It was in 1872 that the Diwan (Prime Minister) of Hyderabad, Mir Turab Ali Khan popularly known as Salar Jung – I, established Madrasa-e-Aliya.
Madrasa-I-Aliya alumini on Sunday celebrated the existence and contribution of their alma mater.
Hyderabad:
Madrasa-I-Aliya, one of the oldest school of Hyderabad, on Sunday celebrated the 150 years of its completion.
A program was organised by the alumni of the school in the school premises at Nizam College, Gunfoundry to remember the contributions of Madarsa-i-Aliya in their lives.
It was in 1872 that the Diwan (Prime Minister) of Hyderabad, Mir Turab Ali Khan popularly known as Salar Jung – I, established Madrasa-e-Aliya a few years after setting up the Darul Uloom school.
The event started with Tarana-i-Aliya and the present teachers and students also witnessed and heard the experiences of the alumni.
The alumni took several initiatives and a discussion highlighting some nostalgic anecdotes by the teachers and the students made the celebrations more meaningful and interesting.
To encourage the students, 150 Pure Silver Medals were awarded to meritorious students of Class X of school and Intermediate Final year students of Aliya Junior College.
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On this occasion, an Audio-Visual documentary on 150 years of Madrasa-I-Aliya prepared by department of mass communication and journalism, MANUU Hyderabad was presented before the audience.
The event was enriched by some distinguished guests from department of education, Dr Shaid Ali Khan, Mohammed Ali Rafath IAS — Alumina Madrasa-I-Aliya, Yogaraj — Alumina Madrasa-I-Aliya, Gautam Chand Jain— Chairman Pokarna Limited (Alumnus of Aliya Junior College). Other pass out students from batch 1949 onwards graced the occasion with their presence.
“The flashbacks to the old Aliya days revived before our eyes”, said Arshad Nawab, Alumni of Madarsa-I-Aliya.
The alumnus shared their fond memories and unique stories as a student in the school. Everyone wished and appealed the Government of Telangana to restore Madarsa I Aliya to its original glory.
The celebration committee which comprised of Basharath Ali, Shujaat, Ali Rafath, IAS, and others thanked the participants for taking out time.
source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> News> Hyderabad / by News Desk / December 10th, 2022
December 19 is celebrated as ‘Mewat Day’, for it was on this day in 1947, soon after the partition of India, that Mahatma Gandhi’s appeal to the Meo Muslims living in what is today the border areas of Haryana, UP, and Rajasthan, made them shun their desperation to move to Pakistan.
The community members were all packed with some belongings after facing harassment and violence at the hands of officials in the post-partition mayhem that had gripped both India and Pakistan. Lakhs of Mewatis got together and declared they would go to Pakistan when Mahatma Gandhi came on the scene. He assured to protect the life and property of Mewatis and give them full respect.
At the time of the partition of India, Mewat, Gurgaon, and Faridabad of Haryana were ruled by the British, and Alwar, Bharatpur of Rajasthan by the kings. At the time of partition, like other parts of the country, Mewat also saw communal violence.
At this stage freedom fighters Abdul Hai, Himmat Khan, and a few other Muslim leaders came to know of a conspiracy to force Mewati Muslims to leave India for Pakistan and they met Mahatma Gandhi and invited him to visit Mewat.
Mahatma Gandhi reached Ghaseda village of Mewat on 19 December 1947. He was accompanied by many leaders including the then Chief Minister of Punjab Gopi Chand Bhargava, Ranbir Singh Hooda, father of former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.
Mahatma Gandhi’s speech on 19th December 1947 in the village of Ghaseda before lakhs of Mewatis is historic. He said, “Today my sayings do not have the same power as it would have earlier.
“But what I say any as much impact as it would have earlier, today not a single Muslim would need to leave the Indian Union, nor would any Hindu-Sikh be required to leave their homes in Pakistan and seek refuge in the Indian Union.
A sorrowful Bapu said: “My heart is filled with sorrow after hearing what is happening here. All around arson, looting, killing, coercive religious conversion and kidnapping of women, and demolishing temples, mosques and gurudwaras is madness. If this is not stopped, both communities will be annihilated.”
Historian Siddiq Ahmed Meo, who has 10 books on the history of Mewat to his credit, says, “Gandhiji also read out the complaints sent to him by Mewati Muslim representatives to the assembled crowd.”
He assured the Mewatis that they would be given full respect. If any government official commits any atrocity with the Mewatis, then the government will take strict action against him. Gandhiji said, “I will be happy if my words can console you a little.”
He expressed grief over the Muslims who were expelled from the princely states of Alwar and Bharatpur.
Gandhiji said in his speech, “A time will come in India when all hatred will be buried in the ground and both societies will be able to live in peace.”
Mewat’s social worker Fajruddin Besar says, after Gandhiji’s assurances, the Muslims reversed their decision. “If they were not stopped at that time, there would be not a single Muslim in Haryana and Rajasthan today.” He says Gandhiji did a big favour to the Muslims by stopping them from going to Pakistan. “Today, Muslims in India are living a life of more peace and respect than in Pakistan. In Pakistan, there is always fighting among Muslims.”
In 2007, chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda declared Ghaseda an ideal village and renamed it Gandhi Gram Ghaseda. He also released about Rs 10 crore for development works in the village.
This year Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will also reach the village on December 22 and celebrate Mahatama Gandhi’s visit to the village on that day.
source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> India / by Yunus Alvi, Nuh (Haryana) / December 19th, 2022
Dr. P.G. Halakatti Research Centre of Vijayapura in north Karnataka has spearheaded the project that is historically significant.
Members of the Adil Shahi Literature Translation Committee at Dr. P.G. Halakatti Research Centre in Vijayapura. | Photo Credit: File photo
Vijayapura-based BLDE Society’s Dr. P. G. Halakatti Research Centre has just completed the ambitious task of translating literature and documents pertaining to the reign of Adil Shahi kings in the 15th and 16th century. The work was carried out in association with the government of Karnataka.
Books in Persian, Arabic and Dakhani have been translated to Kannada. The project generated around 4,500 pages in 19 volumes.
The translated books include epics like Tareekh-e-Farishta, a history of the kingdom by Mohammad Kasim ‘Farishta’, Basateen-e-Salateen by Ibrahim Zuberi, Ibrahim Nama by Ibrahim Dehelvi in Dakhani, Guldasta-e-Bijapur by Mir Ahmed Ali Khan, Hafta Kursi by Fitur Khan Lari, and Futuhat-e-Alamgeer by Eshwar Das Nagar.
Challenge of finding experts in Persian language as well as Kannada
“This is a milestone in the cultural history of Karnataka,” says Krishna Kolhar Kulkarni, director of the centre. “It has been completed after painstaking work by scholars and translators who are good in both the original language and the target language. It was not easy to find them, as there are few persons who are well-versed in Persian or Dakhani. It also took us a lot of time to visit libraries and research centres to gather the books and documents.”
Procuring the books was not easy. Committee members visited Hyderabad, Delhi and Kolkata, to get copies of various books. The books were collected from the Salar Jung Museum in Hyderabad, the archives of Andhra Pradesh, and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) headquarters in New Delhi, and some individuals.
“It was tough work, but we persisted. For example, we got one of the only two copies of ‘Mohammad Nama’ by Kazi Nurallah. Even these copies are reproductions, and not originals,” he said.
Important historical project
“Though there have been a few books in English and Kannada about the history of medieval Karnataka, a lot of work needs to be done. The translation project hopes to fill that void. It will tell us not only about the history of Karnataka and the Deccan region, but also about India in those times,” he said. “Apart from documenting the life and times of medieval India, the translation project will help us drop our prejudices and dispel misconceptions about this phase of history.”
The project has been in the works for several years, says Dr. Kulkarni who is also the director of Adil Shahi Literature Translation Committee set up by the Ministry of Kannada and Culture. He worked for several years with M.M. Kalburgi who was vice-chancellor of Kannada University in Hampi.
M.B. Patil, BLDE Society chairman and founder of the research centre, recalls the contribution of Irrigation Minister Govind Karjol, who supported the project during his tenure as the minister for Kannada and Culture Minister.
The volumes were released in Bengaluru on December 18 in the presence of former Union Minister Salman Khurshid, writer Sudheendra Kulkarni, former Minister M.B. Patil, literary critic Devu Pattar, Mansoor Ali Khan of Centre for Research and Communication, G.K. Patil, president of Dr. P. G. Halakatti Research Centre.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> India> Karnatkaka / by B. Rishikesh Bahadurdesai / December 19th, 2022
Among the patrons of Haziq and Mohi Rare Book Sellers, back when its founder Awad Bafana was running it, also includes author (of White Mughals) William Dalrymple.
An inside view of Haziq and Mohi rare book sellers. (Image: Yunus Lasania)
Hyderabad:
For over four decades, Awad Bin Mohd Bafana ran a book store selling rare books in the Old City. A man of Arab descent, he had inherited the books from his grandfather’s personal library. Over a period of time, it became a go-to place for research scholars, and anyone else looking to buy something interesting and old. Haziq and Mohi Rare Book Sellers today is one of those ‘secrets’ that many love to discover among the city’s heritage.
Awad Bafanna, as he was known, passed away suddenly in 2015 over half a decade ago at the age of 74. He left behind thousands of books in his shop, which only he mentally kept track of. His nephews who run the shop today in Hyderabad, painstakingly have only managed to organise a section of the collection. “There was no inventory but he knew exactly where every book was in his head,” said Ibrahim, one of his nephews.
One can understand the enormity of the rare book collection at Haziq and Mohi while walking through it. There is literally space for only one person to walk in its hallway, and to then turn right into another section. Thankfully, Awad Bafana’s family have partially sorted out books based on subjects like history, politics, on Hyderabad etc. The bookstore is a haven for bibliophiles and research scholars who require particular titles.
A favourite of collectors and scholars
Among the patrons of Haziq and Mohi Rare Book Sellers, back when Awad Bafana was running it, also included author (of White Mughals) William Dalrymple. Ibrahim and his brothers still receive calls from abroad for specific books customers want. Awad Bafana’s grandfather had worked as a Jamadar in Barkas. for the Al-Quaiti family that headed the Yemeni community in Hyderabad.
Haziq and Mohi rare book sellers. (Image: Yunus Lasania)
Hyderabad’s Barkas, where their descendants live even today, is believed to be a corrupt word of the word barracks. It is essentially a mini Yemen of sorts and is a go-to place for foodies who want to eat authentic Yemeni cuisine.
Partial book collection up for sale
Now, seven years Mr. Bafanna’s demise, Awad Bafana’s extended family that runs Haziq and Mohi Rare Book Sellers is looking to part with a chunk of its collection. The Bafana family runs the rare book store in Hyderabad’s old city near the Chowk Ki Masjid at Hussaini Alam road. The collection is huge, and the family still has to go through the entire thing in order to catalogue it.
“We are not selling away all our books, nor are we shutting down the store. However, there are some monetary requirements at home due to which we decided to do this. Anyone who is interested can come take a look and discuss it with us,” Ibrahim told Siasat.com.
Haziq and Mohi has a treasure trove of books in mainly Urdu, English, Persian and Arabic. Many book lovers who wander there usually end up sticking around for hours, mostly going back with books they never knew they wanted in the first place. The collection of rare books include several official gazettes, and other publications that are even a century old. One will have to sift through it to even figure out what is there.
Anyone interested in purchasing the collection that is up for grabs can contact the Bafana family for the same (finding it is easy on Google Maps) on +919160161301.
Haziq and Mohi rare book sellers. (Image: Yunus Lasania)
source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> News> Hyderabad / by Yunus Lasania / December 14th, 2022
The dargah Hazrat Syedina Shaikh Badruddin Shah Arif Chishti is in possession of several archival records, but its real claim to fame is a copy of the Holy Quran calligraphed by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb Alamgir.
The shrine of Shaikh Badruddin Chishti in Belgaum recently underwent renovation with some scintillating Persian glass work. (Image: Shafaat Shahbandari).
The historic town of Belgaum is home one of Karnataka’s oldest Dargahs. Located within the ancient fort of Belgaum, the dargah Hazrat Syedina Shaikh Badruddin Shah Arif Chishti is believed to be more than eight centuries of old.
Among the first sufi saints to settle in the region, Shaikh Badruddin travelled across south India spreading the message of peace and harmony. The historic tomb in Belgaum is still a great symbol of harmony in the city.
“Hazrat Syedina Shaikh Badruddin Shah Arif Chishti arrived in Deccan more than 800 years ago. He travelled extensively across southern India to spread the message of peace and love. He was among the first sufi saints to settle down in this region,” said Rafeeq Ahmed Ghawwas, caretaker of the Dargah in Belgaum.
Located in the historic Belgaum Fort, the mausoleum of Shaikh Badruddin Chishti was revered by rulers from various dynasties irrespective of their faith. (Shafaat Shahbandari)
Origins
Originally from Delhi, Shaikh Badruddin he was a disciple of Hazrat Shaikh Qutubuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki, who was a 12th century saint and scholar based in Delhi. According to Ghawwas, Shaikh Badruddin migrated to the Deccan in Belgaum on the advice of his spiritual master. He was the one who introduced the Chishti order of the revered saint Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti in the south.
“Our ancestors were the disciples of Shaikh Badruddin and we have been in the service of this place since the earliest times. I took over as the caretaker of this dargah from my uncle Khattal Ahmed, who had taken over from my father Abdur Raheem Mujawar. Before him our grandfather Ebrahim Ahmed was the caretaker, who took over from his father Shaikh Jangu Mian,” said Ghawwas, who has been the caretaker of the dargah for more than 30 years.
Venerated by kings, ministers and commanders of all faiths, the dargah and the saints of this order have had close ties with several dynasties across its history of almost 800 years.
Ghawwas with some prized remnants of Maratha, Mughal and Adil Shahi heritage. (Shafaat Shahbandari)
The Aurangzeb connection and the Quran
More interestingly, the dargah Hazrat Syedina Shaikh Badruddin Shah Arif Chishti is in possession of several archival records that reflect its rich and vibrant history. And among its biggest inheritances is a 16th century copy of the Holy Quran that was calligraphed and gifted by the sixth Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb Alamgir.
Rafeeq Ahmed Ghawwas with his prized possession – a 17th century calligraphed copy of Quran. (image: Shafaat Shahbandari)
“The emperor had actually gifted the copy to the dargah of Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti in Ajmer, but we are not sure how and when it reached into the possession of our ancestors. We feel fortunate to have this blessed copy and we are doing our best to preserve it for posterity,” added Ghawwas, who has preserved the copy with great care.
According to local history, after his travels across South India, Shaikh Badruddin arrived in Belgaum and settled within the premises of the then newly built fort. The fort was originally built in 1204 AD by Raja Jaya Raya of the Ratta Dynasty and Shaikh Badruddin lived here until his death in 1251 AD.
This mausoleum was built in the early 16th century by the Adil Shahi general and the then governor of Belgaum Asad Khan Lari. The structure has been preserved with some renovation and restoration. Recently, the interiors of the dargah went through a facelift with Iranian glasswork adorning the walls, the dome and the ceilings.
Throughout its long history in Belgaum, the has received patronage from the rulers irrespective of their faith. The caretaker is in possession of several firmans and sanads issued by the Maratha rulers who venerated Shaikh Badruddin and offered their patronage.
The ornamented page of the calligraphed work representing the first chapter of the Holy Quran. (Image: Shafaat Shahbandari)
“This dargah has always been the abode of peace and harmony and we are continuing with our age-old motto of love for all,” added Ghawwas.
source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> News> Bangalore / by Shafaat Shahbandari / December 13th, 2022
Phones have not stopped ringing at Tahir Ahmed Parray’s home in North Kashmir Hajin after his daughter Arbeen Tahir completed handwriting Holy Quran.
It took Arbeen six months to write the Quran using her calligraphic pen. With no formal training, she learnt calligraphy by watching YouTube videos before she tried her hand at writing the Quran.
“It was my childhood dream to write the holy Quran. I had no experience or training in calligraphy. I started watching videos and trying scribbling on paper before I learnt the art. I started writing the holy Quran in June and completed it in November. I was regularly showing manuscripts to my cousin for any correction,” she said.
Coming from a religious family, Arbeen’s father is a businessman dealing with fruits. She has a younger brother who studies in Class 10. Arbeen is living in a big joint family with all her uncles and cousins under one roof.
Arbeen received religious education from her childhood. Well versed in different languages, she developed an interest in reading theology and religious scriptures.
“I have written the manuscript on 900 pages. Now I plan to preserve this copy for posterity. I plan to bind it and keep it in my study. It is the prized possession,” she said.
Arbeen has become a role model for her clan and society. A student of class XII, she is now preparing for NEET and wants to become a doctor to serve humanity.
“I am working hard to crack NEET. My cousin is a doctor and she is my inspiration. I too want to become a doctor to serve mankind. I am preparing hard to achieve my goal,” she said.
The 18-year-old is also working on her debut book. “I am writing a book. `Tragedy of Innocence’ will soon hit the stands,” she said.
Arbeen is not the first student who has handwritten the Quran in Kashmir. Last year, Adil Nabi Mir of Srinagar completed writing the Holy Book in 58 days. Mir said he wrote the Quran in his handwriting purely for the ‘sake of Allah’ and to inspire the youth to follow Islamic teachings.
Coming from a humble background, Mir’s father is a mason. Mir said he received a lot of encouragement from his father and other family members.
He started writing on January 27, 2021, and it took him 58 days to complete the work. He used to write in his free time and spend 6-7 hours doing this. His fingers would ache a lot, but he persisted. Mir would rarely move out of the house barring visits to the mosque so that he could finish his task.
source: http://www.indiatomorrow.net / India Tomorrow / Home> Religion / by Ishfaq-ul-Hassan (headline edited) / December 13th, 2022
The Haider Aziz Safwi Career Development Centre aims to create awareness, and make books and resources accessible
Hamed Aziz Safwi hopes to take the youth of Uluberia closer to their career dreams All pictures by Arijit Sen
Less than 40km away from Kolkata, Uluberia lacked a library for students and most Class XII passouts seemed at a loss about the road ahead. Haider Aziz Safwi Career Development Centre — the initiative of La Martiniere boy and son of former IPS officer and MLA from the area — aims to fill that gap and take the youth closer to their dreams.
The Haider Aziz Safwi Career Development Centre in Uluberia will be inaugurated on December 12, the death anniversary of Haider Aziz Safwi, the late IPS officer and MLA.
My Kolkata caught up with his son and founder of the centre, Hamed Aziz Safwi, to know more about his plans
Hamed chose to set up the career development centre at Taj Mahal Library, a subsidiary of the Taj Mahal Gram Vikas Kendra, as the place itself has some reputation locally
The infrastructure
The Haider Aziz Safwi Career Development Centre is housed inside the Taj Mahal Library, a subsidiary of the Taj Mahal Gram Vikas Kendra that has earned quite a reputation in the area over the years. The original library was set up in 1952 by the late Ahmed Hossain Mullick, late Atibar Rahman Mullick, late Yacub Ali Khan and late Mohhammad Moinuddin.
“The Taj Mahal Gram Vikas Kendra has an established reputation here and has been involved in a lot of activities, including the Taj Mahal Library. It was decided that since there is space available, we can convert it into a career development centre. Since it’s a place of repute, I will not have to worry about the day-to-day functioning and local student outreach,” said Hamed, who completed his post-graduation in Economics in 2022 from St Xavier’s University after graduating in 2020 from St Xavier’s College in the same subject.
“We have spoken to the head teachers of the high schools of the three blocks and teachers’ groups. The local administration will also go school to school and interact,” he said.
The library is open to all students from 10am to 6pm, Mondays to Saturday for book lending
The library and centre
The library caters to around 600 students of about 45 schools from three blocks — Uluberia, Santrail and Panchla. It has a stock of over 1,000 books for students of Class XI and upwards.
“We will basically have Chhhaya Prakasani books for West Bengal board students of Classes XI and XII — maths, physics, chemistry, biology and other subjects. There will also be competitive exams-oriented books in English,” Hamed said.
The library is open to all students from 10am to 6pm, Mondays to Saturday for book lending; however during examination the hours can be stretched for solo or group studies with prior intimation to the administration.
Career guidance
The career development centre will have books for CAT, CLAT, CA preparations. “Uluberia doesn’t have any good coaching centres. Parents are not always willing to send their children all the way to Kolkata. Also, these books are very expensive. What we are trying to do is to make sure that the students have access to books when they need it,” said Hamed, talking about the gaps he wants to fill to make knowledge accessible to the youth of Uluberia.
“When we interacted with the students, there seemed to be a complete lack of awareness about any sort of career goal. For example, somebody who wanted to be an engineer or doctor had taken up Humanities in Plus II. They also had no idea about which exams to appear for,” Hamed said. “Later, we will get some people who can offer career guidance to them. We will also establish an online class setup later with a laptop. We can also do group studies.”
“We have already spoken about a paramedic course and computer training. Once this is up and running we will try to get them into some ITIs. We will be getting some coaching institutes and some teachers, if possible weekly once or twice a month to come and sit with the students,” Hamed said.
To encourage and motivate the students and take them ahead on their career path, Hamed has also instituted the Haider Aziz Safwi Scholarship Distribution.
Managing funds
The library has mostly been funded by Hamed along with crucial administration and infrastructure inputs from the local community and the kendra.
‘’For book donations one can get in touch at haiderazizsafwi@gmail.com . We have a zero cash transaction policy,’’ said Hamed.
Hamed Aziz Safwi , founder; Zahir Azad Mollick, teacher and treasurer of Taj Mahal Gram Vikas Kendra; Abdul Malek Mollick, retired headmaster, president Taj Mahal Gram Vikas Kendra and Taj Mahal Library; Rejwan Ali Mullick, secretary, Taj Mahal Library; Sk. Farukh, social worker; Sk. Amarullah , social worker; Sk. Samim Parvez, homeopathic practitioner; Arabinda Bhowmick, teacher and other executive committee members of Taj Mahal Gram Vikas Kendra team.
Dream and objective
The La Martiniere boy from Kolkata shared why Uluberia has always been so close to his heart. ‘’My father was an IPS officer and was an MLA from here. What shocked me was that despite him being an IPS and MLA, we failed to provide a library that caters to students. That for me was a big dilemma, which is why I focused on this. And we will establish more of these.’’
“The first objective is to create awareness and secondly try to create an environment where people are able to excel. It is not possible overnight. But we are creating a process which will set up an environment of competitive exams,” Hamed signed off.
source: http://www.telegraphindia.com / The Telegraph / Home> My Kolkata> Resource Centre / by Subhadrika Sen / December 11th, 2022
The words like ‘bandobast’ and ‘decko’, apart from many other Hindustani words are now loved by the British dictionary.
Mumbai:
If you are born in India, and that means any part of India, Urdu is the language that you must have come across in its purest or hybrid form. The language is even liked by the Oxford English Dictionary, which has words listed throughout its collection. On Wednesday, November 9, Urdu is being celebrated all around the world on the occasion of “World Urdu Day.”
The words that belong to Urdu and are now in the OED include “bandobast”and, after literally “deckoing” the arrangements, “Abba” (father), “Accha” (okay, good), “Gulab Jamun,” “Mirch Masala,” “Keema,” “Chowkidar,” “Funda,” and “Chamcha.”
Urdu, along with Hindi and Sanskrit, is the oldest language and, literally speaking, a display of Indian culture. Though the most real and oldest words are not frequently in used today, there are rhetoric, which belong to Urdu and which the Oxford English Dictionary has included in its collection.
Urdu, before being replaced by the East India Company against Persian, was earlier known as the “Hindustani” language, and its basic roots can be traced to the “Daur (reign)” of Moghul King Shah Jahan. Though the language was in its infancy at the time, there are numerous documentary evidences that prove that the language was used by locals.
The 400-year-old language has maintained its charm in the 21st century. Everything has become online, and for that, English is a must. However, there are some Urdu words that “English” enjoys as well. And these words are included in the Oxford English Dictionary.
Shahid Latif, editor (Madeer in Urdu), explains that the process is entirely dependent on the OED’s meticulous research and analysis. Latif said, “Urdu has major influence from Persian and Arabic.” The words derived from Urdu are being included in the OED with a proper announcement. For example, “Bandobast,” in which band means protection and bast means tightly wrapping, is part of the OED. Apart from it, “decko” is also a word that was included in the English language long before independence, bought from the Urdu word “dekho” and used by the British police to “check out” anything suspicious.
source: http://www.freepressjournal.in / The Free Press Journal / Home> Mumbai / by Nooruddin Inamdar / November 09th, 2022
Veteran Journalist, activist and an encyclopaedia of Andaman history, Mr. Zubair Ahmed is no more among us. Sad demise of Mr. Zubair Ahmed has left people of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, his friends, family members and followers deeply shocked. The fearless voice of these Islands, Mr. Zubair Ahmed was deeply loved by Islanders because he had what hardly a few have today- a spine to fight for injustice.
His writing in newspapers and blogs on Andaman history, childhood memories and social issues were extremely popular among Islanders. Mr. Zubair Ahmed’s out of box thinking and ability to question authorities on crucial issues made him favourite of masses.
Mr. Zubair Ahmed, after working in Times of India, Bengaluru moved back to Andaman and Nicobar Islands and started republishing ‘The Light of Andamans’ with veteran journalist Late Govind Raju and other senior journalists. ‘The Light of Andamans’ became extremely popular in no time. He was also the Editor of ‘The Sunday Islander’ an online news portal from A&N Islands.
Other than Journalism, he was deeply involved in Education, social works and social reform activities.
His death has left a void in the media fraternity of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The Andaman Sheekha Daily team deeply mourns the death of Mr. Zubair Ahmed. Meanwhile, the Andaman and Nicobar Media Federation and Daily Newspaper Association have also mourned the death of Mr. Zubair Ahmed.
source: http://www.andamansheekha.com / Andaman Sheekha / Home> City> Featured / by Vikramaditya / July 08th, 2022
Traditional makers of classical Indian string instruments worry about the extinction of their art, with little interest among the younger generation, and most of their clientele now based abroad.
Tanpura artist Altaf Mullah, classical vocalist Rahul Deshpande and Yusuf Mullah (Altaf’s father and Tanpura maker to Bhimsen Joshi). | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
For generations, Altaf Mullah and his family, residents of Miraj in Goa, have been in the business of tuning the strings and twisting the pegs of Indian string instruments such as the tanpura, surbahar, rudra veena and vichitra veena. They are currently headed for a tour of the United States and the United Kingdom, to hold workshops on how best to keep these instruments tuned, for their clients abroad, a number that now oustrips their domestic market.
On the face of it, it seems as though Mr. Mullah and his family have negotiated the ravages of modernity on traditional businesses quite well, by shifting their client base abroad. But the story is quite different. In fact, the workshop is being sponsored by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) after a distress email from Mr. Mullah, who feared the extinction of this art of making and maintaining string instruments.
“We are the fifth generation making these string instruments. We were given Rajashray (royal patronage) in 1862, but the way things were going, this art would not survive beyond this generation. We make upto ₹500 per day, the younger generation is not that attracted to it,” says Mr. Mullah. His father, Yusuf Mullah, is a much-feted string instrument maker, with Hindustani music maestro Bhimsen Joshi having been a faithful patron.
After having knocked on many doors, Mr. Mullah wrote to ICCR president Vinay Sahasrabuddhe about the systemic and immediate problems faced by his tribe of string instrument makers. “For 1.3 billion people, and countless afficianados abroad, there are only 220 karigars (artisans), mostly concentrated in Goa or Kolkata,” he said.
Mr. Sahasrabuddhe’s response was immediate, and one of the first things he did was to set up a meeting between Mr. Mullah and the Postmaster General of India, in New Delhi. “Our immediate issue was that the parcels of instruments that we used to send abroad [which is the bulk of the business] were through speed post. The department of posts changed it from weighted charges to volumetric post, that raised our costs by three times the amount. We were really struggling,” said Mr. Mullah. The Postmaster General agreed to make an exception for the parcelling of string instruments and some relief was gained.
“Our major problems, however, remained. Our worst period was of course between 1990-2000 with the rising popularity of electronic instruments. Fortunately, acoustic sound made a quick comeback, and our business went up again, but not enough to attract the next generation,” he said.
Mr. Sahasrabuddhe told The Hindu that preserving the tradition of making and maintaining Indian string instruments was important as they were “the tangible and intangible heritage of India, and Indian musical tradition.” In fact, there is now talk of standardising a curriculum via the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) for this purpose, to create a base of instrument makers, and prevent the skill from dying.
The Mullahs’ client list, ranging from composer A.R. Rahman to India’s nightingale, the late Lata Mangeshkar, to Bhimsen Joshi and tabla maestro Zakir Hussain — reads like the who’s who of Indian music.
Tanpura artist Altaf Mullah with Tabla maestro Zakir Hussain. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Indian string instruments, especially the tanpura, have been historically referenced through much of Indian history. In his devotional song, “O Sadho”, the poet-saint Kabir draws a parallel between the human body and the tanpura. “ Yaha tan thaata Tambure kaa, paanch tatwa ka banaa hai Tambura, khaenchta taar marodata khoonti, Nikalta raag hajure ka, O Sadho” (O seekers, this body is a splendid tanpura, made of five elements, strung together with nine resonances. Tighten the strings, twist the pegs and it sings the song of the Lord).
As the irreplaceable accompaniment to the sound track of India, the tanpura, struggling for breath, was hoping to “get a ventilator soon”, said Mr. Mullah.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> India / by Nistula Hebbar / December 04th, 2022
