Artist Akmal Pasha of Rajivnagar and his 45-member team provide a magical touch
From skilfully made pots, carefully sculpted sandalwood miniatures to hand-woven sarees, Karnataka’s rich tradition of handicraft were on grand display at the Republic Day parade in New Delhi’s Rajpath on Jan. 26.
In fact, the Karnataka tableau stole the show with an eye-catching depiction of the land’s cultural icons. A massive Asiatic elephant sculpted out of Mysuru rosewood with ivory inlay carvings, impressive Bidriware, bronze statues and lacquerware toys from Channapatna were the highlights of the tableau which was based on the theme — ‘Karnataka: The Cradle of Traditional Handicrafts’.
The tableau also featured Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay, the acclaimed freedom fighter from Karnataka, who is also hailed as the ‘mother of traditional handicrafts in India’. She is seen offering ‘bagina’ that includes a sandal box, peacock shaped lamp pots, banana fibre bags from Sandur among others.
For the tableau to impress the guests and onlookers, the efforts of many artists have to be taken into account and this time, it is Akmal Pasha, a resident of Mysuru who displayed his talent in designing and giving a shape to the tableau. A resident of Rajivnagar in the city, Akmal Pasha is a retired employee of BEML.
Pasha has acquired the skills of an artist due to years of hard work. Under the guidance of Shashidhar Adapa, Art Director of Prathiroopi, Pasha has been designing tableaus for the Republic Day parades. Shashidhar Adapa was the Art Director for this year’s Karnataka tableau. A 45-member team functioned along with Akmal Pasha and the initial sketches were provided by Shashidhar Adapa that were brought to life by Pasha and team.
16 traditional handicraft products
The 45-feet long, 16-feet high and 14-feet wide tableau showcased 16 traditional handicraft products that have received the Geographical Indication tag. The coastal traditions of the State also found a place on the tableau in the form of Yakshagana models and bronze face masks used in ‘bhootha aradhane’ (devil worship).
A mammoth Mysuru elephant with rosewood inlay carvings led the tableau which also featured Ganjifa cards, Bronzeware, Kinhal toys, Kolhapuri slippers and Mysore traditional paintings. Various weaves were a part of this artistic presentation including the Navalgund Jamkhana, Gulledgud Khana, the Ilkal, Molakalmuru and Udupi sarees, Mysore Silk, along with traditional Kasuti and Sandur Lambani embroidery.
The central portion had a huge vase depicting Bidri carving and two large peacocks were placed behind. At the end of the central portion was a large installation of Hanuman depicting Kinhala artwork which was surrounded by Channapatna toys, lacquerware toys, Navalgund fabric and sandalwood carvings and terracotta articles.
From BEML to art
After completing his ITI in Hassan, Akmal Pasha got a job in KGF where he pursued his passion for art and drama. He worked backstage creating various artefacts and visual appeal objects that fit into the theme of the dramas. Later he was transferred to BEML and in 1991 he designed certain ‘Jumboo Savari’ tableaux. He did this task for 10 years and later joined Shashidhar Adapa’s team. In 2000, he visited New Delhi to prepare the Republic Day tableaux and has never looked back since then. Akmal Pasha is a constant feature in the nation’s capital when it comes to Karnataka tableaux. He has been awarded by the Karnataka Nataka Academy in 2013 and has also bagged CGK award in 2015.
Pasha has been designing Karnataka tableaux in Delhi for 13 years under the guidance of Adapa. This year, Pasha and team left Mysuru to New Delhi on Dec. 23 and worked tirelessly to make the culture tableaux a reality.
Commenting on the overall Karnataka tableau this year, Pasha said that the design will bag the best tableau award this year. Online voting is open till Jan. 31 and after that, the winner will be decided, he added.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles> Top Stories / by A Ganesh / January 30th, 2022
One of the highest civilian awards Padma Shri came in search of KV Rabiya who is a staunch literacy activist in Tirurangadi. Though 56-year-old Rabiya is paraplegic, she pursued her literacy mission without fail by sitting in a wheelchair.
Rabiya’s house on the banks of the Kadalundi river is also a cultural centre for the people of Tirurangadi. She had dealt with several works including that of the library, palliative care, rehabilitation of physically challenged persons and women, and issues related to family conflicts.
She developed early symptoms of paralysis when she was studying in class 9. Life was difficult as her mother had 6 daughters including Rabiya to look to look after.
Her uncle took her to school during high school and she joined PSMO college in Tirurangadi later for pre-degree course. But she could not attend the examination as she got completely immobilised six months before the exams.
Still determined, Rabiya completed graduation and post-graduation via distance education. Along with this, voracious reading also added her strength.
Even before the government deployed its literacy mission, Rabiya Rabiya started to teach the people in her locality.
Meanwhile, she survived cancer too.
Rabiya was honoured with many awards including the National Youth Award of 1993. She was the daughter of the late Vellinakkattil Moosakutty and Biyachutti. She is now living with her sister’s family at her residence.
source: http://www.english.mathrubhumi.com / Mathrubhumi / Home> News> Good News / by Shaneesh Moozhikkal / January 26th, 2022
Fateen takes western piano lessons from Belarusian concert pianists and concertmasters Natallia Kapylova and Liudmilla Alizarchyk.
Along with Fateen (L), the district administration also felicitated Uttar Pradesh’s Abhinav Kumar Choudhary who won the award in the social service category. Credit: Special Arrangement
City-based western music prodigy Syed Fateen Ahmed and Bharatanatyam dancer Remona Evette Pereira were among the 29 children who received the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar award on Monday.
Fourteen-year-old Fateen, who began learning music at the age of three, is now a western classical pianist, guitarist, and vocalist trained by international teachers.
Remona, 17, received the award in recognition of her achievements in art and culture. Remona has been trained in semi-classical, western, and contemporary dance styles.
“My mother applied for this award last year after she got to know about it from a friend. It is a great feeling and an honour to receive this award. I feel proud to represent India,” Fateen told DH.
Fateen takes western piano lessons from Belarusian concert pianists and concertmasters Natallia Kapylova and Liudmilla Alizarchyk.
At the age of 12, in December 2020, he also became one of the youngest Indians to complete a diploma with distinction at the London College of Music (LCM).
Fateen’s parents Asma and Syed Zameer said their son was honoured to receive the award. “We read the Prime Minister’s tweet about him and are touched. It is very encouraging.”
Studying in class 8 in Samved School in the city, Fateen wants to build a career in western music and aspires to become a sound engineer. Apart from music, he is also interested in painting, chess, and swimming. Bengaluru Urban DC J Manjunath felicitated Fateen at Kandaya Bhavan.
Along with Fateen, the district administration also felicitated Uttar Pradesh’s Abhinav Kumar Choudhary who won the award in the social service category.
Choudhary is studying in Jawahar Navodaya School, Bengaluru Urban, according to officials. Choudhary had created an app to promote the reuse of books during the lockdown, which benefitted thousands of children in rural India.
Remona Evette Pereira with her mother Gladis Celine
Dancing on glass shreds
Remona, who started learning dance at the age of three, said she initially found it difficult to dance on shreds of glass. “Many times the glass shreds have pierced through. But due to the constant encouragement from my mother, I mastered the dance.”
“Despite financial difficulties, my mother Gladis Celine enrolled me in a classical dancing school.
“I am now driven by a passion to highlight the diversity of culture in Indian classical dance to the world,” said Remona, who was greeted by Narendra Modi virtually. Remona recollected how her mother had to struggle after the death of her father.
(With inputs from Harsha in Mangaluru)
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> City> Top Bengaluru Stories / by Jahnavi R, DHNS, Bengaluru / January 25th, 2022
The former scribe’s recent Telugu translations include anthologies of Saadat Hasan Manto’s Urdu works
Padullaparthy Venkata Suryanarayana Murthy, known by his pseudonym Mehak Hyderabadi to readers, has been bridging the cultural gap through translations. The former senior journalist with 35 years of experience in Telugu print media has been enriching readers with the ease and simplicity of his translations of Urdu stories into Telugu.
In a span of six years (2016-2021), Mehak has brought out six books – translations of two volumes of Jeelani Bano’s Urdu stories (with Telugu titles Guppita Jaare Isuka, Antaa Nijame Chepta), and Jeelani Bano’s autobiography Main Kaun Hoon as Terichina Pustakam.
What made Mehak’s journey as a translator gratifying yet sapping, both emotionally and mentally, were the two recent anthologies of celebrated Urdu writer-playwright Saadat Hasan Manto’s stories — Saadat Hasan Manto Kathalu (Volume 1, 27 stories) and Manto’s Classics, and Amrita Pritam’s much-acclaimed novel Pinjar’ into Telugu
The Telugu stories Toba Tek Singh (Toba Tek Singh), Teetwal kukka, (Teetwaal ka kutta), Challani Maansam (Thanda Gosht) and Sukhaantam (Anjaam Bakhair) from Manto’s second volume deal with the horrors of Partition. “It is hard not to be gripped by Manto’s narration of the dark times. People from this part of India (South) were not so impacted by Partition but the narrative leaves you distressed. One feels shattered and hopeless and I was no exception,” shares Mehak.
While there have been translations of Manto’s works into Telugu, they have been translated from English or Hindi. Mehak claims, “I am the first writer to translate Manto stories from Urdu, the language they were originally written in.”
Tryst with Urdu
Mehak was transferred to Hyderabad in ’90 from Vijayawada. Hoping to get a State government job, he began learning Urdu from MA Malve, a retired DSP. He did not get the job but continued to learn for two years, cleared Urdu exams and translated Urdu articles from Siyasat and Munsif into Telugu. “Urdu is poetic and its expressions are unmatchable.”
Translations are a lot of labour, observes Mehak. “Being aware of the atma (soul) of the original writer, what he/she wants to convey, the language’s history and culture helps in the translation process. One has to be careful of the idiom and dialect used.” The key Mehak points out is not imitating the writer’s style while ensuring the gist does not get diluted.
Mehak rues the fading away of mushaira culture in Hyderabad as well as the fact that youngsters are not finding learning Urdu rewarding. “Urdu has many admirers but its position as medium of instruction in educational institutions is vulnerable. The link between Urdu learning and employment opportunities is fragile and many students with Urdu as mother tongue are not inclined to study in it.”
Trained under poet Rehman Jami, Mehak is also an Urdu shayar (poet)and has written ghazals on religious intolerance, the Telangana agitation and other contemporary topics. Currently he is translating Hyderabad-based popular Urdu fiction writer (late) professor Baig Ehsas’s anthology, Dakhma.
Revealing the story behind his takhallus (pseudonym), he says, “Mehak means fragrance and also touchstone to check the quality or genuineness of gold. Renowned Urdu scholar Muztaz Majaz who gave me the name felt it will be unique in the literary world.”
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Books> Interview> Author / by Neeraja Murthy / January 27th, 2022
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the eventful Malabar Uprising of 1921.
In this historic context, SIO Kerala has come up with a new venture: an interactive virtual exhibition titled ‘Mappila Haal’.
‘Mappila Haal’ is a comprehensive creative expression of the Malabar Uprising enabling the viewer to travel through the revolutionary days and nights.
SIO acknowledges the memories, discussions on various factors and celebration of the Malabar Uprising as a crucial socio-political engagement.
History is not merely a record of the past. For any community, history is a decisive factor in their present life. That is why history is said to be a never-ending dialogue between the past and the present. Historical narratives play a major role in shaping contemporary socio-political perspectives and imaginations.
Every community should have a deep understanding of their history, and they should record and promote it. Failure to do so will result in the tragedy of having to live in a history written by others. That condition will adversely affect their future. Because their history written by the mainstream-dominant ideologies will be understood as the real one. If the dominant powers decide to marginalize or annihilate any community forever, they will use history as an easy tool. For that, they will do injustice to history in two ways. One is to hide and erase the rich history of that community, and the other – to present a distorted narration of it.
How Islam and Muslims were treated in colonial historiography is an apt example of this. The colonial powers hid the prestigious and glorious history of Muslims all over the world. Later, colonialism defined Islam and Muslims in their own way, based on which the history of Muslims was written – Islam is primitive, it was spread in the world by sword, Islam is utter terror, Muslims are savage, bloodthirsty, war-loving, violent and dangerous. Based on this definition, they presented a distorted version of world Muslim history. In doing so, they sought to create a public perception that the very presence of Muslims would be dangerous to any nation and all forms of social and political expression based on Islam reflects extremism and terrorism. The aim was to make people believe that they were the ones who needed to be eliminated. Thus, this narrative became a justification for all violence, injustice and genocide against Muslims. This is how history itself becomes the greatest instrument of oppression. It is in this colonial narrative that the roots of present-day Islamophobia too lie, be it global, national or in Kerala.
Here comes the relevance of the remembrance and celebration of the Malabar Uprising. This is a time when Hindutva politics is gaining strength and the Sangh Parivar is working on the genocide of Muslims. Hindutva forces use the history of Muslims in two ways to facilitate ethnic cleansing: One is the attempt to erase the history of Muslims in India and to uproot the glorious roots of Muslims in this country. Second, to distort the history of Muslims in India into an anti-Hindu history. Through these two forms of violence against history, Hindutva quickly finds pace for its racist propaganda. In other words, the Hindutva forces are trying to create a public conscience that the Muslims are a group that came from somewhere, that they have no roots in this country, that the history since their arrival here is one of violence, that their presence is a danger to the country and therefore they should be eradicated. The question of how one’s mind allows Muslims to be lynched to death in broad daylight turns irrelevant there. When a person believes that Muslims deserve to be killed, he will not feel any remorse for killing them.
In this particular political context, there is a special significance for popularizing and celebrating the memories of the Malabar Uprising. By remembering the Malabar Uprising and the fighters involved within, we are also positioning ourselves against the Hindutva ideology. The British colonial powers portrayed the Malabar Uprising as fanatic aggression. Such a propagation was quite natural because it was a battle against them. However, the Sangh Parivar is also propagating the Malabar Uprising as a brutal anti-Hindu massacre, inciting hatred against Muslims in its name and using the history of the Malabar Uprising as fuel to accelerate the aforesaid process of genocide. In 1921 itself, the Hindutva forces propagated the Malabar Movement as a Hindu genocide and used it as a fertilizer for the formation of the RSS.
Moreover, the historical point of the Malabar Uprising is constantly disturbing Hindutva politics in many ways. One of them is that the Malabar Uprising reminds us of the crucial role of Muslims in the anti-colonial struggles that led to the formation of the nation of India. Another is that the Malabar Uprising was also a struggle against the upper caste hegemony which is the foundation of Hindutva politics. That is why the Sangh regime’s dictionary of martyrs cannot include the names of the Mappila fighters. Therefore, remembering and celebrating the Malabar struggle is a strong statement against Hindutva politics.
The memory of the Malabar Struggle is also a memory of our own glorious tradition. It also gives us an idea of how strong and deep our roots are in this land. It shows the pivotal role played by our ancestors in the freedom struggle of this country, social renaissance and civilizational development. For the Muslim community in India, this memory and realization will provide the energy to move forward with self-respect in the face of several crises.
The Malabar Uprising had two main stages. One was the struggle against the colonial British forces. Second, the struggle against the feudal and caste lords who oppressed and exploited the peasants and lower castes like slaves. The extraordinary struggle led by Ali Musliyar and Variamkunnath Kunhahammad Haji shook the foundations of the colonial powers and the caste leaders. It instilled a new dream of liberation in the oppressed masses. It was these two brave leaders who gave direction to the Malabar Uprising in which thousands of agricultural workers and labourers rallied. Many non-Muslims too took part in the Malabar Uprising along with the Mappilas.
We also need to think about the theological factor that motivated the Mappilas to fight. The Islamic faith was the basic factor that inspired the Mappila warriors to take their own lives and go to battlefield. It is a part of the Islamic faith to stand for justice and to fight against injustice, discrimination, slavery and exploitation. The Qur’an and the Sunnah teach us to fight for the victims of injustice. It is part of Tawheed (monotheism) that slavery and obedience are permissible only to Allah. Believers do not accept slavery or obedience before another. And they believe that the struggle for truth and justice is Jihad in the way of Allah. The scholars of Malabar passed on these divine lessons of justice and liberation taught by Islam to the common Mappilas. That is how the struggles against the occupying forces and caste lords took place in Malabar from the sixteenth century onwards.
Indeed, a cosmopolitan component was involved in the Malabar Uprising. After a short gap, the anti-colonial struggle in Malabar gained momentum again in 1921, with the advent of the Khilafat Movement. Even the national movement became popular as a result of the influence of the Khilafat movement. The Khilafat movement and the political ideology of the Khilafat acted as a new force in the anti-colonial anti-caste struggle. Globally, western modernity strengthened its political power by overthrowing the Ottoman caliphate. It was on the basis of these political convictions that the Mappila community, having global perceptions, embraced the Khilafat movement.
The historical narratives formed by the dominant ideologies can be defended and overcome only when studies are carried out in the light of such different elements involved in the Malabar Uprising. In particular, it is imperative in modern times to enable a critical reading focusing on the agency of the warriors, theological thought, social position, and decolonization. The SIO came up with the idea of a virtual exhibition based on the conviction that such alternative narratives and analyzes focused on these considerations should be brought to the fore.
In the context of the 100th anniversary of the Malabar Uprising, SIO’s main objective through this virtual exhibition is to look at the history of Kerala’s Muslim intellectual and struggle history through an alternative perspective, to enable the production of knowledge about it, and to celebrate it politically and culturally. This can only be comprehensive when the various narratives that have been formed post rebellion are critiqued and analyzed from a realistic perspective. This is a continuation of the knowledge politics that SIO has been raising from time to time. We mark this interactive virtual exhibition as a continuation of the knowledge politics that SIO promotes through its rejection of hegemonic ideas and its critical reading of knowledge such as history, politics, theology and aesthetics.
The virtual exhibition will be available on a mobile application with a feast of video contents, paintings, calligraphy, digital art, rare archives, exclusive photos, the timeline of the uprisings of Kerala Muslims, different narratives on the Malabar Uprising, articles, profiles, events and graphical maps of the places of rebellion.
‘Mappila Haal’ will also be marked as a critical alternative to the colonial and savarna narratives which portrayed the long intellectual and revolutionary tradition of Malabar against the colonial and caste powers as fanatic and barbaric.
Hafiz Aiman, who has been selected for the respectable post, is persuading graduation at Umm All Qura University Makkah in Saudi Arabia
Hafiz Aiman and Masjid Al Awali in Makkah, Saudi Arabia
Malegaon:
Marking a remarkable and proud moment for India, Hafiz Aiman of Malegaon – the Muslim dominated city in North Maharashtra known for scholarship and textiles , has been appointed as Imam in a mosque in the sacred city of Makkah al-Mukarramah.
Imam is a person who leads five daily prayers Muslims offer in mosques. Hafiz Aiman, who has been selected for the respectable post, is persuading graduation at Umm All Qura University Makkah in Saudi Arabia.
“I joined as an Imam at Al Awali Mosque in Makkah on December 18, 2021”, Hafiz Aiman told ummid.com in a WhatsApp call.
Masjid Al Awali, also known as Masjid Kulliyatul Lugha, is located some 15 kilometres to Masjid al-Haram – the Grand Mosque which is home to Holy Kaaba, and some 9 kilometres to Umm al Qura University Campus in Makkah.
Though it is not the first time when an expatriate or a student of foreign-origin has been appointed as Imam in a Saudi mosque, it is a rarest of rare moment as the Kingdom follows a very strict rule while making appointment to the post.
What makes appointment of Hafiz Aiman as Imam in Saudi Arabia mosque even more significant is also because of the Quality Assessment and Quran Recitation skill requirement for the post that are of very high standards.
After early education and complete memorisation of Holy Quran with Tajweed at Jamia Mohammadia Mansoora in Malegaon, Hafiz Aiman got admission in February 2019 for higher studies at Umm al Qura University Makkah on merit basis.
At home in Malegaon for annual holidays, he got stuck here for more than a year after the pandemic broke out – attending online classes and simultaneously rendering his duty as Imam at Jame Masjid Ahle Hadees Motipura. He had returned to Saudi Arabia in December last when Saudi Arabia lifted the travel ban on flights from India.
Incidentally, Hafiz Aiman’s younger brother Osama and elder brother Abdul Moeed too are Hafiz and acclaimed Qaris. Abdul Moeed also has to his credit the tag of being the first student from Malegaon who got admission at Islamic University of Madinah for higher studies.
Watch: Hafiz Aiman recites Holy Quran
The siblings’ Father Qari Abdul Mateen and Grandfather Qari Abdus Samad are also acclaimed Qaris. Qari Abdus Samad was in fact a regular invitee as judge at national and international level Quran recitation competitions till his death in March 2013.
“The entire family of Hafiz Aiman is hailed for its contribution towards teaching of Quran and Tajweed”, Faizee Shahid, who looks after the management of Jame Masjid Ahle Hadees Motipura, said.
“His appointment as Imam at a mosque in Makkah is not only rewarding for the family but also a proud moment for all of us”, he added.
source: http://www.ummid.com / Ummid.com / Home> Life & Style / by Ummid.com Staff Reporter / January 05th, 2022
A youngster from Udupi has shined brightly in Tulu movie ‘Yeregauvye Kiri Kiri’.
Mohammed Nayeem made his Coastalwood debut in the recently released Ram Shetty directorial ‘Yeregauvye Kiri Kiri’.
Nayeem hails from Udyavar in Udupi. After completing his education, he had moved to Mumbai to pursue a career in dance.
Nayeem struggled a lot to become a hero. He got an opportunity in ‘Kum Kum Bhagya’ Hindi serial telecast on Zee TV and later went on to feature in serials like ‘Apnasa’ and ‘Siddi Vinayaka’
After a successful stint in daily soaps, Nayeem made his debut in Tulu film ‘Yeregauvye Kiri Kiri’. His amazing performance in the movie has help him receive several movie offers.
source: http://www.daijiworld.com / Daijiworld.com / Home> Coastal Cine World / by DaijiWorld Media Network – Udupi (ANK) / January 09th, 2022
The team had 15-members, all women, of whom Shahana had acquaintance with only a single member, Suhaila T, the trip coordinator
Shahana Nizar with children at Pandhi Ka Par village in Rajasthan
Kozhikode :
The story of 32-year-old Shahana Nizar has a slight similarity to Mudrita, the noted Malayalam novel of 2021 penned by Jisa Jose. Mudrita unfolds through the train trip of nine women who were strangers to each other but got together through an online group. Shahana’s maiden 10-day trip, without the company of her family, to Rajasthan by train concluded on December 30.
The team had 15-members, all women, of whom Shahana had acquaintance with only a single member, Suhaila T, the trip coordinator.
Hailing from a conservative Muslim family of Koyilandy and mother of 10-year old and four-year-old boys, she had many odds against taking such a trip. But finally, she pulled it off. “Till the moment I boarded the train from Kozhikode railway station, I was not sure I would make it. There were so many obstacles. But my passion for travelling self-liberating me besides, the solid support from my spouse made it happen,” beams Shahana.
The group had 16-year old Haniya Haris to 39-year old Kadeeja, who were from Kozhikode and Kannur districts. Resorting to a budget tour, the women used public transport service and stayed mostly in youth hostels and residences of acquaintances in Rajasthan.
“It was difficult for me to travel in train for so many days. I was a person who loathed using public toilets. But during the trip, I had to even spend my period days on the train. Surprisingly, I myself adjusted to all of these due to the sheer pleasure travelling gave me. After reaching home and looking back, I found I had discovered myself, the liberal soul in me who wants to fly farther, recharge and come back,” says Shahana, an English Literature graduate.
“Don’t want to be like mother’
Shahana reminisces that throughout her life, she saw her mother tied up in domestic chores and taking care of kids and her husband at home. “Watching her life, I had taken a strong decision then that I will not be like her. That spark was within me which poured out in the form of musings and scattered lines on Facebook. But there was not an attempt till now. But for my marriage, I think I cannot make a free trip without the ‘care’ of family or relatives. Now, I am brimming with confidence and ready to backpack any moment,” she says.
While Shahana was on tour, her four-year old son was hospitalized for a day but she came to know it after reaching home only as her husband Nizar Mullasserry managed it.
The women team’s travel was not all smooth. They had to run with heavy bags through railway platforms in Ajmer in odd hours and many such hardships. The team roamed around Mount Abu, Jodhpur, Ajmer, Udaipur, Barmer and had spent wonderful days at remote Rajasthani villages like Pandhi Ka Par and Viradka Par.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Kerala / by Amiya Meethal / Express News Service / January 24th, 2022
The decorated public library rebuilt by Syed Ishaq. | Photo Credit: M.A. Sriram
It offers more than 1,300 books in various languages
More than nine months after the public library he started in Rajiv Nagar in Mysuru was destroyed in a fire accident, Syed Ishaq, the 64-year-old daily wager, has managed to put in place a makeshift structure in the same place to house his collection of books.
The public library rebuilt with corrugated metal sheets was inaugurated on the occasion of Republic Day in the presence of seer of Suttur Mutt Shivarathri Deshikendra Swamiji, Mysuru MP Pratap Simha, former Mayor Ayub and representatives of various Kannada organisations on Wednesday.
Though Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) and the Department of Libraries, Government of Karnataka, had promised to rebuild the library, the promise had remained unfulfilled for various reasons, forcing Mr. Ishaq to take up the construction of the library through the funds he had received from people’s representatives including former Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan, Mr. Pratap Simha, Minister for Cooperation S.T. Somashekar and others.
The rebuilt library now offers the reading public not only more than 1,300 books in various languages particularly Kannada, but also daily newspapers in Kannada, English and Urdu. Mr. Ishaq is hoping to accommodate hundreds of more books that had already been collected and donated to the library by various people and organisations.
After the library was destroyed in an accidental fire in April last year, MCC, Department of Libraries and Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) had jointly decided to take up the responsibility of constructing a full-fledged library. While the MUDA offered the plot of land for construction of library, the process of construction of the building continued to be delayed, much to the disappointment of Mr. Ishaq.
Mr. Ishaq, who professes his love for Kannada and passion for spreading knowledge among the locals, continued to subscribe for a total of 18 newspapers, besides bringing a small collection of books from his house nearby to the library every day and taking them back.
But, during the rainy season, he used to struggle to keep the books and newspapers dry. As the construction of the full-fledged library by the government continued to be delayed, he decided to put up a shelter and took up the construction of a makeshift structure using the funds donated by the people’s representatives and others.
“About 100 to 120 people come to the library every day to read the newspapers and books. With the new structure in place, I expect the numbers to go up to 170 to 180 every day”, he said.
While he had spent around ₹4 lakh for the makeshift structure, Mr. Ishaq said the donations amounted to around ₹3.5 lakh. “I raised the remaining money by cleaning drainages, painting and doing other odd jobs”, he told reporters after the inauguration of the make-shift structure on Wednesday. Mr. Ishaq said he would like to appeal to the government authorities against making “false promises”.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / Mysuru – January 26th, 2022
Women Summit is the annual get together of the members and well-wishers of Women’s Manifesto, a national level NGO formed in 2014. It gives Women Manifesto Award to eminent women from different fields, who have contributed significantly to society and achieved great heights in their professions.
New Delhi :
Manasa Yendluri, a young Telugu short-story writer and Shani S. Hameed, a physiotherapist and Founder, Director and Rehabilitation Child Specialist of Alfa Paediatric Rehabilitation Centre, received awards from Women’s Manifesto New Delhi at the Women Summit 2021.
Women Summit is the annual get together of the members and well-wishers of Women’s Manifesto, a national level NGO formed in 2014. It gives Women Manifesto Award to eminent women from different fields, who have contributed significantly to society and achieved great heights in their professions.
Women’s Manifesto New Delhi organised Women Summit 2021 virtually on 30 December 2021. Dr Rashmi Singh, IAS, Special Secretary-cum-Director, Department of Women and Child Development and Department of Social Welfare, Govt. of NCT of Delhi, was the chief guest of the event.
Talking to TwoCircles.net, Yendluri said, “Receiving an award from women’s manifesto is truly an honour as it not only helps women in need of guidance and support but also encourages and identifies the women of substances.”
“It was a great evening listening to the eminent women across the nation. I sincerely that women’s manifesto and appreciate its deeds”, she added.
While sharing her proud moments with TwoCircles.net, she said, “I won Kendra Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar for 2020 for her collection of short stories ‘Milinda’.”
Manasa did her graduation in Psychology and English literature and did her masters in linguistics from the University of Hyderabad.
Her father Prof. Sudhakar and mother late Dr Putla Hemalatha were also eminent writers in Telugu.
Most of her short stories talk about women from varied backgrounds. She focuses more on the plight of educated Dalit Christian women in the urban setup. She also has written stories on queer characters as an ally.
Her works have been translated into English and have been appreciated across the country.
She has also translated famous Marathi writer Sharan Kumar Limbale’s novel into Telugu. She received many awards for her stories from prolific Telugu writers.
Shani S. Hameed is another winner of the Women’s Manifesto New Delhi.
Hameed has won this award for her initiative called ALFA. ALFA is one of the leading Pediatric Rehabilitation centres and child development established in 2012 and started its operation with a 100 sq ft clinic in Changampuzha Nagar, Kochi, Kerala.
Around 10 kids were given pediatric physiotherapy treatment during the initial year. In 2013 the centre has expanded 1000+ sq feet own centre with more focus on early intervention programs. The program includes medical assessment speech therapy, occupational therapy and special education.
While speaking about ALFA, she said, “ALFA’s vision is to enhance the quality of life for children with special needs, nurture them for a self-reliant existence and support their parents to bring them back to the mainstream of the society”.
“With focused early intervention therapies and multidisciplinary team approaches the centre could make significant achievement in rehabilitating the children with special needs,” she added.
Alfa has been recognized for its work over the past 9 years in the field of rehabilitation, for its coordination of over 50 Alpha team members with over 100% female representation, and for its efforts to make women who have had a career break due to having children with disabilities self-sufficient.
According to her, Alfa has received numerous accolades at the state level since 2014, this year’s national recognition, Alfa is proud to be able to grow from the single-member team from Car Porch converted centre to more than 50 team members today to serve more than 200 children per day at 5 centres across Kerala.
“Now, I am serving more than 200 children who come from different parts of Kerala. Among them, 100 kids are from a very poor financial background and cannot afford treatment expenses or travel expenses. I have been providing the same quality of services irrespective of their financial capability,” Hameed said.
She also talked about ALFA’s short film on social awareness about inclusive education, which is available on YouTube.
While receiving the award, she said “I am very excited and happy on winning the award of Women’s Manifesto in the New Year. Many thanks to the Women’s Manifesto organization and those who are behind this initiative”.
source: http://www.twocircles.net / TwoCircles.net / Home> Lead Story / by Snobar, TwoCircles.net / January 07th, 2022
