Category Archives: Arts, Culture & Entertainment

Mysore’s legacy in Scotland

Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Freedom Fighters (under research project), Karnataka (under research project), Leaders, Travel & Tourism, World Opinion, , ,

Mysuru, KARNATAKA :

The view of the 12th century edifice at Edinburgh castle that houses the National War Museum.
The view of the 12th century edifice at Edinburgh castle that houses the National War Museum.

The legend of Tipu Sultan is still alive in far away Scotland

It is an irony that Tipu sultan, the ‘Tiger of Mysore’, whose birth anniversary celebrations in India became a contentious issue recently, in Scotland whose soldiers and commanders fought for the dissemination of this great warrior king, the only Indian monarch to have died on the battlefield fighting the British, is cherished and commemorated in song, dance, drama, opera, in novel and in paintings. A wealth of personal effects and curiosities of Tipu Sultan have found way to numerous art galleries and museums in Scotland, particularly in its capital Edinburgh.

The participation of the Scots in the affairs of the East India Company began immediately after the unification of Scotland with England through an Act of Union in 1707. Since then Scottish people began coming to India as soldiers, generals, writers, administrators, traders, merchants and missionaries. But they excelled in their service as military generals and commanders. A separate Regiment of foot, the ‘75 Highlanders’ 75th .Highlanders was raised in Scotland to deal with Tipu Sultan. Scottish generals like Sir Hector Munro, Baillie, Beatson, Fraser, Gordon, Dunlop and others participated in the military operations against Tipu. The Scots, more than the English were in the forefront of the British forces in almost all the Mysore wars fought between 1760 and 1799.

After Tipu was finally dismembered by the British under the command of General Arthur Wellesley, the future Duke of Wellington, the images of Tipu Sultan as well as Srirangapatnam proliferated in Britain. No other Indian ruler, against whom the British fought and won, captured the imagination of the average Britisher at home, as much as that of Tipu Sultan. There were tales of mythical proportions in circulation about his valour, reckless energy and merciless acts of tortures meted to the captured British soldiers. It is said that British housewives used to threaten their weeping babies with the ‘arrival of Tipu’ to silence them

The images of Tipu Sultan and his capital, Srirangapatnam became subjects for paintings and art sketches throughout Britain. When Ker Porter’s Panorama a single large painting of Tipu Sultan was displayed in Edinburgh, there was euphoria among the Scots to have a glimpse of it. The celebrated British painters J.M.W. Turner and J.S. Cotman painted scenes of Srirangapatnam and other places in Mysore besides the portraits of Tipu. Sir David Willkie, the famous painter of the day was commissioned by the widow of Sir David Baird, and his poignant painting Discovering the body of Tipu Sahib on 4 May, 1799, was exhibited in 1838 in the Royal Academy of Arts in London. The Scottish General David Baird had spent several years in Srirangapatnam as a prisoner of Tipu before avenging in the final assault on Tipu.

Alexander Allen an artist of great repute travelled to India to personally see the hill forts in Mysore kingdom before he produced captivating sketches. William Darnell and Beckford also produced several sketches that survive even today. Holmes’ Select Views of Mysore, and Hunter’s Picturesque Scenery in the Kingdom of Mysore also evoked great enthusiasm in Britain. The Mysore wars offered exciting subjects and artists who never even visited India responded to the popular appeal of the Tiger of Mysore. As a result of such prolific paintings, the image of Tipu was so much etched in the collective memory of the Britishers that decades later, when Raja Ram Mohan Roy visited England, he had to confront hostile crowds as he was mistaken to be a descendant of Tipu Sultan. The head gear he wore was similar to the huge turban Tipu wore.

Returning soldiers of Scotland provided Sir Walter Scott with anecdotes for his novels on India. Several dramas and stage plays depicting Tipu and his fall were written and enacted at the Royal Corbug theatre in Edinburgh. Events at Srirangapatnam also appear in the writings of the novelists like Charles Dickens, Wilkes Collins and Jules Verne.

The remnants of Tipu Sultan’s dismantled throne, his numerous swords, daggers, bejewelled sword-belts, hukkas, ivory caskets, and several other artefacts were displayed in Glasgow and Edinburgh besides London.

Tiger in Museum:

In 1999, National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh, as a part of the bi-centennial celebrations of Tipu’s death, held a special exhibition and decided to make Tipu’s Toy Tiger as a special exhibit along with several other Tipu’s memorabilia. But as the antique Toy Tiger was advised by exerts not to be moved from Victoria & Albert museum, fearing damage in the transit, a replica of it was made for the occasion.

The Toy Tiger is an awesome life size wooden toy seen devouring a European in military uniform. This impressive toy has cast a spell over generations of admirers since 1808 when it was first displayed in the Indian section of Kensington Museum now called Victoria & Albert Museum. The Toy in its body has a mechanical pipe organ hidden and by turning a handle, creates wailing shrieks and a loud roar. The design of this Toy Tiger is said to have been inspired by the death of the son of the Scottish General, Sir Hector Munro, a bête Notre of Tipu Sultan.

Tipu’s Memories at Edinburgh Castle:

The most significant of Tipu’s memories lay at the imposing castle in Edinburgh, Scotland’s capital. This historical castle, perched on a hillock with a commanding site, is a national symbol of Scotland. Inside the castle is located ‘National War Museum’in which the ‘the Battle Honors” of the Scottish Regiments are displayed. Here are seen numerous ornamental swords belonging to the several prominent Scottish Generals who saw action in the Mysore wars. Swords presented to Generals as souvenirs and medals are also on display What is surprising is the words, ‘Carnatic’, ‘Mysore’, and ‘Srirangapatnam’ carved in stone, are seen on the wall of this Museum indicating the importance the Scots bestowed on their combats during the wars against Tipu.

At the Edinburgh International Festival (EIF), held annually in August with several programmes of music, theatre, opera and dance, Tipu’s memories also come alive . The closing ceremony of the EIF held at the Castle is marked by spectacular display of fireworks. The scene is suddenly shrouded in darkness and bellowing smoke as rockets and explosives presents dramatic images of a big hill-fort under siege. This is an imitation of the Mysore wars when Scottish soldiers in India were familiar with such sights when deadly fires were showered on them from the impregnable forts like Nandidurg, Savandurg and Ootradurg in Tipu’s kingdom. It is said that four tons of explosives are used that evening for the celebration of such fireworks. Tipu Sultan, the ‘Tiger of Mysore’ must have died two centuries ago, but his enduring legend continues to be celebrated in far away Scotland with genuine nostalgia.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Friday Review / by K.S.S. Seshan / Hyderabad – March 17th, 2016

The Muslim Dewans Of Banares: Stories From My Family

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Books (incl.Biographies - w.e.f.01 jan 2018 ), Community Involvement / Social Issues, Leaders, Travel & Tourism, World Opinion, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Benares, UTTAR PRADESH :

Stories of kings and queens fascinate all children and we were no different.

We never grew tired of hearing Amma tell us stories about the Kashi Naresh (king of Banares) and her life in Ramnagar, in present-day Varanasi. Stories of how my seven-year-old aunt was on the lead elephant in the Ramlila celebrations, because the Kashi Naresh was studying in Mayo College; stories of her roza kushai (celebrations when a child fasts for the first time) which had a 16-year-old Bismillah Khan playing the shehnai; stories of my Nani, Begum Hameeda Khatoon attending state dinners in chiffon saris and brocade blouses with matching brocade shoes and a dash of Tangee, her favourite lipstick. We heard of Khan Bahadur Syed Ali Zamin, MBE, our teetotaller Nana raising the toast to the very senior British dignitaries who came with a glass of water! We heard of Nana ensuring that there was a constant supply of Ganga Jal for the young Kashi Naresh studying in Mayo College, since he could only use that pure water. We often heard stories from my grandmother of the jewels in the state treasury; Nana must have described the jewels to her—the keys to the treasury were kept with him and he discharged his duties with utmost integrity and honesty. Another story, and my favourite, was that Nana personally chose the piece of brocade and silk, which went from Benares as Queen Elizabeth’s wedding present.

The rulers of Benares appointed many of their dewans and other officers from the Syed family of Kajgaon, near Jaunpur… Benares State was the biggest employer of our family!

Our childhood was shaped by these stories of a land where the Ganges flowed and the Ganga Jamuni Tehzeeb, as our syncretic culture is referred to, flourished.

A land where there was a Brahmin king and a Muslim dewan!

The rulers of Benares appointed many of their dewans and other officers from the Syed family of Kajgaon, near Jaunpur. In fact, as my aunt says, back then Benares State was the biggest employer of our family!

A VIEW OF THE GHATS OF BANARAS FROM RAMNAGAR, IN A PHOTO BY RUST, C.1880'S
A VIEW OF THE GHATS OF BANARAS FROM RAMNAGAR, IN A PHOTO BY RUST, C.1880’S

Ramnagar, which is 18km from Varanasi, was the capital of the erstwhile princely state under the British Raj. Its history dates back to the ancient Kingdom of Kashi and its Brahmin rulers are said to be the incarnation of Shiva.

Mansa Ram Singh founded the Benares estate and in 1740 his son Balwant Singh became its first Raja. It became a princely state in 1911 under the British government.

Maharaja Ishwari Prasad Narayan Singh succeeded his uncle and ruled till his death in 1889.

WWW.COLUMBIA.EDU "The Maharajah of Benares," from the Illustrated London News, 1876
WWW.COLUMBIA.EDU
“The Maharajah of Benares,” from the Illustrated London News, 1876

A family tradition begins

The first dewan from our family was my mother’s great-great-grandfather, Maulana Syed Gulshan Ali, a qualified mujtahid from Najaf in Iraq came in Maharaja Ishwari Prasad Narayan Singh’s reign.

AHMED ZAMIN / Maulana Syed Gulshan Ali
AHMED ZAMIN /
Maulana Syed Gulshan Ali

He advised and supported the king’s decision to not get involved in the 1857 Uprising and as chief minister and dewan he was instrumental in getting the estate, which had been confiscated by the British, restored to the Maharaja. According to the family lore, he had the idea of going to England to appeal to the Privy Council for the return of the confiscated land. He took three lakh rupees from the Maharaja and proceeded to the head office of the East India Company in Calcutta (now Kolkata). On the way, he met a British officer associated with Fort William in Calcutta where the head office of the East India Company was located. When the officer discovered that Maulana was a scholar he offered to help him in return for Urdu and Persian lessons. Upon finding out Maulana’s concern, he advised him that there was no need to go to England because the case could be pleaded from India. Maulana stayed in Calcutta for about a year teaching Urdu and Persian to the British officer

His detractors who had spread the rumours that Maulana sahib had decamped with the money were proved wrong when he returned and after deducting his nominal expenses handed over the remaining amount to the Maharaja.

Vignettes to cherish

My cousin Syed Naqi Hasan’s yet-to-be-published memoirs, My Nostalgic Journey, is a storehouse of information and family stories.

His uncle Khan Bahadur Syed Ahmed Hasan CIE was dewan and his grandfather, Syed Ali Sagheer (My Nana’s brother) was a collector in Gyanpur, one of the districts of Benares state. He heard these anecdotes from both our grandfathers and his uncle. Those were the days when elders sat in the courtyard surrounded by the youngsters and told them stories and anecdotes to ensure that family legacies, cultural traditions were carried on. Today’s TV, computers and smart phone have taken this away from us. Oral history will soon die a natural death.

Maharaja Ishwari Parasad Narayan Singh valued Maulana Gulshan Ali’s advice and loyalty so much that when Maulana died, he “wept bitterly and said, ‘Today my father has died.'”

He writes that Maharaja Ishwari Parasad Narayan Singh valued Maulana Gulshan Ali’s advice and loyalty so much that when Maulana died, “Maharaja Ishwari Parsad wept bitterly and said, ‘Today my father has died.'”

Later Maulana Gulshan Ali’s son Syed Ali Mohammad served as Naib Dewan.

AHMED ZAMIN / My grandparents, mother and aunts in their Ramnagar house
AHMED ZAMIN /
My grandparents, mother and aunts in their Ramnagar house

My aunt reminisces that amongst the many privileges granted to Maulana and his family by the Maharaja, the most important one was that until the merger of Benares state with India, two white horses were kept in the royal capital of Ramnagar at the State’s expense, and were sent to Kajgaon to be used as Zuljanah (representation of Imam Hussain’s horse) in the Muharram processions.

My elders kept our family’s oral history intact and I share some here.

HTTP://WWW.COLUMBIA.EDU/ "Benares, Maharaja's Palace," a professional photo, 1930's.
HTTP://WWW.COLUMBIA.EDU/
“Benares, Maharaja’s Palace,” a professional photo, 1930’s.

Maulana Syed Gulshan Ali’s extraordinary presence of mind and good judgment during the annexation of Awadh by the East India Company in 1856 is still talked about in our family. When the last Nawab of Awadh, Wajid Ali Shah, was deposed and exiled to Calcutta he halted on his way at Benares. It was customary to offer a nazrana usually in the form of gold coins to a visiting king, which the king sometimes doubled and returned to the giver. The dilemma was that not offering a nazrana meant ignoring the king. Offering gold coins was inappropriate because the king was in no position to double it. Maulana thought of presenting the king with tasbih and sajdigah made of khaak e pak or the dust of Karbala where Imam Hussain was martyred, which the Shias revere. It is priceless in terms of its symbolic value and yet not much in monetary terms, which would make giving something in return unnecessary. What could be a better nazrana for a Shia nawab!

His son Maharaja Prabhu Narayan Singh succeeded Maharaja Ishwari Prasad Narayan Singh in 1889 and was the first maharaja of the newly created princely state of Benares in 1911. He died in 1931, and was succeeded by his only son, Aditya Narayan Singh.

Maharaja Aditya Narayan Singh reigned for a very short time.

AHMED ZAMIN / My grandfather Khan Bahadur Syed Ali Zamin
AHMED ZAMIN /
My grandfather Khan Bahadur Syed Ali Zamin

My grandfather, Khan Bahadur Syed Ali Zamin, MBE joined as Chief Secretary of the State in 1939 and the Maharaja died shortly after that.

As the Maharaja was childless he adopted a distant cousin to succeed him. Vibhuti Narayan Singh, the last Maharaja of Benares, was a minor when Maharaja Aditya Narayan Singh died.

Nana [ensured] that there was a constant supply of Ganga Jal for the young Kashi Naresh studying in Mayo College, since he could only use that pure water.

In My Nostalgic Journey, my cousin Syed Naqi Hasan writes that on his deathbed Maharaja Aditya Narayan Singh summoned my grandfather and his adopted son and placed the hand of his son in Nana’s hand and said, “Syed Sahib, I am placing my son under your protection. Please protect him as well as the throne for him.” There were many claimants to the throne. Against all odds, Nana had Vibhuti Narayan Singh perform the funeral rites as required by the Hindu religion to establish his claim to the throne.

As Maharaj Kumar Vibhuti Narayan Singh, a minor, became the maharaja under regency Council of Administration was formed and C.R. Peters Esq was appointed its President and Nana as the Chief Minister was next in line of authority. Peters had to return to England in 1944 after a sudden illness, and Nana was named to act as President of the Council of Administration.

As the President of the Benares State, Nana was responsible not only for the well being of the state but also of his young charge.

Such was the level of comfort of the Maharaja Vibhuti Narayan Singh with our families that he maintained a friendship with the younger generation and decades later in1979, he stayed in the house of my cousin whose husband S.K.R. Zaidi who was the Chief Officer of Reserve Bank of India in Kanpur, rather than a hotel where he wasn’t sure of the purity of the environment. His young son was very keen on cricket and there was a test match between India and Australia in Green Park, Kanpur.

Their children Atiya and Abid Zaidi have fond memories of his charming manners and how the Maharaja floored the servants with his courtesies.

The Maharaja came with his full entourage and was given the lower floor of their huge house, with a kitchen where he could be comfortable.

Maharaja Vibhuti Narayan Singh ascended the throne, before reaching the full legal age on 11 July, 1947, approximately four months short of his 20th birthday. His ascension was speeded up in view of India’s imminent Independence. Charles Allen and Sharada Dwivedi in their book, Lives of the Indian Princes , quote the young Maharaja Vibhuti Narayan Singh as saying that he wanted to finish his education but was told by the political advisor to the Viceroy, Conrad Corfield, “If you waste a day you may not become a Maharaja.” He goes on to add that that the people of Benares were kind to him and how my grandfather, Syed Ali Zamin, who was presiding over the meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers stepped aside and asked him to preside over the meeting so that he “could play a leading part.”

He succeeded to the throne in July 1947 after becoming an adult, a month before India’s independence. The Council of Administration was dissolved after his ascension and the position of President was abolished. Nana became the Dewan.

End of an era

Maharaja Vibuti Narayan Singh signed the Instrument of Accession to India in Oct 1947, and Benares State was merged with the United Provinces now the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.

In 1948 my grandfather suffered a heart attack while addressing a meeting in Ramnagar, the capital of Benares State, and had to be carried home on a stretcher. He took voluntary retirement from his position as Dewan because of ill health but after helping the young Maharaja to ensure a smooth merger of the state with India.

The last Muslim Dewan of Benares state passed away on 1 November, 1955 a few days before his birthday on the 5th of November.

The Muslim Dewans of Banares

source: http://www.huffingtonpost.in / HuffPost / Home> The Blog / by Rana Safvi / October 27th, 2016

A Konkani Muslim food pop up in Mumbai is putting a relatively unexplored cuisine under the spotlight

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, , , , ,

Andheri, Mumbai, MAHARASHTRA :

On the special menu are dishes such as Kelyachya Paanat (marinated bangda fish wrapped in banana leaves and cooked in an earthen pot), Akhni Gosht (sukha mutton in whole spices masala), Dum cha Mhaura (fish cooked on ‘dum’), Kombdi cha Salna (chicken gravy) and Chawrachi Roti (rice bhakris/rotis made of rice flour), among several others.

Kavtacho Bojar

One of the earliest memories from Mumtaz Kazi and Sameera Gawandi’s childhood involves an annual trip to Harnai every summer. Today a popular tourist spot along the Konkan Coast in Ratnagiri district, it is the native village of the two cousins. They would join their grandmother at the grinding stone to prepare spices for the entire year, before the monsoons set in. What started out as a fun summer activity with cousins is today one of their biggest strengths. Associated with Authenticook, which organises pop-ups of regional cuisines at homes of locals-turned-chefs, Kazi and Gawandi are known in Mumbai for their Konkani Muslim food.

“The simple activity taught me how to grind in order to get the right consistency for masalas and gravies. As a result, I took to cooking at a very young age and it’s the one thing I do with all my passion,” admits Kazi. Along with Gawandi and in collaboration with Authenticook, she is currently hosting a Ramzan special pop-up of Konkani Muslim cuisine at the restaurant Neel – Tote of the Turf in Mahalaxmi. On till June 9, it will move to the restaurant’s property in Powai.

Kombdi cha Salna

On the special menu are dishes such as Kelyachya Paanat (marinated bangda fish wrapped in banana leaves and cooked in an earthen pot), Akhni Gosht (sukha mutton in whole spices masala), Dum cha Mhaura (fish cooked on ‘dum’), Kombdi cha Salna (chicken gravy) and Chawrachi Roti (rice bhakris/rotis made of rice flour), among several others. There is also a special vegetarian menu, which comprises dishes made using a variety of pulses — a common ingredient in the vegetarian Konkani Muslim fare.

Mumtaz Kazi (right) and Sameera Gawandi

Relatively unknown and mostly absent in Mumbai’s dining scene, the Konkani Muslim cuisine, say the two Andheri-based sisters, has certain Arab influences. “The use of kokum in curries, especially the fish preparations, is Konkani, whereas fennel in our food is something we take from the Arabic cuisine,” they say, adding that the Konkan coast was a popular halt for Arab traders back in the day. “The tradition of purchasing our spices from the Gulf was then continued by male members of our community as many of them took up jobs in that region. My father worked for many years in Kuwait. He would bring back spices for the entire family on every visit,” says Gawandi.

Dum cha Mhaura

Fennel, however, is a crucial element in the cuisine, and used in almost every dish. “We even grind the haldi powder along with roasted saunf; the mixture is called bada saunf and added even to simple dishes like daal. It lends a mild aroma and flavour to the otherwise-simple daal,” Kazi explains.

Apart from bada saunf, the community heavily relies on two other masalas — fish masala and mutton masala. They are both made using dried red chilli powder and dhaniya seeds but while the former, says Kazi, does not have haldi, the latter includes ground whole spices. “Then we have a cashew gravy too but that is for special occasions. Mostly, we use these two masalas, even to prepare our vegetarian dishes,” Kazi explains.

Since all coastal cuisines use rice as a staple, Konkani Muslims are no different. But apart from steamed rice and rice bhakris, they also abundantly consume khichdi, which is served along with sol kadi, which they call Soloni. Kazi says, “But sea food is a must. If not every then every other meal has some component of fish, including breakfast, where we serve roasted dry fish among other items. And during monsoons, when the fishing boats can no more tread into the sea, we have the small dried fish, fried with onions and chillies and served like a pickle or snack on the side.”

source: http://www.indianexpress.com / The Indian Express / Home> Lifestyle / by Dipti Nagpaul / June 06th, 2019

Dr Tausif Malik: Entrepreneur, maverick, evangelist and artist

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Community Involvement / Social Issues, NRI's / PIO's, Videos, World Opinion, , , , , , , , ,

Pune, MAHARASHTRA / Chicago,  U.S.A :

The new treasurer for Democrats Abroad India, Dr Tausif Malik is the founder of America’s largest community-based Spelling Bee competition (muslimspellingbee.com). The Indian-American social entrepreneur brings a tremendous amount of experience and knowledge to the job; he is the pioneer in creating branding through recruitment advertisement of IT clients in the mid-90s. Connected to India engaged with him to know about his journey from Pune to Chicago and back to Pune again. Here are the excerpts:

Dr Tausif Malik - treasurer for Democrats Abroad India.
Dr Tausif Malik – treasurer for Democrats Abroad India.

CtoI: Your LinkedIn profile says you are an entrepreneur, maverick, evangelist and an artist. How do you manage to be good at so many things?

Tausif Malik: According to me, all my personality attributes are interrelated; for example, one has to be a maverick to take the risk to be an entrepreneur, you need to be an artist to create an image about your work and evangelist to promote your work and business.

CtoI: What is your vision as the new Treasurer for Democrats Abroad India?

Tausif Malik: My vision as an elected board member for Democrats Abroad India (Democratic Party USA’s International chapter) is to create awareness amongst Americans living abroad that they can register and vote for city, state and federal elections through a vote by mail option. America is one of the few countries which offers this option to its citizens, so Americans living in any part of the world can participate in elections. Many Americans living abroad are not aware of these rights.

Currently, America is getting affected on a daily basis due to incompetent leadership. My hope is more Americans living abroad get registered and vote by mail and elect competent candidates.

CtoI: Please tell us in detail about your recent ventures; Muslim Spelling Bee, Muslim Science Bee, Muslim Math Bee, Muslim Geography Bee and Muslim History Bee.

Tausif Malik: The Muslim Spelling Bee was started in 2012 with the intention of being the first-ever spelling competition specifically meant for Muslim students. The competition is open to students of all ethnicities and religious denominations. The main impetus for creating the bee was to provide an opportunity for Muslim students between the ages of 8 and 14 to have such a contest.

All other major minority groups in the US have their own spelling bees, but Muslims did not, hence, I decided to go ahead and start one. It was during the month of Ramadan in 2011 that the idea for the spelling bee occurred to me. I started getting the word out with local friends and community leaders in the Chicago area, but soon found that I was being inundated with requests for more information from organisers around the country. This was surprising as I had only sent the information out to a few people in the local area. I really did not anticipate the kind of level and support this idea got from all over the US.

In 2012, the first iteration of the Muslim Spelling Bee was held, with 460 students participating from cities all over the nation. The bee currently takes place in 11 different cities, with some 55 community organisations coordinating their own regional competitions. These competitions are divided into four different groups, labelled A through D, and each one has several winners who rank from 1-3. Each of the groups is of a different age level: 0-7, 8-9, 10-11, and 12-14 years of age. The winners then advance to the championship round in Chicago.

Two contestants in 2013 were even Hindu students from India, a great sign of how widespread the reach and power of the spelling bee really is.

Dr Tausif Malik: Entrepreneur, maverick, evangelist and artist
Photo courtesy: Dr Tausif Malik

CtoI: You had your initial education from Pune, India and then you moved to Chicago, US, and now you are back to Pune. What brought you back to your roots? Please tell us about your journey and experiences.

Tausif Malik: I was born and raised in Pune (Maharashtra) and now I’m based out of Chicago. I did my schooling from Bishop’s School Pune, studied at Poona College (11th to M.Com) and Institute of Management Education, Pune (PGDBA). I did my Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA) from Argosy University, Chicago.

I emigrated to Chicago in 2007 to fulfil the dream of my late father Ata-ur-Rehman Malik, who believed that I can have a great future in the US. I returned to India in 2015 to take care of my ailing mother, during that time I launched various startup festivals, including the All India Muslim Business Startup Network (AIMBSN.com), GCC Startup Fest (GCCStartupFest.com), India Startup Fest (IndiaStartupFest.com), GCCStartup.News (GCCStartup.News) and Schoolpreneur.biz, in an effort to empower individuals to achieve economic liberation and benefit from India’s government initiatives Make in India, Digital India, Skill India, Standup India and Startup India.

CtoI: In a sentence describe your life as an Indian-American.

Tausif Malik: It’s actually a great combo, being part of India, the largest democracy, and America, the oldest democracy. I love both countries because they gave me a great platform to excel personally and professionally. Life is exciting as I am living as an American expat in India and in US, I was living as an Indian expat.

CtoI: Do you think that the xenophobia which has engulfed America, which started during the elections and continues post the election of President Trump, will settle down? Or is this the new America?

Tausif Malik: I don’t know how far this will go and how it will impact in the long term. But it has truly rallied Americans under one banner, and everyone is standing shoulder to shoulder with their fellow Americans. After the Muslim ban, Americans stood with their fellow American-Muslims across US. I have never seen this happening anywhere in the world. This xenophobia, in fact, has pushed many American-Muslims to contest city, state and federal elections and they have got a lot of support from fellow Americans. I also contested for the same reason.

CtoI: You did your doctorate in Chicago. Please share your achievements and experience as an Indian-American.

Tausif Malik: I was the pioneer in creating branding through recruitment advertisement of IT clients in mid-90s. I had developed and executed branded recruitment advertisement campaigns for Infosys, Geometric Software Services, Scala Mindworks, ITB India, Veritas Software India and others. I had co-founded Crossover Software with India’s no #1 pop star Lucky Ali and later moved to Sultanate of Oman and established Oman’s first PR agency SIMPA PR and Press Club of Oman. I was invited to co-author a book Doing Business with Oman, which has been selling since 2002. I headed major advertising agency networks in the Middle East and India. I teach at major MBA and MassComm Institutes, and a speaker at major startup events and mentors startups.

My Achievements:
1.Nominated and shortlisted for prestigious Ellis Island Medal of Honor, USA 2016.
2. Past Nominated for Sheikh Muhammad Al Makhtoum ruler of Dubai, UAE promoted Prestigious Global Islamic Economy Award – Dubai Government in association with Thompson Reuters.
3. Panellist with The Guardian Newspaper UK.
4. Community Member on Illinois Muslim Council by Governor Pat Quinn.
5. External Review committee member University of Wisconsin School of Architecture.

CtoI: You are inclined towards start-ups. Can you share your ideas on marginal groups (Dalits and Muslims) still lagging behind?

Tausif Malik: Yes, startups help the youth and individuals through empowerment, as it provides employment and a source of income. But nowadays, the way they are established and operated is highIy unprofessional as many are there for the quick money. But consolidation will happen before long and they will change from boys to men.

As per the Indian census, Muslims constitute 13-15 % of the population and they best way to connect them to the mainstream is through the Prime Minister Narendra Modiji’s policies such as Make in India, Digital India, Skill India, Standup India and Startup India.

These programmes can help Muslims in India to earn income, create income and create economic growth. I have hosted two different events in 2016 and we have generated a large business amongst the attendees. Our next event, All India Muslim Business Startup Network (AIMBSN.com), will be hosted in July 2017 in Jaipur. We are also setting up incubators and innovation at minority institutions, so we can inform people about the startup ecosystem, Make in India, Digital India, Skill India, Standup India and Startup India and enrol more Muslim entrepreneurs.

Also, we will be hosting All India Muslim Business Startup Network (AIMBSN.com) at global locations where are sizeable Indian Muslims, such as London, Dubai, New York, Chicago, Singapore and Australia. As many Non-resident Indians (NRIs) Muslims want to establish businesses in India, invest in India and support Indian Startup Ecosystem. Hence, our All India Muslim Business Startup Network (AIMBSN.com) connects the Indian Muslims diaspora with entrepreneurship & Indian Startup Ecosystem.

source: http://www.connectedtoindia.com / Connected To India / Home> News> USA / by Garjma Kapil / April 20th, 2017

NRIF felicitates Mrs. Zeenat Jafri, Abdulrahman Saleem for awards

Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Education, Leaders, NRI's / PIO's, World Opinion, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Riyadh, SAUDI ARABIA :

NRIF felicitates (Left) Mrs. Zeenat Jafri, (Right) Abdulrahman Saleem for awards
NRIF felicitates (Left)
Mrs. Zeenat Jafri, (Right) Abdulrahman Saleem for awards

Riyadh :

The NRI Forum (NRIF) Riyadh celebrated the 68th Republic Day of India with fanfare here. Patriotic songs and popular Bollywood numbers by eminent singers and the felicitation of Pravasi Bharatiya Sammam and Pravasi Excellence Award winners marked the celebration.

Mrs. Zeenat Jafri was felicitated by NRIF for her latest accomplishment of receiving the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award by Indian President Pranab Mukharjee in India. Terming her as the torch-bearer of knowledge and education in the Kingdom, Vice President NRI Forum Dr. Sayeed Mohiuddin said, “Selfless service and utmost dedication are the words that truly describe her.”

“At the time when expatriate community in the capital did not have any educational facility for children of Indian expatriates, Mrs. Jafri ventured into this field by making a small beginning. An educationist herself, she started a school for Indian children at her home. The school, which was established with the blessings and permission of Mrs. Indira Gandhi, groomed by Mrs. Jafri is now known as International Indian School Riyadh (IISR) and is one of the prominent Indian community schools in Saudi Arabia. She was the principal of the girls section of IISR from Aug 1982 to May 2014,” Mohiuddin said.

After receiving the memento of appreciation from eminent community leaders Mohammed Abdulrahman Saleem, Mohammed Quaiser and Syed Akram Mohiuddin, Mrs. Jafri thanked NRIF for the honor and Indian Embassy officials for recommending her name to the Indian government for the prestigious award. She highlighted the importance of education and stressed on the necessity for all to gain knowledge and education. She appreciated the activities of NRIF and assured her support in all possible ways.

Chief Guest Mohammed Abdulrahman Saleem, president Hindustani Bazm-e-Urdu Riyadh, was felicitated by NRIF for receiving the Pravasi Excellence Award by the Confederation of Telangana Associations (COTA) in Hyderabad. A memento of appreciation and floral garland was presented to him. COTA conferred on him this award in recognition of his continuous services spread over four decades.

He founded different professional and cultural organizations and worked for the promotion of Urdu language and literature. An ardent lover of Urdu language and literature, his passion is to keep Deccani Tahzeeb alive and see it flourish.

Saleem thanked the NRIF and highlighted his activities and accomplishments during his long stay in the Kingdom.

Guest of Honor, President Tanzeem Hum Hindustani Mohammed Quaiser congratulated Mrs. Zeenat Jafri and Abdulrahman Saleem for achieving eminent awards.

President NRIF Syed Akram Mohiuddin highlighted the activities of NRIF and said the forum is involved in various activities since its inception, including educational, sports, cultural, religious and other social activities. The memorable ghazal nite by Zulfiqar Ali Khan was a grand success and was very much applauded by the expatriates in the Kingdom.

Eminent Singers of “NRI Melody Makers” — Rahmat Ali Khan, Abdul Qadeer Ali Alvi, Syed Riyaz, Muneer Ahmed and Miss Shreeja Janardhan presented melodious songs to make the evening memorable.

A young student of Al Yara International School Aswin Siva Prasad addressed the gathering on the Republic Day of India and its importance.

General Secretary Nooruddin Jahangeer and Vice President Cultural Affairs Shakeel Mah handled the overall arrangements.

source:  http://www.saudigazette.com.sa / Saudi Gazette / Home / February 14th, 2017

‘Diversity in Portrait’ a delight for art connoisseurs

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, NRI's / PIO's, , , , , ,

Kurnool, ANDHRA PRADESH  / Sharjah, U.A.E :

Artwork by Indian artist Afshan Quraishi displayed in Dubai. Photographer: Kamal Kassim/ Gulf Today
Artwork by Indian artist Afshan Quraishi displayed in Dubai. Photographer: Kamal Kassim/ Gulf Today

Dubai :

While walking at the Z Lounge of Four Points by Sheraton, Dubai, visitors gravitate towards the art works gracing the walls of the lounge. Each and every artwork mesmerises you and makes your stay pleasant. As you watch, adore, and pass by these paintings and artworks, curiosity to know more about the artist grows very strong and you get a desire to meet the mind behind these wonderful works to appreciate the artist and her artworks.

But you will be really surprised and amazed to know that these artworks are created by an Indian artist, Afshan Quraishi, whose journey is also very appealing and inspiring. She started her professional journey only after her kids grew up and settled in their lives.

Afshan can be considered a born artist. Without having any formal education in the subject, she does magic with her hands. When did she realise that she has an art in her?

She said, “It was my dad who noticed that I was a good artist. I was doing one of my science projects during my college days and he looked at my finished work and appreciated that. That time only my dad decided to get a coach for the art.

“My father, who himself comes from a royal family of Kurnool, Hyderabad, India, was very much into the art himself.”

Afshan Quraishi with one of her artworks
Afshan Quraishi with one of her artworks

My father introduced me to a very famous artist, Azeez Azmi Saheb, who was my mentor for fine arts. Azeez Azmi was the founder of The Fine Arts Society in Kurnool, my hometown, she added.

Afshan feels privileged to be mentored by him. She said, “He was a harsh critic and encouraged us to be self-critical of our work. He was a master in portraits in oil.”

Recalling her master’s words, she said, “He would always tell, ‘Everyone can paint but you need a lot of patience and don’t expect instant gratification. Be your own judge and critic’.”

He would come every day to her house to coach her sister and her until she graduated and married.

A postgraduate in science, Afshan’s training under the able master ended soon after her marriage.

Soon after her marriage she landed in the UAE leaving her passion for the arts behind to begin a new journey of life.

Sharing her experience of arriving in the UAE in the early 80s, she said, “I have been here for four decades and kept on travelling back and forth to India.”

Meanwhile, Afshan dedicated herself completely to her family. She got busy into making her house a beautiful place. She considered her house a canvas where she wanted to see her son and daughter’s dream painted and fulfilled. And she succeeded in doing so.

Afshan can be considered a born artist
Afshan can be considered a born artist

She was so occupied with her two kids that she did not even look back at the brush and paints which she had left long ago.

When did she embrace the canvas and brush to paint a beautiful journey of an artist which was unattended in pursuit of looking after her family?

She said, “My kids went abroad to study leaving me alone. So it was a very lonely time for me. It looked like my children grew up very fast. So I started sketching my children in order to get connected with them. Then I started oil portraits and acrylic and that was the beginning of my new innings.”

Sharing her experience of starting her journey of rediscovering she said. “I met a beautiful lady in Dubai who was organising group shows at an Italian café. She saw my artworks and encouraged me take part in a group show. Though I was not confident but to my surprise two of my paintings got sold the same evening and that was a big inspiration for me.”

I participated in World Art Dubai with the same group three years ago and I moved ahead, she said.

Talking about her solo show “Diversity in Portraits by Afshan Quraishi,” at Z Lounge at Four Points by Sheraton, Dubai, she said, “This is my second solo exhibition which started on March 17 and will continue till May 31. I want to thank Anu Van Der Sande and Nakul Ankolikar for their wonderful opportunity they have provided me.”

Frida Kahlo and Rembrandt are her all-time favourite artists. “I copied a lot of Rembrandt’s work while I was learning the ropes of art.”

When asked to look at her journey, she said, “People around me love my work. They always say you have talents, so keep doing the work and never give up.”

A resident of Sharjah herself, while praising the art scene in Sharjah, she said, “Sharjah has lots of beautiful places, like Sharjah Art Foundation and Maraya Art Centre. Both the destinations are fantastic for artists. It is a great place for emerging artists like me.”

Sharing her daily routine, she said, “I have a discipline. I spend 2-3 hours every day in my studio. I do something every day. I make sure I dedicate some time for art.”

Calling herself a passionate traveller, she said, “I have travelled all over the world. Travelling is something like an art which gives your mind an opportunity to think more.”

Praising the artworks, Anu Van Der Sande, Public Relations and Marketing Manager of the hotel said, “These are great pieces of work. People who come here always appreciate these paintings. Lots of people ask about these artworks.”

source: http://www.gulftoday.ae / Gulf Today / Home> Culture / by Raghib Hassan, Staff Reporter / April 03rd, 2019

Indian artist Haafiza Sayed’s ‘Towards Abstraction’ is a visual treat for art lovers

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, NRI's / PIO's, , ,

Mumbai, MAHARASHTRA / Dubai, U.A.E.  :

Haafiza Sayed poses next to her artwork in Dubai. Photographer: Kamal Kassim/ Gulf Today
Haafiza Sayed poses next to her artwork in Dubai. Photographer: Kamal Kassim/ Gulf Today

While walking through the Studio Seven Art Gallery, you are forced to pause, click, and appreciate the artworks, which explains a glorious journey of an Indian artist, Haafiza Sayed, who has the distinction of having studied at the JJ School of Art, Mumbai, India. The JJ School of Art, Mumbai, India is one of the finest institutions in the country and is widely respected for its illustrious alumni. World-renowned painters like M F Husain and Jatin Das, Bollywood actors Amol Palekar, Nana Patekar and many more luminaries have been associated with it. If you look at the works of Haafiza, you will instantly understand that she too carries the signature of that institution.

Born and raised in Mumbai, India, she belongs to an illustrious family of writers and artists. She is also a trained interior designer and has worked extensively in this field in the early days of her career. Having a passion for art since childhood, she started painting professionally only a decade ago, after arriving in Dubai. Talking about that she said, “Had I not come to Dubai, I would not have taken up my painting. I got into serious painting only after coming to Dubai. Earlier I only had one exhibition, while I was in another country. This exhibition is the my journey in Dubai and of my art.”

_______________________________

“Dubai has opportunities for all levels of artists. You get to participate in group shows and exhibitions. You also get lots of encouragement.     Haafiza Sayed

______________________________

Dubai is considered a paradise for artists and art lovers. Praising the Dubai art scene, she said, “Dubai gave me opportunities. I participated in lots of group works and exhibitions. Once I also worked with the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilisation and that was a very long exhibition. It was a year-long exhibition and was well received by the people here.”

She added, “Dubai has opportunities for all levels of artists. You get to participate in group shows and exhibitions. You also get lots of encouragement.”

So armed with full-on encouragement, she decided to go ahead with her childhood passion.

Haafiza’s solo art exhibition, “Towards Abstraction,” at Studio Seven, Business Bay, Dubai, opened on April 10 and will continue till April 24. The exhibition reveals close to 30 paintings that represent the journey of an artist in different phases. She received lots of appreciation on the very first day of the exhibition.

While sharing her journey, she said, “I took up art very late in my life. I was pursuing an interior designing job because that was my family business. My father was also an artist but he had stopped painting and started the business of interior designing. So I did the same for a very long time until I landed in Dubai.

“Despite being away from serious painting for a very long period of time, the art in me and training which I had from JJ School of Art stayed with me like a shadow and never went away from me, though I would paint and sketch at home in my free time.”

Haafiza Sayed's artwork is on display at a gallery in Dubai
Haafiza Sayed’s artwork is on display at a gallery in Dubai

A well respected artist, she is a very familiar face in the UAE art circuit. Recalling her childhood, she said, “As a child, I was born into the family of an artist. I picked up the brush at the age of 3 or 4. My dad was there to guide me. I received education at home as well as in the university.”

Haafiza comes from a family of artists and laureates. Talking about that, she said, “My father was a writer himself. All my aunts from my father’s side were writers. So, art and culture, literature, were in the family.”

When asked how she sees herself as an artist, she said, “I was actually a surrealist, that was my style from the beginning. JJ School of Art teaches you to follow realism. You get realistic elements inculcated during your stay at the college. But gradually along the way I moved away from realism to landscape art. Though you can still find reality in my works, I am also enjoying landscape art.

“I travel a lot. I love to travel. I love capturing the landscape. I can sit at a place and observe for hours and hours and this helps me in drawing landscape art,” she added.

Praising her learning at the JJ School of Art, she said, “I am fortunate enough to be there. I am quite proud of it. What I have learnt over there remained with me, and that was the trademark of teaching.”

A humble Haafiza is enjoying her journey and success in Dubai. And she also believes that being a mother and a wife can’t be a hindrance if you wish to pursue your passion. A great artist, Haafiza loves poetry as well, if you go through her artwork, you will also find lovely couplets gracing the painting.

source: http://www.gulftoday.ae / Gulf Today / Home> Culture / by Raghib Hassan, Staff Reporter / April 12th, 2019

Modern Muslim Women Are Born With Wings: Daisy Khan

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Leaders, NRI's / PIO's, World Opinion, , , , , , ,

JAMMU & KASHMIR / U.S.A :

DaisyKhan01MPOs14jun2019

Daisy Khan was just 3 when she put on a pair of red boxing gloves and walked to the front yard of her family home in Kashmir. She had been bullied by a bigger child the day before and her father wanted to teach her how to throw a punch in order to stand up for herself. In those gloves, young Daisy saw the need to not physically fight a bully but to become someone else, someone who fights for what she believes in. And ever since that day in the yard, Daisy has never set down her boxing gloves.

As Founder and Executive Director at the Women’s Islamic Initiative in Spirituality and Equality (WISE) – a women-led organisation committed to peacebuilding, equality and justice for Muslims around the globe – she continues to don her gloves and shows up to the world’s arena every single day.

SheThePeople.TV converses with Daisy Khan, author and reformer, about life as an advocate for Muslim women’s rights, as recounted in her memoir Born With Wings: The Spiritual Journey of a Modern Muslim Woman.

“It is a moral imperative for people of all faiths to speak out against injustices committed in the name of their religion, because ‘a crime committed in the name of religion is a crime against religion.”

Daisy Khan founded WISE in 2005 to address the propagation of gender inequality in the name of Islam. “Every religion has seen the oppression as well as the emancipation of women. It is a moral imperative for people of all faiths to speak out against injustices committed in the name of their religion, because ‘a crime committed in the name of religion is a crime against religion.’ ” asserts Khan. Among its many successful programmes and actions, WISE partnered with an Afghani WISE woman to conduct the Imam Training Programme to End Violence Against Women (ITP) in 2010 in Afghanistan.

Communities in Afghanistan deeply trust and respect Imams – even the Taliban. With the aim to clarify distorted patriarchal misinterpretations of the Quran, WISE spread the message about girls’ education through 50 of the most respected Imams in Jalalabad and Kabul. Wary at first, the Imams soon embraced the programme as it spoke of women’s rights within an Islamic framework with no ulterior agenda. Daisy emphasises this role of Muslim men who can wield power openly or behind the scenes – whether they reside in conservative, traditional or secular societies – to restore the God-given rights of women. This is reflected in Prophet Muhammed, who honoured his wife Khadijah, gave property rights to women, abolished the pre-Islamic practice of female infanticide, scrupulously helped with chores, respected his daughters and sought his wife’s advice on community affairs. The Prophet, in his last sermon, even emphasised this point by saying “treat your women well and be kind to them for they are your partners and committed helpers.”

Daisy Khan believes that “an essential part of women’s struggle is the demand that their voices be at the forefront of the debates about their roles, responsibilities and status.”

Daisy Khan believes that “an essential part of women’s struggle is the demand that their voices be at the forefront of the debates about their roles, responsibilities and status.” The author and reformer maintains that women advocates who recognise and appreciate the importance of religion in the day to day lives of Muslim women , and who speak with a humane voice – the Islamic voice – are effectively challenging the religious legitimacy of people who use Islam to disadvantage women and girls. “Muslim women activists who tend to avoid Islam altogether suffer from an absence of religious legitimacy which in turn fails to speak to most Muslims,” explains Khan.

Image Credit: Penguin Random House India
Image Credit: Penguin Random House India

WISE established the first Global Muslim Women’s Shura Council to examine issues that Muslim women of all sects were facing worldwide. Its 30 members included women from different nationalities with divergent views and comprised of scholars who were well versed in Islamic law, as well as activists with comprehensive knowledge of contemporary issues faced by Muslim women. The Council has mitigated any criticism because its position papers on FGM, child marriage, domestic violence, adoption and women’s leadership are thoroughly researched, evidence-based and grounded in scripture. The Council discussed how, wherever obstructions have been encountered by women, it has not been by Islam the faith, but by local traditions and customs and interpretations mandated by men in the name of faith. With the support of this council, women would no longer have to rely on the interpretation of male scholars with outdated attitudes toward women.

One woman challenged Daisy Khan. She asked the author – who gave you the authority to create a Muslim women’s shura council? Daisy’s answer was to point to the sky.

However, everyone did not agree. One woman challenged Daisy Khan. She asked the author – who gave you the authority to create a Muslim women’s shura council? Daisy’s answer was to point to the sky. She cited the Quran 42:38–39: “Those who respond to their Lord, and establish regular prayer, whose affairs are conducted by mutual consultation [shura] among themselves, and from what we have provided them, they spend, and who, whenever tyranny afflicts them, defend themselves.”

Khan also shared that there were shura councils dominated by men all over the world and that there were no barriers to women creating one for themselves. It took a number of years to create an effective working structure for the shura council. “I attribute the success of the Council to one key factor – by bringing a religious dimension to Muslim women’s advocacy, we were able to prove that Muslim women’s rights are embedded in Islam,” states Daisy.

Daisy Khan believes that it is important to engage in serious dialogue with people of other faiths, distinctly when religious and ethnic differences become powerful tools that tear the social fabric of society

Daisy Khan believes that it is important to engage in serious dialogue with people of other faiths, distinctly when religious and ethnic differences become powerful tools that tear the social fabric of society. Prior to setting up WISE, Khan co-founded the American Society for Muslim Advancement (now the Cordoba House), with her husband Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, where she led interfaith collaborative events such as the theatre productions Same Difference and the Cordoba Bread Fest Banquet which saw Christians, Jews and Muslims come together on stage. “If we look at things with human eyes, we see a multitude of perspectives; but with sincere interfaith dialogue, we can step into a space where we see one another as God’s creatures, bound by one compact, by one set of ethical and moral values. In that space, we see with God’s eyes, we see with no astigmatism,” expresses Khan.

The author observes that a vast majority of Muslims reject violence as they continually struggle to divorce themselves from extremism. American Muslims are peaceful and patriotic members of their communities who proactively condemn terrorism – yet, one terrorist attack is used to condemn an entire faith community. “The branding of all Muslims as a national security threat may be popular today, but in reality, it is offensive and counter-productive; it burns bridges, brings in a rhetoric of ignorance on the world stage and allows extremists on both sides to divide us by playing on our worst fears. Now, more than ever, is the time for unity – unity of purpose and unity of achievement. This is a practical unity – one that we can use to build a better future,” emphasises Daisy Khan.

Feature Image Credit: Penguin Random House India

Born With Wings: The Spiritual Journey of a Modern Muslim Woman, by Daisy Khan, has been published in Viking by Penguin Random House India. It is priced at Rs. 599, and is available online and in bookstores.

source: http://www.shethepeople.com / She The People / Home / by Jessica Xalxo / June 19th, 2019

The haleem debate: Why some Indian Muslims are renaming the Ramzan delicacy ‘daleem’

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

Kolkata, WEST BENGAL : 

The new social media-driven Indian Muslim has suddenly realised that ‘haleem’ is a name for God. What does that say about religion in a hyperconnected age?

Baba Ki Haleem/Facebook
Baba Ki Haleem/Facebook

While out to buy some haleem during the first week of Ramzan, I discovered that the popular Kolkata restaurant Saiqa had introduced a new dish: daleem. A red menu board on a tiled wall proudly advertised the dish, ensuring nobody missed it.

There is a lot to be said for Saiqa, a mostly working-class place, but I had never thought food innovation to be among its charms. Curious, I asked the person manning the counter about the culinary invention – only to be met with a googly. “It’s not a new thing – it’s haleem only,” said Mohammad Asghar Ali, the son of the proprietor. “Daleem is actually the correct name.”

Photo credit: Shoaib Daniyal
Photo credit: Shoaib Daniyal

Was daleem actually the right name? I had grown up eating the lentil-wheat-meat stew that was available only during Ramzan, the Islamic month of dawn-to-dusk fasting. I was pretty sure it had always been called haleem.

But as it turned out, Saiqa wasn’t an outlier. A number of Mughlai restaurants across Kolkata had made the nomenclatural switch, breaking away other restaurants that still stuck to a name of which I now suddenly felt possessive: haleem.

The question was why. Why were eateries across Kolkata – and other parts of South Asia – suddenly changing the name of this dish that crowns iftar spreads during Ramzan? As it happens, this almost trivial renaming is an indicator of just how radically social media is impacting religion and, in this case, Indian Muslims.

From Arabia to India

The origin of India’s haleem goes back to an ancient Arab dish: the hareesah. There are records of it being consumed in the Abbasid Caliphate in the 8th century. The dish was simple but laborious to prepare it : it involved boiling shredded meat, cooking it again with ground wheat all night in a tannur (or tandoor) and then, grinding this mixture to a smooth paste. This dish is still consumed in West Asia, Iran and in Hyderabad’s Arab quarter , Barkas.

Once it reached India, the simple hareesah received some significant upgrades to suit desi palates. Spices were added, as also a variety of lentils (Saiqa claims it includes 13 different kinds). A new name was given to this dish: haleem, the Persian name for the bland wheat-and-meat hareesah.

The hareesah from Hyderabad's Arab quarter, Barkas. Photo credit: Shoaib Daniyal
The hareesah from Hyderabad’s Arab quarter, Barkas. Photo credit: Shoaib Daniyal

Saiqa’s Asghar Ali was clear on why daleem was the correct name for the dish: “Dal se banta hai, isliye daleem.” It’s made with dal (lentils), hence daleem.

But the real reason had less to do with alliteration and more to do with the almighty. “Haleem is a name for Allah,” explained Shamsher Alam of Zam Zam, another Mughlai restaurant in Kolkata that now goes with daleem. “It seemed wrong to name a food item that uses a name for Allah, so last year I changed it.”

How did Alam realise this evident fact after happily selling haleem for two decades? As with so much else in these fractious times, the culprit was social media. “Nowadays, mashallah, we have a lot of information on WhatsApp and on the internet,” said Alam. “Someone saw it there and told me. That’s when I realised I should change the name.”

Going viral

Alam wasn’t alone. Debates around whether it’s right to name a stew after an attribute of God have raged across South Asia. In 2017, The Times of India  reported on this tussle among the Muslims of Hyderabad, the world capital of haleem. Much the same discussion is happening in Pakistan  and Bangladesh , too.

Not everyone in the subcontinent supports the rechristening. One Pakistani user on Twitter brusquely called it a “postmodern renaming attempt by mullah clowns ”. A Bangladeshi food blogger argued that it is clear that when she uses haleem for the name of a dish, she is not referring to the attributes of God. “Allah knows what is in my heart. I don’t intend to please a few important people,” she wrote on her Facebook page, showing the incredible power of social media in engendering conflict even on a thing as universally loved as haleem.

Kolkata’s biggest Mughlai restaurant chain Arsalan has also resisted calls to change the name. “Wakeel [the Urdu word for lawyer] is also one name for Allah. Will people stop using that too?” asked Mohammad Ghulam Mustafa, a member of the family that owns Arsalan. “People who don’t read the namaaz, read a few messages on WhatsApp and start to think they are an alim [Islamic scholar]. That is the problem.”

Social media faith

Mustafa’s snarky dismissal of “WhatsApp alims” is the most interesting insight to arise from what is at best a quirky change of name. Social media has given – for better or worse – the average Muslim more of a say in his religion, a role that was earlier performed by religious scholars.

Quite a bit of social science research has noted the impact of social media on faith and its role in weakening religious gatekeepers. American sociologist Paul McClure argues  that the internet encourages “religious tinkering” and “religious participation as free agents”. Adding to that, Heidi Campbell, an American scholar of religion, notes  how social media allows people to constantly reinvent their religious identities:

“It used to be that a religious identity was something you took on through maybe religious education or confirmation or baptism. You kind of put it on like a cloak. But now people see identity as something that you can negotiate, that you construct and you perform. So individuals especially use the Internet and other resources to seek out their own ‘spiritual tribe’ online – a group of people where they can make sense of their religious self and their religious belief. Facebook and Twitter, blogs, social media allow people to express their religious identity, to experiment and to create a cohesive identity that’s free from institutional constraints.”

Predating Mustafa’s “WhatsApp alim” quip, a 2011 article in The Guardian  says: “Individuals now have a much more autonomous role in deciding whom to approach as a source. Those people may have official, traditional credentials or they may be Rabbi Google.”

A pot of haleem at Saiqa in Kolkata. Photo credit: Shoaib Daniyal
A pot of haleem at Saiqa in Kolkata. Photo credit: Shoaib Daniyal

While the greatest impact of social media is on Christianity, given the deep penetration of the internet in the West, its effects are spreading to Muslims and how they practise their faith. Mohammed Ibahrine of the American University in Sharjah writes  on the London School of Economics’ Middle East Centre blog:

“For centuries, interpretations of the Quran were kept a reserved domain for a small minority of ulama (the plural of alim). Social networking websites have become avenues for disseminating sacred interpretations, sometimes undermining traditional religious authorities. The blossoming of digital fatwas is also an indication of the splintering of orthodoxies and the emergence of heresies. Consequently, religious authority has become a contested domain, rather than an accepted reality by the uneducated masses.”

Modern conservatism

While this undermining of the traditional ulama is democratic, it might also, paradoxically, lead to conservative outcomes. In Indonesia, for example, social media is encouraging irreligious millennials to become born-again, ultra-orthodox Muslims as part of a movement known as hijrah .

While there has been no such stark change in India, clearly even here, social media is allowing people to fashion their own understanding of Islam, free of traditional social structures. One outcome of this is an attempt to follow a so-called purer form of Islam in which even a detail as trivial as the name of a stew – unnoticed for centuries – is “corrected” by social media didacticians.

source: http://www.scroll.in / Scroll.in / Home> Magazine> Language Log / by Shoaib Daniyal / June 03rd, 2019

Birds of Bengal at Sweden auction

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Green Products, World Opinion, , , , , ,

Patna, BIHAR /  Calcutta, BENGAL :

The paintings by Zayn al-Din were commissioned by Mary Impey, an English natural historian and patron of the arts in Bengal

Falsa Tree with King’s Nightingale was painted on a 53.5cm x 75cm canvas by Zayn al-Din in 1782 . / Picture courtesy: Stockholm Auction House
Falsa Tree with King’s Nightingale was painted on a 53.5cm x 75cm canvas by Zayn al-Din in 1782 . /
Picture courtesy: Stockholm Auction House

Two watercolour and pencil-on-paper artworks painted in Calcutta in the late 18th century by one of the most famous exponents of the Company School of Art will go under the hammer at the world’s oldest auction house in Sweden on June 12.

The paintings by Zayn al-Din were commissioned by Mary Impey (March 2, 1749 -February 20, 1818), an English natural historian and patron of the arts in Bengal. She was the wife of Elijah Impey, the first chief justice of the Supreme Court at Calcutta (1774-82), who had infamously sent Maharaja Nandakumar — a highly-placed officer in the nawabi administration — to the gallows on charges of perjury.

Falsa Tree with King’s Nightingale, dated 1782, and Parrot in a Parkar Tree, dated 1779, have been in the possession of a Swedish family for long.

“We are immensely proud to present these rare artworks. We are not sure how they reached Sweden. They have been in the same Swedish family for a long time and this is the first time that they reach the market,” Victoria Svederberg Bojsen, a specialist in classic and modern art at the Stockholms Auktionsverk (Stockholm Auction House), founded in 1674, told Metro over phone from Stockholm.

“The estimate price is Euro 51,000 (Rs 40 lakh) to 61,500 (Rs 48 lakh). However, we believe they will reach an even higher price. Our hope is naturally that they will now be returned to India where they originated,” she said.

Birds are the subjects of both the paintings. Falsa Tree with King’s Nightingale is a 53.5cm x 75cm canvas.

The inscriptions on both pictures read: In the Collection of Lady Impey of Calcutta. Painted by Zayn al-Din Native of Patna 1782.

“Both paintings include a description of the subject in Persian — Darakht ban falsa, Shah Bulbul in the first and Madna Tota, Darkaht Pakar in the other. The artist’s name is also written in Persian,” said Nandini Chatterjee, associate professor of history at the University of Exeter in the UK.

The painting (right), titled Parrot in a Parkar Tree, is signed and dated 1779. The inscriptions on both artworks read: “In the Collection of Lady Impey of Calcutta. Painted by Zayn al-Din Native of Patna 1782”. / Picture courtesy: Stockholm Auction House
The painting (right), titled Parrot in a Parkar Tree, is signed and dated 1779. The inscriptions on both artworks read: “In the Collection of Lady Impey of Calcutta. Painted by Zayn al-Din Native of Patna 1782”. /
Picture courtesy: Stockholm Auction House

Metro had sent the images to Chatterjee, who is part of a research on two sets of natural history drawings produced between the late 18th and early 19th centuries in Calcutta. The drawings are held at the Victoria Memorial Hall and the Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery in Exeter.

The Impeys moved to India in 1773 after Elijah Impey was made the chief justice of Bengal. They set up a menagerie at their house in Calcutta’s Middleton Row. When they shifted to Fort William two years later, they started a collection of native birds and animals on the extensive gardens of the estate.

Mary Impey commissioned several local artists to paint the fauna and flora they had collected. Her three principal artists were Sheikh Zayn al-Din, and brothers Bhawani Das and Ram Das. All three had come from Patna.

Together, Zayn al-Din and the Das brothers painted more than 300 artworks, half of them of birds. The collection, often known as the Impey Album, is an important example of Company style painting.

“With the decline of the Mughal courts, the artists sought the patronage of Europeans. These artists had to change their traditional techniques to suit their new masters. These revisions included a more accurate representation of the subject and a change in perspectives,” said Jayanta Sengupta, the curator of the Victoria Memorial.

Little is known of Zayn al-Din, the artist whose works will be auctioned in Sweden next month. He is known for his extraordinarily detailed paintings for the Impey Album. His drawings of mountain rats, hanging bats, parrots and storks serve as interesting zoological studies and are now preserved at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford.

“The artworks from the Impey Album rarely reach the international market and the few that have been sold previously at Christies, Sothebys and Bonhams have fetched between $80,000 (Rs 55.5 lakh) and $140 000 (Rs 97.7 lakh),” Bojsen said.

The real study of the Indian subcontinent’s natural history is said to have started with the Mughals. Baburnama — the memoirs of the first Mughal ruler — has beautiful illustrations of birds and animals. Shah Jahan also took a keen interest in the flora and fauna.

With the fall of the Mughals, the artists sought the patronage of Europeans. Calcutta became a thriving centre of the (East India) Company school of painting.

“India was an unknown land for Europeans and along with its indigenous archaeology and history, they also wanted to explore its abundant flora and fauna. Imperial documentation differs from its Mughal predecessor in scale and systematic approach,” Sengupta said.

“Mary Impey was part of a circuit of Europeans who commissioned paintings of Indian natural history. Apart from the pictorial documentation of flora and fauna, the extensive notes kept by her about their habitat and behaviour were of great use to later biologists,” he said.

The collection went to England with the Impeys in 1783 and were sold at a London auction in 1810. Several pieces are in various museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

“The style of inscription, and the handwriting is identical to other paintings all around the world. I do not believe Zayn al-Din’s name is in his own handwriting. It was probably written by a British collector, maybe Lady Impey herself. Many such British Orientalists (and perhaps some of their spouses) knew Persian,” Chatterjee said.

Some of Zayn al-Din’s works are at the Royal Albert Memorial Museum too. “But those have his name written in English and Bengali, perhaps by a collector who was interested more in the vernacular language, than Persian, which was the Mughal language of administration and courtly culture,” Chatterjee said.

source: http://www.telegraphindia.com / The Telegraph, online edition / Home> West Bengal / by Debraj Mitra in Calcutta / May 28th, 2019