Mohammed Imtiaz, right, and his nephew Mohammed Shahbaz Reyaz are seen at their Pen Hospital in Kolkata on Nov. 30, 2023. (Mohammed Shahbaz Reyaz)
Pen Hospital in Chowringhee Lane in Kolkata was established in 1940s
It is increasingly catering to young people rediscovering fine writing instruments
The nondescript facade with a fading nameplate misses the attention of passersby at Chowringhee Lane in Kolkata, remaining a go-to place only for connoisseurs who still cherish the old-fashioned art of handwriting.
In its quiet and quaint interior, a visitor can try thousands of vintage and high-end fountain pens from brands like Montblanc, Parker, Pilot, Visconti, Wilson, Waterman, Pelikan, or Sheaffer, and watch as Mohmmad Imtiaz brings them back to life.
The Pen Hospital represents a bygone era in an age of instant electronic messaging, but it still draws lawyers, academics and collectors from across India and, lately, also young people who have been increasingly attracted to fine writing instruments.
Established in the 1940s by Imtiaz’s great-grandfather Mohammed Shamsuddin, the shop has stayed in the family ever since. Imtiaz’s partner behind the counter is Mohammed Shahbaz Reyaz, the son of his late brother.
“Despite the popularity of high-tech laptops and iPads, pens are also getting popular and that’s the reason I have roped in my nephew into the business. My son will join, too,” Imtiaz told Arab News.
“There is a renewed interest in fountain pens among the new generation. Today, half of my customers are younger people and this gives me hope.”
Depending on the model, it costs between 25 cents and $60 to have a pen “treated” at the Pen Hospital. Sometimes, parts of older or rarer pens need to be procured from different sources.
Imtiaz repairs seven to eight pens a day on his “operation table” — the shop’s counter.
“Sometimes the workload is so high that some customers have to wait a week for an appointment,” he said.
There used to be many such shops during the time of Imtiaz’s great-grandfather and grandfather, but most ceased to exist in the 1990s, when cheap, disposable ball pens hit the mass market in India.
Now, Imtiaz believes his Pen Hospital is the “only shop in eastern India” that still deals in the trade, which began to thrive again only a few years ago.
“Things started taking up after the COVID-19 pandemic. Long periods of lockdown forced many people to read and write, and people started coming with old fountain pens for repair,” he said. “Some people discovered vintage pens in their cupboards. They have not used them for decades.”
His shop has a special value for collectors like Sarthak Ganguly, a media professional, who has been visiting the Pen Hospital for almost 20 years.
“The Pen Hospital is the only place in Kolkata where you can look for some nice vintage pens,” he said.
“Here you will get a fountain pen that can cost you from $1.20 up to $1,200. Many fountain pen collectors, like me, have at least 1,000 old and new fountain pens. Most of my pens have been collected from the Pen Hospital.”
In a city like Kolkata, known as the cultural capital of India, writing with a pen brings together craftsmanship, style and a touch of nostalgia — something that younger people are increasingly fond of.
It is mostly the new generation of collectors that Ganguly sees at the shop in the morning.
“The young generation is buying fountain pens and that is really heartening,” he said.
“The Pen Hospital not only has nostalgic value, but also it is a pleasure to visit such an iconic shop. It reminds you of history.”
source: http://www.arabnews.com / Arab News / Home> World / by Sanjay Kumar / December 13th, 2023
Rana’s feat assumes significance in the wake of a rise in the number of drowning cases in the state.
Rana Fathima shows off her skills in the water
Kozhikode :
Rana Fathima, a five-year-old swimming prodigy hailing from Kodiyathoor panchayat, has been enchanting denizens on the internet with her skills in the water for some years now. Now, as a brand ambassador of ‘Neenthi vaa Makkale’, an initiative organised by Mukkam municipality to impart swimming lessons to students, she is a role model, inspiring youngsters in the panchayat to take up swimming.
Rana learned to swim in a small river in Thottumukham under the tutelage of her grandmother, Ramla Manaf. She is the daughter of journalist Rafeeque Thottumukham and Rifana.“It is important for children to learn how to swim. It’s equally important for parents to encourage their kids to come out of their cocoons. Mobile phones and television are adversely affecting the young generation. Children should stay close to nature,” Rafeeque said.
After her videos went viral, Rana was frequented by social media influencers, all eager to capture her story in greater detail. Rahul Gandhi, too, had paid her a visit on one of his trips to the state.
Rana’s feat assumes significance in the wake of a rise in the number of drowning cases in the state. “Most of the drowning cases happen during the vacation. People who take to the water bodies here do not heed our warnings. You might have prior experience in swimming, but the rivers here have strong currents. Even the native swimmers are scared to get down sometimes,” said Muralidharan C K, assistant station officer, Fire and Rescue Services, Mukkam.
In the past five years, around 41 people have died by drowning in the region. Most of them were youngsters aged 15-28.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Kerala / by Alka Mariya & Heera Hari / May 22nd, 2023
‘I invite any Indian who claims to be a nationalist to the core to have a conversation with me,’ Rana wrote for The Wire in 2017.
Munawwar Rana (1952-2024). Photo: Youtube
New Delhi:
Urdu poet Munawwar Rana died on Sunday, January 14. He was 71.
Rana, who had been suffering from throat cancer, breathed his last at the Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences in Lucknow.
The poet is survived by his wife, four daughters and a son, PTI has reported.
Rana was an outspoken artist and was vocal against communal politics.
In 2021, Lucknow police registered an FIR against him for allegedly inciting religious feelings for his comments on Valmiki, who wrote Ramayan.
“Valmiki became a god after he wrote the Ramayana, before that he was a dacoit. A person’s character can change. Similarly, the Taliban for now are terrorists but people and characters change…When you talk about Valmiki, you will have to talk about his past. In your religion, you make anyone god. But he was a writer who wrote the Ramayana, but we are not in competition here,” Rana had said.
In 2017, the poet, who wrote the famous Maa, wrote for The Wire:
“I invite any Indian who claims to be a nationalist to the core to have a conversation with me. Let him decide the time and place. If Allah wills it, they will emerge as traitors; and we will emerge as nationalist Indians. You say ‘Bharat Mata ki jai’. My friend, we kneel on earth and kiss this soil 94 times in veneration while offering our prayers.”
On social media, many have condoled his passing.
source: http://www.thewire.in / The Wire / Home> Books / by The Wire Staff / January 15th, 2024
Rukhsana Jabeen (Second from right) at a poetic symposium
Rukhsana Jabeen is one of the very few female litterateurs in Jammu and Kashmir who carved a niche in the Subcontinent’s vast domain of Urdu poetry at the intersection of the 20th and the 21st century. An overarching and unceasing armed insurgency, that muted all expressions in art and literature in the Valley failed to silence her for 33 years.
After serving All India Radio for over 30 years, Jabeen retired as a Director at Radio Kashmir Srinagar in 2015. The participation of a Kashmiri woman in the annual All India Mushaira on the eve of Republic Day or Independence Day was fatally proscribed by terrorists. Jabeen did so without break.
“Whatever came to my mind, I wrote and expressed without thinking a bit about its consequences”, Jabeen revealed to Awaz- the Voice at her winter residence in Jammu.
Born in a family of the decedents of the revered saint and Kashmiri-Persian poet Syed Meerak Shah Kashani in the Khwaja Bazar neighbourhood of downtown Srinagar in 1955, Jabeen did Master’s in Urdu followed by MA and M Phil in the Persian language and literature at the University of Kashmir. In 1983, she joined AIR Srinagar as a program executive.
Rukhsana Jabeen at a poetic symposium
“I was not the first woman to enter the station for an all-India job”, Jabeen said “but in our family setting it was like breaking the glass ceiling. Getting selected for the job in a tough patriarchal competition was like a big success for me. Knowing well that I wouldn’t be permitted to apply for it, I kept it all discreetly concealed from my family”.
“I was also selected as a teacher in the State Education Department. As my father learned about my getting a job at the AIR, he insisted I should join as a teacher. I agreed with him that the AIR officers could be transferred to any Indian State, but I lied that female officers were not posted outside their home States. Thereupon my family relented, and I joined as a program executive”, Jabeen said.
In 1994, Jabeen established AIR’s Poonch station close to the Line of Control in Jammu where she served for three years. In 1999, she was promoted to Assistant Station Director (ASD).
Unlike many of her tribe, Jabeen’s tryst with creative literature began late during her university days. A prominent Urdu poet and literary critic and the head of the Urdu Department, Prof. Hamidi Kashmiri, encouraged Jabeen to write prose and poetry in Urdu. “I was thrilled when Hamidi Sahab refined my first Ghazal and got it published in the annual edition of his department’s magazine ‘Baazyaft’. Under his tutelage, I learned about modern sensibility and the post-modernist literary trends”, Jabeen recalled.
Rukhsana Jabeen recording a radio programme
She narrated how affectionately some celebrated litterateurs like Hamidi at the University of Kashmir and Zubair Rizvi at Radio Kashmir Srinagar gave her select books and literary magazines to hone her talent and faculties as a creative writer.
“One day, incredulously I found five of my poems published together, alongside my profile, in Kumar Pashi’s journal ‘Satoor’. Later, Zubair Sahab disclosed that he had got the same published in the prestigious Urdu magazine. It was an incredible encouragement and my recognition as a poet. Thereafter, a number of my poems were published in the top representative journals like ‘Alfaaz’, ‘Shayir’, ‘Mafaheem’ and ‘Asri Agahi’. Hamidi Sahab and Zubair Sahab steered me to the extensive studies of Shaharyar, Rajinder Manchanda Bani, Nasir Kazmi, and Mohammad Alvi. I am still deeply under the influence of Mohammad Alvi and a few others”, Jabeen added.
Kishwar Naheed, Parveen Shakir, and Fahmida Riaz inspired Jabeen into some new experiments. She was initially also influenced by female Urdu litterateurs like Rafia Shabnam Abidi, Aziz Bano Darab Wafa, and Sajida Zaidi and later shared the stage with them at AIR and all-India poetry symposiums. For over three decades, Jabeen was a regular guest poet at Delhi’s Red Fort and other literary rendezvous, integrating a Sub-continental network of the intelligentsia and defying a hostile ambiance at home.
For several years, Jabeen translated poetry from 22 Indian languages into Kashmiri as a project of the Sahitya Akademi. She participated in many such all-India poetry symposiums at Varanasi and other Indian cities. She remained closely linked to top-notch Urdu poets like Shaharyar, Bashir Badr, Nida Fazli, Makhmoor Saeedi, Ali Sardar Jafri, Kaifi Azmi, Qateel Shifai, Ahmad Faraz besides literary critics like Shamsur Rahman Faruqi, Naiyer Masud and Malikzada Manzoor Ahmad.
“Many of them organized Mushairas in my honour at their homes. It was a unique recognition and hospitality as never before has anyone from Kashmir been entertained to such honours”, Jabeen said. “I invited many of these doyens of Urdu literature to our programmes at Radio Kashmir”.
Ghazal in Urdu and Kashmiri is Jabeen’s forte even as she also tried her pen at the popular genre of ‘Nazam’. “But I no love lost for blank verse and free verse. I believe those who can’t write in Urdu’s traditional meters have little right to write in free verse. Besides, I have seen how many of the aspirants, particularly females, get free verse written by others and read the same as their poetry. They perform such poor poetry at stage. Contrarily, nobody gives out a Ghazal. A Ghazal and Nazam writer is often an authentic poet”, Jabeen said.
In addition to volumes of the translation of short stories from different languages into Kashmiri and a translation of the collection of Hafiz Shirazi, which she accomplished with Dr. Syed Raza of Budgam, Jabeen has three of her collections—two in Urdu and one in Kashmiri—ready to publish.
“But I’m unbelievably indolent. I never get after awards and accolades. I can’t fulfill those formalities. Every year, I decided to publish these three volumes of my poetry but my laziness spoils my endeavour.”
source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Story / by Ahmed Ali Fayyaz, Jammu / January 14th, 2024
MILLIONS of people around the world benefit from interest-free baking. But, not many know that the scholar who made it possible within the context of the modern economic system left for his final abode on November 11 in San Jose, some 8,000 miles away from a small village in Northern India where he was born in Gorakhpur in 1931.
Dr. Muhammad Nejatullah Siddiqi left a legacy that will continue to help countless access interest-free loans to achieve their dreams. Nejat means salvation. Dr. Nejatullah’s work proved salvation to people who could not advance their financial growth in the highly competitive world due to a lack of capital. Who would have thought that growing up in colonial India, Dr. Nejat would surpass the peak of academic excellence and achieve professorship in two of the world’s most prestigious universities, the Muslim University of Aligarh and Kind Abdul Aziz University, Saudi Arabia. Indeed, education in British India was reluctant to open the door for an aspiring Muslim student to help develop the Islamic Development Bank, which has financed thousands of development projects worldwide.
But he did it with dedication, commitment, and desire to translate concepts into concrete programs to benefit people. He labored hard to author 63 significant books, hundreds of articles, and thousands of lectures worldwide while pioneering economics based on divine principles of justice and equity.
His most widely read book is “Banking without interest,” published in more than 30 editions between 1973 and 2022. His other works in English include Recent Theories of Profit: A Critical Examination (1971); Economic Enterprise in Islam (1972); Muslim Economic Thinking (1981); Banking Without Interest (1983); Issues in Islamic banking: selected papers (1983); Partnership and profit-sharing in Islamic law (1985); Insurance in an Islamic Economy (1985); Teaching Economics in Islamic Perspective (1996); Role of State in Islamic Economy (1996); Dialogue in Islamic Economics (2002) and Islam’s View on Property (1969). He received two major awards for his work: King Faisal International Prize for service to Islamic Studies and Shah Waliullah Award for his contribution to Islamic Economics.
Describing the future of Islamic Economics, he wrote in 2013 that the changing world would call for five strategic changes in approach: Family rather than the market as the starting point in economic analysis; Cooperation playing a more significant role in the economy, complementing competition; Debts playing a subsidiary rather than the dominant role in financial markets; Interest and interest-bearing instruments playing no part in money creation and monetary management; and, lastly, Maqasid based thinking supplanting analogical reasoning in Islamic economic jurisprudence. In what follows, I’d like to discuss these points to help you get in touch with these challenging propositions.
He wrote about his involvement in Islamic economics.
“I have been involved in Islamic economics most of my life. At school, however, I studied science subjects but switched to economics, Arabic, and English literature for my BA degree at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), which I joined in 1949. My reading habit influenced my decision. I was devoted to al-Hilal and al-Balagh magazines, published under Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (1888–1958), poet, critic, thinker, and one of the great leaders of the Independence Movement. I also read al-Tableegh and was influenced by the Deobandi scholar Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanawi (1863–1943), the author of the famous book on belief and correct conduct (for women), Heavenly Ornaments. And as most young people of my age and time, I studied the works of Maulana Abul Ala Maududi (1903–1979). Two of Maududi’s pieces deeply impacted me: lectures at Nadwatul Ulama, Lucknow, and a scheme he proposed to Aligarh Muslim University, both in the mid-1940s, later published in a collection titled Taleemat. Under the influence of these ulama – religious scholars – I abandoned science and the engineering career I had planned. Instead, I wanted to learn Arabic, gain direct access to Islamic sources, and discover how modern life and Islamic teachings interacted. I stuck to this mission, even though I had to take several detours stretching over six years – to Sanwi Darsgah e Jamaat e Islami, Rampur, and Madrasatul Islah in Saraimir before I arrived eventually at Aligarh to earn a Ph.D. in economics.
The years spent in Rampur and Saraimir were full of lively interaction with Ulama. We spent most of our time discussing the Qur’an, the traditions of the Prophet, commentaries on the Qur’an, fiqh (jurisprudence), and usul-e-fiqh, or principles of jurisprudence. That this happened in the company of young men my age, fired by the same zeal, was an added advantage. We had each chosen a subject – political science, philosophy, economics – that we thought would enhance our understanding of modern life. We combined modern secular and old-religious learning to produce something that would right what was wrong with the world. We received a warm welcome from Zakir Hussain (1897–1969), the former President of India, then Vice-Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University; Mohammad Aaqil Saheb, Professor of Economics at Jamia Milliyah Islamia, Delhi; and by eminent teachers at Osmania University in Hyderabad.
Our mission was to introduce Islamic ideas to economics. These were at three levels:
A background provided by Islam’s worldview places economic matters in a holistic framework.
A set of goals for individual behavior and monetary policy,
Norms and values, resulting in appropriate institutions.
Maududi argued that this exercise performed in critical social sciences would pave the way for progress toward an ‘Islamic society. I was fully sold on the idea. We were also influenced by the extraordinary times through which Islam and Muslims were passing worldwide. Islam was ‘re-emerging’ after three centuries of colonization which was preceded by another three centuries of stagnation and intellectual atrophy. The great depression had just exposed capitalism’s darker side, and Russian-sponsored socialism was enlisting sympathizers. We thought Islam had a chance if only a convincing case could be made.
Dr. Nejatullah Siddiqi devoted an entire book to the Objectives of Shariah (Maqasid Shariah). He did not agree with those writers who insisted on the five categories of objectives mentioned by al-Ghazali, claiming that many other purposes come under them in one way or another. He suggested more goals to be added beside and beyond the five mentioned above, such as honor and dignity of humankind, fundamental freedom, justice and equity, poverty alleviation, sustenance for all, social equality, bridging the gap between the rich and the poor, peace and security, preservation of system, and cooperation at the world level. He supports his stand by various verses of the Qur’an and the sayings of the Prophet, especially in dealing with the non-Muslims.”
Dr. Siddiqi surveyed the history of the idea of Shariah objectives. To him, the concept of Shariah objectives has existed from the very beginning of Islamic history. But it was al-Juwayni (d. 478/1085) who first used the term, from whom his disciple al-Ghazali (d. 505/1111) took it and divided it into five categories: Protection of religion, life, reason, progeny, and property. Ibn Taymiyah (d. 728H/1328) introduced the protection of dignity in place of progeny. He also argued that objectives should not be limited to the protection from haram (forbidden) but should include securing benefits. Thus, the number would be unrestricted to five objectives. Ibn al-Qayyim followed the suit of his teacher, Ibn Taymiyah, and included justice among the objectives. He examined the opinions of al-Shatibi (d. 790/1389), Shah Wali Allah al- Dihlawi (d. 1172/1763), and a quick survey of the contemporary literature.
At 91, when he breathed his last in this mortal world surrounded by his life-long partner, three sons, and two daughters, Dr. Nejat had already achieved what only a few chosen ones achieved. He ensured perpetual reward from his creator for his contributions to bringing millions into the fold of economic growth. As a result, marginalized people who lagged because of the lack of capital are in the process of building a stable financial life. Dr. Nejatullah turned concepts of divine justice and equity into practical reality. When he started his work on Islamic banking, there was hardly an institution applying religious principles; now, there are over 500 Islamic banks and thousands of other non-interest-bearing financial institutions. His legacy is there to stay and benefit people worldwide. His work has turned him into a legend, and the future generation would rightly call him the father of modern Islamic banking. His nephew, Dr. Ahmadullah Siddiq, Professor of Media Studies in Illinois, said, “It is not a loss of a family, but a loss of a generation that always looked at uncle Nejatullah as a shining source of inspiration.”
Academic honours
Awarded King Faisal International Prize for Islamic Studies, 1982.
American Finance House Award, 1993
Ph.D. in Economics from Aligarh Muslim University, India, 1966.
Arabic and Islamic learning from Rampur, India, 1954.
Work experience
Professor of Economics, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, from October 1978 to the present.
Professor of Islamic Studies, Aligarh Muslim University, India, from 1977 to 1978. (On leave from AMU from 1978 to 1983)
Reader (Associate Professor) in Economics, Aligarh Muslim University, India, from 1975 to 1976.
Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in Economics, Aligarh Muslim University, India, from 1961 to 1974.
Supervised several Ph.D. dissertations at Aligarh University, Ummul Qura University, Makkah, Imam Saud University, Riyadh, and Sokoto University, Nigeria.
Editorial and Advisory positions
Member, Editorial Board, Journal of King Abdulaziz University: Islamic Economics, Jeddah from 1983 to present.
Member International Board, Review of Islamic Economics, International Association of Islamic Economics, Leicester, U.K. from 1991 to present.
Member, Advisory Board, Islamic Economic Studies, Islamic Research, and Training Institute, Islamic Development Bank, Jeddah.
Member, Board of Trustees, AAOIFI (Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions, Bahrain) 1999 –
Member, Editorial Board, IQTISAD Journal of Islamic Economics, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, 1999
Member, Advisory Editorial Board, The American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences, AMSS & IIIT, U.S.A. from 1985 to 1991.
Member, Advisory Board of the Journal, Humonomics, Toronto, Canada from 1985 to Present.
Member, Advisory Board, MASS, Journal of Islamic Sciences, Aligarh, India, from 1985 to 1997.
Editor, Islamic Thought, Aligarh, 1954-1959.
List of published books
English
1. Economics, an Islamic Approach, The Islamic Foundation, Leicester, U.K. 1999
2. Teaching Economics in Islamic Perspective, Centre for Research in Islamic Economics, KAAU, Jeddah, 1996
3. Role of the State in the Economy, The Islamic Foundation, Leicester, U.K, 1996
4. Insurance in an Islamic Economy, The Islamic Foundation, Leicester, U.K. 1985
5. Partnership and Profit-Sharing in Islamic Law. The Islamic Foundation, Leicester, U.K. 1985
6. Banking Without Interest, The Islamic Foundation, Leicester, U.K. 1983
7. Issues in Islamic Banking. The Islamic Foundation, Leicester, U.K. 1983
8. Muslim Economic Thinking. The Islamic Foundation, Leicester, U.K. 1981
9. Contemporary Literature on Islamic Economics, The Islamic Foundation, Leicester, U.K. 1978
10. Economic Enterprise in Islam, Markazi Maktaba Islami, Delhi, India. 1972
11. Some Aspects of the Islamic Economy, Markazi Maktaba Islami, Delhi, India. 1972
12. Muslim Personal Law (Edited), Markazi Maktaba Islami, Delhi, India. 1972
13. Recent Theories of Profit: A Critical Examination. Asia Publishing House, Bombay, India. 1971
N.B: Some of these books have also been published in Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Indonesian, Malay, Hindi, and Bengali languages.
Urdu
1. Tahreek Islami Asr Hazir Men (Contemporary Islamic Movement). 1995 Markazi Maktaba Islami, Delhi, India.
2. Quran awr Science (Excerpts from Syed Qutb’s Tafsir with a detailed Introduction). 1978 Markazi Maktaba Islami, Delhi, India.
3. Nash’at Saniyah Ki Rah (Towards Islamic Renaissance) 1974 Markazi Maktaba Islami, Delhi, India.
4. Insurance Islami Ma’ishat Men (Insurance in Islamic Economy). 1974 Markazi Maktaba Islami, Delhi, India.
5. Ghair Sudi Bank Kari (Interest Free Banking) 1969 Markazi Maktaba Islami, Delhi, India.
6. Shirkat awr Mudarabat Ke Shar’i Usul (Sharia Principles of Partnership and Profit-Sharing). 1969 Markazi Maktaba Islami, Delhi, India.
7. Islam Ka Nazarriyah Milkiyat (2 Vols.) (Islam’s Theory of Property). 1969 Islamic Publications, Lahore, Pakistan.
8. Islam Ka Nizam-e-Mahasil (Translation of Abu Yusuf’s Kitab al Kharaj).1966 Islamic Publications, Lahore, Pakistan.
9. Islam Men `Adl-e-Ijtimat’i (Translation of Syed Qutb’s al `Adalah al Ijtimaiyah fi’l Islam). 1963 Islamic Publications, Lahore, Pakistan.
10. Islami Adab (edited) (Islami Literature) 1960 Markazi Maktaba Islami, Delhi, India.
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Dr Aslam Abdullah is an Indian American writer and activist.
source: http://www.clarionindia.net / Clarion India / Home> Features> Indian Muslim / by Dr. Aslam Abdullah / November 14th, 2022
Much before India was swept off its feet by big-screen spectacles such as ‘Baahubali’, ‘RRR’ and now the upcoming ‘Aadipurush’, Aamir Raza Husain was the creative powerhouse who gave us our earliest experience of a mega theatrical production in ‘The Fifty Day War’, which till the year 2000 had not been replicated on any stage in either scale or vision.
On Saturday, June 3, Husain, 66, passed on, leaving behind a legacy of memorable stage productions.
He is survived by his wife and creative partner, Viraat Talwar, whom he met when she was a student of Lady Shri Ram College and had come to audition for a play (‘Dangerous Liaison’), and their two sons.
If ‘The Fifty Day War’ narrated the Kargil story on a scale that had not been attempted by anyone with an original Indian script on an Indian stage (Alyque Padamsee did something similar with Andrew Lloyd Weber’s ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’, but then, it was not an original production), ‘The Legend of Ram’, which was staged on a smaller scale in 1994, became the gold standard for theatrical spectacles when it was relaunched in 2004.
The production of ‘The Legend of Ram’ involved 19 outdoor sets spread over three acres and a cast of 35 actors playing different characters drawn from the epic, and a 100-member technical crew. The last show was staged in front of the then President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, on May 1, 2004.
Husain was born into an aristocratic Awadhi family on January 6, 1957. His parents were divorced — his father, whom be barely saw was an engineer with Bechtel and set up the water works of Mecca-Medina — so he was brought up by his mother and her family — in the days of the British Raj they presided over a little principality named Pirpur.
He went to Mayo College, Ajmer, and after he completed his schooling, he read History at St Stephen’s College, where he acted in several college plays under the direction of such legends as Joy Michael, Barry John and Marcus Murch. It was an early start to a career devoted to English theatre and his company, Stagedoor Productions, which became known to lift ordinary theatre to the realm of the spectacular since 1974.
Husain did appear in two films — in ‘Kim’ (1984), based on Rudyard Kipling’s novel, with Peter O’Toole playing the lead, and Shashanka Ghosh’s romantic comedy drama, ‘Khubsoorat’ (2014), starring Sonam Kapoor and Fawad Khan — but he was wedded to theatre.
Over the years he produced several plays staged at outdoor locations — ‘Sare Jahan Se Achcha’, ‘1947 Live’ and ‘Satyamev Jayate’, which was staged along the backdrop of the 14th-century Hauz Khas monument, in Delhi in 1999.
Previously in 1998, Husain and his troupe, in collaboration with Delhi Tourism, organised the Chaudvin ka Chand festival on a 2-km stretch between the Red Fort and Fatehpuri Mosque in Chandni Chowk in the neighbourhood now celebrated as Dilli-6.
With 91 productions and more than 1,100 performances behind him, and a Padma Shri awarded to him in 2001, Hussain spent his last years developing the Qila next to the Select CityWalk mall in South Delhi’s historic Saket neighbourhood.
Like all things bearing the Husain stamp, the Qila has emerged as a co-working space where corporates and creative souls work under one roof to incubate business ideas or the next big theatre production.
Unfortunately for Husain, as he lamented in a recent interview, theatre remains a hobby, or at best a second profession in India, but fortunately, thanks to the efforts of pioneers like him, it is by no means wallowing in poverty. Far from that being the case, it has become the nursery of the best and brightest in cinema. — IANS
source: http://www.clarionindia.net / Clarion India / Home / by Clarion India / June 03rd, 2023
Mir Shakeel Ur Rahman and Amal Ahmed have broken records and achieved several personal ambitions during their adventures. (Supplied)
The couple set out on their first discovery ride after the coronavirus pandemic, traveling around Saudi Arabia
Later, Ahmed became the first Saudi woman to ride across the Himalayas, the world’s highest mountain range
A Saudi-Indian husband and wife team have been clocking up the miles in a round-the-world odyssey — on motorbikes.
And during their road trips, adventurers Mir Shakeel Ur Rahman and Amal Ahmed have broken records and achieved several personal ambitions.
The couple set out on their first discovery ride after the coronavirus pandemic, traveling around Saudi Arabia to areas including Makkah, Jazan, Abha, Hail, Riyadh, Dammam, and Al-Ahsa, before exploring other countries.
Later, Ahmed became the first Saudi woman to ride across the Himalayas, the world’s highest mountain range. “It was an unbelievable moment, and I will not forget it,” she said.
Her husband said: “This was a great achievement for a Saudi woman during the 92nd national day for Saudi Arabia and I was happy to see her flying the Saudi flag on the top.”
The pair’s shared passion for biking has transformed their lives.
Rahman, originally from the south Indian city of Hyderabad, has been working in the Kingdom for 30 years in the field of navigation air services.
He said: “In India, the first thing you learn is how to ride a motorcycle. Me and my sister used to steal our father’s bike while he was sleeping. So, that was the time when I became obsessed with motorcycling.
“It has been a passion since I was young, and I have been all over the world.”
Soon after moving to Makkah in 1993, he bought his first motorcycle — a Honda 70. “I was happy with my first bike and very pleased to continue my passion here in Saudi Arabia,” he added.
Until meeting Rahman, Ahmed had never considered riding a motorbike.
“As a Saudi woman, I used to travel by plane, car, or train, and never thought I would travel on a motorcycle until I met my husband in Jeddah. He convinced me, despite my fear, that riding was something anyone could enjoy,” she added.
For her birthday last year, Rahman surprised his wife with a new Honda Gold Wing touring bike. The couple — who married five years ago — now have three motorcycles, including a classic Harley-Davidson, and a Kawasaki.
Ahmed said: “We started riding on a two-seater bike around Jeddah with other groups and then took off to several places in the Kingdom. Our first regional trip was to Ras Al-Khaimah in the UAE. It was a great experience.”
The couple regularly post videos online which have gathered quite a following.
“As a long-time rider, I have been everywhere in the world but didn’t document my adventures until my wife created our accounts on various platforms,” Rahman said.
Ahmed added: “I wanted to make it a very important part of our life and we really received positive reactions from our followers. Our goal is to spread happiness and smiles to our followers.”
The biking duo next plan to journey to Kashmir.
source: http://www.arabnews.com / Arab News / Home> Saudi Arabia> Lifestyle / by Saleh Fareed / January 09th, 2024
Safin Mustafa from Mangaluru made an entry into the Noble Book of World Records for floating on water for 2 hours 30 minutes and 13 seconds, on Saturday January 13.
The previous best was by Karanam Snehit Simha of Andhra Pradesh in 2023, who clocked 2 hours 21 minutes 53 seconds.
The record breaking event was held at the swimming pool of Prestige International School, Jeppinamogaru here in the wee hours of Saturday. The 14 year old Safin is class 8 student of Prestige International School, one of the reputed educational institutions in the city.
Displaying the clock to the reporters, Safin said that he was coached by Aromal A S. He also thanked the teachers and the management of Prestige International School for their support and guidance in making the achievement.
Speaking to media, coach Aromal said, “Unexpectedly, I discovered swimming talent in Safin. During the learning phase, he demonstrated remarkable proficiency, comfortably swimming for 15-30 minutes. Inspired, I extended his training hours, and today he has set a world record. I am thrilled by his performance and incredibly proud of him.”
Expressing his joy over Safin’s world record, Haider Ali, chairman, Prestige International School said, “The management, staff and students of our school are proud of Safin Mustafa. He is the icon for us all. Our institution always supports and encourages the students to exhibit and to be experts in their talents. Along with academics, the generation should enjoy their age and climb heights in their fields of interest.”
Safin’s parents Abdul Lathif and Safiya Banu, officials of Noble Book of World Records, witnessed the record breaking moment.
source: http://www.daijiworld.com / DaijiWorld.com / Home> Top Stories / by DaijiWorld Media Network -Mangaluru (SB) / pix by Dayanand Kukkaje / January 13th, 2024
Senior Congress leader and former state minister T H Mustafa died on Sunday at a private hospital here due to multiple age-related ailments.
He was 82 and is survived by wife and eight children, family sources said.
Mustafa was a former Food Minister in the K Karunakaran cabinet and a five-time legislator. He was undergoing treatment for various ailments at the private hospital where he breathed his last at 5.43 AM, hospital sources told PTI.
Leaders cutting across party lines condoled Mustafa’s demise.
Kerala Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said Mustafa had left his mark on the public life of Kerala as a minister, a legislator and a Congress leader.
Leader of Opposition in the state assembly, V D Satheesan, said Mustafa strengthened the Congress and led it well in Ernakulam district.
KPCC chief K Sudhakaran termed Mustafa’s demise as a ‘great loss’ to the party.
”He has played a major role in strengthening the Congress party in Ernakulam District. He was a great orator and an organiser. He used to help anyone who approached him, without considering their politics or religion,” Sudhakaran said.
With the demise of T H Mustafa, Congress lost a strong leader, AICC General Secretary in charge of Organisation, K C Venugopal, said in a statement. Venugopal noted that Mustafa rose to prominence in the Congress party through the Youth Congress.
”His immense contribution helped in the growth of Congress in the district. He supported the party by even selling his own property,” Venugopal said.
Mustafa was the Ernakulam District Congress Committee President for 14 years and functioned as KPCC General Secretary and KPCC Vice President.
source: http://www.english.varthabharati.in / Vartha Bharati / Home> India / by Vartha Bharati / January 14th, 2024
In the intricate maze of poets, meeting a ‘lady Shayari’ is unique, for while there are many, most of them hide behind scenic curtains; they are brimming with talent but too shy to step out. Meeting Rafat Akhtar ‘Rafat’ was, therefore, an enchanting experience.
Born and raised in Kolkata, the City of Joy, as Rafat calls it, she says that even as a child she was quite sensitive. She captured philosophical moments in life and drew in the rich vibes of nature to weave out her Shayaris in a time to come, much later.
She told Awaz-the Voice, “At a young age, I loved reading Urdu story books and words formed rich suggestions for me. Many vivid powerful words flew through my head during the day, but I never sat down to put them on paper until much later, and then I started to capture my thoughts in a cherished diary. My pen is my best friend; I share my feelings and observations with my pen and whenever I write, I feel relaxed.”
After her marriage and the birth of her daughters, life was busy with the swirl of housework and tending to her children. Time was precious and she had no moments of her own to spare for her writing. As the years rolled by and her daughters grew up, one working and the other in school, Rafat started to feel a deep void in her life.
This time, she knew she needed to do something to fill that emptiness and came to a realization that she was neglecting writing her Shayari which was her inborn gift. At that defining moment, she decided to start writing again.
With a few trembling steps, not very confident about how it would go, she penned down her first Poem ShayariAlfaaz rooh hoti hai Jismo me chupi har jazbo’n ki rooh, har aawaz ki rooh shared it with her family. All those who received it were delighted. In that magnificent moment, her husband loved it; her mother was ecstatic and her two daughters cheered her. Her extended family also was enraptured by her first Shayari.
A poem by Riafar Akhtar Rafat
From then on, Rafat weaved her pathway higher on poetry. Her first published poem was in a Writing App in 2018.
One big event in her literary life was when the admin of the famous Taajira – The Businesswoman Group Rukshi Kadiri Elias allowed her to conduct the whole Mushaira (justuju e sukhan) in 2022. Rafat was particularly rejuvenated with this event after the long depressive draining aftermaths of COVID-19 which had the world shuttered in behind locked doors. That sense of purpose and joy was coming back to her life with a sparkle in her eyes and a spring in her steps.
With her heart stirred and supportive people clapping her on, it made the way easier before her, she was drawn deeper into the world of Shayari.
Here are a few snapshots of her most brilliant poems:
Her most famous Poem is Ae nabz e wujood, tujhe shikwa na jaane magar kis baat ka hai.
She says that a poet’s soul is so sensitive that they will see every side of a situation and they also react more strongly to injustice. She wrote a soul-stirring Shayari,
“Aurat Hona Bhi Kamal Hai” after reading about an atrocity inflicted on a woman:
Lagta hai ek laq daq sa sahra hai
Aur mein nange paao’n chal rahi hoon
Har taraf tapish hai
Pyaas ki shiddat hai
Na koi jazbaat sunne wala
Na koi lahje ki narmi hai
Magar phir bhi mujhe chalte jaana hai...
Rafat Akhtar Rafat
She names some of her favourite poets. Mirza Ghalib famed for his sublime Shayari nd one line from the greatest poet, in particular, stands out, “You will reach your destination even by roaming around but the lost are those who are not getting out of home”. Her other favourites are Allama Iqbal whose Urdu poetry is considered to be among the greatest of the 20th century, Faiz Ahmad Faiz – considered the iconic voice of an era, with his revolutionary zeal tugging hearts – Bollywood’s famed Urdu poet and screenwriter Gulzar with his stunning imaginative and emotional appeal that dynamically hits the crowds, and Ahmad Faraz’s rich poetry. She also is inspired by Urdu writers such as Umaira Ahmad, Nimra Ahmad, and Khaled Hosseini to name just a few.
With warm emotion ringing in her voice, Rafat tells me that her late father was an angel and it was because of him that she was able to complete her graduation and shares how blessed she is to have a very nurturing family from all sides.
Rafat does bring up the point that it was initially a struggle to bring out her Shayari publically because these are viewed negatively by some people in the Islamic community. However, society is slowly evolving and understanding it is not evil nor is it against Islam. It was a bright moment for her when on December 17, 2023; she attended a huge Shayari event in Kolkata of over 500 people half of whom were women. She has also attended massive international Shayari programs with participants from Egypt, London, Mumbai, and other parts of the world and India. These mega-events charged with the electric power of poetry give glimpses of a new rising renaissance.
Rafat is now excited about her new upcoming book, Hurf e Yaqeen. All her Shayaris are inspired by the school of life and nature, graced with a strong imagination to guide readers to the road of reality which makes her poetry more comprehensible and relational to her audience.
She believes in a purpose-driven life and as she tells me, “I still have very far to go; I still have to achieve greater heights.” Rafat will certainly go far in her poetry flight to motivate a new generation as she says, “My vision is to encourage and inspire my readers.” Rafat is still a busy mother and she says, “Taking care of my family and my kids are my priority” and amid her heavy schedules and responsibilities, she keeps on writing.
Rita Farhat Mukand is a Siliguri-based independent writer.
source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Story / by Rita Farhat Mukund / December 20th, 2023
