Monthly Archives: May 2021

Ismail Shariff the ‘Snow Leopard Man of India’ shares his journey

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

TELANGANA :

What started as documenting his own life in Europe while pursuing his Masters gradually gained direction and came to focus on wildlife photography.

Hyderabad:

 His photographs of a snow leopard from Spiti, Himachal Pradesh broke the internet, literally. Yet the man is still calm, unassuming.

Ismail Shariff, Hyderabad-based nature and wildlife photographer, is known to wildlife and photography enthusiasts as the ‘Snow Leopard Man of India’. His long and passionate association with photography began in his student days. What started as documenting his own life in Europe while pursuing his Masters gradually gained direction and came to focus on wildlife photography.

Picking up his first camera in 2005, Ismail was treated to the magnificent sight of a huge male tiger in 2008 while on a trip to the Kanha National Park in Madhya Pradesh. That was the defining moment of his life. “It became one of the reasons for me to move back to India to pursue of wildlife photography and tourism here,” he said.

Ismail, an alumnus of the Hyderabad Public School, Begumpet, has been part of nine snow leopard expeditions in the last seven years with the recent one being in 2020, apart from several other wildlife expeditions. The first thing that strikes his mind about snow leopards is the long fluffy tail, blue eyes, thick fur and a true-blue cat attitude. Snow leopards are one of the world’s most elusive animals and the most common way to spot one is high up on the mountain ridges. After an hour or more of patient stalking in Spiti in 2017, he finally spotted a snow leopard passing by. The shots he posted on various wildlife photo websites are trending even today.

“I was obsessed with snow leopards ever since a photograph taken in 2012 by Dhritiman Mukherjee, India’s leading wildlife photographer,” said Ismail, adding that seeing the mysterious ghost of the mountains for the first time in Hemis National Park, Ladakh, was an unforgettable experience in itself.

Ismail said the snow leopard is a notoriously elusive creature. It is also listed as “Vulnerable” on the IUCN Red List since the global population is estimated to be between 4,000 to 6,000. India is believed to have less than 1,000. That adds stars to his journey from just another photographer to being called the Snow Leopard Man of India.

“There were struggles. My parents were expecting me to get a corporate job. But I chose photography as my career. It was tough initially, since you’ve to invest a lot of time and money with very uncertain returns to make a name. But at the end of the day, if you want to be successful, you have to be willing to work hard, even if it means making more than a few sacrifices along the way,” said Ismail, a Computer Science engineer from Central European
University, Budapest, Hungary.

He moved to Paris to work there for two and half years before wildlife photography took over him.

Ismail, who has had solo photography exhibitions on Snow Leopards even in Los Angeles and New York, also indulges in fine art printing. He also works with the Snow Leopard Trust in helping raise funds for their conservation efforts.

source: http://www.telanganatoday.com / Telangana Today / Home> Hyderabad / by Sowmya Sangam / May 01st, 2021

6 Muslim Candidates Win Elections In Tamil Nadu; AIMIM, SDPI, IUML Do Not Secure Single Seat

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

TAMIL NADU :

After months of deliberation and alliance-formation in the run-up to the 2021 Tamil Nadu elections, Muslim parties including the AIMIM (All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen), SDPI (Social Democratic Party of India), and IUML (Indian Union Muslim League) have not secured a single seat in Tamil Nadu.

Six Muslim candidates, however, from the DMK (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam), AIADMK (All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam), and VCK (Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi) have secured seats in six constituencies- Nagapattinam, Palayamkottai, Papanasam, Avadi, Manapparai, and Velachery.

J. Mohamed Shanavaz from VCK won to AIADMK candidate Kathiravan in Nagapattinam. DMK candidates Abdul Wahab M, Dr Jawarihullah M H, Nasar S M, and Abdul Samad P won to AIADMK candidates in Palayamkottai, Papanasam, Avadi, and Manapparai respectively. Congress’ Aassan Maulaana won to AIADMK’s M K Ashok in Velachery. 

SDPI fielded candidates in six constituencies – Alandur, Ambur, Tiruchirappalli (West), Thiruvarur, Madurai, and Central Palayamkottai, all of which it lost by a large margin to DMK candidates. AIMIM fielded candidates in three constituencies- Vaniyambadi, Krishnagiri, and Sankarapuram, which it lost to DMK and AIADMK candidates. 

The Indian Union Muslim League in alliance with the DMK lost in all three contested constituencies – Kadaiyanallur, Vaniyambadi and Chidambaram.

“Aligning with Dravidian parties is an important factor to secure votes in Tamil Nadu elections. Though IUML allied with DMK, they contested under their independent symbol and not under DMK’s Rising Sun. In a land where Rising Sun and Two leaves are familiar, IUML probably failed in getting its symbol across or the message that it was in the DMK alliance. Perhaps there were other local factors too. However, the MMK (Manithaneya Makkal Katchi) contested under DMK’s rising Sun and won two seats,” Tamil Nadu-based journalist Kombai Anwar told The Cognate.

SDPI candidates Mohammed Thameem Ansari contested in Alandur, Umar Farook in Ambur, Abdullah Hassan Faizy in Tiruchirappalli (West) Naseema Banu in Thiruvarur, Sikkandar Batcha in Madurai, and Mohamed Mubarak in Palayamkottai. AIMIM candidates T.S. Vakeel Ahmed contested in Vaniyambadi, Ameenualla in Krishnagiri, and Mujibur Ragiman in Sankarapuram.

Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM and SDPI had sealed an alliance with TTV Dhinakaran’s Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) for the elections. Congress had joined hands with MK Stalin-led DMK and BJP with the AIADMK.

DMK secured the majority in the elections, with 159 seats, and AIADMK won 75 seats.

source: http://www.thecognate.com / The Cognate / Home> News / by Rushda Fatima Khan / May 04th, 2021

Dr. Salaam Musheer: An Institution-Builder And Beacon Of Light For Scores Of Social Workers

Amazing Feats, Community Involvement / Social Issues, COVID 19 - Fatalities, Education, Karnataka (under research project), Leaders, , , , , , , , , , ,

Bengaluru, KARNATAKA :

Dr. Salaam Musheer, noted social worker and former professor of the Bishop Cotton Women’s College in Bengaluru died Monday morning (May 3, 2021) after a short tenure in a hospital. He died of Covid. He was 68. He leaves behind his wife, two sons and a daughter.

An institution builder, Dr. Musheer set up ‘Buzurgon Ka Ghar’ (Home for the Aged) and ‘Apna Ghar’ (a home for the children) in Kolar almost thirty years ago. He also set up Millat group of institutions in Kolar which comprise a High School, a PU college and a Degree college. He founded “Ashiyana: The Home for Children”, in Lakshmi Layout on Bannerghatta Road in Bengaluru nearly 25 years ago. It is a facility patterned after SoS village where four to five kids are assigned to a female caretaker. The building of the Ashiyana Home was dedicated in the name of Janab Ibrahim Khalilullah Khan, a leading light of the Al-Ameen Educational Society. He also set up Muskan, a school meant to take care of children with special needs. It is located in Saraipalya, behind the Manyata Techpark in Bengaluru. He started a similar school (also named ‘Muskan’) in Kolkata nearly decade ago on the invitation of a philanthropist who dedicated four apartments for the purpose.

Musheer sahab hailed from Kolar, a town 70 kms east of Bengaluru. He did his B.Com from the Govt First Grade College in the small town and later added a post-graduate degree from Mysore University. He taught at the Al-Ameen Degree College for three years and later shifted to Bishop Cottons Women’s College which came up in the mid-1980s. He headed the Dept of Commerce for several years and retired from the College. He was later offered the Principal’s position at the Quwathul Islam Degree College which he served for nearly three years. During his tenure as a lecturer, he even earned a doctorate in Management Studies from the Annamalai University.

A man never to sit quiet, Dr. Musheer was deeply inspired by Christian missionaries and their social service organizations. He twice convened the All India Social Workers’ Conference. The first of these was held at the Al-Ameen Residential School in Hosakote while the second was held at Kolkata. During his college days, he conceived the idea of an Islami Baitulmal in Kolar and set up an institution that extended financial assistance to scores of deserving students. He was widely respected for his mentorship and took special care of Muslim girls in institutions where he served and guided them in studies, social etiquette, and careers.

A man alive to the contemporary needs of the society and ever in quest of modern methods of redressal, Dr. Musheer never shied of copying or emulating mores, manners, and institutional set-ups that appealed to him for their efficacy, humaneness, and transparency. ‘Buzurgon ka Ghar’ was a pioneering effort in that the Muslim community was not mentally prepared to have a dedicated facility for assisted living for the aged in those days. His efforts in this direction were initially criticized but later inspired several other social workers to set up such facilities in Bengaluru and elsewhere.

Only a day before dawn of the holy month of Ramazan, he convened a meeting of trustees of the Muskan where plans were chalked out to use the part of the facility (it has a space exceeding 12,000 sq. ft) for setting up a coaching centre for various competitive exams for Govt jobs. A month before that he drove us to Kolar where he had organized Abdur Raheem Memorial Lecture in order to commemorate the services of Kolar-based philanthropist and builder Janab Abdur Raheem, whose unstinted support enabled Musheer sahab in realizing several of his dream projects.

This writer had the privilege of travelling with him to Kolkata once and Berhampore and Murshidabad on another occasion where he held workshop to guide several social workers and institution builders in West Bengal.

A man with positive outlook and profound believer in action, Dr. Musheer would take upon himself the task of translating ideas into institutions if he determined that there was no other way of achieving the objective.

His death is a grievous loss for the community which is so deficient of role models. May his soul rest in peace! Ameen!

He was laid to rest the same afternoon in Kuddus Saheb Burial Ground in Jayamahal by mourners who gathered at a short notice.

source: http://www.thecognate.com / The Cognate / Home> Obituary / by M A Siraj / May 04th, 2021

Bengal Polls 2021: Lessons from Kashmir, prayer for Calcutta

Business & Economy, , ,

Kolkata, WEST BENGAL :

Meet two characters who are not voters in Bidhannagar but have their eyes on the May 2 results.

Irshad Reshi displays his ware at his BF Block shop / Debasmita Bhattacharjee

He does not vote in Calcutta. In fact his vote is thousands of miles away, in Kashmir, but he will be following the election result in Bengal with as much interest and anxiety as most voters of Bengal.

He is Salt Lake’s own Kashmiri shawlwallah, Irshad Reshi, who has made the township his home for 10 years now.

“I used to have a shop in BE Block. I found this place and opened here last November. The location is much more prominent,” says Reshi, the 52-year-old owner of a shop at Baisakhi crossing.

He has been coming to Salt Lake along with his two brothers since 1987. “We used to take turns in coming from November to March. But residents here kept suggesting that we have a permanent outlet here as they wanted our things in summer too. Else they had to travel all the way to New Market. So we took up a place and one of us would stay back,” he recalls. The shop, he says, is a favourite with non-resident Indians who buy winterwear before they fly back.

He stocks a variety of products — saris to salwar suits, coats and waistcoats. There are also bags with Kashmir’s typical ari work on faux leather, in three sizes, costing Rs 75, 200 and 300. Kashmiri mats called namda come for Rs 375. “Light semi-pashmina shawls sell the most. I keep cheap things too so that students who come for a look do not have to return empty-handed.”

He used to take part in Bidhannagar Mela since the start but stopped 10 years ago when the Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation took over its organisation and stall rates were hiked.

The past one year has been bad. “Sabon ka maar hai, iss maar mein main bhi hoon,” he sighs, adding that if business was worth 10 rupees earlier now it is down to two rupees.

After the lockdown was announced, he went home by a special train on May 27 and returned to Salt Lake in October. “The return was fruitless. People do not have cash to spare. Sector V is closed. Only government employees are buying a few things.”

That is why even in Chaitra, he did not acquire fresh stock. “I am still sitting on leftover stuff.”

The situation back home, where internet was shut for months together, is far more dismal. “There has been no business, no education since they abrogated Article 370. From August 2019 to February 2021, there has been no initiative. Internet (which was banned returned with 2G last March. Nothing can be done with 2G speed. And within a month, the lockdown started,” he recalls. Though 4G has been restored on paper this February, even now he says they were not getting 4G speed.

Bachchon ki taalim (children’s education) is what he is most worried about. He has two daughters, aged 24 and 16. With the entire education process running online in the rest of the country, one can imagine what internet restrictions mean.

His family has visited Calcutta earlier in winter when his daughters’ classes were off. “Yahan ka zubaan, rahan, sahan alag hai. But they liked it.”

Speak to him and Calcutta comes across as his paradise in the rest of India. “We have travelled a lot since militancy overtook Kashmir in 1989. We have never had any problem in Calcutta. Logon se pyar mila hai. Women also are safest in Kashmir and Calcutta.”

That is why he is keeping his fingers crossed for the election result in Bengal. “BJP aayega toh kharab hi hoga. Yeh jahan jatey hain, barbaad kar dete hain (It will be bad if BJP comes. Wherever they go, they mess up everything),” he sighs.

source: http://www.telegraphindia.com / The Telegraph Online / Home> West Bengal> Calcutta / by Sudeshna Banerjee, Salt Lake / April 30th, 2021

CPM candidate-Kolkata doctor, who conducts dialysis for Rs 50, is a 7-time plasma donor

Amazing Feats, Community Involvement / Social Issues, COVID 19 - Community of Soldiers, Leaders, Science & Technology, Useful / HEALTHCARE, , , , , ,

Kolkata, WEST BENGAL :

Fuad Halim, doctor & son of ex-Bengal Speaker Hashim Abdul Halim, had drawn attention last year for providing dialysis services to the poor during last year’s Covid lockdown.

Doctor and CPM candidate Fuad Halim has donated plasma seven times in the past seven months, since recovering from Covid in August last year | Twitter | @fuadhalim

Kolkata: 

A year ago, Dr Fuad Halim gained recognition and got appreciation for providing dialysis services to patients dependent upon it, at a time when the nation-wide Covid lockdown was making access to healthcare difficult for non-Covid patients.

He charges just Rs 50 for the procedure that usually costs anything between Rs 1,200 and Rs 2,000 at most hospitals. His patients, both Covid-positive and non-Covid, are mostly from the economically weaker sections of society.

The ‘Communist doctor’, who is a politician too and is also contesting the ongoing West Bengal assembly polls, is continuing the dialysis services at his small clinic near Park Street in south Kolkata.

In the last seven months, however, Halim has also helped Covid patients in a different way — by donating plasma multiple times.

Speaking to ThePrint, Halim said he had tested positive for Covid in July last year, and spent two weeks in a hospital ICU, battling for life. Having fully recovered in August, he donated plasma for the first time in September, said the doctor.

Plasma is a component of the human blood that carries antibodies, and it is believed that plasma therapy can be effective in Covid treatment if it is used after checking for neutralising antibodies. Plasma can be donated  within a gap of 15 days, and the donor can start giving plasma a month after recovering from Covid.

In the last seven months, Halim, 50, claims to have donated plasma seven times.

He is yet to get vaccinated against Covid — anyone who receives the dose cannot donate plasma for 28 days from the date of vaccination.

Son of late Hashim Abdul Halim, who had been Bengal’s longest serving legislative assembly Speaker, Fuad Halim is contesting the Bengal assembly polls as a candidate of the Sanjukta Morcha, an alliance of Congress, CPI(M) and new entrant Indian Secular Front, from south Kolkata’s Ballygunge constituency.

Halim wasn’t, however, seen holding big rallies. His campaign was more focussed on creating Covid awareness. The doctor-turned-politician claimed that his party opted for smaller rallies and concentrated on virtual campaigns.

‘Will continue donating plasma as long as health parameters permit’

“There are two aspects to my life — one of a politician and the other of a doctor. But there is an underlying similarity that bind the two. I became a politician to serve people and as a doctor I am medically trained to do certain specialised things for people. I will continue donating (Plasma) as long as my health parameters permit,” Halim told ThePrint.

According to Halim, an individual can donate plasma if the count of antibodies in the body match a certain level and his other medical parameters are complementary. “My antibody count is very high as of now. And I am still eligible for donation. I donated recently on Friday. I will need another 14 days to donate again, if my health parameters allow me to,” said the doctor-politician who donates his plasma at the Calcutta Medical College.

Plasma can be preserved for at least a year under ideal conditions and a packet of 500 ml plasma can save even two to three lives, he added.

Prasun Bhattacharya, head of Calcutta Medical College, said: “Dr Fuad Halim has donated plasma seven times, which is very rare and unique. Anybody with a high antibody count can donate plasma, but seven times is a very big number. He had very high number of antibody count, that is why we took his plasma. He has saved many lives.”

Dr Indranil Biswas, former medical superintendent and vice-principal of Calcutta Medical College, said, “It is difficult for anyone to donate plasma seven times. It depends on the immunoglobulin (antibody) a person has.”

Halim said he will go in for vaccination only when he is no longer able to donate plasma. “A second Covid wave has hit the country. People who were infected on and after 1 March, will only be eligible to donate from May. That is the protocol. Meanwhile, the need for plasma donors has skyrocketed. If I can save some lives, I will be happy to continue donating,” he added.

With a surge in Covid infections, his three-member team of doctors at his dialysis unit now first screen the patients for Covid. If anyone tests positive, they are admitted to MR Bangur Hospital, a government Covid-treatment facility. After two weeks of the detection of infection, his team starts with the patient’s dialysis.

Halim had contested the 2019 Lok Sabha polls from Diamond Harbour on a CPI(M) ticket. He finished a distant third with less than 1 lakh votes, while the winner, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee, got nearly 8 lakh votes.

(Edited by Poulomi Banerjee)

source: http://www.theprint.in / The Print / Home> India / by Madhuparna Das / April 28th, 2021

Meet Tabassum Ali, a single woman from Bihar riding a Bullet, piloting social work

Amazing Feats, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Leaders, , , , , ,

Patna, BIHAR :

Tabassum Ali with a CRPF team in Patna, Bihar

Forty-one-year old Tabassum Ali from Patna, Bihar is a single woman riding a Bullet motorcycle and works tirelessly for promotion of the rights of women in the state and country.

Patna:

On the morning of April 13, forty-one-year old social worker Tabassum Ali met with National Cadet Corps’s (NCC) group commander Brigadier Vinesh Rana at Patna, Bihar. Soon after, she had a meeting with Manish Mahiwal, a budding YouTuber, to discuss a play on the liberation of Bangladesh. Afterwards, she rushed to attend a civil society meeting to save India’s iconic Khuda Bakhsh Library in Patna from demolition. After the meeting, she came to meet a woman to discuss her legal case. 

While attending to this busy schedule, she missed a meeting at Biharsharif, some eighty kilometres south of Bihar’s capital Patna to discuss the location issue of the minority girls’ hostel. 

This is how a normal day goes for Tabassum Ali, one of the most visible faces in Patna.

Tabassum is single with no children. Her family include social workers and people she helps with her social work. She rides a 450 cc Bullet motorbike, with all the gears a bike racer would have – helmet, gloves, and boots etc. 

She wanted to be a commercial pilot and still nurtures that dream. 

During her interview with TwoCircles.net, Tabassum’s phone kept ringing. She was getting calls from CRPF asking her for some sort of support and calls for donating plasma for a Covid-19 patient. 

A few weeks ago, she attended a meeting of the Bihar Rabita Committee, an NGO working for the educational progress of the Muslim community in Patna. When its Secretary announced that Tabassum loves to ride her Bullet, every head moved towards her. But this doesn’t deter her. 

Social work and adventure are Tabassum’s two passions. Her love for social work started in New Delhi where she came to know about a minor rape victim who was being treated at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital. She recalls, “Ignorant of her trauma, the girl always smiled after meeting me. This made me weep and I resolved to work for such girls.” 

Her NGO ‘Make a New Life’ works for rape survivors.

Among many cases she has fought, one was a legal case for a newly-wed Muslim girl of Fatuha in Patna district. The girl was sent back to her home by her husband for no valid reason after only six days of marriage. It had come to fore that the girl’s husband was already married and his previous wife was alive. He had lied to the girl’s family that his wife was dead. The girl was divorced after a few months. Tabassum fought the case from Mahila Thana (police station meant for women) to the court. The girl’s Khala (mother’s sister) was known to Tabassum. This got Tabassum involved in the case and she succeeded in getting a compensation of Rs 9 lakhs for the victim. 

Tabassum talks about another case of an 8th standard girl who was raped but the “police were not registering a case against the accused.” It was only after Tabassum intervened that an FIR was registered and the accused was arrested. 

Tabassum’s ride on her Bullet for doing social work may seem smooth but she says the journey of her life has been bumpy. 

Born to a Muslim father and an Anglo-Indian mother in a remote town of Jhaha in Bihar, she studied in a Railway school till class 6. She was moved to a girl’s school after much persuasion to study till matriculation. 

“Unfortunately, I could not write the exams as the examination centre was away. Next time, I failed in one subject,” she said. 

Tabassum was finally able to pass the matriculation exams on her third attempt. 

To qualify for a commercial pilot course, she studied mathematics in her Intermediate and passed the examination of I.Sc but somehow could not qualify for the pilot course. 

Meanwhile, she got married. Her attempt to start a new life in the national capital New Delhi with her husband was short-lived. She soon separated from her husband. 

Being a single woman now, she worked as HR help and gave tuitions. Finally, she decided to move to Patna and reunited with her family with the help of some relatives. 

“I love adventure,” she said. 

She has travelled to 29 Indian states on a bicycle, covering nearly 12800 kilometres in 173 days, to create rights awareness among women. For two years, she has worked as a volunteer in AIIMS, New Delhi at its cancer centre for children. 

Satyanarayan Madan, a well-known social worker from Patna describes Tabassum as “one of the most fearless and dedicated social workers of Bihar.” 

source: http://www.twocircles.net / TwoCircles.net / Home> Lead Story / by Sami Ahmad, TwoCircles.net / April 30th, 2021

Kerala Polls 2021: New assembly to have 32 Muslim MLAs

Community Involvement / Social Issues, Leaders

KERALA :

As many as 15 Muslim MLAs elected to the Kerala house are from Indian Union Muslim League (IUML).

Thiruvananthapuram: 

The newly elected 140-member Kerala Assembly will have a total of 32 Muslim MLAs, according to the Election Commission data released after counting of votes Sunday.

As many as 15 Muslim MLAs elected to the Kerala house are from Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) . The IUML had fielded 25 candidates in the 2021 elections – 15 of them have got elected.

The IUML had in 2016 elections won 18 seats, and the assembly had a total of 29 Muslim MLAs.

Other Muslim MLAs elected to the Kerala assembly are 03 from Congress, 09 from the CPI-M, 03 Independents and 01each from Indian National League and National Secular Conference.

In Kerala, the ruling LDF led by CPI-M has retained the power in the state winning a total of 99 seats against 41 seats won by Congress-led UDF.

Party-wise, CPI-M has won 62 seats, CPI has won 17 seats.

On the other hand Congress has won 21seats, IUML has won 15 seats, the remaining seats won by smaller constituent.

List of Muslim MLAs in Kerala

Following is the complete list of Muslims MLAs in Kerala along with the constituencies they represent.

1. ALUVA – ANWAR SADATH (Congress)

2. AMBALAPUZHA – H.Salam (Communist Party of India (Marxist))

3. BEYPORE – Adv. P. A MOHAMED RIYAS (Communist Party of India (Marxist))

4. ERANAD – P.K. Basheer (Indian Union Muslim League)

5. ERAVIPURAM – M. Noushad (Communist Party of India (Marxist))

6. GURUVAYOOR – N.K.AKBAR (Communist Party of India (Marxist))

7. KALPETTA – Adv.T SIDDIQU (Indian National Congress)

8. KODUVALLY – DR. M.K MUNEER (Indian Union Muslim League)

9. KONDOTTY – T V IBRAHIM (Indian Union Muslim League)

10. KOTTAKKAL – PROF. ABID HUSSAIN THANGAL (Indian Union Muslim League)

11. KOZHIKODE SOUTH – AHAMMAD DEVARKOVIL (Indian National League)

12. KUNNAMANGALAM – ADV. P. T. A RAHIM (Independent)

13. KUNNAMKULAM – A.C.MOIDEEN (Communist Party of India (Marxist))

14. KUTTIADI – K P KUNHAMMED KUTTI MASTER (Communist Party of India (Marxist))

15. MALAPPURAM – P. UBAIDULLA (Indian Union Muslim League)

16. MANJERI – Adv. U.A. LATHEEF (Indian Union Muslim League)

17. MANJESHWAR – A K M ASHRAF (Indian Union Muslim League)

18. MANKADA – MANJALAMKUZHI ALI (Indian Union Muslim League)

19. MANNARKAD – ADVOCATE. N. SAMSUDHEEN (Indian Union Muslim League)

20. NILAMBUR – P.V. ANVAR (Independent)

21. PALAKKAD – SHAFI PARAMBIL (Indian National Congress)

22. PATTAMBI – Muhammed Muhassin (Communist Party of India)

23. PERINTHALMANNA – NAJEEB KANTHAPURAM (Indian Union Muslim League)

24. SHORNUR – P. MAMMIKUTTY (Communist Party of India (Marxist))

25. TANUR – V.ABDURAHIMAN (National Secular Conference)

26. THALASSERY – Adv. A. N. SHAMSEER (Communist Party of India (Marxist))

27. THAVANUR – DR.K.T.JALEEL (Independent)

28. TIRUR – KURUKKOLI MOIDEEN (Indian Union Muslim League)

29. TIRURANGADI – K P A MAJEED (Indian Union Muslim League)

30. VALLIKKUNNU – ABDUL HAMEED MASTER (Indian Union Muslim League)

31. KASARAGOD – Nellikkunnu Abdul Khader Mohammed Kunhi, known as N. A. Nellikkunnu (Indian Union Muslim League)

32. VENGARA – P.K KUNJHALIKUTTY (Indian Union Muslim League)

source: http://www.ummid.com / Ummid.com / Home> India / by ummid.com News Network / May 02nd, 2021

Assam Polls 2021: New assembly to have 31 Muslim MLAs

Community Involvement / Social Issues, Leaders

ASSAM :

As many as 15 Muslim MLAs elected to the Assam house are from All India Democratic Front (AIUDF)

Guwahati: 

The newly elected 126-member Assam Assembly will have a total of 31 Muslim MLAs, according to the Election Commission data released after counting of votes Sunday.

As many as 15 Muslim MLAs elected to the Assam house are from All India Democratic Front (AIUDF). AIUDF has won a total of 16 seats.

While 15 of the AIUDF candidates are Muslims, the 16th candidate is PHANIDHAR TALUKDAR who has won from the BHABANIPUR assembly seat.

The AIUDF had fielded 20 candidates in the 2021 elections – 16 of them have got elected. The AIUDF had in 2016 elections won 13 seats, and the assembly had a total of 30 Muslim MLAs.

“BJP to have 1 Muslim member”

Other Muslim MLAs elected to the Assam assembly are 15 from Congress and the remaining 01 from the Bharitya Janata Party (BJP). In the 2016 elections, 02 Muslims had won on BJP ticket.

Interestingly, the Congress has won a total of 29 seats – half of them are Muslims.

In Assam, the ruling NDA led by the BJP has retained the power in the state winning a total of 75 seats against 49 seats won by Congress-led UPA.

Party-wise, the BJP has won 59 seats, AGP has won 9 seats and UPPL has won 7 seats.

On the other hand Congress has won 30 seats, AIUDF has won 16 seats, the remaining seats won by smaller constituent.

List of Muslim MLAs in Assam

Following is the complete list of Muslims MLAs in Assam along with the constituencies they represent.

1. ALGAPUR – Nijam Uddin Choudhury (All India United Democratic Front)

2. BADARPUR – ABDUL AZIZ (All India United Democratic Front)

3. BAGHBAR – Sherman Ali Ahmed (Indian National Congress)

4. BARKHOLA – MISBAHUL ISLAM LASKAR (Indian National Congress)

5. BARPETA – ABDUR RAHIM AHMED (Indian National Congress)

6. BILASIPARA EAST – SAMSUL HUDA (All India United Democratic Front)

7. BILASIPARA WEST – HAFIZ BASHIR AHMED (All India United Democratic Front)

8. BOKAJAN – NUMAL MOMIN (Bharatiya Janata Party)

9. CHAYGAON – REKIBUDDIN AHMED (Indian National Congress)

10. CHENGA – ASHRAFUL HUSSAIN (All India United Democratic Front)

11. DALGAON – MAZIBUR RAHMAN (All India United Democratic Front)

12. DHING – Aminul Islam (All India United Democratic Front)

13. DHUBRI – NAZRUL HOQUE (All India United Democratic Front)

14. GAURIPUR – NIZANUR RAHMAN (All India United Democratic Front)

15. GOALPARA EAST – ABUL KALAM RASHEED ALAM (Indian National Congress)

16. GOALPARA WEST – ABDUR RASHID MANDAL (Indian National Congress)

17. GOLAKGANJ – ABDUS SOBAHAN ALI SARKAR (Indian National Congress)

18. HAILAKANDI – ZAKIR HUSSAIN LASKAR (All India United Democratic Front)

19. JALESWAR – Aftab Uddin Mollah (Indian National Congress)

20. JAMUNAMUKH – Siraj Uddin Ajmal (All India United Democratic Front)

21. JANIA – Rafiqul Islam (All India United Democratic Front)

22. KARIMGANJ SOUTH – SIDDEQUE AHMED (Indian National Congress)

23. KATIGORA – Khalil Uddin Mazumder (Indian National Congress)

24. KATLICHERRA – SUZAM UDDIN LASKAR (All India United Democratic Front)

25. LAHARIGHAT – DR. ASIF MOHAMMAD NAZAR (Indian National Congress)

26. MANKACHAR – MD. AMINUL ISLAM (All India United Democratic Front)

27. RUPOHIHAT – NURUL HUDA (Indian National Congress)

28. SALMARA SOUTH – WAZED ALI CHOUDHURY (Indian National Congress)

29. SAMAGURI – RAKIBUL HUSSAIN (Indian National Congress)

30. SARUKHETRI – JAKIR HUSSAIN SIKDAR (Indian National Congress)

31. SONAI – KARIM UDDIN BARBHUIYA (All India United Democratic Front)

source: http://www.ummid.com / Ummid.com / Home> India / by ummid.com News Network / May 03rd, 2021

WB Polls 2021: Humayun Kabir, 41 other Muslims elected to new assembly

Community Involvement / Social Issues, Leaders

WEST BENGAL :

Mamata had fielded a total of 42 Muslims and 41 of them have won the 2021 West Bengal elections.

Kolkata: 

The newly elected 292-member West Bengal Assembly will have a total of 42 Muslim MLAs, according to the Election Commission data released after counting of votes Sunday.

All but one Muslim MLAs elected to the West Bengal house are from All India Trimnamool Congress (TMC).

The lone Muslim MLA who does not belong to the TMC is Md. Nawsad Siddique who has won the West Bengal 2021 state polls on Rashtriya Secular Majlis Party (RSMP) ticket.

Among the winners is Humayun Kabir, the police commissioner of Chandannagar near Kolkata who had quit the police force and joined the politics few months before the election.

Kabir hit the media headlines after he ordered the arrest of three BJP workers for “Goli Maro…(shoot the traitors)” slogans raised at a roadshow in January 2021.

“None of the BJP MLAs a Muslim”

The Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) has won a total of 77 seats, none of them is a Muslim.

On the other hand, the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) has won a total of 213 seats and retained the power in the state for the 3rd consecutive term.

In a worst electoral show, Congress and CPI-M could not win a single seat.

Interestingly, Asaduddin Owaisi had fielded 05 candidates. None of them could withstand the Mamata Tsunami.

Abbas Siddiqui’s Indian Secular Front (ISF) could also not win a single seat though it had fielded candidates in 26 assembly constituencies.

On the flipside, the number of Muslim MLAs elected in the 2021 West Bengal elections are less than 2016 and 2011 state elections when their tally was 56 and 59 respectively.

But on the positive side, Mamata had fielded a total of 42 Muslims and 41 of them have won the 2021 West Bengal elections.

“List of Muslim MLAs in West Bengal”

Following is the complete list of Muslims MLAs in West Bengal along with the constituencies they represent.

1. Amdanga – RAFIQUR RAHAMAN (All India Trinamool Congress)

2. Baduria – ABDUR RAHIM QUAZI (All India Trinamool Congress)

3. Basirhat Uttar – RAFIKUL ISLAM MONDAL (All India Trinamool Congress)

4. Beldanga – HASANUZZAMAN SK (All India Trinamool Congress)

5. Bhagabangola – IDRIS ALI (All India Trinamool Congress)

6. Bhangar – MD. NAWSAD SIDDIQUE (Rashtriya Secular Majlis Party)

7. Bharatpur – HUMAYUN KABIR (All India Trinamool Congress)

8. Canning Purba – SAOKAT MOLLA (All India Trinamool Congress)

9. Chakulia – AZAD MINHAJUL ARFIN (All India Trinamool Congress)

10. Chapra – RUKBANUR RAHMAN (All India Trinamool Congress)

11. Chopra – HAMIDUL RAHAMAN (All India Trinamool Congress)

12. Debra – HUMAYUN KABIR (All India Trinamool Congress)

13. Deganga – RAHIMA MONDAL (All India Trinamool Congress)

14. Domkal – JAFIKUL ISLAM (All India Trinamool Congress)

15. Farakka – MANIRUL ISLAM (All India Trinamool Congress)

16. Goalpokhar – MD. GHULAM RABBANI (All India Trinamool Congress)

17. Hariharpara – NIAMOT SHEIKH (All India Trinamool Congress)

18. Harischandrapur – TAJMUL HOSSAIN (All India Trinamool Congress)

19. Haroa – ISLAM SK NURUL (HAJI) (All India Trinamool Congress)

20. Islampur – ABDUL KARIM CHOWDHARY (All India Trinamool Congress)

21. Itahar – MOSARAF HUSSEN (All India Trinamool Congress)

22. Jalangi – ABDUR RAZZAK (All India Trinamool Congress)

23. Kaliganj – NASIRUDDIN AHAMED (LAL) (All India Trinamool Congress)

24. Kasba – AHMED JAVED KHAN (All India Trinamool Congress)

25. Ketugram – Sekh Sahonawez (All India Trinamool Congress)

26. Kolkata Port – Firhad Hakim (All India Trinamool Congress)

27. Kumarganj – TORAF HOSSAIN MANDAL (All India Trinamool Congress)

28. Lalgola – ALI MOHAMMAD (All India Trinamool Congress)

29. Magrahat Paschim – GIAS UDDIN MOLLA (All India Trinamool Congress)

30. Malatipur – ABDUR RAHIM BOXI (All India Trinamool Congress)

31. Metiaburuz – ABDUL KHALEQUE MOLLA (All India Trinamool Congress)

32. Monteswar – CHOWDHURY SIDDIQULLAH (All India Trinamool Congress)

33. Mothabari – YEASMIN SABINA (All India Trinamool Congress)

34. Murarai – DR MOSARRAF HOSSAIN (All India Trinamool Congress)

35. Nakashipara – Kallol Khan (All India Trinamool Congress)

36. Naoda – SAHINA MOMTAZ KHAN (All India Trinamool Congress

37. Panskura Paschim – PHIROJA BIBI (All India Trinamool Congress)

38. Raghunath Ganj – Akhruzzaman (All India Trinamool Congress)

39. Raninagar – ABDUL SOUMIK HOSSAIN (All India Trinamool Congress)

40. Rejinagar – RABIUL ALAM CHOWDHURY (All India Trinamool Congress)

41. Sonarpur Uttar – FIRDOUSI BEGUM (All India Trinamool Congress)

42. Sujapur – Md Abdul Ghani (All India Trinamool Congress)

source: http://www.ummid.com / Ummid.com / Home> India / by ummid.com News Network / May 03rd, 2021