Hindustan aur Kuwait (Tarīkhī, Ilmì aur Thaqafatī Rishte’ by Dr Abdul Qadir Shams launched in Delhi.
New Delhi:
Hindustan aur Kuwait (Tarīkhī, Ilmì aur Thaqafatī Rishte) i.e. India and Kuwait: Historical, Academic and Cultural Relations in Urdu, a book crafted out of the doctoral thesis of late Dr Abdul Qadir Shams Qasmi (1972-2020) originally titled ‘Ulūm-e-Islamī ki Tahqīq-o-Isha’at mein Wazārat-e-Auqaf Kuwait ka Kirdar by Mohammad Khalid Azmi (residing in Kuwait) was launched at Hotel River View, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi on Saturday, 25 February, 2023. The launch programme witnessed a good number of participants from media, academia and other spheres.
The participatns appreciated Khalid Azmi for his timely efforts to turn the thesis into a book with helpful additions to focus on the bilateral role of India and Kuwait in the academic and cultural domains.
The event was presided over by Prof Akhtarul Wasey, Islamic scholar and former president of Maulana Azad University, Jodhpur. Academics and media persons including Dr Raziul Islam Nadwi, Professor Iqtidar Mohammad Khan, Maulana Asghar Ali Imam Mehdi Salafi, Dr Waris Mazhari, Dr Khalid Mubashshir, Dr Mohammad Ajmal, Suhail Anjum, Siraj Naqvi shared their views.
Dr Shahabuddin Saqib Qasmi, senior sub-editor, Urdu daily Inquilab, conducted the event, organised by Qari Zafar Iqbal Madni of Jamiatul Qasim Darul Uloom -il Islamia, Supaul, Bihar.
Mufti Mohammad Ansar Qasmi of Jamiatul Qasim presented vote of thanks.
It should be noted that author and senior journalist, Dr Abdul Qadir Shams Qasmi, had died of cardiac arrest on 25 August, 2020, during Covid-19.
source: http://www.muslimmirror.com / Muslim Mirror / Home> Books / by Manzar Imam / February 27th, 2023
Among the plethora of machines there, decades-old radio sets stand out in the store, which is one of the few places today where ‘old tech’ can be fixed.
Hyderabad:
The once ubiquitous radio, has been replaced today with modern tech advancements in all practicality. Podcasts and Youtube videos have essentially changed how the world consumes information, be it news, movies, entertainment, or just plain simple music.
Gone are the days when one would find someone to fix radios, TV sets, or even tape recorders, given that our smartphones have literally replaced most all those devices. In such a modern world, there is however still one place in Hyderabad that is stuck in time, where radios from bygone eras, and from around the world, are still sent for repairs.
Welcome to Mahboob Radio Service, a place where one can get a glimpse into the past, when tube TV sets, tape recorders, radios, transistors, etc were the norm. Among the plethora of machines there, decades-old radio sets stand out in the store, which is one of the few places today where ‘old tech’ can be fixed.
“We have been fixing radios here from over five decades. Me and my elder brother Mujeebuddin learnt it from our father Shaik Mahboob, who first began selling radios which he used to bring from Bombay,” said Mohd. Moinuddin (70), while sitting and tinkering at an old radio set.
The story of this old store in fact goes way before 1948, when the erstwhile state of Hyderabad was run by its last Nizam, Osman Ali Khan. Shaik Mahboob was in fact selling PVC pipes which he would import from Bombay. One fine day he brought back with him a radio, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Mohd. Moinuddin, the younger sibling from Mahboob Radio Service, holding a valve from an antique radio. (Photo: Yunus Y. Lasania)
“After he brought back the radio with him and sold it, he got a few more pieces. Then he began learning how to fix those radios. In those times, you could only listen to the few channels that were there. Earlier, whenever we would turn on the radio, everyone would gather around to listen,” recalled Mr. Moinuddin.
In Mahboob Radio Service, one can find all sorts of radios, be it a Phillips, Murphy, GEC, Johnson, Marconi, Telefunken, or any other well-known company one can think of from decades ago. “We have one from America as well, which is over 80 years old,” recalled Mr Moinuddin.
The internals of one of the many radios in Mahboob Radio Service.Photo: Yunus Y. Lasania
Origins
Mahboob Radio Service in fact was set up in 1948, the same year when the erstwhile princely state of Hyderabad was annexed to India on September 17. However, even before that, Shaik Mahboob was already fixing radios at Dabeerpura. He eventually shifted to Chatta Bazar at the shop’s current location, where it stands out amidst scores of printing presses.
Understanding the importance of his job, Mr Moinuddin has also stocked up on spares and old radio sets, many of which he uses for parts. “Valve radios stopped manufacturing by the 1970s itself. After that, things kept changing,” Mr Moinuddin reminisced.
A picture of Shaik Mahboob (beside clock), the founder of Mahboob Radio Service.Photo: Yunus Y. Lasania
More importantly, he pointed out that unlike devices today, which contain a motherboard, radios can be repaired over and over again. “Today, you can’t really fix motherboards easily, and once it is spoilt, it has to be entirely replaced. In old radios, you can keep replacing parts, and those will work forever,” said Mr Moinuddin, with a bit of laughter.
Unlike today, where tech has become cheaper to own, owning radios was only for the elite. What was even peculiar, or perhaps funnier, was that repairmen like Mr Moinuddin and his father had literally no say in their remuneration.
Maze of radios: A view of Mahboob Radio Service from its entrance. Photo: Yunus Y. Lasania
Ask him about it, and he narrates tales from years ago, when some Nawab or the other would call him to fix a radio. Among that elite section was also the last Nizam of Hyderabad, Mir Osman Ali Khan, who was among one of the many customers of Mahboob Radio Service.
“Oh, in those times, they (Nawabs) would give us their radios to fix. Once it was done, we had to actually go all the way to their home, operate the radio and show them that it was working. They used to pay us anything they liked, say Rs.20 or Rs.30. No one could dare ask for a price!” recalled Mr. Moinuddin.
Today however, the situation is quite in contrast, wherein people from different cities and even other countries come to get their radios fixed.
source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> Featured News / by Yunus Lasania / March 16th, 2022
Abu Sufiyan at Jaipur Lit Festival (Source: Instagram)
Abu Sufyan was in the final year of his engineering course at a Chandigarh college when, one day, his mother called him. This call did make him realise the value of the quintessential Begmaati Zabaan (colloquial dialect) her mother used.
It changed his perspective on life and pulled him out of his mental depression. A decade later, sitting in a Café close to Jama Masjid in Old Delhi, Abu Sufiyan recalls his life-changing moment. “I hardly visited home those days, I was lying aimlessly on my hostel bed, my mother called me up to enquire about my returning home and I told her, “I am not coming.” “She started reprimanding me in her Lahja (colloquial style)… I had this habit of recording her calls as it was too much listening to all the wrongs I had done…”
When he listened to his mother’s recorded call later, he laughed out loud; “her dialogues and dialect were innocent and filled with wit, sarcasm, and humour.”, he adds. Sufiyan says, “that became my Eureka moment.”
He decided to create a page on social media to document the Begmaati Zabaan. Explaining the Begmaati Zabaan, this 31-year-old social media entrepreneur says, “in this dialect, the sarcastic remarks are never made directly. For example, if a person has to say ‘we must congratulate the family for the birth of a baby by presenting gifts’ they’ll say “500 rupaye ka money-order aa ri aaye..” and so on…”
His Purani Dilli Waloan Ki Batein page on Facebook has since turned into a Socio-Economic-Cultural community, with more than 105k followers. Sufiyan initially posted the conversations between his mother and aunts via different characters like #khabtikhala #aminkiphuppo and so on. He also took up various societal issues disguised as humour on the page. Even to his disbelieve the audience on social media liked it and he received good response
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“It played like nostalgia and many renowned faces soon joined the list of followers and it has grown since then. I was shocked as it became an instant hit and soon at dinner time around 9 pm the page received instant likes and comments.” Sufiyan says that he had no idea of developing the PDWKB page in a full-fledged community. “It was just for fun and to break the mental loop…”
No sooner than the hashtags #mobango #khalakhabti #tumharekhalu #winkiphuppo #tumharibaji #tumharidulhan #lafangaparinda started picking up, and these characters started becoming more defined. Sufiyan says, “I made Sadiya Saeed, Anas Faizi and others the co-admin of the page; some comments on the posts were going viral…the characters that earlier were managed solely by Sufiyan now had different managers, soon they developed into animated characters that today are known as avatars…”
Aye muhaav Te par raen.. jaldi se kapde la chhat pe se… Sab bheeg jayenge.. tujh se kehti hun teym se utaar laya kar nasoomdi.. hath se mobaail hi ni chhooTta… Paya ni kis se baatein milayi reti he sara din.. amma ko moo ni lagati.. ek ek jawab ghante bhar mein deti he.. Allah khair kare ab thand zor pakad legi… Angeethi jala ke liya aaj to dekhiyo.. Mere se uttha ni jata.. bas kya karein aulad ke rehm o karam par guzregi zindegi.. jo khila diya kha liya.. jaisa kiya usi mein sabar.. wakhat se bewakhat chai milti hai… haaye bas kuch kehne ka ijaara ni riya ab… Moo ko aate hain sab… Allah kisi ki bana ke na bigaade…
Today, Abu Sufiyan is involved in conducting heritage walks, dastan goi (Storytelling), book reading sessions, and food walks related to Old Delhi. He also runs a tech company. Sufiyan hails from an Old Delhi family with a Mughal and Sufi lineage and says that his ancestors had a haveli near Old Delhi. “During partition, times were very tough yet they stayed in the interiors as it was very safe even back then..”. soon after the partition the Haveli near Suivaran, Chandini Mahal, was bought by my grandfather…”
“Our old haveli had two floors where the first floor belonged to my maternal household and the ground floor to my paternal household. They were friends and my nana was in the income tax department and they belonged to Agra. My mother was beautiful and dad was handsome and they were compared to Reena Roy and Rakesh Roshan…” The love between the parents blossomed and soon the marriage happened after a lot of resistance from Sufyan’s would be aunts, whose impact can be seen and felt on his page PDWKB, “Both my parents were very educated but my mother was more educated in comparison to other women of her times and used to wear jeans in the 1980s…thus Daddy’s sisters were a bit skeptical but Daddy was adamant…”
A screengrab from PDWKB’s Instagram page
Sufiyan says that his great-grandfather was a magnanimous human who welcomed many with an open heart and had rented space at his haveli. Sufiyan’s father was a technician and taught electronics to the retired army and navy officers at the Delhi engineering College and later opened a television shop in Daryaganj. Back then it was a new technology and therefore technicians like his father were much sought after, “All his students got the sets repaired by him as he was the only mechanic in Delhi…”
Young Sufiyan with his parents and sisters
Sufiyan says during the early ‘80s there was no driving force that emphasized education and also the families around him had no educational background but they were brought up in a protective and educational environment.
“It was my father’s wish to make his children erudite. I was just allowed to visit the coaching institute, a family from Lucknow and our English teacher Geetanjali Mam, rest the Maulana used to visit the home to teach Arabic and Urdu…” Sufiyan sat in his father’s television shop after school. “Cricket matches and television go hand in hand in sync with my interest in electronics… I used to repair TV, and remotes, and soon I was selling TV sets in my father’s absence.” Sufiyan says that it was APJ Abdu Kalam who inspired him to pursue Engineering. “when I was in the 12th standard, APJ Abdul Kalam visited our Anglo-Arabic School. My question was among the top five questions selected and I attended a one-to-one session with President Kalam.”
President Kalam later told my father, who was among the parents assembled in the school, that he should allow me to study further. After completing his engineering In 2015, Abu Sufiyan started an e-commerce company. He along with 3 more partners launched an e-commerce website Godkonnect.com, which primarily focussed on selling artefacts of all religions. The site was shut down later. He then joined Paytm as a Data Analyst and was later, got promoted to Team Lead – Revenue Assurance at Paytm Marketplace. After dabbling with firms like Cognizant and Google he gave up the 9 to 5 job and started working as a freelancer.
He says, “I was working 24 by 7 but my passion for PDWKB overruled everything else…” Three years later, he quit his job and closed down his ventures and got interested in PDWKB on a full-time basis. In August he decided to create a trust named “Tareekh, Arts and Culture Trust ” to manage PDWKB. A year later his business was getting had started getting the attention of big clients like Gaurang Shah – an award-winning designer based in Chennai, who specializes in Jamdani weaves for Sarees and outfits, Sahitya Kala Parishad, art culture and language department of the Delhi Government thus Sufiyan took the big leap and established a separate business under his proprietorship “Tech Charmers” to manage the Digital Marketing Projects, Web & App Development, and Virtual Reality Projects.
Sufiyan was visiting a monument and there by chance he participated in a heritage walk, “the guide had no idea about the importance of the place and his vision of Old Delhi was flimsy, this made me sad and I decided to take up the initiative of organizing the heritage walks…” In March 2016, the venture PDWKB organized its first heritage walk, “We wanted people to know the real culture of Shahjahanabad and feel connected to the Old Delhi, thus our very first themed cultural walk started from the Turkmen Gate to Church to Qala Masjid to Razia Sultan Mazhar to Pahadi Imli’s old library to Changezi Bazaar and finally we ended at the rooftop of Pahadi Imli…all the while we made them savour the iconic dishes of Old Delhi…”
A scene as captured by the page of PDWKB
He feels that this narrative of his has helped in spreading a positive note about Old Delhi, “From Asar Ud Sanadid (narrating the events of 1857) to Twilight in Delhi (narrating 1947) to Mayank Austen Soofi’s first-hand account in the year 2001 and then PDWKB is a first-hand account of Old Delhi since 2014…”
Sufiyan feels that he has been the early technology adapter and that his initiative was one of the early pages that adapted and tested the technology in real-time, “We started the concept of storytelling through pictures in 2014, short videos and avatars were a rage even back then…”
Winding up he says, “PDWB is a socio-cultural community and the first-hand witness accounts of old Delhi mood, it isn’t influenced by anyone, it is the voice of people when people need it…” Looking forward he says, “It is a community voice and it’ll always be there and I wish to retrieve the food culture of Old Delhi like mutanjan, shab gosht, Haleem, and various kinds of Sharbats (sweet drinks), etc.”
His page played a major role in maintaining the Ganga-Jamuna tehzeeb during the 2018 temple brawl in Old Delhi, “We circulated three fact-checking videos when there was a hint of disharmony in Old Delhi and by God’s grace we were able to control the situation…such is the power of community vis-a-vis social media…” Sufiyan assisted Rana Safvi in her research for her book Shahjahanabad.
source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home / by Shaista Fatima , New Delhi / February 22nd, 2023
The National Barista Championship in Bengaluru featured 60 baristas from across India and from some of the best coffee houses in the industry and home brewers.
This past week was abuzz with caffeine-induced energy at the 21st National Barista Championship 2023, held between February 14 to 19 at the Orion Mall in Rajajinagar, Bengaluru.
Jaseem Abbas, a home brewer who goes by his handle @ninedotcoffee on Instagram, was crowned the winner, and in June, he will travel to Athens to represent India at the World Barista Championship 2023.
“This used to be a very subtle, small event where we did not have coffee traders, cafe owners, or even equipment manufacturers participate. So, we made it bigger by allowing brands to exhibit their products and expose Indian coffee to the audience,” D. M. Purnesh, President of the Speciality Coffee Association of India, revealed to YS Life.
Jaseem Abbas, Winner of the National Barista Championship 2023
A stroll through the exhibition section will give one insight into how big the event has become. From coffee estates and bean roasters, to cafe owners, and equipment makers, every stage of the coffee bean’s journey is represented.
Attendees could mingle with industry leaders, sample exquisite coffee blends, learn about coffee preparations, equipment and techniques, and enjoy live music and entertainment.
The National Barista Championship featured 60 baristas from across India—some of the best coffee houses in the industry and home brewers who competed for the title of the National Barista Champion. The jury members included certified Q Graders (professionals skilled in the sensory evaluation of coffee), technical judges, and a World Barista Championship Committee-recognised head judge.
The technical judges look at what the barista does behind the counter—station management, skill with the espresso machine, the tamping, coffee extraction times, etc. The sensory judges (Q Graders) evaluate the ‘crema’ of the espresso, the aromas of the beverages, harmony and balance in the taste, the temperature and tactile experience while sipping the beverage, and the functionality of the vessel.
“The barista will tell us how their beverage is supposed to taste. We listen to them for the accuracy of their descriptors too,” explained Mandappa, Divisional Head (Coffee Quality) at the Coffee Board, a certified Q Grader and one of the sensory judges at the championship.
At the National Barista Championship 2023 in Bengaluru
Each barista serves three beverages—first, an espresso, second, an espresso-based milk beverage, third, an espresso-based signature beverage.
“We’re not looking at Latte art here. We’re looking at sheen, synergy, and contrast between the milk and coffee when judging visuals. When we take a sip of the beverage, we see how the espresso is in harmony with the milk,” Mandappa added. The current edition of the rules allows for only cow’s milk, but future editions will allow branded plant-based milk alternatives.
The signature beverage gives baristas the liberty to come up with their own concoctions, as long as the base remains a shot of espresso. “My coffee had pineapple, green grape, mulberry, black tea, Demerara sugar syrup, strawberry syrup, and butter, which I had melted with coffee,” said Suhas Dwarakanath, Owner at Benki Brewing Tools, and one of the contestants.
“These ingredients played with the flavour of the espresso and brought out completely new flavours, like how mixing red with yellow gives us another colour. In the end, my coffee had notes of muskmelon, papaya, salted caramel, and a black tea finish,” he described.
Winner Abbas’ Nitrogen Oxide-infused signature brew had notes of sweet lime, jasmine, orange candy, and sweet papaya. “I used coffee from Tat Tvam Asi Estate as it was one of the most organic and naturally-processed coffees I could find,” he said. “The pressure is intense; there’s no room for error. No sudden movements, no spillage. It’s a beautiful situation to be in. The perfect balance of pressure and cannot be experienced unless one goes up on stage,” Abbas added.
Speciality coffee and Bengaluru have a symbiotic relationship. Karnataka is one of the largest coffee-growing regions in India. The city has a growing cosmopolitan population with the awareness, time, and willingness to experiment with new flavours.
Speak to any brewer or barista, and they’ll have the same things to say: Coffee is not just bitter. One can notice sweetness, florals, fruitiness, and a pleasant bitterness that makes it beautiful and interesting. It’s like tasting a fine wine or a scotch whiskey.
“Coffee can change completely profile-wise with different types of roasting (light, medium, or dark), grind sizes, and brewing equipment. In fact, I came across a variety of cups that allows the coffee to aerate, allowing for more flavour to come out,” said Purnesh.
According to Dwarakanath, one of the challenges in making speciality coffee mainstream is shifting consumers away from the chicory-infused, sugary filter coffees Bengaluru is used to.
“Speciality coffee doesn’t have to be overwhelming. I understand it’s more expensive, but selling smaller portions so they’re affordable is something we do at the Benki cafés. We don’t sell anything above Rs 150, and we use the same premium coffee I used in the competition today,” he added.
Mandappa staunchly believes in drinking what one enjoys while taking the time out to experiment with new food and drinks to develop a refined palate. “It’s always good to experiment and see how a different ingredient tastes, maybe a berry or an exotic fruit,” he said.
“When one is starting, make descriptions easier for yourself and look at basic nuances like sweetness and bitterness (favourable bitterness like bitter gourd, dark chocolate, and stout beer; and unfavourable bitterness like astringent and burnt). The common consumer should first look for a balanced coffee,” added Dwarakanath.
Coffee journeys often start with the quintessential bottle of Nescafe’s instant coffee powder. Speciality coffee, however, works differently.
Right from the quality of the soil and the manure fed to it to the skill of the barista pouring out your drink—each step is crucial in brewing a good cup of coffee.
“It’s about appreciating the journey of the coffee bean. It’s a chain reaction. The farmers, the roasters, the barista—there are hundreds of steps before it reaches your cup,” said Abbas.
“A coffee planter’s job is 365 days, round-the-clock work,” added Purnesh. “We nurture plants through the year for a single crop. The last few years have seen climate change, and the current challenge is adjusting to changing patterns of rain,” he added.
Many coffee planters have developed multi-cropping systems by growing pepper, areca nut, cardamom, avocados, and assorted fruits and vegetables. This keeps a steady flow of income and adds nuances to the flavour of the coffee.
The Speciality Coffee Association of India was set up by passionate coffee planters who wanted to put India’s coffee on the world coffee map. “Everything happens with the support of the Coffee Board, controlled and funded by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India. They help us promote coffee in India and the world market. They are one of the main sponsors and supporters of the National Barista Championship,” said Purnesh.
With the close of the 2023 edition of the championship, Abbas is looking forward to his competition in Athens this June. “I’d like to thank my roaster, who introduced me to the coffee I used for the championship. And, since I’m representing India, I want to represent India’s coffee on the world stage. I’ll be going up against the best of the best,” he added.
source: http://www.yourstory.com / YourStory.com – YS Life / Home> Events / by Arjun Mehta / edited by Suman Singh / February 22nd, 2023
Achan Village (Pulwama District), JAMMU & KASHMIR:
Srinagar :
J & K Innovative Foundation for Transforming Society(JKIFTS) on Wednesday awarded a Certificate of Appreciation to Faheem Ul Islam, a young Kashmiri author for authoring book titled “Beyond The Boundaries”.
Appreciating the efforts of young author, Chairman JKIFTS Dr Tasaduk Hussain Itoo said that Faheem is an inspiration to youth and a great public speaker besides an author.
Hailing from Achan village of Pulwama district, Faheem Ul Islam is presently pursuing his bachelor’s (Hons) in political sciences at Aligarh Muslim University.
He has authored the Book “The Midnight Silence” in 2020 and for that Faheem was also awarded.
Pertinent to mention Faheem’s second book titled “Beyond The Boundries” was released recently on International Mother Languages Day in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh in the auspicious presence of dignitaries including Padma Shri Awardee, Professor Hakim Zillur Rahman, Former Treasurer Aligarh Muslim University.
source: http://www.risingkashmir.com / Rising Kashmir / Home / February 24th, 2022
Later, he also visited Sira town in Tumakuru district and distributed Saudi Riyal 500 and other essential items to 26 pilgrims.
Congress MLA Zameer Ahmed Khan. (File Photo)
Bengaluru :
Chamarajpet Congress MLA BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan on Saturday arranged Umrah (an Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca) for 16 Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) workers at Jagjivan Ram Nagar ward office and distributed Saudi Riyal 500 (Rs 11,097) to each of them.
Taking to Twitter, the MLA said that a pilgrimage send-off programme was organised in his constituency during which he distributed the money and also other Umrah essentials to the workers. Later, he also visited Sira town in Tumakuru district and distributed Saudi Riyal 500 and other essential items to 26 pilgrims.
Meanwhile, the BJP hit out at the MLA saying he was indulging in such activities only to attract voters ahead of the Assembly elections. They have also demanded that the police file a suo motu case immediately and take necessary action.
K Somashekhar, state president, ASHA Workers Association, said that he was not aware of the programme organised by the Congress leader. The MLA was not available for a comment.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Express News Service / February 27th, 2023
Institute of Objective Studies, New Delhi, organised a two-day National Conference on “Indian Muslims and Plural Society” in hybrid mode from February 15 – 16.
Inaugural session
The inaugural session commenced with Prof Haseena Hashia, Assistant Secretary General, IOS, welcoming the guests and participants.
Prof M.H Qureshi, an eminent Geographer, talked about India witnessing numerous migrations over the last several centuries. “We have Nordics, Mediterranean, and Mongols—people from Central Asia, Persia and even Arabs who arrived in India through its southern-western coastal region. Therefore, India has immense diversity, he said.
He said that the Arabs came to the Kerala coast and brought many traditions that became part and parcel of India.
Professor Mehrajuddin Mir, former Vice-Chancellor of the Central University of Kashmir, said that the concept of pluralism was how to live together, tolerate others’ thoughts and ideas, and even understand opponents’ miseries for solutions to live in diversity. All religions have various sects, and thus, their practices differ. The conflicts are, therefore, intra-religious, interreligious and social, he noted.
Professor Mir quoted Indian Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh, who recently spoke about how one Imam and one Pundit shaped his career to understand brotherhood and oneness.
Professor Akhtarul Wasey, former President, Maulana Azad University, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, in his presidential address, said that Muslims came to India as traders and invaders. But once they came here, they delved into the culture and traditions of India and became one who enriched the nation to encourage pluralism. Muslims have contributed to India’s prosperity.
He said that how Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam became a global personality of Indian origin—a Muslim. The country couldn’t think of its missile programme without his theoretical contributions, he said.
Technical Session I
The 1st Technical Session began with the theme, “Genesis of Pluralism in India.” Professor Arshi Khan, Department of Political Science, AMU, Aligarh, as Moderator & Chairperson.
Dr. Ram Puniyani, Human Rights Activist and Writer, said, “There is a misconception in the country, especially against Muslims.” The alliance of civilizations defines plurality. Religions don’t have any nationality. They are universal. The Kings in India, whether Muslim or Hindu, ruled the nation for centuries with people of different faiths as their core governance teams. There was nothing like Muslim Kings or Hindu kings then, he explained.
He observed that calling Indian cultures as Hindu is a bigoted idea. Leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru, Mahatma Gandhi and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad brought secular spirits into the country. We have Sufi and Bhakti traditions that describe the morality of religions and humanity in India.
Professor Mohammad Sohrab, MMA Jauhar Academy of International Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, described pluralism as a definition both from a conceptual and theoretical perspective. Primarily a religious and moral philosophy, pluralism was the acceptance of diversity. It is more than tolerance of differences. The conception of ‘We’ was essential to assess pluralism through organic social bonding. Pluralism in the Islamic context of acceptance and the country’s scenario today should be understood in the context of how the nation’s spirit developed in Madinah during the time of the Prophet, he elaborated.
He said that pluralism demands that your neighbour be considered an asset, not a liability. Diversity with pluralism creates resilience, but diversity without pluralism brings disaster, he concluded.
Gurtej Singh, IAS, Chandigarh, spoke about how India’s constitutional and political federalism paved the way for the constitution. The atrocities against Sikhs and their resistance were part of history, he said. The examples of pluralism can be understood from the Guru Granth of Sikh religion.
His book Sikh and Indian Civilization sheds light on how Sikhs were projected during partition.
Sanjay K. Rai, a social activist from Lucknow, mentioned that “diversity doesn’t accept dictators.” He highlighted the importance of multicultural societies. Linguistic Pluralism was the need of the hour in today’s context. Societies with pluralism also impact by technological growth. Communities can’t be defined through one particular race or culture. He felt that there can’t be nation-building and growth without taking Muslims along who constitute 15-20% population in India. The One Nation, One Culture concept can only work in some countries. One can’t find books on Hitler in Germany today. Mussolini’s home has been destroyed in his country as people don’t want him to be remembered. It symbolizes how those going against pluralism perish from the leaflets of history, he concluded.
Mr. Gurdeep Singh, a Sikh leader from Bhatinda, Punjab, stressed that it was high time to focus on the future, in view of the experiences of the past and present to grow in a plural society. Mistakes could be there in the past, but remembering those only won’t solve the purpose. It will hinder progress. He warned that today’s rulers in India were breaking the very ascent of Indian culture and unity.
He said that when Kashmiri Muslims are tortured, others in the country feel their pain.
Dr. Lubna Naaz from the Department of Islamic Studies, Women’s College, AMU, spoke on “An Islamic Perspective on Peaceful Coexistence.”
Technical Session-II
Focused on the theme, Role of Islam to Strengthen Pluralism in India, the Technical Session II started under the Chairperson, Professor M. Ishaque from the Department of Islamic Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia.
Maulana Abdul Hameed Nomani, Former General Secretary, All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat, Delhi, highlighted that two things are required to be properly understood: the Creator, and the Creator’s motive. He said that Sufis always made one feel the independence to think and lead life. Islam always propagates the rights of neighbours, relatives and much more. Sufi Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti wore similar dresses like Indian Sadhus to ascertain people of his time, irrespective of their religious faiths, connected with him.
He said that Swami Dayanand and Raja Ram Mohan Roy kept Hindu philosophy out of their movements but promoted social reforms in the societies applicable to all faiths for social betterment. “Faith is vital, like Allah’s mercy, unlike social practices that change with time,” he said. India’s beauty was in its diversity of religious thoughts. In pre-Islam Arab tribes kept fighting for generations on a single issue of their forefathers, but the scenario has changed. Islam accepts variety in pluralism, from religious to traditional to social practices. Islam as a religion must not change its basic principles. It is a Sanatan religion with firm principles, he concluded.
Prof Faheem Akhtar Nadvi, Head of the Department of Islamic Studies, MANUU, Hyderabad, emphasized that the role of Islam in strengthening pluralism in India is vital. Pluralism is a society where people of all religions reside and respect each other. India is one of the best examples where pluralism has stayed for centuries. He emphasized that India will grow only when pluralism is projected in practice.
To be Continued..
source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> Featured News / by News Desk (headline edited) / February 25th, 2023
American Specialty Foods Co, on February 19 celebrated its 10th anniversary in Dubai with Valerie Brown, Regional Agricultural Counselor at USDA, US Consulate General Dubai attending the event as the Guest of Honor.
American Specialty Foods Co. that serves the taste of American flavors to over 50 countries with 20 product categories unveiled a brand new catalogue boasting over 650 products. The catalogue was unveiled by worldwide CEO of American Specialty Foods Co. Hany M Haneef, a prominent and dynamic NRI entrepreneur hailing from Mangalore.
“When I founded this company, it was a dream that I aimed to accomplish through passion. Despite the struggles we went through and the challenges we accomplished, it is the undying support of everyone which has enabled the company to achieve more than what we envisioned,” Hany M Haneef said during the event.
Valerie Brown, lauded the company and its achievements adding that the company was epitome of a company that “gets it”.
“They are deliberate, diligent and dynamic in promoting the best the US has to offer. I am delighted to celebrate them,” Valerie said.
Another guest Moroslav Hosek, spoke about the intensity with which Hany works as a professional.
“I have known Hany for five years now, but it feels like I have known him for at least 10 years. So intense a personal and business relationship it is indeed,” he said.
Incorporated in the USA 10 years ago, with a corporate office in Maryland, and a marketing office in New York, American Specialty Foods Co. includes a wide variety of products across 20 categories, including sauces, dressings, mayonnaise, tortilla chips, salsa, potato chips, popcorn, syrups, olives and more.
American Specialty has increased its global footprint, with regional offices in Dubai, London and Mexico.
The company is now venturing into the B2C segment to reach an increased number of households and bring the goodness of American taste to all, a press statement from the company said.
source: http://www.english.varthabharati.in / Vartha Bharati / Home> Gulf / by Vartha Bharati / February 25th, 2023
In a new Translating India series, ten noted translators will share their experiences of translating from their respective languages. In this first part, Urdu critic and writer, Shamsur Rahman Faruqi writes about how he translated his Urdu novel into English.
Shamsur Rahman Faruqi translated his Urdu novel Ka’i Chand The Sar-e Asman, which was about the mother of the famous poet Dagh, into English. It was published in 2014 as The Mirror of Beauty.(Facebook)
My name is Ka’i Chand The Sar-e Asman. In English, somewhat arbitrarily, I am called The Mirror of Beauty. I am an Urdu novel, a little above 850 pages long. My English avatar is nearly a thousand pages worth of prose of a somewhat quaint register, or registers.
I was somewhat horrified when an author approached me with the proposal to translate me into English. I said: “I hope you aren’t going to do to me what the Bard did to Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream as he casually turned him into a donkey — “Bless thee, Bottom, bless thee. Thou art translated!”
“No, no,” he cried with a tight voice. “Do you doubt my proficiency…?”
“Yes, that too could bear some scrutiny, but my doubt mainly springs from the nature of the beast.”
“You believe I created a monster,” he fumed, somewhat red-faced.
“Do not misunderstand me. In fact, you know very well what you created, and I am quite comfortable with it. Let me remind you…”
“Yes, I know,” he said somewhat testily. “I made you somewhat exotic. I wrote you in about ten different styles, or registers. In general, you are highly Persianised; Arabic is just round the corner almost everywhere. Your narrative language is mostly archaic, so also the dialogues. Most of your women speak what is now called Begamati Zaban, that is, they use words which only women used. You have courtly language in play on almost all occasions in life, from speaking of love to being belligerent, even warlike. Irritatingly, or most piquantly-spicily, your pages are peppered with poetry in Persian or Urdu.”
“Yes, and the professional and technical details, some of them almost untranslatable,” I said.
“Yet you seem to be missing the chief point here,” he said, with his nose in the air.
“And pray, what’s that?” I must confess that I was somewhat nettled by his superior air.
Read the curtain raiser to the Translating India series here.
“Incompatibility,” he said. “English and Urdu are incompatible, and just not grammatically. Urdu’s a genius, especially in the creative modes, is given to elaboration, intensification, abstraction. And Urdu has many more words for emotions; English for all its vastness is remarkably destitute in this area. Take ‘love’, for instance. How many words can you think of in English, including Latinisms and archaisms, to convey the idea of love? Well, just one, or maybe another two or three if you stretch the matter. Urdu has at least 18 words to express the emotion of love. Apart from love too, Urdu’s language of formal discourse has numerous words expressing the same idea with different degrees of intensity or emphasis or nuance. English and Urdu make strange bed-fellows, almost always.”
I felt dispirited. So I will remain hidden behind Urdu’s veil, almost like Lucy, who though fair as a star, lived unknown. But I brightened at the thought that I won’t suffer the mutilation that almost all translations turn out to be. So I said: “Well, then you are saved the trouble of undertaking this back-breaking job, I hope?”
“No”, he smiled his artful, almost crafty smile. “You forget that I am the author, not just some hack pulling an ancient rickety cart of translation.”
“So?”
“First thing,” said he, “As author-translator, I can take liberties, within reasonable limits. I am aware that I am the author of the Urdu novel, I am not composing an original novel in English. But I’ll not let the Urdu text hang too heavy on my translator’s intuitions. Like all translators I’ll give up certain things (like the 18 or so words for love), but will also add certain things.
‘When I sit down to do the English version, I am able to visualise the spirit of the Urdu and almost see it passing into the English words that came to me as I put them then on the page.’
“Most importantly, I’ll exchange the archaic Urdu with a deliberately archaic, passionately and shamelessly 19th century English. I will not permit the entry of a word or usage which came into the language after the time of Victoria, that is, mid to late 19th century. The flavour of the specialised languages and registers of Urdu I’ll give up in favour of translating literally all Urdu words and phrases and make them sound natural to the narrative. I will render the ‘excesses’ of the Urdu into English.”
“And what will you do about the poetry?”
“Well, I am the author, and thus share a bit of the original author’s persona when I quote his poetry.”
It seemed to me that he bared his teeth, somewhat like a dog teasing and enjoying a favourite bone.
“I will translate faithfully, but I’ll use a compromise language – a little modern, a little archaic – to suit the environment of the narrative. And remember, the poetry that I have quoted (and I even wrote some of it, under the names of Dagh, or his mother) is entirely in harmony with the narrative. So, without doing violence to the original, I should produce passable English poems, effective and genuine in their own right.”
“I fear your labours may result into transcreation of some sort,” I said somewhat timidly.
“Transcreation? I defy transcreation. You either translate or create. When I am done, you open any page of the translation, you will recognise the relevant Urdu text instantly.”
“That is something that most translators from Urdu have despaired of,” I said. “How do you hope to do it?
“For one thing, I am fully steeped into the Urdu – its moods, its inner complications, its special characteristics. And I have lived with you for a long time before you came into existence. When I sit down to do the English version, I am able to visualise the spirit of the Urdu and almost see it passing into the English words that came to me as I put them then on the page.”
“But you haven’t even started, how do you know you can do it?”
“Come back after a couple of years and see for yourself.”
A recipient of Saraswati Samman (1996) and Padma Shri (2009), Shamsur Rahman Faruqi is a leading Urdu critic and theorist. The views expressed are personal.
source: http://www.hindustantimes.com / Hindustan Times / Home> Books / by Shamsur Rahman Faruqi, IANS – Indo Asian News Service / February 10th, 2018
An excerpt from Anis Kidwai’s memoir, translated from the Urdu by Ayesha Kidwai.
Author Anis Kidwai (second from right, middle row) with members of the family and family retainers.
Amongst the dream-like memories there is also one of an evening in which my Bua has my younger brother in her arms and I am walking alongside them. At a short distance from the house, I see a dirty bundle of clothes lying on the road and I give it a kick. The bundle groans loudly, and my Bua exclaims, “Hai! What are you doing?! You don’t kick a human child, do you?” She sits down besides it and starts speaking to it. In response, the bundle of rags unjumbles. At first, two pairs of arms and legs, burning hot, appear, and soon we are on our way home, a dirty young girl tottering along with us.
The girl was quite a bit older than me, but I went about the house preening – she was my “discovery”, the one I had found and brought home.
Her fever came down with medicines the very next day and my mother herself stood by and supervised as one of the women servants gave her a bath with water, soap, and besan. The grime and dirt were rubbed off of her with potshards. With a kurta from one person, a paijama from another, a pink orhni draped on her, that pitch-black girl was soon transformed into a comely one with large eyes and golden skin the colour of wheat.
Just a few days of a regular diet brought out her beauty even more, and within a month, this twelve- or thirteen-year-old girl was always to be found teasing and flirting with the other servants. We named her Nargis. I was very happy and pleased with her and kept her by my side always.
One day, Nargis accompanied me to the part of the house where the cousins who were living with us for their studies, resided. I don’t know what exactly happened, but soon little pebbles started flying around, and peals of laughter bubbled in the air. I felt compelled to go report to my mother that Nargis was throwing stones. The next I knew, Nargis was given a few slaps and ordered never to even think of making her way to that side of the house ever again. And shortly after, she was sent off to my nānī’s home for education and training.
It was one year later that she returned. In her colourful gharara, shining with gold trim and embroidery, and the red dupatta she wore around her shoulders, she was now a married woman. A dim-witted young man was by her side, and he was at once engaged by our family, and sent off to Aligarh to serve Rafi sahab.
Once I said to Nargis, “Your husband is calling you.” My words were greeted with a loud snort and a gob of spit. She detested him.
And though she stayed with us and grew more beautiful by the day, she never gave that husband of hers a second look. The truth was that she had eyes only for one manservant of ours, handsome in his beplumed turban. Eventually, one night, Nargis disappeared altogether.
It was only three years later that she returned. We all surrounded her, delighted to see her. She now swore by Our Father and Jesus Christ and wore a skirt. The Christian missionaries had inducted her into Jesus’s flock of sheep and had taught her to say, “Oh Heavenly Father, let your will be fulfilled on earth as it is in heaven, and give us our daily bread.”
We brothers and sisters pleaded with her, “Nargis come back to us!” And to our delight, she agreed. However, now her manner was quite brazen. After a year or so of revelry, she decamped with the magnificently turbaned manservant. The next year this esteemed employee was sighted in the mela at Dewa, dressed in saffron robes, now a self-declared pir, but Nargis never returned. And we never got any further news of her.
For everyone else, Nargis soon became long-forgotten, but her memory has always remained in my heart. Today when I am concerned with the education, reform, and improvement in the lives of the girls in the Women’s Service Home, I think of Nargis again. If only we had afforded her some ease and facilities, her ruined life could have been repaired.
One day, my mother told me that I was to go to visit an aunt, whose husband was a senior lawyer in the city.
She had visited us a short while ago and had said that she wanted her daughters to meet me. Since her elder daughter was ill, they couldn’t visit us, so I must go to them, she said.
To be invited as a guest was a matter of great pride and fulfilment for me. I got ready quickly and sat in the palanquin. I was escorted by one uncle and Ramzan Baba carrying his big staff. Arriving in such pomp made me stand up tall as I alighted at my destination.
My aunt received me outside in the veranda. She hugged me affectionately repeatedly, expressed her delight that I had come, and then took me inside saying, “Let me take you to Habiba’s room. She is bedridden with a boil on her leg and cannot walk.”
Habiba was with her two younger sisters, two or three daughters of maidservants and perhaps also a couple of girls who were her relatives. I was invited with great informality to sit on her bed and conversation began. Confidences about themselves, information about their neighbours, stories about their villages, romantic sagas of passion, tales of spectres and demons, black magic, gossip about debauched men… oh lord, how much information these girls had! That was the day that I came to understand what a simpleton I was in comparison.
Ghost stories were forbidden in my home, and I had never even seen philtres and potions. The information that a ḍāyan bewitches men into states of utter foolishness, that certain female ghosts speak through their noses and have their feet on backwards, made my hair stand on end. Habiba was just one year older than me, yet she had seen all these things with her own eyes!
But when the girls started talking about how the Munshi has kept his second wife in his house, I couldn’t restrain myself any longer.
What was odd or scandalous in this – where else was he supposed to keep her? Outside? My foolish questions elicited peals of laughter. But I couldn’t bring myself to believe in the truth of what they said – no man could really have two wives.
Habiba’s insistence was that every man had a randi (prostitute). Her father also had one. She doesn’t come to the house, but we go to hers. But what was a ranḍi like? My question once again induced hysterical laughter.
“What’s she like? You don’t know? You are such an innocent fool!’’
A fool I certainly was, because when I returned home with this treasure trove of new knowledge, I reported it all to my mother, and even repeated a few of the observations the girls had made. My mother was exceedingly displeased. It was perhaps because of this that I wasn’t ever allowed to visit them again, although I was always eager to meet those girls of a thousand tales.
Excerpted with permission from Dust of the Caravan, Anis Kidwai, translated from the Urdu by Ayesha Kidwai.
source: http://www.scroll.in / Scroll.in / Home> Book Excerpt / by Anis Kidwai / February 18th, 2021
