Two girls have made Kashmir proud by not only memorizing Holy Quran but excelling in academics as well.
Baserah Mehraj, who memorized Holy Quran from Darul Bayan in old Srinagar, cracked NEET 2023 with flying colours.
“We need to balance between academics and religious education. If we maintain balance, we can achieve our goal,” she said.
Baserah enrolled in Darul Bayan at a very young age. She completed memorizing Holy Quran when she was in Class 10 in 2019. Later, she started preparing for NEET which she cracked early this month. “When the result was declared, there were tears of joy in my eyes. It is a proud moment,” she said.
She devised a timetable in such a way that there was perfect harmony between her religious studies as well as her academics. “There was no specific strategy. After attending tuition classes, you have to revise everything otherwise you tend to forget things. A clear concept is very important. Plus NCERT is the core of NEET. So one needs to read NCERT books for clarifying concepts,” she said.
The family’s joy knew no bounds after Baserah cracked NEET. “We are overwhelmed with pride and happiness. Baserah’s dedication has been exemplary. It is a testament to the power of balance and the potential it unlocks,” said Mehraj Ahmad, Baserah’s father.
A kilometer away from her residence, another girl earned a rare honour by memorizing Holy Quran as well as passing the matriculation exam with flying colours in a span of three months.
Afeefa Khan of Shaheen Public School, Ganderpora, Safakadal, scored 486 marks in the matriculation exam for which the result was declared today.
“I completed memorizing Holy Quran on January 27. Later, I fully prepared for my class 10 exam which was held in March. I had devised a timetable in such a way that I could do justice with my Quranic education as well as my studies,” she said.
Coming from a humble family of Noorbagh, Afeefa started memorizing Holy Quran when she was only 14. “It took me two years to memorize Quran. I took classes at Darul Bayan and by the grace of Allah completed Hafez Quran in two years,” she said.
Afeefa was inspired by young girls who were enrolled in the Darsagah for Quranic studies. “I saw small girls memorizing Quran. It motivated me to the extent that I also decided to memorize Quran. My parents were fully supportive. In fact, they told me that you should not worry if you get fewer marks. But I worked hard on both. I was studying during the day and learning Quran in the morning and evening,” she said.
Afeefa wants to become a doctor. She has already started preparations for NEET. “I want to serve society. My aim in life has been to become a doctor. I will now work hard to crack NEET,” she said.
source: http://www.indiatomorrow.net / India Tomorrow / Home> Education / by A Correspondent / June 20th, 2023
Nida Ansari, is a Delhi based development practitioner and consultant with over 12 years of experience in working with national and international non-profit foundations, grassroots organisations and funding agencies in the field of youth centric development, organisational development, agency and ending violence, community development and social entrepreneurship. She describes herself as a community campaigner, and an ‘Arctivist’ with a decade of experience of designing, facilitating and leading large scale national programs and campaigns.
She is also the co-founder of Mazdoor Kitchen, and has been closely involved with many grassroots initiatives, public campaigns associated with food security, public health, education and rights-based movements with workers, farmers, women and marginalised communities.
Q. How did the idea of the Kitchen come to be?
ND: Mazdoor Kitchen is a citizen run voluntary initiative, working to provide meals and subsistence to daily wage workers in North Delhi. Run by a dedicated team of volunteers comprising professors, students, artists and people from the community itself, it has been providing meals and ration kits to hundreds of people across north Delhi, ever since the beginning of the lockdown since May 2020.
In March, my parents – Delhi University professor Nandita Narain and her husband Rashid Ansari, a martial arts instructor and performing arts practitioner-director, joined a collective of teachers in North Delhi to start ‘Mazdoor Dhaba’ (workers’ café). It had 3 community kitchens running under its banner in North Delhi, from the garage of the Principal’s house in St. Stephens College. I remember my mother, Nandita saying , “I’d heard from many of my colleagues that this isn’t something we, at the age of 60+ years, should be doing. But we felt that even if there is risk involved, we want to take that risk; after all, when there are wars, people who volunteer, go to the frontiers to support wounded and war-affected people. And if they can do that, then the risk is surely not greater for us.”
By July, the lockdown in Delhi had ended and many in the group felt the need to shift operations away from cooking to other relief work. But my parents decided to venture out independently and started ‘Mazdoor Kitchen’ (a citizen-run voluntary workers’ kitchen) in Jawahar Nagar, Malka Ganj- as they felt there was still a need to support people with food and rations. I recalled what my father said to me in 2020 – when hoards of migrant workers walked back to their homes, on feet – “how can I be comfortable sitting in the confines of my home, eating a hot meal, when there are people on the road who have to travel thousands of kilometres just to be safe and alive?’,”
Q. In what capacity are you associated with MK? Pls describe the team and their responsibilities.
ND: I have been associated with MK right from the beginning supporting my parents, raising funds, running the crowdfunding campaigns and building collaborations with many grassroots groups, CSRs, partners, voluntary groups.
Q. What are the pros and cons of running an independent, voluntary citizen run initiative?
ND: The 500 meals, ration kits and monthly rations that we’re able to support people with, is the pros. These meals are distributed to individuals and marginalised communities, who do not have the socio-economic means to feed themselves. Cooked meals are given in North Delhi across- Nigambodh Ghat – Monastery market road, behind geeta mandir, north delhi. These areas have a growing population of displaced vulnerable people, living on the streets – homeless, beggars, daily wage workers, migrants, rickshaw drivers, rag pickers etc. For some of these folks, the cooked meal packet that they get from Mazdoor kitchen, is their only source of food in the day.
For many migrant families, these cooked meals allow them to save some of their meagre daily earnings, which they can then put to use for other purposes of everyday living like medicines, rations , education of their children and deal with inflation. We have also been able to generate livelihood, medical and education support through direct reliefs/ cash transfers to different families, individuals from marginalised socio-economic communities. We’ve also been able to support disaster responses to support groups during floods, and extreme hunger through kits, ration, blankets, clothes, medicines and other relief material across the country.
We’ve been able to demonstrate how a community owned – and run kitchen can benefit countless people and bring people together. But there have been a host of challenges – running a community kitchen is not easy! From being a small team, to managing with small budgets and the constant challenge of raising more funds, persuading people to donate – in face of the widespread belief that ‘since the pandemic is now over, people in the community are alright. ‘ This is a complete mismatch with reality, because poverty, unemployment, rising expenses and cost of basic living all remain a stark reality and crisis for those on the margins.
The country has been witnessing unending cycles of migration and now, reverse migration of workers who found no support in the cities and now, find no sources of income in the villages too. Most who have lost employment as industries stand devastated by the economic repercussions of the virus and the safety concerns brought about by physical proximity, will not see opportunities open up for months to come. The need to continue the work of the kitchen remains urgent. Several beneficiaries of the initiative have no other source of income or subsistence.
Q. Apart from cooking daily meals, what are the other issues MK deals with?
ND: While the initiative was born in the middle of the pandemic, as a response to the urgent need of the hour, over the last few years it has developed deeper relationships with the local communities it serves in slum colonies of Kingsway Camp, Pul Bangash, Bahadurgarh Road, Azad Market, Roop Nagar, and Patel Chest, Nigambodh Ghat. Many working-class people and migrants who had travelled back to the cities hunting for jobs depend on that one meal a day that the kitchen provides. In the heightened phases of Covid till 2021 they fed up to 800+ people daily in different communities and supplied dry ration kits, blankets, and gas cylinders, even relief material and clothes in the areas. Currently the kitchen runs daily and feeds people with up to 500 meals in a day, and supports 20-70 families with ration kits in a month.
Through a sustained effort, the initiative has also developed a keen relationship with members of the community. We also give monthly ration kits to families, medical relief and gas subsidies, Aside from food and ration, we’ve has also started a ‘livelihoods initiative’ , under which local community members (women) have been making and distributing thousands of masks and other small vendors like balloon sellers and food carts have been able to restart their businesses with small funds, Our relief efforts have included helping those struck by natural disasters with material or monetary support, supporting students from underprivileged communities pay their college fees, rickshaw pullers procure a new rickshaw if needed and medical fees.
Q. Would you like to share an incident that personally left a deep impact on you?
ND: In 2020-21, a migrant worker, who received daily meals from MK, from bada hindu rao- Bulla, a daily wage labourer from Bihar, had an accident and his spine was dislocated. He was admitted into Safdarjung hospital and had an operation on his spine. Bulla was living alone in Delhi, in shanties on the streets, and after hearing about his accident his family had just come to Delhi. His time in the hospital was dismal and scary to say the least, as none of the family members were literate and struggled to engage with a chaotic hospital system. Our team, including my parents, visited the hospital- and talked to the floor doc, name of the unit head etc. Bulla has had one surgery, doesn’t require another, but was paralysed from the waist down, with physiotherapy after the stitches are opened, might regain mobility in maybe six months, maybe longer, maybe never! Our team, along with the help of good folks like Ankit Jhamb of Aao Khilayein, were able to facilitate Bulla’s discharge from the hospital to a rented accommodation that we managed to procure and furnish in time for him to get there, including a much-needed air mattress.We tried to provide all the necessary things required for day to day living, and what is needed for his medical care too. We have engaged a day nurse, Raj Rani, to come and do his dressing etc. every alternate day. His recovery is going to be long, arduous and difficult. We and more importantly, Bulla and his family, needed all the help that they could get. While initial surgery costs have been taken off by the hospital, we knew that supporting a family who has no source of income ( as bulla was the main bread earner), rented accommodation for 6 months, food, medical expenses, nurse for day care, physiotherapy- will cost anything from 2.5-3 lacs in total. We were able to raise the funds to pay off Rajrani who was a compounder in a hospital and would go and do his physiotherapy every day. But eventually the trauma from his accidents were too grave – and he passed away. For me – this was a mirror image of the shattered socio-economic structure of our society – it felt futile and overwhelming, just how deep this structural inequality goes. I had the same feeling in 2022 when I started hearing about more and more migrant suicides. It made me more resolute to keep trying to do whatever bit we can, no matter how small the impact.
Q. Have you come across issues of caste purity and untouchability with respect to the menu?
ND: While distributing food we have by and large not come across caste purity and untouchability with respect to our food. All the 400+ people we feed, love our meals, they wait for us graciously. In the middle when we were shut for a week, while shifting to a new place – when we went back the 1st day so many of them came howling to us – ‘ where were you? had you forgotten about us ? ‘ Many people distribute food near nigambodh ghat, but often it is baasa, waste food. My father had told me, “The other day I had people take 2-3 meals from me; they sat on the pavement and ate those meals, telling me how hungry they were. We give the food packets to them in their hands and we ask them to take care. We give them as many meals as they ask for, as long as we have it. We try to ensure that everyone who’s standing in the line gets food. I don’t differentiate between a rag picker or a drunkard or someone who’s dressed well. I don’t question anyone; I just give them food.”
Q. Do you see MK as a long term venture especially when the State is refusing to perform its basic duties of providing food and shelter?
ND: While it is constantly challenging to raise enough funds to sustain the kitchen – we are always trying. In a country like ours, if communities were to go an extra mile, support their own local vulnerable populations just around their homes – the 80% of this country on the margins would not be as vulnerable as they are right now. Why can;t we have a community owned, run, funded and employed community kitchen in every mohalla ? Despite everything, we are trying to continue this initiative as long as we can. My father says, “This might be just a drop in the ocean, but it is a regular consistent drop,”. My mother said to me once – ” ” There was this idea amongst friends that this sort of work doesn’t really bring about any social transformation. You are just doing charity. You are just filling in where the government should be doing it. But I don’t even see it as charity. I see myself as a beneficiary of this inequality. The fact that I have got a public funded education, there is a debt of gratitude. There is a debt. On my soul, or psyche or whatever you call it. And that is a debt that I cannot repay in one lifetime. ”
Q. Anything else you’d like to share?
ND: I would like to thank the supporters and funders of this initiative and would appeal to more people for funding. Because of them MK has been running for almost 3 years, supporting people from marginalised communities with cooked food, ration and financial assistance. I have never been prouder of our small team of 10 community members which keeps the kitchen going. With 1 in 4 suicides in India being of a migrant worker, the need for food, rations and financial assistance for marginalised communities is still very dire.
We are currently running out of funds and may only be able to sustain till the end of the year. To keep the kitchen running till 2025 and beyond, we need support to raise funds.
Capt Sami Ara, the first Muslim woman pilot of Kashmir to have a commercial pilot license (CPL), wants Kashmiri youth to aim higher.
Photo: Twitter/ @capt_samiara
Speaking at the conclusion of a two-day career counseling conclave for girl students at the mini-secretariat here, Ara, who hails from north Kashmir’s Bandipora district, said, “Hailing from a far-flung place like Sumbal, if I can fly a plane, students here are capable of achieving better heights.”
Also known as Sami Surury, Ara said, “The students studying in government schools are as capable as those studying in private schools but they need to aim higher and remain firm till they actualise their dreams.”
Urging parents to repose trust in their children, she said, “They should not restrict their children and stop them from actualising their dreams or else their confidence will be shattered.”
Talking of her own struggles, Ara said: “Since my childhood, I wanted to do something different, something good and something big. I wanted to qualify IAS or IPS but become a pilot by chance.”
Ara received her early education from a government school in her village.
She started her career by issuing air tickets at Srinagar Airport and later become a cabin crew.
Ara received her CPL after training for three months in the southern US state of Texas in 1994 and finally started flying as a co-pilot in 2004.
Expressing her love for her hometown, she said, “I love Bandipora, I keep returning here, and will continue to do so in future to talk to and to inspire more students till the time I see scores of Sami Aras coming out of this place.”
source: http://www.greaterkashmir.com / Greater Kashmir / Home> Editor’s Pick / by Owais Farooqi (headline edited) / November 06th, 2020
Six students from MS achieved scores above 600 marks in this year’s NEET examination.
MS felicitates successful NEET candidates
Hyderabad:
The MS Education Academy has organized a felicitation ceremony to honour the successful candidates of the NEET 2023 batch.
Mohammed Lateef Khan, addressing the ceremony, expressed his delight and announced that this year, approximately 169 candidates are expected to secure free seats in MBBS. He emphasized the academy’s mission and vision for 2036, aiming to produce 10,000 doctors dedicated to serving the country and the Muslim community. These doctors will be committed to providing exceptional healthcare and making the well-being of the people their primary goal.
Khan expressed his gratitude to Allah Almighty and proudly stated that 1,763 students from the MS Education Academy have been admitted to MBBS programs. Many of them have also pursued MD degrees and are currently serving both within the country and abroad. He extended his heartfelt congratulations to the NEET-qualified students and their parents, emphasizing that these students are valuable assets to the community. He expressed his hope that their service to the people would contribute to a better world for themselves and their parents.
It is worth noting that six students from MS achieved scores above 600 marks in this year’s NEET examination. Hafiz Abdul Rahim Shukoor secured the top position with 670/720 marks, followed by Syed Abdul Basith Rehan with 665/720 marks in the second position. Shabana secured the third position with 650/720 marks, and Muhammad Abdul Malik, son of Muhammad Abdul Hameed, obtained the fourth position in MS with 647/720 marks. Amara Fatima bint Mohammad Rahman brought great honor to MS, her family, and the country by scoring 624/720 marks. Notably, Amara Fatima is the granddaughter of Mohammad Osman Ali, the younger brother of State Home Minister Mohammad Mahmood Ali.
At the beginning of the event, Mohammad Ghousuddin, the Director of MS Education Academy, warmly welcomed the students and eloquently described the educational journey of MS. He proudly mentioned that the academy, which started with just two rooms in 1991, has now expanded to 106 educational institutions nationwide. These institutions collectively accommodate more than 30,000 students and employ over 3,000 teachers.
Mohammed Lateef Khan assured the community that MS students would strive to become achievers with perfect scores of 720/720 in the future.
During the felicitation ceremony, Mr. Mohammad Anwar Ahmed and Dr. Muhammad Moazzam Hussain, Trustees of MS Education Academy, provided insightful guidance to the students. Mufti Shakeel, the imam and khateeb of the Spanish Mosque (Masjid Iqbal-ud-Daula) in Begumpet, received special recognition during the event. It is worth mentioning that his fourth daughter achieved impressive marks in NEET, joining her siblings in the prestigious accomplishment of securing free MBBS seats through MS Education Academy.
source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> News> Hyderabad / by Zahed Farooqui / June 15th, 2023
Over 600 students from West Bengal’s Al-Ameen Mission, spanning across 70 branches, achieved remarkable success by excelling in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) 2023.
This year’s topper from Al-Ameen is Ariful Haque, who achieved a score of 682 out of 720 in the NEET examination. He secured a rank of 1339 at the All India level.
Among the girls, Suhana Sultwa emerged as the topper, securing a score of 675 out of 720 in the examination. She obtained a rank of 2260 at the All India level.
A total of 494 boys, accounting for 79% of the qualified candidates, and 132 girls, making up 21% of the qualified candidates, have successfully passed the examination this year.
As per Al-Ameen’s data, out of the successful candidates, 27% (167 students) belong to poor and below-poverty line (BPL) families, 35% (218 students) come from the lower-middle-income group, and 38% (241 students) are from the middle and upper-middle-income group.
In the previous year, more than 500 students from Al-Ameen Coaching Academy successfully cleared the NEET examination and secured admissions into different medical colleges.
Al-Ameen Mission, established by M. Nurul Islam, is a renowned organization based in Howrah, West Bengal. It has an impressive track record of producing more than 3500 doctors (MBBS & BDS) and 3000 engineers, along with numerous researchers, administrative officers, teachers, and professors.
Operating across 20 districts in West Bengal, Al-Ameen Mission runs 70 coaching institutes. It provides education to approximately 17,000 residential students and employs a dedicated team of over 3000 teachers and non-teaching staff. The primary campus of Al-Ameen Mission is located in the Howrah district of West Bengal, specifically at Khalatpur (Udaynarayanpur).
source: http://www.muslimmirror.com / Muslim Mirror / Home> Education> Indian Muslim> Positive Story / by Muslim Mirror Staff / June 18th, 2023
Ayesha had started preparing for the UPSC in her 12th grade, when a professor spotted her as a potential candidate. He made a case for it to her and her parents and convinced them.
Mumbai: Anjuman-I-Islam President, Dr Zahir I. Kazi felicitates Sayyed M. Hussain (Alumni – A.I’s Allana Jr. College of Science & Commerce, CST) All India ranking 570 and Kazi Ayesha Ibrahim, All India ranking 586, for successfully qualifying UPSC Exam 2023, at Anjuman-I-Islam’s Ahmed Zakaria Hall, CST, in Mumbai on Friday, 26 May 2023. (Photo by Bhushan Koyande)
Mumbai:
Two success stories coming out of the UPSC exams this year, Kazi Ayesha Ibrahim (rank 586) and Sayyed M Hussain (rank 570) have broken through the stereotypes and have emerged as a hope and inspiration for their community.
Ayesha had started preparing for the UPSC in her 12th grade, when a professor spotted her as a potential candidate. He made a case for it to her and her parents and convinced them.
Then came the years-long struggle, starting in 2017. “It takes a lot of hard work, there’s no doubt about that. But it is possible to study for 15 to 16 hours a day. I’ve done it,” said Ayesha.
Despite being a Muslim woman and stereotyped at every turn, she stuck to her books, using the disadvantages her way to study more and get better.
“My parents have always emphasised gaining knowledge. And there is no better match for gaining knowledge than the UPSC, with the diverse subjects we have to learn,” she said.
“What happens to girls is that many of them have a lack of exposure. All my sources of information were only from books,” said Ayesha.
Ayesha also lost the support of her institute after the prelims due to a change in administration, leaving her to study alone in the confines of her home, without any outside guidance.
She will be attempting the UPSC exam again, hoping to get a rank fit to get her into the Indian Foreign Services (IFS). In the meantime, she will accept the post she is offered.
After the results were released on Tuesday, Ayesha was felicitated for the achievement along with Hussain at an event organised by the Anjuman-I-Islami, of which Hussain is a former student.
Hussain, too, has a long history of struggle that ended in his scoring the 570th rank. He got through the prelims exam four times, only to fail in the main exam. He was fifth time lucky.
“It was very difficult at first. I repeated my mistakes,” he said. “Then I started teaching others for the exam, making some money so I could support myself and my family. That helped me.”
The son of a dock worker, who earns ₹18,000 a month, he said, “I’ve seen my dad struggle in the hot sun for 18 hours a day, so I found my situation easy.”
The journey was a lot more emotionally fraught for him than financial, dissuading him with every failure. But he persevered. “I am satisfied with my results, but now that I’ve gotten so much love from so many people, I wish I’d studied a little more.”
Hussain recounts a story of a call he received from a fellow resident of his area, Dongri, resounding with hope that he too could pass the exams after a few failures. His success has inspired the community.
source: http://www.hindustantimes.com / Hindustan Tims / Home> Cities> Mumbai News / by HT Correspondent / May 27th, 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
Sadaat Bano Kitchlew with a foreigner (Courtesy Heritage Times)
Qudsia Bano once remarked that in a family led by a towering personality, the other members will always remain dwarfs. She failed to add that if the other family member is a woman, her stature will diminish further.
This is so true about many women including Saadat Bano, who was the wife of the well-known freedom fighter Saifuddin Kitchlew. It was against his arrest that the people were protesting at Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar when Dyer fired upon them, killing 379 and injuring more than 1200 people. Not many would remember Saddat Bano since our patriarchal society teaches us “Saadat was married to Saifuddin” and not that “Saifuddin was the husband of Saadat”.
Seldom do we find any mention of Saadat Bano in our history textbooks as an independent woman or for her work.
Should Saadat be only remembered as the wife of a great man? Especially when she was a published writer and women’s rights activist even before she married Kitchlew. She was an excellent orator on social and political issues.
Born in 1893 in Amritsar, Saadat was home-tutored in Urdu, Persian, and English. At a very young age, she started writing in leading magazines of the early 20th century like Deccan Review, Tehzeeb e Niswaan, and Khatoon. With a series of articles by the title of Hurriyat e Niswaan (Freedom of Women) published in Tehzeeb e Niswaan at 16, she became one of the leading women thinkers in India. Her writings were not limited to women’s issues; she wrote about the educational reforms of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, the politics of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, fashion, etc.
Years before marrying the Cambridge-educated Saifuddin Kitchlew in 1915, she also had a name as a poet. She composed poems on nationalism and humanism. One of the couplets from a poem, “Pyare watan ke naam pe jaaun nisaar main, Ujde chaman mai dekhun Ilahi bahaar main” (I wish to sacrifice my life for my country and bring back its lost glory), bears testimony to her emotions.
After her marriage at the age of 22, she became more active in public life. Saifuddin was a prominent leader. After her marriage to a leading nationalist leader, Sadaar could write without fear. When Lala Lajpat Rai returned to Punjab after a long exile, Saadat welcomed him with an emotional poem. She wrote, “even when thousands are oblivious of the national duty, Lajpat has kept the honour of the nation”.
In 1919, Saifuddin was jailed for agitating against the Rowlatt Act. People organised a public meeting at Jallianwala Bagh to register a protest against it. What happened at Jalianwalla Bagh is history, but not many know that Saadat was supposed to be there addressing the protesters. People had gathered to listen to Saadar but she could not reach the venue in time.When Saifuddin was in jail, Saadat addressed meetings, met political leaders, attended Congress sessions, wrote in newspapers, and participated in All India Women Conference activities. She was a good orator.
Saadat along with Saifuddin was one of the most severe critics of Jinnah’s demand for Pakistan. When most of the Muslims from Amritsar fled to Pakistan the couple left Delhi. After India gained freedom, Sadaat remained active with Women’s organisations and Peace Conference till her last day – 18 August 1970.
source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Stories / by Saquib Salim / May 21st, 2023
Princess Gulbadan was born in 1523, exactly 500 years ago. From a young age, she was a precocious child – very intelligent and curious about the incidents that were happening around her. The book narrates her life within the zenana.
The lifestyle of people who lived 500 years ago, especially those belonging to the Mughal dynasty, has been vividly brought to life in the pages of a book written by British author Rumer Godden. The title of the book is Gulbadan, Portrait of a Princess at the Mughal Court. The story is essentially a biography of Princess Gulbadan, youngest daughter of Babur, founder of the Mughal Empire in India.
The author consulted a variety of sources to gain information to write this fascinating book. Among her sources was a translation of the Humayunnama into English by Annette Beveridge, a well known Oriental scholar who also translated the Baburnama.
Rumer Godden, who authored the biography of Gulbadan lived in India and grew up with her sisters in Narayanganj (now in Bangladesh) where her father, a shipping company executive, was posted. Later Godden lived in Calcutta (now Kolkata) and in Kashmir for several years.
According to the biography, Princess Gulbadan was born in 1523, exactly 500 years ago. From a young age, she was a precocious child – very intelligent and curious about the incidents that were happening around her. The book narrates her life within the zenana.
When she was a small girl, her father Zahiruddin Mohammad Babur was ruling in Kabul. The Mughal dynasty had not been established in India. As a child she used to play with her brothers and sisters. Her brothers included Humayun, Kamran, Askari and Hindal, and she had three sisters.
The toys that the children possessed included small statues of horsemen, archers, farmers and others made of wood, painted in gay colours. With these they conducted imaginary battles. Another popular activity was to fly kites. From the highest ramparts of her father’s fort, it was a great pleasure to fly kites. Buffeted by strong winds, the kites would soar high in the sky and be made to dance under the skillful control of the children.
Babur was a very active ruler and would often be away from his fort for days and months. If he was not fighting battles, he would go on hunting trips. Little Gulbadan would miss her Baba very much. She was proud that her father was an important man and respected by everyone. From the topmost ramparts she would sometimes see rising clouds of dust far away in the fields. This sight would excite her. For it meant that horsemen were approaching. Perhaps her father was returning. Or at least a messenger from her father was coming bearing a letter.
This peaceful and happy life of childhood ended when Babur passed away. By then the family base was in India. There followed a period of hardship for the family because Humayun was not the strong and decisive leader that Babur had been.
The worst happened when Sher Shah overthrew Humayun. In one of the battles between Sher Shah’s troops and the Mughal contingent (which also included women and children of the royal family), the latter were forced back to a river from where they could not retreat any further. In a wild battle many innocent lives were lost including that of six year old Princess Aquiqa, the only daughter of Humayun.
She fell into the river and her body was never found. It was a sad day for the entire family and they were all grief stricken.
Many years later when Gulbadan was an adult, her nephew Emperor Akbar instructed her to write a biography of her father Babur and brother Humayun. By this time she wielded great influence in the imperial household and was much loved both by Akbar and his mother. Her biography of Humayun later became a famous work of literature.
She was an educated, pious, and cultured woman. She was fond of reading and she enjoyed the confidences of her brother, Humayun, and nephew, Akbar. A copy of the manuscript of her handwritten biography is kept at the British Library in London. Rumer Godden has written about the life of the Princess in a simple style which is delightful and informative.
source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> Featured News / by Abhijit Sen Gupta / May 29th, 2023
Syed Ubaidur Rahman is an author based in New Delhi who seems to have completely dedicated his life for preserving Indian Muslim history. In the last five years he has authored at least five books, three of which have been highly acclaimed. Among these are ‘Forgotten Muslim Empires of South India: Bahmani Empire, Madurai, Bijapur, Ahmadnagar, Golconda and Mysore Sultanates’, ‘Ulema’s Role in India’s Freedom Movement’, and ‘Biographical Encyclopaedia of Indian Muslim Freedom Fighters’. His objective is to systematically preserve Indian Muslim history. In this interview, we discuss his work and the obstacles he has encountered. Following is an excerpt from his interview.
MM: Why you are trying to preserve Indian Muslim history?
SUR-This is a bitter truth that as a community Muslims are good in forgetting their heroes. If I ask you to name a couple of heroes here from south India, there may not be many people who would be able to name more than a couple of names. And certainly not about the Bahmanis or the Adil Shahis or Nizam Shahis. This is a tragedy of Himalayan proportions and we are paying the price for our ignorance when our own history is being threatened with completely being erased not by other people or other organizations or the government, but by ourselves.
Books on Indian Muslims history penned by Syed Ubaidur Rahman
MM: Muslim history was usually written in Urdu language. Why did you find the need to write in English
SUR: That assumption might not be true. Books have been written on the history of South India, including Bahmani Empire, Adil Shahi, Nizam Shahi, Qutb Shahi and Mysore Sultanates, though in very small numbers. However, most of them are out of print. Haroon Khan Sherwani, a renowned historian from Hyderabad had written an excellent book on the history of Bahmani Empire, besides also writing in detail on the history of the Qutb Shahis of Golconda Sultanate, however, unfortunately these books are out of print and nowhere available. I don’t find any meaningful book written either on the Bahmani Empire or the subsequent Deccani sultanates in Urdu. There are many good books written on the Mysore Sultanate, especially on the life of Tipu Sultan and the best of them are in English. Muhibbul Hasan’s biography of Tipu Sultan is English and it is among the best.
MM: Why you wrote on the history of South Indian Muslims?
SUR: There is no denying the fact that there is a huge population of Muslims down south. However, unfortunately, unlike Muslims in North India, the history of South Indian Muslims, their ruling dynasties and the Muslim empires hasn’t been documented in as much detail as it was needed. Even in the case of north India, the focus has always remained on the history of Mughals who ruled the country for close to three hundred years. The history of the Delhi Sultanates and its different dynasties has been rather very well documented. But other than the Mughals and the Delhi sultanates, not much has been written on different dynasties that have ruled different regions in the North including the ruling dynasties of the Sharqi Sultanate that was based in Jaunpur or the Muslim sultanates of Bengal, that were very powerful and existed for centuries. Similarly the history of ruling Muslim dynasties of sultanates of Gujarat, Malwa and Khandesh hasn’t been given much attention.
I am trying to document the history of Muslims in medieval India and my book ‘Forgotten Muslim Empires of South India’ is the first volume of the series. This book documented Bahmani Empire, Adil Shahi Sultanate of Bijapur, Nizam Shahi Sultanate of Ahmadnagar, Qutb Shahi Sultanate of Golconda and Mysore Sultanate that was founded by Hyder Ali.
The next volume will cover the history of Sultanate of Gujarat, Sultanate of Malwa and also the sultanate of Khandesh, besides a detailed chapter on the Nizams of Hyderabad, inshaAllah.
I must add here that the history of the Muslims in South India is as dazzling as the Delhi Sultanate or the Mughal Sultanate. At one point in early fifteenth century, the Bidar based Bahmani Empire was the most powerful empire not just in South India but across the Indian Subcontinent.
MM: What do you feel about the rewriting of history project in India
SUR: There is no denying that among the many serious challenges facing the Indian Muslim community at the moment, the foremost is preserving their history and heritage. Without any iota of doubt, this has become all the more important given the fact that there are efforts to rewrite Indian history now. And the most important period they intend to rewrite is the medieval period. This project, spearheaded by the Indian Council of Historical Research titled ‘Comprehensive History of India’, is expected to have at least twelve volumes. They have emphasized that while writing these volumes they will not be depending on ‘Euro-centric’ resources and would go by vernacular resources. However there isn’t much literature available on history in vernacular languages even regarding important political events of the medieval period. It may sound completely bewildering to many, but there is no reference at all in any medieval Indian texts regarding the numerous raids conducted by Mahmud of Ghazni deep inside India. Abraham Eraly believes the Indian chroniclers of the time didn’t consider those events worth recording as they were more interested in penning ‘inane romances’.
MM: What is the impact of your work till now?
SUR: It is a rather very short period of time to make any impact felt. It will take time to reach a wider audience and create awareness about our own history and heritage. However, my books on the freedom movements including ‘Biographical Encyclopaedia of Indian Muslim Freedom Fighters’ and ‘Ulema’s Role in India’s Freedom Movements’ have helped create awareness about the Muslim community’s major contributions in India’s different phases of the freedom movement. Without the involvement of the Muslim community, especially the clergy or ulema, the dream for an independent India would have remained a mere pipedream.
Similarly, my latest book ‘Forgotten Muslim Empires of South India’ has brought the history of Muslim kingdoms, sultanates and empires in South India in focus. Many people, who call themselves well-read, have admitted to me personally that they never had any idea that there was a Muslim sultanate in Madurai. Not many thought that a powerful empire ruled a huge swath of land in South India, an empire that stretched from coast to coast. Bijapur’s Adil Shahi sultanates, in the 17th century had taken over the remnants of the Vijayanagar Empire and had become a huge empire in itself. Besides, the beauty and splendour of the Bahmani courts or the courts of the subsequent sultanates was dazzling. The rich history of the Muslims in south India is mesmerising and a revelation of sorts for not just people in the north, but in South India itself.
source: http://www.muslimmirror.com / Muslim Mirror / Home> Indian Muslim> Interview / by Syed Ubaidur Rahman / May 28th, 2023
