s arrest. The two towering leaders had emerged as great symbols of Hindu-Muslim unity during the April 6 hartal and, on April 9, people had raised slogans of ‘Kitchlew ji ki jai’ and ‘Satyapal ji ki jai’ during Ramnavami jaloos. It was the collective charm of both the leaders that the Hindus and Muslims were publicly drinking water from the same glass.

Dr Kitchlew’s father Azizudin, a prominent Kashmiri businessman dealing in embroidered shawls, had moved to Amritsar in the 19th century. He sent his son to England and Germany from where he obtained his PhD degree and also developed close ties with Jawaharl- al Nehru. “Kitchlew was widely admired in Amritsar and his picture would be seen hanging in almost every shop as a tribute to the sacrifices he made during the freedom struggle. Tall, fair-complexioned and mostly attired in white khadi, he was known for his unfailing courtesy and winsome smile,” historian Prof VN Datta, hailing from Amritsar, recalled in the preface of a book.

A few days before his death, Dr Kitchlew told Prof Datta that the trouble on April 10 in Amritsar could have been averted had he and Satyapal not been arrested. The government was absolutely despotic and never understood what the people felt and wanted, he said.

After Partition, Dr Kitchlew refused to move to Pakistan and decided to stay back in Amritsar. He, however, was forced to leave the city he loved the most and shift to Delhi after rioters burnt down his four-storey house and the family-owned Kitchlew Hosiery Factory in the heart of Amritsar.

During his last meeting with Dr Kitchlew in Delhi, Prof Datta saw a bare cot, old furniture and broken pieces of crockery eloquently speaking of the financial difficulties he was facing. Yet, there was no bitterness for anyone. “I manage to live because Jawahar sends me some briefs,” he would say.

The last tragic memories of Dr Kitchlew’s family were related to his youngest son Toufique, who spent his last days in penury. Before he passed away, he had expressed a desire to shift to Amritsar and the Punjab Government even annou-nced rent-free accommodation, but the address was never shared with him.

Dr Satyapal, on the other hand, became the Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker post-Partition. He had famously said: “I was never a rebel, but to revolt for righteousness is our religion and duty.” He completed his MBBS with a gold medal from Punjab University and became active in the freedom struggle.

Dr Shailja Goyal, a lecturer at DAV College, Jagraon, who has done her PhD on Dr Satyapal, says he was a man of rare integrity and character. She says he was vocal even about the wrongs within the Congress. “He was instrumental in organising the AICC session in Amritsar.” He died in 1954 and his two daughters moved abroad.

Darbari Lal, former Deputy Speaker of Punjab Assembly, says Dr Kitchlew was a powerful orator and his words would sway the masses. “Dr Kitchlew and Dr Satyapal are household names in Amritsar and will surely remain so.”

source: http://www.tribuneindia.com / The Tribune / Home> Punjab / by Vishav Bharti, Tribune News Service, Amritsar / April 13th, 2019