The ongoing exhibition on iconic birder Dr Salim Ali at Bombay Natural History Society offers rare insight into the meticulous life of the man who shaped India’s avian conservation programme.
Barure (in saree) guides a visitor
In the quiet landmark of Hornbill House at Fort, a buzz is slowly developing. On International Bird Week (November 5 to November 12), the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) is celebrating one of the pioneers of Indian ornithology, Dr Salim Ali, with an exhibition from his personal archives. Today might be the last opportunity to peek into the life of a man whose efforts paved the way for conservation study in the country.
Dr Salim Ali. / File pic
“Research and conservation were two very important facets of his life,” shares Kishor Rithe, director, BNHS. The exhibition brings to fore his professional expanse and personal meticulousness. The collection was brought together by curator and BNHS librarian, Nirmala Barure. The work began in 2014, she reveals. “The process is still ongoing since it is such a monumental record of correspondence, research and notes over a period of 60 years,” Barure remarks.
The tape recorder used by Dr Ali to record bird sounds
The theme for the exhibition, Rithe adds, is a focus on the layman. It includes correspondence to prime ministers, policy makers, as well as people on the ground — from forest officials to students and villagers. Barure points out that the correspondence also has some touching personal moments.
His filming equipment. Pics/Atul Kamble
“There are greeting cards from Mrinalini Sarabhai, and a commendation letter from the famed botanist Ethelbert Blatter of St Xaviers’ College,” she notes. One of the more remarkable objects was a complaint written by Dr Salim Ali to a Bandra neighbour — Yusuf Khan aka Dilip Kumar — complaining about the noise the latter’s watchman made in the night.
A letter written by Dr Salim Ali to Dilip Kumar from 1975
Then, there is his equipment — from typewriters and cameras to telescopes and lenses. “While technology has advanced, this equipment is proof of how challenging it was for the early pioneers to make audio visual records and document their studies,” Rithe notes. Among the equipment on display is a rare find of 16mm films, shot by Dr Ali during his many journeys, that were preserved by the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC.
Dr Ali’s portable typewriter
The society is already in the process of dedicating a space to honour Dr Ali’s collection. Rithe shares, “This year, we plan to begin renovation work on the space, and will dedicate some part of it to Dr Salim Ali’s collection. This exhibition is just a rehearsal of those plans.” For now, visitors would want to hurry to Hornbill House to catch a glimpse of the rare treasure trove.
A collection of Dr Ali’s correspondence
On: Today; 10 am to 5 pm At: BNHS, Hornbill House, opposite Lion Gate, Fort. Call: 9594953425 Log on to: bnhs.org
Kishore Rithe
source: http://www.mid-day.com / mid-day.com / Home> Mumbai Guide News> Things to do News/ Article / by Shriram Iyengar (shriram.iyengar@mid-day.com) / November 10th, 2023
The holy book, which weighs 54 kg with the cover, measures 28.5 inches long, 22.5 inches wide, and 4.5 inches high.
Abu Dhabi:
A 46-year-old Indian woman has displayed her handwritten Holy Quran in Arabic calligraphy weighing over 30 kgs at the 42nd Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF).
Jaleena Hussain, who hails from Indian state of Kerala, has spent over a year creating a unique edition of 114 surahs, covering 604 pages.
Speaking to Sharjah 24, Jaleena said writing the Quran was her way of fulfilling her desire to memorize the Holy Book.
She expressed gratitude to the Sharjah authorities for allowing her to showcase her talent.
Jaleena, a former rubber plantation worker and Urdu teacher, has been recognized by the Arabian World Records and the India and Asia Book of Records for her handwritten Quran.
source: http://www.siasat.com / Siasat.com / Home> News> India / by Sakina Fatima X / November 12th, 2023
In the late 1770s, a British colonial official named Sir Elijah Impey and his wife, Lady Mary, commissioned the Indian artist Shaikh Zain ud-Din to catalog a private menagerie, including various bird species, the couple had assembled at their home in Calcutta. Using paper and watercolors from England, Zain ud-Din, a Muslim from the city of Patna, modeled his work after English botanical illustration, but he also brought to the job his training in the ornate Mughal artistic tradition—and his own distinctive style. Today critics praise the quality of the colors and the composition, in which a bright, simple background offsets the keenly wrought details of plants and animals. “Everything is incredibly precise and beautifully observant,” says Xavier Bray, director of London’s Wallace Collection, which this month mounts the first UK exhibition of works by Indian artists commissioned by officers of the British East India Company.
The expat aristocrats who patronized Zain ud-Din and his fellow artists had been sent abroad to help manage their country’s growing empire, but once there many, like the Impeys, fell in love with the subcontinent, as well as its flora and fauna. “These paintings,” Bray says, “were made into albums to be leafed through back home, on a rainy day, drinking Earl Grey tea.”
History failed to record much about Zain ud-Din’s life beyond his watercolors for the Impeys. But the new show, which includes 99 paintings of nature studies, portraits and landscapes by 18 artists, makes an argument that he and his contemporaries should be recognized on their own merits, as some of India’s greatest painters. “Anything with a colonial air about it is now considered politically incorrect,” Bray says. “But what we’re trying to do is bring back these extraordinary artists who have been almost completely forgotten.”
These were the first iron-cased rockets used in the military thus paving the way for rockets use around the world. (Supplied)
More than 1,000 unused rockets of India’s freedom fighter Tipu Sultan’s era found toward the end of July this year, will now be showcased at a newly created rocket gallery at the museum at Shivappa Nayaka Palace in Shivamogga city in the state of Karnataka.
The gallery, named as Bidanur Rocket Gallery after the famous Bidanur Fort at Nagar in Hosanagar taluk of Shivamogga district, will open to receive visitors in October.
Visitors will be able to feast on the rockets used by Tipu Sultan, the illustrious son of Karnataka, who was known as “Tiger of Mysore” for his daring acts against the British who ruled India then.
India rocket musuem
Bidanur served as an important administrative centre of Mysore State (renamed as Karnataka) and Tipu Sultan had even established a mint and an armory here.
Speaking to Al Arabiya English, R. Shejeshwara, Assistant Director of the Department of Archaeology, Museums and Heritage, said that the findings were discovered during a field excavation at a farmer’s well in Nagara village in Hosnagar Taluk, Shivamogga district, conducted by Department of Archeology, Museums and Heritage.
He said, “the shape of a cylinder and having a fuse at one end reveal that these rockets were used during the eighteenth century AD during Tipu’s time. Each unused rocket is of 7 to 10 inches in length and 1 to 3 meter in diameter and are rusted because of continuous exposure to soil moisture”.
India rocket musuem
Shejeshwara further said that like the earlier rockets found in 2002, those recovered recently also are iron-cased with black powder, a mixture of sulfur, charcoal and potassium nitrate filled inside. The 15-member crew of archaeologists, excavators and laborers took three days to unearth the armory and the ammunition.
Shejeshwara said that after the fourth Anglo-Mysore War, it is likely that Tipu’s army, stationed in Nagara, could have dumped the rockets in the well to prevent them from getting into the hands of the East India Company.
The media spotlight on the recent findings speaks volumes about how this powerful 18th century ruler of Mysore is remembered. Mysore under Tipu stood as a bulwark against the British.
Tipu conceptualized, designed and manufactured cylindrical iron tubes that ensured for great compression of the filled gunpowder and consequently, greater range (nearly 2 km). The brave freedom fighter then fastened them to swords or bamboo poles to provide stability, that would, in turn, lead to better accuracy.
Fitted with sharpnels that traveled a considerable distance, these air-borne weapons would target the enemy with edges of the sharpnels facing them.
India rocket musuem
These were the first iron-cased rockets used in the military thus paving the way for rockets use around the world.
The first rocket, which was fired by Tipu Sultan in 1792 against the British forces, is displayed at the British Museum. Though the British lost the war, they have exhibited the rocket.
After being the victims of these innovative locally-crafted rockets, the British eventually adopted the technology. Tipu Sultan wrote a military manual called Fathul Mujahideen in which he explains that 200 rocket men were assigned to each Mysorean cushoon (brigade).
Little wonder then the credit for developing the first-ever iron-clad rockets goes to Tipu Sultan and they were successfully deployed for military use.
In the Battle of Pollilur (the Second Anglo-Mysore War in 1780), Tipu’s rockets set afire the East India Company’s ammunition dumps. It was the British Army’s one of the worst ever defeats in India.
India rocket musuem
It may be recalled that a set of 24 rare and rediscovered preparatory paintings depicting the Battle of Pollilur was sold to a bidder for £769,250 at the Sotheby’s biannual Arts of the Islamic World Sale in 2010. The Britishers described these rockets filled with gunpowder on swords as “flying plagues”.
Tipu took advantage of them and established four taramandalpets (star-cluster bazaars, a name that refers to the pattern of mid-air explosions of these rockets that then pounded shrapnel on the enemy) at Srirangapatna, Bidanur, Chitradurga, and Bangalore to conduct research on Mysore rocket technology.
The armory in Kalasipalyam in Bangalore was among the four that were constructed by Tipu Sultan to store ammunition. The 18th century armory that housed the famed rockets of Tipu Sultan is hardly known.
After the death of Tipu in 1799, the British Army discovered as many as 600 launchers, 700 serviceable rockets and 9,000 empty rockets at Tipu’s fort.
One of the major beneficiary was the Royal Artillery Museum in Woolwich in the UK. The powerful ruler was killed in the fourth Anglo-Mysore war in 1799 after a slew of victories in battle against the British.
http://www.english.alarabiya.net / AlArabiya News / Home> Life > Travel & Tourism / by Aftab Alam Kola / August 09th, 2018
A P J Abdul Kalam with children: an exhibit from the National memorial at Rameshwaram
In mid-December, when Suman and her husband Diwan Arora of Sonepat, Haryana, left for Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu, for performing the pilgrimage to one of the holiest sites of Hindus, little did they know that their journey would also take them to another sacred place – a memorial to the son of the soil Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam aka Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam.
“I didn’t feel like leaving the place,” said Suman, a retired central government official of her experience of visiting the National Memorial for the 11th President of India A P J Abdul Kalam, located in his native city of Rameshwaram.
Suman said that the moment she removed her shoe to enter the National Memorial she experienced a surge of positive energy inside her. She and other tourists paid obeisance to the People’s President at his resting place inside the memorial.
“I was visiting the place after I visited the temple; there I felt I had entered another sacred place,” she told Awaz-the voice.
Suman and Diwan Arora in Rameshwaram
On her maiden journey to South India, Suman said she was as much awestruck by the grandiosity and architecture of temples – Rameshwaram, and Meenakshi at Madurai as with the simplicity and grandeur of the life of the great Indian – A P J Abdul Kalam.
“Seeing the incredible architecture of the temples was a great experience. Visiting the Museum of President Abdul Kalam was no less. It was also like a pilgrimage.”
Though not hyped as much as many other places, the museum is on the Tourism map of Rameshwaram city. According to Aroras, even the local auto-rickshaw drivers who offer tour packages to visitors, recommend the museum as the first place.
Suman said although their tour was in connection with the seven-day Bhagwad Gita path (Narration of the Bhagwad Gita) and was organized by a religious group, a friend had advised her to visit the museum at any cost. “After visiting the place, I can never thank my South Indian friend enough,” Suman said.
Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam’s memorial, Rameshwaram
Kalam’s grand-nephew APJMJ Sheik Saleem told Awaz-the voice that so far one crore people have visited the museum that was set inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 27, 2017.
Sheik Saleem who recently joined the BJP runs his business and a Foundation for social work. He says he is privy to people’s devotion and love for his ancestor as they visit his memorial.
“The museum is visited by at least 7,000 visitors per day and so far about one crore have paid their obeisance to the people President,” Saleem told Awaz-the Voice.
“Earlier people came to our city for pilgrimage to the (Rameshwaram) temple but now the pilgrimage is combined with the visit to the national memorial for APJ Abdul Kalam,” he said.
“I have seen people coming to the place and feeling there is something great there. Many visitors do stand silently in front of the memorial, some bow their heads, and others simply go in the prayer mode as if they are seeking His blessings,” the former President’s grand-nephew said.
APJMJ Sheik Saleem with Home Minister Amit Shah
He said it’s touching and a humbling experience to see how much Indians cutting across religions or other barriers loved Dr. Kalam.
Suman, her husband, and many in their group spent nearly two hours inside the memorial. Visitors must enter barefoot and not use cameras or mobiles to click the pictures. All this adds to the sacredness of the space.
Saleem said since the place sees a high footfall, the cameras are forbidden simply because if everyone starts clicking there will be chaos.
Diwan Arora said the pilgrimage jatha comprised 300 people from Punjab and Haryana who visited Rameshwaram for “Bhagwat sapthah’ the weeklong narration of the Bhagwat Gita.
Meenakshi Temple and the Sea at Rameshwaram
Besides the museum, A P J Abdul Kalam’s childhood home has also been converted into a museum that his elder brother maintains. “It’s a smaller collection of photos and family memorabilia. The place is visited by at least 4,000 persons per day,” Sheik Saleem said.
The national museum maintained by the DRDO narrates the story of the life of India’s missile man from a newspaper hawker in the coastal city to India’s missile man and the most popular President. It showcases pictures and models of missiles, rockets, and the Pokhran Nuclear test that Kalam was involved in. His favourite Veena which he played every morning sitting on the bare floor even in Rashtrapati Bhawan is also displayed in the museum.
Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam lived in the Rashtrapati Bhawan from 2002 to 2007. He became the most loved and respected head of the nation to get the sobriquet of People’s President.
Kalam was a respected scientist specializing in aerospace engineering. His simplicity and dedication to serving the country motivated many youths to follow his path and he became an inspirational figure for the youth of India.
House of Kalam: the private Museum dedicated to the memory of Dr. APJ Kalam inside his ancestral house in Rameshwaram
Inside the memorial, one can see the selected photos, paintings, miniature models of missiles, etc. The memorial is less than 1 km from Rameswaram.
The museum’s exhibits narrate the story of his life and achievements. It’s located on Mosque Street and is open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
A. P J Abdul Kalam was born and brought up in Rameswaram and became a scientist and worked for DRDO and ISRO before being chosen to become India’s 11th President by the then NDA government headed by Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
He passed away suddenly while attending the IIT Shillong convocation on July 27, 2015, and was laid to rest at Pei Karumbu, Rameswaram on 30 July.
According to the statement of the Museum, Dr. Kalam always reflected the simplicity, depth, and calmness of Rameshwaram throughout his life, and it’s showcased in his memorial. Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam National Memorial was inaugurated by Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi on 27th July 2017.
The memorial is spread over 2.11 acres of land, the memorial is constructed on the gravesite of Dr. Kalam, where his mortal remnants were put to rest on July 27, 2015. To pay tribute to India’s missile man, The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), with which Dr. Kalam had been associated for several years of his life, came up with an initiative to construct his memorial.
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The memorial was constructed in a record time of nine-month at the cost of Rs 120 crore,
The Museum is also included in the recommended place in Rameshwaram by the Trip Advisor company.
On its website, people who visited the place have rated it very highly. Their comments in the review section show that the People’s President continues to be in the heart of Indians even after his passing away. For example, Saurabh from Patna, Bihar, says:
..must visit place for everyone. I’m a huge follower of Bharat Ratna Late APJ Abdul kalam sir. It was inaugurated by Our prime minister in 2017. Here you can learn many things about Bharat Ratna APJ Abdul Kalam sir.
I visited this and will recommend every people to visit this place and should remember the person who shape and sculpt the Indian defense and space research organisation.
A Tourist from Bangladesh wrote in the same section: “A scientist and leader has been honoured in the best way in his birthplace “
Another tourist to the museum from Hyderabad wrote:
.. A fitting tribute to the great son of India. Amazing that a man with such humble origins and from a very small town rose to the highest office in this country. A must-visit for students and youth who can take inspiration from the great man’s life. Plenty of Photographs, a peek into the life of Dr. A.J.P. Abdul Kalam.
A visitor from the NCT of Delhi wrote on Trip Advisor’s website :
Not only a memorial but a temple or place of worship where you can motivate yourself how an innocent boy who was used to distributing newspapers in a nearby area has become India’s first citizen. The place is full of photographs, a replica of missiles, statues, Samadhi, and many more … a calm environment despite of rush of school children.. A must-visit place at Rameshwaram.
source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Story / by Aasha Khosa, New Delhi / July 27th, 2023
The mini Taj Mahal constructed at a cost of Rs 5 crore at Tiruvarur in Tamil Nadu which is the hometown of the businessman is drawing crowds from across the state.
Chennai:
In a unique love for his mother, a Chennai-based businessman has constructed a mini Taj Mahal in memory of his mother.
The mini Taj Mahal constructed at a cost of Rs 5 crore at Tiruvarur in Tamil Nadu which is the hometown of the businessman is drawing crowds from across the state.
Family History
Amrudeen Sheik Dawood Sahib is a hardware businessman in Chennai and the only male member among the five siblings. His father Abdul Kader Sheik Dawood was a businessman in Chennai and dealt with leather goods.
However, Abdul Kader Sheik passed away while his children were very young. His wife, Jailani Beevi was a person who did not give up easily and struggled hard to run the business and to bring up the five children, including four girls. All the children grew up and after the four sisters were married off, Amrudeen Sheik also got married.
In 2020 Jailani Beevi passed away, which was a major shock to Amarudeen, as he was the one who had helped his mother from a very tender age in the shop and was always moving around with her. She passed away on a new moon day and Amarudeen decided to feast 1,000 people on every new moon day with biryani.
However, Amarudeen thought that this was not enough and later came across the idea of constructing a mini Taj Mahal for his mother. He bought one acre land at his ancestral village, Ammayiappan, and with the support of a builder friend started constructing the monument.
What’s inside this Taj Mahal?
He bought marble from Rajasthan and made pathways and walkways around the monument just like in the Taj Mahal at Agra and on June 2, the monument was opened to the public.
It has meditation centres where people of all faiths can meditate and a madrasa where 10 students are presently staying.
Amarudeen, however, did not give publicity to the Taj Mahal of the South and people came to know of this through word of mouth.
source: http://www.ummid.com / Ummid.com / Home> Life & Style / by IANS / June 11th, 2023
Hyderabad, TELANGANA / Boston (Massachusetts), U.S.A.:
Photo: twitter.com/swachhhyd/
Omar Khalidi Hall, named after the late renowned Hyderabadi scholar, was inaugurated at Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU) on Thursday. The hall, which now houses Khalidi’s personal library comprising scores of rare books, marks a significant milestone for the university.
The collaborative efforts of Khalidi’s daughter Aliya Khalidi, his wife Nigar Sultana Khalidi, historian Prof Salma Farooqui leading MANUU’s H.K. Sherwani Centre for Deccan Studies, the United States Consulate General in Hyderabad, and admirers of the Hyderabad scholar based in the USA made it possible to bring his personal library back to his hometown of Hyderabad.
Khalidi’s library is an impressive collection with over 1,000 Urdu, English, Persian, French, German, and French titles. It covers a wide range of subjects including the history, culture, and administration of the Deccan, Hyderabad State, Golconda, religion, Sufis and Sufism, heritage, and numerous journals. Notably, the collection includes rare books such as L’Inde Anglaise, published in 1845, The Hindu reported.
Khalidi’s strong connection with his hometown led him to compile an exhaustive list of books on Hyderabad’s history, culture, and archaeology. Many of these books were either unknown or had faded from public memory due to the passage of time.
Apart from his personal library, Khalidi was also renowned for his authored works. His book Khaki and Ethnic Violence in India explored the complexities of religious composition within the armed forces and police, as well as the Muslim community. L.K. Advani had verbally attacked Khalidi for the book and reportedly acknowledged that the book provided “inspiration to the Sachar Committee to seek a communal census in the Armed forces.”
Among his other important works were Muslims in Indian Economy and Hyderabad: After the Fall, a collection of essays edited by Khalidi.
Khalidi, who worked at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as part of the Aga Khan Programme for Islamic Architecture, passed away on November 29, 2010, leaving behind a significant intellectual legacy.
The inauguration of Omar Khalidi Hall at MANUU on Thursday not only celebrates the life and work of this distinguished scholar but also provides a valuable resource for students and researchers. The inclusion of Khalidi’s personal library in the hall will serve as a source of inspiration, enabling a deeper understanding of Hyderabad’s history, culture, and heritage.
source: http://www.thecognate.com / The Cognate / Home> Culture / by The Cognate News Desk / June 16th, 2023
Books have been Maryam’s passion ever since she learnt to read. She turned her passion into a mission of starting a library for children with the books from her own collection.
Two years ago, Maryam had amassed nearly 150 books of her own when she started her very first library in the balcony of their home in Baijipura called Dr APJ Abdul Kalaam Library.
How it began
It was during the lockdown, with no school or homework to occupy her time, that she noticed many idle children in her neighborhood. Inspired by this observation, Maryam approached her father, Mirza Abdul Qayyum, who runs the popular bookstore called Mirza World Book House.
The first library in the balcony of Maryam’s house
Mirza, being an avid reader himself, readily agreed to support his daughter’s idea. Mirza is also affiliated with the Read and Learn Foundation (RLF), a movement dedicated to promoting reading habits, particularly among children. Starting a library for children aligned perfectly with the foundation’s objectives.
Thus, Maryam and her father gathered around 300 books, including donations, and set up the first library named Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Library, located in the balcony of their home in Baijipura. The library inauguration was attended by local children, and from that day forward, they began visiting the library, borrowing books, and returning them within a week.
More libraries for more children
The library was a hit and soon Maryam and her father were thinking of starting another library in another locality. Thus, the second library was started under the aegis of RLF in Rahemaniya colony with another 300 books. Here also the response was good.
Seeing the enthusiasm of the little girls and boys, Maryam resolved to have more libraries and her father assured her that he would support her. Maryam wanted to reach out to the children dwelling in slums. Her aim was to have at least 10 libraries for that year.
Supporting her were her elder sisters too who, like, were students in college. Maryam started collecting funds from the people to set up the Mohalla libraries. The neighbours and other donors began contributing with small amounts and with each Rs.5000/- collected, Maryam purchased a cupboard, books and some stationery to maintain the records of the library.
Some of the places where the libraries have been set up are the anganwadi centre of the mohalla, a place in the school yard, a mosque, or a room in the house of a generous well-wisher. In a span of 14 months Maryam had 31 libraries functioning including one in her own school.
“In some localities we needed to put in more work”, shared Maryam with Twocircles.net. “Sometimes the people of the locality were not very responsive to the idea of having a library. They did not see any use to having a mohalla library. We motivated them by explaining the importance of reading and how it develops the personality of their children”.
While in some areas the people were very cooperative, they offered space to run the library and even offered cool drinking water to the children who come to read in the library.
Managing the libraries
There are nearly 30 children who are involved in the day-to-day functioning of the libraries in different Mohallas. The library is open for an hour daily in the evenings offering books in English, Hindi, Urdu, and Marathi.
There are books of general knowledge, adventure stories, and biographies of historical figures.
“The USP (unique selling proposition/ point) of these libraries is that Urdu and Marathi – the two regional languages are getting readers, apart from encouraging the reading habit in children.” Says Maryam’s father, Mirza Abdul Qayyum Nadvi
felicitated by her school teachers
The children take their responsibilities seriously, ensuring that borrowed books are returned on time and in good condition. Their dedication has impressed not only the adults but also the neighbors, who sometimes assist the children in maintaining the libraries. Additionally, Maryam and her father conduct awareness campaigns on various topics such as educating girls and eradicating child labor.
Maryam aims to establish 50 libraries by the end of 2023. The mohalla libraries are named after Urdu writers, poets and other well-known personalities. Some libraries are named after the parents of the generous donors who sponsor a complete library.
Her efforts have inspired similar initiatives in other towns surrounding Aurangabad, such as Jalna, Beed, Jalgaon, and Ahmednagar.
Receiving the FAME Award in Aurangabad
Recognition and awards
Maryam’s remarkable achievements have not gone unnoticed. In 2022, she was honored by the American Federation of Muslims Indian (AFMI) Origin, The award was presented to her in New Delhi at the hands of the former Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, Najeeb Jung.
In May 2023, she received the Mukta Samman from News 18 Lokmat in Mumbai.
At the awards ceremony Maryam quoted Safdar Hashmi’s poem ‘Kitabein’ to a thundering applause.
Receiving the Mukta samman award in Mumbai
Despite the recognition and accolades, Maryam remains grounded, acknowledging that her father’s bookstore has greatly benefited from her library project, as most of the books are purchased from there.
Looking ahead, Maryam aspires to become a neurosurgeon. Her favourite books are the Harry Potter series. And when she is not reading, she likes drawing and colouring.
source: http://www.twocircles.net / TwoCircles.net / Home> Children / by Nikhat Fatima, TwoCircles.net / May 31st, 2023
DeoraBandhauli Village (Darbhanga District), BIHAR / Mumbai, MAHARASHTRA:
Sadiya Shaikh receiving the Savitri Bai-Fatima Bi Award
Born in Bihar, Sadiya’s family shifted to Mumbai when she was 4 years old. Sadiya, eldest of her 5 siblings has recently been awarded with the Fatima Bi Savitri Bai Award in 2023 for her contribution to society towards education and community upliftment.
At the age of 21, Sadiya’s tremendous efforts towards social work has won her accolades from both regional and national institutions. She is a recipient of the ‘All India Women Achievers Award 2021 organised by Twell TV and Tanishq in Karnataka’s Mysore; part of 100 inspiring women featured at the Global Women Inspiration Awards and Conclave 2021; and ‘Humanitarian Excellence Award’ by ICan Foundation and the more recent Fatima Bi Savitri Bai Award 2023.
Her journey in activism
“Savitri Bai Phule and Fatima Begum have done huge work in the field of education to be such icons. My work in comparison is just a small baby step,” says Sadiya smilingly as she recounts how she was informed of her most recent honour. One morning she got a call from an organisation named ‘kaide ne vagya’ (walk with the constitution) asking her to send her details. Much later she got to know that this organisation identifies 5 young achievers ever year who overcome stereotypes and make a difference in the society. And thus, along with 4 others Sadiya was selected to receive the prestigious Fatima Bi Savitri Bai Award that commenced in the year 2017.
Presently working for international child rights and advocacy group, KidsRights.org, Sadiya’s journey in activism began with the anti-CAA protests in 2019. She had a lot of friends from all faiths till the Citizenship Amendment Bill was passed. When people came out in protest against the Act, she noticed that her friends had all backed out and did not join in the protest.
“I realised we have to fight our own battles and stand up for our rights. It was then that reality hit me that I was living in a dream world,” she recalled. Thus began her journey as a social activist. She got actively involved in organising peaceful protests, supporting groups in advocacy and using her education to empower masses. “People around us have tried to demotivate me, some even told my father not to give me so much of liberty or else I will never get good alliances for marriage,” she added. However, that didn’t deter her from pursuing her path and joining youth activists from different cities in the country to work for bigger causes.
Her first notable work across different communities was when Sadiya helped flood-affected victims in Darbhanga in 2020. This was when she had started ‘Rehnuma Welfare Foundation’ with help from her father, who runs a small leather goods manufacturing unit in Dharavi. The foundation is aimed at stopping child marriages and child labour while paving way for women empowerment from marginalised communities.
“They even mocked him, asking things like do you want your daughter to contest the elections?” but her father did not bother about any outside influence or lack of support. Instead, he accompanied her everywhere she went – conferences, protests, or workshops.
“He accompanied me to Shaheen Bagh, Karnataka and other places,” she said with pride while talking to TwoCircles.net.
Community library
Sadiya hails from Darbhanga district of Deora Bandhauli village in Bihar. This is where her journey as an emerging community leader began. Looking at poverty and inaccessibility of resources, she started a community library for the children of her village called ‘Maulana Azad Library.’ This library houses Bihar School Board and NCERT books from classes I to XII which are issued free of cost to the needy children. There are other books on history, literature, social sciences, etc. that can be borrowed for reading. The children nearby are also helped with their studies at the library which is being managed by Sadiya’s cousin who is pursuing her postgraduation.
Her library has gained a lot of reputation in the surrounding villages as well. Sadiya says her dream is to equip this library with computers and internet facility so the children in the village can access these facilities as well.
The road ahead
“I will continue to work for child welfare and education with renewed energy and inspiration with support from donors, well-wishers and parents,” says a determined Sadiya. Currently pursuing her Masters in Sociology, Sadiya is the eldest among her five siblings – three sisters and a brother with progeria genetic disorder. This emboldens her to work harder and bear the family’s responsibility along with her father.
“I am humbled by these honours as they motivate me to work harder to change the lives of many young children and women from my country India,” she shares when asked about what she feels about winning such big achievements at 21. Sadiya was recently honoured with ‘Emerging Social Work Leader 2021’ at the Asia World Model United conference.
When asked about her future plans, Sadiya says that her focus besides her fulltime postgraduate degree lies on developing more community libraries in other villages and improving education of girls as they suffer the most in underprivileged backgrounds. Her key takeaway from Shaheen Bagh protests was “women can fight to retain the secular fabric of India, end communalism and defeat fascist forces.”
“Muslims, especially women should work on improving their lives at all levels especially education in which we are lagging behind,” Sadiya feels. Motivated by this, she plans on establishing a school for girls with support from funds at ‘Rehnuma Welfare Foundation’ in villages. At present, the organisation is mainly funded and managed by her sisters who are also studying. Therefore, she wants the encouragement of her supporters, donors and parents to make them proud.
Her message to aspiring women leaders is “to be politically, socially aware to raise questions where there is injustice. We should keep the interests of the nation at heart and work towards building a harmonious and peaceful environment.”
source: http://www.twocircles.net / TwoCircles.net / Home> Education / by Nikhat Fatima , TwoCircles.net / April 05th, 2023
A repository of historic Islamic manuscripts, documents, books and rare artefacts is crying for attention at the Rajasthan Government’s Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Arabic & Persian Research Institute (APRI) in Tonk. A significant project for the conservation and digitisation of manuscripts has come to a standstill following a change of guard at the institute.
Tonk, situated 103 km south of Jaipur, was the only Muslim princely state in the erstwhile Rajputana before Independence. It was considered a major centre of art and culture, as the Nawabs patronised the scholars and invited them to inhabit the town. As a result, many poets, artists and historians came to live in Tonk and made it a hub of intellectuals and professionals. In addition, the Islamic religious preachers established a culture of Quranic sermons and teachings in the town.
The APRI, established as an independent Directorate of the Rajasthan Government in 1978, boasts of a rare collection of historiography, orientology and Islamic studies and has over 8,000 hand-written volumes. Researchers from India and abroad have been visiting the institute to study manuscripts belonging to the medieval period. Besides, prominent people, such as the Vice-Presidents, Governors and Union Ministers, have visited the institute and seen its rich collection.
In the treasure trove of historical books, the main attractions include a 17th-century copy of the Holy Quran in bold Naksh calligraphy, autographed by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, Hamail Shareef (commentary on the Holy Quran) of 11th century and Unwan-ul-Sharaf of 19th century, comprising five subjects with a single running text. The APRI also has the world’s largest copy of the Holy Quran, prepared in Tonk in 2014.
Most of the rare books and manuscripts in the institute are those shifted from the Saeedia Library of the erstwhile Tonk princely state after 1961 when it was established as the district office of the Rajasthan Oriental Research Institute. The books were collected by Mohammed Ali Khan, the third Nawab of Tonk, who was deposed by the British and exiled to Varanasi.
The collection of books in the APRI may be ranked equal to those in the famous Raza Library in Uttar Pradesh’s Rampur and Khuda Baksh Oriental Library in Patna. The copies of famous books of the Mughal era, Shahjahannama and Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri, are also in its collection. In addition, the institute has about one lakh judgements of Tonk’s Adalat Sharah Shareef (canonical courts), which have been published in several volumes. Besides, there are documents related to Rajasthan’s political and cultural history with special reference to the Tonk state.
The project for the conservation and digitisation of these books and manuscripts was launched four years ago, but it slowed down during the covid pandemic. It picked up pace after the pandemic when the task was assigned to the Patna-based Heritage Consortium in view of the expertise required to deal with the fragility of papers and ink used in the books. A 20-member team was engaged in testing the material of books and their treatment with the appropriate chemical elements.
The local youths were also given a fortnight-long training to join the conservation work with the de-acidification of papers, consolidation of ink, flattening of folios and stitching and binding of books. As a result, the team working at the institute completed the preservation of 80,000 folios after a sluggish pace during the pandemic. In the tedious work, the experts could conserve only 10% of the APRI’s collection, but they also preserved the threads and glue used in the books for research in future.
The digitisation project in the institute adopted the meta data format prescribed by the National Mission for Manuscripts and the National Archives of India. The digitisation was carried out by the APRI staff with the state-of-the-art scanners, while the State Government-owned Rajcomp Info Services Limited was also involved in the exercise.
All of these activities have reached a standstill with the recent change of guards at the institute. Syed Sadiq Ali, the new Director of APRI, who took over on February 22, said the State Government’s Art & Culture Department had appointed a Curator to review the conservation and digitisation work and decide on its continuation. The move followed the appointment of a committee on the project in December 2022, when the Director’s post was vacant.
Even as the art and culture experts have expressed concern over the conservation project having been halted, the APRI is organising a series of events, seminars and festivals to promote the Khattati (calligraphy) art and Chaar Bayt (four stanzas) performances. Ali, a retired Associate Professor in Urdu Department at the Government Post-Graduate College, Tonk, has evinced interest in holding the events regularly.
A five-day calligraphy art festival, organised from March 15 to 19, witnessed the participation of a large number of experts and different days were devoted to Chaart Bayt, Mushaira, Ghazal rendition and Qawwali singing. Similarly, a three-day seminar on Insaniyat Ka Paigham (message of humanity) was organised between March 15 and 17 with the participation of 40 experts from across the country. These events elicited a huge response and witnessed the enthusiastic participation of students, researchers and the public.
Ali pointed out that the international researchers also regularly visited the institute since he took over as the Director. They included a research team from France and individual researchers on Islamic manuscripts from Jordan and Iran. Ali said the classes in Arabic and Persian languages, which were stopped earlier, would be restarted, an extension lecture series would be organised during the Rajasthan Mahotsav in March-end, and all the vacancies in the APRI would be filled up shortly.
Former Vice-President Mohammed hamid Ansari at APRI, Tonk
The institute also plans to establish a museum on its premises to display rare manuscripts and artefacts in different sections. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot announced the construction of a Publication and Museum Block in the APRI while replying to the debate on the Finance and Appropriation Bill in the State Assembly on March 17.
Former Vice-President Mohammed Hamid Ansari during his visit to APRI, Tonk.
source: http://www.indiatomorrow.net / India Tomorrow / Home> Education / by India Tomorrow Correspondent / March 27th, 2023
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