Profiles of Freedom Fighters from Aligarh Muslim University

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Aligarh, UTTAR PRADESH :

It is well-timed and relevant to know that Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) has produced many freedom fighters who fought for independence. While we are celebrating the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, present-day India is going through difficult and trying times, as hate speeches against Indian Muslims are often heard from every corner of India. It is believed that most of them are not patriotic and are supporters of Pakistan.

During the last eight years we have seen some incidents of mob lynchings of Muslims and Dalits and have also heard unfortunate calls for genocide of Muslims. Knowing about the contribution of AMU towards the national struggle of independence is relevant to dispel the myth that the founder of AMU, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, advocated that Muslims of India constituted a separate nation, qaum, or that the idea of Pakistan took birth among the intellectual class of Aligarh. Moreover, the study of AMU’s contribution to freedom movement will, it is believed, strengthen Hindu-Muslim Unity.

The Mohammado Anglo-Oriental College (MAO College), Aligarh, established in 1875 (which later became AMU in 1920), produced many freedom fighters, prominent among them are Ali brothers (Maulana Shaukat Ali and Mohammad Ali), Abdul Gaffar Khan (Frontier Gandhi), Maulana Hasarat Mohani, Raja Mahinder Pratap (President of 1st Indian Government established in exile at Kabul), S. M. Tonki, Saifuddin Kichloo Kitchlew (recipient of Lenin Peace Prize), Abdul Majeed Khwaja and Qazi Adeel Abbasi, Saith Yaqoob Hasan, Ali Sardar Jafri, Shafiqe-ur-Rehman Kidwai, Rafi Ahmad Kidwai, Raja Gulam Husain, Shoeb Qureshi, Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, Dr. Datu (Leader of African National Conference), Abdul Matin Chowdhry (Founder Member of Indian Civil Liberty Union), Mazharul Haque, Syed Ali Zaheer, Syed Hossain, Syed Mir Qasim, Syed Rauf Pasha, Tassauq Ahmad Khan Sherwani, Yaseen Noori Z Ahmad, and Zafar Ali Khan.

In the following pages we provide a brief profile of fifteen prominent freedom fighters who are alumni of AMU (Hakeem Ajmal Khan was not an alumni alumnus of AMU but was associated with it as a member of Trustee).

Khan Abdul Ghaffar (1890-1988)

Khan Abdul Ghaffar is one of the most important Muslim freedom fighters of India and he was also known as “Frontier Gandhi “. He started the famous Khudai Khidmatgar (“Servants of God”) movement in 1929 and it was a very successful freedom movement. The British were so infuriated by the success of the movement that they began a harsh crackdown on its supporters. The atrocities committed on Khudai Khidmatgar were one of the most severe repressions that the Indian independence Movement ever witnessed. He also opposed the All-India Muslim League’s demand for the partition of India. When the Congress Party did not consult him on partition, he felt very sad and told the Congress “you have thrown us to the wolves”. After the partition, he remained in Pakistan and started fighting for a separate Baloch province. He was jailed many times from 1948 to 1988 and most of the time was under house arrest. When he died in 1988, tens of thousands of mourners attended his funeral. At the same time heavy fighting was going on between Soviet forces and Afghan Rebel forces but both stopped their fight and paid tribute to the great leader.

Zakir Husain (1897-1969)

Dr. Zakir Husain served as 3rd President of India and he was also the first Muslim President of India. He was one of the founders of Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi. He was deeply influenced by Gandhi’s doctrine of Non-Violence and believed that India’s struggle for freedom would only be successful when Indian Society is educated with value-based education. He acted as the Vice Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia for 22 years (1926-48) and made it one of the finest educational institutes in India. He was awarded The Bharat Ratna, India’s highest National Honour.

Saifuddin Kitchlew (1888-1963)

Dr. Saifuddin Kitchlew completed his studies in Europe and then returned to India to practice Law. He was appointed as Municipal Commissioner of Amritsar when the infamous Rowlatt Act was passed by the British Government. He soon left his law practice and took part in the Non-Cooperation Movement. He was arrested with Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Satyapal for leading a protest in Punjab and to protest the arrest of the trio, a public meeting gathered at the Jallianwala Bagh where Gen. Reginald Dyer and his troops fired mercilessly upon the unarmed civilian crowd. He was also the founding leader of the Indian Youth Congress. Kitchlew spends nearly fourteen years in jail for his revolutionary activities. He strongly opposed the Muslim League’s demand for Pakistan and partition of India. India Post released a special commemorative stamp featuring him on his 100 Birth Anniversary.

Abdul Majeed Khwaja (1885-1962)

Khwaja Sahab, as Abdul Majeed Khwaja was affectionately known as, served – first as Vice Chancellor and then as Chancellor of the Jamia Millia Islamia for the longest duration in its 100 years. Jamia’s history will remain incomplete without his mention.

He was educated at MAO College, Aligarh, after which he went to Cambridge and was called to the Bar. At Cambridge his contemporaries included Jawaharlal Nehru, Saifuddin Kitchlew, Syed Mahmud and T. A. K. Sherwani, all of whom joined India’s freedom movement.

Khwaja Sahab was a committed Congressman who had joined the party in 1915 and, despite ups and downs, remained with it till his last breath. He also remained associated with Jamiat Ulama-i- Hind almost from the beginning and was in the Khilafat delegation that went to England. He was Junior Law Professor at MAO College, had served as its Trustee and was also Secretary of the MAO Old Boys’ Association.

Khwaja Sahab was a distinguished lawyer, and was quite famous in Patna High Court. But, in response to the call for non-cooperation which included boycotting the British Government supported education, he gave up his legal practice, and got himself involved in the formation and building of Jamia.

Abdul Majeed Kwaja held high offices in the Khilafat Congress and was associated with Jamait- Ulamae-e-Hind from its inception. He was a close associate of Jawaharlal Nehru and a great advocate of Hindu-Muslim unity. He took keen interest in the Khilafat movement and went to England as a member of the Khilafat delegation (1920), led by Dr. MA Ansari.

Hakeem Ajmal Khan (1868-1927)

Ajmal Khan was a prominent leader of India’s freedom struggle and was among the founders of Jamia Millia Islamia. He is also the sole person who has had the honour to be elected the President of the Indian National Congress, the Muslim League and the All-India Khilafat Committee. He was a prominent freedom fighter, respected physician and academician of India. After beginning his practice, Khan was elected as the main physician to the Nawab of Rampur from the time period 1892 to 1902. Here, he was introduced to Sir Sayyid who chose him as the trustee of the MAO College.

His life changed its course from medicine towards politics after he started writing for an Urdu weekly ‘Akmal-ul-Akhbar’ that was launched during 1865-70. Khan was also heading the Muslim team, who met the Viceroy of India in Shimla in the year 1906 to give him a memorandum for creation of AMU.

At a time when many Muslim leaders were arrested, Ajmal Khan approached Mahatma Gandhi for help. As such, Gandhiji united with him and other Muslim leaders like Maulana Azad, Maulana Mohammad Ali and Maulana Shaukat Ali in the famous Khilafat movement. Ajmal Khan resigned from AMU as its trustee when the authorities refused to accept the non-cooperation movement waged by Gandhiji and the Congress against the British government. He was elected the president of the Indian National Congress in 1921.

Hasrat Mohani (1877-1951)

Syed Fazl-ul-Hasan, known by his pen-name Hasrat Mohani, co-founder of Communist Party of India, was an Indian political activist (as he was expelled from MAO College in 1903 due to his political activities), freedom fighter in the Indian independence movement and a noted poet of the Urdu language. He coined the notable slogan “Inquilab Zindabad” (translation of “Long live the revolution!”) in 1921. Together with Swami Kumaranand, he is regarded as the first person to demand complete independence for India in 1921 at the Ahmedabad Session of Congress. Maghfoor Ahmad Ajazi supported the complete independence motion demanded by Hasrat Mohani. The demand of “complete independence” was however not upheld by Mahatma Gandhi then as he believed that “it could not be incorporated in the Congress creed until the Hindu-Muslim unity is completely achieved which also meant that the idea was premature.

Mohani was opposed to the Nehru Committee Report and left Congress to become President of the Muslim League at Ahmedabad in 1921. As a member of the Constituent Assembly, he refused to sign the draft Constitution to protest partition and India’s membership of the Commonwealth.

While he was a devout Muslim, he didn’t find it odd to be inspired by Krishna, the Hindu deity. Makkah, Mathura and Moscow were Hasrat Mohani’s popular symbols. He did not find any conflict between them. A firm believer in religious integration, he repeatedly performed hajj pilgrim as well as attended the Sri-Krishna celebration fair held annually at Mathura.

Raja Mahendra Pratap (1886-1979)

Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh was an Indian freedom fighter, journalist, writer, revolutionary, President in the Provisional Government of India, which served as the Indian Government in exile during World War I from Kabul in 1915, and social reformist in the Republic of India. He also formed the Executive Board of India in Japan in 1940 during the Second World War. He also took part in the Balkan War in the year 1911 along with his fellow students of MAO college. He is popularly known as “Aryan Peshwa”. Government of U.P. established in 2021, Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh State University, at Aligarh, to cherish his memory and legacy. Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the University on 13 September 2021.

Maulana Shaukat Ali (1873-1938)

Shaukat Ali was the elder brother of the renowned political leader Mohammad Ali Jouhar. He helped his younger brother Mohammad Ali to publish the Urdu weekly, Hamdard, and the English weekly Comrade. In 1915 he published an article which said Turks were right to fight the British. These two weekly magazines played a key role in shaping the political policy of Muslim India back then. In 1919, while jailed for publishing what the British charged as seditious materials and organizing protests, he was elected as the last president of the Khilafat conference. He was re-arrested and imprisoned from 1921 to 1923 for his support to Mahatma Gandhi and the Indian National Congress during the Non-Cooperation Movement (1919–1922). His fans accorded him and his brother the title of Maulana. In March 1922, he was in Rajkot jail and was later released in 1923.

While still a supporter of Congress and its non-violent ethos, Ali even surpassed some of his colleagues in also providing support to the revolutionary independence movement. To this end, he supplied guns to Sachindranath Sanyal.

He opposed the 1928 Nehru Report. Instead, he demanded separate electorates for Muslims and finally the Khilafat Committee rejected the Nehru Report. Shaukat Ali attended the first and second Round Table Conferences (India) in London in 1930-31. Ali served as a member of the ‘Central Assembly’ in British India from 1934 to 1938. He travelled all over the Middle East, building support for India’s Muslims and the struggle for independence from British rule in India.

Maulana Muhammad Ali Jauhar (1878-1931)

Maulana Muhammad Ali Jauhar studied in MAO College and in Oxford University. He launched non-cooperation and Khilafat movement with Mahatma Gandhi. His regular writings in leading Indian and foreign newspapers like The Times, London, The Manchester Guardian and The Observer made him look like a visionary that the Indian Muslims and the general public was waiting for decades. Later, in the year 1911 he launched his well-received magazine The Comrade in Calcutta. But Kolkata didn’t suit him much and he shifted base to Delhi, from where he launched an Urdu daily, Hamdard, in 1913. Muhammad Ali was in the forefront in the war against British Raj. He wholeheartedly supported Mahatma Gandhi’s call for a national civil resistance movement, and inspired hundreds of protests and strikes all over India. He was arrested by British authorities and imprisoned for two years for what was termed as a seditious speech at one such meeting. He was one of the founders of Jamia Millia Islamia and was its first Vice Chancellor.

He was elected the President of INC in 1923. The fearless Maulana, despite his ill-health, went to attend the first Round Table Conference in London in 1930. He told the British Government in a very clear tone that he would not return to India alive unless the country was set free. “I would prefer to die in a foreign country so long as it is a free country, and if you do not give us freedom in India, you will have to give me a grave here”, the Maulana said. The true freedom lover, Muhammad Ali died during the same journey in London on 4 January 1931. He was buried in Jerusalem in the proximity of the Dome of Rock. While speaking bluntly in the Round Table Conference, he said, “I have not come to ask for Dominion Status. I do not believe in the attainment of Dominion Status. The one thing to which I am committed is complete independence. In Madras in 1927, we passed a resolution making that our goal.”

Abdul Qaiyum Ansari (1905-1973) was a freedom fighter of India. He was known for his commitment to national integration, secularism and communal harmony. He fought against Jinnah’s two nation theory through the All-India Momin Conference of which he was the President. He vehemently opposed the very idea of Pakistan and spoke out openly to the extent of inviting attack by Muslim League supporters. While speaking in Patna during the Bihar Provincial Momin Conference on 21 April 1940, Abdul Qayyum said: “It is blasphemy to say that Islam is in danger here. It is tragedy to place orders for a Pakistan for the segregation of Islam. It is a defeat of Islam to run away from the battle of life in search of a privilege. It is a fantastic wavering of a fevered mind”.

He was impressed by Mahatma Gandhi, Maulana Azad and Ali Brothers who were the leading lights of the freedom movement. His activism in the freedom movement and social causes can be gauged by the fact that he established a national school for the students who had boycotted government schools in response to the call of the Indian National Congress (INC). For this he was arrested and imprisoned at the young age of 16 since it amounted to participation in Non-Cooperation and Khilafat Movements. Abdul Qaiyum Ansari was also a champion of weaker sections of the society. He was among the top leaders of the Momin Conference and used the forum to make every effort to beat Muslim League and its divisive agenda. Besides, he also stood firmly against divisive politics of other organizations. He worked closely with the INC throughout as a youth leader and even took part in the students’ agitation against the Simon Commission during its visit to Calcutta in 1928. He was also an accomplished journalist, writer and a poet.

Ali Sardar Jafri (1913-2000)

Sardar was a rebel, freedom fighter, pacifist, radical activist, story writer, critic and documentary filmmaker at once. But, above all, he was a poet endowed with exquisite imagination, one of the brightest stars on the firmament of 20th century Urdu poetry. Like all great poets he was a prophet engaged in unravelling the mysteries and ambiguity of human drama. The principal theme of his poetry was compassion, love, perseverance and sensitivity surviving amidst the callous inhumanity of our times. In his unique style, he depicted the exemplary survival of the human spirit in face of all- pervasive adversity and defeatism. In so doing he not only carried forward the traditions of Urdu poetry but enriched its treasure with new symbols and powerful imagery. Indeed, his poetry gradually evolved into a genre of its own kind whose influence is difficult to ignore among the present generation of Urdu poets.

Sardar’s early works reflected a restless yearning for India’s independence from the colonial yoke. Equally intense was his yearning for the freedom and dignity of the proletariat. This was because of the strong impact of the Progressive Writers’ Movement inspired by Marxism and the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia in 1917. As early as 1938, he joined the movement at its conference held in Calcutta and soon became one of its leading advocates. The influence of Marxism on his poetry was thus profound and everlasting.

AMU conferred a doctorate (D. Litt.) on him in 1986, fifty years after he was expelled from the university. He was the fourth person to receive this honour, his predecessors being the notable Dr. Allama Iqbal, Mrs. Sarojini Naidu and Jigar Moradabai. His works have been translated into many Indian and foreign languages.

K.M. Ashraf (1903-1962)

Kunwar Mohammad Ashraf was an eminent historian, scholar of Islamic studies, a communist leader and crusader of Hindu-Muslim unity. During the non-cooperation movement, he left MAO College to join recently created Jamia Millia. Later he rejoined AMU in 1923 to pursue M.A. (History) and LL.B. courses. He received a Ph.D. from SOAS, London University. After teaching at AMU for a year, he gave up his academic career due to his commitment to the national movement. Ashraf came under the influence of Professor Mohammad Habib and joined socialist movement. Inspired by the Russian Revolution, he joined the Congress Socialist Party formed in 1934. During 1933-34, he led the Meo peasant struggle against the Maharaja of Alwar’s oppression and the Government had to intervene to introduce reforms. Dr. Ashraf was a trusted associate of Jawaharlal Nehru and was a member of AICC from 1934-45. He headed the Muslim Mass Contacts Campaign Cell of Congress, 1937-39, formed to wean away the Muslims from the influence of Muslim League and propagate Congress’ nationalist programmes. Ashraf exhorted the Indian Muslims to participate in the freedom movement and staunchly opposed M.A, Jinnah’s idea of Pakistan. He served as the Secretary to Jawaharlal Nehru and Maulana Azad when they were Congress Presidents. In 1948 he edited Naya Daur, the daily newspaper that denounced communalism and was distributed by the CPI. He taught at the University of Delhi and joined the Humboldt University, Berlin as a Guest Professor (Medieval Indian History) in 1960. In 1962 he died and was buried in the ‘Cemetery of Socialists’ at Berlin.

Rafi Ahmad Kidwai (1894-1954)

An Indian independence activist and a socialist to the core, Rafi Ahmed Kidwai’s ceaseless efforts in making the country free from British rule have been nothing but praiseworthy. Although a graduate from MAO College, his skills of keen observation and learning from human nature took him beyond bookish knowledge. During the crisis situations that he had to deal with during his service to the nation, he showed distinct man management skills and an innovative approach to resolve human issues. And with Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru as his mentor, there was no stopping him further. His efforts in bringing out many reforms and fighting against the unjust with utmost conviction will always be remembered. A committed freedom fighter to the very end!

It was by 1920 that Kidwai’s political career officially began after he had become an active force behind the Khilafat Movement and the Non-Cooperation Movement and was even jailed for the same. In 1922, he moved to Allahabad after being released from jail and served as the private secretary to Motilal Nehru. In 1926, Kidwai was elected to the Central Legislative Assembly of British India and from there on it was his political and social insightfulness that made him the Chief Whip of the Congress Legislative Assembly from 1926 to 1929. He also held the secretary position of the United Provinces Congress Committee and organized a no-rent campaign to protect Ashraf came under the influence of Professor Mohammad Habib and joined socialist movement. The farmers of the Rae Bareli district from the ongoing economic depression. For this, he was even sentenced for six months.

The Government of India Act 1935 made him a minister-in-charge of managing the revenues and jail portfolios in Pandit Govind Ballabh Pant’s cabinet in the United Provinces when congress government was set up. He was second to Pant as home minister in the 1946 government and in the same year, he became the home minister of UP. Post-independence, Kidwai became India’s first minister for communication in Jawahar Lal Nehru’s cabinet. Kidwai, along with Abul Kalam Azad, were the two Muslims in Nehru’s central cabinet. The “own your telephone” service that he launched in 1948 still goes by the name of OYT; under which a new telephone may be obtained. In the same year, he also launched night air mail service as a minister for communications.

Saith Yaqoob Hasan (1875-1940)

Saith Yaqoob Hasan (Maulana Yakub Hasan Saith) was an Indian businessman, freedom- fighter and politician who served as a cabinet minister for Public Works in the Madras presidency, under Rajaji (1937-1939). In 1916, Saith was elected to the Madras Legislative Council by the South Indian Chamber of Commerce. He joined the INC and participated in the Khilafat agitations in 1919 and was imprisoned for six months. He was arrested and imprisoned once again in 1921 for his participation in the Non-Cooperation Movement. On his return from jail in 1923, he resigned from the Congress and founded the Madras Province Muslim League. This move was prompted by Saith’s preference for Dominion Status when the Congress declared independence as its primary goal. As a result, no Muslim leader from the Presidency participated in the Civil Disobedience Movement. Saith stood for the elections and was elected to the Assembly.

Before the 1937 elections, Saith, left the Madras Provincial Muslim League and joined the Indian National Congress. Soon, he became one of the top leaders of the provincial Congress. He condemned Mohammad Iqbal’s two-nation theory and supported a united India. However, he still supported most of the other policies of the Muslim League.

Shoeb Qureshi

Qureshi edited Harijan during the detention of Gandhiji.

(Abdulrahim P. Vijapur is currently Emeritus Professor of Political Science at the University of Science and Technology, Meghalaya. Formerly he was Professor of Political Science at Aligarh Muslim University. He retired in 2020 after serving AMU for 37 years. He can be reached at: Email: arvijapur@gmail.com )

This article was first published in countercurrents.org on 26 August 2022

source: http://www.indoislamic.org / Indo Islamic Heritage Centre / Home> Article / by Abdulrahim P Vijapur / October 23rd, 2023

Abdul Hadi — Gandhi of Rajasthan

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Burahan Ka Tala Village (Barmer District), RAJASTHAN :

Alhaj Abdul Hadi, a prominent public representative of western Rajasthan passed away in the government hospital, Barmer, on 6 November 2010. He was born on 5 May, 1926.

He led a life full of struggle and was elected an MLA seven times. He belonged to a famous martial race samma (Sindhi) family. His ancestors were religious and learned people. His father Alhaj Mohammed Hasan was a great Moulvi of his time. He was a poet of Sindhi language. He was a scholar of Sindhi, Urdu, Persian and Arabic languages.

Abdul Hadi published his father’s poetry in Sindhi language as ‘Bayaaz-e-kosri’ in 1999. Before partition, Sindh and Rajasthan were very close. Sindh was a prosperous region. Those interested in education would visit Sindh which was a great seat of knowledge in those days. Moulvi Mohammed Hasan Hadi’s father received his education in Sindh. Abdul Hadi respected his father too much and served him well till his end.

Abdul Hadi was a man of letters and had a good knowledge of Sindhi, Hindi, English and Urdu languages. He was fond of Sindhi sufi saint poet Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai and used to study Shah Abdul Latif’s ‘Risala’ regularly along with the recitation of the Holy Qur’an. Abdul Hadi joined politics in his teens for the service of the people. He was a great freedom fighter and active associate and follower of Jai Narayan Vyas who himself was a great freedom fighter and architect of modern Rajasthan. He was the Chief Minister of Rajasthan in the formative years of the state. In those days zamindari system was abolished which made feudals very angry. They used to harass and persecute poor farmers for taxes on land – a system abolished after the freedom of India. Abdul Hadi had been Sarpanch of Burhan-ka-tala tehsil of Chohtan in Barmer in the beginning of the Panchayati Raj. He rose from grass roots to the level of representative of state and further national level.

He was the pradhan of panchayat samiti of Chohtan 1959. He had been the president (Adhyaksh) of Central-Co-operative Bank from 1972 to 1980, i. e. for almost a decade. He had been the District President of Congress (Adhyaksh) twice for the district of Barmer. For 11 years, during 1995-2006 he had been a member of the All India Congress Committee and was a member of the State Congress Committee for many years. He was elected member of the legislative assembly for the first time in 1953 from Sanchore when Chohatan and Sanchore formed one assembly segment. His periods of assembly membership are as follows:

______________________________________

Election year   / Constituency

1953 Sanchore, Dist. Jalore & Barmer

1967 Chohatan, District Barmer

1971 Chohatan

1975 Chohatan

1985 Chohatan

1990 Chohatan

1999 up to 2004 Chohatan

__________________

Chart :

Abdul Hadi was a man of character and full of virtues. He was a disciplined politician, selfless, large-hearted, most secular and most obedient servant of the people of border area. He was closely associated with the first generation of Indian political leaders after independence like Nehru, Maulana Azad and Rafi Ahmad Qidwai. He was very close to Indira Gandhi who had great respect for him and had a special liking for Barmer and Jaisalmer and always remembered Abdul Hadi whenever she visited the area. Abdul Hadi had great personal qualities like piety, honesty, hospitality and patience and led a frugal life style. He was very kind to farmers, down trodden and poor people irrespective of caste, creed and religion. He would never surrender before an oppressor.

In 1956, his relative Mohammed Hayat Khan was killed by the notorious dacoit Balwant Singh of village Bakhasar district Barmer. Balwant Singh was an unkind, cruel and ferocious oppressor in the border area of Barmer dist. In those formative years of the Rajasthan state, there was a great menace of dacoits and cattle-lifters. They used to commit robberies and murders and then often absconded to Pakistan.

Abdul Hadi opposed dacoits and led a farmers agitation. Balwant Singh was against Abdul Hadi as he opposed him. Due to Abdul Hadi’s Congress links, Balwant killed his real brother Mohammed Hussain in his village Burhan-ka-tala. He came to kill Abdul Hadi but he was not at his house at the time, so his brother was killed instead. Abdul Hadi fought with legal methods and with the support of the Congress and men like Nathu Ram Mirdha, a kisan leader. Balwant Singh was arrested, tried and jailed. Feudalists and the old system of rulers were finished gradually.

Abdul Hadi was an honest public representative and man of action. In late fifties, there was a dishonest sub-divisional-magistrate posted in Barmer district headquarters. In spite of repeated warnings, he did not improve. He used to take bribes from farmers. Hadi warned him again and again but to no avail. The magistrate used to boast that he was very close to higher ups. Having no other course, Abdul Hadi approached the then Anti Corruption Dy. S. P. Nand Singh Chudawat who was an honest officer. In those days scientific aids of investigation were not of high standards. Dy. S. P. told Hadi that he wanted to see with his own eyes the magistrate accepting bribes. So he changed his dress to look like a farmer of the area. The SDM demanded and received bribe. Caught red-handed, the SDM was promptly arrested for receiving bribe. He was tried and punished by the Supreme Court of India. Abdul Hadi was instrumental in laying this trap.

Abdul Hadi was a real frontier leader not only of minorities but of all western Rajasthan. He was the beacon of Rajasthan from Punjab to Gujarat, i.e. for people living near 1000 kms of international borders Ganganagar, Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Barmer to Jalore, Jodhpur, Sirohi and Pali on the western side of Rajasthan. He was the most trusted sentinel of Indian borders. Abdul Hadi was a man of development. He caused development not only in Barmer district but also in the whole western Rajasthan. He made his efforts for public utility services like roads, water supplies, electricity, hospitals, schools, hostels, community house and other public amenities. For the uplift of society, education is very important. He did all his best efforts to promote education. He helped in the construction of a hostel in Barmer for the students of the area. He emphasized the importance of education. He would say: without education we cannot make any progress in modern world. He used to help poor students financially and morally.

Abdul Hadi lived for the service of people. Whenever there would be some natural disaster, he would extend all his resources for the help of the people. In western Rajasthan, due to erratic and uncertain rains, chronic famines were common. He would always stand up to extend all possible help and would ask the government to start daily wages scheme for the victims. If there were matrimonial disputes or other social issues, he would try to get them solved. If there were agrarian disputes between the farmers, he would always be there to get them solved with the help of the police and revenue officers. If someone was sick, he would be helpful to him by getting him medical and administrative help. He was against use of drugs like opium etc. He also opposed unequal marriages. He was against social evils like “osar mosar” when somebody died. He was against hypocrisy in all forms.

Abdul Hadi was a large-hearted and magnanimous man. He had great rapport with the administration of the district and the state. He was very popular in Congress party circles due to his honesty and candidness. He was clear in his thoughts and would always be helpful for both the administration and public in their hour of need. He would work as a bridge between people and administration. Sonia Gandhi used to call him “Adhyakshji” and would meet him whenever he visited Delhi or she visited western Rajasthan.

While an MLA living in Jaipur’s Vidhaykpuri and MLA quarters, he would help the poor who came from the Barmer district. His house was always occupied by people of his area. He would get up early in the morning and take the needy to the concerned minister and get their problems solved. He was a man of wisdom and action. His approach to ministers and officers was very persuasive and humble. He was loved by the people of his area, his friends, colleagues and administrative officers.

On his death, thousands of people came to pay their last respects to him including all MLAs from Barmer and Jaisalmer districts and western Rajasthan.

A few days before his death, the Chief Minister of Rajasthan Ashok Gehlot came to see him in his village of Burahan-ka-tala. Ashok Gehlot respected him very much. All the administrative officers including the collector were present during his burial in his ancestral graveyard in his native village Burahan-ka-tala.

The author, a retired Inspector General of Police (IGP), had been close to Abdul Hadi since his student days. He had lived with Abdul Hadi in his MLA house for almost three years in the early seventies after completing his education from AMU. He had been his admirer and an ardent follower and was with him on his last day.

source: http://www.milligazette.com / The Milli Gazette / Home> News> National / by The Milli Gazette / March 17th, 2011

Women who helped Netaji Subhas in the Great Escape

Amazing Feats, Freedom Fighters (under research project), NRI's / PIO's, World Opinion, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Kolkota (Calcutta) to Berlin :

Janakinath Bose, Bivabati Devi, Subhas Chandra Bose and Sarat Chandra Bose in Shillong, 1927

‘The Great Escape of Subhas Chandra Bose’, i.e., his escape from house arrest by the British Government in Kolkata (then Calcutta) to Berlin in 1941 is now part of folklore. Almost every Indian with a basic knowledge of the Indian Freedom Struggle knows that Bose escaped dressed as a Pathan and reached Berlin via Delhi, Peshawar, and Kabul.

Historians have overlooked the role of women in many historical events and this case is no exception. Writers have discussed in detail how Mian Akbar Shah, Sisir Bose, Bhagat Ram Talwar alias Rahmat Khan, Uttam Chand, Haji Amin, etc. helped Bose in this journey to Berlin. They have failed to note the contributions of Bivabati Devi, Ramo Devi, Larissa Quaroni, and Mrs Haji Abdul Sobhan in the great escape.

Netaji held Bivabati Devi, wife of Subhas Chandra Bose’s elder brother Sarat Chand, in high esteem. Bhagat Ram Talwar, who had accompanied Subhas in his journey through Peshawar and Afghanistan, writes, “He considered her as his second mother. He said that in times of difficulty, he always turned to her for advice and guidance. He took her into confidence as also did Sarat Chandra Bose and their son Sisir Bose. With their help, he succeeded in dodging the police.”  

Larissa Quaroni and Alberto Pietro Quaroni

It was Bivabati who ensured that after Subhas’ escape all his meals reached his room and empty dishes removed so that police did not know about his absence till 27 January 1941, and by then he had reached Kabul.

Talwar also noted, “He had spoken to me of her (Bivabati’s) capacity to judge a particular situation and understand things and of her tact to adapt and prepare herself to meet a certain situation and thus how she was of tremendous help to him all his life.”

Ramo Devi, wife of Uttam Chand, an Indian who owned a shop in Kabul, was another person who helped Netaji in his escapade. Uttam was a revolutionary who served the jail in India during the 1930s for his nationalistic activities. Subhas stayed at his house in Kabul for a few days.

Talwar recalled, “Ramo Devi played a great and noble role in affording us protection in our difficult days during our stay in Kabul. She displayed wonderful tact and presence of mind in handling the situation. Credit goes to her for the fact that during our stay for such a long period, the neighbours or visitors never got suspicious of us. She spared no pains to make Netaji’s stay in her house as comfortable as possible. She always provided good food for Netaji and looked after him with great care, particularly when Netaji was unwell. She managed the children so well that we never had a reason to suspect that they would let the secret out. Under her control, even the servant proved to be useful and reliable. I think she gave very valuable support to her husband in this difficult task of sheltering a personality so well-known and so much sought after by the police.”

 Bhagat Ram Talwar alias Rahmat Khan Bhagat Ram Talwar alias Rahmat KhanBhagat Ram

Bhagat Ram Talwar alias Rehmat Khan

Larissa Quaroni was married to Mr. Alberto Pietro Quaroni, the ambassador of Italy in Kabul. After his futile attempts to get help from the USSR and German embassies, the Italian ambassador extended all the help to Subahs to get out of Kabul and reach Berlin. He gave him a new passport with the fake identity of an Italian, Orlando Mazotta.

The government in Kabul would not support anti-British activity on its soil. Larissa acted as a messenger between the Italian embassy and Subhas. She would take the messages from the embassy to Uttam Chand’s shop. She procured Bose’s new Italian passport and also arranged clothes for his travel.

Haji Abdul Sobhan, an Indian revolutionary based in Kabul, had served jail as a member of the Ghadar Party. He married a German woman. He and Uttam Chand looked after Subhas’ stay in Kabul.

Sobhan’s wife was Subha’s link with Germany. She suggested that if everything went as planned the German forces could reach Afghanistan in six months and with their help tribals could attack the British in India. When Subhas was living in Berlin, she kept sending clothes and messages to him through her sister.

There is no denying that Subhas Chandra Bose and other men with him did something heroic but these women were no less. It is unimaginable that the escape could have succeeded if these women were not there. 

source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Story / by Saquib Salim / January 23rd, 2025

China-based Indian trader Akbar with Rishabh embark on 1500 km cycle journey from Delhi to Mumbai to promote ‘Swachh Bharat, Swasth Bharat’

Amazing Feats, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Sports, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Udaipur, RAJASTHAN / CHINA :

New Delhi :

Sunday saw an impressive flag-off ceremony for two determined cyclists, Akbar Ali Bandukwala and Rishabh Jain, who set off on an extraordinary journey of 1500 kilometers from India Gate in New Delhi to the Gateway of India in Mumbai, all in the name of promoting cleanliness and health as part of ‘Swachh Bharat, Swasth Bharat’ vision on this Republic day.

The ceremony, hosted at Vasant Kunj, South Delhi, was marked by high enthusiasm as local councillors Jagmohan Mahlawat and Dharamveer Singh waved the Indian tricolour to send the cyclists on their mission.

Sister Falak BK, who organized the ceremony, highlighted the cyclists’ remarkable journey, nicknamed “G2G” (India Gate to Gateway of India), as a symbol of their dedication to spreading awareness on fitness and cleanliness across the country. The cyclists will travel through several cities, raising awareness about health and cleanliness in schools, public spaces, and communities along the way.

On this occasion, a large number of participants, including notably another host Rakesh Kothari and their enthusiastic team of supporters, warmly welcomed both cyclists with great enthusiasm and fervour.

Later on Sunday, Judicial Magistrate Rishabh Tanwar also joined at India Gate, helping to kick-start the journey with the rallying cry: “Let’s pedal towards a cleaner, healthier India!”

On this occasion, Akbar Ali Bandukwala, an iron trader turned fitness enthusiast, shared his inspiring story at the ceremony. Originally from Udaipur, Rajasthan, Akbar’s life took a dramatic turn after a severe spinal injury in 2013, which led doctors to warn him that he would be restricted to only baby steps for the rest of his life. However, driven by his indomitable spirit, Akbar defied the odds. After months of rehabilitation, he began running again. His journey from bedridden to marathon runner became a story of triumph.

By 2015, Akbar completed a half marathon, and soon after, he participated in marathons across India and China. In 2018, he organized the Bandukwala Marathon, inviting his family to run alongside him. The crowning achievement came in June 2023, when Akbar ran an astounding 50 kilometers to celebrate his 50th birthday. The event saw thousands of supporters join him in solidarity, running in cities across the world. According to him, his wife Tasneem Bandukwala is his biggest supporter and motivator.

Akbar has pushed his limits further. In January 2024, Akbar participated in the ‘Fundraiser Ultrathon for Gaza,’ where he achieved yet another milestone. He completed a gruelling 70-kilometer Vertical Trail Run, covering a total distance of 78.14 kilometers in 15 hours and 40 minutes, taking an astounding 101,258 steps in Guangzhou, China. The trail was incredibly challenging, with vertical, uneven, rocky, and steep terrain, making the task extraordinarily difficult. Yet, for Akbar, it was just another feather in his cap.

Earlier last year, Akbar also promoted the ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’ under the Guangzhou Consulate General of India and emerged as a pioneer in strengthening India-China public relations. He was also awarded the Parvasi Bhartiya Award.

Later in 2024, he turned 51, he cycled 151 kilometers non-stop, battling heavy rainfall and completing the feat in just 6 hours and 15 minutes. This remarkable achievement has led him to embark on the G2G journey, spreading Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s message of ‘Swachh Bharat, Swasth Bharat’ with every pedal. Akbar is now strongly committed to inspiring others to follow his path toward better health  with cleanliness drive.

From Iron Trader to Ironman, Akbar Ali Bandukwala is now embarking on the “G to G” journey, covering 1500 kilometres by bike from India Gate to the Gateway of India. In his own words, “Chalo aur kuch toofani karte hai, Delhi to Mumbai ab cycle par chalte hai.”

This Republic Day, Akbar aims to express his love for his nation through the campaign, ‘Swachh Bharat, Swasth Bharat.’”Good health and cleanliness are life’s greatest blessings, and they cannot be bought but can only be earned through enduring,” Akbar shared at the flag-off ceremony.

Through his G to G journey, Akbar is dedicated to promoting Swasth Bharat. Along the way, he plans to visit schools, collaborate with NGOs and health organizations, and engage with people from all walks of life. His mission is to educate citizens about the critical connection between physical health and mental well-being, and the importance of living a long, active life without being dependent in old age. In his own words, “Chalo aur kuch toofani karte hai, Delhi to Mumbai ab cycle par chalte hai.”

Rishabh Jain, Akbar’s cycling partner and fellow fitness fanatic, is no stranger to endurance challenges. An Ironman finisher and certified fitness expert, Rishabh has completed numerous grueling cycling and marathon events, including the Manali to Leh ride and a 1450km ride from Udaipur to Mumbai. He runs the Triform Fitness and Adventure Club in Udaipur and has coached many fitness enthusiasts, including Akbar, who was a novice cyclist just a year ago. Under Rishabh’s guidance, Akbar has transformed into a cycling enthusiast.

Sharing details of their epic 1500-kilometer journey, Rishabh Jain on this occasion, disclosed that they are undertaking this ambitious ride from India Gate in Delhi to the Gateway of India in Mumbai. They will cover the entire distance in just 7 days, spreading the message of Swachh Bharat and Swastha Bharat as part of their campaign for cleanliness and health.

According to their cycling itinerary, after departing Delhi, they will reach Jaipur on January 20, Bhilwara in Rajasthan on January 21, and Udaipur’s Kherwara on January 22. From Kherwara, they will head to Godhra, Gujarat on January 23, and embark on their journey to Surat on January 24. They will continue to Manor on January 25, before concluding their ride at the iconic Gateway of India in Mumbai on January 26.

Rishabh shared that along the way, they will participate in various awareness programs in cities and towns, focusing on cleanliness and health. They will also visit schools to raise awareness about fitness, health, and the importance of sports among children, students, and adults alike.

Reflecting on his own experiences, Rishabh noted that he has always enjoyed long cycling adventures and connecting with people. He also shared the story of Akbar, who just a year ago knew little about cycling but approached Rishabh for training. After months of hard work and dedication, Akbar has transformed into an avid cycling enthusiast, proving that with determination, anyone can achieve their fitness goals.

As the cyclists progress on their 7-day journey, they will organize health awareness programmes in schools and collaborating with NGOs to spread the message of fitness and hygiene. The duo’s cycling itinerary spans 1500 kilometers, with the final destination being the iconic Gateway of India on Republic Day, January 26th. Along the way, they will meet communities, educating people about the importance of fitness in maintaining good mental health and a long, healthy life.

In a bid to encourage the younger generation to adopt a healthier lifestyle, Akbar and Rishabh are determined to leave a lasting impact on everyone they encounter, from school children to senior citizens. Their journey is not just about cycling, it’s about motivating people to take small steps towards a healthier and cleaner future of the country.

source: http://www.indiatomorrow.net / India Tomorrow.net / Home> National Interest / by admin indiatomorrow.net / January 20th, 2025

Students of National University of Study and Research in Law (NUSRL)Win International Arbitral Award

Amazing Feats, Education - Gold Medallists, Toppers, Merits, Achievers (wef. June 12th, 2023), Leaders, World Opinion, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Ranchi, JHARKHAND :

Zainab-ul-Kubra (3rd year), and Intizar-ul-Islam (4th year), Prize winners from NUSRL

Ranchi:

Students of National University of Study and Research in Law (NUSRL), have secured first place in the International Arbitral Award Writing Competition. Two university students, Intizar-ul-Islam (4th year) and Zainab-ul-Kubra (3rd year), achieved the top honour in the 5th Surana & Surana RGNUL International Arbitral Award Writing Competition 2024.

This is a significant achievement for the university, as the duo won this accolade by outperforming participants from some of the most renowned universities in India and abroad. The competition was organised by Center for Alternative Dispute Resolution (CADR) at Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law (RGNUL), Punjab, in collaboration with Surana & Surana International Attorneys.

Participants were tasked with drafting an arbitral award based on a hypothetical legal problem.

More than 72 contestants took part, including students pursuing BA-LLB, LLM, PhD, MPhil, or other law-related courses. The competition deadline was October 30, 2024, and the results were announced in January.

Based on their exceptional skills, Intizar and Zainab not only secured the first position but also received a cash prize of ₹25,000 for their victory. Their success highlights their dedication and expertise in the field of law. The competition served as an excellent platform for students to showcase their legal writing abilities.

The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Professor Dr. Ashok R. Pal, congratulated Intizar and Zainab on their achievement.

source: http://www.radiancenews.com / Radiance News / Home> Pride of the Nation> Awards> Latest News / by Radiance News Bureau / January 21st, 2025

District Collector Muzammil Khan Sits on Floor to Interact with Students

Leaders, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Khammam, TELANGANA :

Hyderabad:

Khammam district Collector Muzammil Khan stepped beyond formalities to sit down on the floor with students to interact with them during his inspection of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Centenary Social Welfare Residential Girls’ Junior College.

The Collector’s gesture created an open and approachable atmosphere. The interaction was marked by genuine curiosity and encouragement as Muzammil Khan listened to their aspirations and challenges.

This simple yet heartfelt gesture bridged the gap between authority and youth, inspiring the students to share their thoughts with confidence. The Collector advised students to utilise educational opportunities to achieve great heights.

The Collector reviewed online coaching for IIT and JEE and emphasised providing expert career guidance. He discussed improving facilities, addressing issues like insufficient toilets and kitchen leaks and suggested setting up gym equipment and planting greenery as batch markers. He encouraged students to focus on their goals, support others after achieving success, and maintain good health. The visit concluded with the Collector and officials joining students for lunch.

Muzammil Khan, an IAS officer of 2017 batch, is son of Abdul Khayyum Khan, retired Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, who served as Director General of Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB).

Muzammil Khan had secured 22nd rank at all India level and top rank in Telangana in UPSC exam.

After retirement Abdul Khayyum Khan had also served as the advisor to the state government during BRS rule.

Muzammil’s grandfather Abdul Kareem Khan was also an IAS officer.

source: http://www.radiancenews.com / Radiance News / Home> Latest News> Report / by Radiance News Bureau / January 21st, 2025

Greening the waste stream

Agriculture (since June 07th, 2021), Community Involvement / Social Issues, Green Products, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Sadiwara (Anantnag District), JAMMU & KASHMIR :

Farooq Ganai’s approach to recycling food waste is benefitting him and the community too. Fayaz Wani highlights Ganai’s eco-friendly entrepreneurship.

Jammu & Kashmir :

A lawyer by profession and a former sarpanch Farooq Ahmed Ganai, who is also known as a ‘garbage man’, has successfully grown saffron by using compost made from vegetable scraps generated at his home.

His actions have a message that not only can discarded waste contribute to a cleaner and greener environment but it can bring wealth as well.

He is leading a “quiet revolution” of turning waste into wealth and now, wants to educate people about the incredible potential of managing waste.

“I had started the initiative ‘give me garbage, I give you gold coins’ in my village (Sadiwara in Anantnag district) when I was sarpanch of the hamlet. The motive behind the initiative was to attract people and inform them as to how worthy the waste is,” Farooq told The Morning Standard.

Now, with this latest effort, he has been stressing behavioural changes – segregating waste at source, i.e. dividing waste into multiple categories but mainly organic (food waste) and recyclable (plastic, paper etc.)

“From the last year, I have been working on it. People usually throw the domestic waste in rivers and nallahs, and it leads to choking of drains and unhealthy living conditions during the rainy season,” Farooq said.

“I segregate whatever waste is generated in my home. The onion, potato, banana and orange peels, and egg shells; whatever has to be discarded in the form of domestic waste, I segregate it from non-organic waste,” he said.

The primary objective of this, he said, is to promote source segregation of waste at the household level and use the food waste for composting. Now, this effort has led to the successful cultivation of saffron in his garden.

Saffron, known as red gold, is traditionally grown in Pampore and adjoining areas in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district. It requires specific climatic conditions, and its cultivation has remained confined to some areas of the district.

Recalling how he got the idea of growing saffron in his village, Farooq said when he had to say “no” to a friend who had asked him if saffron is grown in his village.

“It pinched me and also motivated me to grow saffron,” he said. “I got some saffron corn from a farmer from Awantipora in Pulwama. He provided me 60 corns on October 2 this year, and I sowed those corns using the domestic waste and other things,” the lawyer-cum-farmer mentioned, holding back the excitement.

Farooq said what followed was nothing short of miraculous. “Within just 19 days, the first saffron flower bloomed. And I have harvested 85 saffron flowers so far,” Farooq said.

According to him, the result proves two things – with proper management, organic waste can be turned into wealth and traditionally climate-specific crops like saffron can be grown in different parts.

“If we can grow saffron using domestic waste as compost, we can turn all the waste in our surroundings into a resource, which will not only make our environment clean but also help us monetarily,” Farooq said.

He now plans to adopt four households in every village and teach the villagers about source segregation, which he hopes will lead to behavioural change.

Through education, community involvement, and transformative potential of waste, Farooq is hoping to pave the way for a cleaner, greener and wealthier Kashmir.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> The Sunday Standard / by Fayaz Wani / November 24th, 2024

GOI Patent for JMI faculty’s pioneering research on AI and Digital Pathology for Oral Cancer Diagnosis

Amazing Feats, Education - Gold Medallists, Toppers, Merits, Achievers (wef. June 12th, 2023), Science & Technology, Scientists (wef. August 27th,m 2023), World Opinion, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

NEW DELHI:

In a landmark achievement, the Government of India has recently awarded Patent
No. 556810 to Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) scholars Dr. Tanveer Ahmad, an Assistant
Professor, and his PhD student, Miss Nisha Chaudhary, from the Multidisciplinary Centre for
Advanced Research & Studies (MCARS) at JMI.

The patent granted on December 24, 2024, recognises their pioneering invention titled “A SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR GENOMIC MARKERS AND DIGITAL PATHOLOGY IMAGE-BASED
PREDICTION OF ORAL MALIGNANT DISORDERS.”

Their innovative methodology, developed in collaboration with partners, leverages artificial intelligence (AI) and digital pathology to enhance the diagnosis and prediction of oral cancer.

Miss Nisha Chaudhary and Dr. Tanveer Ahmed


This advanced system can study tissue images to identify if they are linked to oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF), oral leukoplakia (OLL), oral lichen planus (OLP), or oral squamous cell
carcinoma (OSCC). For OSCC, it can also determine how severe the cancer is—welldifferentiated, moderately differentiated, or poorly differentiated—using AI technology. The
system predicts the chances of OSMF or OLP/OLL developing into OSCC, giving doctors
helpful information about risks. By using genetic markers and digital tools, it provides clear
treatment insights and lowers diagnostic costs compared to traditional methods. This
invention is set to transform oral cancer detection by making it more affordable and accurate.


In addition to the patent, the research team has recently achieved another significant
milestone with their publication in Scientific Data, a high impact factor (9.8) journal from
the Nature Publishing Group. Their paper, “High-resolution AI image dataset for diagnosing
oral submucous fibrosis and squamous cell carcinoma,” highlights the dataset underpinning their innovation, offering a valuable resource for researchers worldwide.

This accomplishment is shared with distinguished collaborators, including Dr. Akhilanand
Chaurasia, Dr. Arpita Rai, Dr. Deepika Mishra, and Dr. Charbel Darido, whose contributions
have been pivotal.


Together, these achievements have significant implications for medical treatment,
underscoring the transformative potential of AI-driven solutions in digital pathology and
oral cancer research, marking a significant leap toward improved diagnostic and
prognostic outcomes.


Professor Mohammad Husain, Director of MCARS at JMI, congratulated all who were part
of the study and expressed pride in the achievement.

source: http:/www.jmi.ac.in / Jamia Millia Islamia / Home / by Public Relations Office / December 31st, 2024

Lit for Life 2025: A daughter’s ode to Ebrahim Alkazi, the architect of modern theatre in India

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Books (incl.Biographies - w.e.f.01 jan 2018 ), Leaders, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Mumbai, MAHARASHTRA :

At The Hindu Lit for Life 2025, Amal Allana speaks about her father Ebrahim Alkazi, who led the modern theatre movement in India with an extraordinary vision.

Amal Allana in conversation with Ritu Menon at The Hindu Lit for Life 2025. | Photo Credit: R. Ragu

Theatre director Amal Allana, who recently released a riveting biography of her father Ebrahim Alkazi:  Holding Time Captive gave a racy account of Alkazi’s revolutionary contributions to arts and culture in the creative landscape that was emerging in pre-independence India into the later decades.

She said the title of her book was apt as she found the words scribbled by her father in his notes that read ‘I wish I could live longer to hold time captive.’

A six-minute documentary on Alkazi charting the journey of his quest for a liberal approach to the arts in the Indian sub-Continent preceded Amal Allana’s conversation with Ritu Menon at The Hindu Lit for Life session on the second day.

Setting the narrative in Bombay of the 1940s when Alkazi came as the son of a migrant trader from Saudi Arabia, Amal spoke about how his innovative ideas from the young age of 22 coupled with daring new experimental projects transformed the theatre movements pan-India and later led to the establishment of the National School of Drama in Delhi in the 1960s. It was the time when creative history was under-researched and Alkazi strode the stage with arrogance, resoluteness, and brilliance.

As the daughter, Amal brought a personal perspective to the intangible landscape of Alkazi’s passions as she step-by-step unfolded the layers of his cultural, artistic and nationalistic identity. “His pedagogical skills took form as a response to the social and political life. He introduced language in theatre and nationalised it,” she said.

With Sultan Padamsee (elder brother of filmmaker Alyque Padmasee) and other independent-minded creative individuals, he broke boundaries and embraced the radical and precarious theatre life. They were all progressives and reinforcing each other. Amal narrated how Alkazi went overseas to study modern theatre and took Nissim Ezekiel along. He had the disposition of taking people along with and their idea of total theatre included all forms of arts feeding into one another.

“So with music, lights, costumes, literature, discussions and brochures he created dramatic experiences translating, producing and directing plays from the Western pantheon,” Amal said and added Alkazi was particularly influenced by Tagore’s concept of Santiniketan integrating liberalism with fine arts.

Not only was Alkazi interested in training a body of thinking actors but he also trained audiences to appreciate modernity in theatre, she said.

The Hindu Lit for Life event is presented by KIA India and is in association with Christ University. Associate Partners: LIC, RR Donnelley, Blue Star, Brigade Group, NITTE Deemed-to-be University, PROchure, Singer, Chennai Port Authority & Kamarajar Port Ltd, Uttarakhand Tourism, Vajiram and Ravi, Indian Bank, Akshayakalpa and ICFAI Group. Realty Partner: Casagrand. Bookstore Partner: Crossword. Food Partner: Wow Momo, Beverage Partner: Beachville, Radio Partner: Big FM, TV Partner: Puthiya Thalaimurai Gift Partner: Anand Prakash. Supported by: US Consulate, Chennai, Water Partner: Repute

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Lit for Life / by Soma Basu / January 19th, 2025

Lexicographer nonpareil

Amazing Feats, Books (incl.Biographies - w.e.f.01 jan 2018 ), , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Hyderabad, TELANGANA / U.S.A :

If published, Amir Rizvi’s work would be the largest set of lexicons

When this monumental work sees the light of the day, Urdu readers will have the largest ever set of lexicons — six dictionaries spread over nearly 4000 pages are awaiting publication. Only, Syed Jafar Amir Rizvi doesn’t have the wherewithal to publish them.

A nuclear scientist by profession and a linguistic buff by passion, Amir has slogged for ten years to write the dictionaries on subjects which are totally new to Urdu language. Having accomplished the task, he is desperately looking for a sponsor to publish his works. His talks with the National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language (NCPUL) and the Maulana Azad National Urdu University in this connection have remained unfruitful.

Lexicography runs in his genes. His grandfather, Syed Tasaduqh Hussain Rizvi, authored the Loghat-e-Kishwari , way back in 1886; that still remains a popular reference point in Urdu. But what triggered Amir’s interest is Gossamer Years’ the tenth century classic of a Japanese writer, presented by his daughter. So impressed was he with the book that he wanted to translate it in Urdu. But when he sat down to translate he couldn’t get appropriate words in Urdu. “It was then that I decided to compile a comprehensive dictionary,” says Amir who served in the Department of Energy, US.

After retirement in 2007 he devoted his time and energy to writing seven dictionaries – Farhang-e-Amir, Farhang-e-Mauzoee (thematic dictionary), Farhang-e-Mutaradif and Mutazad (dictionary of synonyms and antonyms), Farhang-e-Qafia (rhyming dictionary), Urdu Lugath ki Tareekh (history of Urdu lexicography) and Farhang-e-Lisaan (linguistic dictionary). Of these only Farhang-e-Amir has been published; the rest await publication.

Salient features

What is unique about Amir’s lexicons is their encyclopaedic range. They not only provide information related to language and literature but are also a treasure trove of words for students and research scholars. For instance the thematic dictionary is a thesaurus in four languages – Urdu, Persian, Arabic, English. So one can find the meaning of a word in four languages at once. With more than one lakh words, the 1100-page lexicon is structured subject-wise.

Amir has fulfilled a long-felt need for a thesaurus in Urdu with a 2000 page dictionary. “Its benefits will be known once you start using it”, he says.

The Farhang-e-Qafia is also exceptional; it could be of immense help to poets in search of appropriate rhyming words. “Such a dictionary simply doesn’t exist in Urdu”, says Shujat Ali Rashid, a Urdu writer.

Apart from this, Amir has also penned Urdu and English poetry under the title Milak-e-Shairi and Distant Song, and has authored a Hand Book of Nuclear Science and Engineering on design and construction of nuclear power plants. What worries this 80-plus writer is the fate of his lexicons. He wants them published during his lifetime. Will someone come forward to help him?

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Todays Paper> Features> Friday Review / by J S Ifthekhar / December 07th, 2018