Mir Shakeel Ur Rahman and Amal Ahmed have broken records and achieved several personal ambitions during their adventures. (Supplied)
The couple set out on their first discovery ride after the coronavirus pandemic, traveling around Saudi Arabia
Later, Ahmed became the first Saudi woman to ride across the Himalayas, the world’s highest mountain range
A Saudi-Indian husband and wife team have been clocking up the miles in a round-the-world odyssey — on motorbikes.
And during their road trips, adventurers Mir Shakeel Ur Rahman and Amal Ahmed have broken records and achieved several personal ambitions.
The couple set out on their first discovery ride after the coronavirus pandemic, traveling around Saudi Arabia to areas including Makkah, Jazan, Abha, Hail, Riyadh, Dammam, and Al-Ahsa, before exploring other countries.
Later, Ahmed became the first Saudi woman to ride across the Himalayas, the world’s highest mountain range. “It was an unbelievable moment, and I will not forget it,” she said.
Her husband said: “This was a great achievement for a Saudi woman during the 92nd national day for Saudi Arabia and I was happy to see her flying the Saudi flag on the top.”
The pair’s shared passion for biking has transformed their lives.
Rahman, originally from the south Indian city of Hyderabad, has been working in the Kingdom for 30 years in the field of navigation air services.
He said: “In India, the first thing you learn is how to ride a motorcycle. Me and my sister used to steal our father’s bike while he was sleeping. So, that was the time when I became obsessed with motorcycling.
“It has been a passion since I was young, and I have been all over the world.”
Soon after moving to Makkah in 1993, he bought his first motorcycle — a Honda 70. “I was happy with my first bike and very pleased to continue my passion here in Saudi Arabia,” he added.
Until meeting Rahman, Ahmed had never considered riding a motorbike.
“As a Saudi woman, I used to travel by plane, car, or train, and never thought I would travel on a motorcycle until I met my husband in Jeddah. He convinced me, despite my fear, that riding was something anyone could enjoy,” she added.
For her birthday last year, Rahman surprised his wife with a new Honda Gold Wing touring bike. The couple — who married five years ago — now have three motorcycles, including a classic Harley-Davidson, and a Kawasaki.
Ahmed said: “We started riding on a two-seater bike around Jeddah with other groups and then took off to several places in the Kingdom. Our first regional trip was to Ras Al-Khaimah in the UAE. It was a great experience.”
The couple regularly post videos online which have gathered quite a following.
“As a long-time rider, I have been everywhere in the world but didn’t document my adventures until my wife created our accounts on various platforms,” Rahman said.
Ahmed added: “I wanted to make it a very important part of our life and we really received positive reactions from our followers. Our goal is to spread happiness and smiles to our followers.”
The biking duo next plan to journey to Kashmir.
source: http://www.arabnews.com / Arab News / Home> Saudi Arabia> Lifestyle / by Saleh Fareed / January 09th, 2024
It is the first detailed account of the Indian city of Amroha in English.
Supplied photo
Inam Abidi, a Dubai resident since 2006, wears two hats with equal passion — one as a cloud consultant by profession, and the other as a writer at heart.
His journey as an author reached its culmination earlier this year with the publication of his first book, Making of a Qasba: The Story of Amroha. This achievement marked the realisation of a long-held dream that had been nurtured since his college days.
The book, painstakingly researched over three years, stands as the first comprehensive historical account of the city of Amroha presented in the English language.
Amroha, Inam’s hometown, is situated in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, renowned for its association with luminaries like Kamal Amrohvi, Jaun Elia, Sadequain, and Jai Krishna Agarwal.
The Qasba of Amroha holds a distinguished status as a prominent Sufi centre, steeped in history and tradition.
Inam said the idea of the book first struck him 2015 when he was researching for an article about Amroha, with the intention of acquainting his children with their ancestral heritage.
“I looked up everywhere, but couldn’t find much in English,” he recalled. “It was then that I recognised the significant gap in English accounts detailing the city’s rich history. This realisation spurred me to delve into the project of writing a book.”
Over the years, Inam made multiple visits to Amroha, which his family had left in the 1970s when they moved to Lucknow. He engaged in meetings with individuals well-acquainted with the city’s heritage, scoured through a multitude of books in various languages including Urdu, Persian, Hindi, and English, and examined numerous YouTube videos.
Along this journey, he encountered a variety of people, from a former senior government official who initially believed he was co-writing the book and subsequently ceased communication when he learned otherwise, to a rickshaw puller who went out of his way to capture images of historical sites within the city and shared them with Inam.
Regarding the most gratifying part of his experience, Inam shared, “I stumbled upon a rare painting of Amroha and became curious about the artist behind it. It turned out he was also a resident of Lucknow. Meeting Jai Krishna Agarwal, a renowned Indian printmaker from Amroha, was a privilege. Despite being in his 80s, he had vivid memories of the city to share with me.”
In the world of historical accounts, Inam knew controversies were common. He stated, “As a researcher, one grapples with conflicting accounts and the biases of the ruling elite. It’s also challenging to assess past events with contemporary knowledge.”
Inam’s perspective on technology and history is insightful. He believes that technology streamlines the present and prepares us for the future, while history teaches us invaluable lessons from the past.
One aspect that tinges Inam’s achievement with sadness is the loss of his father, who passed away a year before the book’s publication. He reflected, “My father would have been elated.”
source: http://www.khaleejtimes.com / Khaleej Times / Home> Lifestyle> Books / by Mazhar Farooqui / October 27th, 2023
Ulfat, who has also authored a travelogue, a poetry collection, and a novel, says it was important for him to preserve rich heritage of language.
The Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) saw the launch of a remarkable book titled ‘Itrdaan,’ offering an intriguing exploration of the history of Urdu literature in the UAE.
Authored by Shadab Ulfat, an Indian expatriate, the 326-page book sheds light on the significant contributions of over 180 UAE-based individuals to the Urdu language, which ranks as the 10th most widely spoken language globally.
‘Itrdaan,’ a term that translates to “fragrance” in English, is structured into three distinct sections. The first section delves into the pivotal role played by individuals from earlier times in shaping Urdu literature in the country. The second section spotlights the present-day contributors to Urdu literature in the region, while the third part introduces the new and promising voices in the UAE’s Urdu literary scene.
Ulfat expressed his inspiration for this work, saying, “I was deeply moved by our elders, who would fondly reminisce about the bygone days of Urdu when we gathered together. Their stories motivated me to embark on a two-year journey to immortalise their memories and invaluable contributions within the pages of this book.” Ulfat, who has also authored a travelogue, a poetry collection, and a novel, said it was important for him to preserve this rich heritage.
The publishing process, including the book launch, was managed by Bazm e Urdu, a Dubai-based organisation dedicated to promoting Urdu language and literature in the country.
Bazm e Urdu has been closely collaborating with the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) and SIBF for several years. They have organised events for schools during the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival (SCRF) and hosted celebrity talk shows and book launches during SIBF. However, this marks the first time they have a stall of their own at the fair.
Rehan Khan, the founder and general secretary of Bazm e Urdu, mentioned that ‘Itrdaan’ can be found at the ‘Gosha-e-Kutub’ Stall at SIBF, where it shares space with 500 other Urdu titles by renowned authors and esteemed publishing houses. The collection caters to readers of all ages, encompassing poetry, prose, biographies, historical fiction, and even Urdu translations or adaptations of the record-breaking Harry Potter series.
Khan stressed that their aim is to rekindle and promote love for the Urdu language, uniting people across all barriers of age, race, and religion. The Sharjah International Book Fair runs at Expo Centre Sharjah until November 11.
source: http://www.khaleejtimes.com / Khaleej Times / Home> UAE / by Mazhar Farooqui / November 06th, 2023
The UAE-Indian business council has been established on the first anniversary of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) deal signed by India and the United Arab Emirates. The formation of the council is aimed at increasing investment and bilateral trade between the two countries.
The UAE India Business Council – UAE Chapter (UIBC-UC) was launched in Dubai by Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade, in the presence of Ambassador of India to the UAE Sunjay Sudhir, Consul General of India in Dubai Dr. Aman Puri and founding members of the UBIC-UC.
(Faizal Kottikollon)
NRI businessman Faizal Kottikollon was appointed as the chairman of the council. Faizal Kottikollon said the main purpose of the council was to build trust.
“In the past, several UAE companies have taken some poor decisions while investing in India because they were not confident to invest large amount of money,” he said. “We will act as a channel partner and a bridge. The basis of any business is trust. When you develop trust, everything becomes easier.” He was quoted as saying by Khaleej Times.
With both countries growing rapidly, Faizal, who is the chairman of KEF Holdings, said this council was the need of the hour. “UAE has become the centre of the world after Covid,” he said. “India has got so much knowledge, but we need a lot of capital. UAE got a significant amount of capital. So, if you can marry these two things, it’s a powerhouse. What this council does is identifying projects in both the countries and bring investment through this channel.”
Faizal confirmed that there are several projects already in the pipeline. “We are very confident that there’ll be three large investments coming into India soon,” he said. “We will announce the details in due course of time, but I can assure you that it is indeed a very exciting time.”
“This is a very significant thing,” said Sunjay Sudhir. “We want to bring together their experience of doing business in both countries so as to further lubricate the investment and business corridor between both countries. They will discuss ideas on how to further generate trade and investment opportunities.”
The founding members of the UIBC-UC from the UAE side are Mubadala, Wizz Financial, DP World, Emaar, Emirates airline and Emirates NBD. From the Indian side, conglomerates such as Tata, Reliance, and Adani are represented, as well as tech innovators like OLA, Zerodha, Udaan, and EaseMyTrip, along with prominent Indian entrepreneur-led corporations based in the UAE such as KEF Holdings, Buimerc Corporation, Apparel Group, EFS and Lulu Financial.
Siddharth Balachandran, executive chairman and CEO of Buimerc Corporation Ltd said the UIBC-UC will further strengthen the growth of India-UAE relationship. “To channelise the various investments, we need channels like these,” he said. “It will add a layer of credibility and give investors a channel to verify investment opportunities.”
Rizwan Soomar, CEO & MD (India Subcontinent) at DP World, will serve as the Co-Chairman of UIBC-UC. Major General (Retd.) Sharafuddin Sharaf, who serves as the Chairman of the UIBC India Chapter, will also hold the position of Vice Chairman of UIBC-UC.
The council will have its office in Abu Dhabi and will be a pan-UAE body focusing on promoting trade and investment relations between the UAE and India. Membership to UIBC-UC will be by invitation only, and institutional members will be invited over time.
An India chapter of the business council was established in New Delhi in 2015 by Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and the late Sushma Swaraj, who was then Minister of External Affairs of India, during the 11th Session of the India-UAE Joint Commission Meeting.
source: http://www.english.varthabharati.in / Vartha Bharati / Home> Gulf / by Vartha Bharati / February 18th, 2023
In a groundbreaking move toward sustainable transportation, BEEAH has officially entered into a strategic partnership with Peec Mobility and the Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park (SRTIP).
The collaboration aims to revolutionize local electric vehicle production by repurposing end-of-life petrol vehicles, fostering recycling practices to support a circular economy, and driving research and skill development in the burgeoning field of sustainable mobility.
The partnership agreement, signed at the BEEAH Headquarters, saw the participation of key figures, including Her Excellency Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, President of the American University of Sharjah and Chairperson of SRTIP; Khaled Al Huraimel, Group CEO of BEEAH; Zach Faizal, Founder of Peec Mobility; and HE Hussain Al Mahmoudi, CEO of SRTIP.
Zach Faizal’s brainchild, Peec Mobility, has been at the forefront of innovation since its inception in 2022. The Dubai-based startup specializes in the repurposing of retired petrol vehicles, seamlessly transforming them into electric vehicles with a remarkable 30% cost reduction and an 80% decrease in manufacturing time compared to the production of new electric vehicles.
Faizal, a 24-year-old entrepreneur, envisions Peec Mobility’s technology as a game-changer for the region. He emphasizes that their re-engineering process offers a more cost-effective, quicker, and environmentally friendly transition to electric mobility than investing in entirely new electric vehicles.
“Today, re-engineering is quicker, smoother, and greener than buying new EVs, and proves cost-efficient,” Faizal stated during the announcement. “Peec’s vehicles are aimed to be priced at 30 per cent to 50 per cent lower with the volumes we’re looking at, thus solving the affordability challenge in the sector,” he added.
Peec Mobility’s focus extends beyond individual cars, with ambitious plans to repurpose entire fleets of ICE buses, cars, and trucks on UAE roads. Faizal believes in the efficacy of reusing existing vehicles, stating that “waste is minimized, and a new life cycle begins.”
The partnership seeks to support Sharjah’s transition to sustainable mobility while minimizing the environmental impact of the production and repurposing processes. The overarching goal is to contribute to national and global objectives for zero-waste, circularity, sustainable transport, and decarbonization.
Zach Faizal expressed his commitment to the cause, stating, “Conversion is the most pragmatic route to Net-Zero. Once we succeed with our business strategy here, we will take it to other countries to redefine the used-car market.”
As part of the collaboration, Peec Mobility and its partners plan to unveil the first lineup of repurposed mid-sized sedans and buses at the UN Climate Change Conference, showcasing the innovative technology and commitment to sustainable practices.
With the support of the government, Peec Mobility aims to implement the conversion at scale, creating a replicable model not only for the UAE but potentially for other countries. Faizal proposes a policy to repurpose 5.0% of existing vehicles on the road annually for the next seven years, aligning with the UAE’s Net Zero goal.
As of now, Peec Mobility is on track to introduce at least 500 repurposed EVs on Dubai roads by 2024, offering a tangible solution to the affordability challenge associated with electric vehicles.
Zach Faizal is the son of Faizal Kottikollon and Shabana Faizal, a well-known Indian entrepreneur couple based in the UAE. The couple is not only known for their business endeavors but also for their philanthropic contributions.
Shabana hails from Mangaluru in the Karnataka state of India. She is the only daughter of prominent businessman and socio-religious leader Late B Ahmed Haji Mohiudeen who founded the prestigious BA Group of Businesses in Thumbay near Mangaluru.
source: http://www.english.varthabharati.in / Vartha Bharati / Home> Gulf / by Vartha Bharati / December 13th, 2023
Seafood production has become a globalised industry and many countries have seafood industries that are being buoyed by overseas migrant workers – hard-working people who left their home countries, and often their entire families, to seek their fortunes abroad.
Aslam Pathiri Originally from India, Pathiri is a passionate commercial finfish aquaculturist and researcher with 15 years of aquaculture experience in Asia and the Middle East
The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) estimates that fishing and aquaculture employs over 60 million people globally. The seafood industry of the United States for example, which employs over 200,000 workers and contributes $38.5 billion to its gross domestic product, has a large share of Mexican, Vietnamese and Filipino workers. In 2017, New American Economy revealed that an astounding 62.8 percent of all seafood processing workers in the United States were immigrants. There are few hard figures available for fish farm workers but it is safe to say that immigrants comprise an increasingly large share of the workforce.
Because of their position, overseas migrant workers can more easily face tough conditions, ranging from loneliness and culture shock to language barriers and potentially unfair working conditions. Their respective experiences can range from the lavish heights of success to nightmarish experiences surprisingly close to medieval forced labour, as has been documented by the International Labour Organization (ILO) on some unscrupulous fishing vessels.
However, the great majority of migrant seafood workers live largely normal and productive lives. To celebrate the importance of these unsung heroes – and to highlight the importance of treating all seafood industry workers fairly – The Fish Site talks to two seafood workers who have made good abroad.
Born and raised in India, Aslam Pathiri is a passionate commercial finfish aquaculturist and researcher with 15 years of aquaculture experience in Asia and the Middle East, while Carlo Dequina hails from the Philippines and has been working in the North American seafood industry for over seven years.
Carlo Dequina Growing up in the Philippines Dequina helped his parents sell dried seafood to friends and family – 30 years later he’s now a sales manager for Kvaroy Arctic, a family run salmon farm in Norway
How did you become interested in aquaculture?
Aslam: My passion for aquaculture grew while I was pursuing my master’s degree at Aligarh Muslim University in my home country of India. The abundance of freshwater bodies in our suburbs, coupled with the fact that they were not being efficiently farmed, ignited something of a spark in me. I eventually worked for the Kerala Ministry of Fisheries before flying off to Umm Al Quwain in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to work with Mubarak Fisheries. I then moved on to different projects, including a corporate fish hatchery in Saudi Arabia; freelance consultation in India and the UAE; aquaculture research for a Saudi University; and, most recently, as the group production manager of Oceanpick in Sri Lanka.
Carlo: My interest in the seafood space started very early. My father was a sales manager for a pharmaceutical company in Panay, an island in the Central Philippines. He used to bring home various boxes of dried seafood to Manila, where our family lived. Mom and I would repack his boxes to sell to neighbours, friends, even my schoolteachers. The quality of dried seafood from the Panay region was universally well-known. I immigrated to the United States right after graduating from the Ateneo de Manila University in 2003 with a degree in communications. I started in the aquaculture space as a salmon and fresh seafood buyer, working for International Marine Products (a seafood wholesaler) in Los Angeles and moved to Strand Foods (a seafood importer focused on high quality farmed products such as salmon from Scotland, bream and seabass from Cyprus and barramundi from Arizona). I recently joined the team at Kvaroy Artic, which farms salmon in Norway. I never thought that – 30 years after selling dried seafood with my parents – I’d be selling seafood on a much, much larger scale!
I believe there are countless opportunities – such as sales, farm work, marketing and logistics, as well as scholarships – where overseas workers can thrive and succeed.
What sacrifices might an overseas worker face?
Aslam: “Life begins at the end of our comfort zone”, said Neale Donald Walsh. Overseas workers who work over a quarter of a century abroad often lose the community touch back home and might suffer withdrawal syndromes and find difficulty fitting in. This sometimes leads to the loss of peace and happiness, even the loss of life itself in extreme cases. A good way to survive is to ignore the inadequacies, imperfections and weaknesses of your time served abroad while concentrating on the financial security gained, the level of knowledge produced and shared, the diversity of professional contacts made and the level of education extended to your children back home. In all my previous assignments, I always connected with people who shared my vision and interests, generating good results and creative solutions to challenges. I try to create the most congenial settings within and around me to ensure that my colleagues and I constantly work at ease.
Carlo: I think being away from family, friends and one’s typical way of life are among the biggest sacrifices one has to make in order to succeed in any international endeavour. Still, I believe there are countless opportunities – such as sales, farm work, marketing and logistics, as well as scholarships – where overseas workers can thrive and succeed.
Your homegrown skills will definitely get honed and raised to global standards on a transnational stage.
What advantages can overseas workers offer employers?
Aslam: Aquaculture farms are now integrating various disciplines and multinational capabilities. This kind of mutual empowerment generates better learning insights, cultural growth, collaborative intelligence and socio-economic safety. Having to work with diverse people and cultures can force us to fine-tune our skills, especially for multinational-level decision-making. Your homegrown skills will definitely get honed and raised to global standards on a transnational stage.
Carlo: I think the fact that English is a very dominant language in the Philippines as well as the level and standard of education we have back home contributes to the production of highly-skilled employees, managers and business owners. Filipinos have thrived in almost all industries – particularly because of our adaptability and willingness to learn, fit in and innovate in any space.
Aslam: Over the past 15 years I have been an active consultant and troubleshooter, actively curating teething larviculture and nursing problems of tropical marine finfish. I am currently the general manager for the hatchery and grow-out operations of Oceanpick, Sri Lanka’s maiden sea cage fish farm, farming primarily barramundi. I am proud to say that we pioneered the South Asian initiative of commercial marine aquaculture. Our ocean-grown barramundi tastes second-to-none and is a healthy alternative to both chicken and red meat.
Carlo: I’m currently the Western regional sales manager for Kvaroy Arctic, a family-owned salmon farm based in Norway. Over the past three years, we’ve successfully promoted and built a reputation of consistency and high quality in the salmon space. I think that, in the future, knowledge from innovative companies such as Kvaroy Arctic can be transferred to aquaculture businesses in the Philippines, helping to someday lift our own tropical seafood portfolio to the world.
Aslam Pathiri inspects a shrimp farm in his native India Pathiri’s advice is to realise that it’s not always necessary to leave home, knowing you can “shine your light and serve your society anywhere, whether in distant lands or in your home village”
Any advice for future overseas aquaculture aspirants?
Aslam: I love sayings so allow me to end with one from Susan Young: “Connecting with others gives you a sense of inclusion, connection, interaction, safety and community. Your ‘vibe’ attracts your ‘tribe’ so if you want to attract positive and healthy relationships, be positive!” We should look at our future with clarity and optimism. Be a powerhouse of beliefs and values in everything you say and do. Cultivate a collective sense of purpose. Help influence, motivate and enable your peers while ensuring that knowledge is shared. Lastly, realise that you do not always need to leave home. Shine your light and serve your society anywhere, whether in distant lands or in your home village.
Carlo: “The advantage of working in aquaculture is that there will always, always be a need for seafood as a protein source for the world’s ever-growing population. The caveat to this is finding the right companies and programmes that champion raising seafood the right way so we don’t just look at our bottom line, but the larger picture where our planet’s resources are protected for future generations. To those looking to pursue their passion in aquaculture know that – as long as you stay true to your values and your work ethic – then there are companies that will take notice and provide you with the support to grow as aquaculture industry practitioners.
Ensuring equitable conditions for overseas migrant workers
To ensure that ethical and equitable business practices are adopted, certification standards, such as the Aquacultue Stewardship Council (ASC), are paying more attention to the overall welfare of seafood workers, plus the communities affected by seafood production activities.
Among these is strict adherence to fair wages, the abolition of child labour, elimination of discrimination, eradication of forced labour, freedom of association and the ability to have collective bargaining power without the constant fear of being deported. Farsighted fish farms and seafood processing facilities should read and incorporate these relevant measures.
Globalisation is continuously making the aquaculture field a smaller place through the fluid exchange of species, technologies, best practices and of course, talent. Although not everyone will have the same experiences, Aslam and Carlo are two of the millions of hard-working immigrants who have successfully made waves in farms, laboratories and seafood markets across the seven seas.
source: http://www.thefishsite.com / The Fish Site / Home> Media> Atlantic Salmon> Barramundi / by Jonah Van Beijnen and Gregg Yan / July 03rd, 2023
In your final rest
on a rope-cot,
were you still dreaming
of a piece of bread?
Beloved one,
we the people
of this country,
of that country,
can make anything
but a piece of bread
for you.
--Evening with a Sufi: Selected Poemsby Afsar Mohammad, translated from the Telugu by Afsar Mohammad & Shamala Gallagher, Red River Books, 2022.
These lines send shivers down the spine and recreate an empathetic longing for immigrant souls in search of succour. They also swiftly draw an image laced with poignancy — a loss, a regret, the economics that deny innovative young men their keep and force immigration in search of sustenance. Would the poet have been one of them?
Travelling from a small village in the South Indian state of Telangana, Afsar Mohammad has journeyed across continents and now teaches South Asian Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. Known as a trendsetting poet and literary critic for post-1980s Telugu literature, Afsar has brought out five volumes of poetry, one collection of short stories and two volumes of literary theory essays. He is also a distinguished scholar of Indian studies and has published extensively with various international presses, including Oxford and Cambridge. He is currently working on a translation of Sufi poetry from Telugu to English. In this interview, we trace his growth as a writer and editor of the webzine, Saranga, which now seems to be transcending linguistic barriers to give voice to multiple cultures…
Tell us about your journey as a writer. When and how did it start?
It’s a long story, but to cut it short — the beginnings were somewhat puzzling… Inspired by Shakespearean sonnets, I first wrote some sonnets in English, and then switched to free verse. Since most of my friends in my high school started pushing me to write something in Telugu, I had to migrate to Telugu. Quite surprisingly, I was first published in English, and then it took me a while to get something published in Telugu. I had hard time getting published in Telugu due to its newness in expressions and most editors felt that there was nothing “Telugu” in that kind of writing. So, my early writings quite naturally found their home in some English journals!
Your poetry rings with the pain of distance, the pain and struggle from others’ suffering transcending your own self. What is the source of your inspiration — is it your past or your present?What affects you more — your being an immigrant or a Sufi?
We’re distanced by many things — not just physically! We live in many shattered and scattered worlds, and sometimes we fail to reflect on those worlds. I feel like I’m a constant immigrant — despite my formal citizenship and legal boundaries. Sufism is merely a segment of this expansive realm. Both past and present define our destiny, right?! Of course, I try to live in the present rather than in the past, but never deny the baggage of the past.
Why do you subscribe to the Sufi school of poetry? What is Sufism all about?
I come from an extremely local rural setting where such Sufi mystical practices openly defined my everyday life. It’s not about the technicalities and theories or institutionalised Sufi schools of their philosophies, this is more about what I learned from my childhood, and its physical surroundings dotted by several hybrid shrines. I’ve described this cultural setting in my 2013 Oxford University Press publication, The Festival of Pirs: Popular Islam and Shared Devotion in South India. This version of Sufism has more to do with everyday life rather than a spiritual domain.
You have lived away from your country for long, and yet the past seems to still haunt you. What is the identity you seek as a poet? Is it necessary to have a unique identity or can one be like a drop that flows and moulds as per the needs of the vessel?
In a way — physically– I’m away from my birth place, but in many ways, I’m also closer to my homeland than in my past. When I moved away from the actual picture, I see many dimensions from a new lens. Each dimension contributed to my rethinking and reconsidering the idea of India. As I wander around and meet totally different places and people, I learn more about my birthplace and moved a little closer to it. I totally understand this as a process to reconcile with the past and connect it to a new present intensified by many factors, not just personal. We’re living in a virtual world, which also looks like “real” in its sounds, colours and words. Every moment it makes me realise that I’m actually not that far. On the other hand, I also see the people in my homeland who are far more removed by their immediate reality and everyday experiences. We need to read this conditionality more in terms of perspective rather than physical distance.
You are fluent in Telugu, Urdu and English. You started writing in English and then moved to Telugu. And all your poetry collections have been in Telugu. Why? Would the outreach of English not have been wider? What made you pick Telugu over English?
Great question! My literary graph is neither linear nor simplistic. When I look back and reflect on it, it’s a quite messy roadmap — actually, there’s nothing like a map to get its contours. Yes, I started writing in English and then suddenly stopped sending out the poems to magazines. In fact, I write more in my personal journals rather than in print journals. Theoretically, I saw poetry as a personal diary for my experiences for many years. Due to financial concerns within my family, I had to start working very early on and left most of my journals at home. Then, my friends found them by chance and put them together that became my first collection of poems in Telugu. The collection was an instant success for its innovative style and then that opened up my career in Telugu rather than English which was my first language of literary expression.
You are now bringing out a bi-lingual online magazine, Saranga? What made you think of a magazine in two languages?
Before entering into teaching career, I worked as an editor of the literary supplement and Sunday magazine for a largest circulated Telugu newspaper. When we moved to the USA, I thought it would be better to have some outlet to engage with my home language and literature. In the early phase, Saranga was primarily a Telugu webmagazine. When I started teaching South Asian literature, then I realised the importance of making Indian literary texts available to contemporary generation in the USA. That was just one reason, but there’re were many factors as our team saw a rise in the Indian diaspora writings in the new millennium. Luckily, we got wonderful support from writers and poets in various Indian languages. The humble beginnings have actually ended up as a rewarding experience.
What is it you look for in contributors from two languages? Is it the same guidelines or different?
We’re still learning how this works! As it appears now, these two sections require two different approaches and guidelines. Since the English section has been now attracting writers from various languages, it’s moving more towards a multi-lingual base. We’re trying to accommodate more translations into English from different Indian languages. We still need to do lots of work there.
Is the journal only aimed at South Asian diaspora or would you be extending your services to all cultures and all geographies?
Saranga, as we see it right now, is more about South Asia and its diaspora. As you know, we need more such spaces for South Asia and its diaspora. Not sure about its future directions at this point, however, if the situation demands, we will extend its services further.
You have number of essays and academic books in English. But all your creative writing is in Telugu. Why? Would you be thinking of writing in English too because proficiency in the language is obviously not an issue?
Most of my academic writing came out of my teaching experience. As I started teaching new courses, I then realised that we need more material from South Asia. I started focusing on producing such materials primarily for my courses and then gradually, they became useful for many academicians elsewhere too. I still believe creating writing as a more personal space — that enables me to articulate more about myself. However, the publication of Evening with a Sufi, brought a new change — as I’ve been getting more requests for more writing in English for the last two years. As you know pretty well, I’m an extremely slow writer.
How do you perceive language as a tool for a poet?
I see language working many ways since I dwell in multiple languages. I started my elementary education in Urdu, and my middle school was in Telugu, and the subsequent studies were in English. Through the last day of her life, my mother was extremely particular about me learning Arabic and Farsi. So, I believe that helped me so much to understand how language works in a poem. When I published my first poem in Telugu, the immediate critique was it was a not a “Telugu” poem. Telugu literary critics labelled me as a poet who thinks either in Urdu or English, then writes in Telugu. Of course, most of them were also fascinated by the new syntax of my Telugu poems and the new images and metaphors—that totally deviate from a normative or mainstream Telugu poem of those days. The uses of language in a poem varies for each poet. If you’re reading, writing and thinking in just “one” language, that might be a safe condition. A contemporary or modern poet, however, belongs to many languages and cultures. We also migrate from one language to another in our everyday life.
Do borders of nationalism, mother tongue and geographies divide or connect in your opinion? Do these impact your writing?
The response to this question might be an extension to the above conditionality of a person. Anyway, I’m not a big fan of those ideas of nationalism, mother tongue and singular geographies. They don’t exist in my world. Most of my writings both creative and academic contest such boundaries and borders. To describe this in a single term- borderless. In fact, I believe we’re all borderless, but unfortunately, many boundaries and borders are now being imposed on our personalities.
(The online interview has been conducted by emails by Mitali Chakravarty)
On Thursday, the Secretary-General at a press conference announced the creation of a new Artificial Intelligence Advisory Body on risks, opportunities and international governance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) . That body will support the international community’s efforts to govern artificial intelligence.
Among the members of AI Advisory Body, two are from India — Sharad Sharma (iSPIRT) and Nazneen Rajani (Hugging Face).
Sharad Sharma is a co-founder of iSPIRT, a non-profit think tank that wants India to be a product nation. He was the CEO of Yahoo India R&D and dubbed as the architect of Indian software products ecosystem.
About Nazneen Rajani, she is a Research Lead at Hugging Face, which is building an open-source alternative to ChatGPT called H4, a powerful LLM, “aligning language models to be helpful, honest, harmless, and huggy”.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday launched this 39-member advisory body of tech company executives, government officials and academics from countries spanning 6 continents.
The panel aims to issue preliminary recommendations on AI governance by the end of the year and finalize them before the U.N. Summit of the Future next September.
The full members list are as below:
Anna Abramova, Director of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations-University AI Centre, Russian Federation
Omar Sultan al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence of the United Arab Emirates, United Arab Emirates
Latifa al-Abdulkarim, Member of the Shura Council (Saudi Parliament), Assistant Professor of Computer Science at King Saud University, Saudi Arabia
Estela Aranha, Special Advisor to the Minister for Justice and Public Security, Federal Government of Brazil, Brazil
Carme Artigas, Secretary of State for Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence of Spain, Spain
Ran Balicer, Chief Innovation Officer and Deputy Director General at Clalit Health Services Israel, Israel
Paolo Benanti, Third Order Regular Franciscan, Lecturer at the Pontifical Gregorian University, Italy
Abeba Birhane, Senior Advisor in AI Accountability at Mozilla Foundation, Ethiopia
Ian Bremmer, President and Founder of Eurasia Group, United States
Anna Christmann, Aerospace Coordinator of the German Federal Government, Germany
Natasha Crampton, Chief Responsible AI Officer at Microsoft, New Zealand
Nighat Dad, Executive Director of the Digital Rights Foundation Pakistan, Pakistan
Vilas Dhar, President of the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, United States
Virginia Dignum, Professor of Responsible Artificial Intelligence at Umeå University, Portugal/Netherlands
Arisa Ema, Associate Professor at the University of Tokyo, Japan
Mohamed Farahat, Legal Consultant and Vice-Chair of MAG of North Africa IGF, Egypt
Amandeep Singh Gill, Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology
Dame Wendy Hall, Regius Professor of Computer Science at the University of Southampton, United Kingdom
Rahaf Harfoush, Digital Anthropologist, France
Hiroaki Kitano, Chief Technology Officer of Sony Group Corporation, Japan
Haksoo Ko, Chair of Republic of Korea’s Personal Information Protection Commission, Republic of Korea
Andreas Krause, Professor at ETH Zurich, Switzerland
James Manyika, Senior Vice-President of Google-Alphabet, President for Research, Technology and Society, Zimbabwe
Maria Vanina Martinez Posse, Ramon and Cajal Fellow at the Artificial Research Institute, Argentina
Seydina Moussa Ndiaye, Lecturer at Cheikh Hamidou Kane Digital University, Senegal
Mira Murati, Chief Technology Officer of OpenAI, Albania
Petri Myllymaki, Full Professor at the Department of Computer Science of University of Helsinki, Finland
Alondra Nelson, Harold F. Linder Professor at the Institute for Advanced Study, United States
Nazneen Rajani, Lead Researcher at Hugging Face, India
Craig Ramlal, Head of the Control Systems Group at the University of The West Indies at St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago
He Ruimin, Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer and Deputy Chief Digital Technology Officer, Government of Singapore, Singapore
Emma Ruttkamp-Bloem, Professor at the University of Pretoria, South Africa
Sharad Sharma, Co-founder iSPIRT Foundation, India
Marietje Schaake, International Policy Director at Stanford University Cyber Policy Center, Netherlands
Jaan Tallinn, Co-founder of the Cambridge Centre for the Study of Existential Risk, Estonia
Philip Thigo, Adviser at the Government of Kenya, Kenya
Jimena Sofia Viveros Alvarez, Chief of Staff and Head Legal Advisor to Justice Loretta Ortiz at the Mexican Supreme Court, Mexico
Yi Zeng, Professor and Director of Brain-inspired Cognitive AI Lab, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
Zhang Linghan, Professor at the Institute of Data Law, China University of Political Science and Law, China
“The transformative potential of AI for good is difficult even to grasp,” Guterres said. He pointed to possible uses including predicting crises, improving public health and education, and tackling the climate crisis.
However, the UN Secretary-General cautioned, “It is already clear that the malicious use of AI could undermine trust in institutions, weaken social cohesion and threaten democracy itself.”
source: http://www.indianweb2.com / Indian Web2 / Home> AI Governance / by Indian Web2 / October 27th, 2023
Mumbai based Hamid Farooqui , is a serial entrepreneur who is the CEO of a fast growing SaaS (Software as a Service) company called SoGoSurvey that he co-founded in 2012. SoGoSurvey offers powerful, user-friendly, and affordable online survey software. SoGoSurvey is changing how feedback is collected in a secure, collaborative setting, and moving forward the process of understanding the feedback gathered from customers, employees, and other stakeholders.
Hamid started his tech career as a geeky programmer during the dot com boom and has expertise in all its related technologies, from Software as a Service (SaaS), cloud computing and mobile applications. He was an early member of the technology team that designed, built, and launched Oracle’s e-Travel’s corporate travel tool using C++ and the then brand-new WAP.
In recognition of his strong performance and technology management skills, Hamid rose through successive promotions to serve as the division’s Director of Engineering. After e-Travel was acquired by Amadeus, Hamid led the integration of two complex technology platforms in both the U.S. and Europe.
Hamid is co-founder, CTO of K12Insight, which offers cloud-based solutions to enhance communication between educators and community members. K12Insight’s tools are helping school leaders build stronger relationships among parents, teachers, students, and staff. He also co-founded India’s most successful consumer review site mouthshut.com, considered a pioneer of the Internet revolution in India.
Hamid is a frequent speaker at technology conferences and startup events. Among his favorite topics are the startup scene in emerging markets and the future of autonomous cars.
Besides technology, Hamid is very actively involved in philanthropic work. He and his family runs and funds a school for poor children in a remote part of India, where more than 500 children study for free.
Hamid earned an engineering degree from Bombay University in India and a Master’s degree in Computer Science from State University of New York, Binghamton.
Mr. Farooqui believes that Indian organizations just like their global counterparts need a strong survey tool in order to understand the pulse of their audience. Companies have to ensure that they know their customers so they can rectify or retain the quality of services or products. Also, for retention of employees, companies must conduct Employee Satisfaction Survey that helps in creating a suitable work environment that meets and exceeds their expectations.
About SogoSurvey:
When it came to online survey software, users have had two difficult options:
the affordable, low-end, low-power solution, and
the more powerful solution that breaks the bank
This world has just been disrupted: you can now have really powerful, highly user-friendly online survey software at a super-low cost. And it comes with training and support that existing customers are raving about. We’re changing not just how you collect feedback in a secure, collaborative setting, but also how you fundamentally view feedback from customers, employees and other stakeholders. Our solution is easy for the beginner and powerful for the expert.
SoGoSurvey is a software company which provides one of the best enterprise feedback system/ survey tool as SaaS model. SoGoSurvey was founded by Hamid Farooqui and Suhail Farooqui in beta/stealth mode in 2012. The company came out in its full existence in the year 2013. It is a USA based company with the offices in India and UAE. Target market for SoGoSurvey is all small, medium and large businesses who need to conduct different types of surveys such as Employee satisfaction Survey, Customer Satisfaction Survey, Employee Engagement Survey and others.
Marketing Strategy of SogoSurvey is to have an awesome product and website which is appealing to the user. They also offer a free version of our tool so that users who want to use the tool for basic purpose can also access the same. The freemium model gives the access to a great amount of people who turn into loyal users eventually.
source: http://www.muslimmirror.com / Muslim Mirror / Home> Indian Muslim> Positive Story> Sci-Tech> Youth / by Muslim Mirror Special Correspondent / January 04th, 2019
Mohammad Naushad, a retired man from Bengaluru had plans to travel the world after completing his tenure in the steel industry. He landed as a tourist in Samarkand a year ago and his quest for his morning masala tea and paratha prompted him to settle here and open the only Indian restaurant in the second-largest city of Uzbekistan.
Called “The Indian Kitchen”, the restaurant came as a respite to Indian students who are studying medicine here and used to miss Indian food. The locals here also fancy the wide-ranging menu from lip dosas to chicken biryani.
“I had no plans to work post-retirement and had no experience of working at a restaurant let alone running one. When I came here as a tourist, I headed out to have my usual breakfast of masala tea and paratha.
“I have travelled to so many countries and have always found some or the other place where Indian food is available. I was surprised to find out that there is not a single eatery or restaurant which serves Indian meals,” 61-year-old Naushad told PTI.
“A week more and the vibrant culture and simplicity of people here, prompted me to give it a shot and now Samarkand is my permanent home,” he added.
According to Naushad, the restaurant receives around 350-400 visitors per day and there are catering orders for weddings and events where having Indian cuisine as an option is a hit here.
His day starts with going to the “bazaar” with his staff to buy groceries as he prefers everything to be cooked afresh at the restaurant.
“There are over 3,000 Indian students in Samarkand and they tell me often that they used to miss Indian meals. The shahi paneer and naan and the rotis used to be a rare sight here. I expected the Indians to love the restaurant but the response I have received from Uzbeks is phenomenal,” he said.
Behind the lip-smacking dishes available at the restaurant is Ashok Kalidasa, a chef who hails from Madras. He earlier used to live in Uzbekistan’s Tashkent and is now settled in Samarkand.
“We enquire from each customer about the kind of spices they like us to use, whether they want it less spicy or tangy because Uzbek food is very different. The effort to customise the popular Indian dishes to their taste is what attracts the local crowd here. Indian students come here because they get their home food and the meals are not expensive,” he said.
Kalidasa says the most popular dishes at the restaurant are “masala dosa” and “chicken biryani” which is much different from the Uzbek “Pilaf”.
Asked about her favourite pick at the restaurant, Zarina, an Uzbek woman, said “I love masala chai”.
While right now the Indian Kitchen offers meals at the restaurant, Naushad has expansion plans.
“We are also thinking of starting a tiffin service for Indian students. Also, we get a lot of tourists. So I am contemplating opening similar setups in Bukhara and Khiva which are popular tourist destinations in Uzbekistan but do not have any Indian restaurants,” he said.
According to the Uzbekistan Embassy in New Delhi, the Indian diaspora in Uzbekistan has more than 5,000 people. In pre-Covid year 2019, over 28,000 Indian tourists visited Uzbekistan. However, the number has crossed over 30,000 this year so far.
source: http://www.english.varthabharati.in / Vartha Bharati / Home> World / November 19th, 2023
