Monthly Archives: August 2023

India celebrates Independence Day: Here’s a list of important Muslim freedom fighters

INDIA:

In the freedom struggle, Muslim freedom fighters played a predominant role.

In the Indian freedom struggle, though, Muslim freedom fighters played a predominant role, right-wing organisations are trying to erase their history. In view of it, it is essential to know the important Muslim freedom fighters who fought for Indian Independence.

 Indian freedom fighter and former aide of Subhash Chandra Bose Abid Hasan Safrani. (Photo: Siasat)

Abid Hasan Safrani

Abid Hasan Safrani, an Indian National Army (INA) soldier from Hyderabad is one of the unsung heroes of Hyderabad. He not only played role in India’s independence but also coined the slogan ‘Jai Hind’ which was later declared the salutation of the Indian Army and government employees.

Safrani was constantly with the INA fighting from Burma to Imphal in India.

After India attained freedom, then Prime Minister Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru inducted him into the Indian Foreign Service (IFS). He was posted to several countries including Egypt, China, Switzerland, Iraq, Syria, Senegal and Denmark.

After retirement, Safrani settled at a farm in Shaikpet, Tolichowki. He passed away in 1984.

Maulana Abul Kalam Azad

Maulana Azad, a distinguished Islamic scholar, author, academician and a prominent freedom fighter, was elected as the youngest President of Indian National Congress aged 35, and later led the historic Khilafat Movement.

After Independence, Maulana Azad served as India’s first Education Minister for over 10 years, during which he laid the foundations for the country’s massive academic network. Acknowledging his contributions, his birthday – November 11 – is celebrated as National Education Day.

Siraj-Siraj-ud-Doulah

Siraj-Siraj-ud-Doulah, the Nawab of Bengal was the first Indian king to foresee the threat posed to the future of the country by the English East India Company which entered India in the name of trade but transgressed its limits. He took bold initiatives to thwart the company’s evil designs.

Mir Khasim Ali Khan

Mir Khasim Ali Khan was a warrior Nawab who fought against the East India Company till his end with the conviction that he could ensure safety for his kingdom and liberty and prosperity for his people only by driving the British out of India.

Hyder Ali

Hyder Ali, who is famously known as ‘the Napoleon of South India’ for his relentless fighting against the conspiracies of the East India Company and its henchmen and for checkmating the British ambitions of expansion in South India

Tipu Sultan

Tipu Sultan, the ‘Tiger of Mysore’, was a great visionary who exposed the expansionist designs of the British imperial forces and gave a clarion call to his fellow countrymen and native rulers to unite and fight against the East India Company.

Syed Mir Nisar Ali

The Wahabi movement enjoyed a special status in the history of revolt against British rule in India, and Titu Mir, whose real name was Syed Mir Nisar Ali, added militancy to it. It became the source of inspiration for several movements in the Struggle for Independence of India.

Haji Shariatullah

Haji Shariatullah, who militantly led the Farazi Movement that stood as a source of inspiration for several revolutionaries in the Indian Freedom Struggle

Ghulam Rasool Khan

Ghulam Rasool Khan, the Nawab of Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh, created terror among the officials of the East India Company.

Moulana Peer Ali Khan

Moulana Peer Ali Khan fought against the British military force declaring that sacrificing oneself in the cause of liberation of one’s motherland is a proof of one’s love for his country.

Moulvi Ahmadullah Shah Fyzabadi

Moulvi Ahmadullah Shah Fyzabadi created panic among the British camps. In the First War of Indian Independence of 1857, he fought against the forces of East India Company and registered several victories over them.

Sheikh Bikhari Saheb

Sheikh Bikhari Saheb raged against General Dalhousee’s ‘Doctrine of Lapse’ whose sole objective was to expand the British empire. He stood in support of the freedom loving native rulers and fought against the foreign rulers.

Azimullah Khan

Azimullah Khan was renowned as a strategist in the First War of Independence, 1857.

He retreated to the forests of Nepal along with Nana Saheb, Hazarat Mahal and others, when the First War of Independence had faced the situation of near defeat. Azimullah Khan passed away in October 1859, while making efforts to secure financial and military support to fight back against the British.

Mohammad Bakht Khan

Mohammad Bakht Khan provided leadership to the heroes and heroines of The First War of Independence of India of 1857 against the forces of the East India Company, by taking up the responsibility of Commander-in-Chief.

He streamlined the troops after his appointment as the Commander-in-Chief by the Mughal Emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar.

Khan Bahadur Khan

Khan Bahadur Khan, the ruler of Rohilkhand, fought against the British to liberate the motherland.

Declining a very high official post offered by the East India Company, Khan Bahadur Khan revolted against the British at the age of 70. He declared Independence at Bareilly, the capital of Rohilkhand on 31 May, 1857.

Bahadur Shah Zafar

Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last Moghul Emperor, led the First War of Independence, which was recognized in history as the symbol of anger among the people of India against the British.

He breathed his last in jail on 7 November 1862.

Mohammad Sher Ali

Mohammad Sher Ali, an embodiment of anti-British spirit , was born in 1842 at Peshawar, presently in Pakistan. He was inspired by the Wahabi movement that arose against the British in his younger age. His family migrated to Ambala from Peshawar in 1863. He was sentenced to death on 2 April, 1868.

Begum Hazrat Mahal

Begum Hazrat Mahal was a prominent woman of the 1857 rebellion. There was a fierce battle between the Company troops and the Begum troops. When defeat became inevitable, Begum Hazrat Mahal retreated to the Nepal forests along with the co-revolutionary leaders like Nana Sahib Peshwa and others.

Begum Hazarath Mahal struggled for the independence of her state till her last breath. She passed away at Kathmandu of Nepal on 7 April 1879.

Moulvi Syed Allavuddin

Moulvi Syed Allavuddin was a spiritual leader. He used to exhort people of Nizam State, one of the strongest princely states of South India, to rebel against the British hegemony. He stood in the forefront of the direct fight against the British Government.

He was a native of Hyderabad, the capital of erstwhile Nizam princely state. Allavuddin intensified his rebellious activities soon after the First war of Independence of India was started in 1857.

British forces arrested and sent Moulvi Allavuddin to the cellular jail in Andaman on 28 June 1859. After leading a miserable life of 25 years as a prisoner, Moulvi Syed Allavuddin passed away in 1884.

On the occasion of Independence Day, all Indians need to pay tribute to all the freedom fighters who took part in the Indian freedom struggle.

source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> News> India / by Sameer Khan / August 15th, 2023

Free UPSC and GPSC coaching is available for Muslim students from all over India

Surat, GUJARAT:

Surat:

Under the direction of Surat Islam Yatimkhana Society (SIYS) and PMET, Knowledge Academy provided free UPSC/GPSC coaching for Muslim students from all over India.


Knowledge Academy calls for online applications for the UPSC/GPSC-Civil Services Coaching Programme (2023–24).

The dates are as follows:

The online application starts on May 1, 2023. Link for online application: www.pmet.org The last date for submission of the application is June 10, 2023. Entrance tests at various centres will be on June 18, 2023. A tentative declaration of results will be announced on June 25, 2023. The interview will be held at Surat Islam Yatimkhana, Surat, from July 3rd to July 4th, 2023. The result announcement will be on July 6, 2023. Graduates in any discipline who completed their studies in 2023 or earlier are eligible to apply.

The duration of the programme is one year from the start of the coaching or the preliminary exam, whichever is later. The programme will be conducted at the dedicated facility, which is equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure and technology. The programme will run for a duration of 1 year, during which time you will receive intensive training from top-class coaches. You will also have access to a range of study materials, including books, online resources, and mock tests.

In addition to the training and study materials, the residential programme will also provide comfortable accommodations and healthy meals. This will ensure that students can focus entirely on their studies without any distractions or interruptions.


For more details, visit the link at www.pmet.org, and for more information, contact the PMET Office at 8780631131, Harun Mahida at 8980490743, or Imran Khan at 9140343730.

Note: The news above is posted only for reference, for the forthecoming year 2024. The date for 2023 has already passed by.

source: http://www.thehindustangazette.com / The Hindustan Gazette / Home> News> Education / by Shifa / May 23rd, 2023

Big Ticket Abu Dhabi: Indian expat wins Rs 33 cr with tickets bought on his birthday

RAJASTHAN / Dubai, U.A.E:

Khan, who works as an engineering co-ordinator at an IT company in Dubai, purchased the ticket along with some of his colleagues and friends.

 39-year-old Sakil Khan Sarwar Khan Photo: Big Ticket

Abu Dhabi:

A 39-year-old United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based Indian expatriate from Rajasthan, won the grand prize of Dirhams 15 million (Rs 33,83,29,693) in the Big Ticket Abu Dhabi weekly draw.

The winner Sakil Khan Sarwar Khan— bagged the prize after buying ticket number 191115 for the raffle draw number 254, which he had purchased online on July 25, on his birthday.

Khan, who works as an engineering coordinator at an IT company in Dubai, purchased the ticket along with some of his colleagues and friends. He will be splitting the cash prize among 15 people.

“Usually, I select raffle ticket numbers randomly. This time, though, I purchased the tickets on my birthday and really thought hard about the numbers I chose,” Khan told Big Ticket organisers.

He plans to clear his debts and start a business with the piece of his fortune.

Anyone who purchases a ticket for the upcoming live draw this month will have a chance to win Dirhams 20 million on September 3.

Customers will also be entered directly into the weekly electronic draw for a chance to be one of four winners to pocket Dirhams 100,000 (Rs 22,55,221) every week.

Big Ticket was established in 1992 with an initial first prize of Dirhams one million (Rs 2,25,53,420) and is one of the most popular monthly draws in the UAE.

Tickets can be purchased online through the Big Ticket website or by visiting the store counters at Abu Dhabi International Airport and Al Ain Airport.

source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> News> Middle East / by Sakina Fatima / August 04th, 2023

The Indian revolutionaries on foreign lands

INDIA:

Indian revolutionaries in Kabul where they announced a government in exile
Indian revolutionaries in Kabul where they announced a government in exile

On 24 April 1918, Ram Chandra was shot dead by Ram Singh in a courtroom in San Francisco, USA. A few moments later, a policeman shot Ram Singh. Who were these Indians? Ram Chandra and Ram Singh were the leaders of a revolutionary Ghadar Party in the USA. They were planning to wage a war against the British Empire with the help of the German government. Ram Singh suspected Chandra of being a traitor and thus he killed him on the last day of the trial.

Though Muslims and Sikhs were also accused of being part of the conspiracy, for some reason the case was famously called the Hindu German Conspiracy case. The German High Commissioner had allegedly provided the revolutionaries with money and arms.

Rabindranath Tagore was also featured in the charge sheet. It was accused that he took money from the revolutionaries in the USA and handed it over to the Japanese government to arrange for arms. It was the costliest court case ever argued in the USA till that time.

Indian revolutionaries had always used foreign territories to wage war against the British Empire. In 1845, Haji Imdadullah Muhajir Makki of Saharanpur went on the Haj with a plan to stay there. He wanted to teach at Makkah. Another Indian and his senior Maulana Ishaq met him in Makkah and asked him to return to India and wage a war against the English East India Company rule. Ishaq was one of the many Indian ulemas, who lived in Makkah and Medina to preach anti-colonialism among the pilgrims.

Imdadullah returned to India, planned a revolt in coordination with several leaders, and joined the War of Independence in 1857. He liberated Shamli for a few weeks before the English recaptured it. Thousands of his followers were killed in the battle and he moved to Makkah.

Imdadullah lived for 30 more years and used Makkah as a base to preach nationalism among Haj pilgrims from India and create links among different colonized nationalities.

Shyamji Krishna Varma, an Arya Samaj leader, established India House in London to train educated revolutionaries for the freedom struggle. V.D. Savarkar, Virendranath Chattopadhyay, Haider Raza, Ali Khan, Bipin Chandra Pal, and Acharya were a few prominent Indian revolutionaries trained at this hostel. They were given fellowships to study in England. Asaf Ali, who later argued the case of Bhagat Singh in court, was also associated with the India House. Savarkar’s book describing events of 1857 S inspired a generation of revolutionaries.

Madan Lal Dhingra was one of the most prominent revolutionaries from this house. He assassinated an English official after which the house had to be closed down. Savarkar was arrested and sent to Andamans. After that, these revolutionaries shifted bases to Berlin, Paris, etc.

Indians, especially Punjabis, living in the USA formed the Ghadar Party in 1913. Ghadar is a term used for the War of Independence of 1857. The party aimed to re-enact the scenario by making the Indian sepoys of the English army rebel.

The revolutionaries contacted Germany and Turkey for money and arms. A date doe revolt was fixed in India for the revolt. Hundreds of the revolutionaries came back to India in 1915, Rash Behari Bose, Jatin Bagha, and M N Roy were also working for the success of the plan. A traitor told the British about the plan. Hundreds of revolutionaries were caught and hanged in what came to be known as First Lahore Conspiracy. Kartar Singh Sarabha was one of the more famous among those hanged. Jatin Bagha was killed. Ras Behari Bose and M N Roy had to leave the country.

The Ghadar Party succeeded in causing a mutiny in Singapore. In February 1915, Indian soldiers killed English officers and captured the island country. It took two days and the help of the Russian and Japanese armies to recapture Singapore from the British. More than four dozen Indians were killed by a firing squad in a public execution. At least 40 of the killed soldiers were Muslims from Haryana.

Raja Mahendra Pratap was an Arya Samaj activist from Hathras. As the war started he travelled to Turkey and Germany where the Sultan and Kaiser respectively gave him letters of authority to form a provisional government of India at Kabul. He reached Afghanistan with a Ghadarite, Barkatullah, where Maulana Ubaidullah Sindhi, a Deobandi scholar, was waiting for them. A provisional government with Pratap as the President, Barkatullah as the PM, and Ubaidullah as the Home Minister was formed in Kabul.

A plan to raise an army was also chalked out. Maulana Mahmood Hasan, a Deobandi scholar, and Maulana Husain Ahmad Madani were coordinating the efforts from Makkah. Letters written on silk cloth were used to communicate which were uncovered by British intelligence. Maulana Mahmood and Madani were arrested from Makkah and sent to Malta as prisoners of war. Hundreds of others were also arrested in what came to be known as the Silk Letter Conspiracy.

The war had ended. M. N Roy, Andul Rab, and MPT Acharya established a military school in Tashkent in the USSR. It trained mostly Muslims who migrated to Afghanistan after a fatwa asked them to in 1915. The people trained here took part in major revolutionary activities in India later on. Mian Akbar Shah is well known for his role in the famous escape of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose from Kolkata (Calcutta) to Peshawar. He is supposed to be the most important person to have planned and executed the escape in 1941.

Ubaidullah went to the USSR and traveled to several countries before settling at Makkah in the 1930s. He used it as a ground to preach like Maulana Ishaq and Imdadullah before him. In 1938 he returned to India and met Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. He planned future armed action with Netaji and gave him several contacts with Japan and Germany. Japan already had his old comrades in Raja Mahendra Pratap and Rash Behari Bose.

Around the same time Sardar Ajit Singh, an uncle of Bhagat Singh, and Iqbal Shaidai organized an army in Italy. They had been active in foreign lands since the last World War.

The story of Netaji forming an army in Germany and later leading Azad Hind Fauj formed by Ras Behari Bose in Japan is well-known and needs no retelling.

source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Stories / by Saquib Salim / August 11th, 2023

Karkala’s Ayesha Banu – Ray of hope for many destitute

Karkala (Udupi District) , KARNATAKA:

Karkala :

There is no barrier of religion for love, compassion and humanity. Ayesha Banu of the city of Karkala is one such ray of hope for the destitute. She takes care of more than 75 homeless people.

Ayesha not only brings the homeless people to her own ashram but also feeds them and gives them medical treatment. She has people from Maharashtra, Assam and West Bengal residing in her home for the shelterless people. They are given a stomach full to eat, dress to wear and place to sleep.

Ayesha was working in a private hospital when she was young. Her family used to provide ambulance service. One day in a rare situation, Ayesha had to take an orphan young girl to her home as there was no one to take care of her. This came to the public’s knowledge and they started calling her to accommodate orphans known to them. Within no time, the house got filled with destitute. Now she has made a centre for orphans called Suraksha on her own land.

Ayesha spends her whole time in the service of these orphans. Some people give her donations. Rest she herself spends from her savings. Many organizations have recognized her service and have felicitated her in the past eight years. Ayesha has two daughters. She says that she will serve the orphans till her last breath.

Ayesha stands tall in today’s world of hate mongering and selfishness.

source: http://www.daijiworld.com / DaijiWorld.com / Home> Top Stories / by Daijiworld Media Network – Karkala (MS) / August 12th, 2023

Aslam, Bhai’s three doctor daughters have brought pride to the family, Teli community

Safala (Palghar), MAHARASHTRA:

Aslam Bhai, his wife Sabia and their three doctor daughters : Aliya. Ayesha, Saddika

The monsoon session of the Maharashtra State Legislature is underway in Mumbai. The world has accepted the work of great scholar and social reformer Savitribai Jyotirao Phule, who laid the foundation of women’s education in India. The struggle of Savitribai and her husband Mahatma Phule for women’s education is extraordinary. Opposition MLAs in both Houses demanded that a case be registered against those who used indecent language against Savitribai and Mahatma Phule. lam

Aslam Bhai was ecstatic and top of the world.

“She is the second daughter in your family who has become a doctor, isn’t it?” Aslam Bhai said, “Apart from Aaliya, I also have twin daughters Ayesha and Siddika. Saddika has completed her BDS (Bachelor of Dentistry Science degree from Pune and is now working as a dentist.

Aaliya, the youngest of his daughters, he said, completed her MBBS degree with distinction in Gynecology and Obstetrics from Lokmanya Tilak Medical College, Mumbai. She did her post-graduation in psychiatry at KEM Medical College, Mumbai.

Aslam Bhai was speaking with pride and happiness. Alia’s future husband Dr. Imtiaz Kazi is also a doctor by profession and has done MS Ortho from KEM College.

Aliya, Aslam Bhai’s third daughter

This will probably be the first incident of all three daughters of a middle-class family of Teli Muslim (traditional business of oil) community becoming doctors. Aslam Bhai looked very happy with the success of his three daughters. His wife Sabia also has a big contribution to this success.

Aslam Bhai’s dream of becoming a doctor himself could not be fulfilled due to poverty. Despite having a good knowledge of cricket and being proficient in the game, Aslam Bhai could not even become a cricketer due to financial reasons. But Aslam’s parents and Sabia Shaikh’s grandmother were modern-minded. He believed that girls should go for higher education. Due to this vision, all three girls of this Marathi Muslim family have become doctors setting an example for the community.

Education surely is the cure for most of the problems of Indian Muslims. Through quality professional skills and higher education, the family, community, and ultimately the country can be taken on the path of progress and Aslam Bhai and Sabiya have proved this. Of course, Ayesha, Siddika, and Alia have achieved this position after a lot of hard work. 

Aslam Bhai’s parents are small farmers. His father Yunus Mian worked in a small company in Andheri, Mumbai. His mother, Kulsoom, used to sell fish while doing housework and contribute to the household expenses of the large family of four sons, two daughters, and a mother-in-law. On days the couple had to go without food but they never compromised with the education of their daughters. The boys completed their school and college studies, but Aslam could not become a doctor for financial reasons. 

His father felt sorry for this till the end. Aslam Bhai took charge of his family by taking small and big contracts for construction works.

Aslam Bhai was married to Sabia, a girl from a cultured family in Andheri. They had three daughters – twins – Ayesha and Siddika and the youngest Aaliya. Despite the financial constraints, Aslam and Sabia dreamed of providing higher education to their daughters. The daughters also worked hard to fulfill the dreams of their parents.

The Sheikh family is proud of the Marathi soil here, the motherland of Palghar district. Aslam Bhai also got help from friends for the higher education of his three daughters. Aslam Bhai says that Hitendra Thakur, first mayor Rajiv Patil, Ajiv Patil, Milind Bhate, Ramesh Koti, Unmesh Kulkarni, and their family members helped him a lot.

All three girls wanted to become cricketers like their father. All three love cricket very much. He also knew that due to the economic condition, his father’s dream of becoming a doctor has been shattered. Seeing the trend of girls’ intelligence, Aslam Bhai and Sabia worked hard to make them doctors, and they succeeded. Now seven-eight girls in this area are pursuing medical studies and consider these three as their role models.

The girl learned and moved on. It is said that if a girl learns, she can improve her generation. In this context, the three doctor daughters of Aslam Bhai and Sabia Bhabhi have the potential to become role models in the Muslim community. A family from the Marathi Muslim Teli community showed how necessary and important women’s education is. This will be the first instance in the Muslim community of Maharashtra that all three daughters in the same family are doctors. That’s why society should express heartfelt gratitude towards this Sheikh family. Hats off to the entire family for their success!

After joining the Times Group in Mumbai, I came to know for the first time about the Teli Samaj, a part of the Muslim community. Rabad, Shahapur, Bhiwandi, Thane City, Palghar, Jawhar, Dahanu, Safale, Sonawe, Dahisar, Manor, Shirgaon, Tarapur Chinchani, Wada, Mathane, Vedhi, Kore, Edwan, Satpati, Mumbai suburb and city, as well as Vidarbha and Muslim Teli Samaj, is found in some areas of Marathwada. Earlier there was a Balutedari system in the village. This community used to do the business of extracting oil from oilseeds. Due to business, this society had the art of mixing with all the castes and religions of the village. Later, the mechanization of oil production took place. And the traditional oil business of this society was destroyed. As a result, people started looking for jobs in the service sector. Some became drivers of vehicles to transport passengers, many started a chicken and egg business, and some became butchers.

No person from the Muslim Teli community could reach the top of politics. That’s why the value of this society in politics is zero. According to OBC movement leader Shabbir Ansari, the Muslim Teli community is now entering higher education. Circumstances teach everything. The son of a rickshaw puller from the same community in Jalna district has become the youngest IAS in the Indian Administrative Service. So Mirza Abdul Karim Naqvi’s daughter Maryam has started 32 libraries for children through the Reading Culture Movement in Aurangabad. Ayesha, Siddika, and Aliya have taken this trend forward. 

Islam is probably the first religion to recognize the independent existence of women and their identity. Islam gave many rights and privileges to women. But the self-styled protectors of patriarchal culture in the name of religion have denied these rights and created a different tradition. Muslim women have been given the right by religion to do business to earn money and maintain the family.

Prophet Hazrat Muhammad’s first wife Hazrat Khadija had her own business. She was one of the richest women in Mecca. After the establishment of Islam, she became the first female follower. And even after accepting Islam, his business continued. Other women of the society also followed this tradition. The first book on the Prophet descended in the Cave of Diamonds in Mecca on the 26th day of Ramazan. It only talked about reading and gaining knowledge. Allah gave the message to get knowledge. And this message applies to both men and women.

The author is a senior Journalist. The article was transcribed from Marathi by Sameer Skeikh

source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Story / by Awaz The Voice / by Sameer Maniar, Mumbai / August 09th, 2023

SDPI bags president’s post in Talapady Panchayat with BJP’s support

Talapady (Ullal Taluk, Dakshina Kannada District), KARNATAKA:

Ullal: 

In a notable development, SDPI backed T. Ismail spearheaded the Talapady Gram Panchayat elections held on Thursday and assumed the president post with the support of BJP, while the BJP’s Pushpavathi Shetty was elected to the post of Vice-President unopposed.

In the meantime, Satyaraj, who also contested for the post of President, was defeated after the BJP supporters supported the SDPI backed member Ismail.

In the Panchayat, out of a total of 24 members, 13 of them were backed by the BJP, while one was backed by the Congress and 10 of them were backed by the SDPI. However, on the poll day, Congress backed Vaibhav Shetty and SDPI backed Habeeba D.B. were absent. Resulting in a tough tussle between T. Ismail and Satyaraj both competing for the post of President.

Meanwhile, both Ismail and Satyaraj were in a tie, with equal number of votes. However, later as per the election officer’s directions, the winner T. Ismail was decided based on the process of drawing lots. Even though the number of BJP supporters was higher, two of them voted for the SDPI backed leader, resulting in a tie.

source: http://www.english.varthabharati.in / Vartha Bharati / Home> Karavali / by Vartha Bharati / August 10th, 2023

Remembering Mohammed Baig Ehsas – A chronicler of Hyderabad

Hyderabad, TELANGANA:

Mohammed Baig Ehsas was one of the most progressive and prolific Urdu writers of recent times. He made a name for himself through his many short stories that revolve around the heritage, history, tradition and people of Hyderabad. He famously won the Sahitya Akademi Award (Urdu) in 2017 for his short story collection Dakhma. He turned 75 on Thursday.

Baig Ehsas was born in 1948, merely months before Hyderabad’s annexation by India, which was marked by several administrative, ecological and infrastructural changes. Baig Ehsas was first-hand witness to this transformationof the city of Hyderabad. His works are a reflection of the same. His award-winning collection Dakhma, published in 2015 portrays just that.

Dakhma is a collection of 11 short stories, with a central theme that revolves around the lives of the people of Hyderabad after the city’s ascension to India.

The short story Dakhma, after which the collection is named, revolves around the death of Sohrab, a Parsi, and the narrator’s fears surrounding Sohrab’s last rites.

A Dakhma or a Tower of Silence is a circular raised structure used for Parsi death rituals. The corpse is placed at the top of the structure, to subject it to decomposition by natural processes and eaten away by vultures. It is believed that vultures only arrive upon the death of the righteous. But vultures had stopped frequenting the city, owing to the changing landscapes and conforming of rituals. Yet, vultures flock to Sohrab’s corpse as soon as he is laid there, much to the narrator’s relief.

Dakhma, full of nostalgia, captures the anxieties of Hyderabadis in the face of changing times. Baig Ehsas intertwines the past and present of the Parsi community in Hyderabad with flawless storytelling and imagery that draws the reader in, keeping them hooked to the book.

Curfew, another famous stories from the collection centres around a woman who gets trapped, unable to contact her husband due to the sudden imposition of a curfew. The story, hauntingly allegorical, details the suffocating and anxiously tense situations endured by the citizens during state curfews.

Apart from Dakhma, some of his other noted short story collections include Khosha-e-Gandum and Hanzal, both published in 1979, containing stories set in the backdrop of Hyderabad, chronicling the lives of people of the city, as is often the theme of Biag Ehsas’ stories.

Dakhma was so highly rated among Urdu literary critics, that in 2020, the Allahabad University’s Urdu Department included the story in their MA Urdu syllabus.

The same year, select stories from the collection Dakhma were translated into English by S M Fasiullah’s book Shades of the City. Apart from Fasiullah, HCU Professor Tutun Mukherjee and former OU English Literature Professor Khalid Qadri also contributed to the process of translation.

Baig Ehsas’ short stories aren’t merely of literary value, they are accounts, parts of Hyderabad’s heritage and tehzeeb, pieced together; a looking glass into the history and culture of the city and the transformation the city went through.

I believe Baig Ehsas’ works should be viewed as a documentation of the evolution of Hyderabad. This is one of the most important reasons, apart from his literary prowess, that brought him the national acclaim. Baig Ehsas’ works brought much needed attention to the stories of the South, which have often found themselves bereft of recognition or acknowledgement at a national level.

And, honestly the writer’s national acclamation is nothing short of extraordinary. He was one of the most progressive Urdu writers in recent times.

Born and raised in Hyderabad, Baig Ehsas was among the first batch of scholars to complete their Ph D from the then newly found Urdu Department of the University of Hyderabad. His doctoral thesis, submitted in 1984, shone light on the life and works of progressive writer and playwright Krishen Chander.

He served two terms as the Head of Department of Urdu Studies at Osmania University after completing his PhD. Post this he served as Professor and later, Head of the Department of Urdu, UoH, before retiring in 2013.

Up until his passing, Baig Ehsas was as an executive member of Idara-e-Adabiyaat-e-Urdu and the editor of Sab Ras, a monthly published by the Idara.

Baig Ehsaas had honours bestowed on him that not many have been lucky enough for. His 2017 Sahitya Akademi Award for Dakhma marked him as the first Hyderabadi in 20 years to win the award. Gian Singh Shatir had won it in 1997.

In 2016, the Telangana Urdu Academy presented him with the Makhdoom Award. He was also the recipient of the Jashn-e-Adab award for Excellence in Fiction.

During the pandemic, Baig Ehsas fell victim to the COVID-19 virus after which his health started deteriorating. Eventually, Baig Ehsas, passed away in September 2021 following cardiac arrest; leaving behind a remarkable legacy.

Baig Ehsas’ works and contribution to Urdu have all but immortalised him. So long as those who love and promote Urdu remain, Baig Ehsas’ name will never be forgotten.

source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> Featured News / by Fatima Fareeha / August 11th, 2023

SEED, Quran Foundation, Award Scholarship Worth 73.9 Lakh to MANUU Students

INDIA:

Maulana Azad National Urdu University students receive a scholarship worth 73.9 lakh from SEED 

Support for Educational & Economic Development (SEED), a non-profit organisation dedicated to assisting and uplifting the underprivileged, has awarded scholarships totaling 73,90,000 rupees to students at Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU), a central university in Hyderabad, India known for providing higher education opportunities to students of Urdu backgrounds.

The recipients were selected based on their performance and financial backgrounds. The scholarship was sponsored by SEED with the support of two other Hyderabad based non-profit organisations — the Quran Foundation and the Helping Hand Foundation. SEED has provided 586 scholarships to MANUU students across all campuses.

Danish, a journalism student at the university, expressed gratitude to SEED saying, “This scholarship will greatly assist me. Such scholarships boost students’ confidence and enable them to focus on their education rather than financial problems.” 

Another student, who wished to remain anonymous, stated, “I lost my father during COVID, and this scholarship is a real help for me to pursue my aspirations.”

The scholarship distribution ceremony 2023 took place on 17 July at the university campus. 

The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Syed Ainul Hasan, expressed his displeasure with the discontinuation of the NSP scholarship for MANUU students. He stressed MANUU students’ talent and potential and stated that the management is actively working to offer them the best possibilities and platforms to demonstrate their abilities. 

The Executive Director of SEED, Mr. Syed Mazheruddin Hussaini, addressed the students, emphasising the value of hard effort in their academic journey. He also urged them to concentrate on improving their soft skills and communication abilities in order to face future work obstacles. 

“It is the students’ responsibility to improve their careers through self-confidence, hard work, sincerity, and effective time management.” He then presented a 73,90,000 rupees cheque to the Vice Chancellor.

The Registrar, Prof. Ishtiaque Ahmed, commended Prof. Syed Alim Ashraf for facilitating the SEED scholarship for MANUU students. 

Mujtaba Hasan Askari, Founder of the Helping Hand Foundation, addressed the students and encouraged them to strive for success in life. “Success can only be achieved through education,” he said.

Overall, the SEED scholarship initiative in collaboration with the Quran Foundation demonstrates a valuable commitment to supporting the educational aspirations of MANUU students, empowering them to overcome financial barriers and achieve their academic goals. 

source: http://www.twocircles.net / TwoCircles.net / Home> Education / by Musheera Ashraf, TwoCircles.net / July 18th, 2023

Zaheeruddin Ali Khan: A journalist and philanthropist in boundless relationship

Hyderabad, TELANGANA:

 Zaheeruddin Ali Khan

Hyderabad: 

A journalist. A Telangana protagonist. A regular figure at protest meetings. A pensive figure at conferences. A concerned citizen whose heart beats for the poor. A secularist to the core. A force to reckon with. Sure.

That gives a word picture of Zaheeruddin Ali Khan, former Managing Editor, The Siasat. In his 62 years, he was more than just a friendly, smiling face. He epitomised the essence of selflessness and compassion. He touched many lives, particularly of Muslim boys and girls, struggling for quality education. In his later years he took on the mighty Wakf mafia and showed by example what protection and conservation really means. Quiet, firm, and unrelenting. His passing away has brought the curtains down on a multifaceted career.

As I sit down to pen a few words about my friend of 30 years, I am at a loss for words. Zaheer Bhai, as he was affectionately called, was so talented and versatile that it is impossible to describe all his traits. But suffice it is to concentrate on just one aspect: his love and care for the well-being of the community. More than a journalist he was a social worker – a true humanitarian. He espoused causes that are not essentially part of a newspaper job. He went the extra mile to help people, especially during times of strife. Zaheer sab was there to lend a hand, be it the Gujarat massacre, the Mumbai riots, or the Bihar floods. He raised money through the Siasat Millat Fund and mobilised resources to help the affected. He was always at the forefront, ready to ease pain and suffering. This compassionate trait earned him a special place in the hearts of people. His innate sense of empathy touched countless lives and brought a ray of hope to despairing souls.

Zaheer Sab’s philanthropy was not limited to just emergency situations. He was always ready to support the needy and destitute. People made a beeline to his office for all sorts of things. Some would come to him seeking a job, some for educational support, and few others for help in corrections to Aadhaar cards and things like that. He lent an ear to everyone patiently and did the best he could.

For him, education was the master key to success. He believed it to be the best investment one could make. And all through his life, he tried to open the doors of opportunities through education to the poor and underprivileged. Women empowerment was a cause dear to his heart. Realising the difficulty the community faced in marrying girls in view of rising dowry demand, Zaheer bhai came up with the idea of ‘Do-ba-do’ (face-to-face) programme. This unique programme helped many families find a suitable match for their daughters without having to run around.

Though I knew Zaheer bhai for a long time, I drew close to him after my retirement from The Hindu newspaper. He wanted me to write for Siasat.com, a news portal set up by him. After initial hesitation, I agreed. He interacted with me on a day-to-day basis discussing story ideas. Like many others, I was touched by his boundless energy and infectious smile. I met him at a book release programme at the P.S. Telugu University on Saturday evening. We chatted together. But I never knew that it would be our last meeting.

The love and respect commanded by Zaheer bhai was evident from the huge turnout of people at his funeral prayers at the Shahi Masjid on Tuesday morning. Rest in peace Zaheer bhai. Your efforts to transform lives will continue to have a ripple effect.

source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> Featured News / by JS Ifthekhar / August 08th, 2023