Tag Archives: Mohammad Qasim

Street Food Vendor becomes Judge: The Success Story of Mohammad Qasim

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Sambhal, UTTAR PRADESH:

Mohammad Kasim (as his name is spelled in UP Judicial Services Exam Result Sheet) secured the 135th rank in the coveted exam result of which was declared on August 30, 2023.

From Street Food Vendor to Judge: The Success Story of Mohammad Qasim
Justice Mohammad Qasim (sitting in the middle with specs and in white t-shirt )(Photo shared by Adv S G Rabbani Alig (@sgrabbani_ias) who described Mohammed Qasim as his mentor and friend)

Sambhal (Uttar Pradesh): 

Nobody can fail you if you are determined and committed to what you have planned to achieve, Mohammad Qasim, 29-year-old Judge from the Muslim dominated but neglected district of Sambhal in Uttar Pradesh said.

Mohammad Qasim is one of the six students from the prestigious Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) to crack the Uttar Pradesh Judicial Service Civil Judge (Junior Division) Examination 2022, conducted by the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC).

Mohammad Kasim (as his name is spelled in UP Judicial Services Exam Result Sheet) secured the 135th rank in the coveted exam result of which was declared on August 30, 2023.

Earlier, Mohammad Qasim had bagged the All India Rank 1 in the LLM Entrance Exam in 2019. He later also qualified for the UGC NET in 2021.

The story of Mohammad Qasim’s impressive success run however is full of struggle and challenges.

Mohammad Qasim’s Journey to Success

Qasim was born in a very poor family of Ruknuddin Sarai in Sambhal district of Uttar Pradesh. His father used to sell Haleem (a type of Biryani) on a handcart on roadside. In his early days, Qasim used to wash plates to help his father. As he grew older and learnt the art of making Haleem and Biryani from his father, he set up own stall. During this journey however, Qasim did not stop his education.

“My mother is the motivational force behind me and never permitted me to drop out of the school”, he recalled.

“If you are not son of a celebrity or do not belong to a political family then the only option for you to become big is education. It is only through education that you can become a hero. And, today the way I am being felicitated and being welcomed is the testimony of this fact”, a beaming Qasim said while talking to a local YouTube Channel.

Qasim completed his early education from a government school in Uttar Pradesh and passed Inter from Warsi Junior High School of Ruknuddin Sarai. He later joined Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) and graduated in BA LLB and then passed LLM from Delhi University (DU).

“At AMU, I saw a number of students in Law department who after completing LLB go to DU and pursue LLM and then join the judiciary. Law always fascinated me, and the immediate thought that came to my mind is if I wish to fulfil my dreams I too will have to follow the same route”, he recalled.

After BA LLB from AMU, Mohammed Qasim started practicing as a lawyer and simultaneously joined Delhi University to complete LLM. He then appeared for the Uttar Pradesh Judicial Services exams in 2022.

“The most interesting part of my judicial service exam was personal interview. There was a panel headed by a High Court judge. They were all too impressed by my “direct approach” of engaging with the people”, Mohammed Qasim recalled explaining about the art that he perhaps had mastered when he was a roadside food vendor.

Besides his mother who motivated him, Mohammed Qasim gives credit for his success to his teachers in his own home town and at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU).

“I was quite weak in few subjects, especially English and Mathematics. Coming from a small village it was unbelievable for me watching AMU students read English language newspapers. I used to become nervous. But teachers there helped me which is why I could become successful”, he said.

(With inputs from Hukoomat Express YouTube Channel)

source: http://www.ummid.com / Ummid.com / Home> Education & Career / by Aneequa Sabaha, ummid.co / September 06th, 2023

Carry Me Home: A look at the Muslim palanquin-bearers at the shrine of Vaishno Devi in Katra valley

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JAMMU & KASHMIR :

The ongoing curfew in Kashmir has seen a sharp drop in tourists.

Mohammad Qasim (right), 55, and Khushi Mohammad, 35, have been working as palanquin bearers at Vaishno Devi for decades. They confirm that they have never faced any religious biasness here.
Mohammad Qasim (right), 55, and Khushi Mohammad, 35, have been working as palanquin bearers at Vaishno Devi for decades. They confirm that they have never faced any religious biasness here.

Located at a staggering altitude of 5,200 ft above sea level in the Katra valley in Jammu and Kashmir , is the lofty abode of goddess Vaishno Devi. The 13.5 km stretch to the main bhawan (temple housing the holy shrine) is accessible via various modes of transportation, including ponies, electric vehicles, helicopters and, most popularly, its paalkhis (palanquins), operated by two or four bearers a time.

There are over 5,000 palanquin bearers in the area, out of which around 3,500 are Muslims, often seen chanting “jai mata di” on top of their voices during their steep trek to-and-fro the shrine. “I’ve worked all my life here and have never faced any problem,” says 55-year-old Mohammad Qasim, who has been a palanquin-bearer for the last 32 years. “So what if I’m a Muslim, the goddess protects everybody. I get my food from here, so, this place is my home,” he adds.

The famous Katra market wears a grim, desolate look these days, given the conflict in Kashmir that has brought to halt all forms of functionality. The ongoing curfew in Kashmir has seen a sharp drop in tourists. The shopkeepers and locals depend on the pilgrimage, which sees outsiders in throngs, for their daily livelihood. The last two months have been severe, say some of the locals, pointing at the empty roads. But the palanquin-bearers appear strikingly unperturbed.

Khushi Mohammad, 35, smiles as he recalls the last 20 years of his service at the shrine, facing neither any troubles from his own community for visiting a Hindu pilgrimage, nor from the devotees for being a Muslim at the shrine. “We trek even during our Ramadan fast. People are so nice to us, they wait while we read the namaz during our working hours,” he says.

source: http://www.indianexpress.com / The Indian Express / Home> Lifestyle> Life-Style / by Cheena Kapoor / September 18th, 2016