Category Archives: Arts, Culture & Entertainment

Dr Khalid Siddiqui selected for Lifetime Achievement Award

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Leaders, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

NEW DELHI :

New Delhi:

Former Director General Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine (CCRUM) Dr Mohammed Khalid Siddiqui has been selected for Life Time Achievement Award on the occasion of World Urdu Day. World Urdu day is celebrated every year on November 9 on the occasion of the birth anniversary of the poet of the east Dr Allama Iqbal by Urdu Development Organisation and United Muslim of India.

This year the function will be held at Ghalib Academy. The programme will be presided over by veteran journalist Jalaluddin Aslam.

National convener World Urdu Day Dr Syed Ahmed Khan told that those who have been selected for the award are Dr Azizullah Sheerani for Munshi Prem Chand Award for constructive literature, Moin Shadab Delhi for Hafeez Meerathi Award for poetry, Dr Razaur Rahman Aakif Sumbhuli for Maulana Ismail Meerathi award for children’s literature and Dr Imran Andaleeb for Qazi Adeel Abbasi award for literature.

source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> India> News / by Rasia Hashmi / September 24th, 2018

A walk in the clouds

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Travel & Tourism, , , ,

Alipura Village (near Gauribidanaur &, Bengaluru, KARNATAKA :

It was the most uplifting experience of their lives. Two young Muslim couples from Alipura village near Gauribidanur in Karnataka got married in a helicopter yesterday, thereby creating a first of sorts. “It was a combination of the two best experiences of my life: getting married and flying in the air,” said Zameen Abbas, one of the two bridegrooms, after he returned to the ground. The two teenage brides had to content themselves with just watching the whole show from terra firma.

Alipura is actually a small village with a large Muslim population. Most of its residents had never even seen a flying vehicle of any kind, even at election time when politicians like S Bangarappa zip around merrily in choppers. So the drama unfolding before their eyes brought out a record turnout from all the surrounding areas, and gave captain Jayanth Pooviah a few unpleasant moments as he tried to navigate around spectators.

The whole project was thought up by Abbas’s elder brother Kareem, a chilly wholesaler of Alipura. Kareem’s grandfather had had an elephant brought into Alipura for his wedding half a century ago, and had been known ever since as ‘Aane Sahibru’ (lord of the elephants.)

The story goes, in the village, that so many other young bridegrooms demanded the same pachyderm procession for their weddings that the original elephant, which Kareem’s grandfather had brought from Mysore, permanently made its home in Alipura!

Kareem himself had an elephant procession to mark his marriage some time ago. However, he decided that it was time his family created history again, and so he came up with this novel idea to mark the joint celebration of the marriages of his brother and sister. He approached Deccan Aviation, an aircraft charter firm in Bangalore that frequently advertises its availability for offbeat uses of this kind.

“When he first came to me some months ago, I thought that he was playing a practical joke on me,” says Vijay Athreye, general manager of Deccan Aviation. “Still, I told him to pick a Sunday as we are a little freer on that day and could offer him a better price. Sure enough, he came back a fortnight ago with a serious offer and the marriage date of December 13. Our rate per hour is over Rs 50,000. But when we realised that he genuinely could not afford that price, we cut our rates down by almost half.”

Kareem finally got himself a deal at Rs 30,000 for what took almost two hours. He was to report at the Jakkur helipad of Deccan Aviation before 1500 hours on Sunday, December 13, ready for take-off.

The aviation company promptly informed the local media, and even asked Kareem to accommodate a couple of television reporters on the helicopter, which was to fly almost empty to Alipura. An excited Kareem, turned out neatly in a shiny, new suit, clutching a plastic bag full of jasmines in his sweating hands, agreed readily.

A representative of the aviation company went to Alipura a few days earlier, marked out space for a helipad and had the area cleared by enthusiastic villagers. The local police were also informed, and asked to cordon off the helipad. As the chopper descended, Kareem scattered jasmines over the heads of the waiting marriage party and spectators. The helicopter came down with aplomb and was examined carefully by waiting villagers for a half hour as its engine had to cool off before the next flight. Rest time over, the maulvis, the two bridegrooms the fathers of the brides all crowded into the aircraft and took off into the air.

Pooviah circled the village carefully, in full view of the assembly, as the maulvis recited their prayers and conducted the wedding ceremony. “I could not really see what they were doing as I was too busy flying carefully,” he said later, talking to Rediff On The NeT. “I have flown a birthday party in the air some months ago, but this ceremony was so fascinating that it really took the cake!”

Wedding over, he circled the village a little more to allow the bridal party to enjoy the scenery and then brought them back to earth.

A grand wedding spread of biryani and sweets followed. “I have never seen anything like this,” remarked Abdul J, an elderly bystander. “How much did it all cost? Kareem told us that it was almost Rs 100,000.” Added another spectator: “Some more of us might like to repeat this exercise for weddings in our family, you see…”

A stony-faced Pooviah, who had already been sworn to secrecy by Kareem, made some non-committal noises. The women in purdah,who were clustered in a group nearby, took in the unfolding drama from a discreet distance, and the two brides refused to face the television cameras without their veils. The stuttering bridegrooms gasped out a few excited reactions. And then it was time to leave, at least for the two newly married couples and the helicopter.

The ecstatic couples boarded the craft along with aviation company Managing Director C R Gopinath and Pooviah. As they took the half hour trip back to Bangalore, Gopinath urged the veiled brides to look out of the chopper and see the passing scenery, a suggestion that they accepted with alacrity. It was over all too soon for them.

Pooviah gave them a further small aerial tour of the parts of the city close to Jakkur and then returned to his helipad. The young couples alighted quickly and were whisked into a waiting car, which took them off to spend their wedding night in a five-star hotel. However, when this Rediff On The NeT tried to contact them at the hotel later in the evening for a more leisurely chat, the hotel staff said that no such couples were registered with them!

Gopinath and Pooviah sat back in their comfortable office, sipping cups of hot sweet tea to make up for the wedding repast that they had had to forego, and talking to returning journalists, most of whom took local buses back to Bangalore.

The words of the modest, simply dressed Kareem, spoken a few hours earlier, still hung in the air. “Why should only the affluent jetsetters have experiences like this?” he had asked. “Ordinary people like us should also prove that it is possible for us to make our dreams come true.”

source: http://www.rediff.com / rediff.com / Home> News> Report / by M D Ritti – Bangalore / December 14th, 1998

Playback singer Mohammed Aziz dies at 64

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, , , , , ,

Guma, North 24 Parganas, WEST BENGAL / Mumbai, MAHARASHTRA :

His popular songs include My Name is Lakhan, Mere Do Anmol Ratan and Aap Ke Aa Jane Se.

Mohammed Aziz/Facebook
Mohammed Aziz/Facebook

Playback singer Mohammed Aziz died in Mumbai on Tuesday after suffering a cardiac arrest. He was 64.

The singer’s daughter Sana Aziz said he had collapsed at the Mumbai airport while returning from Kolkata where he had performed at a show, reported The Indian Express. He died at Mumbai’s Nanavati Hospital.

Aziz made his singing debut in Bengali film Jyoti. He got a big break when Anu Malik offered him the chance to sing a song for Mard (1985) starring Amitabh Bachchan.

Aziz had been a part of the music industry for over three decades and worked as a playback singer in Bollywood, Odia and Bengali movies. His popular songs include My Name is Lakhan, Mere Do Anmol Ratan, Aap Ke Aa Jane Se, Main Teri Mohabbat Main and Dil Le Gayi Teri Bindiya.

Aziz frequently worked with music directors Laxmikant-Pyarelal, RD Burman, and Anu Malik.

source: http://www.scroll.in / Scroll.in / Home> The Latest> Passing On / by Scroll Staff / November 27th, 2018

The REEL collector: Poonam Rahim owns the largest collection of Malayalam film prints

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, , , , , , ,

Thrissur, KERALA :

PoonamRahim01MPOs27nov2018

With possibly the largest collection of Malayalam film prints, Poonam Rahim played a vital role in Kerala’s unique film distribution market

For those of us who grew up in the 70s and 80s, POONAM RAHIM 16 MM (and a telephone number) was a familiar sight, blazing out from all imaginable surfaces.

It was seen on crumbled walls, electric posts, sides of KSRTC buses and even on heaps of waste. And no one knew what the words meant.

Until they saw a 16 mm film screening at their local festival ground. The projector spluttering the light beam, which carried the images of Prem Nazir and Sheela and Sathyan and Sarada on to the white cloth stretched out in front. The name appeared on the print, ‘Contact Poonam Rahim for 16 mm projectors and film screening.’

It will not be hyperbole to say that it was Poonam Rahim, the Cinema Man of Thrissur, who brought cinema out into the open ground from the confines of the theatres. The 16 mm revolution that he had sparked off in Kerala during the 1970s created a unique distributing market for the films that is still very much alive. And, down the years, Rahim has become the owner of one of the largest collections of Malayalam film prints.

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Unique advertisement
  • For advertisement- the stencil images- Rahim used to employ a team of four persons. They would travel on a jeep seeking out the dirtiest corners and junk heaps for painting the stencils. And the logic – “No one would bother to overwrite in such corners!”
  • It was those stenciled ads which established his 16 mm projectors in the mindscape of Malayalis, Rahim believes.

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More than 400 original prints are stacked up along the shelves in his storehouse in Thrissur. Researchers on Malayalam cinema seek him out. Those who want to screen footage from the old black and white films also approach him. He provides footage of old films to be used in the production of new movies, like in Blessy’s Mammotty-starrer Kazhcha, that told the story of a 16 mm film operator.

And he can rattle off the complete history of Malayalam film industry right from the 60s in a jiffy. No wonder, as he was smitten by the film bug at a very young age.

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Born in Kattoor, near Irinjalakuda in Thrissur district, Rahim’s school days were mostly spent lapping up the latest films that were released in Irinjalakuda’s two theatres – Pioneer and Konni. As his academic records plunged, the familypacked him off to his father who was running a provision store in Bhilai.

Rahim soon realised that he was not cut out to run a provision store. The world of films drew him on. And in no time the young boy formed a tie-up with the local distributor of Malayalam films. KT Abdulla was a relative of the famed producer TK Pareekutty of Chandrathara Films.

At first, the boy took the film boxes to cities like Korba, Chappa, Bilaspur, Jagdishpur and so on. Soon he started direct distribution rather than pay rent to Abdulla. And he named his enterprise as ‘Poonam Films.’ It was a random pick, as ‘Poonam’ was a popular name in North India.

As his very orthodox father never approved of cinema, Rahim was almost thrown out of the provision store.Rahim took a train to Chennai, the film capital of south India, armed only with the address of Bharat Film Corporation, one of the largest film distribution companies there. He had found the address on the film boxes.

Chennai did not open too many doors.

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Chase Films
  • In the 1900s, continuity of action across successive shots was achieved and the first close-up shot was introduced.Most films of this period were what came to be called “chase films.” The first feature length multi-reel film was a 1906 Australian production.

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Then Rahim had that life changing encounter, with a Marwari film distributor who offered the print and distribution rights in Kerala of Arappavan, the Sathyan-starrer Malayalam film directed by K Shankar. Paying ₹ 2,000 for the print and six posters along with the distribution rights for Kerala, Rahim boarded the train to Thrissur, where he had no contacts. Within no time, Rahim opened his office in Everest Hotel, which was a kind of hub for film distributors. Most of the rooms in that hotel were, however, rented by Kathaprasangam artistes, Rahim noticed, who would be camping there during their December – March season.

“Kathaprasangam artistes were stars in those days. Even average performers had a rate of ₹700 per show, while for stars like Aryad Gopi, it was ₹1000. I’d get a commission of ₹50.” Soon he became a full-fledged agent for Kathaprasangam.

Kathaprasangam quickly gave way to professional drama. “Drama was in high demand and the companies could not meet the demand. Often I’d to arrange two shows of the same play on the same day in different venues. Suppose the first show started at 8 pm, the second show would be scheduled at 10 pm. Naturally, the second show would be delayed as the troupe took time to travel. However, people would wait patiently as this was the only source entertainment available and was a big event. But we needed a stop-gap entertainment.”

It was into this vacant lot that Rahim brought in the film screenings. He offered free film screenings, which made both the organisers and the audience happy. Soon, Rahim purchased his first set of projectors. Janakshakti Films, a people’s venture into film production that had Left leanings, was on the verge of closing down and Rahim bought out their three projectors and 11 film prints for ₹30,000. The films included John Abraham’s Agraharathil Kazhuthai, PA Bakker’s Kabaninadi Chuvannappol, Ekakini, and some commercial hits like Kalliyankattu Neeli, and Ramanan.

PoonamRahim03MPOs27nov2018

Rahim used commercial hits for the festival grounds. Horror stories like that of Neeli, and the sentimental ones like Ramanan were big hits with the women. At a time when going to the theatre was a costly affair , these free screenings were quite successful. As the demand for the film screenings started to outdo that of drama, Rahim began to charge.

“Soon some 106 film operators sprang up all over Kerala. We would rent out prints to them, besides holding our own screenings. With the profits, I’d buy the next print,” Rahim recalled.

Slowly the nature of the entertainment industry changed. But Rahim was far-sighted and stepped in with the changing times. He started renting out the projectors, moving from 16 mm to overhead projectors and to LCD projectors, running one of Kerala’s leading projector rentals. He works with major festivals including the International Theatre Festival of Kerala (ITFoK).

At his Thrissur home is his precious collection of the projectors and various related equipment that Rahim takes out only for the benefit of the researchers. The rare collection of more than 400 film prints line up the shelves. “The last print I collected was that of Manassinakkare, he points out. And he does not have a website, or Facebook page. “People who need me, come in search of me,” says the 68-year-old quite confidently.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Entertainment> Movies / by Reun Ramanath / November 24th, 2018

Spectacular beauty of a serene mausoleum

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

Hyderabad, TELANGANA :

The Paigah Tombs not only symbolise the nobility’s love for magnificient edifices but also represent different styles of architecture.

PaigahTombMPOs26nov2018

Tucked away in the quiet bylanes of the Phisal Banda suburb near Owaisi Hospital, Santosh Nagar, is an architectural marvel, a serene mausoleum which is the final resting abode of erstwhile Hyderabad’s celebrated nobility – The Paigahs. The word Paigah, which means pomp and rank in Persian, was a title given by the second Asaf Jahi Nizam of Hyderabad to the estate of Abul Fateh Khan Taig Jung Bahadur in appreciation of the royal services rendered by him. He was also conferred with the title of Shams-ul-Umra, which gives the tombs their name.

Although the Paigahs were noted and rewarded for their contribution as army officers, ministers and aristocrats, Sir Viqar-ul-Umra is popularly remembered as the man behind one of the finest masterpieces of Hyderabadi architecture – the Falaknuma Palace. Legend has it that the 6th Nizam Mahboob Ali Khan loved the palace so much that Viqar-ul-Umra gifted it to him.

One such masterpiece symbolising the Paigahs’ love for architectural edifices are the Paigah Tombs. The spectacular beauty of the mausoleum is said to have earned it a title of the Taj Mahal of South India among connoisseurs of art and architecture. The Paigah Tombs also include a mosque where prayers are held every day.

The Paigah Tombs were constructed in the late 17th century, and later it was made a family maqbara by his son Fakhruddin Khan Amir-e-Kabir – I. Later, some additions were also made by Sir Viqar-ul-Umra, Sir Asman Jah and Sir Khurshid Jah. The tombs are magnificent structures decorated in stucco work and represented the Mughal, Greek, Persian, Asaf Jahi, Rajasthani and Deccani style of architectures.

PaigahTomb02MPOs26nov2018

The geometric designs in the Paigah Tombs are unique and the perforated screens are examples of the finest craftsmanship. Some screens have flowers and motifs of fruits; others have serpents, drums, and vases.

There is a great amount of effort put into the detailing of the walls, arches, pillars and even of the graves. Floral and geometric patterns are characteristic of medieval Islamic architecture.

The most striking element of the Paigah Tombs is the intricately carved teakwood doors as entrance to each tomb. The carving of the doors is so fine and so regal it only makes one wonder the way art was encouraged and appreciated in the Asaf Jahi era.

The tomb of wife of Khursheed Jah is the most beautiful of the tombs with exquisite marble inlay work. One can still see the hollows in the marble carvings where precious gems were once encrusted on the grave.

Nawab Bashir-ud-Daulah’s grave stands out with a beautifully carved marble chowkhandi which is adorned by a carved mysterious green stone. Legend has it that the lighting doesn’t strike the place where it is placed.

The Paigah Tombs are under the care of the Department of Archaeology and Museums. As one of the most marvellous symbols of Hyderabad’s rich culture and royal heritage, the Paigah Tombs deserve nothing less than the government’s attention to ensure that it is not just preserved and valued but also promoted and highlighted.

Historian Dr Anand Raj Varma says, “I don’t see much improvement and restoration taking place at the Paigah Tombs; it is in the same state for years now. If you see the entrance, it’s in a very shabby state. There is no significant deterioration but there is also no tourist attraction or promotion of Paigah Tombs either. Most people don’t even know that the Paigah Tombs are located there.”

However, says the historian, the contribution of Rahmatullah, the caretaker of the Paigah Tombs, is appreciable as he keeps it going thanks to his passion and love for the Paigah family and the tombs. “The Tourism Department or the government should take this up as a project. It is the heritage which connects us our past and to our present. It is our treasure, heritage our virasat, and it should be protected,” he adds.

Mohammed Safiullah, managing trustee of The Deccan Heritage Trust, says, “The Paigah Tombs are in desperate need for restoration as the structure is in a dilapidated state and deteriorating. Some places have grown moss all over.  The government should invest in the restoration of the Paigah Tombs because there is a scope of return on investment. Once proper restoration work is done, there will be easily about a 1,000 visitors every day.”

A nominal entry ticket would become a means for generating revenue which would help in future maintenance. Simple things like a cafeteria, a souvenir shop and proper toilets could make it more tourist-friendly.

(The writer is a heritage enthusiast)

source: http://www.telanganatoday.com / Telangana Today / Home> SundayScape> Telangana Diaries / by M D Taher Hussain / November 25th, 2018

A crafts teacher spreads communal harmony in Hubballi

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Education, , , , ,

Jamjhandi, Bagalkot District , KARNATAKA :

The 25-year-old crafts teacher, who follows the Muslim faith, conducts daily classes on Hindu epics and prayers for her students, many of whom hail from Muslim families, in Old Hubballi area.

Hubballi :

Zarina Abubkar Gadkari is quietly practising what most people only preach — spreading communal harmony. The 25-year-old crafts teacher, who follows the Muslim faith, conducts daily classes on Hindu epics and prayers for her students, many of whom hail from Muslim families, in Old Hubballi area.

Zarina, a teacher at Spoorthi Rural Skill Development Training Centre, which provides free training to women in craft-making and sewing, conducts her spirituality class on the premises every evening. She does not charge anything for the lessons, which include Sanskrit verses, songs and stories from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, and hymns on gods such as Ganesha and Hanuman.

Hailing from Jamkhandi in Bagalkot district, Zarina started learning devotional songs and shlokas after getting inspired through the Ramayana and Mahabharata serials on television. When she joined the training centre as a craft teacher, she also started singing and teaching them to students.
”It’s a wonderful feeling to recite the shlokas,” she says. “Sanskrit words never seemed difficult to me while I was learning them, and my family members gave me big moral support,” adds Zarina, who performs namaz every day, and also visits the church and reads the Bible.

ZarinaMPOs26nov2018

“When I go to Bengaluru, I visit St Mary’s Basilica in Shivaji Nagar. It is one of my favourite places, and my family members also visit it with me,” she says, adding that such gestures from her family lend her huge moral support.

“We live in a country where communal harmony is everything, and each of us must work hard to achieve it,” she says.

The number of students in her classes has only increased over time, and they love every minute of it.
“I have been attending the classes of Zarina madam for over six months and she is a role model for many,” says Nasereen Attar, a student. “We never faced any restrictions in our homes about attending classes related to Hinduism. In fact, our parents encourage us to learn new things,” she adds.

Most students hail her as a motivating figure. “Her way of teaching and her commitment to religious harmony, besides her reciting of Sanskrit verses, left me stunned,” Shynaz Nadaf, another student, says. “It’s surprising to see Zarina madam perform namaz and as well as have darshan at temples,” Shreya M pitches in.

Zarina’s endeavour is praised by her colleagues too. “Her work shows that attachment to a religion is no hindrance to good work. She is a good human being,” says Mukthambika Narebol, a co-worker at the institute.

Zarina was introduced to the Ramayana and Mahabharata through teleserials by her parents when she was a child. She got interested in reciting the mantras and shlokas when she started teaching at the Spoorthi centre, where daily prayers are conducted.

“I also practised other verses like the Hanuman Chalisa and Gayatri Mantra. Initially, I faced problems in pronunciation but within 2-3 months I was able to recite them well in Sanskrit,” says Zarina, who draws a lot of strength from her family.

While her father Abubkar Gadkari is self-employed, her two brothers and two sisters are well-educated too, and her sister-in-law is a lecturer.

Zarina feels that the task of uniting people of different faiths has assumed greater significance today. “We live in the world’s largest democratic and secular country where all religions exist together. But in recent times, society has seen changes after the social media took the front seat,” she says.

Greater onus rests on the youth to build a cohesive society, adds Zarina. “Several young lives are going waste by getting involved in violence triggered by communal hate. We must also educate women about the ill-effects of religious divide, and bring awareness about nation-building activities,” she says, admitting that the task, however, is far from being easy.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Kiran Balannanavar / Express News Service / November 25th, 2018

Choosing to shed victimhood

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Education

Kottayam, KERALA :

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Mariam Rauf urges schools to include personal safety education in syllabus

As an impressionable child, Mariam Rauf — a 22-year-old life skills and English language educator from Kottayam — never knew what paedophilia was. It took her many more years to realise that she herself had been one of its victims.

Abused on multiple occasions between the age of 3 and 14, the ordeals surely left an imprint on her.

Confused, ashamed, and lost for years on end, she eventually managed to pull herself up and is now busy training children and adults about personal safety.

Driven by her own experiences of abuse as a child, Mariam has now kick-started a campaign to include personal safety education in schools. She feels this is achievable as there is a strong intent on the part of the government to clamp down on child abuse. It is unlikely to affect academics either as it may need only a couple of sessions in a year.

Online petition

As part of the initiative, she has also chosen to shed her right to anonymity and launched an online petition on Change.org, which opens up on her ordeal and makes an appeal to the State government to introduce compulsory training in Personal Safety Education (PSE) for students, parents, teachers, and staff of all government schools.

The petition is addressed to Education Minister C. Ravindranath and the Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (KeSCPCR).

“About 38,200 people, who have endorsed my petition thus far, believe it is possible. By realising it, I can save at least one child from undergoing what I had to face,” she says.

According to Mariam, personal safety education for children is about making them aware of their body and empowering them to express their discomfort in case of physical transgressions.

“For most of us, personal safety of our children is limited to the ‘Stranger-Danger’ equation, while the actual threat can come from even inside the family. All people can do their part by recognising the physical and emotional signs shown by a child who is being abused and the signs that an adult is abusing a child,” she said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Kerala / by U. Hiran / Kottayam – November 20th, 2018

Anti-dowry drive: Thousands of Indian Muslims return millions to bride families

Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Leaders, , , ,

JHARKHAND :

Haji Mumtaz Ali addressing anti-dowry campaign in India’s Jharkhand state. (Supplied)
Haji Mumtaz Ali addressing anti-dowry campaign in India’s Jharkhand state. (Supplied)

A man in India has launched a massive campaign against dowry, one of the biggest social evils claiming hundreds of lives every year in the country. Such is the impact of the campaign that close to 1,000 Muslim families have now returned dowry to the bride families, expressing regret over their conduct in public and vowing not to repeat it in future.

The credit to this unique campaign straightway goes to Haji Mumtaz Ali who has launched the campaign in the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand. The success of the campaign is underlined from the fact that villages after villages are joining it every day, openly taking an oath not to accept dowry in future.

Initially, the campaign was started in Palamu district but now it has gone beyond its boundary and spread to several others districts as well. But what’s further fascinating about it is that the campaign is not limited to any particular community only as the Hindus too have lent a wholehearted support to this campaign, joining the anti-dowry rallies in large numbers.

“I am happy to inform you that what started as a silent campaign against this social evil two years back has now turned out to be the mass movement. Now it’s not limited to any particular area or the community only but Hindus too are joining us in large numbers,” said Ali who happens to be the brainchild of the campaign.

The peak of the campaign was when the Muslim villagers began returning dowries years after they had taken them at the time of their son’s wedding. (Supplied)
The peak of the campaign was when the Muslim villagers began returning dowries years after they had taken them at the time of their son’s wedding. (Supplied)

Rs 60 million returned

The peak of the campaign was when the Muslim villagers began returning dowries years after they had taken them at the time of their son’s wedding. According to Ali, close to 1,000 Muslim families have returned dowries worth Rs 60 million to the brides’ families so far, impressed by his appeals to give up dowry.

One of them was Nizamuddin Ansari who returned Rs 40,000 to the bride families. “I regret about taking dowry from my daughter-in-law’s families but feel proud to return it now,” Ansari told an anti-dowry meeting held in Palamu recently.

However, the campaign didn’t reach at this level all of a sudden. Ali had to work hard, day and nights for months during which he held more than 100 such meetings and rallies in entire Palamu division to convince his community members not to take dowry, braving sweltering heat and chilling winter.

But what compelled him to launch the campaign? “I saw many families getting destroyed under the impact of dowry although it was not initially prevalent in Muslim families. I came across many poor families selling their ancestral properties or taking loans on high interest to arrange money to solemnize wedding of their daughters”.

“What was terrible this money was being wasted on arranging decoration, DJ, orchestra and various types of dishes; it was not being used for important works! So I decided to launch a campaign in the society, sooner the better,” Ali said, in a telephonic interview on Thursday.

“I was aware of the economic status of my co-villagers. I knew their financial background just wouldn’t permit them for lavish wedding. They were doing so just because they had taken dowry from the brides’ families. So it was necessary to alert them,” he said.

Haji Mumtaz Ali being honoured by Jharkahnd Chief Minister Raghubar Das. (Supplied)
Haji Mumtaz Ali being honoured by Jharkahnd Chief Minister Raghubar Das. (Supplied)

Crowds of villagers

Eventually, Ali launched the campaign in April 2016 but got encouraged to focus on it after seeing huge crowds of villagers attending his each rally and meeting.

“I told the Muslim villagers to fear from the almighty and swear in the name of Allah not to take dowry in future and this ultimately clicked,” Ali revealed, describing his campaign as a “huge success”. Recently, Ali was honored by Jharkhand chief minister Raghubar Das for his campaign against dowry.

Ali is happy to tell that villagers are now opting for “dowry-less” marriages. “Now, the general masses have taken over my campaign. This indicates the success of my campaign, Ali remarked, with his voice exhibiting satisfaction and delight.

Dowry has been claimed hundreds of lives every year in India. As per an official report, a total of 24,771 dowry deaths were reported in India in between 2012 and 2014 with Uttar Pradesh taking the lead with a maximum of 7,048 deaths. This information was given to the Lok Sabha in a written reply by federal minister for Women and Child Development Ministry Maneka Gandhi in April 2016.

The minister further told the House that India recorded 348,000 cases of cruelty by husband or his relatives during this period with the West Bengal topping the chart with 61,259 such cases, followed by Rajasthan (44,3111) and Andhra Pradesh (34,835), as per the National Crime Records Bureau data.

source: http://www.english.alarabiya.net / Al Arabiya – English / Home> Features / by Manoj Chaurasian / Special To Al Arabiya English / November 08th, 2018

Young Kashmiri plays the rabab back into the limelight

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, , , , , , ,

Srinagar, JAMMU & KASHMIR :

SafyanMalikMPOs23nov2018

Sufyan Malik’s 45-second video finds receptive new audiences for the fading soul of the region’s folk music

A 19-year-old Srinagar boy, enabled by social media platforms, is infusing new life into what is considered the soul of Kashmir’s folk music — the rabab, a long-necked lute.

Sufyan Malik’s 45-second video, shot on a mobile phone against the backdrop of the heavy snowfall witnessed on November 3, has stormed the internet, with over 4 lakh views and counting.

“I came for a short vacation to Kashmir. As my parents left home in the morning, my friend and I decided to shoot the video with snowfall as the backdrop. Initially, I played it for my friends in Pune, to show them snow. To my surprise, the tune of a local song, ‘Janaat-e-Kashmir’, on the rabab, became an instant rage on Internet,” Mr. Malik, a student of engineering at Pune’s MIT College, told The Hindu.

Mr. Malik shot the video 18 times because his hands fingers in the cold weather. “There was no electricity to warm my hands. I had to match the speed. It was hard to play three beats down and one beat up. Finally, we did it,” said Mr. Malik, a resident of Srinagar’s Nowshera area.

The effort paid off as the video attracted 1.54 lakh views on Twitter in just a couple of days, with more views on Facebook and Instagram in the weeks that followed. From politicians like National Conference’s (NC) Nasir Sogami to activist Shehla Rashid Shora, the young player earned plaudits from across the spectrum in the Valley and outside.

“Snow and the rabab probably reflect our identity. People felt an immediate connection. I have pledged to play the rabab all my life. I will do my Masters in composition to enable the survival of the rabab,” said Mr. Malik, the son of a doctor mother and a hotelier, Wahid Malik, who support their son’s efforts.

The makers and listeners of the rabab are both fast dwindling in Kashmir. In north Kashmir, only two families continue with the trade of crafting the rabab, from the dozens of just a few decades ago.

Seen in many variants across central Asia, the rabab arrived in Kashmir from Afghanistan many centuries ago. “Compared to the seven strings of the Afghan rabab, the Kashmiri version has 22 strings, with two strings crafted out of goat gut through an elaborate process. It’s these two strings that create its mesmerising echo,” Mr. Malik said.

Soul-stirring

Ghulam Muhammad Ganai, 63, from Ganderbal’s Kangan area, is among the few instrumentalists left from the old school. “I play the rabab only in Sufi mehfils (night-long devotional gatherings). The word ‘rabab’ comes from rooh(soul) and bab (expression). It should stir the soul. Only those who are nearer to god value the instrument. Around 15 of us are left now,” said Mr. Ganai.

However, young players like Mr. Malik are bringing the instrument back into mainstream culture. “I played the rabab for a musical fusion called ‘Firdous X-He is a pirate’ based on the theme song of [the film] Pirates of Caribbean and the theme music of [TV show] Game of Thrones in 2017. It was an instant hit here,” he said.

On June 28 2018, Mr. Malik played the rabab at The Hilton hotel in Los Angeles. “Many Kashmiri-origin people in the audience wanted to have a workshop for their kids after the show. After the hits we produced in 2017, at least 50 students registered to learn to play the rabab at the Delhi Public School (DPS) in Srinagar,” said Mr. Malik.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Other States / by Peerzada Ashiq / Srinagar – November 21st, 2018

J&K artists weave life back into the antique shawl

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, , , , , , ,

JAMMU & KASHMIR :

Silken touch: Experts display the skill at the special event at Srinagar’s SPS Museum. | Photo Credit: The Hindu
Silken touch: Experts display the skill at the special event at Srinagar’s SPS Museum. | Photo Credit: The Hindu

Workshop to revive Valley’s vanishing breed of master darners

Once sought after by Mughal emperors for their finesse, Kashmir’s master darners, known as rafugars, have become an endangered species. The Jammu & Kashmir government is now making efforts to revive this dwindling breed of craftsmen whose rare ability to repair expensive antique shawls is in great demand across the country and abroad.

J&K’s Department of Archives, Archaeology and Museums and the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) have decided to identify and expose these traditional Valley darners to the market.

Toward this end, at least 25 master darners and embroidery artists have been invited to exhibit their skills at a six-day workshop, organised from September 17-22, at Srinagar’s SPS Museum. Two masters from Uttar Pradesh’s Najibabad are among those sharing their knowledge.

J&K’s Handicraft Department says, of the 56 traditional skills (such as wood-carving), only 26 are practised today. One indicator of the decline: a post for ‘Darner Instructor’ in the department has been lying vacant for many years.

Rafugari survives

“Among the surviving skills is rafugari, which is also dying. Darners from Kashmir once impressed the Mughal emperors, who hired them to keep their shatoosh and pashmina shawls intact,” said Saleem Beg of INTACH’s J&K chapter. The workshop, Mr. Beg said, was aimed at transmitting the art to the next generation. The museum has displayed 63 rare shawls, many dating back to 1893, including one with a map of Srinagar on it.

“The darners will understand the artwork that our artists had mastered in the past. They should be able to identify problems and suggest methods of restoration. This exercise will help them hone their skills,” Mr. Beg said.

Master darner Muhammad Rafiq Kozghar, in his mid-50s, has been repairing antique shawls and sarees for 40 years now. “I picked up the skill from three teachers in Srinagar. All of them have passed away. I am the only student alive, taking it forward. Darning requires fine hands and eyesight. A darner dies once his eyesight fails him,” said Mr. Kozghar, who works in Delhi.

Mr. Beg said that there was great potential for textile conservation in Srinagar. “We need to upgrade the skills of the existing rafugars and needle work artisans to create a market for textile conservation,” he added.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Other States / by Peerzada Aashiq / Srinagar – September 20th, 2018