Salma Sultan , the iconic news anchor of the public service broadcaster, Doordarshan graced the ramp at the age of 72. The elegant lady mesmerised the audience with her dance moves on Bollywood numbers including the R. Rajkumar’s movie song, ‘Saree kay fall sa.’
The event was organised by Saree Sanskriti in association with the Fashion Lifestyle Magazine. Celebrities including Padma Shree awardee Shovana Narayan, graced the event.
Key Takeaways:
Iconic Doordarshan news anchor Salma Sultan walks the ramp at 72.
Sultan is best known for her news reading and her signature style – “Namaskar! Aaj kay samaachaar iss prakaar hain.”
The event was organised by Saree Sanskriti in association with the Fashion Lifestyle Magazine.
Celebrities including Padma Shree awardee Shovana Narayan, graced the event.
Sultan was wearing a brown bordered saree along with some neatly tucked white flowers on her hair while using ‘jhumkaas’ as the elegant accessory. She managed to get a traditional look with a modern twist.
Saree Sanskriti
Along with being a new anchor, Salma Sultan is also keen on promoting the traditional Indian culture of Saree. She owns a clothing brand with the name, Saree Sanskriti. She herself is very famous for her sartorial style.
“I do not believe millennials have any problem wearing the saree, it is all about ensuring that they have confidence. When confidence is there you can pull off any attire,”
“It is a very happy occasion . Many people have come together to make this a successful event. I do not believe millennials have any problem wearing the saree, it is all about ensuring that they have confidence. When confidence is there you can pull off any attire,” Sultan said at the event.
Her style quotient
“We were our own fashion consultants back then. Black-and-white TV offered us the facility to wear whichever colours we wanted to, but the onset of colour TV shattered it. A new sari a day I could manage, but matching blouses? No way. It was a pretty tall order. So, the idea of draping a sari over both shoulders came to my rescue and believe me…it works even now.” said Salma Sultan while conversing with the Verve .
Sultan also gave some details about her style quotient to the Verve. She added, “The day when I plucked a red rose from my garden, I hadn’t the faintest idea that its story would become viral. Can you imagine that even now, the rose fever is unabated? Yes, it did give heartburn to some people helming affairs at that time, who issued memos and warnings but…let’s leave it at that. The important thing is that the rose lives on in the memory of viewers, and I feel grateful and humbled.”
Sultan is best known for her news reading and her signature style – “Namaskar! Aaj kay samaachaar iss prakaar hain.”
News reader par excellence
She worked for Doordarshan for almost three decades from 1967 to 1997. After her retirement, she moved to directing serials on social topics for Doordarshan under her production house Lensview Private Limited. Some of her serials like Panchtantra Se, Suno Kahani, Swar Mere Tumhare and Jalte Sawal drew attention and indeed became very famous.
Her education
Salma did her schooling from Sultanpur, Madhya Pradesh and did her graduation from Bhopal. She did her post-graduation in English from Indraprastha College for Women, Delhi. Simultaneously, she also gave the audition for an announcer on Doordarshan at the age of 23. She was born as second child to scholar and secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture Mohammed Asghar Ansari.
Picture credit: You Tube
Udisha Srivastav is an intern with SheThePeople.Tv
source: http://www.shethepeople.tv/ SheThePeople / Home / by Udisha Srivastav / September 18th, 2019
Sathar and Master Raghu in “Anavaranam” | Photo Credit: The Hindu Archives
Sathar, who made his debut in Malayalam movie Bharyaye Aavashyamundu , has acted in over 300 movies, including Tamil and Telugu films
Veteran actor Sathar, who figured prominently in South Indian films in the 1970s and 80s, died in a private hospital at Aluva near here early on Tuesday. He was 67.
He had been undergoing treatment for liver-related ailment for the last three months. The body was taken to his house at Kadungalloor and will be laid to rest at the Juma Masjid at 4 p.m.
Sathar made his debut in the Malayalam movie Bharyaye Aavashyamundu directed by M. Krishnan Nair in 1975. He was the lead actor in Anaavaranam released the very next year.
He, however, made his mark as an actor for his portrayal of villainous roles, including in the hit movie Sarapanjaram. Sathar has over 300 movies to his credit, including Tamil and Telugu films. He also produced three movies, including the Babu Antony-starrer Malayalam movie Kambolam in 1994.
Inactive in movies since 2003, Sathar made a brief comeback with notable roles in 22 Female Kottayam in 2012 and Natholi Cheriya Meenalla the year after. His last outing as an actor was in Parayaan Baakki Vechathu in 2014.
At the height of his acting career, Sathar married his popular co-star Jayabharathy in 1979 though they got separated later. Their son Krish J. Sathar had made his debut in Ladies and Gentlemen starring Mohanlal.
Krish was by his father’s side at the time of his demise.
Sathar was born in Kadungalloor near Aluva in 1952 as the ninth child of Khadarpillai and Fathima. He did his schooling at the Government High School, West Kadungalloor, and his Masters in history at UC College, Aluva.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Kerala / by Special Correspondent / Kochi – September 17th, 2019
Dr Safwan Ahmed, Best Post Graduate Resident in Neurology, with his mother and wife at the 24th convocation of Nimhans. dh photo
Every time his father and Safwan Ahmed passed by Kasturba Medical College in Manipal, his father would say that it was his dream to see his son study there some day. He was only a child back then. It was not too long after, that Ahmed’s father died of a heart attack. A student of class 11 then, he decided to live his father’s dream and graduated from there.
On Monday, he was among the 14 meritorious students who got recognised for their achievements at the 24th convocation of Nimhans.
He was awarded the Dr Anisya Vasanth Memorial Award for the best postgraduate resident in Neurology. “I dedicate this award to my mother. Every time I burnt the midnight oil, she was beside me. She would wake up along with me, even if it was 3 am and has been my strong support,” said Ahmed. He recollected that most of his education was in government school and college and that merits and scholarships have helped him adequately.
“I want to start a new sub-speciality centre in cognitive neurosciences in Father Muller College in Mangaluru, where I work at present,” he said, when asked about future plans.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State / by Reshma Ravishanker / DH News Service / September 16th, 2019
The city has many structures built during the time of Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan Bahadur
A kilometre away from Kalaburagi railway station is Aiwan-e-Shahi, a magnificent stone structure built in early 19th Century. For political leaders and bureaucrats visiting the city, it’s the most preferred accommodation.
Kalaburagi has several such architectural remnants of the times of the Nizam rule, uniquely Indo-Islamic in style, and still in use. Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan Bahadur, the last monarch, who ruled the province between 1911 and 1948, stayed in Aiwan-e-Shahi when he visited the city and is today a government guest house. The Nizam used to travel in his own train from Hyderabad to reach the palace in Kalaburagi and a special railway track was laid up to the entrance of the complex for the purpose.
Like most buildings constructed during the Nizam’s rule, the Aiwan-e-Shahi portrays a rich and imposing architecture synthesising medieval and modern styles. It is constructed using local white stones, popularly known as Shahabad stones, abundantly available in the surrounding area. The front view of the palace was greatly inspired by Gothic style architecture.
Kalaburagi-based heritage collector and artiste Mohammed Ayazuddin Patel has copies of some rare photograph of Nizam. In one of them, he is the Nizam is seen playing tennis outside the Aiwan-e-Shahi palace complex. His train is also visible in the background. The picture was said to have been taken by Raja Deen Dayal, the official photographer at the Nizam’s court.
The Nizam, known as the architect of modern Hyderabad, left an impression on Kalaburagi too. The building now houses the tahsildar office, zilla panchayat and central library. The entrance arch gate of Vikas Bhavan, the mini Vidhana Soudha that has the district administrative complex and one of the entrances of Mahbub Gushan Garden in the heart of the city were built during his time. There are several private houses across the city that were built for the families of Deshpande, Deshmukh, Mali Patil, Police Patil, Jamadar, Mansafdar, Pattedar, Inamdar, Jagirdar, Kulkarni, Hawaldar – the official and administrative titles given by the Nizam.
“At least, the Aiwan-e-Shahi should be included in the protected monuments and converted into a museum to showcase the region’s cultural past,” says Rehaman Patel, Kalaburagi-based researcher and artiste. According to him, the Nizam had expanded public spaces such as parks, lakes, town hall, and gardens in the city engaging several engineers. Mahbub Sagar (now called Sharnbasweshwar lake) and Mahbub Gulshan Garden continued to be used by the public. The town hall is used by the Kalaburagi City Municipal Corporation as a conference hall.
The Filter Bed built for providing pure water to the residents continues to supply drinking water to parts of the city. The Mahbub Shahi Kapda Mill that produced high-quality cloth and supplied it not just to various cities across India, but to other countries as well, was in operation till the 1980s. The Nizam had also established Asif Gunj School and MPHS school, the oldest educational institutions of the city.
“In the early 1930s, he formed the Hyderabad Aero Club and built Begumpet Airport for his Deccan Airways, one of the earliest airlines in British India. He had the distinction of employing, perhaps, the world’s first woman commercial pilot, Captain Prema Mathur, during the late 1940s. The other airport built in Bidar in 1942 is now used by the Indian Air Force to train its pilots. The Nizam was also credited for renovating several monuments belong to Buddhists, Jains, Chalukyas, and Bahmanis. The renovation and excavation of the caves of Ajanta and Ellora was undertaken with the funds of the Nizam government and supervised by then archaeology director Ghulam Yazdani,” Mr. Rehaman said.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Kumar Buradikatti / Kalaburagi – September 16th, 2019
Nishat Fatima, who came to Ranchi’s Marwari College to take her degree in graduation ceremony could not get it in the ceremony
There are bizarre rules being made about clothes in colleges these days. Recently, a girls college in Hyderabad made a strange rule for wearing suits, now a case of a college in Jharkhand has come up in which a student was not given a degree as she was wearing a burqa.
As per reports, the over-all best graduate Nishat Fatima, who came to Ranchi’s Marwari College to take her degree in graduation ceremony could not get it in the ceremony on Sunday.
Nishat Fatima came wearing a burqa to attend the program. Her name was called for the gold medal at the ceremony as she had to take the medal first.
However, at the same time, it was announced that she was not in the dress code fixed by the college, due to which she could not be given a degree in the ceremony. After which the process of awarding medals and degrees to other toppers was started. Despite the dress code being fixed, Nishat’s father Muhammad Ikramul Haq said that the burqa is included in their tradition.
The dress code was decided by the college in which the male student had to come in a white colored kurta pajama and the female students in a salwar-suit, scarf or sari blouse. For this, the college had already issued a notice.
source: http://www.newsd.com / Newsd. / Home> Beyond Metros> Jharkhand / by Newsd / September 16th, 2019
Subia Parveen, a student of class 10th of Jamia Senior Secondary School has been selected for Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) scholarship, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State.
She will be getting 28 thousand US Dollar scholarship to study for a 10-month duration programme in U.S. The programme will be held from August 2019 to June 2020.
Subia is the eldest child of Mr. Kalimuddin Ahmad, an electrician working in Jamia. She has been studying in Jamia from nursery class and is a very bright student. She appeared in class 10th board examination this year and is very hopeful that she will top the list. She had received several prizes in education and co-curricular activities in the school and outside too. Her aim is to become a scientist.
Registrar, JMI, Mr. A.P. Siddiqui (IPS) congratulated Subia on her achievement and said, “The selection process for this programme (YES schorarship) has been very competitive and its a proud moment for both Subia and Jamia”.
Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) program was established in October, 2002. The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State, along with the U.S. exchange community, recognized the importance of youth exchange as a key component to building bridges between citizens of the U.S. and countries around the world, particularly those with significant Muslim populations.
source: http://www.milligazette.com / The Milli Gazette Online / Home> Online News> Community News / by Press Release , JMI / April 06th, 2019
The decision by the Indian Muslims Association of Greater Houston( IMAGH) to become a Welcome Partner for the community reception to Prime Minister Narendra Modi is another step by IMAGH to rise above divisive politics in solidarity with other Indian-American organizations.
It was a unanimous decision by the IMAGH Board of Directors and the Executive Committee to be part of the organizing committee. Some 50,000 people have registered to hear Prime Minister Modi in what will be the largest audience in the US for a visiting foreign leader other than the Pope. 612 organizations have registered so far to be the Welcome Partner and the online registration is still open on howdymodi.org . Over 1,000 volunteers are working tirelessly to make the event a grand spectacle for the Houston community.
“The mission of IMAGH is to foster unity across cultures, communities and religion. We can only work toward this goal by engaging with all groups. We may not agree with their beliefs, practices or ideas but unless we interact with them in a cordial and friendly atmosphere, we cannot get our point of view across to them,” said Dr. Maqbool Haq, Chairman of the IMAGH Board of Directors.
Alluding to plans by a section of the people to stage a protest at NRG Stadium where Prime Minister Modi will be addressing the community on September 22, Dr Haq said,” We feel, we should try to have a seat at the table to present our views rather than not be at the table.”
Latafath Hussain, founding president of IMAGH, said, “I am very proud to be both an Indian and a Muslim. Growing up in Varanasi (Modiji’s constituency), I always felt that I had the same opportunities as everyone else. So when the duly elected leader of mother India comes visiting my adopted home town, it is my duty to give him a warm welcome.”
In a major outreach effort three months ago, IMAGH invited Ramesh Bhutada, national vice president of the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh in America to be the chief guest at the organization’s signature event to celebrate Muslim festival of Eid al-Fitr, opening a new door for Hindu-Muslim cooperation in Houston and beyond.
Bhutada was forthcoming in his speech and received standing ovation by over 500 people at the event. He introduced himself as vice president of Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh, which is an independent US organization that takes inspiration from RSS in India and declared: “The RSS and the HSS would like communal harmony and unity among all religions.”
He quoted RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, “India’s development cannot be complete without the development and progress of the minorities.”
Bhutada said: “We all have historical baggage — let’s acknowledge that — but we cannot look backwards. We have to look forward and that is the only way we can lead a peaceful life in this world.”
Hussain thinks that in order to move forward we must understand that we may be Hindus or Muslims or Christians but we are primarily Indian and are “part and parcel” of the Indian community in Houston. “In the community, there are, as there should be, political differences, but that’s for private debate. In front of the larger Houston and American community, we have to stand as one.”
Vijay Pallod, who is on the boards of IMAGH and Hindus of Greater Houston (HGH), says that both the organizations are unique in their role to carry out their missions with respect and understanding for each other.
The close cooperation between Hindu and Muslim organizations dates back to September 2010 when India Culture Center, an umbrella organization of various Indian groups, decided to host an Eid Milan party in collaboration with Indian Muslim groups. The joint event was an instant success and led to creation of IMAGH to foster amity across cultures, communities, and religions.
“We, in Houston, are proud to have a united happy community that respects interfaith customs and traditions by participating and celebrating Diwali, Holi, Eid, Christmas and Baisakhi,” said Col. Raj Bhalla who was the Event Chair of the Eid Milan party in 2010.
Talking about the joint event, Swapan Dhairyawan, president of Houston ICC in 2010, said, “This interaction and pollination has led to several positive and healthy relationships not only among individuals but also between organizations.”
India’s present Consul General in Houston, Dr. Anupam Ray, also helped in promoting cooperation by hosting an Iftar party in the fasting month of Ramadan for the past four years where people professing different faiths and nationalities were invited to break the fast with Muslims at the end of the day.
Although these efforts may appear to be the feeble first steps, the Houston community is showing its determination to move forward as ONE.
source: http://www.indiacurrents.com / India Currents / Home> Latest – Community / by Haider Kazim / September 14th, 2019
Feroz Shah Tughlaq (Reign 1351 – 88), the third ruler of the Tughlaq Dynasty was embarked on a vigorous campaign of construction activity, consisting mainly of public buildings of utilitarian nature.
Gate of the citadel of Feroz Shah Kotla or Firozabad, Delhi
He made 1200 garden around Delhi and is credited with the erection of 200 towns, 40 mosque, 30 villages, 30 reserviors, 50 dams, 100 hospitals, 100 public baths and 150 bridges
Passageway leading to the interiors of Feroz Shah Kotla or Firozabad, Delhi
In 1354 Feroze Shah Tughlaq built Feroz Shah Kotla or Firozabad, the fifth citadel of Delhi. His predecessors Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq (Reign: 1321 -25) and Muhammad bin Tughluq (Reign: 1324 – 51) has the credit of erecting the third and fourth citadel of Delhi.
Plan of Feroz Shah Kotla or Firozabad (Source: http://www.pixels-memories.blogspot.in)
Tughlaqbad, the third citadel of Delhi, along with Jahanpanah, the fourth citadel of Delhi were abandoned because of acute water shortage. This lead Feroze Shah Tughlaq to move further north and to construct its citadel along the west bank of Yamuna River.
Panoramic view of the ruins of Feroz Shah Kotla or Firozabad, Delhi
Unlike Tuglaqabad, Feroz Shah Kotla lacked the defensive construction and after the collapse of the Tuglaq empire the Mongol invader Timur found it an easy target. In 1398 Timur gladly carried out all the riches of the citadel leaving behind the ruined rubble structures, which was again plundered and reused by Shahjahan (Reign AD 1627-57) for the construction of Shahjanabad, the seventh and last ancient citadel of Delhi.
An arched gateway, Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi
Despite being plundered by several rulers in the past and with centuries of neglect Feroz Shah Kotla still houses several interesting ruins, although minimalistic in nature, they still reveal the former glory and splendor of the ancient citadel.
Today the ruins of Feroz Shah Kotla nestles between the cricket stadium, of the same name, and the Ring Road. Every Thursday thousand of visitors visit the ruins of the ancient citadel.
Strangely these visitors are not history or heritage enthusiasts but are devotees looking for the blessings of Djinns, who according to legend are residents of the ruins of Feroz Shah Kotla. No wonder Delhi has always been a “City of Djinns.“
Djinns live in the heart of Delhi: they are spirits tending to the faithful seeking help. On Thursdays, they are busy when thousands turn up with letters for them.
A kid makes his way through the arched gateways of Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi
Every Thursday hordes of devotees, irrespective of religion, visit the ruins of Feroz Shah Kotla with photocopies of letters, citing there problems. They stick the letters on different strategic spots of the citadel and offer prayers to the Djinns.
Strangely the concept of letters to the Djinns has only been an recent concept in the ancient citadel, which dates back to the 14th century.
The first records of people coming to Firoz Shah Kotla in large numbers began shortly after the emergency of 1977.
It was only in 1977, a few months after the end of the Emergency, that we have the first record of people starting to come to Firoz Shah Kotla in large numbers. This seems significant, given how destructive the Emergency was for the Old City and how many poor and working class people were displaced from the Old City to resettlement colonies across the river
Anand Vivek Taneja, Anthropologist
Ruined structures of Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi
Even on other days large groups of Muslim devotes visit Feroz Shah Kotla to offer their Namaz at the Jami Masjid, one of the few structures of the citadel that have remained, more or less, intact to this day.
Designed by Feroz Shah Tughlaq’s state architects Malik Ghazi Samana and Abdul Haq the citadel of Feroz Shah Kotla follows a rectangular plan with dimensions 800 m by 400 m, with the longer side along the north – south axis.
The entire citadel is encased within a high stone wall. Although the walls look solid but it lacks the massive bastions of Tuglaqabad. The entrance is through a small and simple gateway on the eastern side and a broad passageway leads to the scattered ruins of Feroz Shah Kotla or Ferozabad
Circular Baoli (Stepwell) at Feroz Shah Kotla
Most of the buildings within the citadel are made of rubble masonry covered with heavy plaster and without any surface ornamentation.
The passages leads to series of scattered ruins, which was once part of the citadel’s garden.
It leads further to the Diwan – i – Am (hall of audience) and Diwan – i – Khas (hall of private audience).
A few pavilions and archways are all that remains today of the famed halls of audience of Feroz Shah Tughlaq. The Royal Palace located at the far end of the citadel lies in similar ruined condition.
Stepped pyramidal structure, crowned with the Ashokan Pillar, Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi
The more intact and interesting structures of Feroz Shah Kotla are located on its northern side. Towering above the lawns is the massive Jami Masjid and towards its left is the stepped pyramidal structure, known as the Hawa Mahal or Kushk-i-Shikar. It is crowned with the Ashokan Pillar, also referred as the Minar-e-Zarreen.
Ashokan Pillar, Feroz Shah Kotla
Just in front of the stepped pyramidal structure is a baoli (stepwell).
Delhi is no stranger to Baolis and even a century ago more than a hundred of them existed in Delhi.
Inscription on Ashokan Pillar
Today more than a dozen remains (Also see: Baolis of Delhi) but what makes the Feroz Shah Kotla baoli unique is its circular shape. It is the only circular baoli in Delhi. Sadly the baoli is kept under lock and key and the interiors are out of reach for the common tourist. But the baoli is best viewed from the differnt levels of the nearby stepped pyramid.
Domed Pavilion at the entrance of Jami Masjid
The Hawa Mahal is a three tired stepped pyramid with diminishing floors. Built with a central solid core and vaulted cells around it. Stairs at the comers lead to the uppermost terrace where the Ashokan pillar is planted.
The Ashokan Pillar was shifted from Topar in Ambala by Feroz Shah Tughlaq and placed atop the Hawa Mahal.
The 13 m high 27 ton pillar was shifted on a custom built 42 wheel carriage operated by 8400 men, which transported it to the banks of Yamuna River. From where it was transported by boat to Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi
Incidentally Delhi contains another Ashokan Pillar, which was also shifted by Feroz Shah Tughlaq and placed near his hunting lodge on Delhi’s North Ridge, also known as the Kamala Nehru Ridge. (Also see: Historical Trail along Delhi’s North Ridge)
Tanks, along Jami Masjid, for ritual wash
The structure is open to public and one can take the stairs all the way to the base of the pillar. The pillar still maintains its shining police and the inscriptions in Prakrit are clearly visible.
According to popular belief Laat (pillar) Waale Baba, the chief of the Kotla djinns, dwells in the Ashokan Pillar, which is also referred to as the Minar-e-Zarreen. Every Thursdaay devotees ties up their wish letters on the railing surmounting the Ashokan Pillar.
The top story of the Hawa Mahal offers grand bird eye view of the circular baoli (stepwell) and also the Jami Masjid, which lies on its southern side.
Namaz being offered at the Jami Masjid, Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi
South of the Hawa Mahal lies the gigantic mosqque of Feroz Shah Kotla, the Jami Masjid. Built of Delhi quartzite stone. During the time of its construction it was the largest mosque in India.
The mosque rests on a series of cells on the ground floor and is approachable by a long flight of stairs leading to a domed pavilion gateway on the northern side. The grand dome pavilion, which once stood at the centre of courtyard has long vanished.
Even Taimur, who plundered Feroz Shah Kotla, was so impressed with the mosque that he commissioned a similar one in his capital Samarkhand. Even Shah Jahan constructed a underground tunnel connecting the Jami Masjid to his newly constructed citadel of Shahjanabad. The tunnel still exist but is sealed for obvious reasons.
Grand view of the Jami Masjid, from Hawa Mahal, Feroz Shah Kotla or Firozabad, Delhi
Strangely the Jami Masjid is still an active mosque and attracts thousand of devotees during the time of eid. Even on normal days large groups of local Muslims along with Muslim office staff from nearby offices drop in for there daily namaz.
Panoramic view of Stepped Pyramid Structure and Jami Masjid, Feroz Shah Kotla or Firozabad
Colourfull plastic tanks, along the eastern wall of the ancient mosque, serve as a makeshift ritual wash (wudu) area for the devotees, who drop in to offer namaz.
Just outside the citadel of Firozabad or Feroz Shah Kotla, on a road divider lies the notorious gateway of Khooni Darwaza.
Kozhikode, KERALA / Hyderabad, TELANGANA / Paris, FRANCE :
Hamna Mariyam, a young diplomat of 2017 IFS batch and wife of Abdul Muzammil Khan, an IAS officer of Telangana cadre of the same batch,
The young diplomat Hamna Mariyam
Jeddah:
A young IFS officer married to a Hyderabadi, is likely to be posted in Saudi Arabia, according to reliable sources here.
Hamna Mariyam, a young diplomat of 2017 IFS batch and wife of Abdul Muzammil Khan, an IAS officer of Telangana cadre of the same batch. Muzammil Khan is the youngest son of retired IPS officer AK Khan, who is presently an advisor to the Telangana government.
The Ministry of External Affairs has reportedly decided to transfer Mariyam to Consulate General in Jeddah, sources told ‘Telangana Today’. She is currently serving at the Indian Embassy in Paris, France.
The Indian government is keen to cement Indo-Saudi relations further and strengthen its missions in the Kingdom, said sources. Shifting Mariyam to Saudi Arabia is perceived to be part of that idea. Hyderabadis and Malayalis constitute a lion’s share of Indian community in Saudi Arabia.
Mariyam hails from Kozhikode in Kerala, where her parents are doctors. An alumna of Ramjas College in Delhi, she taught English literature in a college in her home town. She cracked the civil services examinations and bagged the 28th rank in 2017.
source: http://www.telanganatoday.com / Telangana Today / Home> NRI / by Irfan Mohammed / September 13th, 2019
Shopian District (South Kashmir) , JAMMU & KASHMIR :
When the author asked Ummer’s schoolmates whether they would want to be like Lt. Ummer Fayaz, they said no. ‘’Ma’am he joined the army, the society here does not accept him and some who don’t even consider him a Kashmiri.’’
Bhawan Arora with her book at Chandigarh Press club
“Musrat is my sister, mama. If I don’t come for her wedding, what sort of brother am I? And for how long will I run, Mama? Kashmir is my home. With all of you there, can I stay away forever?” These were the words of Lt. Ummer Fayaz, when his family, fearful for his life, was urging him not to come home, weeks before he was killed by militants on 9 May 2017.
‘Undaunted: Lt. Ummer Fayaz of Kashmir’ by Bhaavna Arora, chronicles his life. The 232-page book took the author two years during which she visited Ummer’s family and met a large number of people who knew him.
Lt. Ummer was born on 8 June 1994, to an apple orchardist of South Kashmir’s Shopian district. He was abducted by veiled gunmen at 8.00 pm from his maternal uncle’s house on 8 May 2017 where he was attending the wedding of his cousin sister Musrat. His body drenched in blood was found at Herman Chowk of Shopian the next morning.
“Three men with scarves covering their face and shawls around their bodies swiftly entered through the front door of the house. They climbed the stairs and threw open the door of the room that Ummer was sitting in and asked, Are you Ummer Fayaz? Yes, I am, Ummer replied. Come with us, one of the veiled man commanded,” writes the book.
The book brings to life the high-spirited youngster, right from his childhood days. ‘’One day, a child from the Ummer’s class lost his geometry box. The teacher called all the students and asked them to swear by the holy Quran that they had not stolen it. One by one the students did and when it was Ummer’s turn, he took one look at the book and said, ‘Sir, this this is a dictionary, not the Quran.’ After that the teacher informed his father of his son’s cheekiness. His father gave him a dressing down, but was secretly pleased that his son had spotted what the entire class had missed.’’
Bhaavna Arora said he was also a very wam-hearted and friendly young man .
Bhawan Arora with Ummer’s famil
“At the National Defence Academy (NDA), he was the first to seek permission from instructors for offering Friday prayers; from then on every Friday Muslim soldiers are allowed to pray even during trainings,” she said.
Piecing together the life of the young officer turned out to be an emotionally charged journey. Bhaavna said, ‘’It is not easy to meet a family that has lost a son. When I first met his sister Asmat, we cried for half an hour. She asked me what does your brother do, and I had no answer.’’
Ummer was 11 when he joined Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV) in Anantnag district. The author recounts in the book how she was bombarded by questions from his schoolmates at JNV Anantnag. ‘’Students were eager to know if I was on their side. They asked me why I was there. When I told them whether they knew Lt. Ummer Fayaz, they said, ‘Yes, ma’am, he was our senior’.’’
When she asked them whether they would want to be like Lt. Ummer Fayaz, they said no. ‘’Ma’am he joined the army, the society here does not accept him and some who don’t even consider him a Kashmiri.’’
Once on his way home from Khodwani to Kulgam he was stopped by Army soldiers near Kulgam. They wanted to inspect his bag but he refused to let them do so. Ummer was trying to free himself from the grip of the soldier but failed. When the soldier could not control him anymore, he slapped Ummer, and he cried. Later, Ummer asked him whether he would let him go if he did not find anything in the bag. The soldier said, of course, and asked him what he wanted to become when he grew up. ‘’Someone like you. How can I become like you?’’, Ummer asked the soldier. When the soldier asked him what was so special about him, Ummer said, ‘’You are not like other soldiers who beat and torture my friends.’’
Before Ummer left the camp, the officer said to him, if you want to be an officer like me, join the National Defence Academy when you complete your Class XII.
Ummer reported at National Defence Academy, Pune, on December 30. Bhaavna Arora, who comes from an Army family, says it was Lt Fayaz’s coursemate who asked her to wrote the book. ‘’They wanted him to be immortalised in words.’’
Arora has in the past written three works of fiction. Her first book ‘The Deliberate Sinner’ revolves around infidelity.
source: http://www.indianexpress.com / The Indian Express / Home> India / by Dar Ovais / Chandigarh – March 29th, 2019
Bhawan Arora with her book at Chandigarh Press club
Bhawan Arora with Ummer’s famil