Justice Beevi was the first Muslim woman to be appointed to the higher judiciary in the country and the first woman to be elevated to the Supreme Court of an Asian country.
The first woman to be a judge of the Supreme Court of India, Justice M Fathima Beevi, was on Thursday posthumously awarded the Padma Bhushan.
Justice Beevi received India’s third-highest civilian award in the field of Public Affairs.
The former Supreme Court judge passed away aged 96 in November last year. Justice Beevi was the first Muslim woman to be appointed to the higher judiciary in the country.
She was born in Kerala in 1927 and her father encouraged her to study law. In 1950, she topped the Bar Council exam becoming the first woman to receive a Bar Council gold medal.
She started her career as an advocate in Kerala and worked her way up to become a district and sessions judge in 1974. In 1980, she joined the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal and was appointed as a High Court judge in 1983.
She made history in 1989 by becoming the first woman appointed to the Supreme Court.
As a Supreme Court judge, she became the first Muslim woman in the higher judiciary and the first woman to become a Supreme Court judge in Asia.
After retiring in 1993, she had served as a member of the National Human Rights Commission and then as Governor of Tamil Nadu.
She had resigned from the post of Governor of Tamil Nadu after rejecting the mercy petitions filed by four condemned prisoners in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.
Naseem Bano: Naseem Bano was awarded the state award in the year 1985.She was also felicitated by the then President R Venkataraman in 1988 for his work, he said.
pix: proiqra.com
Naseem Bano: Uttar Pradesh’s chikankari artisan Naseem Bano has been honored with the Padma Award by the government. “I got a call from Delhi last night informing me that I have been awarded the Padma Shri award. Me and my entire family are very happy with this achievement. We thank the government and our God for this award.”
Naseem Bano, a resident of Thakurganj area in the state capital, started chikankari at a very young age. She is known for popularising fine chickan embroidery in the Awadh region of the state. Bano said that she learned the art of chikankari from her father Hajan Mirza.
What did Bano say? “Whatever I am today is because of the support of my family and the education I gave to me through my father. She has tried to keep the tradition of fine chikankari alive and has also made it her goal to spread this tradition to young artisans. “I have trained more than 5,000 chikankari artisans in the art. I hope they will protect this tradition and carry it forward.”
Bano was awarded the state award in the year 1985. She was also felicitated by the then President R Venkataraman in 1988 for her work, he said. Bano said she has been invited to showcase her art in different cities of the country and in nine countries including the US, Germany, Canada and Oman.
source: http://www.zeenews.india.com / Zee News / Home> Zee Salaam / by Taushif Alam / pix edited – source: proiqra.com / June 26th, 2024
Madrasapalli (Jambuni, Bolpur) Birbhum District, WEST BENGAL:
Kolkata :
Takdira Begum of Bengal is to be honored with the Padma Shri this year. Seven people, in various fields, from West Bengal figure in the list of Padma awardees for 2024. Out of the seven, three have been conferred the Padma Bhushan and the remaining four the Padma Shri.
Takdira, a resident of Madrasapalli in Jambuni, Bolpur, has been doing kantha stitch for nearly 30 years. She learned sewing while studying at school. Sewing is now her livelihood and hobby. In Takdira’s words, “I can’t sit still. Love to work. I am overwhelmed with what the Center is rewarding me.”
Her family comprises her husband and three daughters. All the family members are involved in Kantha stitch industry. The women of the area are inspired by her artistic embroidery. Takdira taught this work to other women in addition to her own art practice. In 1996, she received the National Award for Promotion and Development of Kantha stitch industry. In 2009, she received Shilpaguru Sammanna. Now she will receive this honor from President Draupadi Murmu.
Takdira said, “The Central Ministry of Cottage Industries called to inform me that my name is in the list of Padma Shri recipients. I am very happy to hear.”
Takdira also said, “I will tell all those who are backward in the society, to be self-reliant.”
source: http://www.radiancenews.com / Radiance News / Home> Awards> Latest News / by Radiance News Bureau (headline edited) / January 26th, 2024
A class 11 student from India hopes to bring a new level of awareness to the Syrian Civil War with her debut novel, ‘When the Sky Wrote Back’. The book has been published by Delhi-based Bluerose Publishers and is 341 pages long.
The author, Mariyam Imbisat, is a 16-year-old student at Azaan International School in the Indian city of Hyderabad. The teenage writer created the character of Noor Ahmar, a young female journalism student from Egypt who travels to Syria undercover to report for a news organisation. The novel depicts the horrors of war, including bombardment, starvation, and fear, as well as the character’s range of emotions.
The Syrian Civil War is an ongoing conflict that started in the Middle Eastern state in March 2011. The United Nations Human Rights Office estimated in 2022 that 306,887 civilians – 1.5% of the total pre-war population – were killed between March 2011 and March 2021 due to the conflict. Since then, the number of dead has just gone up.
In addition to the bloodshed, more than half of Syria’s pre-war population of 22 million have had to flee their homes.
Imbisat says she chose the character of a journalist because she believes in the power of journalism. “The journalists have the power to express the voice of voiceless people, especially in times of conflicts,” Imbisat told Two Circles.
According to Imbisat, the late Al Jazeera correspondent Shireen Abu Aklah inspired the choice of a young Muslim woman journalist as the main character. Aklah was slain in 2022, allegedly by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF).
Imbisat states that through Ahmar’s journey, she hopes to spread “the message of humanity” to people all across the world. The novel raises awareness of human rights violations and killings through the character’s accounts, as well as advocates for change.
“The story was made for Syria but it has a lesson for the whole world,” she said.
Imbisat began writing the novel four years ago, when she was just twelve years old, as a diary in which she documented Ahmar’s daily life.
“It was difficult to write about something so sensitive like the Syrian war. I used to spend hours reading about conflicts in the world. I was imagining all the scenes in my head,” she added.
Imbisat says she had unwavering support from her parents while she was writing the novel and her mother who is a school teacher helped her regularly with the novel and even helped finding a publisher. The book took more than a month to be edited and published.
The novel concludes with the killing of the young journalist, as Imbisat writes, ‘the young journalist was silent but was not blind’, and all of Ahmar’s recordings and images were released to the world days after her death.
The novel is available online and priced at INR 340.
Tauseef Ahmad is an independent reporter based in Kashmir, India.
source: http://www.twocircles.net / TwoCircles.net / Home> Indian Muslim / by Tauseef Ahmed / January 23rd, 2024
The Union government on Thursday announced 5 Padma Vibhushan, 17 Padma Bhushan and 110 Padma Shri recipients.
Former BJP chief and Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu, Sulabh International founder Bindeshwar Pathak (posthumous), Telugu actor-turned-Congress politician Chiranjeevi, yesteryear Bollywood actress Vyjayantimala Bali and Bharat Natyam exponent Padma Subrahmanyam have been selected for the Padma Vibhushan this year.
Padma Bhushan awardees include M Fathima Beevi (posthumous), who was the first woman Supreme Court Judge, former Bollywood actor Mithun Chakraborty, singer Usha Uthup, industrialist Sitaram Jindal, Foxconn CEO Young Liu, former BJP Union Ministers Ram Naik, Satyabrata Mookherjee (posthumous) and C P Thakur, veteran BJP leader from Kerala Olanchery Rajagopal, Tamil actor-turned-politician Vijaykanth of the DMDK (posthumous), and Mumbai Samachar publisher Hormusji N Cama.
Ayesha Fatima will be the first Muslim woman police officer of IPS cadre for Telangana state.
Hyderabad:
The Centre has allocated additional 10 IPS officers to Telangana state. This development came following an appeal made by chief minister Revanth Reddy to Union Home Minister Amit Shah during their maiden meeting in New Delhi earlier this month.
Ayesha Fatima is among the new IPS officials for Telangana. Ayesha is the 2022-batch Muslim woman from Madhya Pradesh who secured 184th rank in the UPSC examination.
Ayesha pursued her education at Vindhyachal School in Dewas, which falls in the Malwa region of the state, until 11th grade. She completed 12th grade at Model Public School. Her father, Naziruddin Sheikh, is a government teacher, and her mother serves as a school director.
Ayesha, the second daughter in her family, excelled in competitive exams like JEE, becoming an electrical engineer after graduating from SGSITS college, Indore in 2015.
Despite her engineering accomplishments, Ayesha felt the urge to contribute to society and embarked on her UPSC journey in 2019. After facing initial setbacks, she finally achieved long-awaited success.
Ayesha Fatima will be the first Muslim woman police official of IPS cadre for the state.
Notably, Telangana CM told Amit Shah only 76 IPS officers were allotted to Telangana during the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. The CM had requested the Home Minister to sanction 29 additional IPS posts to the state in view of creation of new districts and for supervision of various departments.
source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> News> Telangana / by Irfan Mohammed / January 17th, 2024
Hokkodgoli (Arambodi Village, Belthangady Taluk) Mangaluru, KARNATAKA:
Mangaluru:
In a remarkable tale of perseverance and determination, Mubeena Banu, a Muslim woman from Hokkodigoli in Arambodi village, Belthangady taluk, has secured a government post after a 13-year-long legal battle.
Mubeena Banu, the tenth child of Muhammad H, a beedi contractor, and D. Zainaba, pursued her education in her village from 1st standard to 2nd PUC. She later completed her graduation from a private college in Moodbidri and earned her post-graduation (MA) from Mangalore University, Konaje. In 2008, with the aim of fulfilling her parents’ dream, she applied for the post of Supervisor in the Women and Child Welfare Department.
Despite her qualifications, she faced a setback when she was not selected for the post in 2010. Undeterred, Mubeena Banu investigated the reason for her exclusion and discovered a discrepancy in her marks. Her BA degree marks were recorded incorrectly as 71.79% instead of the actual 75.36%. Despite facing resistance from senior officers, Mubeena persisted in her efforts, seeking support from former MLAs Vasant Bangera and Ramanatha Rai.
Having relocated from Mittabailu to Melkar and working as a lecturer in a private educational institution, Mubeena approached Speaker UT Khader for assistance in her final attempt. She filed a complaint with the Lokayukta and approached the Karnataka Administrative Tribunal (KAT). Through persistent efforts, KAT ruled in favor of Mubeena Banu.
On January 10, 2024, the Women and Child Welfare Department issued an appointment order to Mubeena Banu for the position of Supervisor at the Office of Child Development Project Officer, Bantwal Taluk. Mubeena, who initially applied from Arambodi village, is now in Sajipa Muda village of Bantwal taluk with her husband, marking the culmination of her arduous journey.
Reflecting on her journey, Mubeena expressed gratitude to her late father, a social worker who emphasized education, and her mother for their unwavering support. She acknowledged the financial assistance from her parents and husband Ismail Khader during her numerous trips to Bangalore Vidhana Soudha and departmental offices. Mubeena also highlighted the crucial support from Lokayukta officer Amanullah, Speaker UT Khader, and his close assistant Libzat.
In her own words, Mubeena Banu said, “UT Khader always supported my persistence and struggled to get that government post, which I missed due to the mistake on the part of the officials. Maybe it can be said that after he intervened, the path of my struggle became easier.”
source: http://www.english.varthabharati.in / Vartha Bharati / Home> Karavali / by Vartha Bharati / January 22nd, 2024
Kshetri Awang Leikai(Porompat sub-division of Imphal East District), MANIPUR:
Fatima Begum, a pioneer of women’s football in Manipur, started playing football since her childhood days. She started playing football in a small playground in Kshetrigao among boys. They used to stuff torn footballs with clothes and sometimes even stole nobab (pomelo) and played with it.
From State to International Level
When the women football tournament first started in Manipur, she joined the Eastern Sporting Union. She belonged to the first batch of women football players. Back in her days, the government did not spend much money in promoting sports and games in Manipur. She says that generous people like Yambung Nimai who were interested in football helped her buy boots and football. They even provided money for her diet as she could not afford it. She became part of the Manipur team around 1974-75 and also captained the team for three years. After playing at the national level, she was called to Kolkata for a camp. She says, “Amusana, late Chawui, late Bijyalakhsmi and I were called there and that was how we joined the Indian team.”
At international level, she also played against the England team in Manipur. The match happened in Polo ground. It was a friendly match to raise some funds. She also played against the Nepal team in Kathmandu. Remembering her visit to Kathmandu, she says, “It was the first time I had gone to a foreign country. Earlier we had opportunities but given that we did not have money, I could not go. We always have seven-eight players from Manipur in the Indian team. In our time also, there would be five-six players.”
According to Salam Irene’s book, The Muslims of Manipur, “Fatima Begum of Kshetri Awang Leikai was a member of the India eleven team that played at Bhirt Nagar, Nepal in 1975. She captained the Manipur team that played against the UK football team at Imphal. Fatima was the first Muslim player of the North-east in this discipline.”
Paving Ways for Many
She laughed telling us that she failed the matriculation exam five times. Fatima recollects, “My family’s economic situation was not good. Playing football was very tiring. So, it was hard for me to study. I was not good in studies. Finally, I did clear the matric exam. I did not study much. I did not take much interest in it. Football was always on my mind. I liked sports.” She told us that she also played other sports such as handball, softball and other track sports at national level. According to her, there were not many good women athletes at that time. “I was good at those things,” she says, “so, I got selected.” Having said that, she feels that the situation of women in sports has improved considerably compared to those days.
During those days, she says that she was the only pangal woman in the football team. After her, there were one or two pangal women who joined the team. She says, “Now, there are many good players. The one from Khutheibam, I do not remember her name. We call her Thoibi. She played in Eastern Sporting Union. There is another one called Bukshera. Kashmina is also another one. She is famous now. She lives in mainland India.”
Regarding the support she got from her family and community, she tells us, “My family was alright with me playing sports. The community was reluctant at that time. In the villages, there was purdah system. They did not like the clothes we were wearing while playing. So, they were a little unhappy. But I continued playing football anyway.” When asked about the situation of pangal women in sports these days, she says, “These days, things are much better. Now, we think that we should participate in sports. It is not about looking down at my community. We should also preserve our religion but at the same time, we should also be participating in these things.” Nowadays, she says, there are lots of pangal women in sports such as Judo, Taekwondo and racing.
Experiences and Memories
Regarding her experiences while she was playing football, she says that “at times, we suffered because we had to travel without any reservation on the train in crowded compartments. There would be no place to stand even. On the other hand, there were also times when the whole compartment would be reserved for us. We would sing and play music and enjoy ourselves.” The most pleasant of the memories she says was her visit to Goa. She says, “They are good people. They welcomed us nicely. They played nicely and took care if we got injured. They have discipline.” Regarding her unpleasant experiences she had during her career, she says, “The most unpleasant experience I had was in Kolkata, Bengal. They did not care about us. They would kick on our knees, they would attack our calves. They wanted us to fall down and get injured. They would attack our good players like that.” Furthemore, she says, “Bengalis are a little cunning. They controlled the selection process for the Indian team. So, they selected mostly their people. They are not good people. Goa and Maharashtra are a little better. Manipur and Bengal will always confront in the finals at the national level. They are hard to deal with.”
When we asked her about the goals she scored, remembering her friend Amusana, she said, “When I was in Eastern Sporting Union, Amusana was a stopper. I was the striker. Her long kick was beautiful. I can run really fast. People say that the horse is running. She would start the ball. I would give the ball back to her and she would immediately do a long kick. There was an understanding between us. The moment I passed the ball to her I would run really fast. And, she would pass it to me. That is how we scored easily. At that time, there were no good women players. I teamed up with her, that was why I could do that. She could do that because I was there. Given that we have two-three good players, we managed that. But it became boring if we scored a lot of goals. If we scored around twelve-thirteen goals, then it became boring.” When asked about the match when she scored the most goals, she says, “I think it was in Pondicherry. I scored seven goals. I was becoming famous that time. I could not score much against Goa and Bengal because they had better players.”
Post-Retirement Days
After she joined the state’s sports department, it became her responsibility to take the teams for matches as a coach.
At times, she would take a friend from another sports department as a manager if others did not agree to go with her. “If the people who work with me on football did not want to go,” she says, “I would take someone from other sports.”
Post her retirement from playing, she has been actively participating in improving sports facilities and helping those interested in football, especially women. She used to support the club KIYC in her locality monetarily. She is also supporting some women players in the locality. She proudly tells us one of the players she supported is playing in KRYPHSA, Naoremthong. She has also sent some Muslim women in Chaoba’s team. Chaoba is her junior, who is now the assistant coach of the Indian team. There are some women also from her locality in Eastern Sporting Union. Fatima is grooming them.
source: http://www.weretrospect.com / We Retrospect / Home> History / by We Retrospect / January 25th, 2021
“The utmost service to the religion during these times is to educate our youth and upcoming generations with contemporary subjects while keeping their faith firmly established and their self-confidence high; so that, they excel in religion, are adorned with education, have appreciation of hard work and therefore are able to navigate and take confident decisions in their life.” ~Hazrat Maulana Mohammad Sayyid Wali Rahmani Sb.
Getting medical education and becoming a doctor to serve humanity is the dream of millions in the country. However every year only a few thousand fortunate students are able to realize their dream. Paying exorbitant fees of private medical colleges is not possible for everyone and seats are limited in government medical colleges. So the majority of students ended up losing hope in the absence of affordable resources and start considering other alternatives.
Admission in any government medical college is becoming tougher with every passing year with an increasing number of aspirants and limited medical seats. Its competitive exam (NEET) is one of the toughest exams in the country. It requires rigorous preparation.
In such a situation, Rahmani30 founder Hazrat Maulana Md Wali Rahmani Sahab started this program for meritorious students with a vision of providing free education for all and even sponsoring other expenses for those who can’t afford. Alhumdulillah, the vision of Hz. Ml. Md. Wali Rahmani sb ra has transformed into an educational movement, instilling hope & motivation in people who have remained deprived of such opportunities.
It is worth noting that 19 students (boys & girls) had participated in NEET-UG 2023 from Manipur state, in which all the students qualified NEET-UG 2023, while 11 students scored 500+ marks and got Government MBBS seats in Manipur viz. RIMS, JNIMS, CMC and SAHS which is a huge success. Also 7 students scored more than 400+ marks and got 2 BDS Government seats. Of course, this achievement is the guarantee of bright academic future of Rahmani30 students.
Parents, guardians and well-wishers of Rahmani30
RAHMANI30 – MERIT LIST OF NEET-UG 2023 OBC MEITEI-PANGAL
Sl. No. / State Rank / Roll Number / Name of candidate /Sex / Category NEET Score MBBS Seat @ NEET / Rank
We Manipur state (NE Region) are really fortunate to be part Rahmani Program of Excellence, RAHMANI30 UNIQUE Educational Movement.
For us, it is our proud moment for whole Ummah RAHMANI30 has done so much for entire community in the field of EDUCATION.
Marhoom Hazrat Maulana Mohammad Sayyid Wali Rahmani Sb left behind some pleasant memories as dedicated his life in the efforts for uplifting the community as a scholar, as an educationalist, and with ‘never say die’ spirit.
So far, RAHMANI30 has produced 10000+ students in Engineering (IIT), Medical (NEET), Commerce (CA/CS), Law (CLAT), Defence (NDA), and Institutes of National Importance (INI) and tremendous noble cause initiatives.
The Rahmani Program of Excellence (Rahmani30), along with its mentor organization, The Rahmani Foundation, is effectively turning the educational desperation of the minority community into hope and confidence, making its learning process more effective with each passing year.
On this Family Gathering Occasion here at Manipur Creative School, Sermon Road, 5th Avenue, Dewlahland, Imphal East, Manipur 795001 on Sunday, the 10th September 2023, the parents, guardians and well-wishers of Rahmani30, congratulating and felicitating the successful students by Manipur State Coordinator Md Raees Ahamed Tampak, said in his speech that surely all the success and achievement are the results of hard work of team, students, and the prayers of all the stakeholders. So far, RAHMANI30 Manipur State produced 23 MBBS and 2 BDS Seats.
Md Raees Ahamed Tampak, Coordinator, Rahmani Program of Excellence, RAHMANI30, Manipur State said that this achievement is definitely achieved due to the tireless efforts of Mr. Fahad Rahmani (CEO Rahmani30), Ma’am Rafatur Rahmani (Team Lead, Maharashtra Girls program) and former DGP of Bihar, Janab. Abhyanand Sahab, by his efficient Academic leadership and guidance as well as the tireless hard work of the faculty, management and other staff. This has been possible only through identification of the target and recognition of the goal and mutual cooperation by the students and their parents.
“The Best way to predict your Future is to create it.” ~Abraham Lincoln
Parents, guardians and well-wishers of Rahmani30
Md Raees Ahamed Tampak / State Coordinator – Manipur State Rahmani Program of Excellence / (RPE – RAHMANI30)
Author Nuzhat Khan weaves a story of love and loss against the backdrop of Uttarakhand’s forest fire catastrophe in her latest novel.
Author Nuzhat Khan | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Author Nuzhat Khan is among the growing tribe of writers confronting the world’s most pressing issue — climate emergency and the unfolding weather catastrophe — through a genre of fiction set in natural ecosystems. In her latest novel Whistling Woods (Petals Publishers), she highlights the impact of forest fire on people’s livelihood in Uttarakhand along with the story of two strangers — Akshay and Kaveri — who embark on a journey of self-discovery to the hills.
Nuzhat says the book is her way of doing her bit for Nature and the environment. “Growing up in Almora hill station amidst the snow-capped Himalayan ranges of Uttarakhand, I was blown away by the stunning landscape. This is the case with anyone who belongs to the hills. It pained me to watch forest fires ravage the serene hills.” She decided to act by writing a light-hearted story around the issue to reach out to more people. “I thought presenting plain facts and figures would be drab on topics like, what’s fuelling forest fires that continue to scorch hectares of green cover? I have tried to propose a solution, although it may not be the perfect one,” she says.
Her style of storytelling, both evocative and driven by research, helps readers get a grip of the issue while enjoying the budding romance between the lead characters. “I have attempted to capture a mix of human emotions, complexity of relationships, and the innocence of love. The setting helped me run parallels between urban and rural lives. For people in villages, even access to clean drinking water can be challenging ” explains Nuzhat adding that the book has been in the making for five years which also involved several trips to institutes like Avani Bio-Energy plant in Pithoragarh, the Naula Foundation, an NGO that creates awareness on the problems of dying aquifiers (naulas) in the hills of Uttarakhand.
“My interactions with the locals and forest department officials was an eye-opener. They are constantly working to mitigate the problem. Organisations like the Himalayan Institute For Environment, Ecology & Development have developed fire reporting apps that can alert people on forest fires across various locations.”
She points out that the ashram described in the book that works towards empowering girl children was inspired by the Lakshmi Ashram run by a couple in Uttarakhand. “Some of the characters are not entirely fictional,” she hints.
The book also touches upon excessive tourism in the hills. “Several unplanned constructions in the form of resorts have come up usurping the forest cover and triggering landslides. The region is also prone to earthquakes.” She wants people to sit up and take note of Uttarakhand. “Everyone wants to live in the hills. I want to tell them it is beautiful, but everyday life can be challenging.”
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Books / by K Jeshi / December 26th, 2023
