Hanif Mohammed wants to take you out on his boat to share the wonders of the sea. He is also promoting sustainable fishing with his new online portal.
Over a hundred dolphins swimming alongside each other in clear blue waters. And a few whales too. It was a lucky day for Kovalam-based Hanif Mohammed Q and guests on his boat. “It’s another world out there,” says Hanif, recalling the sight. An interior designer, Hanif has been fishing out of passion for 15 years, and owns two boats. He knows the wonders of the sea first-hand, and wants to share it with others.
“I take people on small trips into the sea,” says the 40-year-old, adding that from July to August, and February to March, guests can witness the migration of dolphins.
Hanif demonstrates how fishing is done along the way. “I want to encourage parents to show children the outdoors; to let them experience Nature at its best,” he adds. “They can learn about the sea, among a lot of other things,” he says, adding how once, his guests released turtles caught in a fishing net. He is now in the process of setting up his company, called South Fin for leisure trips, as well as finalising essentials such as changing rooms and toilets. “We will launch in 10 days or so,” he says.
Hanif has launched yet another recent venture: Fresh Fins, an initiative that lets people from Chennai order fresh fish online. “My intention is to help small boat fishermen make a better living,” he says. With less financial support from the Government and no access to facilities to store their catch, these fishermen often end up selling to middle-men for a pittance. “I want to take their catch directly to customers,” he explains.
Right now, he sells catch from over 45 boats from Kanyakumari to Ennore and 90% of his team, right from call-centre executives to delivery persons, are from Kovalam. “There are 40 people in my team right now, and we deliver as far as Mogappair and Anna Nagar West,” he says.
Apart from eliminating middlemen and ensuring small boat fishermen get a good price for their catch, Hanif wants to familiarise people with seasonal fish and promote sustainable fishing.
“Customers should get used to the idea of eating what is local and seasonal,” he says. “This way, they will be able to enjoy a wide range as opposed to the usual vanjiram that big boats bring from as far as Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.”
For details, visit freshfins.in. To know more about the fishing trips — prices depend on the distance and number of people — call 9696089696.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Society / by Akila Kannadasan / November 18th, 2020
Author Hemender Sharma re-examines activist and environmentalist Shehla Masood’s gruesome murder with detailed insight into the events leading to the conspiracy.
Author: Hemender Sharma
Publisher: HarperCollins
If an urban woman with ‘modern’ sophistication and a ‘questioning’ attitude is killed in our country, the investigation, in most instances, begins with a close examination of her character. Shehla Masood was one such gutsy woman – an Indian environmentalist, wildlife and RTI activist. Hemender Sharma, in his book, Shehla Masood: The Murder that Shook the Nation, peels many layers to understand her life, her murder and the ultimate resolution of her case
Stepping out of her house in Bhopal to attend Anna Hazare’s ‘India Against Corruption’ campaign, Masood was shot dead from point-blank range in broad daylight on August 16, 2011. With Masood featuring in the news ahead of her murder after exposing corruption rackets through ‘RTI Anonymous’ – a portal where individuals could file an RTI without disclosing their identity – the Indian media had covered her gruesome death extensively. Shehla came from a humble background, but convent education along with brave instincts made her a savvy Muslim girl endowed with big dreams.
The book unravels the circumstances that led to her murder, the politics that subsequently unfolded and the long fight for justice that ensued. Cover-ups and attempts to tarnish her image started soon after her death. The local police tried to label her death as a suicide, while the state chief minister ordered a CBI probe within 48 hours. Names of various political dignitaries and bureaucrats were in the suspect list, but when the verdict was declared in January 2017, Zahida Parvez, an interior designer who gave the contract to kill Shehla, along with three others, stood convicted.
Zahida, a mother of two girls, in her statement, revealed her affair with Darbar (pseudonym) who was the Chairman of Madhya Pradesh Tourism Department. After a few formal meetings, their friendship strengthened, leading to intimacy. Darbar, on the other hand, was already in a relationship with Shehla. Zahida was madly in love with Darbar and surely not fond of Shehla.
Darbar’s 53rd birthday was approaching and Zahida wished to celebrate it with grandeur. Bhopal has a tradition of politicians putting up their own hoardings and congratulating themselves on their birthdays. But to her disappointment, Darbar’s hoardings had no place for her, leaving her heartbroken.
She knew that Darbar was a Casanova, but couldn’t substantiate her doubt with palpable evidence. With her friend Sabah, she followed Darbar on instances to gather evidence and catch him red-handed. When Darbar went to meet Shehla on his birthday, Zahida was left fuming. Her anger and frustration usually subsided the moment she finished pouring her heart out in her diary. But this time, her anger knew no bounds. The man for whom she had waited the whole day, putting her family and daughters at stake, was drifting away from her. She assumed that Shehla was the culprit jeopardizing her illicit relation with Darbar, which was now showing visible cracks.
Zahida contacted Shakib, a contractor. When Shakib entered her office, she threw a file towards him with the initials ‘SM’ inscribed. It contained Shehla Masood’s newspaper cuttings from Hindustan Times and Free Press. She told him that she wanted this woman dead as she was negatively influencing girls. Besides, she had also lied to him about Shehla’s affair with her husband. She negotiated a deal worth Rs 3 lakh to get Shehla killed. Very soon, Shakib brewed the plan along with Irfan and Tabish, and it was only after a couple of failed attempts that they succeeded in executing the conspiracy.
On the day of her murder, Shehla walked towards her car around 11:19 am. She was about to ignite the car when Shakib pounced on her from the rear and shot her in the trachea. The detailed narrative furthers reveals Shakib’s call to Zahida confirming the murder, who further lets Sabah, her friend, know of their success. Irfan, Shakib’s partner in the crime, was let go as he turned an approver during trials. Zahida and Sabah were convicted under Section 302 (murder) with 120B (criminal conspiracy) of IPC and sentenced to life imprisonment. Shehla’s father, upset with the verdict, asserted, “Probably the real culprit will never be caught.”
The book also details how the CBI team, led by Joint Director Keshav Kumar and DIG Arun Bothra, painstakingly reached the killers after being severely misled.
source: http://www.millenniumpost.in / Millennium Post / Home> Book Review / by Arif Mohammad / May 04th, 2019
A snapshot from Tinge by Sabrina Suhail’s range | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Sabrina Suhail on creating a homegrown and toxic-free make-up brand suited for Indian skin
If Covid-19 has changed one thing in our perception, it is that everything we consume — from food to cosmetics — impacts our overall health. Tinge by Sabrina Suhail is a testament to this. After launching in July 2018, the brand gained popularity for its clean, customised lipsticks and foundation. It may seem that the make-up line garnered much attention in a short span, but Bengaluru-based Suhail has spent several years in preparation.
“I was never a person who knew anything about beauty; I studied chemistry, botany, zoology and psychology in college,” she says. After a second degree in fine arts, she worked as a make-up artist for 10 years, and took a course each year to learn more. “At one point, my clientèle got conscious about toxins in products and gave me a list of ingredients to avoid.” As she started reading labels — which were easy to decipher because of her chemistry background — she realised that she could create the products herself. Suhail then enrolled for a two-year diploma in colour cosmetics and formulation in New York, and took another four years to set up a studio and get certifications in place.
Sabrina Suhail | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Recreating beauty
“I decided to start with only lipsticks because it was the easiest, and something Indian women gravitate towards,” she says. First, it was just word-of-mouth as she didn’t want to invest in marketing. Even though there was an influx in the initial months, her clientele slowly started petering out. “But after December last year I’ve seen a massive change. People come to me with lipsticks they want me to recreate with safer formulation and aroma.”
I have tried Suhail’s bespoke lipsticks, foundation and powder (all gifted by her), so I understand why her products work. With just a couple of Instagram messages, she understood the exact creamy caramel colour I wanted in my lipstick. And without meeting me even once, she delivered the correct shade of concealer and powder to match my skin tone.
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Green check
As per American cosmetic biggie Aveda’s website, the brand that has been 100% vegan as of July 2019 is planning to have all vegan products on shelves by January 1, 2021. aveda.com
Closer home, celebrity make-up artist Bianca Louzado’s CODE Beauty is now offering everything from cosmetic sanitisers and brush-and-sponge cleansing balms to anti-bacterial cosmetic sanitising wipes and sprays. codebeauty.in
Another new launch to keep an eye out for is aša beauty. The clean beauty brand’s first drop includes an easy-blend concealer, corrector, crème and matte lipsticks, lip and cheek tints, and mascara. @asabeautyindia on Instagram
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Checks and balances
I was curious to understand if she had avoided talc, classified as possibly carcinogenic, but a common ingredient in some organic make-up brands. Thankfully, she does. Her formulations are based on clay, “which may not have the same slip as talc but is definitely safer and more pigmented”. All of Suhail’s raw materials are from India and everything is certified. “When I started the company, it was important for me to have my licensing.” She has the MSDS (Materials Safety Data Sheet), SDS (Safety Data Sheet) and PETA cruelty-free certificate. The second part is when she puts the raw material together and gets the Bureau Veritas certification, world leaders in inspection and testing.
“If I make a lipstick for you, it has to go through many checks before it comes to you,” says Suhail, who also got the CDSCO (Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation) certification that approves of the manufacturing license, machinery, manufacturing facility, and contents used in the physical product. “Even though I don’t have that kind of space or machinery, I got the certification because it ensures that your products are made safely.”
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Scent of a lipstick
I personally do not have a problem with fragrance in colour cosmetics. In fact, the scent of lipstick is the reason I fell in love with make-up. Chanel Misia is my favourite perfume because it smells like powder and lipstick. Besides, the fragrances used in Suhail’s lipsticks are FDA approved and have no traces of phthalates, which are known endocrine disruptors.
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Get online
While Suhail still customises colours for lips and the base, she also has a line that can be readily bought online. Tinge by Sabrina Suhail offers eye pencils, multi-sticks, balms, scrubs, wax and liquid lipsticks, plus powder foundations for Indian skin tones that range from medium to milk chocolate. The full ingredient list is mentioned on tingestore.com, and she has a ‘Return to Refill’ policy where you can send an empty tube to be refilled with a 15% off on the lipstick.
In the current beauty landscape, where new brands are launched in a short amount of time without former training, a long prep period, attention to detail and certification are rare. This brand is homegrown, clean, cruelty-free, customised, luxurious and eco-conscious. What more do we want?
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Life & Style / by Vasudha Rai / October 30th, 2020
Kiragavalu village (Malavalli Taluk, Mandya District) , KARNATAKA :
Syed Ghani Khan of Kirgavalu village has been conserving and propagating hundreds of native varieties of rice which are threatened with extinction in the race for high-yielding commercial varieties.
For Syed Ghani Khan of Kirgavalu village in Karnataka, preserving native varieties of rice is a lifetime passion.
This 42-year old has been cultivating virtually hundreds of varieties of rice on his 14-acre farm in the village located 20 kilometres from Mandya in the Cauvery basin. He preserves seeds of nearly a thousand of these varieties in a tiny museum that he has organized at his house in the village.
Walls of his first floor hall display these seeds, held in clusters of panicles neatly pinned on several panels with tags bearing the names of the varieties alongside.
Museum at Home Son of a farmer and someone who does not fight shy of calling himself a farmer, Ghani Khan holds a degree in Archaeology and Museology from Mysore University.
Pained at the increasing use of chemicals, fertilizers and pesticides and loss of native varieties, Khan took up the task of preserving seeds of these varieties in packets. He would supply the same to local farmers around his village before the arrival of the next monsoon. But he was not satisfied. It needed a little more effort. He conceived the idea of a museum for promoting general awareness together with the supply of seeds. Two halls in the upper floor of his old, tiled house were readied for the purpose. The clustered panicles were arranged on wall panels in a hall, while those in bottles were arranged on shelves in the second one.
Ghani Khan feels that commercialization of farming has led to rejection of traditional varieties of crops, be they cereals, lentils, vegetables or fruits. The farmers were influenced by the publicity to seeds produced by large firms that promised better yield. This has resulted in en masse switching over to hybrid varieties like MTU-1001, IR-64, Jaya etc.
Sustainable Ghani Khan says conservation of traditional varieties is critical to sustainable agriculture as several of them carry medicinal properties, some give out aroma on cooking, some can withstand drought and yet others can be grown with just one or two showers.
He wanted to conserve these varieties for future generations. So, he began collecting varieties like Ratnachudi, Gandhasalai, Rasakadam, Rajamudi, Ghamgadale, Doddibatta, Doddabyrenellu, Chinna ponni, Mysore Mallige, Zeerge Sanna, Parimalla Sanna, Basumati, Burma Black, Thai Jasmine etc.
Dedicated Zone He says while agricultural colleges or universities used freezers to preserve seeds, he applied on-field conservation methods which can ensure a life of at least 18 months for the paddy seeds without pesticides. He has dedicated one acre of land in his farm in a demarcated zone where seeds of several varieties are sown in documented segments.
He even wrote to the Chief Minister of Karnataka to initiate measures to preserve and conserve native varieties. But no response has been received from him.
During the last two decades, he has supplied free seeds of native varieties to around ten thousand farmers and received positive responses from them. He keeps a meticulous record of all those who have visited him or sought seeds from him. Shiv Prasad, a farmer from the outskirts of Hyderabad has taken seeds of around 200 varieties from him and forwarded the seeds from the resulting crop to his associates. Krishna from nearby Maddur village has been a constant procurer of seeds from him. Rachanna from Hosamalangi village in T. Narsipur taluk has successfully grown around 25 varieties of rice after having taken from him.
Honours Conferred A corner of his museum displays several trophies, medals and certificates that were presented to him in recognition of his work for propagation of native varieties. He was conferred Krishi Pandit Prashasti by the Government of Karnataka in 2008. Plant Protection Variety Forum conferred on him National Genome Seed-saver Recognition a year later. Directorate of Rice Research, Hyderabad selected him for Rice Innovative Farmer’s Award for 2011-12. Government of Karnataka chose him for Bio Diversity Award in 2010, while Suvarna TV channel declared him winner of the ‘Man of the Year Award’ in 2017.
According to Ghani Khan, India is home to thousands of varieties of rice and one should not be surprised to find one variety being replaced by another after every forty kilometres. He says several varieties are known for medicinal properties. If Navara of Kerala is good for those who have joint pain, Karigajvilli and Ambe Mohur from Karnataka are said to be good for lactating mothers. Mehdi is held to be good for healing of bone fracture, while Mapillai samba from Tamil Nadu improves virility. Khaima is said to be good for those suffering from piles.
Ghani Khan is a mobile encyclopaedia of knowledge on varieties of rice. He says it is wrong to presume that paddy is an aquatic plant. He refers to several varieties such Doddi Batta, Ghangadale and Biddi Doddi which can be grown in farms that receive just one or two showers. He says Ratnachudi, HMT, NMS-II are high-yielding varieties while Zeerge Sanna, Rasakadam, Gandha Sale, Parimala Sanna and Mugadh Sugandh emit pleasant aroma on cooking.
For the last few years Ghani Khan has taken up conservation of native varieties of mango too and has registered himself with the National Bureau for Plant Genetics, New Delhi. He has trees that have been there with his family farm for the last six to seven generations.
These trees yield native varieties like Mosambi ka Aam (tasting like sweet lime); Seb ka Aam (tastes like apple); Pheeka Aam (for diabetics); Kaale Malghoba, Bada Gola; Mangamari; Manji bi Pasand; Mittmia Pasand. Some of these varieties are procured from him by suppliers attached to Lulu Mall in Dubai.
Syed Ghani Khan can be reached at 99017-13351, email: muhinuha786@gmail.com.
source: http://www.islamicvoice.com / Islamic Voice / Home> Features / by Maqbool Ahmed Siraj / February 15th, 2019
Life in Malegaon appears to have returned to normal, even as Maharashtra struggles to contain the pandemic. As of July 15, the state had 107,963 active cases, with 10,695 deaths.
A new normal: Healthcare workers on a door-to-door Covid-19 test drive in Malegaon, July 14. / Photo by Milind Shelte
The covid-19 battle
On July 14, Malegaon’s Mohammad Ali Road, the city’s main commercial street, was full of shoppers, mirroring the sort of normalcy seen in days before the national lockdown in March, and presenting a stark contrast to the fearful retreat from public spaces seen in many areas of Maharashtra. The shops were open, selling everything from cutlery to electronics, and the restaurants and street food vendors were busy serving crowds of customers. Burqa-clad women thronged the ladies’ market. Life in Malegaon appears to have returned to normal, even as Maharashtra struggles to contain the pandemic. As of July 15, the state had 107,963 active cases, with 10,695 deaths.
Malegaon’s return to normalcy is striking and worthy of note because, till recently, the city was one of the state’s five Covid hotspots, alongside Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur and Aurangabad. Until May, the city had seen a daily average of five deaths due to Covid-19, and reported about 200 fresh cases in the early part of that month. Today, there are just 60 active cases in the city, most of them non-residents of Malegaon, with no coronavirus-linked deaths since May 25. The doubling period has improved from 2.2 days in April to 112 days on July 15, the best in Maharashtra. At 82 per cent, the rate of recovery in Malegaon is also much better than the state average (54 per cent). The turnaround was so hard to miss that, in the first week of July, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) sent a confidential letter to the state government, asking for permission to study the ‘Malegaon model’.
Malegaon is a Muslim-majority city (80 per cent residents are from the minority community), with a population of 750,000. The city administration’s success in controlling the pandemic is especially laudable given that the average population density here is 19,000 per sq. km, the state’s highest. In areas like Kamanipura, this goes up to 72,000 per sq. km, second only to Mumbai’s Dharavi, where 800,000 live in a 2.1 sq. km area. Maintaining physical distance, the standard-format safety protocol to avoid infection, is then practically impossible. The Malegaon Municipal Corporation (MMC) was also working with severe limitations, it still does not have a single ventilator.
Municipal commissioner Deepak Kasar says the MMC was struggling on two fronts. First, it had to tackle a staff shortage, with many workers refusing to report to work for fear of being infected. This even led to the MMC being unable to make use of the ambulances provided by the Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana, an NGO focused on disaster response. Second, Kasar says convincing people to come forward for screening, testing and quarantine was a Herculean task, especially since a communally sensitive environment had been created in the initial days of the pandemic.
The MMC’s task was made much more complicated by rumours on social media, one of which was that the coronavirus screening efforts were a conspiracy against Muslims. This led to people refusing to be tested and even attacks on MMC health workers who were conducting screening tests. In the last week of April and the first week of May, six ASHA (accredited social health activist) workers suffered burns after being attacked with boiling water. Many residents also reportedly refused to give their real names and symptoms to health workers. Superstition played its part, for instance, many believe the dead will not reach heaven if their eyes are open, leading to people touching infected bodies and increasing the risk of transmission. Another tradition requires women from households in which a death has taken place to isolate themselves for four months and eight days, this complicated contact tracing.
To address these problems, Kasar appealed to community leaders for help, especially the influential Mufti and local MLA Mohammad Ismail. Leaders like Ismail made appeals at mosques for people to stay at home and to cooperate with the MMC health workers. As a result, people increasingly came to see that the administration’s efforts were genuine, leading to more and more coming forward for testing. The success of the appeals to stay home was clearly visible on Eid-ul-Fitr (May 25). Malegaon’s Idgah Maidan was deserted, normally around 300,000 people gather here to offer prayers on the holy day.
Another initiative was to enlist community members for outreach, to spread information about the virus. Kasar roped in students of Ayurvedic and Unani medicine, aware that they were trusted within the communities. A Unani concoction called mansura kadha, with claimed immunity-boosting properties, prepared by the local Mohammadia Tibbia College, also played a bit role; the trust that runs the college has received requests for some 250,000 packets. The MMC also made short informational videos and uploaded them on YouTube, aiming to improve awareness about the coronavirus among Malegaon’s younger residents, especially women. Also important were the MMC’s efforts to give vulnerable households the resources they needed for home isolation. “We provided oxygen cylinders, though the police department was against the move,” says Kasar.
Maulana Imtiaz Ahmed Iqbal Ahmed, secretary of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind in Malegaon, says the community “scored over the fear factor…the mohalla clinics were the game-changer”. Kasar also points out that the success did not come at a major financial cost. “We did not send any patients to private hospitals, so the treatment bill was zero. We also spent less than Rs 20 lakh in the past two months on arrangements for quarantine and treatment,” he says. This stands in stark contrast to the efforts of other municipal corporations in the state; Pune has budgeted Rs 294 crore to fight Covid-19 for a population of about 4 million. Kasar says Malegaon has not only shown a decrease in Covid-19 cases but also other diseases, including those affecting the heart, lungs and kidneys. The ICMR study, once completed, will be submitted to a committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The MMC’s efforts have not only improved the health of Malegaon’s citizens, it has also rehabilitated the city’s reputation. Home to a local film industry and a textile cluster with around 125,000 power looms, Malegaon attracted some bad press in the noughties for being communally charged, a riot in 2001 and bomb blasts in 2006 and 2008 seemed to lend credence to its reputation for being volatile. But it has moved on since, and now with the success of the ‘Malegaon model’, it has built a case for an image makeover.
source: http://www.indiatoday.in / India Today / Home> News> Magazine> UP Front / by Kiran D Tare / New Delhi, July 18th, 2020
Dubai-based Asad Haque on the “incomparable” fruits of taking his hobby to the next level.
Dubai resident Asad Haque is a CEO. He’s also a date farmer. The two pursuits could not be more different from each other and yet, the Indian expat dons both hats with the ease that can only be born of passion.
Asad’s love for gardening goes back to his childhood, when he would tend to plants and flowers in the large compound around his home in Bangalore. Although he’s been a resident of the UAE for 30 years, it was only when he moved to his villa in the Meadows that he finally had the opportunity to take his hobby to the next level. It’s a mark of his love for Nature that he decided to embark on the intensely challenging pursuit of date farming while at it.
“The date palm is the one tree that suits the local terrain and can survive the terrible summer heat, while also producing a fruit both wonderful and nutritious,” he explains.
Few things are as representative of Emirati heritage as dates, a deliciously sweet fruit that has long been associated with the culture and history of not only the UAE, but also the Arab world. There is a recorded population of over 40 million date palms producing 199 varieties of dates in the UAE alone.
“The date palm has been mentioned in the Quran more than 20 times, and Muslims are well known for breaking their fasts during Ramadan with its fruit, so there is a spiritual and cultural connection too,” he adds.
Asad’s Dubai residence is home to eight of these trees – each one producing eight to 15 large bunches of fruit and up to a total of 1,000 kilograms every year. The bounty is no mean feat, considering the labour-intensive process of nurturing them from pollination to harvest.
Skilled gardeners are required to scale the trees (that can grow up to a height of 20 metres), using rope harnesses hitched around their waists and navigating the thorns that grow to about six inches long, in order to reach the flowers and pollinate the trees by hand. What follows are six to eight months of rigorous care, especially with regard to keeping pests like the red palm weevil at bay. Asad ensures he personally oversees every step of the process and loves giving the trees “baths” every other day. After 15 years, says the entrepreneur, the trees have become “like family” – and, if nourished well, can grow to about 150 years old.
“It’s been a fantastic experience here in the UAE,” says Asad, who is CEO at ICT Consultants. “Although I had a liking for gardening, it is Dubai that gave me the opportunity to nurture this hobby into a full-fledged passion.” With an annual crop so bountiful, the 54-year-old not only gifts the fruits to family and friends, but also distributes them generously among charities, labour camps and mosques, crediting his wife Reshma with “doing a beautiful job of packing them” every time.
There are other intangible ‘fruits’ of his labour that he cannot discount, he notes. “For one to take up date farming, one has to either have a lot of patience or cultivate such a trait. That’s something I’ve learnt after all these years of date farming; it’s given me a lot of patience. It also connects you to the supernatural, to creation and the Creator,” he says. “There is a deeply spiritual satisfaction that comes from seeing something through, from flowering to harvesting, that is difficult to express in words.”
Asad is quick to shoot down any notions that desert lands like the UAE are unsuitable to home farming. “Although the palm tree is the most naturally suited to the local habitat, it is not that nothing else can grow here. We grow a variety of other plants and trees in our garden: moringas, mangoes, lemons, figs, curry leaves, pomegranates and tomatoes are just a few.”
A strong advocate for cultivating a green thumb, Asad says, “Whatever you have at home – whether it’s a garden or even just a balcony – I would strongly encourage everyone to attempt growing fruits and vegetables at home. Not only are there a lot of green benefits to reap from it, but you will find a connection to nature and beyond that cannot be compared.”
karen@khaleejtimes.com
source: http://www.khaleejtimes.com / Khaleej Times / Home> WKND (Weekend) > Interview / by Karen Ann Monsy / July 16th, 2020
Mohammad Akhtar says elephants came to him as family heritage. Photo: IANS
Patna:
Even as the death of an elephant in Kerala in extremely tragic circumstances, is raging on social media, an animal lover in Bihar comes under the spotlight after he bequeathes his entire wealth to two elephants. He says one of them had saved his life from a criminal.
Mohammad Akhtar (50) from Janipur in Phulwari Sharif near Patna has two elephants aged 20 and 15 years. Moti and Rani live with him.
Akhtar says elephants came to him as family heritage, and that Moti and Rani are the “children” of those elephants. “I have lived with them since my childhood. The two are my family members,” he said, adding there are people who would like him to take care of the animal brought by them.
Akhtar is also chief of the Asian Elephant Rehabilitation and Wildlife Animal Trust (AERAWAT), an NGO. “I gave my 6.25-acre land to the two elephants to ensure that when I am not alive, the animals do not suffer hunger,” Akhtar told IANS.
He also revealed how Moti saved his life. “Moti had gone along with a mahout to Bhojpur district’s Shahpur area, where he fell ill. I had to rush there to treat him. One day, while I was asleep there, I was woken up by Moti’s roar. I saw one man pointing his gun just outside the window. I ran away to save my life,” recalls Akhtar.
He alleged that some of his own family members had joined hands with animal smugglers and were trying to sell the elephant by killing him.
Akhtar says he still fears for his life from his own family members because he has registered his land for the two elephants. He has written to Chief the Wildlife Warden and Patna police chief alleging threat to his life from his family members.
The elephant lover also trains mahouts. He says if the government does not intervene to protect the elephant, “the time is not far when we would see the elephant only in books. He says the elephants are headed for villages in search of food.
source: http://english.manoramaonline.com / OnManorama / Home> Lifestyle> News / by IANS / June 10th, 2020
Mango growers of UP seeks institutional procurement of produce due to lockdown in the state which produces around 65 per cent of global yield of the fruit.
Haji Kalimullah Khan in his orchard (Photo | EPS)
Lucknow :
Uttar Pradesh’s Haji Kalimullah Khan, who is popularly known as India’s ‘Mango Man’, has developed two varieties of mango and has dedicated them to ‘corona warriors’ of the country.
Khan developed the two varieties of ‘dussehri’ mango and named them as ‘police aam’ and ‘doctor aam’ in the acknowledgment of their contribution to the war on deadly coronavirus.
In fact, Khan, 85, is credited with developing around 300 different sub-varieties of ‘dussehri,’ the most prominent mango variety grown in the mango belt, especially, Malihabad, 28 km from Lucknow. He has developed the new varieties by using graft technique and has got them named after prominent Bollywood and sport celebrities and political figures including PM Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah,, UP CM Yogi Adityanath, Congress chief Sonia, Gandhi, Aishwarya Rai, Amitabh Bachchan , cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and many more.
“The hard work being put to fight the pandemic in these difficult times by keeping their families behind moved me to name these two varieties after ‘doctor’ and ‘police’ personnel,” said Khan.
Sharing more details about the new varieties, Khan said he was waiting for the varieties to ripe in his orchard and hopefully they would be ready for plucking next month.
However, Khan could not hide his concern for the market prospects of dussehri given the persistent restrictions in the domestic and export market following the lockdown. In fact, by this time of the year, mango growers of UP, which produces around 65 per cent of global yield of the fruit, finalise sales contracts for the season with the traders and exporters. But this year, the process has not taken off yet due to the COVID -19 lockdown.
Meanwhile, the mango growers have sought institutional procurement of the crop as they have not been able to sell the produce in the open market due to restrictions.
In UP, mango is produced in an area of 2.5 lakh hectares. Lucknow, Pratapgarh, Allahabad, Bulandshahar, Saharanpur, Faizabad, Varanasi, Moradabad, Barabanki, Meerut, Unnao, Sitapur, Hardoi, Gorakhpur, Basti, JP Nagar and Mathura are the major mango producing belts in the state.
Popular varieties like chausa, dusheri, fazli, gulab khas, langra, mallika and amrapali are produced in the state. With the prices of ready mango varieties — alphonso and kesar — dwindling due to the lockdown, the growers of dussehri have knocked at the doors of the state government for relief.
In a letter to UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Mango Growers Association of India has demanded a slew of urgent measures to protect state mango farmers, on the lines of growers of alphonso and kesar varieties, which are primarily grown in Maharashtra and Gujarat, respectively, from economic losses.
“Alphonso, which normally sells at Rs 1,500 a dozen, is currently selling at Rs 400-500 a dozen this year, owing to the slump in domestic and export demand. Even transportation of the fruit to the market is also a major issue,” said Insram Ali, Association president. He said kesar farmers were suffering. “Kesar sale peaks in April. But, consignments are not reaching big markets, such as Delhi, and thus incurring losses to growers,” he added.
Moreover, the loss to the crop due to unpredictable weather has also increased the plight of the mango growers. According to Ali, UP’s mango production, which is dominated by dussehri with an 80 per cent share, is estimated at almost 3.5 million tonnes (MT), down 12.5 per cent compared to last year’s yield of over 4 MT. UP exports mango to the Gulf countries including Iran, United Arab of Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and Bangladesh besides, US and Europe.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Good News / by Namita Bajpai / Express News Service / May 07th, 2020
Mansoor Ali Khan with his retro-fitted autorickshaw. Photo: special arrangement.
Entrepreneur Mansoor Ali Khan helps women autorickshaw drivers take up vegetable sales during the lockdown
In the midst of the lockdown, an entrepreneur has come up with an alternative business plan for his associates.
Mansoor Ali Khan, chairman, M Auto Pride Pvt Ltd, who manufactures and rents electric auto-rickshaws, is helping the autorickshaw drivers who hire vehicles from him, turn their hand at vegetable selling.
Mansoor says, “As autorickshaw-drivers’ business has taken a beating due to the lockdown restrictions on movement of people, I suggested that they try working as vegetable vendors as there is a huge demand for home delivery of goods and services now.”
Warming up to this idea, five women auto-rickshaw drivers are selling fruits and vegetables since the first week of April. “Till the lockdown is lifted, I’m not going to charge any rental fee for my auto-rickshaws. We have helped them identify a few apartment complexes where these auto-drivers can sell vegetables and fruits. Now, it is up to them to expand their customer base,” says Mansoor. For this purpose, Mansoor’s company retrofitted auto-rickshaws with provision for racks.
“With the permission of authorities concerned, we got three auto-rickshaws ready in four days, in the last week of March at our plant at Madipakkam. Besides, we are working to roll out another 25 such vehicles in a month, as a few more autorichshaw drivers with us are interested in taking up vegetables and fruits selling,” says Mansoor.
Auto-drivers A. Mohana Sundari and M. Selva Rani, who sell vegetables now, say, “In a day, we need to earn a bare minimum of Rs.1,000 to see a reasonable profit. Earlier, we had to slog up to 8 p.m. to earn that amount. Now, we are able to make it by noon, in fact with better profit,” they say.
Mansoor says he also offers his vehicles for free to voluntary groups and charity organisations that are reaching out to the poor and needy during the COVID-19 lockdown.
“There are many voluntary groups which distribute groceries, food packets and masks to migrant labourers, conservancy workers, differently-abled, senior-citizens and expectant mothers. They approach us as it is difficult to find transportation facility due to the lockdown. So, we provide our vehicles for free and we take care of the payment of the autorickshaw-drivers. As our vehicles run on electric power, they do not entail much fuel cost,” says Mansoor.
Voluntary groups and those who want to place orders for vegetables can call 73058 29811.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai – Entrepreneurship Chennai / by L Kanthimathi / April 28th, 2020
Abdul Jabbar’s family members are very happy about him getting this honour.
Abdul Jabbar, who died on November 14 last year left behind a wife and 3 children
Abdul Jabbar of Bhopal, who fought a long battle for the victims of the Bhopal gas tragedy in 1984, has been awarded the Padma Shri. Abdul Jabbar is receiving this honour posthumously.
Abdul Jabbar’s family members are very happy about him getting this honour.
When India Today reached Abdul Jabbar’s house in the Chandbad area on the outskirts of Bhopal, we found that the condition of his house is very bad.
Abdul Jabbar, who died on November 14 last year left behind a wife and 3 children.
Abdul Jabbar’s wife Saira Banu said, “I am happy that the government is giving this honor to us but I am sad that my husband Abdul Jabbar is not with me in this moment of pride and happiness.”
Wife Saira Banu says that if Abdul Jabbar were alive, the joy of getting Padma Shri would have been doubled.
Jabbar’s wife said, Abdul Jabbar never thought about his own family. He made the gas victims his family. Abdul Jabbar’s wife expressed anguish that when her husband was ill, no one took care of him initially. At the last moment, the government approached the family but it was too late.
“He always kept thinking about the gas victims, and at the last moment he had told me not to let the gas victims fight end here but to take this fight further”, added Jabbar’s wife Saira Banu.
Speaking to India Today, Abdul Shamim, brother of Abdul Jabbar said, “When Abdul Jabbar was ill, no one from the government and gas-affected organisations took care of him. His treatment was also not taken seriously.”
Jabbar’s brother demanded a government job for Jabbar’s wife. ‘Financial condition of Jabbar’s family is very bad and sometimes children eat only once a day’, said Jabbar’s brother Shamim. According to Abdul Shamim, if his sister-in-law gets a job, she will be able to take care of her kids and her children will get a good education too’.
Abdul Jabbar’s eldest son Sahil said that he had learned to serve the poor from his father. Sahil said that ‘his father used to stay at home very rarely, he used to go out in the morning to help the gas victims and sometimes when there was no money in his pocket, he would borrow and help the gas victims. ‘I learned the same from my father’.
source: http://www.indiatoday.in / India Today / Home> News> India / by Ravish Pal Singh, Bhopal / January 26th, 2020
