Prof Farhan Ahmad Khan, Department of Pharmacology, JN Medical College, Aligarh Muslim University has been granted a certificate of registration by the UK Intellectual Property Office for a novel design of an innovative device that enables early diagnosis of rare genetic disorders in children.
He said that the design paves the way for understanding and solving some of the difficult challenges in medical science today. The device, when ready to use, will help in the management of rare pediatric genetic disorders.
Prof. Syed Ziaur Rahman, Chairman, Department of Pharmacology, congratulated Prof. Khan on the registration of the design of his device, adding that it is a proud moment for the department and the university.
source: http://www.amu.ac.in / Aligarh Muslim University / Home> AMU News / by Public Relations Office (headline edited) / October 25th, 2024
The research group has won an award worth Rs 20 lakh from Switzerland based world reputed company Typhoon HIL.
Jamia faculty receives award from Swiss company for smart solar inverter model
New Delhi:
In-charge of the Advance Power Electronics Research Laboratory, Department of Electrical Engineering, Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI), Dr. Ahteshamul Haque and his research group has won an award worth Rs. 20 Lakhs from Switzerland based world reputed company Typhoon HIL.
The research group comprising of students from B.Tech, M.Tech and PhD headed by Dr. Ahteshamul Haque has developed a model for Smart Solar Inverters with its control and submitted it for evaluation in a competition organised by Typhoon HIL.
Teams from various continents participated in this world level competition named ’10 for 10 Programme’.
Prof. Z. A. Jaffery, Head of Department, Department of Electrical Engineering, JMI encouraged the research group to take part in this world level competition, said a statement from Jamia.
In award, Dr. Haque and his research group got a powerful machine for research worth Rs.20 lakh.
Name of the machine is HIL-402 real time simulator, which is used in power electronics, microgrid and renewable energy applications.
Jamia Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Najma Akhtar, expressed her happiness on this achievement and congratulated Prof. Z. A. Jaffery, Dr. Haque and his team for taking university to new heights in the field of research and recognition by world reputed organizations.
Recently, Dr. Haque has also received R&D project grant under Ministry of Human Resource Development’s SPARC scheme.
source: http://www.ndtv.com / NDTV / Home> Education> Delhi / by NDTV Education Team / April 22nd, 2019
The Karnataka Government on Wednesday named Dr. Thumbay Moideen, son of prominent community leader late B. Ahmed Haji Mohiudeen, among the recipients of this year’s Karnataka State Rajyotsava Award. A prominent alumnus of St. Aloysius College, Mangaluru, Dr. Moideen has earned widespread recognition in the UAE and beyond for his contributions to higher education and healthcare.
Dr. Moideen founded the THUMBAY Group in 1997, a diversified international conglomerate that has since expanded into health education, healthcare services, and medical research. In 1998, he became the first Indian invited by the rulers of Ajman to establish a medical college in the UAE. This institution has now grown into a university with its own network of hospitals, clinics, medical centers, and pharmacies throughout the country.
Dr. Moideen has been featured in respected publications, including Forbes Middle East and Arabian Business. His achievements have also been recognized with an Honorary Fellowship from the International Medical Sciences Academy (IMSA) and an honorary doctorate from Amity University.
The Karnataka Rajyotsava Award, also known as the Rajyotsava Prashasti, is the second highest civilian honor in Karnataka, India. The award is given annually to recognize citizens of Karnataka and others who have contributed to the state in various fields: Arts, Education, Industry, Literature, Science, Sports, Medicine, Social Service, and Public Affairs.
The award is presented on November 1, the day of the state’s establishment, which is celebrated as Kannada Rajyotsava.
source: http://www.english.varthabharati.in / Vartha Bharati / Home> Karnataka / by Vartha Bharati / October 30th, 2024
Begum Gulbadan’s Humayun-nama, a remarkable chronicle of early Mughal life in India is the only work written by a woman in Muslim courts of Ottoman, Turkey, Iran and India.
An early Mughal princess
The Vagabond Princess by Professor Ruby Lal is a captivating historical biography of an early Mughal princess. Even though this is a work of meticulous historical research, it is an adventure tale and a travel narrative with a female protagonist which provides as much entertainment as any work of fiction. The real wonder of this book is that it’s a true account of a real woman, Gulbadan Begum, who lived from 1523 to 1603.
The author Dr. Ruby Lal is a Professor of South Asian history at Emory University in Atlanta who wrote The Astonishing Reign of Nur Jahan (2018)which was a Los Angeles Times Book Prize finalist.
While her previous book concentrated on a later Mughal queen who was as powerful as her husband the Mughal Emperor Jahangir, this work focuses on an early Mughal princess whose contribution is not so much to statecraft but to memorializing through her writing the formative years of the Mughal Empire in India.
The life of Gulbadan
As the title suggests, Gulbadan’s life was one of astonishing journeys that very few others had undertaken in the sixteenth century. She was a beloved daughter of Emperor Babar, the founder of the Mughal dynasty in India. At the age of six, she undertook an arduous journey with her Mughal relatives from Kabul in Afghanistan to Agra, where her father had established his new capital. This journey took her across the Khyber Pass, a treacherous mountainous gap that allowed an entry point into India.
Once in Agra, she reunites with her beloved father and grows up in the new country of Hindustan, amid a plethora of languages, her native Turkish, Persian, and the emerging mixed tongue of Hindavi in India. Even when it seems there is a modicum of stability, her father Babar’s life is suddenly cut short when he prays for the survival of his son and heir Humayun and participates in a ritual where he barters a part of his own life to save his son.
The untimely death of Babar is a shock for Gulbadan, but even more disconcerting are the rebellions by various half-brothers who periodically betray their allegiance to Humayun, her half-brother who ascends the throne.
A Mughal dynasty
Humayun’s reign becomes even more tenuous when he faces military challenges led by the Afghan ruler of Bihar, Sher Shah Suri, who defeats Humayun in Chausa in 1539 and Kanauj in 1540, forcing him into exile in Afghanistan. These changing vicissitudes of the Mughal dynasty force Gulbadan into a peripatetic existence moving back to Kabul and then returning again to Hindustan after Humayun recaptures Agra. During the years of his exile from India, Gulbadan witnesses Humayun’s marriage to his favorite wife Hamida who gives birth to their future heir Akbar, and who also becomes a close friend of Gulbadan.
Akbar’s ascension to the throne marks a shift in Gulbadan’s personal life. In her early life, she had lived in gardens and tents and had traveled freely. With the growth in Akbar’s stature, Mughal women were consigned to the enclosed quarters of the harem in Fatehpur Sikri. While this was a mark of the rising prestige of Akbar, the Emperor, it was not a particularly pleasing option for his aunt, Gulbadan. Even though she is a mother and a senior advisory figure in the harem and also highly regarded by Emperor Akbar as a writer and memory keeper of her clan, she is increasingly restless by her confinement in middle age.
A pilgrimage to Mecca
Gulbadan successfully petitions Akbar to allow her to embark on a holy pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina with the women of the harem. This is a formidable journey, even with Akbar’s support. First, the Mughal contingent arrive in the port city of Surat where they wait for the Portuguese to approve their passage as they have a monopoly over shipping routes. After much negotiation, and payment of requisite fees, two Mughal ships set sail for the haj pilgrimage. Lal provides a detailed account of the journey across the Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean, and the Red Sea to arrive at the port of Jeddah, from where the party travels to Mecca. At Mecca, they are able to complete all the rituals associated with the Haj including the lavish giving of alms to the poor. The party then proceeds to Medina and completes the rituals of worship particular to that city as well.
Gulbadan and her associates do not return to Hindustan after completing the Haj but stay on in one of the elite neighborhoods of Medina. After some time, they attract the criticism of the Ottoman Sultan Murad III, who issues orders of expulsion for Gulbadan and her group. Lal suggests that the lavish giving of alms, made possible by the immense wealth of Akbar and the Mughal Empire in a way threatened the sovereignty of the Ottoman Sultan.
The Humayun-nama
On her return journey by sea, Gulbadan faces being shipwrecked but escapes with her life and seeks refuge in Aden. Unlike Mecca, the authorities in Aden are not hospitable or courteous. She is relieved to return home where she commands the respect of men and women as someone who is a haji or who has accomplished one of the pillars of the Islamic faith: pilgrimage to the Prophet’s birthplace. Once settled in Fatehpur Sikri, Akbar commissions her to write a biographical sketch of Humayun. Gulbadan accomplishes this task with great finesse. Her book is an outstanding primary source document about the condition of life during the Mughal era in India.
The narrative begins with Lal’s examination of Gulbadan’s book Ahval- i- Humaun Badshah (Conditions in the Age of Humayun Badshah), at the British Museum in 1997. This is the only extant copy of this commissioned work that Gulbadan authored, but Lal soon realizes that the manuscript is incomplete, and it does not touch on her pilgrimage to Mecca or her life after the return. It is this gap that Lal seeks to fulfill in her research, trying to reconstruct events that happened during the pilgrimage including her group’s expulsion.
First female chronicler of Mughal life
As she recreates the life of Gulbadan, Lal reminds us that her work, popularly called Humayun-nama, is the only prose work written by a woman in Muslim courts including Ottoman, Turkey, Iran, and India. Gulbadan is a remarkable witness and chronicler of early Mughal life in India. Moreover, her life defies notions about women being constrained by Islamic institutions of purdah. Gulbadan did not accept the confinement of the harem and sought out travel to the holy cities of Arabia, appearing publicly to give alms to the poor.
Even upon her return she adopted the role of official historian and was not limited to traditional roles of wife and mother in the harem. At a time when the National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT) is reducing Mughal history content in school history textbooks in India, it is all the more important to continue bringing the lives of Mughal women to the attention of the world. Ruby Lal has succeeded in giving us a biography of an extraordinary life that women in the twenty-first century in India and the world can draw inspiration from.
The Vagabond Princess: The Great Adventures of Gulbadan by Ruby Lal Yale University Press, February 2024.
source: http://www.indiacurrents.com / India Currents / Home> Books> Culture / by Lopamudra Basu / April 10th, 2024
In honor of its achievement of over 90,000 deliveries, Thumbay University Hospital, UAE’s largest private academic hospital owned and managed by Thumbay Group, hosted a special event.
The festive occasion took place at the Thumbay Medicity (Al Jurf, Ajman), offering an evening filled with joy, laughter, and memorable experiences for the attendees present.
Since the first delivery in January 2003, Thumbay Healthcare has successfully conducted over 90,000 deliveries, significantly contributing to its growth and establishing itself as the UAE’s most sought-after family hospital for maternity care. The Obstetrics and Gynecology (OBG) department serves approximately 35,000 patients annually and is equipped with 10 state-of-theart labor and delivery rooms, a dedicated OBG emergency unit, and specialized operating theatres. Additionally, there is a postnatal ward with private rooms for new mothers, ensuring a comfortable and supportive environment during their recovery.
The event was graced by the presence of Chief Guest Dr. Thumbay Moideen, Founder President of Thumbay Group, along with Akbar Moideen Thumbay, Vice President of Thumbay Healthcare.
The celebration featured various activities designed to engage both children and adults. Highlights included balloon twisting, magic shows, face painting, and a best-dressed babies’ contest, with three winners announced. The event culminated in a cake-cutting ceremony that signified the growth and joy shared by infants and their families over the years.
Attendees also had the chance to participate in a raffle draw, with five winners receiving surprise gifts aimed at enhancing their parenting experience. A dedicated photo booth was available for families to create personalized keepsakes. Additionally, parents received vouchers for a health check-up valued at AED 3,499, available for AED 399, as well as a free dental consultation.
“As we commemorate the remarkable achievement of 90,000 deliveries within our hospital family, we recognize the profound honor of being part of these significant milestones in the lives of so many. It is a privilege to support the early development of each child, who represents the hope for a healthier and brighter future. Together with their families, we take pride in witnessing the growth, milestones, and vast potential that these new lives will contribute to our community. This milestone reaffirms our commitment to providing exceptional care and nurturing the next generation, ensuring that every child has the opportunity to thrive,” said Akbar Moideen Thumbay, Vice President of Thumbay Healthcare.
The hospital also offers an affordable maternity package, further enhancing its commitment to accessible and quality care for families. Maternity package at Thumbay University Hospital includes consultations with specialist gynecologists, free delivery booking, and antenatal classes. Priced at AED 5,499 for normal deliveries and AED 8,999 for C-section deliveries, the package is designed to diagnose, monitor, and prevent health issues, promoting healthier lifestyles for expectant mothers.
source: http://www.english.varthabharati.in / Vartha Bharati / Home> Gulf / by Vartha Bharati / October 16th, 2024
Nanzeen Rahman Zaffar at the World tennis Masters’ Tour in Portugal
A woman in her 40s; a homemaker, a doting mother, and an ideal daughter-in-law – Nazneen Rahman Zaffar of Guwahati is all this yet has a distinct identity. She is an international tennis player.
Nazneen proves that age is no bar to success She is a mother of two children manages her family well and is yet able to find the time and energy to excel in sports.
“I played sports in school but never got into sports professionally. In college, I was focused on studying. I started playing late in life after I got married.’ After 10 years of playing tennis, she took a break to care for her children and family.
“I started playing tennis in 2011 and the next year, I participated in the state-level tournaments. Tasting success, I was even more interested in playing, and later on, I trained well and played at the national level,” Zaffar told Awaz-The Voice.
Nazneen Zaffar playing tennis
Later Nazneen Zaffar finished among the top 10 at the ITF Masters.
She says her daughter encouraged and inspired her to play tennis. Her daughter is currently pursuing her higher studies at the A&M University in Texas.
“When I took my daughter Raina Zaffar to the stadium for tennis training, I too wanted to play. Some of my friends always told me that I played good tennis and I should continue. They told me that they wanted to see me at the international level in Indian colours. I thought; why not give it a try? I participated in the international games held by the All India Tennis Association in Haryana where I won my first trophy in the doubles event.”
Nazneer Zaffar with her trophis and receiving a trophy
Nazneen Zaffar won the All Assam CTC Mixed Doubles titles in 2023 and 2024, finished runner-up in World Masters Tournament 200 in Dubai in 2023, won titles in Masters Tournament 200 in Guwahati and in Darjeeling in 2023 and a Masters Tournament 100 in Gurugram in 2023.
She also won the doubles title in a Masters 400 in Thailand.
“I gradually started participating in more tournaments and my ranking improved. Then when India sent a women’s team for the World Championships, I was appointed its Captain.”
She took the first women’s tennis team to Portugal. “Most importantly, every player in our team was a mother. It’s nice to think that we have made a distinct identity after having children.”
Nazneen Zaffar with her husband Shahnawaz Zaffar.
Nazneen has broken the myth that it is difficult for women to maintain physical fitness after becoming mothers. Nazneen is an athlete and an active fitness influencer on social media as well.
“I think sports and physical education are always complementary. When I had to take my daughter to different places for sports, I had to take care of her body and fitness. Since it becomes too expensive to take a fitness coach with us every time, I studied how we can keep ourselves fit; and how a tennis player can take care of her fitness.”
“It becomes quite difficult for women of my age to keep fit after bearing children. Many women give up self-care. However, I believe that every woman should take care of herself, not just because she has to play sports, but for her physical and mental health. They must walk and do yoga. Muscle formation slows down in a woman after the age of 30. On the other hand, when the time of menopause comes at the age of 40, many hormonal imbalances occur.
Raina Zaffar in the tennis court (Left) Nazneen and his family in Tennis court
“We have to keep ourselves fit to deal with all these problems. There are so many women who after a certain age would say we can’t do this… we can’t do that. But I think there is no age to stop learning. Even a woman in her 80s and 90s can learn or do many things if she has the confidence and desire. When I started playing, there were very few women in Assam, but now many women have come out,” Nazneen said.
“I have been imparting free yoga training at the Khanapara ground. I believe apart from physical fitness, we must also focus on mental health. When we are mentally fit, we live happily and can also keep others happy; and deal with all the problems. When members of a family see this change in the woman, they too want to change,” the fitness influencer emphasized.
In many cases, a woman, especially a Muslim woman, finds going out a hassle. As a Muslim woman, Nazneen Zaffar has never encountered someone questioning or blocking her; rather she receives support from her family.
Nazneen Zaffar with the Indian team
“I get a lot of support from my family. My father supported me when I was young and later it was my husband Shahnawaz Zaffar. He is an NIS-accredited tennis coach. He guides me on many aspects of the game. Many women, especially Muslims, are reluctant to go out. I am very fortunate that my family supports me financially and mentally.”
Nazneen also links sports with religion and spiritualism. “I pray and fast regularly except sometimes when I am playing for competitions. When I have to go out for sports, I stay in a single room so that I can carry on with my religious activities smoothly. Religion helps us keep our bodies healthy. We fast for a month which is a very positive practice and this rule of fasting has many scientific implications for an athlete,” she said.
Since a player faces various situations during sports how can the player maintain mental stability to cope with good and bad situations are some difficult aspects of sports. Nazneen Zaffar, an athlete and fitness influencer, has done a course in sports psychology. Through this, she has been advising many players on how to keep their mental state stable.
“I did a course in sports psychology. Tennis is a very difficult game. There are many good and bad experiences. Since my daughter and son play along with me, I’ve done this course,” she said.
Nazneen with Bollywood actor Gul Panag
“I have been able to help my children stay mentally stable. I also advise many other players to stay strong. The course teaches how to deal with situations after losing a game or how to be determined. For instance, I have to decide the moment I enter the court that I have to win this game anyway, no matter who the competitor is. It helps me to keep up with the expectations of the audience,” she explained.
Of late Nazneen has been promoting a relatively new sport in Assam – pickleball.
“Pickleball is a fast-spreading sport in Assam. It is spreading rapidly in the US as well as in Asian countries. It is spreading in India as well. This game is simple and convenient. It has no hard and fast rules. It is a mixture of tennis, table tennis, badminton, etc, and can be played by people of all ages. It is a game where a polymer ball is played with a small paddle made of fiber, micro-fiber, and wood. We have brought this game to Assam. We recently demonstrated pickleball in several schools and IAS Colony and got a very good response.”
Pickleball has been launched in 23 states of India. In NCR, Delhi NCR, and Western India, new coaches are coming up and about 10,000 players have registered. An institute named Pickleball World Ranking was launched recently in Dubai.
source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Story / by Munni Begum, Guwahati / August 06th, 2024
Dr. Mustafa A. Barbhuiya at his workplace in the US
Hailing from a remote village in southern Assam’s Hailakandi district, Dr. Mustafa A. Barbhuiya has been selected among top 100 most influential people in Pathology, specifically, as one of the Top 20 Heroes of Pathology in US for this year.
Featured in ‘The Pathologist Power List’ 2024, Dr Mustafa has demonstrated innovation, leadership, and achievement in the field of Pathology. But the journey of Dr Mustafa to achieve this coveted position was not so easy.
Dr Barbhuiya completed his elementary schooling (HSLC/10th) in Sanuhar Ali Memorial High School, Bahadurpur, a remote village in Hailakandi district of southern Assam. During those days in the early nineties, his village neither had electricity nor had motorable road communication.
Dr Barbhuiya Mustafa with his family
“I used to cycle from my village on muddy roads to attend Advanced Mathematics and Science classes in Hailakandi town. I went to Gurucharan College, Silchar, Assam for 12th and Bachelor of Science with a major in Zoology and pass course in Botany, Chemistry and other science and language electives,” Dr Barbhuiya told Awaz – The Voice.
He studied further in Jiwaji University, Gwalior for Masters and PhD in Biochemistry which paved his way to become a Clinical Biochemist and a Molecular Biologist.
“I will remain ever grateful to two of my teachers who helped me to become what I am today. One is Prof. Baby Singha (Retired) of Department of Zoology, Gurucharan College, Silchar with whom I have specialized in the subject of Parasitology and I have never looked back. The other teacher who actually got me into Clinical Biochemistry was Late Prof. Meenu Rai, former Head of Biochemistry, College of Life Sciences, Cancer Hospital and Research Institute, Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh.
“My PhD guide Prof. Pramod K. Tiwari shaped me as the future molecular biologist with whom I have not only learnt about science of medicine, study of diseases but several life lessons that I continue to carry as of today,” Dr Barbhuiya said.
Dr Barbhuiya with his collegaues
Dr Barbhuiya completed his PhD in Biochemistry Jiwaji University, Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh in July, 2013. He went to Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA in July 2013 to pursue advanced postdoctoral training.
“The ultimate goal was to return to India and set up my own laboratory around clinical biochemistry and molecular diagnostics in my home state Assam. But the circumstances after completion of my postdoctoral training in Johns Hopkins and lack of securing a suitable job back in India compelled me to pursue things in the United States. I further completed my clinical chemistry fellowship in Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA and have become a practicing clinical biochemist and clinical laboratory director,” he said.
Dr Barbhuiya currently holds the position of section medical director overseeing the Clinical Chemistry and Point of Care Testing operations of Baystate Health Pathology services across Western Massachusetts, USA. He provides clinical consultation to physicians and other healthcare providers regarding the laboratory test interpretations in the subspecialty area as systems consultant.
Dr Barbhuiya with other renowned pathologists
He ensures that the clinical laboratory meets several US federal and local state regulations delivering timely and accurate diagnosis for patients. He is accountable for the effective management and administrations of clinical operations of the Clinical Chemistry and Point of Care Testing service within the Baystate Health Pathology operations. He also serves as Assistant Professor of Pathology; Healthcare Delivery and Population Sciences, UMass Chan Medical School- Baystate Regional Campus.
Dr Barbhuiya has set up a global non-profit organization, Foundation for Advancement of Essential Diagnostics, both in the USA and India. “My next goal is to take my non-profit foundation activities to low and middle-income countries around the world and locally serve in underserved areas of the United States,” he added.
Academically, Dr Barbhuiya is making efforts to continue his research areas of interest. His primary areas of research are studying biliary tract (liver and gallbladder) cancer mechanisms, discover biomarkers of diagnostic and therapeutic values.
source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Story / by Daulat Rahman, Guwahati / October 27th, 2024
Chathiramanai village (Perambalur district) /Tiruchi, TAMIL NADU :
A. Basheer Khan, right, and his son Mohamed Imran, of Tiruchi demonstrate the oil spill filtration device that they have designed and obtained a patent. / | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
A. Basheer Khan, 62, and his son B. Mohamed Imran, 28, of Tiruchi recently received a patent for a device that they designed to remove oil spill from seawater through filtration along coastal areas.
The recognition was given on September 24 by the Patent Office and is valid for 20 years from the date of filing.
“At present, the technology to deal with oil spill on land is limited. Our device uses a low-energy method to draw out the oil contaminated water from a targeted area, and after filtering, pumps cleaned water back into the sea. The filtered sediment has to be processed further for eco-friendly usage,” Mr. Khan told The Hindu.
Mr. Khan, who retired as a machinist at the Ordnance Factory Tiruchi (OFT) in 2023, was interested in engineering from a young age while growing up at Chathiramanai village, Perambalur district. “ I studied at an Industrial Training Institute in the 1980s and apprenticed at Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL). I used to be inspired by mechanical objects and science concepts to invent my own machines. In 2017, when an outbound empty tanker collided with an inbound loaded oil tanker in Ennore, Chennai, the crude oil was spread all over the coastal areas. I decided to design something to deal with such situations, and started working on the concept from 2018,” he said.
A prototype of the device is available at his home. It consists of a metal tank with two sections for polluted and clean water. The inlet pipe is lined with fine nylon mesh and sieved sand to allow free movement of water contaminated with oil.
During a demonstration on Saturday, Mr. Khan mixed machine oil into water in one section of the device and created ‘waves’ in it with the help of a small steel snack plate fitted to a pulley and sewing machine motor. To guide the water into the filtering inlet pipe, a manually operated shutter fixed with multiple springs is placed at the mouth of the targeted area. In a matter of minutes, the oil and grease were separated from water.
Mr. Imran, who helped his father in research and trials, said the prototype had potential for commercial development. “In the event of an oil spill, our machine can help not only save the environment, but also keep salvage workers safe from direct exposure to harmful chemicals,” he said.
source: http://www.tartv.in / TARTV / Home / by admin / October 19th, 2024
Abid, a painter, puts immense effort to help bring back stranded people to India, the act which brings cheers to the families. He has mastered the skill, how to deal with embassies, journalists, officials and celebs to raise each issue and bring back the lost person.
Syed Abid Hussain
Bhopal:
A man has been quietly helping Indian citizens caught in difficult circumstances in countries across the world for years.
Known for lending a helping hand to any family whose kin is trapped far away, he uses all his links and puts energy into the efforts to bring the person back home.
Syed Abid Hussain has mastered the skill to deal with the bureaucracy in different countries and with the use of social media, reunites such people with their families.
By profession, Abid is neither a bureaucrat nor a politician, who has contacts and departments to follow their instructions but he is just a painter and single man army.
And even not being associated with any government organisation, he has so far helped hundreds of people stuck in countries spread over the Middle East, West Asia, Europe and other parts of the world. Abid keeps getting calls and messages from families who have their kin caught in a country and even those whose whereabouts are not known.
The ‘Mesiah’ has developed a style of his own to resolve these cases. Whether it’s the case of a person who is untraceable or has been kept unlawfully by someone in a foreign land, Abid uses social media, particularly Twitter, to bring focus on the disappearance of the person or his plight. He tags officials of the particular country, their embassies and the Indian Embassy.
He also messages prominent personalities of the particular country, including peaceniks or activists, film actors, journalists and urges them to raise the issue. Subsequently, it comes in media in those countries, gets attention and opens the door to the person’s return.
During the Russia and Ukraine crisis, he helped dozens of youth to return with his efforts.
“I don’t have a strong financial background but I never take a penny for this work. It’s just for the sake of humanity and social work”, he says.
The number of people Abid helped bring back to the country is uncounted now. “I don’t do it for any number or statistics, I stopped counting, the figure is more than 500,” he says. “Whenever I get a call I start working on the mission. I feel that the victim’s family must not get depressed and lose hope”, he adds. One of the first cases that brought him nationwide attention was when he helped the family of a missing boy, Kailash Arjunwar.
“I found through a newspaper report about Kailash, who is from Madhya Pradesh that he had somehow overstayed on the other side of the border and was caught, and kept in jail. I began my efforts. After a long process, Kailash was rescued with the help of the foreign ministry. I constantly kept raising his issue until it got resolved”, he recalled.
Recently, Abid helped get 12 people from a country in West Asia to return to India. These people, Harendra Ram, hails from Siwan (Bihar), Jai Soorat (Ghazipur), Dharmendra Kumar (Deoria), Sheetal Singh (Kapurthala), Husan Lal (Jalandhar), Surendra Verma (Sant Kabir Nagar), Ved Prakash (Kushinagar), Hardas Prakash (Ghazipur) and Shiv Locahn of Mau along with others were reunited with their families.
From yet another country, he helped bring 48 persons back to India, in January. A painter by profession, he was born in Faizabad, UP.
Abid, 38, says that when he started helping people stuck in foreign lands, he came to know about a lot of factors, especially how some people who are less educated are fooled by their employers or agents who take them to those countries but they end up working as bonded labourers sometimes & are even not allowed to contact families.
When Abid comes to know about a family that has a person ‘lost’ in a country, he takes documents and contacts the government, foreign ministry, the particular country’s consulate and embassies in both countries. Mostly he manages to get them returned. Former Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj also used to know him for his efforts. Sandeep Kumar, who was helped rescued by Abid recalls, “Our company had promised a job in the construction sector. After paying money to the agent, we were cheated.” “Our families told Abid bhai, who started the campaign because we couldn’t do anything. He also ran a hashtag to save us and this led to action (return),” says Sandeep, who is thankful to the activist for his role.
In the case of Babar Ali, who was stuck in Mozambique, the family approached Abid. “Babar was promised a big salary but when he reached there, he was not paid and made to work 18 hrs daily apart from harassment and torture”, said his family members. “He made a video and managed to send it. Then Abid took up the case and the Embassy acted, bringing Babar back”, a family member mentioned.
Abid has been felicitated many times and got awards too for his work.
Abid has been affectionately called ‘Bajrangi Bhaijan’ because of the movie and the similarity of his work with the Salman Khan starrer Bollywood flick.
source: http://www.enewsroom.in / eNews Room India / Home> Freshly Brewed> Madhya Pradesh / by Shams Ur Rehman Alavi / February 02nd, 2023
Rana Ayyub, an Indian investigative journalist and Global Opinion Writer at The Washington Post, is the recipient of one of the two coveted 2024 International Press Freedom Awards, as announced by Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE). She has been named for this award for her reporting that tenaciously upholds press freedom while holding governments accountable.
Ayyub will attend the CJFE Gala: A Night to Celebrate Courage in Journalism, where she will accept the award in Toronto on October 23.
When Ayyub went undercover in 2010 to look into the government’s role in communal violence – which is defined as violence based on race or religion – she established her reputation for fearless reporting. Since then, she has provided news and investigative reports about the persecution of minorities, state-sanctioned violence, and communal politics for a variety of Indian and international publications, such as The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Guardian, The Atlantic, and Foreign Policy. Her best-selling book, Gujarat Files: Anatomy of a Cover-up was released in 2016.
The Modi administration has reacted angrily to Ayyub’s political exposés. Ayyub is one of India’s most harassed and abused reporters, according to the International Centre for Journalists, and the UN special rapporteur has urged Indian government to stop the “relentless misogynistic and sectarian attacks” against her.
source: http://www.radiancenews.com / Radiance News / Home> Pride of the Nation> Awards / by Radiance News Bureau / October 04th, 2024
