With an intent to highlight the role of Islamic leaders in the pre-independence freedom struggle, a group of Muslim youths have decided to organise a function on the occasion of Republic Day, during which sacrifices of unsung heroes from their community would be highlighted.
Besides organising an elaborate programme after unfurling the Tricolour at the Dehliz Chowk on January 26, the enthusiasts will also install banners displaying portraits of more than 20 prominent Muslim freedom fighters at various locations.
The organisers say the gesture will motivate Muslim youths of the region to come forward and play active in nation building, irrespective of their political, social or religious allegiances.
Zeshan Haidar, the convener of the scheduled event, said youths from various Muslim organisations of the area had been roped in to work in tandem for restoring the lost glory of leaders from their community, who had made supreme sacrifices in struggle against the British Government and played a major role in getting freedom for the country.
“Unfortunately, successive governments have failed to recognise the contributions of Muslim leaders in the freedom struggle and a majority of Muslim freedom fighters and martyrs have remained unsung during functions held to celebrate national events such as Republic Day and Independence Day,” Zeshan Haidar said, adding that these names were also missing from history books.
The enthusiasts have shortlisted names of about 100 Muslim leaders of pre-Independence era and portraits of 20 from them will be displayed in the region.
Maulana Shah Abdul Qadir Ludhianvi (grandfather of Shahi Imam Punjab Maulana Usman Ludhianvi), Zakir Husain, Begum Hazrat Mehal, Maulvi Ahmadullah, Abadi Bano Begam, Ashfaqulla Khan and Husain Ahmed Madni were cited among more prominent Muslim freedom fighters whose portraits figure on the proposed banners.
source: http://www.tribuneindia.com / The Tribune / Home> Ludhiana / by the Correspondent, The Tribune / January 24th, 2023
Andaleeb Wajid is a Bangalore-based writer who attempts to authentically portray India’s Muslim diaspora through novels that focus on life, food, family and relationships.
The young Indian Muslim writer Andaleeb Wajid has published five books in almost as many years. Courtesy Andaleeb Wajid
Modestly dressed in a pretty headscarf and shalwar kameez, the Bangalore-based writer Andaleeb Wajid smiles as she talks about her short but successful writing career – she has published five books in six years, most of them featuring a Muslim setting and credibly representing the community in India.
Wajid, 36, says she has been writing since she was 10. Her first book, Kite Strings, was released in August 2009 followed by Blinkers Off (August 2011), My Brother’s Wedding (May 2013) and More Than Just Biryani (January 2014). No Time For Goodbyes, released in April this year, is her latest book and the first in the Tamanna Trilogy series, books on time travel targeted at young adults. The other two will be released in September and December this year.
How did you begin writing?
I have been writing stories since I was 10. When I was in Grade 12, I was left very confused about what I would do with my life. There weren’t many options for girls from orthodox Muslim families. Then it occurred to me to take up writing as a career. I was certain that no one would stop me.
Is there a reason why many of your books have been set in a Muslim milieu?
I’m quite amused with the way Muslims are depicted in Bollywood films and on television in India. My stories attempt to show a slice of Muslim life, which is no different from anyone else’s. I wrote More Than Just Biryani only because I strongly felt that the world has labelled us as just biryani-eaters and I wanted them to be aware of the diversity in Muslim cuisine. Kite Strings discusses the issues a young girl from an orthodox Lababin Muslim [a community from Tamil Nadu] family faces. But a large number of non-Muslim fans also reached out to me, saying how much they identified with the character, which proves that some things transcend religious boundaries.
More Than Just Biryani was conceived as a recipe book. What prompted you to turn it into fiction?
My brother and I had thought of writing a culinary memoir but the idea never took off because I realised early that I could never do justice to non-fiction. Instead I wrote about three women and the role food plays in their lives. Nearly every chapter of the book has a recipe, which is woven into the story.
Have you drawn upon your personal experiences to craft stories?
Yes. Like most writers, I started off writing about what I knew best. In Kite Strings, the protagonist Mehnaz is a rebel without a cause and behaves a lot like I did as a teenager. The story is set in Vellore, Tamil Nadu, where as a child I spent several holidays with my grandparents. In More Than Just Biryani, one of the protagonists loses her father. It was the most painful chapter I have ever written.
What else is in the pipeline?
I have one more young-adult novel in my kitty, about a girl whose mother has left the family. Then there’s another about a crochet teacher and the four women who learn this beautiful craft from her and end up baring their lives to her.
• Andaleeb Wajid’s books are available on Amazon
artslife@thenational.ae
source: http://www.thenationalnews.com / The National / Home / by Priti Salian / July 05th, 2014
Nooshin’s restless will to compete helped her transition from an elite player to an elite coach.
While Nooshin was looking for a breather, she is getting to experience what it feels to be part of a team that became the first women’s team to bring an ICC title home – a completion of a well-deserved redemption arc. (Special Arrangement)
Nooshin Al Khadeer hasn’t even had the chance to put her feet up and enjoy a brief break. Being the head coach of the India Under-19 women’s team, the last few months have been busy in every sense. Be it a preparatory camp at the NCA, a bilateral series in Vizag, or a preparatory camp in South Africa, Nooshin was at the forefront of everything. The reward: India getting their hands on the inaugural Under-19 World Cup trophy on January 29, defeating England in the final.
While Nooshin was looking for a breather, she is getting to experience what it feels to be part of a team that became the first women’s team to bring an ICC title home – a completion of a well-deserved redemption arc. Nooshin was, in fact, the final Indian batter to have gotten out in the 2005 Women’s ODI World Cup final against Australia, giving the Aussies the fifth of their seven titles.
pix: @NooshinKhadeer
After landing in Mumbai, she left for Ahmedabad, where the BCCI felicitated the team, before taking the next flight to Ranchi to be part of the Railways team at the ongoing Senior Women’s One-Day tournament. “After winning the title, I told the team it is just the start. And even some of the players feel the same way. So it is important to get down to business straightaway,” Nooshin tells the Indian Express.
Those who know Nooshin up close attribute this dedication and hardwork to her success. Be it Vinod Sharma, who was the head coach of the Railways team she represented for long, her India teammate Punam Raut, or her long-time friend and teammate Mithali Raj, all have a common thing to say: “She was destined to be a coach.”
Lessons in patience
There was, however, one thing Nooshin still had to take care of before charting her path as a coach.
“She was an aggressive player who always wanted things to work out on the field. But you can’t have the same trait as a coach,” Mithali says of her friend. “When she decided to get into coaching, it was something we had a conversation about. When you are a coach, you are not only coaching the seniors, but you also have to coach youngsters, and you need to develop patience. She worked hard on that. That is her biggest transformation,” she adds.
A key part of developing that patience started when Nooshin moved to Hyderabad, where she began her coaching stint with the Under-16 side for two years before moving to the Chhattisgarh senior side.
“I would say I never rushed into coaching saying ‘look I’m an Indian player and I’ve contributed for so long, I have to take up a senior side.’ I wasn’t eligible for it. I wanted to get through the levels — Level A, and B,” Nooshin said.
“Playing and coaching are two different roles. This is a totally different profession, and I’m glad that I understood that early in my life. I took up Chhattisgarh because I wanted to test myself, especially my patience. Coaching needs calmness and patience because I really had to go down to their level, explain things, and build a team,” she added.
Nooshin was, in fact, the final Indian batter to have gotten out in the 2005 Women’s ODI World Cup final against Australia, giving the Aussies the fifth of their seven titles. (Special Arrangement)
As Chhattisgarh did well by making it to the knockouts, her employer Railways would come calling. For a team that is known to win silverware, they had just lost two big titles, and as they pressed the reset button, they came calling for Nooshin. “I had no choice but to take that because I still had a contract running with Chhattisgarh. But since it is the institution that I work for, I took it up as a challenge.”
It is at Railways that Mithali would first see a different Nooshin. The aggressive player, and one who didn’t hesitate to speak her mind, was long gone. “When she came to Railways, I could see she was not Nooshin, the player I knew. Standing in front of us was Nooshin, the coach. And that is when I started to trust her and we started having a lot of conversations about my batting, the team and a lot of other stuff,” Mithali says.
Understanding people
The smooth transition is also a reflection of how Nooshin was quick to adapt. According to her Railways coach Sharma, she has always had leadership qualities, and was especially good at communication. In a simple sense, she was a very vocal player, who wasn’t hesitant to share her views even when some of her senior players chose to stay mum.
“I’m a chatterbox, and I talk to everyone and anybody. To understand people, you need to know them, and the only way I can know someone is if I talk to them. There are 15 different players in the team and each one is different. So reading them is not easy.
“I talk to groundsmen, guys who carry water to the field, because it helps me improve my communication. I get to understand a lot of things by talking to them. For someone to open up, you should make them comfortable and I think I have that natural capability to communicate well,” Nooshin says.
For a player who hung up her boots on March 16, 2012, she hardly had a break. While most players would have preferred to stay away from waking up early and hitting the ground, Nooshin was back on the ground in a fortnight. “On April 1, I was at a coaching camp in Hyderabad,” Nooshin says.
Mithali feels there was a reason for it as well. “I wasn’t surprised that she took up coaching. The way her career ended, she felt there was unfinished business. She wanted to give back to the game. She thought she could do something through coaching. And she worked very hard for it. Whenever I called her, she would be on the ground,” the former India skipper says.
“Look I could have been a selector or completed five years and be eligible to become a match referee. But that isn’t me. I wanted to give something back to the game, even 20 percent of what I learned. Why was never a question, but I never thought I would come this far,” Nooshin says.
source: http://www.indianexpress.com / The Indian Express / Home> Sports> Cricket / by Venkatar Krishna R / February 07th, 2023
Tucked away on the Delhi-Ludhiana railway line, about 40 kilometres from Jalandhar is Malerkotla. It is a small town, famous for poets and palaces, some of which are more than a hundred years old.
In this muslim-majority district lies a 150-year-old palace that doubles up as the resident of Begum Munawwar ul Nisa, a descendant of the erstwhile ruler of Malerkotla, Nawab Sher Mohammad Khan.
Begum Munawar ul Nisa, known popularly as ‘Begum Sahiba’ lives alone in the twilight of her life in the dilapidated palace called ‘Mubarak Manzil’.
Very rarely does she get visitors. Sometimes officials from the Archaeological Survey of India knock at her door, and sometimes a journalist drops by to know her story. And sometimes, foreign tourists are brought here by local guides for a glimpse of pages from Muslim-Sikh harmony in Indian history.
Mohammed Mehmood, Begum Munawwar ul Nisa’s personal attendant
The old and frail Begum’s forefather, Sher Mohammed Khan had strongly opposed the sacrifice of the two sons of Guru Gobind Singh by the Subedar of Sirhind in 1705.
It is for this reason that Malerkotla holds a significant place in the history of Sikhs, specially the palace where the Begum lives today. Therefore, it was not surprising when on February 4 this year, the palace was abuzz with activity.
The Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee has declared February 4 as the day for honouring the last descendant of Nawab Sher Mohammed Khan for the role the family played in raising their voice against the atrocity committed by the Mughals on the sons of Guru Gobind Singh.
Mohammed Mehmood, the Begum’s attendant, who takes care of her minutest requirements in her old age at this palace, recalling the moment when officials came here to honour Begum Nisa says, “On February 4 afternoon, the SGPC secretary Simarjit Singh and the historic Gurudwara Fatehgarh Sahib Manager Bhagwant Singh and some other SGPC officials reached the ‘Mubarak Manzil’ and met Begum Munawwar ul Nisa. They met and honoured her duly offering that the supreme institution of the Sikhs and the entire Sikh community is indebted to her forefathers and therefore, she can reach out to them without any kind of hesitation and any kind of trouble.”
On this day, the SGPC officials came to the palace to request her to will the sword gifted to her family by Guru Gobind Singh to the Sikh community. The Begum informed the committee officials that the needful had already been done and also showed them the official papers of the same.
Advocate Harjinder Singh Dhami, head of the SGPC, said, “the entire Sikh community is indebted to Nawab Sher Mohammad Khan and his descendants. This is another hallmark in Muslim-Sikh relations. As long as Begum Munawwar ul Nisa remains safe, the SGPC will take care of her in every possible way and repair the ‘Mubarak Mazil’.”
A few years ago, Begum Munawwar ul Nisa at the age of 97 had willed her palace to the Amarinder Singh government in the state for preservation as her last wish. Unfortunately, due to red-tapism and government lethargy, the repair work to be undertaken has not taken off as expected.
‘Mubarak Manzil’
It is to be seen if the promise made by the SGPC will lead to the palace see better days.
Begum Munawwar ul Nisa is the third wife of Mohammed Iftikhar Ali Khan Bahadur, a descendant of Nawab Sher Mohammad Khan. The first two wives of the Nawab are no more.
Nawab Moahmmed Iftikhar Ali Khan Bahadur himself passed away in 1982. He had no children from any of his Begums.
The ‘Mubarak Manzil’, where the Begum lives presently is now a government heritage property. The palace and the Begum in particular is a beautiful symbol of harmony between the Muslims and Sikhs from history till the present times.
source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Story / by Amrik Singh, Jalandhar / posted by Nakul Shivani / February 07th, 2023
In a just-released tell-all book, the first woman Muslim minister of Karnataka doesn’t spare anyone who was unjust to her. Read on to know what she thinks about the Gandhi family members and others.
Nafees Fazal talks to the then Congress President Rajiv Gandhi during an Iftar party in the Vidhana Soudha banquet hall, Bangalore in 1990 (supplied)
If what the first woman Muslim minister of Karnataka says is true, politics is a horribly dirty sport where ministers and others take bribes, men can be lecherous, and foes within your party can go to any extent to bring you down.
Things got so bad for Nafees Fazal at one point that she asked Indira Gandhi’s Man Friday RK Dhawan whether she was not rising in politics because she wasn’t playing “bedroom politics”. Dhawan told her never to take that path: “They will pass you around till you become a whore.” She took the warning to heart.
The front cover of the book ‘Breaking Barriers: The Story of a Liberal Muslim Woman’s Passage in Indian Politics’ (Supplied)
In a just-released tell-all book (Breaking Barriers: The Story of a Liberal Muslim Woman’s Passage in Indian Politics, with Sandhya Mendonca, Konark Publishers), Nafees doesn’t spare anyone who was unjust to her.
Guided by Margaret Alva
Rebelling against convention, she plunged into politics at age 31 without any benefactor and became the first Muslim woman minister in Karnataka at age 52 in 1999. Religion and gender, however, shackled her. It did not help that she was feisty, had a husky voice, and dressed fashionably.
Nafees Fazal and her husband Hassan Fazal with her godmother and politician Margaret Alva at their residence in Bangalore in 1999 (Supplied)
Margaret Alva, whom she admires, guided Nafees and made her the president of the Bangalore wing of the Mahila Congress.
But prominent leaders from her own Muslim community didn’t like her. She was too glamorous. One of them was CK Jaffer Sharief, who proved duplicitous. Sharief was overtly nice but felt, like many other conservative Muslim men, that Muslim women should be confined to the home or remain low-key. “Muslim men,” she says with authority, “are the biggest MCPs and my opinion was reinforced in politics”.
Bribes, daggers, and knives
When she joined SM Krishna’s Cabinet, her learning was rapid. “Once you get the chair, you have to do your darndest to hold on to it. This meant that you had to be on the lookout constantly for the daggers and knives that many seen and unseen enemies would be holding.”
With Arjun Singh and Jaffer Sharief at an iftar party hosted by the former at his residence in New Delhi in 1994 (Supplied)
While a minister, the son of a trustee of a reputed college wanted government hospitals to import medical equipment. An IAS officer warned her against the deal. So she put her foot down. But Chief Minister Krishna was told that Nafees demanded ₹30 lakh as bribe. Krishna confronted her and was stunned when she told him that there was no question of seeking ₹30 lakh when she was offered ₹3 crore!
“I did not want the illegal money, and I did not want a bad name,” she writes. “Ministers and politicians often receive such bribes and perhaps take it, if not for themselves, then in order to fill the party coffers. How else would they hold on to their posts? This is how many of them operate. Nowadays the amounts offered would be several hundred crores.”
Sonia Gandhi & ‘an empty promise’ to Nafees Fazal
Nafees constantly faced attacks from known and unknown detractors. BJP leader (later chief minister) BS Yediyurappa tried to link her with the Telgi counterfeit stamp paper scam.
A Congress bigwig accused her of drinking alcohol at a party, almost leading to her sacking as the medical education minister. After one more allegation, she met Congress President Sonia Gandhi. “Don’t make an issue of it. I will look after you,” Sonia said. “It was an empty promise. She did nothing,” she writes.
Nafees Fazal with current Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai (second from left), former chief minister SM Krishna (centre), his wife Prema, and former minister RV Deshpande’s son Prasad (right) at Deshpande’s golden wedding anniversary celebrations in Bengaluru in 2022 (Supplied)
Nafees has been asked if there’s a casting couch in politics. “I always counter by asking: ‘Why should politics be different than any other sector?’ It’s a known fact that certain women have risen to prominence because they have the attention and protection of powerful men. Some of these could be in a physical relationship with their sugar daddies and some may have used their position to do the work they set out to do.”
Rahul Gandhi leadership ‘disastrous’
Nafees Fazal with her idol and Prime Minister Indira Gandhi at the All India Mahila Convention held in Bangalore in September 1984 (Supplied)
While she was a childhood fan of Indira Gandhi, and both Rajiv (“Rajiv’s decisions were sometimes hasty”) and Sonia Gandhi (“Sonia’s only weakness is her son”) too earned her respect, Nafees dubs Rahul Gandhi’s leadership of the Congress as “disastrous”. There is no place for any other leader to grow in the Congress, she says.
Nafeesa Fazal welcomes Sonia Gandhi, who was contesting the Lok Sabha elections from Bellary, and party observer Ghulam Nabi Azad in 1999 (Supplied)
While she pats Rahul for taking steps to cut corruption in the party, she is bitter for insulting her in front of Karnataka party leaders.
Nafees Fazal with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Bengaluru in 2009 (Supplied)
She had submitted an application seeking nomination to the Legislative Council. Rahul saw a doctor’s picture on her brochure. It was a renowned heart surgeon with whom she had worked for years to help underprivileged people. Rahul turned livid: “Because of him you are disqualified. I will never entertain you again and I will never give you an appointment.” The public humiliation forced Nafees to quit the Congress.
Ahmed Patel was ‘busy meeting mullahs’
Ahmed Patel was very powerful in the Congress during the UPA regime. “Unfortunately, he had no time to hear the second-rung leaders as he was always busy with meetings with mullahs. It was a Herculean effort to get an appointment with him.”
She tried to gatecrash. “At times, I was treated badly by his watchman who would slam the gate on my face and chase me away like a pariah… Perhaps he (Patel) didn’t like me because I was a Muslim woman.”
‘Set dosas’ of Karnataka Congress
Sonia Gandhi, she says, once referred to SM Krishna as “a white-collared politician” who could not woo voters in rural areas.
Nafees Fazal with Mallikarjun Kharge (left), now the Congress president, and former Karnataka chief minister N Dharam Singh at a lunch hosted by the author for RK Dhawan at her residence in February 1999 (Supplied)
When she wanted to contest an election from Vijayapura in north Karnataka, then opposition leader and now Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge was unhappy. He had never forgiven her for her role in displacing Dharam Singh, his friend, as the Karnataka Congress President. Nafees says that some colleagues called Kharge, HK Patil, and Dharam Singh as “set dosas” as they formed a powerful clique.
On hijab and UCC
While Rahul Gandhi talks about women’s empowerment, “the reality is that Muslim women are being denied a voice, and the support is only for our male counterparts”. Women with political ambitions must develop a thick skin, she feels.
She opposes the insistence on wearing hijab, finds the All India Muslim Personal Law Board “medieval and regressive”, and welcomes the Uniform Civil Code if it applies to Hindu Undivided Families too.
She admires Prime Minister Narendra Modi for outlawing triple talaq. After SM Krishna joined the BJP, she wanted to emulate him. But Yediyurappa objected. She also found the BJP too communal. So she quietly paid ₹10 and rejoined the Congress.
On her family and grandfather, a former sheriff of Madras
Nafees calls her father a philanderer, cruel, and sadist who enjoyed physically abusing his wife in front of his children. One of her uncles was a sexual predator. Her mother-in-law treated her like a maid and once clobbered her with a rolling pin.
Her grandfather, Khan Bahadur Mohammed Moosa Sait, a former sheriff of Madras, was a community leader but treated everyone, women in particular, very badly. All this “added to my mistrust of men, and I still carry residual anger against them”. One of the few men she has utmost love for is Hassan Fazal, her husband who backed her all the way from the time he began courting her.
(MR Narayan Swamy is a freelance journalist in New Delhi. He began his career more than four decades ago. He had a long innings in UNI, AFP, and IANS. His focus areas are diplomacy, politics, and spirituality, and he loves to read and review books. He is the author of three books on the Sri Lankan conflict)
source: http://www.thesouthfirst.com / South First / Home> Karnataka / by Narayan Swamy / November 02nd, 2023
Kalikavu Village, Nilambur, (Malappuram District), KERALA:
A real-life story of a Muslim couple from Kalikavu village of Nilambur, Malappuram district of North Kerala, who raised three children of their deceased Hindu housemaid along with her own three, is now a feature film in Malayalam language being shown across theaters and the OTT platforms.
The film, Ennu Swantham Sreedharan (With Love, Sreedharan’), was premiered at Edapally on January 9. Made by renowned filmmaker Siddik Paravoor, the film is being talked about and appreciated for the extraordinary strength and courage of conviction of Subaida.
It’s named after Sreedharan, the youngest of the children of Chakki, who worked as a housemaid with Subaida some 50 years ago. It was Sreedharan’s post on the Facebook after Subaida’s death in 2019 where he addressed her as Umma, a Kerala Muslim way of calling a mother that generated curiosity about this relationship and eventually it became public knowledge that a practicing Muslim couple had raised three Hindu children along with their biological children and never converted them.
Sreedharan, who at the time of his mother Umma’s death was working in the Gulf and couldn’t arrive for burial due to Covid restrictions, had posted a heartfelt note on his grief. Netizens asked him how come a Hindu addressed his mother the way Muslims do.
A poster of the film Ennu Swantham Sreedharan
His explanation revealed the story of extraordinary humans boned in love and not through religion.
According to The News Minute, it was 50 years ago that Chakki, a housemaid separated from her husband, died, and her three little children – the youngest one Sreedharan a toddler – were picked and brought to her home by a tearful Subaida.
Three of them were ushered into the house where three children were growing, the eldest one Shanavas, was 7 and he was told by his mother that the Chakki;’s children will stay at their house. Subaida informed her husband Aziz Haji about Chkki’s passing away and that she had brought her three children home.
Shanavas remembers his mother’s return from Chakki’s house with her youngest, baby Sreedharan, in her arms, and two young girls Ramani and Leela with her. That day Shanavas welcomed three new siblings into his life. He remmembers their father Aziz Haji being informed by their mother about three children joining their family.
Subaida passed away due to a kidney ailment in July 2019, and her husband Aziz Haji followed two years later. The family’s heartwarming story has now been adapted to screen.
Sreedharan said that Umma and Uppa (father) had three biological children of their own, including Joshina, who was born a few years after he and his sisters were never made to feel like outsiders there.” That is the only home I have known. I have heard that umma used to breastfeed me and Jafer together,” Sreedharan told the New Minute.
A scene from the movie: Umma Subaida with her children
As netizens made uncharitable comments about the “Hindu son of a Muslim mother” in response to his post, Sreedharan responded:
“This post is to clear your doubts about who I am. When I shared the news of my umma’s passing, some of you had doubts. Even when I posted a picture of me wearing a taqiyah (a Muslim way of trying lungi), there were doubts if a Muslim man could be named Sreedharan. My mother died when I was about a year old. I have two sisters. I had a father too. The very day my mother died, this umma and Uppa brought us to their house. They educated us, just like they did for their children. When my sisters reached a marriageable age, it was Uppa and Umma who married them off. Having kids of their own did not stop them from taking us in. They had three kids. Even though they adopted us at a young age, they did not try to convert us to their religion. People say that an adoptive mother can never match up with one’s biological mother. But she was never an ‘adoptive mother’ to us, she was truly our mother.”
His post was followed by people calling him. He told the News Minute: “Suddenly we were getting calls from activists and media persons to ordinary people, all of them wanting to know more about the story behind that post,” he says. “In today’s political climate, where religions are constantly pitched against each other, the fact that this family took us in and raised us to believe in god, believe in our faith, seemed almost unbelievable for some.”
Shanavas said all six siblings were surprised at the public reaction to their story. He says: “We grew up as brothers and sisters. We had never thought of our family as different from the others,” says Shanavas, the eldest of Subaida’s biological children.
“Of course, when umma first brought Ramani, Leela, and Sreedharan into our home, I had asked her what she was planning to do. She then told me that these children will now grow up in our house, and that was it. We never questioned it. Our father, who was in the Gulf at the time, was also equally supportive of Umma’s decision,” he says.
Sreedharan told the media that he once asked his Umma and Uppa why they didn’t convert them. “Their first response was a concern. They asked me if someone had said something bad to me. After I reassured them, they explained to me that we should not let religion define anyone. They said that all religions were essentially preaching the same thing — to love and help people and that it was human beings who were interpreting these teachings wrongly.”
Real Sreedharana with his Uppa Aziz Haji (Image courtesy: The New Minute)
He said his parents taught the children to have faith, no matter what the religion. “My sisters and I used to go to the temple, and walk around with sandal marks on our foreheads.”
He says their parents encouraged them to practice our religion. “All they expected from us was to ensure we don’t lie, steal, or hurt others. And we also took care to never do something that would hurt their reputation,” he told the News Minute.
Sreedharan says after he became the father of a son he realized the true depth of his parents’ love. He now appreciates all the more his parents’ efforts in bringing three of them. “I can only imagine how big of a task bringing up six children would have been.”
Director Siddik Paravoor, whose previous film Thahira had featured in the Indian Panorama Feature Film section of the 51st International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa, first heard of Subaida through a social worker and orator AP Ahamed.
“Presumably after Sreedharan’s Facebook post went viral, I read a note Ahamed master had written about Subaida and her life, which deeply affected me. I wanted to bring her story to more people’s attention. I wanted to let them know that there are people who live like this. People who put love and kindness over religion and prejudices,” he says.
When Siddik was researching for his project, he came across more stories of this extraordinary woman called Subaida from people in her village.
He told local media in interviews after the release of his film that everyone in the village Kalikavu loved Subaida. She is known to have spent all her ancestral money to help the poor. Subaida had donated all 12 acres of her land to the needy over the years. She even took loans to help others.
In Kalikavu after Subaida passed away, the nearby church rang the church bell, usually reserved only for the Christians, and held a prayer meeting for her.
Dancer Nirmala Kannan plays the role of Subaida, and journalist and writer Suresh Nellikode, also the producer of the film, plays her husband Aziz Haji. Actor Nilambur Ayisha and writer Shihabuddin Poythumkadavu also appear in prominent roles, alongside Sachin Roy, Vaibhav Amarnath, Harsha Arun, and Rajitha Santhosh.
Interestingly, the first shot of the movie was shot with the appearance of Aziz Haji in front of the camera. He died later due to the Covid-19. He and his children were all glad that more people would now come to know about their Subaida and the benevolent woman that she was.
The director says. “People are inherently good. But sometimes we need stories like these to remind them of that goodness. Subaida deserves to be remembered, and her story repeatedly told.”
The audience lapped up the movie.
Member of Parliament Shashi Tharoor wrote about the movie on Twitter:
Ex-serviceman Col Reji Koduvath wrote from, Ontario, Canada: “Ennu Swantham Sreedharan (With Love, Sreedharan), is a must-watch movie in the present society where sectarian strife and conflict still exist.
It’s a great movie-watching experience – the best movie I watched in the past 12 months. While drawing the life of an unsung and unrecognised person or a family on screen, there is a tendency to go overboard and portray them as super-humans.
This movie effectively tackles that difficult task and brilliantly tells the story of a do-gooder – a true good neighbour – a great family. All are based on real-life, sincerely and honestly.
The story and situations in the movie brought back memories of my grandmother who too had a troop of oldies across castes, creeds, and religions. I used to enjoy them reminiscing about their good old days. When our grandmother came to live in our home which is about 12 km away from the ancestral one, these oldie troopers dropped in to spend time with her. What is depicted in the movie in the life of Amina Umma and Subaida is close to what I experienced in my childhood.”
source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Story / by Aasha Khosa / February 07th, 2023
Khazin Munir, a self-taught artist from Srinagar, is the proud owner of the venture ‘KAAMEKAAR’, which is basically an Instagram page.
Srinagar:
In the contemporary world, you will find most of the youth making excuses for remaining unemployed. But not Khazin Munir, who despite being a doctoral student in law, earns her bread through calligraphy and other art and craft forms.
Munir, a self-taught artist from Srinagar, is the proud owner of the venture ‘KAAMEKAAR’, which is basically an Instagram page, where she showcases her artistic skills in calligraphy, wall-hangings, umbrellas, customised kangris etc., attracting many online customers to her artworks.
‘Lawyer turned Artist’
She said KAAMEKAAR is more of passion than a simple social media page to her. When she started the page, she was not really hopeful that it will work, but her artistic skills have been attracting scores of people.
“I have been very lucky to have got an audience who always admire me, support me and love me. I started it as a page for calligraphy, but gradually it became a multi-art page where you can customise calligraphies, wall-hangings, chocolate bouquets, nail and thread art, customised paper bags, gift wrapping, needle work art, small goody baskets, customised kangris etc.,” she said.
“Basically, if you want to gift something different to someone or want something special for yourself, we have got your back,” Munir added.
Munir, who hails from the Sanat Nagar area in Srinagar, is presently pursuing her PhD in law from the University of Kashmir. In the past, art was just a hobby for her. When she started her Instagram page three years back, she was busy completing her masters.
She said the page was started on the basis of hit and trial method. Her siblings pressurised her to do so, as they were keen to see the response of the general public. Within a few days of launching the page, Munir got her first order and since then has been no looking back.
With time, she realised that her hobby was making her stress-free and forget the many challenges in life.
“Art for many is just a stroke on paper or just a hanging on the wall, but for me art is strength, medium of expression, happiness, perfection and a way of life,” she said.
Early Education
Munir completed her schooling from the Presentation Convent School till 10th and then from the Mallinson School till 12th.
She did not have a passion for art in her school days, but with time she began to develop a special liking for the creative form.
“I was not that artistic in school, but with time my personality made its way to the outer world. When I was doing my BA LLB, I used to participated in many competitions, both state and national-level. I won many prizes, which included some cash price also. I have represented the Kashmir University in many inter-varsity competitions at the national level,” she said.
Family Background
Munir belongs to a well-educated family. Her father retired as the chief architect of Kashmir. Her sister is also an architect.
“I never thought of doing a small business or starting something like this, because I didn’t have a business background. But destiny has different things stored for me, and I am very happy for that,” she said.
Munir draws inspiration from her parents.
“I have seen my father work day and night, creating unique designs for his clients. He is a pioneer in his profession and I just wanted to adapt the mechanism which he has created for himself. I draw much of the motivation from him,” she said.
Munir, who has worked on several projects so far, said every project is interesting and special to her.
But her friend’s wedding decor, which had umbrellas, nikah potlis, backdrops, mehndi trays etc., nail and thread art at her father’s office and mandala art on a 12 feet wall are few of her artistic works that are very close to her heart.
She also said that digitalisation has made things easy and accessible.
“On a click of a button, one can now order any stuff. This gives a content creator and an artist a platform to showcase his/her work, get appreciation and last but not the least, earn a livelihood because job opportunities are very few now,” she said.
“After three years of continuous hard work, people have started recognising my Insta page… I get so many overwhelming messages from people now. Some praise my work while some compliment my patience. I feel elated to receive such messages, which motivate me to work harder in order to brush up my skills,” Munir concludes.
source: http://www.ummid.com / Ummid.com / Home> India> Life & Style / by Ummar Jamal, IANS / January 30th, 2023
The athletes were short-listed after a panel of jury, consisting of sports journalists and writers, voted for their preferred players, based on their achievements.
Hyderabad:
Reigning boxing world champion and Commonwealth Games gold medallist Nikhat Zareen and two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu were among five athletes nominated on Monday for the BBC Indian Sportswoman Of The Year (ISWOTY) award.
Others who made the cut were wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik, who recently staged a protest against WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and accused him of sexual exploitation and intimidation, and Tokyo Olympics silver medallist weightlifter Mirabai Chanu.
The athletes were short-listed after a panel of jury, consisting of sports journalists and writers, voted for their preferred players, based on their achievements.
The winner will be chosen by a public vote that began on Monday and will continue till February 20 midnight. The winner will be announced on March 5.
Rupa Jha, the Head of India BBC News, announced that they have introduced a new award category — BBC Indian para-sportswoman of the year.
Ekta Bhyan, the 2018 Asian para Games gold medallist, welcomed the move and emphasised on the need to make the stadiums more accessible to the physically challenged athletes.
“The stadiums and swimming pools should be accessible easily for the disabled athletes. Mental barriers need to be broken, about 60 to 70 percent of disabled population is still restricted to homes. More awareness and work is required at grassroots level,” Bhyan, flanked by London Olympics bronze-winning boxer Vijender Singh, said.
“Sports should be a part of education. Why should disabled athletes start their careers at the age of 15 or 16, sport should be accessible to them much earlier and there should be a comprehensive and non-discriminatory policy for disabled,” she added.
Vijender said the women athletes are two steps ahead of their male counterparts and deserve respect more than the awards.
He lamented that the national boxing federation does not keep in touch with boxers like him.
“I know about the current status of boxing as much you (media persons) know. We are not called for even Nationals or other events. I was asked about Indian boxing by Salman Khan and Rahul Gandhi and told them I don’t know because we are not involved,” he said.
He advised that every village in India should have its own multi-sport stadium to encourage youngsters.
source: http://www.telanganatoday.com / Telangana Today / Home> Sport / by Telangana Today / February 06th, 2023
On Urdu writer Qurratulain Hyder’s 95th birth anniversary on January 20, remembering her last classic novel, Kare Jahan Daraz Hai, which is a treat in style and content.
Kare Jahan Daraz Hai (The business of the world goes on), Urdu novel in two parts, bound in one volume, Qurratulain Hyder, Educational Publishing House, Delhi, First edition 2003, Pages 766, in large size, Price: Rs 600.
One of the most significant novels of Urdu writer Qurratulain Haider, Kare Jahan Daraz Hai, is the winner of India’s highest literary award—the Jnanpith. Hyder is known for her magnum opus, Aag ka Darya, which has been translated in many languages. She herself translated it in English as River of Fire.
Kare Jahan Daraz Hai is perhaps her last published novel in her journey which started with Mere Bhi Sanamkhane, her first novel, published in 1949. Incidentally, most of her novels have been translated and are popular in Hindi, except her first and the last.
On my Facebook page comments, I got to know that her novella Sitaharan is also well rated by her readers.
Apart from her above mentioned novels, Hyder has to her credit-Safina-e-Game Dil-1952, Patjhar ki Awaz (a short story collection)-1965, which fetched her the prestigious Sahitya Akademi award in 1967, Roshni ki Raftar –1982, four novellas — Chay ke Bagh, Sitaharan, Agle Janam Mohe Bitiya na Keejo and Dilruba and Aakhri Shab ke Humsafar (Travellers of Last Night).
Hyder, who had to her credit 12 novels and novellas, four collections of short stories, many translations from classic world literature, worked as journalist with magazines Imprint and Illustrated Weekly of India and also taught at Jamia Milia Islamia and some US universities. She was offered a Sahitya Akademi Fellowship in 1994 and awarded Padma Bhushan in 2005. She also received the Ghalib award and Bahadurshah Zafar award.
Hyder was born on January 20, 1928 to Sajjad Haider Yildarim and Nazar Sajjad Haider, both Urdu writers. She started writing at the age of 11 and wrote her first novel, Mere Bhi Sanamkhane, at the age of 19, which was published, when she was just 21 years old. After Partition, she migrated to Pakistan, from where her most significant novels were published. She returned to India after many years and lived in Delhi. She passed away on August 21, 2007 at the age of 79. She did not marry and was perhaps against the institution of marriage.
Kare Jahan Daraz Hai (the title chosen from a couplet of Iqbal, who along with Faiz Ahmed Faiz is idolised by writers and people in both India and Pakistan) and is an autobiographical novel, focusing on Hyder’s long family history. She has delineated the family history from 740 A.D to almost 20th century-end. The first part of the novel depicts family history from 740 A.D to 1947 in almost 440 pages and 11 chapters, while the post-1947 family history is covered in the second part in 310 pages and five chapters — a total of 16 chapters.
It was in 1962, while visiting her ancestral house in Mohalla Sadaat, Nehtor/Nehtur, Bijnor district in Uttar Pradesh, that the idea struck to Hyder to write novel on the history of the place. She goes back to Zaid, her ancestor in 740 A D, who went to Georgia, established their rule in Tabristan , made Tirmiz their nation, and if they had not moved toward Hindustan in 1180 A D from Turkmenia, they would had been part of the then Soviet Union, she writes.
The story begins from the city of Tirmiz and the second part of the chapter moves the story from Jehon to Jamuna when the family comes to the ‘country of Shakuntala’ and settles somewhere near Kumaon and Garhwal. The Tirmizi family gets land there and makes a new beginning. Members of the family serve kings and one member of the family follows Emperor Aurangzeb in his pursuits.
Hyder has collected documents from family and archival sources to write an authenticated history of her family in narration form, which makes it an extremely readable historic/autobiographical novel. In the first chapter itself, the story reaches the 1857 revolt against the British, in which one rebel, Mir Ahmad Ali, from the family joins the rebellion, while the others remain loyal to the British. The narrator cites some events of the rebellion, particularly in Bijnor district, through documents and family stories.
Every chapter has been provided with references in the end, rather unusual for a novel. In the first chapter’s reference, it has been mentioned that Zaid Bin Imam Zean Albadan was martyred in year 744 A D. Mir Ahmad Ali Tirmazi of this family gave his life in the 1857 revolt as he was executed.
The writer refers to river Gagin, passing through Nehtor and going toward Moradabad. In fact, the story of the family from 740 AD to 1857, is just referral, the novel focuses upon 1857-1947 in first part of the novel and 1947-1987 in second part of the novel.
Hyder’s narration is filled with historic references and depiction of nature, like mentioning rivers like Gomati, Ramganga and Ravi, which makes the novel interesting in its style. She refers to her grandparents, but the real story of novel moves from the depiction of her father Sajjad Haider Yildaram and mother Nazar Baqar’s life story from the days of their school to the end of their lives, which carry on in the second part of the novel as well.
The story of Sajjad Hyder is also the story of development of Muslim educational institutions and the story of women’s education among the Muslim community. It is a fascinating story of the development of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) as well, which became the base of enlightenment among Muslims in pre-Partition India.
Hyder’s mother’s development as an Urdu fiction writer and father Yildaram’s development as a diplomat, writer and traveller, create an aura of romance for that period of history. Yildarim was fond of travelling and moved around many countries, particularly in West Asia. Hyder got the thirst for travel from her father and she, too, travelled many parts of the world.
The novel is full of her travelogues as well and particularly interesting is her description of Egypt during Gamal Abdel Nasser’s regime, changing into a modern nation. Her depiction of the Nile River, Egyptian Mummies, Alexandria, Suez Canal, assertion of independence from the West by Nasser, are all narrated in fascinating style. She describes the geo socio-cultural-natural locale of all places in a manner that transports the reader there.
In the second part of the novel focusses on life in Karachi, where Hyder had migrated with her family. Here she grows into a celebrated writer, who goes through much turmoil as well. There are petty attacks on her writings, she has a casual and carefree temperament, and does not bother about the malicious attacks. She had strong support from friends and family.
Poet Faiz ‘s appreciation and attachment with her family is described so is author Sajjad Zaheer’s underground life in Pakistan mentioned. Hyder spent a lot many years in London. She exposes the Pakistan government’s anti-woman attitude and bureaucratic favouritism.
Affectionately called Ainee Apa, Hyder ‘s return to India was not melodramatic; rather she makes it look casual and matter of fact, does not damn Pakistan, just comes back and faces almost similar struggles as in Pakistan.
This novel seems to have been translated and published in Hindi by Vani Prakashan, Delhi, in Hindi in 2020 at a prohibitive price of Rs 5,000 with an introduction by Gopi Chand Narang, but the same can be downloaded free as a pdf file from Urdu Digest Novels website.
When I read this novel, its Hindi or English translations were not available and, with my too slow speed in reading Urdu, it took me few months to complete it. But, this was the one of the best reads I have done in my life.
The writer retired as professor in Hindi translation from Centre of Indian Languages, JNU, New Delhi; was Dean, Faculty of Languages, at Panjab University, Chandigarh, and at present is honorary advisor at Bhagat Singh Archives and Resource Centre at Delhi Archives. The views are personal.
source: http://www.newsclick.in / News Click / Home / by Chaman Lal / January 20th, 2023
Tucked away in a remote corner of Budgam on the scenic Srinagar-Gulmarg highway, is a small village called Narbalpeth. Here, every day, at the crack of dawn Ulfat Bano makes her way to a small playground next to her house to train young kids in the art and skill of kicking a football.
Dressed in a hijab and track-suit, Ulfat has been doing this religiously for more than a decade.
The middle of five sisters, she was once a fan of martial art sports and cycling till the bug of football bit her. Actually, it was poverty that pulled her to this sport.
For 37-year-old Ulfat, the initial years were a struggle for the family of five daughters to survive. “At times we slept on empty stomachs or just one roti with salt. Spending money on good education was not an option for my parents. I used to help my mother stitch sweaters and shawls to add to my father’s meagre income,” she says.
She looked at sports as a ladder to success. Most sports are expensive to pursue. The equipment, and coaching is not something everyone can afford. “My father saw my interest in sports, and asked me to take the lead in preparing my other sisters for a better future.”
Ulfat sharing her skills with the youngest of her trainees
“I come from a poor family. Football is cheap to play. Other sports require money. This can be played without much investment,” she says.
Her father who works as a helper in the state irrigation department helped Ulfat prepare a small ground close to her home to play football with her sisters.
“Such was the fun we used to have, gradually our neighbours too started joining us,” she says. In the not-so-economically well-off neighbourhood, many parents saw this as an avenue for their children to grow in life.
Ulfat Bano became the bridge for the young boys and girls in her area. With the local administration opening special avenues for sportspersons in jobs and providing other facilities, excelling in this field was a choice many parents from the lower middle class and poor backgrounds made for their children.
“I empathized with the children. I myself am not well-educated. I knew if other children like me did not get access to good education due to financial constraints, sports could be a good avenue to move up in life,” she says. Many girls and boys trained by her have today got admissions to good colleges and jobs in government departments because of football.
Employed in Kashmir University as a sweeper, Ulfat was spotted by the Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council which helped her become a certified coach.
JKSC has roped in Ulfat to train future footballers in the valley
“We spotted this young girl during practice sessions in Budgam, doing tremendous work for the girls of her area,” says Nuzhat Gull, Secretary of the JKSC. Nuzhat took her under her wing and gave her the opportunity to mentor girls at the Bakshi stadium in Srinagar.
“Her specialty is that despite coming from a marginal background, she is resilient enough to break stereotypes,” adds Nuzhat.
Ulfat was sent by the JKSC to Kolkata to do a NIS coaching course in 2021. She also has a AIFF ‘D’ coaching certificate and has completed the AIFF grassroots leaders course.
JKSC roped her into scout talent in the Union Territory.
Gradually her reputation as a coach grew. More and more children showed interest in learning from her. Today, Ulfat trains around 400 children in Budgam and Srinagar. Not just this, such is her passion, that during winters she conducts training in indoor spaces. She also travels to far-flung areas of the Union Territory to convince parents to allow their children to play football.
Her aim is to train young kids of Jammu and Kashmir learn to play football in the hope, doors open for them for a better future. “Children from all backgrounds come to train. Some are from very poor families. I want to be their messiah for a better life,” says Ulfat.
What stands Ulfat Bano apart from a lot in the crowd is the fact that she has been rendering her services as a coach voluntarily. “I do not charge any money. I am here only to allow kids to have a level-playing field. I am only hoping to get a regular job in this field soon,” she says.
Many of Ulfat’s trainees have played in the state-level age-group championships
For her training kids is all she eats and breathes.
Her sisters all are married and settled. “I don’t want to marry and get distracted from my main aim in life, which is to see a few of my trainees play for the country,” she says.
Some of the children she has trained have represented the state in the age-group championships. “I am waiting for the day when someone comes back to me with the India jersey,” she says before starting her scooty to go for her evening training session at the Bakshi stadium in Srinagar.
source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Story / by Nakul Shivani / posed by Shaista Fatima / January 27th, 2023
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