Family members mourn as people carry the body of Riyaz Ahmad a Block development Council ( BDC) member who was killed in a militant attack, during his funeral procession, in Sopore, Jammu and Kashmir on Monday, 29 March 2021. Another municipal councillor, Shams-ud-Din Peer, who was injured in a militant attack on Monday in north Kashmir’s Sopore succumbed to his injuries on Tuesday. | Photo Credit: NISSAR AHMAD
So far, two councillors and a policeman have died in the incident
A municipal councillor injured in a militant attack on Monday in north Kashmir’s Sophore succumbed to his injuries on Tuesday, taking the toll to three.
Meanwhile, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Vijay Kumar said the policemen guarding the councillors “failed to retaliate to the fire of militants”.
The councillor, Shams-ud-Din Peer, who had suffered multiple bullet wounds, succumbed to his injuries at the Shri Maharaja Hari Singh hospital in Srinagar during the night, officials said.
Apart from Mr. Peer, another councillor and a policeman have been killed in the Sopore attack.
Meanwhile, Mr. Kumar admitted that the four personal security officers (PSOs) guarding the councillors “failed to timely retaliate and foil the attack”.
“There has been a security lapse. Had the four PSOs retaliated, the militants would not have succeeded in their efforts,” he said.
Four suspended
All the four policemen have been suspended after the incident.
He said there was no additional deployment made because the Municipal Committee chairman, Sopore, “had not informed about the meeting”, targeted by the militants later.
The IGP said an overground worker of the militants had been arrested. “The arrested youth has revealed that the attack was planned by a local Lashkar-e-Taiba and a foreign militant,” he said.
Mr. Kumar has asked all vehicles plying in J&K with non-J&K registration plates to register within 15 days with the transport authority of the Union Territory. “Militants were using such vehicles to target the security forces,” he added.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National / by Peerzada Ashiq / Srinagar – March 30th, 2021
Reverentially touching another person’s feet or prostrating before that person is common in Hindu culture, but seldom practised by Muslims.
National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) Muslim candidate in Mannarkkad Naseema P. had one of the biggest surprises of her life when she bent down to touch Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s feet at the Bharatiya Janata Party’s mega election rally held at Fort Maidan here on Tuesday.
Soon after finishing his 45-minute speech that invigorated the large crowd as well as the NDA candidates on the stage, Mr. Modi was preparing to leave the stage when Ms. Naseema walked up to him and genuflected before him.
In an unexpected quid pro quo, Mr. Modi bent down and touched her feet, shared a few words of encouragement with her, and sent her briefly to a world of awe. “It was beyond words for me. I never expected it from a great man like Modiji. It’s still like a dream for me,” said Ms. Naseema.
She said she wanted to have his blessings by touching his feet. “But Modiji surprised me by honouring me. It shows how respectfully he treats women,” said Ms. Naseema.
Ms. Naseema is the only Muslim woman candidate in the NDA. She is contesting on All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam banner against the Indian Union Muslim League’s incumbent N. Shamsuddin and Communist Party of India’s K.P. Suresh Raj in Mannarkkad.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Kerala / by Staff Reporter / Palakkad – March 30th, 2021
During Sultan Husain Shah’s reign, Mir Ali Haft Qalam came to Kashmir from Iran. He was a noted calligrapher. Bestowed with the title of Haft Qalam, Mulla Bakir Kashmiri was another famous court calligrapher of emperor Shah Jahan. Numerous Kashmiri calligraphers carried the legacy of calligraphy and passed it on to generations. Sobia Mushtaq is one such passionate lover of calligraphy.
Kashmir, which is often referred to as the land of Sufi saints, has always been famous for its rich culture and heritage. The values brought in by the scholars and saints hold great importance in the lives of the Kashmiri people. According to the Archeological Survey of India, one such art method i.e. calligraphy was introduced to Kashmir by the scholar saint Sharaf-ud-Din Bulbul in the fourteenth century A.D.
Despite the ongoing conflict and its severe impact on the mental health of the people, Kashmiri people continue to flourish with their centuries-old craft.
“The roots of Arabic calligraphy are strongly embedded in Kashmir. They connect us to our spiritual being,” says Sobia Mushtaq, a 23-year-old young calligrapher from the Bandipora district of North Kashmir. “Arabic Calligraphy is a way of connecting to God,” she adds.
Sobia started doing calligraphy when she was in 7th standard but had to leave it as studies took most of her time. Sobia says she was always passionate about the art of calligraphy. She completed her post-graduation in English last year and is currently preparing for competitive exams. After completing her PG, she decided to take up the art and started posting her calligraphy works on social media.
Soon people began to like her calligraphy and she started getting orders. She happily says, “People like my work and my family has always encouraged me to carry on with this artwork”. Whatever little money Sobia makes from her work, she buys pens, paint, ink and papers.
“Sobia has a thirst to learn everything about calligraphy. We are proud of her work,” says her sister. “She is passionate about her work. That is what brings sharpness in her writing,” her sister adds.
Sobia mainly does Arabic calligraphy. She used to make sketches but calligraphy is her main passion.
“Calligraphy enriches faith, connects me to the Quran. It helps me to strengthen my faith and draws me closer to Allah,” she says.
Sobia does name calligraphy, she likes to do calligraphy of resistance poetry, but her passion is in Arabic calligraphy.
With the emergence of technology, every design is a click away but, “what makes one a good calligrapher is practice and willpower.” Sobia opines, “The calligraphed artwork has its charm.” For Sobia, the smell of ink brings the hidden essence to the art.
Sobia, being a self-taught calligrapher says that she learns by practice and by seeing videos online but she is against plagiarism of artwork. “One should come up with something new. I have imitated and used the traditional techniques to convert them into modern calligraphy,” she said.
In one of the statements issued by the Archeological Survey of India, during Sultan Husain Shah’s reign, Mir Ali Haft Qalam came to Kashmir from Iran. He was a noted calligrapher. Bestowed with the title of Haft Qalam, Mulla Bakir Kashmiri was another famous court calligrapher of emperor Shah Jahan. Numerous Kashmiri calligraphers carried the legacy of calligraphy and passed it on to generations.
Arabic script and Kashmiri script are similar. “I write Arabic and with a slight change I write Kashmiri,” Sobia says while sharing her aspiration to do wall calligraphy in future. She wants to do calligraphy on the walls, tombs and shrines in Kashmir.
For Sobia, Arabic calligraphy is the best example of learning by doing.
Among many cultural artefacts that Mughal’s introduced in Kashmir, calligraphy is one of them. “These things are a part of our culture. Calligraphy is flourishing now and the young generation is inclined towards this art,” says Sobia.
The famous Spanish painter Pablo Picasso once said, “If I had known there was such a thing as Islamic Calligraphy, I would never have started to paint. I have strived to reach the highest levels of artistic mastery, but I found that Islamic Calligraphy was there ages before I was.”
Sobia says she does dual calligraphy combining modern backgrounds with Islamic calligraphy.
Frequent internet shutdowns in Kashmir have impacted every aspect of Kashmiri people’s lives.
“Under lockdown, we were not able to get our material and we were not able to deliver orders on the proper time, ran from ink and other items,” Sobia says.
Talking about the other side of the internet shutdowns, Sobia says that it helped her to focus more on her work. “This seclusion, without the internet, helped me to devote myself to this art,” she says.
Sobia wants the younger generation of Kashmiris to learn this art. “It tells us about our faith. Whenever I write down any verse, I search for the meaning and try to understand it before writing. This is how it enhances my faith,” she says.
The pens like kamish, bamboo, celi, java handam are expensive and none of them are available in her district. She usually orders her pens from a store in Srinagar, the summer capital of Kashmir. Elkhatt Store in Srinagar is the store that provides pens and ink for calligrapher lovers. Sobia proudly says that she started with a set of Rupees 200 basic pens and she still uses them.
“Tools don’t make an artist but the artist makes the tools,” Sobia says. Sobia lives in Bandipora and she hardly gets the paper there. Either she orders online or goes to Srinagar to get her calligraphy equipment.
“If one has the will they can do good calligraphy with the basic available resources. When people DM me asking about my art and the technique used, I happily share with them,” she says.
“The artists don’t reveal their secrets, but I think they should reveal the secrets so that this art could flourish and more people may come forward. If they share their art and secrets their art will propagate otherwise that will be confined to themselves. All it takes the practice and technique to handle the brush and tools,” she adds.
Sobia wants to open a calligraphy store one day. “It is important to get orders. This enhances confidence and also helps to get resources,” she says.
source: http://www.tcnpositive.net / TwoCircles.net / Home>TCN Positive / by Musheera Ashraf, TCNpositive.net / March 05th, 2021
Twenty-year-old Azharuddin from Meerut in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh is good with his hands. He created an electric cart from junk and he is now receiving online orders from abroad. Apart from this, the 21-year-old has also made an electric bicycle that can cover a distance of 100 km on a single charge.
Uttar Pradesh:
His father laboured all his life and his mother never went to school, yet the twenty-year-old Azharuddin from Muradnagar near Meerut in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh battled all odds and went on to become a mechanical engineer. His is a story of fighting poverty with talent and hard work and emerging victorious.
Azharuddin studied at a government school and today he is a second-year B.Tech. student at Subharti University, Meerut. The university management does not take fees from him. Instead, they provide all the facilities.
Azharuddin is good with his hands. He has created an electric cart from junk and is now receiving online orders from abroad. The twenty-year-old has also made an electric bicycle that can cover a distance of 100 kilometer on a single charge.
In addition to the electric cart, Azharuddin has also made a solar cart, which does not need to be charged. His feat is remarkable as he has accomplished it all by himself.
Presently, the boy from Muradnagar is working to get his e-cart verified by the government.
Electric cart made by Azharuddin
“The e-cart is basically solar powered, but it can also be charged. It will benefit the environment immensely. It is cheaper and more robust. It can be used as an auto. Currently, its demand is coming from societies of large size, where these non-polluting carts are of great importance. Apart from this, they have great importance in places like Zoos, Taj Mahal etc. Till now such carts were running on battery. We have a cheaper alternative to solar and electricity,” Azharuddin told TwoCircles.net.
Azharuddin’s accomplishments have not been in vain. He has received an offer of 6 solar carts from a society in Hyderabad.
For his first electric cart, it cost him INR 1.5 lakh. He has improved its cost of making and his e-cart now has space for more people to sit. An e-cart made by him has been sent to Dubai.
Azhar says that if the government cooperates with him, they can build something that can contribute to pollution reduction in the country and improve the environment.
Azharuddin says that he has made his electric bicycle in the same manner. It can charge up to 100 kilometres at a time, while the company’s cycle runs 30-40 kilometre. It can run-up to the speed of 25-30 kilometre per hour and is pollution-free. He has started getting orders for his e-cycle.
He says his e-cart was used at the Taj Mahal in Agra for six months. “I had built a one-seater helicopter in 11th grade, which was greatly appreciated at the exhibition in Ghaziabad,” he said.
His e-cart is now being used in Haryana’s Hisar Cantt. and Engineering College. His e-carts are also today used at his college Subharti Meerut.
Azharuddin’s father Amirudin Kassar told TwoCircles.net that “Azhar has brought him only joy and pride.”
“People in the village know me because of my son. I respect him more,” he says.
Talking enthusiastically about his e-cart, Azharuddin explains that in the event of solar energy being interrupted, its work will be done by charging and this cart will keep running. “Two batteries of 12 volts and five batteries of 140-ampere lead-acid have been used in the solar panel. This is the biggest feature of this e-cart that it operates from both solar and electricity as well and is cheap,” he says.
At Subharti University, Azharuddin’s work is discussed with excitement.
A staffer at the University Sanjay Kumar points out that Azhar’s talent is natural. “The natural talent inside him is going to take him to places. He has earned a name for himself through his work. His difficult time has passed. We wish him a bright future,” he said.
The story of Azharuddin exemplifies that passion and hard work pays, no matter how humble your beginnings.
source: http://www.twocircles.net / TwoCircles.net / Home> Lead Story> TCN Positive / by Aas Mohammad Kaif, TwoCirlcles.net / March 30th, 2021
Though Javed Ahmad Tak was confined to the bed for years after getting injured in a militant attack, he is now teaching hundreds of disabled kids to tackle life’s challenges.
Javed Ahmad Tak’s school is currently teaching 120 differently-abled students. (Photo| EPS)
Jammu & Kashmir :
Javed Ahmad Tak’s life took a dramatic turn in 1997. Hit by a bullet during a militant attack, he was confined to the bed for years first and now to a wheelchair. But Tak, now (45), has taken his disability head-on and has created opportunities for others like him. Today, he is a role model for many differently- abled people.
On the night of March 21-22, 1997, 21-year-old Tak was injured in firing at his uncle’s house at Bijbehara in Anantnag. “The gunmen had come to attack my cousin who was the block president of the National Conference. I tried to save his life and suffered a bullet injury,” recalls Tak. The bullet caused severe damage to his spinal cord, kidney, pancre a s and intestines.
Tak, a BSc final year student at that time, remained hospitalised for about an year. After being discharged in February 1998, he remained bedridden for the next three years. “While being confined to bed, I would hear noises of young boys playing outside my home. In June 2000, I told my mother that I don’t want to sit idle and want to teach these young boys for free,” Tak said.
“I taught 80-90 boys for the next four years. After free coaching, I also started a book bank at my home to help boys and girls from poor families,” says Tak. He also started a uniform and school bag bank for those who could not afford them.
Wheelchair-bound, Tak was not content and wanted to do something for the specially- abled children. He asked his friends and relatives to find out disabled children in his locality and adjoining areas. In 2006, Tak started the Zeba Apa Institute for Specially-abled children.
He also continued his studies and completed his Masters in Social Work from the University of Kashmir in 2007. “Some of the children had mental disorders and their plight was miserable. A few of them were blind and some were hearing-disabled,” Tak said. The government had sanctioned Rs 75,000 ex-gratia to him in 1999 even though he had spent lakhs on his treatment.
“I took the money which helped me to start the school in rented accommodation. I hired a few trained teachers to teach disabled children,” Tak said.
The school was meant for primary students but later it extended up to 8th standard. About 120 differently-abled students currently study in the school which has 25 staff members, including 10 trained teachers.
The teachers use a variety of methods to teach different types of disabled students. Tak also has a teacher from Kerala, who is a special educator and speech therapist. “He helps us frame syllabus for different kinds of disabled children. He also trains the teachers,” he said.
The school does not have any fixed fee system and it is for parents to decide how much they can afford. “Some parents pay normal charges, some meagre and some don’t pay at all,” Tak says. With no help from the government, the school runs on donations from the public, NGOs and civil society groups. The school now has its building. “We constructed the building with the financial support of locals and NGOs,” Tak said.
The school has a good academic record. One of the visually impaired girl students, Zakiya Manzoor, is doing her BA from Delhi University. Another visually impaired Saima Hussain is a junior artist at J&K Cultural Academy. The students have also excelled in sports. They are also being trained in extra-curricular activities. Some have participated in national- level sports competitions and won medals.
Tak says if he had a better transport facility, the school would have over 200 students. The school has purchased two buses on loan for ferrying students, but that’s not enough. There are cases where parents of children have hired accommodation near the school.
Tak hopes to expand the school to the higher secondary level so that it can cater to all disabled children of the four districts in south Kashmir. “I also plan to set up a hostel for students so that those living in far-off places can live here and avail of education facilities.”
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> The Sunday Standard / by Fayaz Wani / March 28th, 2021
Owning a car was a distant dream till 50 years of my age. Finally, I could buy a petite beauty — a German company car Opel Corsa Sail. It was a “pre-owned” one (decent word for second hand). The running around I made to purchase this would itself make an interesting story as I was a greenhorn then. The pre-owner used all his expertise in explaining its features and convinced me to buy it. He also postured as if he was deeply pained to part with the car.
Well, like any other kid with a new toy, I developed a bond with this beauty. Once, it was a dream to buy a car but soon I used to drive this car even in my dreams. My obsession for spic and span maintenance of my new love, made her silver-coloured curvatures (I believe Chassis is a very harsh word) shine brighter.
A veteran from Indian Air Force that I am, the lessons on cleanliness has been imbibed by me. I never cared for myself even when I got sunburned in the cleaning process. I thought I had to compensate the time lost in my earlier 50 years without a car and spent more time in adoration of this new car !
This car had an exquisite spacious accommodation and upkeep of the interiors of her beauty was also given equal prominence. Dust was my chief enemy. The sight of dust would horrify me. So cleaning was meticulous. Even the remote and hard-to-access portions were carefully polished.
Well, my wife was obviously unhappy that in the course of car cleaning, my household responsibilities were weaning. Her frequency of nagging had increased. (Friends used to say their wives are also same and that sounded like music to my ears). One fine day (can I call it so?), in spite of my wife’s admonitions, I ventured into cleaning my car.
Matter of just a switch
I do not dare to blame my wife for her warnings, because of which I got a little distressed. But the resultant bad mood had an evil effect as I cleaned the interiors. There was this headlight control switch that became the casualty of my distraught. Unlike the modern-day cars, which have control switch attached to steering wheel itself, in my car, it was a little remotely fixed at right-hand corner below the dashboard. Because of my unusual harsh handling that day, the switch got damaged and so was my sleep that night.
The next day I went to the company-authorised service centre. The service engineer inspected it and gave a verdict that it cannot be repaired and the entire switch control unit needs to be replaced, with an original imported one. He said that it has to be obtained from the manufacturer and may take 15 days and the estimated cost was about Rs. 7,000.
Deft hands
I got worried and decided to have a second opinion. One of my friends advised me to go to a local mechanic, Khaleel, who was an expert in his own way in repairing high-end cars. I thought of giving it a try and went to his garage which was next to a Gujari (dump yard). I was amazed to see several high-end imported cars parked there for different levels of repairs.
I was very anxious about the snag in my car, may be very minor, but was paramount for me. But after inspecting the car for only a few seconds, he showed no expressions whatsoever. He asked me to leave the car and come after an hour. His face was so serious that I did not dare to ask any more questions. The next one hour was the toughest in my life. My restless mind was preparing for the worst.
Complex problem, simple solution
I went back to the garage, posing with a fictional courage. Cool as a cucumber, Khaleel said the snag is rectified and demonstrated that it worked properly. He asked me to pay Rs. 100. I was astonished and could not believe. I peeped into the dashboard and I could see a new control knob, which looked pretty familiar as well as bizarre to me. It was totally different from the original one. I wondered how he could get such a part which was supposed to cost a bomb and was not readily available locally in such a short time and that too for a paltry hundred rupees.
When I expressed my bewilderment and disbelief (though happy within), he nonchalantly said, “Saar, it is very simple technology like a mixer in your house. I just bought a mixer speed control knob for just ten rupees and replaced the broken switch” and handed over the broken switch to me. I was astounded. I thought to myself, hell with the frightening company-authorised service centre, my job was done so effortlessly and the worry vanished.
Above all, I thought, it was a classic example of “vocal for local” and “Aatmanirbhar Bharat” much before our Prime Minister Modi promulgated the scheme nationally. Wonder how many such sophisticated spare parts Khaleel would have replaced in those imported cars lying in his garage with their bonnets open to the sky. And how many such Khaleels would be in the trade!
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles / by S. Vasudevan, Retired Superintendent of Customs & GST / March 26th, 2021
from Left- Idris Shaikh,Sharafat Khan, Sarfaraz Sayed, Vasiyuddin Sayed and Shaizin Shaikh
New Delhi:
As many as five Muslim candidates have emerged as victorious on 5 out of 10 seats in the Valpoi Municipal Council. The winning candidates have been identified as Shaikh Idris ,Sharafat Khan, Sarfaraz Sayyad, Vasiyuddin Sayad and Shaizin Shaikh.
All of them are members of BJP. They were supported by BJP minister Vishwajeet Rane.
As per the media reports, senior BJP councilor Riyaz Beig has also managed to retain his seat in Bicholim municipality .
Elections were held on six municipal councils, the Corporation of City of Panaji (CCP), a Zilla panchayat, and 22 panchayat wards in Goa on 20 March and results were declared on 22 March.
34 years old Sarfaraz Sayed is the youngest among all five Muslim councillors in Valpoi. He has made a history in the town by winning the election with record margin of 489 votes from ward No.6 .and also emerged as a winner with highest margin in the entire state. It is his second consecutive win.
Speaking to Muslim Mirror, Sarfaraz Sayed thanked all the voters for giving great return of his work. He thanked their leader Vishwajeet Rane for supporting them. ”I am committed to work for people. This time also, I will continue the same with full energy and devotion Inshallah, About 130 Hindu voters have also showed their faith in me, I am grateful to them” added Sarfaraz.
Vasiyuddin Sayed ,a social activist ,who has become part of the council for the first time, says helping people who are in need has always been my priority. Now people of my ward have given power to me, now I can continue my work in effective way.
Addressing a press conference, Vishwajit Rane congratulated all the winning candidates of civic polls and said that he is very much thankful for the people of Valpoi for giving a clear mandate to his candidates.
Valpoi is considered a stronghold of BJP minister Vishwajeet Rane who is the son of Sr. Congress leader and Former Chief Minister of Goa Pratap Singh Rane. Vishwajeet won three assembly polls on Indian National Congress ticket but in 2016 he resigned from Congress party and joined BJP as Congress failed to form Government in inspite of getting highest number of seats.
After he joined the BJP, his supporters including Muslims also switched to the party.
source: http://www.muslimmirror.com / Muslim Mirror / Home> Featured / by Muslim Mirror Correspondent / March 24th, 2021
The Hazarath Gunangudi Masthan Sahib Dargah (Kunangudi Mastan Sahib Dargah) at Royapuram in Chennai | Photo Credit: B. Jothi Ramalingam
Written with a knowledge of grammar and aesthetics, their songs are immortal
If you think of the Muslim link to Carnatic classical music, Sheikh Chinna Moula and his descendants and disciples are the first that come to mind. In the 1970s, T.M. Abdul Azeez was a violin accompanist on the Carnatic platform. He is now settled in Kerala, where he teaches music. Abraham Pandithar’s Karunamirtha Sagaram (1917) lists a few Mohammedan names as performing artistes though it is difficult to fathom now if they were performing in the Hindustani or Carnatic styles.
Gulab Mantil is one — he claimed to be a descendant of Mian Tansen of Akbar’s Court and was under the patronage of the Sivaganga rulers. He was adept at various instruments. On Chottu Mian there is no information other than the fact that he was a good singer of Hindustani Music. Nannu Mian and Mirali are listed as brothers, who were noted for their skill on the dholak. Closer home, at Tondiarpet we have the dargah of Kunangudi Mastan Sahib who is propitiated with music of the Sufi variety.
Given this background, it was a revelation when PAK Mohammad Sulaiman walked in with PS Ilyas of Kayalpattinam into the Music Academy a month or so ago. The latter had with him a precious possession — a fragile copy of a book published in 1909. Titled Kirtanaranjitham, it was a compilation of songs composed by his grandfather and Mohammad Sulaiman’s great grandfather, PS Muhammad Abdullah Labbai. It was printed at the Kalarathnakara Press, Madras.
Famous jeweller
A preface to the book gives details of the composer’s antecedents. His grandfather, Sheikh Sadakatullah was a Kazi (judge) at Kayalpattinam and had the privilege of moving about in a palanquin. That made him Pallakku Labbai to the locals. His son, Muhammad Suleiman Labbai got into the precious stone trade and his three sons, of whom the composer was the second, followed him into the business. The first and third sons set up offices in Colombo while Muhammad Abdullah Labbai (1870-1962), the composer, moved to Bombay. He made such a name for himself in the business that jewellers referred to him as Abdullah Jauhari. But his attachment to the dargah where the family prayed, the Shahibu Appa Thaikka at Kayalpattinam, was such that he eventually moved back to take care of it. He is also buried there.
Muhammad Abdullah Labbai has composed around 90 songs as per this book. It is also stated in the preface that the composer presented all of these at the dargah. What is interesting is that some of the songs are still being sung there, though the tunes have changed over time. The book sadly lacks notation (it must be remembered that notation in print was not common practice in the early 1900s). But ragas and talas are provided for every song. The popular ragas are all there, with preponderance for usage of Khamas, Mohanam and Kalyani. There are certain ragas that are not easy to identify. Names such as Desikam, Karnataka Desikam, Mohana Thodi and Nilakambodi are puzzling.
The composer was clearly well aware of the laws of composition and follows the requisites of prosody and alliteration. The language used is Manipravalam — a mix of Sanskrit, Tamil and Urdu/Persian. The bulk of the songs are in the usual kriti structure of pallavi, anupallavi and charanam. The last named are usually three and in some songs, four in number. The mudra of Abdullah appears in all the pieces.
Perusing the songs, you see all the familiar themes of Tamizh Padams — the lovelorn maiden yearning for union with the Supreme, the sending of messages to the divine via swans and companions, berating the Beloved for His heartlessness, and songs of surrender. Besides these, there are songs in the Thevaram format and some structured as Kannis. Certain songs are on specific locations where holy personages are buried, in the manner of kshetra kritis. These include Kayalpattinam, Manjakollai, Kizhakkarai, Saragam/Ervadi in Thirunelveli District, Cannanore in Kerala and Kandy in Sri Lanka.
The book follows the format for music publications of its time. There are benedictory verses in form of kappu, kanni and viruttam. Besides, like the ratha bandams that Tamil scholars of yore indulged in when patterns like chariots could emerge from the way they wrote verses, Muhammad Abdullah Labbai has worked on calligraphy by way of a Chithirakkavi Kattalai Kalithurai. His scholarship came in for praise from several Muslim men of letters, all of whom wrote verses in his praise, which were included in the first edition.
The 1909 publication was reprinted in 1963. This was done with the support of the family business in Colombo. Hussain Bhagavatar of the Panchalingapuram Jam’ath kept the songs in circulation for much of the 20th century. The descendants of the composer are now in the process of bringing out a new edition.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Society> Faith / by V. Sriram / June 14th, 2018
Appointments to address issue of large number of vacancies in higher judiciary
The Law Ministry on Wednesday notified the elevation of 10 additional judges of the Allahabad High Court as permanent judges while another seven new additional judges were appointed to the country’s biggest High Court.
The Ministry also appointed two additional judges to the Karnataka High Court that has a strength of 62 including the additional judges.
The latest appointments are aimed at addressing the issue of large number of vacancies in higher judiciary that is often cited as one of the primary reasons for the delay in judicial decisions.
As on March 1, of the strength of 1,080 judges across 25 High Courts, there were 419 vacancies.
For example, the strength in the Allahabad High Court is 160 including 40 additional judges but the court was functioning with a strength of 96. Of the 64 vacancies until Wednesday’s appointments, 38 positions were for permanent while 26 posts were that of additional judges.
“The President, in exercise of the power conferred by clause (1) of Article 224 of the Constitution, appointed Justices Ali Zamin, Vipin Chandra Dixit, Shekhar Kumar Yadav, Ravi Nath Tilhari, Deepak Verma, Gautam Chowdhary, Shamim Ahmed, Dinesh Pathak, Manish Kumar and Samit Gopal, to be Judges of the Allahabad High Court,” said the Law Ministry.
It said Mohd. Aslam, Anil Kumar Ojha, Sadhna Rani (Thakur), Naveen Srivastava, Syed Aftab Husain Rizvi, Ajai Tyagi and Ajai Kumar Srivastava were appointed as Additional Judges of the court
Rajendra Badamikar and Khazi Jayabunnisa Mohiuddin were appointed as Additional Judges of the Karnataka High Court for two years with effect from the date they assume charge.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National / by Special Correspondent / New Delhi – March 25th, 2021
Khan was among the 21 cine personalities who were remembered during the ceremony’s ‘In Memoriam’ segment.
Late Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan (Photo | PTI)
Los Angeles :
The 2021 edition of the Producer’s Guild of America (PGA) Awards honoured the late Indian star Irrfan Khan during its “In Memoriam” segment but got his name wrong.
The awards, considered as an Oscar bellwether, were held virtually on Wednesday.
Khan was among the 21 cine personalities who were remembered during the ceremony’s “In Memoriam” segment.
However, the pre-taped production of the awards committed a gaffe with the actor’s name as it read ‘Irrif Kahn’ instead of Irrfan Khan, reported Variety.
Another typo was spotted when the name of “Minari” star Steven Yeun, who was one of the presenters at the event, was misspelled as ‘Steven Yuen’.
Khan, who straddled both Indian and international cinema with equal elan, died in April 2020 at the age of 54 following a two year-long battle with a rare form of cancer.
In Hollywood, he featured in blockbusters such as “Inferno”, “A Mighty Heart”, “Life of Pi”, “Amazing Spider-Man” and “Jurassic World”.
The “In Memoriam” segment of PGA Awards also paid to tributes to Hollywood great Kirk Douglas, who died at the age of 103 in February 2020, and “Black Panther” star Chadwick Boseman, who passed away in August at 43 after a private four-year-long battle with cancer.
Other prominent names in the segment included Harry Bring, Sue Bruce-Smith, Allan Burns, Kevin Burns, Stuart Cornfeld, Charles Gordon, Buck Henry, Thomas L Miller, Tom Pollock, Rebecca Ramsey, Carl Reiner, Gene Reynolds, Pamela Ross, Ronald Schwary, Lynn Shelton, Fred Silverman and Jamie Tarses.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Entertainment> English / by PTI / March 25th, 2021
