While the response to the film in Kerala and neighbouring Tamil Nadu has been tepid, it seems to have opened the floodgates of abusive comments, both for and against.
A sketch by EP Unny that he tweeted shows a church (extreme right), a mosque and a temple “cuddling into” Palayam in the heart of Thiruvananthapuram, the Kerala capital. The sketch was a part of Spices & Souls: A Doodler’s Journey Through Kerala, published by DC Books, Kottayam, in 2001 /. Sourced by the Telegraph
Academy award-winning sound designer Resul Pookutty and cartoonist E.P. Unny have inspired many tweets highlighting communal harmony in their home state of Kerala, contrasting with the hate being spewed on social media following the release of The Kerala Story.
While the response to the film in Kerala and neighbouring Tamil Nadu has been tepid, it seems to have opened the floodgates of abusive comments, both for and against.
Against this background, Unny, chief political cartoonist at The Indian Express newspaper, has tweeted one of his old sketches that depicted a temple, mosque and a church that stand side by side at Palayam in Thiruvananthapuram as an exemplar of communal amity.
By Sunday evening, Unny’s tweet, dated May 5 and posted under the hashtag #KeralaStory, had been viewed by 2.97 lakh people, shared by 561 and drawn comments from 223.
Pookutty too, on May 5, exhorted people to share stories that would fit two hashtags he had created: “Guys if you have your own story of #brotherhoodinKerala share it here under the #MyKeralaStory.”
Lok Sabha member Shashi Tharoor shared Unny’s tweet and commented: “Proud to represent Thiruvananthapuram constituency. The Palayam example is one I often cite in my speeches. Beautifully drawn by @unnycartoonist.”
The image Unny tweeted was drawn in 2000 for his travel book Spices & Souls, commissioned by DC Books and published in 2001.
“I was not reacting to the film at all because I have not seen the film. If I had seen the film, I might have done a cartoon on it,” Unny told The Telegraph on Sunday.
Unny had already, before the controversy over The Kerala Story broke, been planning to tweet the screen grab of the sketch to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Palayam church.
“I had a screen grab of this image and thought I would tweet it at some point since I had read sometime in March that this was the 150th year of the Palayam church,” he said.
“This in itself is remarkable with a temple, a church and a mosque adjoining each other in the Thiruvananthapuram landscape.”
Soon after, a storm began brewing over The Kerala Story, which controversially suggests that Malayali women are being lured into conversion and radicalisation by the Islamic State.
“That was when discussions started about this film and highly polarising comments were made around it. That was why I tagged #KeralaStory while tweeting it (the sketch),” he said.
“What I was responding to was the noise made around this film by people, many of whom had not seen it,” Unny said.
Pookutty’s tweet found immediate acceptance, with Carnatic vocalist and activist T.M. Krishna tweeting: “Singing in innumerable temples across the length and breadth of Kerala for over two decades and always having people who belong to diverse faiths sharing in the music. People from whom I learnt a lot! Will be singing Guru in Kollam tomorrow.”
“Guru” is a reference to social reformer Sree Narayana Guru, whose verses Krishna has been singing for several years.
Pookutty’s hashtag #MyKeralaStory has led to several stories about communal amity in Kerala being shared.
Shanmugavel Shankaran, a netizen, tweeted a picture of a Muslim couple who had married off their adopted Hindu daughter to a Hindu man at Kanhangad in Kasargod district.
P. Abdullah and his wife Khadeeja had adopted Rajeshwari after she was orphaned at the age of seven. The couple educated the girl and brought her up as a Hindu.
A man named Zafri tweeted: “Rightly said, Resul. There are so many stories of love to share. Recently attended the Nikah ceremony of my sister in Trivandrum. Our stay, our commuting as well as the marriage reception arrangements taken care of by the groom’s non-Muslim friends. #MyKeralaStory.”
Many tweeted a video clip of a Hindu wedding at a mosque that was recently shared by Academy award-winning composer A.R. Rahman. The video is about how the Cheruvally Muslim Jamaal Mosque in Kayamkulam, Alappuzha district, held a wedding for Anju and Sharath Sasi on January 19, 2020.
The event happened after the bride’s mother, a widow, sought help from the mosque committee for her daughter’s marriage. The committee fully sponsored the Hindu wedding, held on the premises of the mosque.
A man named Raj P. tweeted: “I looked after a child with a severe illness on a ventilator. The family couldn’t meet the expenses. Their church raised some money to help them. The neighbourhood mosque committee heard about this, collected funds from Muslim families, and helped the child. #mykeralastory.”
Many stories have been shared also about how Malayalis had cut across religious communities to help one another during the devastating floods of 2018.
source: http://www.telegraphindia.com / The Telegraph Online / Home> India / by K.M. Rakesh, Bangalore / May 08th, 2023
Today, Google Doodle commemorates the birthday of Zarina Hashmi, an influential Indian American artist who would have turned 86 today.
The doodle, designed by guest illustrator Tara Anand from New York, pays homage to Hashmi’s artistic style by incorporating her signature geometric and minimalist abstract shapes.
source: http://www.economictimes.indiatimes.com / The Economic Times / Home> English Edition> Business News> Magazine> Panache / by ET Online / July 16th, 2023
The cover of Nisar Kubra’s only published book Khayalat e Kubra
“I used to write criticism of every book or article which I believed needed to be countered. Apart from these, I had written fiction, non-fiction, satires, and novels. Unfortunately, I could not publish any of these works because my Father-in-Law (May Allah Bless him with Paradise) was old-fashioned. In his opinion, good women did not write or engage with the public. Still, I got a few of my articles published in magazines under a pseudonym.”
These are the words of a Muslim woman writer from Patna who lived about a century ago. She was Nisar Kubra, one of the first women Urdu poets from Bihar to get published. She had written at least 50 books that were never published. In fact her works got destroyed by natural calamities. Her first notebook with her poems was torn by her elder brother, who questioned her daring act of being like Sauda (a famous Urdu classical poet). The poems were lost.
Probably, looking back, one could have reconciled to her plight had she been from a less-educated or backward family. Kubra’s mother Rashid un Nisa was the first woman author to publish a novel in Urdu. She had also established one of the first girls’ schools in Patna. Her father-in-law was Syed Ali Karim, who took part in the 1857 revolt and was a well-known scholar of his time. Kubra’s family and her in-laws belonged to Patna’s intellectual class.
In her memoirs, Kubra wrote that in the early 20th century “women’s education was considered to be evil, and teaching them the art of writing was no less than a grave sin”.
Muslim women are taught to read the Quran but without understanding it. They weren’t taught to read or write Urdu, Hindi, or English. She was no different. The female tutor hired for her didn’t know anything but the Quran, without understanding its meaning.
Kubra would have ended up like other girls of those times, uneducated but for her passion for reading and writing. She imitated alphabets on waste papers with the help of a piece of straw dipped in colour. One day her mother, who was an advocate of women’s education but couldn’t do much against the wishes of male members to help her daughter, saw Kubra trying to write. She was moved. She immediately gave her pen, ink, and paper. A tutor was hired for her. A female tutor who herself didn’t know much about writing could teach only the basics. But, this was enough for Kubra. She started practising.
Kubra learnt Arabic by comparing Arabic with Urdu translations; English from male family members’ books and Hindi from a Hindu maid at home. She would read any scrap. She followed her mother’s advice that girls should be exposed to both good and bad literature. Their minds should be developed in a fashion that they could distinguish between good and evil.
Kubra and her niece, Asghari, started writing poems. Once, when the Urdu poet Shad Azimabadi was shown her poems, he appreciated those and said that she should have been sent to a formal educational institution. Professor Syed Abdul Ghafur also appreciated her writings but Kubra’s elder brother did not endorse a woman from the family writing poetry. He tore down her notebook of poems. Kubra recalled, “This humiliation killed my passion for poetry and I would not write another poem for years to come”.
Kubra felt independent only in 1934, after the death of her father-in-law. Her children had grown up by then and she was on a pilgrimage to Arab. She got her poems published and called it Khayalat e Kubra (Kubra’s thoughts).
Kubra’s poems written before 1934 were lost because she also feared the rage of male members of her family if she discloses her passion.
Kubra wrote on religion, women’s rights, political movements, social movements, freedom struggle, Hindu-Muslim unity, and education.
In one of her poems on Hindu-Muslim unity, she wrote, “Suno aey Hindostaan waalo tum aey Hindu Musalmaano, Tumhi aapas ke kul jhagdo ko bekhatke mita sakte” (Listen my Indian people divided into Hindus and Muslims only you can solve these internal communal feuds).
Kubra also wrote about the need for education among women. She welcomed the freedom of women with a caution that Indians should not get carried away with western ideas. Kubra was satisfied. She wrote, “Now the times are changing. Women are attaining freedom, rather they have gained freedom. Old traditions are now past. We have no dearth of teachers for girls. Girls’ schools are being opened. Muslim women should also move forward with women of other communities to educate themselves. They should not lag.”
source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Story / by Saquib Salim / July 21st, 2023
The mini Taj Mahal constructed at a cost of Rs 5 crore at Tiruvarur in Tamil Nadu which is the hometown of the businessman is drawing crowds from across the state.
Chennai:
In a unique love for his mother, a Chennai-based businessman has constructed a mini Taj Mahal in memory of his mother.
The mini Taj Mahal constructed at a cost of Rs 5 crore at Tiruvarur in Tamil Nadu which is the hometown of the businessman is drawing crowds from across the state.
Family History
Amrudeen Sheik Dawood Sahib is a hardware businessman in Chennai and the only male member among the five siblings. His father Abdul Kader Sheik Dawood was a businessman in Chennai and dealt with leather goods.
However, Abdul Kader Sheik passed away while his children were very young. His wife, Jailani Beevi was a person who did not give up easily and struggled hard to run the business and to bring up the five children, including four girls. All the children grew up and after the four sisters were married off, Amrudeen Sheik also got married.
In 2020 Jailani Beevi passed away, which was a major shock to Amarudeen, as he was the one who had helped his mother from a very tender age in the shop and was always moving around with her. She passed away on a new moon day and Amarudeen decided to feast 1,000 people on every new moon day with biryani.
However, Amarudeen thought that this was not enough and later came across the idea of constructing a mini Taj Mahal for his mother. He bought one acre land at his ancestral village, Ammayiappan, and with the support of a builder friend started constructing the monument.
What’s inside this Taj Mahal?
He bought marble from Rajasthan and made pathways and walkways around the monument just like in the Taj Mahal at Agra and on June 2, the monument was opened to the public.
It has meditation centres where people of all faiths can meditate and a madrasa where 10 students are presently staying.
Amarudeen, however, did not give publicity to the Taj Mahal of the South and people came to know of this through word of mouth.
source: http://www.ummid.com / Ummid.com / Home> Life & Style / by IANS / June 11th, 2023
J-K’s Shaista Khan wins ‘Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar’ in 2022
New Delhi [India], (ANI):
‘Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar’, initiated in 2011 to promote language and literature, has served as an inspiration in the lives of youth in Jammu and Kashmir, leading to the rise of their interest in the Kashmiri language.
Sahitya Akademi New Delhi had started this award in 24 languages. Nine writers have received this award for the Kashmiri languages so far, according to a report.
The latest in the list is a Srinagar-based young writer Shaista Khan who won the award for her fictional collection “Brand Birs Peeth” in 2022.
“It has been observed that due to this award, other novice writers are also getting inspiration and they are getting interested in Kashmiri language and literature,” the report said.
According to the report, the previous recipients of this award in the field of fiction, poetry, and criticism in the Kashmiri language include Nishad Azam, Farooq Shaheen, Adil Mohiuddin, Nighat Sahiba, Diba Nazir, Sagar Nazir, Muzaffar Ahmad Pare, and Razi Tahir Baghat.
A young writer, Nisar Azam, was the first one to receive this award in 2011 for his poetry collection ‘Pathalej Zone Dars’.
Farooq Shaheen was awarded this award in the year 2012 for his literary criticism book “Gash Miller”. Adil Mohiuddin received this award for criticism in his book “Zol Dith Sardars” in 2016. Nighat Sahiba was awarded the Yuva Praskar in 2015 for her poetry collection “Zardpankh Dear” while Diba Nazir won the award for her fictional collection “Zarin Zhom” in 2018.
Sagar Nazir won the award for his poetry collection “Thar Anganch”. Awarded in 2019 for Uva Proscar while the 2020 Yuva Proscar was won by Muzaffar Ahmed Pray for his poetry collection “Wauch Baath” and the 2021 Uva Proscar recipient in the Kashmiri language is Razi Tahir Bhagat who received this honour for his fictional collection “Yela”. Awarded for “Ain Phath”, the report said.
A certificate of Rs 50,000 is given to writers up to 35 years of age in a grand ceremony.
“This is a welcome step by the Sahitya Akademi to encourage young writers. It gives more inspiration to the writers and encourages them to produce quality literature,” the report quoted researcher Mohammad Salim Salik as saying. (ANI)
This report is auto-generated from ANI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
source: http://www.theprint.in / The Print / Home> India / by ANI / January 01st, 2023
Budding Photographer Mohsin Javed’s Photographs were selected for the France Exhibition, which will be held in Paris from 4 to 13th July 2023.
According to a release by the organizer of the exhibition, 24HourProject, Photographs of 120 photographers will be on exhibition at La Maison Hall.
24-hour Project is a climate action supporting NGO. The income earned through the selling of Photographs will be used for environmental causes.
Mohsin Javed told that his three photographs will be on display at the exhibition. These photographs document many faces of Delhi.
Mohsin Javed’s Photographs were also exhibited at Kirkkonummi, Finland from 13-29 August 2021 and at Hong Kong Exhibition from 3rd December 2022 to 3rd January 2023. AT Hong Kong exhibition introducing Mohsin’s Photograph World famous Photographer P H Yang described it as ” a very exceptional Picture.”
Mohsin, who has a Diploma in Electrical Engineering from Jamia Millia Islamia, realized his passion for photography when he was in class 8 and took it seriously after class 10.
His picture of Humayun’s Tomb was selected for the International Photo contest “Youth Eyes on the Silk Roads” organized by UNESCO’s Silk Road Project 2019. The international selection committee chose his picture as one of the best 60 pictures among 6625 entries.
UNESCO in a letter of appreciation to Mohsin described that his picture was selected by “taking into consideration its quality, creativity, and diversity.” This picture was later published in a coffee book by UNESCO.
Mohsin Javed’s pictures have been widely carried by many national and international agencies and publications including international photo agency Getty Images, Germany’s Public International Broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW) website, and various magazines in India. He is also contributing to the International news photo agency, Pacific Press Agency (PPA), Philippines.
source: http://www.muslimmirror.com / Muslim Mirror / Home> Indian Muslim> Positive Story / by Muslim Mirror Network / July 01st, 2023
Traders from the Middle East introduced the beverage to the Mughal empire but the British made tea the subcontinent’s preferred drink.
Mughal men drink an unidentified beverage in a 17th century painting later recreated as a drawing by Rembrandt (Public domain)
The sun sets behind regal yet dilapidated Mughal mansions and the magnificent dome of the Jama Masjid as the call for the evening prayer fills the auburn sky in Old Delhi.
Chandni Chowk’s bustling streets reverberate with the sound of honking cycle rickshaws navigating the serpentine lanes.
The sunset marks the beginning of business hours in the neighbourhood, which emerged during Mughal emperor Shah Jahan’s rule; a pocket within the once spectacular walled city of Shahjahanabad, founded in 1648.
Immersed in the soundscape, one’s senses are drawn to the aroma of food being prepared, complemented by the unmistakable scent of masala chai – the Indianversion of spiced tea.
Tea stalls, resembling busy beehives, draw Delhiites patiently waiting for their daily dose of evening tea – some having travelled from the far ends of the city to satisfy their craving.
Tea is without a doubt a national obsession in India. However, the incredible popularity of the drink in the subcontinent is less than two centuries old and only came about as a result of British rule in the region.
It may come as a surprise, but before the arrival of the British, it was coffee that Indians preferred.
Sufis and merchants
Coffee was brought over from the Horn of Africa to Yemenat some point in the 15th century and later spread north into the Near East and then to Europe by the 16th century.
The beverage also spread eastwards, and India’s Mughal elite was quick to adopt it as their beverage of choice.
While the Mughal Emperor Jahangir had a penchant for wine – preferring the Shiraz variety – both Hindu and Muslim nobility in his court freely indulged in coffee.
Edward Terry, a chaplain with the English embassy at Jahangir’s court, mentions that members of the court were captivated by the then-novel qualities of coffee, believing it could “invigorate the spirits, aid digestion, and purify the blood”.
The coffee bean was brought to the subcontinent by Arab and Turkic traders who had strong trade ties with the Mughal Empire.
They not only brought coffee, but also other items, including silk, tobacco, cotton, spices, gemstones, and more from the Middle East, Central Asia, Persia, and Turkey.
By the time Shah Jahan ascended to the Mughal throne, interest in coffee had grown exponentially across Indian society (Public domain)
Such goods would reach the farthest corners of India, including the easternmost region of Bengal. By the time Jahangir’s son, Shah Jahan, ascended to the throne (1628-1658), interest in coffee had spread across society.
Coffee was considered a healthy drink, an indicator of social mobility, and an integral part of Delhi’s elite social life.
Like Terry, another contemporary European visitor, the German adventurer Johan Albrecht de Mandelslo, wroteabout his travels in the east through Persia and Indian cities, such as Surat, Ahmedabad, Agra, and Lahore in a memoir titled The Voyages and Travels of J Albert de Mandelslo.
A painting titled ‘The Ottoman Sultan and His Haseki’ by an unnamed artist (Wikimedia)
In 1638, Mandelslo describes kahwa (coffee) being drunk to counter the heat and keep oneself cool.
In his workTravels in The Mogul Empire (1656-1668), Francois Bernier, a French physician, also refers to the large amount of coffee imported from Turkey.
Besides its use in social settings and supposed effects to ward off heat, the drink also had a religious purpose for the subcontinent’s ascetics.
Like their brethren in the Middle East and Central Asia, India’s Sufis consumed coffee before their night-long reverential rituals known as dhikr (the remembrance of God).
Legend has it that a revered Sufi saint named Baba Budhan carried back seven coffee beans in the folds of his robe on his way back from Mecca in 1670, planting the seeds for Indian-origin coffee cultivation in a place called Chikmagalur.
While this story may or may not be true, today the Baba Budhangiri hill and mountain range in the Indian state of Karnataka bears his name and remains a significant centre for coffee production, as well as housing a shrine dedicated to the Sufi saint.
In another variation of the legend, shared by the government’s Indian Coffee Board, the Sufi saint travels to Mochain Yemen and manages to smuggle out the beans discreetly despite strict laws on their export.
Culture of consumption
From the 16th century onwards, India became host to a cafe culture influenced by the one emerging in the Islamic empires to the west, particularly cities such as Damascus, Aleppo, Cairo, and Istanbul.
The nascent coffee culture found expression in Shahjahanabad’s own “qahwakhanas”, or coffee houses.
In her essay Spilling the Beans: The Islamic History of Coffee, food historian Neha Vermani describes the coffee served at the Arab Serai, which was “famous for preparing sticky sweet coffee”.
The Arab Serai became known for its sticky sweet coffee (Wikimedia)
The Serai, which was commissioned in 1560 by Hamida Banu, the wife of Mughal Emperor Humayun, still stands today as part of a Unesco heritage site ; the wider complex of Humayun’s tomb.
Historians say it was used as an inn by Arab religious scholars who accompanied the royal on her pilgrimage to Mecca and that it was also used to house craftsmen from the Middle East who were working for the Mughals.
Historian Stephen Blake in his 1991 workShahjhanabad: The Sovereign City in Mughal India 1639-1739 describes coffee houses as places where poets, storytellers, orators, and those “invigorated by their spirits” congregated.
Blake described how vibrant these coffee houses were, their milieu of poetry recitals, storytelling and debates, long hours of playing board games, and how these activities impacted the cultural life of the walled city.
Coffee houses of Shahjhanabad, like those of Isfahan and Istanbul, accelerated the rise of a culture of consumption and a thriving food culture, with residents frequenting snack sellers offering savouries, naanwais baking bread, and halwais specialising in confectionery.
This is a legacy that continues to be felt in Old Delhi’s Shahjahanabad area to this day.
While Blake’s descriptions paint a picture, there are no extant visual depictions of the interiors of these establishments, and unlike their Ottoman or Safavid counterparts, there are no miniatures or Orientalist artworks depicting what they would have looked like.
Rembrandt depictedMughal men drinking something very closely resembling coffee but the Dutch artist does not identify the contents of their cup, and never visited India. But his images were inspired by Mughal paintings brought over to the Netherlands by Dutch traders.
The man who swore by his Turkish coffee
Provincial courts sought to replicate the ambience of Shahjahanabad and embraced the cafe culture on offer there. Among them, none cherished coffee more than Alivardi Khan, the Nawab Nazim of Bengal.
Khan was of Arab and Turkman descent and ruled Bengal from 1740-1756. Known as a diligent ruler, coffee and food were the two biggest pleasures of his life.
Seir Mutaqherin or the Review of Modern Times, written by one of the prominent historians of the time, Syed Gholam Hussein Khan, offers a fascinating description of Alivardi Khan’s routine.
Alivardi Khan, seen here on his throne, liked the finer things in life, including coffee (Metropolitan Museum of Art/Public domain)
He writes: “He always rose two hours before daylight; and after having gone through evacuations and ablutions, he performed some devotions of supererogation and at daybreak, he said his prayers of divine precepts, and then drank coffee with choice friends.
“After that he amused himself with a full hour of conversation, hearing verses, reading poetry or listening to some pleasing story.”
This morning routine was followed by a bespoke Persian dish prepared by the nawab’s personal chef.
Khan’s portrayal presents Nawab as a man of fine taste, who valued the luxuries of courtly life as much as effective governance.
A connoisseur of exquisite food, witty conversations, and premium Turkish coffee, Khan went to great lengths to acquire the best coffee beans, importing them from the Ottoman Empire and bringing them all the way to Murshidabad, his capital.
The coffeehouse ‘is a social space created and shaped by the people themselves’ (MEE)
He believed in nothing but the best for his court. Not only were his coffee beans imported, but his kitchen staff also hailed from places renowned for their culinary excellence, such as Persia, Turkey, and Central Asia.
The royal household employed a diverse range of professionals, including storytellers, painters, coffee makers, ice makers, and hakims (physicians).
Tea has been grown in India since the 19th century (Wikipedia)
Khan personally handpicked his baristas (qahwachi-bashi), who brought along their specialised coffee-making equipment.
The descriptions paint a vivid picture of courtly culture, a world of opulence, artistry, and a profound affinity with caffeine.
It is puzzling, therefore, to pinpoint exactly when Mughal coffee culture vanished from pre-colonial Bengal, but it likely lasted until at least 1757.
Siraj ud-Daulah, Khan’s grandson and successor, could not live up to his grandfather’s legacy, and faced with threats from the British, the courtly culture swiftly dissipated, along with Bengal’s fortunes.
When Bengal lost the decisive Battle of Plassey in 1757, the East India Company took control of the region, and slowly coffee vanished from public consumption and consciousness.
Tea farming takes over
The rise of the East India Company, which was the primary agent of British control in India, marked the end of the subcontinent’s dominant coffee culture.
Britain’s penchant for tea began in the late 17th century and China was its main supplier.
Lizzy Collingham writesin her book Curry: A Tale of Cooks and Conquerors that between 1811 and 1819 “70,426,244 pounds” out of a total of “72,168,541” pounds of imports from China were associated with the tea trade.
She remarks that Britain, therefore, had an “interest in finding an alternative source for tea”.
The Indian Coffee House is run by Indian worker’s cooperatives and is open to all (Wikipedia)
With its fertile soils and appropriate weather conditions, India was the perfect spot.
In February of 1834, then Governor General William Bentick appointed a committee to look into India’s potential as a place to set up the East India Company’s own tea production unit.
In the native Indian population, they found not only workers who would cultivate and harvest the leaves but also consumers of the beverage.
As coffee production became overshadowed by tea farming, Indian tastes also shifted to the latter.
Further consolidating the decline of Indian cafe culture was the British ban on Indians visiting coffee houses, which were barred to all but Europeans.
Nevertheless, reports of the death of coffee in India were premature.
Regardless of British influence on local culture, the subcontinent was not immune to global trends.
The Indian historian and author, AR Venkatachalapthy, writes in his 2006 book In Those Days There was No Coffee: Writings in Cultural History that there was no escaping the physical effects or symbolism of coffee in late 19th century British India.
“Drinking coffee, it appears, was no simple quotidian affair. Much like history, the nation-state, or even the novel, coffee too was the sign of the modern,” he writes.
Enthusiasm for coffee grew at the turn of the 20th century, and the same book quotes adverts for coffee in south India in the 1890s: “Coffee is the elixir that drives away weariness. Coffee gives vigour and energy.”
This energy and vigour were first reflected in the east, in the colonial city of Calcutta (present-day Kolkata) where the first Indian-run coffee shop, named Indian Coffee House, opened in 1876.
pix09
Turning into a chain in the 1890s, by the first half of the new century the name Indian Coffee House would be adopted by a growing network of 400 coffee houses run by Indian workers’ cooperatives, with only Indian-origin coffee.
These were the people’s coffee houses where any Indian could walk in without being discriminated against on the basis of their race.
Today, the ambience of the Indian Coffee House reminds one of the inclusivity of coffee shops in historic Shahjhanabad.
The chain is one of many Indians can visit, with others including the Bengaluru-based Coffee Day Global, which now has more than 500 outlets in the country despite only opening its first in 1996.
Six years later Starbucks entered India’s voluminous urban market and the rules of the brew changed forever in the subcontinent.
source: http://www.middleeasteye.com / Middle East Eye / Home> Discover> Food & Drink / by Nilosree Biswas, New Delhi / June 05th, 2023
Books have been Maryam’s passion ever since she learnt to read. She turned her passion into a mission of starting a library for children with the books from her own collection.
Two years ago, Maryam had amassed nearly 150 books of her own when she started her very first library in the balcony of their home in Baijipura called Dr APJ Abdul Kalaam Library.
How it began
It was during the lockdown, with no school or homework to occupy her time, that she noticed many idle children in her neighborhood. Inspired by this observation, Maryam approached her father, Mirza Abdul Qayyum, who runs the popular bookstore called Mirza World Book House.
The first library in the balcony of Maryam’s house
Mirza, being an avid reader himself, readily agreed to support his daughter’s idea. Mirza is also affiliated with the Read and Learn Foundation (RLF), a movement dedicated to promoting reading habits, particularly among children. Starting a library for children aligned perfectly with the foundation’s objectives.
Thus, Maryam and her father gathered around 300 books, including donations, and set up the first library named Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Library, located in the balcony of their home in Baijipura. The library inauguration was attended by local children, and from that day forward, they began visiting the library, borrowing books, and returning them within a week.
More libraries for more children
The library was a hit and soon Maryam and her father were thinking of starting another library in another locality. Thus, the second library was started under the aegis of RLF in Rahemaniya colony with another 300 books. Here also the response was good.
Seeing the enthusiasm of the little girls and boys, Maryam resolved to have more libraries and her father assured her that he would support her. Maryam wanted to reach out to the children dwelling in slums. Her aim was to have at least 10 libraries for that year.
Supporting her were her elder sisters too who, like, were students in college. Maryam started collecting funds from the people to set up the Mohalla libraries. The neighbours and other donors began contributing with small amounts and with each Rs.5000/- collected, Maryam purchased a cupboard, books and some stationery to maintain the records of the library.
Some of the places where the libraries have been set up are the anganwadi centre of the mohalla, a place in the school yard, a mosque, or a room in the house of a generous well-wisher. In a span of 14 months Maryam had 31 libraries functioning including one in her own school.
“In some localities we needed to put in more work”, shared Maryam with Twocircles.net. “Sometimes the people of the locality were not very responsive to the idea of having a library. They did not see any use to having a mohalla library. We motivated them by explaining the importance of reading and how it develops the personality of their children”.
While in some areas the people were very cooperative, they offered space to run the library and even offered cool drinking water to the children who come to read in the library.
Managing the libraries
There are nearly 30 children who are involved in the day-to-day functioning of the libraries in different Mohallas. The library is open for an hour daily in the evenings offering books in English, Hindi, Urdu, and Marathi.
There are books of general knowledge, adventure stories, and biographies of historical figures.
“The USP (unique selling proposition/ point) of these libraries is that Urdu and Marathi – the two regional languages are getting readers, apart from encouraging the reading habit in children.” Says Maryam’s father, Mirza Abdul Qayyum Nadvi
felicitated by her school teachers
The children take their responsibilities seriously, ensuring that borrowed books are returned on time and in good condition. Their dedication has impressed not only the adults but also the neighbors, who sometimes assist the children in maintaining the libraries. Additionally, Maryam and her father conduct awareness campaigns on various topics such as educating girls and eradicating child labor.
Maryam aims to establish 50 libraries by the end of 2023. The mohalla libraries are named after Urdu writers, poets and other well-known personalities. Some libraries are named after the parents of the generous donors who sponsor a complete library.
Her efforts have inspired similar initiatives in other towns surrounding Aurangabad, such as Jalna, Beed, Jalgaon, and Ahmednagar.
Receiving the FAME Award in Aurangabad
Recognition and awards
Maryam’s remarkable achievements have not gone unnoticed. In 2022, she was honored by the American Federation of Muslims Indian (AFMI) Origin, The award was presented to her in New Delhi at the hands of the former Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, Najeeb Jung.
In May 2023, she received the Mukta Samman from News 18 Lokmat in Mumbai.
At the awards ceremony Maryam quoted Safdar Hashmi’s poem ‘Kitabein’ to a thundering applause.
Receiving the Mukta samman award in Mumbai
Despite the recognition and accolades, Maryam remains grounded, acknowledging that her father’s bookstore has greatly benefited from her library project, as most of the books are purchased from there.
Looking ahead, Maryam aspires to become a neurosurgeon. Her favourite books are the Harry Potter series. And when she is not reading, she likes drawing and colouring.
source: http://www.twocircles.net / TwoCircles.net / Home> Children / by Nikhat Fatima, TwoCircles.net / May 31st, 2023
Ghazal singers Ahmed Hussain and Mohammad Hussain (Photo/ANI)
Jaipur, RAJASTHAN (ANI):
Ghazal singers Ahmed Hussain and Mohammad Hussain of Jaipur will be awarded Padma Shri in the field of arts.
Hussain brothers have thanked the central and state government for this honour.
In conversation with ANI, the Hussain brothers extended their greetings to the people on Republic Day and Basant Panchami.
Ahmed Hussain said, ” those interested in this field should not be in a hurry to create a platform, do not care about the echo of applause. If someone gets trapped in the trap of publicity and money, then he drifts away from his art.”
He said, “get an education from the one whom you consider a guru in the field.”
The brothers further said, “we are thankful to the central and state government for the award.” He said that after being named for the Padma Shri award, now our responsibilities have also increased. We should never look back.
The recipients of this year’s Padma awards were announced on Wednesday evening, on the eve of the 74th Republic Day.
On the eve of the 74th Republic Day on Wednesday, Padma award winners were announced by the Central Government. (ANI)
source: http://www.theprint.in / The Print / Home> India / by ANI / January 27th, 2023
Sadaat Bano Kitchlew with a foreigner (Courtesy Heritage Times)
Qudsia Bano once remarked that in a family led by a towering personality, the other members will always remain dwarfs. She failed to add that if the other family member is a woman, her stature will diminish further.
This is so true about many women including Saadat Bano, who was the wife of the well-known freedom fighter Saifuddin Kitchlew. It was against his arrest that the people were protesting at Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar when Dyer fired upon them, killing 379 and injuring more than 1200 people. Not many would remember Saddat Bano since our patriarchal society teaches us “Saadat was married to Saifuddin” and not that “Saifuddin was the husband of Saadat”.
Seldom do we find any mention of Saadat Bano in our history textbooks as an independent woman or for her work.
Should Saadat be only remembered as the wife of a great man? Especially when she was a published writer and women’s rights activist even before she married Kitchlew. She was an excellent orator on social and political issues.
Born in 1893 in Amritsar, Saadat was home-tutored in Urdu, Persian, and English. At a very young age, she started writing in leading magazines of the early 20th century like Deccan Review, Tehzeeb e Niswaan, and Khatoon. With a series of articles by the title of Hurriyat e Niswaan (Freedom of Women) published in Tehzeeb e Niswaan at 16, she became one of the leading women thinkers in India. Her writings were not limited to women’s issues; she wrote about the educational reforms of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, the politics of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, fashion, etc.
Years before marrying the Cambridge-educated Saifuddin Kitchlew in 1915, she also had a name as a poet. She composed poems on nationalism and humanism. One of the couplets from a poem, “Pyare watan ke naam pe jaaun nisaar main, Ujde chaman mai dekhun Ilahi bahaar main” (I wish to sacrifice my life for my country and bring back its lost glory), bears testimony to her emotions.
After her marriage at the age of 22, she became more active in public life. Saifuddin was a prominent leader. After her marriage to a leading nationalist leader, Sadaar could write without fear. When Lala Lajpat Rai returned to Punjab after a long exile, Saadat welcomed him with an emotional poem. She wrote, “even when thousands are oblivious of the national duty, Lajpat has kept the honour of the nation”.
In 1919, Saifuddin was jailed for agitating against the Rowlatt Act. People organised a public meeting at Jallianwala Bagh to register a protest against it. What happened at Jalianwalla Bagh is history, but not many know that Saadat was supposed to be there addressing the protesters. People had gathered to listen to Saadar but she could not reach the venue in time.When Saifuddin was in jail, Saadat addressed meetings, met political leaders, attended Congress sessions, wrote in newspapers, and participated in All India Women Conference activities. She was a good orator.
Saadat along with Saifuddin was one of the most severe critics of Jinnah’s demand for Pakistan. When most of the Muslims from Amritsar fled to Pakistan the couple left Delhi. After India gained freedom, Sadaat remained active with Women’s organisations and Peace Conference till her last day – 18 August 1970.
source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Stories / by Saquib Salim / May 21st, 2023
