Category Archives: Karnataka (under research project)

Arabic calligraphy: Art between the lines of prayer

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Education, Karnataka (under research project), , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

TELANGANA / Bengaluru, KARNATAKA :

Muqtar Ahmed at work. Photo: Special Arrangement/THE HINDU  

A 24-year-old with a global presence and her teacher are among a few keeping the art of Arabic calligraphy alive in India

Bee Bee Laisa, a final year Engineering student in Bengaluru, has a dream. The 24-year-old wants to transcribe a copy of the Koran in Arabic. “I have always been interested in art and drawing, but it was only when I started learning English calligraphy that I was introduced to the art form in Arabic, which would help me transcribe the holy book,” says Laisa.

And so began her journey in 2016, as a student of the Institute of Indo-Islamic Art and Culture (IIAC) at Richmond Street, Bengaluru, to learn Arabic calligraphy. Also known as khat, this centuries-old art form is held in high regard by Muslims because of its association with the dissemination of the Koran before the era of printing presses.

In the past five years, Laisa has mastered the decorative script thuluth considered one of the most difficult fonts, and naskh (used to write the Koran). Her talent has been recognised on several international and local platforms: her calligraphic artworks of Koranic verses and Islamic phrases have been exhibited in Japan, UAE, and Jaipur since 2017.

Calligraphy alphabet sampler by Bee Bee Laisa. Photo: Special Arrangement/THE HINDU  

It is a huge leap forward for Laisa, whose father works as a banana delivery vehicle driver in Bengaluru. Laisa says calligraphy has helped improve her concentration and also use her drawing skills in her Civil Engineering classes.

“Calligraphers can’t have any dot or line out of place; this has helped me present spotless drawings for my coursework as well,” she says.

The school uses traditional materials to teach the art, including wooden or reed pens (qalam) and inks from plant-based resins. As per tradition, strands of raw silk are placed inside the inkpot (likka), to help regulate the amount of ink on the qalam tip, and also to prevent spills onto the paper.

“We use a paper called muqahar for the final version. Though it is commercially available, calligraphers also learn how to prepare their own muqahar sheets,” says Muqtar Ahmed, the principal and tutor at of the IIAC.

__________

Built to be timeless

  • The process of making muqahar was perfected in the 17th Century by Turkish calligraphers, and Arabic calligraphy students still learn it today.
  • Paper is stained with natural dyes (like tea or floral decoctions) and then coated with a tempering mixture of alum crystals dissolved in egg whites. It is then burnished to get a glossy finish.
  • “Muqahar paper, if made correctly, can last up to 700 years,” says Ahmed.

__________

Devoted to the art

Ahmed is the man guiding Laisa in her mission. He has the distinction of being the only Indian to have earned his Ijazah (Masters diploma) in Arabic calligraphy from the Turkey-based Research Center for Islamic History, Art and Culture (IRCICA), under the auspices of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). He has trained over 500 students through the school’s weekly courses, and has started online classes during lockdown.

“Calligraphy takes a long time to learn, and one only gets better with continuous practice,” says Ahmed.

His own encounter with the art form is a tribute to his tenacity. As an Intermediate school graduate in a small village in Telengana, he started learning Urdu and Arabic calligraphy and decided to make his career as a scribe for an Urdu publication in Bengaluru, in 1990.

Arabic calligraphy by Muqtar Ahmed. Photo: Special Arrangement/THE HINDU  

“I used to write entire pages of articles in the column style, before the computers came in,” he says.

Most of the commercial calligraphy that was done for Urdu and Arabic journals before automated printing lacked the aesthetic values of the original art form, he says.

“I’d like to revive Arabic calligraphy among young people and show them how this can not only be an art but also a way to remember the divine in our life,” Ahmed says.

When he lost his job in 1994, Ahmed decided to research how other calligraphers, especially those outside India, were sustaining their craft. He set up a small commercial press to keep his home fires burning, and kept looking out for masters in calligraphy.

“I realised that it is not a language transforming tool, but an art that has a different respect globally,” he adds.

Among the people who helped him were Washington-based Syrian font designer and calligrapher Maamoun Sakkal, and Mohamed Zakariya, the first Westerner to earn calligraphy diplomas from IRCICA in Turkey.

In what sounds like an incredible process today, Zakariya, who is based in Virginia and does not use electronic communication, tutored Ahmed over postal correspondence for three-and-a-half years.

“I used to send my completed exercises from Bengaluru, and he would reply with his comments and corrections by post. Mr Zakariya didn’t charge me any fees for the tuition, and I feel very fortunate to have been his student,” says Ahmed.

Zakariya also introduced Ahmed to his own master Hasan Chalabi from IRCICA, who invited him to Turkey in 2008. After several visits to Istanbul to learn the art, Ahmed earned his Masters degree in 2013.

Paying it forward

“My professors advised me to start teaching calligraphy in India after I graduated, so that I could rekindle the old majesty of the art. When Mr Syed Mohamed Beary [a local real estate developer] heard of this, he sponsored the establishment of the institute in Bengaluru, and put me in charge of it. I’m glad to see that though it is a very difficult field to excel in, at least 15 of our students are being recognised for their calligraphy,” says Ahmed.

Ameerul Islam and Abdul Sattar, two of his students, have set up a branch of the institute in Hyderabad. IIAC’s curriculum covers the Arabic scripts riqa (for newcomers), naskh and thuluth and nastaliq in Urdu. Learning any two scripts thoroughly is ideal for a calligrapher, says Ahmed.

Bee Bee Laisa. Photo: Special Arrangement/THE HINDU  

Bee Bee Laisa’s aim of transcribing the Koran is shared by her teacher. “In fact it is the ultimate goal of every Arabic calligrapher,” says Ahmed. “But it is a huge project, because there are at least 600 pages to be transcribed. If we do something with our hands, it is priceless,” he says.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Society> History & Culture / by Nahla Nainar / February 19th, 2021

Karnataka: All-woman Garuda team in the making

Amazing Feats, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Karnataka (under research project), , , ,

KARNATAKA :

The first batch of women commandos undergoes training for Garuda, Karnataka’s anti-terror force. (Photo | EPS)

What will emerge is a lean, mean team — the first batch of the all-woman Garuda commandos of the Karnataka Police.

Bengaluru :

Seventeen young women, mostly from villages across Karnataka, are training to shoot, handle explosives, rappel, rope walk, handle terror, as they build grit and endurance, for 12 hours a day. What will emerge is a lean, mean team — the first batch of the all-woman Garuda commandos of the Karnataka Police. 

The special operational team Garuda, Karnataka’s own anti-terror force, was formed in 2010, and for the first time this year, the department will be training 50 women to join the force. Pre-induction training is on at Bengaluru’s Centre for Counter Terrorism for these 17 women, under the Deputy Director, Lt Col Rohit Nayak and his team led by Superintendent of Police M L Madhura Veena. 

“They will form the first all-woman commando team and are undergoing training to handle any kind of terror attack or save victims of such attacks,” said Madhura Veena, the only woman SP in the Centre for Counter Terrorism, of the Internal Security Division (ISD).  The Response Counter Terrorism Team will be based in Bengaluru, and can reach any part of the city in 30 minutes. The commandos will be deployed in areas with high concentration of IT-BT companies, besides sensitive areas, including coastal Karnataka. 

ADGP of ISD Bhaskar Rao has been appreciative of these youngsters coming from humble backgrounds but with enough grit to be trained into commandos with special counter-terrorism skills such as handling weapons, Improvised Explosive Devices, explosives, rope work and communication, CAD (computer aided design) and navigation, medical first aid and PIN (planning, intelligence and negotiation) etc. 


“First batch of Women Garuda Commandos with 17 girls have started.

Few are enthusiastic, few want to go back. But a very strong willed SP, Madhur Veena is spending full time. The girls are amazing quick learners,” Bhaskar Rao tweeted on Saturday. However, when the girls were asked why some of them want to go back, Uma Devi, from a village in Bidar, said, “It is difficult initially. During basic training, after we clear constable post, it’s not so rigorous. Here we are trained in handling weapons, ropes, besides tackling obstacle course,” she told TNIE.

Umashree, 26, a constable with Karnataka State Industrial Security Force, added, “I was among the first two women who began training two months ago with men for the same force. In an emergency, it doesn’t matter if you are a man or woman. You have to have grit, focus and physical strength to bear all this. We motivate women who come for training.”

Rizwana agrees, saying that though her parents work in the fields in a village in Kalaburagi, she had always dreamt of joining the police force and is fascinated by the stars on the uniform. “I will make it big here, I know. I will continue with training,” she says.

After two months of training, they will have to write an examination, after which they will be inducted into the team.R

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Good News / by Chetana Belagere, Express News Service / February 07th, 2021

Mangaluru: Beary Chamber of Commerce & Industry felicitates Covid warriors

Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Community Involvement / Social Issues, COVID 19 - Community of Soldiers, Karnataka (under research project), Leaders, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Mangaluru, KARNATAKA :

Mangaluru :

Beary Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) felicitated COVID-19 warriors on Wednesday, February 3 at Hotel Ocean Pearl, Mangaluru.

The felicitation program commenced with prayer offered by Ashraf Kinara Kudroli.

Chancellor of Nitte University, N Vinay Hegde said, “When society was facing turbulent times, extending a helping hand to those in need is commendable. I have never witnessed such unprecedented times in the last 81 years of my life. People have been philanthropists on several occasions, but being one during the pandemic is a different thing altogether.”

Chairman Sri Devi Education Trust Sadananda Shetty said, “I congratulate the Beary Chamber of Commerce and Industry for felicitating COVID warriors who worked hard, faced all the difficulties, and risked their lives during the pandemic.”

President Beary Chamber of Commerce and Industry, S M Rasheed said, “The year 2020 was a tough year for all of us, as one of our active founder members lost his life due to coronavirus.”

Image result for images Mangaluru: Beary Chamber of Commerce & Industry felicitates Covid warriors

As many as 11 COVID warriors were felicitated in the event namely: Abdul Rehman Goodinabali, Ziyauddin Ahmed, Abdul Rauf Putthige, Dr Farhan Fazal, Dr Tajuddin K, KM Asif, Abubakar Siddique, Mohammed Ilyas Bajpe, Ashraf Kinara Kudroli, Abdul Azeez and Mohammed Ashraf Kandak.

President Beary Chamber of Commerce and Industry S M Rasheed welcomed the gathering, treasurer Mansoor Ahmed proposed the vote of thanks and Abdul Razzaq compered the event.

source: http://www.daijiworld.com / DaijiWorld.com / Home> Top Stories / February 03rd, 2021

Mangalore University proposes to introduce courses in Beary art forms

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Education, Karnataka (under research project), , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Mangaluru, KARNATAKA :

Mangalore University. Credit: DH File Photo

The university has issued a notification on January 28 constituting a committee for drafting the curriculum and regulations.

The university has issued a notification on January 28 constituting a committee for drafting the curriculum and regulations to introduce the courses in Beary art forms. The committee is headed by Prof Uday Barkur, Dean of Faculty of Arts at Mangalore University.

Karnataka Beary Sahithya Academy Chairman Rahim Ucchil said that the Academy had written to the university to introduce courses in Beary art forms like ‘Duff’, ‘Burda’, ‘Mehandi’, ‘Oppana’, and ‘Kolkali’ on September 16, 2020. The university has accepted the request and constituted a committee the draft the regulations. The introduction of the courses will help in saving the art forms and promoting it, he added.

Beary is an ethnic Muslim community, mainly concentrated in coastal Karnataka, and has its own language and culture.

The committee constituted by the university comprises organisers of Beary programmes Bashir Baikampady and Ahmed Bava Moideen, teachers Abdul Razak Ananthady, Haidarali, language expert S B Darimi, writers K M Siddique Montugoli and Mariyam Ismail, ‘Duff’ teacher Noor Mohammad, ‘Oppane’ and ‘Kolkali’ artist Rahis, artiste Zulfikar Ahmad, member coordinator Aboobakkar Siddique, Academy President Rahim Uchil said.

The courses in art forms will help in warding off the feeling of inferiority among a few people on the art forms. If it is introduced as a course, it will help in passing on the art forms to the future generation. It may be recalled that the Academy had recently introduced Beary script and numerals. Beary script has 13 vowels, 33 consonants and nine numerals. The Academy had released a calendar with all 12 months in Beary language.

The academy intends to submit a proposal on introducing Beary language as the third optional language in schools from sixth standard onwards. The Chairman said that Beary language has a history of 1,400 years and is spoken by over 20 lakh people. 

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Karnataka Districts / by Naina J.A , DHNS / February 06th, 2021

Arjuna and Padma Shri awardees felicitated in Karnataka

Karnataka (under research project), Sports, , ,

Mumbai, MAHARASHTRA :

The felicitation programme was held at Karnataka Olympic Bhawan, Kanteerava Sports Complex, on Saturday. Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai felicitated over eight former basketball players.

Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai (centre) with K Govindaraj, president of Basketball Federation of India (second from right) at an event to felicitate Arjuna, Padma Shree awardees. | vinod kumar t

Bengaluru :

The Basketball Federation of India felicitated sportsperson who received Arjuna, Dhyan Chand and Padma Shri Awardees between 1961 and 2019 for their contribution and achievements in basketball. The felicitation programme was held at Karnataka Olympic Bhawan, Kanteerava Sports Complex, on Saturday. Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai felicitated over eight former basketball players. 

Bommai said, “It gives me immense pleasure to know that the Basketball Federation of India felicitated Padma Shri, Arjuna and Dhyan Chand Awardees. I wish good luck to all the awardees.” The Arjuna awardees included Gulam Abbas Moontasir, Arjun awardee from the 1970 batch, Hanuman Singh (1975), Ajmer Singh (1982), Suman Sharma (1983), Sajjan Singh Cheema (1999), Vishesh Bhriguvanshi (2019), Surendra Kumar Kataria (1973), Om Prakash Dhull (1979-1980). 

Anitha Paul Durai got the Padma Shri award 2020 and Ram Kumar got the Dhyan Chand award (2003).

K Govindaraj, president of the Basketball Federation of India said, “Basketball is believed to be the fastest growing sport. It has immense appeal among school and college students. Almost every school and college has a basketball court on its premises.”

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Good News / by Express News Service / February 07th, 2021

Mother’s recipe

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Books (incl.Biographies - w.e.f.01 jan 2018 ), Community Involvement / Social Issues, Karnataka (under research project), , , , ,

Bengaluru, KARNATAKA :

Be it heirloom dishes or new-age recipes, this cookbook, penned by Badrunissa Irfan –  mother of Uzma Irfan, director, Prestige Group – dishes out something for everyone

Bengaluru :

Ever wondered what makes the food coming from your grandmother’s or mother’s kitchen yummier than even the best chef in the world? 


There’s something comforting in these dishes prepared by seasoned hands sans any sort of measurement.

The recipes in Duniya-e-Ziyafat, a cookbook by Badrunissa Irfan, mother of Uzma Irfan, director, Prestige Group, dishes out some recipes that are sure to give you hunger pangs. The book was launched on Saturday at Sublime Art Galleria.

In the 184-page book, Irfan spills the secrets to some mouth watering dishes like Nalli Ka Salan, Herby Chicken among a host of others. According to Irfan, minimum spices and processes are secrets behind the taste. “The recipes that are shared in the book are simple which even beginners can follow. I always try to keep my recipes minimal so that the flavours are enhanced. With extra garam masala and red chilli powder, you tend to miss out on the delicateness of the dishes,” says Irfan, adding that the other best kept secret is a clean kitchen. “I see many people who make a mayhem in the kitchen even if they just chop a cucumber. A clean kitchen provides clarity of mind,” she adds. 

The book is a compilation of recipes that Irfan had written for her daughter, Uzma, when she was in London. “In uni, there’s not enough time to prepare an elaborate meal, so you need quick ones, which also give you a taste of home,” says 62-year-old Irfan, adding that she hopes the book helps people churn out some delicious recipes even during a busy schedule. 

Although there is no doubt that her meat dishes steal the show, her vegetarian dishes also have an equal number of takers. With options like Stir Fried Tofu, Herb Roasted Potato and more, the book has something for everyone.  “It’s mandatory to have a veggie dish in every meal that is cooked. My husband, Irfan Razack, is man of simple taste, he enjoys any vegetarian dish,” she says, adding that there are enough dessert options too. 

Family ties remain strong in this book since it also contains some recipes Irfan had learnt from her mother. “I started cooking at the age of six. Coming from a joint family, it used to be such nice way to bond,” recalls Irfan, who went on to also learn how to make pickles from her grandmother. Besides some heirloom recipes, Irfan’s cookbook also contains newer recipes which she discovered over time. 
The book can be pre-ordered on sublime.in

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Monika Monalisa / Express News Service / January 19th, 2021

Mangaluru: Syed Mohammed Adnan bags gold medal, top ranks in MBBS

Amazing Feats, Education, Karnataka (under research project), , , , , , , ,

Mangaluru, KARNATAKA :

A future surgeon in the making, Syed Mohammed Adnan has done the city proud by bagging an array of gold medals and ranks in MBBS from Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences.

In the recently announced results, Adnan secured the first rank in physiology, third rank in pediatrics, sixth rank in ophthalmology, and ninth rank in forensic medicine, totally four ranks in MBBS.

A former student of Expert College, Mangaluru, Adnan is the son of Dr Syed Ashraf and Nazma Tabassum Ashraf, and grandson of Syed Abubaker and the late M Azeezuddin.

pix: daijiworld.com

A brilliant, hard-working student, Adnan’s dedicated all his time and energy to following a strict study schedule while pursuing his goals.

He bagged free admission to Al-Ameen Medical College, Vijayapura along with winning a scholarship from Karnataka government for four years.

For his accomplishments, Adnan will be felicitated with a gold medal by his college on the day of convocation on February 7.

Asked about his plans for the future, the young doctor said that he wants to become a surgeon and help the underprivileged and economically weaker sections of society who do not have the means to access healthcare.

Here’s wishing Adnan all the best in his endeavours!

source: http://www.daijiworld.com / DaijiWorld / Home> Top Stories / by Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru / January 17th, 2021

‘Azim Premji: The Man Beyond the Billions’ review: The making of an entrepreneur and a philanthropist

Amazing Feats, Books (incl.Biographies - w.e.f.01 jan 2018 ), Business & Economy, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Education, Green Products, Karnataka (under research project), Leaders, Science & Technology, World Opinion, , , , , , ,

Bengaluru, KARNATAKA / Mumbai, MAHARASHTRA :

How Azim Premji expanded his business from vegetable oils to info-tech and put his money where his heart is

The story of a person can be inspiring. The authors have chosen their subject well, for, everyone knows of Azim Premji, but few truly know what makes the man.

A book about such a person, if well-written, may possibly inspire the reader into action. In this case, soon after you read the book, it’s difficult not to look up the Azim Premji Foundation website, to see if it had any volunteering opportunities, even if you have done nothing like it before!

In chronicling any life, it is easy to get mired down with mind-numbing detail that comes your way if you are sifting through 50-odd years’ worth of the protagonist’s hits and misses. The authors have done well to stick to the most interesting parts of Premji’s life. Two things stand out across events and across time: his integrity and a penchant for frugality.

Zest for austerity

His insistence on paying for personal calls made on his office phone is legendary. His friends know of his love for cars but also about his unwillingness to spend fanciful amounts on one.

He once wanted to buy a Fiat that was registered in Wipro’s name. He got the finance department involved in the discussion as he wanted to play by the rules and pay for the purchase. But with depreciation, the car’s value was zero to the company. The transaction did not go through.

At one point, his friends were agog with excitement at his purchase of a Mercedes, but it was… hold your breath… a second-hand one!

At another time, when his team was preparing to welcome clients on a visit to headquarters, and took Premji over the arrangements that included meals from a five-star hotel, he quipped, “If our cafeteria is good enough for our employees, it should be good enough for clients too!”

It’s probably the same zest for austerity that had him pleased while on a U.S. visit, when two of his senior-most executives bought lunch for the three of them at a Burger King outlet for less than $7.50! And, this was a man who didn’t bat an eyelid when an employee of the vegetable oils business lost ₹25 lakh in a year in a trading position.

A long journey

The book chronicles the journey of Wipro from the time the Premjis put down roots in Mumbai. It throws light on the man’s spirit of entrepreneurship, as the company cautiously experimented with opportunities — expanding from vegetable oils to engineering products, computer hardware, tech services and consumer care and lighting. It also does not shy away from some of Wipro’s missteps such as the investment in financial services, a business which withered away despite the group’s entry into the space after much thought and preparation.

His management style

While doing justice to the man’s talent for perseverance, the authors have touched upon his management style that many say cramped some CEOs under his chairmanship. His taking over as CEO in 2005 after the abrupt exit of Vivek Paul, said to have been primed for the post, or his decision to have a joint CEO structure soon after, at a time when competitors were blazing ahead, had raised eyebrows in the world of IT services at the time.

The reader may get the sense that the authors occasionally sound deferential when talking about the man or his family. But, it’s difficult not to be overawed by someone who has never sold a single share in his company but who chose to give away $21 billion worth of wealth to his foundation, leaving his two sons with shares valued at about ₹65 crore. How can one give away so much wealth and still, on the morning the news about the latest transfer to the foundation breaks, irritably ask an employee — who speaks of congratulatory messages overwhelming social media — “What’s all the fuss about?” ?

This book is a must-read for anyone who can read English.

Azim Premji: The Man Beyond the Billions; Sundeep Khanna, Varun Sood, HarperCollins, ₹699.

bharatkumar.k@thehindu.co.in

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Books> Reviews> Profile / by K Bharat Kumar / January 16th, 2021

Playing with Pride

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Karnataka (under research project), Sports, , , , ,

KERALA / Bengaluru, KARNATAKA :

This new card game created by two Bengaluru-based women, who hail from Kerala, celebrates Malayali culture, Mollywood and more.

The game needs at least four players and can be played by anyone aged 18 and above

Bengaluru :

You may take a Malayali out of Kerala but you can’t take the love for Malayalam pop culture out of a Malayali. Or so it seems from this new game developed by two Bengaluru- based women who hail from God’s own country. Called Malayali Aano, the new game by Sona Zainab Harris and Rose Mary Jacob is a cardbased game that draws heavily from Malayali pop culture, popular phrases, movie characters, food, stereotypes and other such trivia.

Those who have played the popular party game Cards Against Humanity need no introduction to the rules of Malayali Aano, whose tagline is: ‘A party game for devil’s own people’. It consists of 500 cards, of which 100 have questions on them while 400 have statements, movie dialogues, or phrases that could work as an answer. One player picks a question card, others throw the quirkiest answers from the 10 they possess into a pile. The player that poses the question reads out each question- answer pair, laughter ensues and the most creative or whackiest answer wins.

A minimum of four players is mandatory, with more being merrily encouraged. “Each statement in the answer card is iconic in its own way but when set to the context of another question, it can incite a laughter riot. Since we’ve picked out trivia from the 1980s to now, the nostalgia factor is high as well.

Any player aged between 18 and 45 will find something to remind them of their childhood, adolescence, first romance, parental relations or their connection to Kerala,” says Harris, the founder and creative director of Backflip Design Studio. But it is not just fun and games.

It also helps bring up important conversations. “When you hear certain dialogues – for example, ‘You are just a woman’ from the film The King – you don’t think much in the context of the plot. But isolating such things and using it in the game makes people see that it could be problematic too. Humour can help break barriers with topics like sexism, classism, misogyny, etc,” says Jacob, who is also the founder and curator of the popup My Cup of Tea.

The two women took a month to develop the content of the game. It makes use of, what Jacob and Harris refer to as, a “Manglish” script. There is also a leaflet with a QR code that can be scanned to understand the translation and reference of the answer cards. The game is meant for those aged 18 and above, with some players even finding it to be an effective ice breaker with their parents.

“One player told us he never thought he would talk to his father about the topics included in the game. But they had a good laugh about it, so it can help different generations bond better too,” says Harris.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Simran Ahuja / December 29th, 2020

KM Shareef, the voice of oppressed embraces eternal silence

Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Books (incl.Biographies - w.e.f.01 jan 2018 ), Community Involvement / Social Issues, Karnataka (under research project), Leaders, , , , , , , , , , ,

Mangaluru, KARNATAKA :

Karnataka is mourning the demise of KM Shareef, the former National President of Popular Front of India. With his demise, the community has expressed grief and a great sense of loss for he was a voice that spoke in favour of the oppressed.

Since the year 2000, KM Shareef – known in the public sphere as a writer, critic, translator, author, orator, and journalist – has been working tirelessly on the social front.

After graduating with a BSc degree, he spent four years in Dubai as a career person.He was a student of Mittabailu Jabbar Ustad, the general secretary of the Samasta Kerala Jamiatul Ulema, from whom he secured religious education.His father, the late Abdullah Haji, served as a Mudarris for 30 consecutive years in the Mittabailu Jamath.

KM Shareef, who advocated towards creating a united struggle for the empowerment of Dalits, Muslims, and other marginalized communities, sought to unite these communities and struggled towards realizing this objective throughout his lifetime in the organizational setup.He emphasized the need to politically empower these communities and stressed the importance of alternative politics in this regard.

In 2003, he served as the convener of Coastal People’s Union, an organization that was established as a coalition of various Muslim social organizations across Coastal Karnataka.

He played a prominent role in establishing ‘Prastutha’, a fortnightly news magazine in 2007, and also served as the editor-in-chief of the publication.Through this media publication, he constantly wrote on behalf of exploited communities.

His writings delved into issues affecting the country, through which he warned that the country was endangered by communal fascism, capitalism, and imperialism.

He has been instrumental in bringing new press campaigns through the Prastutha publication and introducing newfacets of journalism to the press.He was constantly encouraging and inspiring budding young talents to read and write.

Opposing the exploitation of women in society, he has consistently asserted that dowry is a social evil and one of the main causes contributing to women’s atrocities and exploitation in the country.

His Kannada research work, ‘ಶಾಂತಿಗಾಗಿವಿವಾಹ'(Marriage for Peace), is by far the most prominent among his written works. In this book, he objectively outlines how dowry is in effect across the country and in what manner it is weaponized to commit atrocities against women.

When he was the President of the Karnataka Forum for Dignity (KFD), he organized a series of state-wide, anti-dowry campaigns and encouraged young people to organize simple weddings and dowry-free marriages.

In 2006, KM Shareef spearheaded theKFD campaign ‘ಕೋಮುವಾದಿಫ್ಯಾಶಿಸ್ಟರಿಂದಕರ್ನಾಟಕವನ್ನುರಕ್ಷಿಸಿ'(Protect Karnataka from Communal Fascists), across Karnataka. When the ‘VidhanaSoudhaChalo’ convention was held in Bangalore on the occasion ofconcluding the campaign, a delegation headed by KM Shareef had met with the then Chief Minister Kumaraswamy and filed an appeal.This historic campaign, which occurred amid a series of sustained attacks against minorities in coastal Karnataka, resulted in the KFD organization becoming a household name in Karnataka.

KM Shareef, who sought no limelight or fame in the public sphere, was known for his straightforward, simple personality and disciplined disposition.

He was in constant contact with other leaders who were activelyfightingtowards social justice in the activism circle.He continued to hold close associationswith Dalit leaders, progressive figures, human rights activists, thinkers, and writers.

He was a man who had already possessed farsighted vision and ideas towards Muslim empowerment, when he presented his paper titled, ‘Education and Empowerment of Muslims’ during the Second Beary Literature Conference.

KM Shareef is survived by his wife, three sons, three daughters, and a multitude of relatives, friends, and well-wishers.

source: http://www.prasthutha.com /Prasthutha.com / Home / December 22nd, 2020