Dr. Afreen Mubeen Sheikh, a native of Mangaluru has made her hometown proud when she recently won the SHE Award in Dubai for her dedicated service to her profession and for contributing to the cause of women empowerment in UAE.
Dr Afreen is an alumnus of K S Hegde Medical Academy where she pursued her MBBS. She later did her Diploma in Obstetrics and Gynaecology from the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland.
Dr Afreen is a mentor and coach for foreign medical graduates seeking medical licensure in the UAE. She is a women’s health consultant in Mamahood, Dubai. Her expertise and guidance have empowered countless mothers to make informed decisions about their health and well-being. She has also successfully founded a women’s modest fashion brand by name ’Hayaa by Afreen’ in Dubai and also has a popular blog page by name ’The Whitecoat Mama’ on Instagram.
She uses the platform to raise awareness about women’s health and Gulf medical exams. She’s not only a respected medical professional and social media influencer but also a brand ambassador for several renowned brands in the UAE. Dr Afreen’s inspiring journey and her achievements were featured in a popular Dubai magazine ’Xpatzhub’ in October.
Dr Afreen is married to Dr Mohammad Mubeen who is a Paediatric Intensivist.
Under the auspices of Media Study Centre and with the cooperation of Vistara TV and Basaveshwara Parishad, Dr. Mohammed Farooq Pasha, Asst. Prof. Department of Commerce and Management Kengeri and Dr. Fazilath Uzma from Microbiology and Food Technology Department of Bangalore University were awarded with Acharya Shri 2024 in recognition of their services in their respective fields.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Bengaluru South Shiv Prakash Devraju, renowned cardiologist Mahantesh R Chantimath, President of Basava Parishad Uma Devi, former MP Prof. I.G. Sanadi and others were present on the occasion.
Dr. Farooq has authored more 50 books for pre-university and degree courses in Commerce. Dr. Fazilath is a senior research fellow at Bangalore University and has written 11 books on the subject.
source: http://www.radiancenews.com / Radiance News / Home> Pride of the Nation> Awards> Latest News / by Mohammed Atherulla Shariff, (headline edited) , Radiance News Bureau / October 28th, 2024
Haaequa Awati alias Hijabi trekker climbing Kalsubhi peak, the highest one in Maharashtra
Haaequa Awati of Junnar in Pune, Maharashtra, known as Hijabi Trekker for her passion for trekking in a hijab, is on an exploration of all the forts built by the Maratha Warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. It’s interesting to note that both were born in Junnar, a historic city of Maharashtra.
Haaequa Awati’s bio on her Instagram account @hijabitrekker includes a quote, “Nature’s path is where the mind finds clarity, the body finds strength, and the heart finds freedom” Haika emerging as ‘Hijabi Trekker’ is creating a different identity through trekking.
Haaequa has been fascinated by forts since childhood. She feels drawn to the stories of Maharaj Chhatrapati Shivaji’s bravery. She developed an interest in outdoor sports right in school. Inspired by Shivaji’s stories, she picked up adventure sports.
Haaequa’s wanderlust started because of her passion for sports. She had been practicing taekwondo from the age of nine years. She is the first Muslim woman from Junnar taluk to earn a black belt.
“Being born in Shiv Janmabhoomi, I have had an adventurous spirit since childhood. I don’t have a brother, so I felt responsible for the protection of my sisters… In that sense, I learned taekwondo for self-defense out of my love for sports… From that love, I developed the hobby of trekking.”
Haaequa Awati practising martial arts
Haaequa spent her childhood in a village. Her father has a small tailoring business and her mother is a school teacher. Haaequa is the eldest of three sisters.
Haaequa came to Pune to pursue higher education. Sports and trekking are popular in her community, but higher education among women is not common. She completed her education while maintaining her passion for sports.
Haaequa got inspired to play sports, she says, “Being born in Shiv Janmabhoomi, I have had an adventurous spirit since childhood. As I didn’t have a brother, I felt responsible for protecting myself and my sisters… In that sense, I learned taekwondo for self-defense out of my love for sports… From that love, I developed the hobby of trekking.”
She came to Pune and completed her MBA from a reputed college and soon got a job. Soon she started coaching schoolchildren in sports and would use her weekends for trekking.
Haaequa Awati posing for a picture during one of her treks
She started trekking from the Shivjanmasthan Fort Shivneri, a fort build by Shivaji Maharaj. So far, she has collected that information by wandering in many places like Torna, Harishchandragad, Korigad, Kokandiva, Rajmachi, Bhuikot, Sea forts, and Mountain forts. Her travel vlogs have also become popular on YouTube and Instagram.
She says, “My mother, being a teacher, is always innovative. She knows a lot about social media and technology. So she gave me the idea to start the channel. After that, I started my channel on social media called ‘Hizbi Trekker’.”
Along with showing the beauty of Sahyadri through her social media, Haaequa tries to convey the culture of Maharashtra and the history preserved through the forts. She chooses a high-altitude fort or a mountain and climbs it wearing casual clothes that blend in with the forest. Haaequa decided to trek wearing a hijab. The idea behind it was to break the stereotype of a Hijab-wearing Muslim woman.
Haaequa has shown how modernity can be embraced while still maintaining religiosity and modest dressing. On being asked about her Hijab while trekking Haaequa said, “When I performed Umrah and Hajj in 2019, I gained more respect for the hijab. That’s when I realized that religion or culture never comes in the way of your ambition. We can fulfill our dreams even by wearing hijab. Because hijab is not compulsory but a matter of choice.”
Haaequa adds, “Many people think that being religious means you can’t live life as per your choice. I wanted to break this misconception. So I decided to wear my religious identity on my sleeves while pursuing my passion for trekking. That is how the concept of ‘Hijabi Trekker’ was born.”
On her logo on her social media pages, she says, “There is a lot of respect for our tricolor. It is also a place of inspiration. Inspired by the three colors of the tricolor, I created my Hizbi Trekker logo.”
Haaequa Awati in front of a monument up in the hills
Speaking about her journey from a passion for sports to trekking, Hayka says, “I’m trying to prove myself through this. I want to show that Muslim women are also leading the way in sports. Today, my social media followers refer to me as Hizbi Trekker. Hijabi Haaequa has become my identity.”
When asked about the difficulties she faced in her early days of trekking as a woman, she says, “While trekking, you have to wear loose but skimpy clothes. But I feel comfortable in full body coverings. So that one thing bothered me, but luckily some companies in Kerala have marketed full-body clothing used during trekking. It solved the problems of many girls like me.”
She further says, “I have met a lot of girls who want to do trekking. However, when it comes to trekking by women, many people wonder about where they would stay. Sometimes, the trekkers may also carry their children. I mostly get such reactions, especially from Muslim families. While searching for answers to such questions, I thought that we should curate trekking groups for women.”
Haaequa feels education is an important component of development and empowerment. Unfortunately, the level of education of Muslims in India especially in higher education is not very satisfactory. Although this society has been somewhat backward due to the lack of education, today it seems to be undergoing many positive changes.
Women face many problems due to lack of education. Therefore, Haaequa has expressed her strong opinion on the importance of education. “I got married in 2017,” Haaequa adds, adding that women should be educated and empowered. Opinion I had to separate from my husband within a year of marriage. After that, I had to face the questions of relatives and society. The couple also started a huge court battle for divorce and that battle is still going on. I realized that this battle could not be fought effectively without knowing the law.”
She adds, “There are many laws for women in our country. But I did not know how to use those laws. So I decided to study law to fight my own battle effectively.”
Haaequa is completing her LLB from a reputed college in Pune. After becoming financially strong, she wants to cobble a trekking group of women and start a fitness training center for the elderly women.
source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Story / by Bhakti Chalaka, Pune / October 24th, 2024
Accept Happy Women’s Day from Hello Mumbai News.com Team :
Each year, Hello Mumbai News takes the privilege to celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8th to propagate and recognize women’s social, economic, cultural, and political achievements through featuring stories on their successful journey in their field and to call for gender equality
This is with a goal to raise awareness about the need to end gender-based violence, promote women’s leadership, celebrate their contributions, promote entrepreneurs, startups and advocate for women’s economic empowerment around the World.
We, Hello Mumbai News Team have compiled a list of noteworthy and inspiring Entrepreneurs drawn from across the Country.
We hope their stories will inspire one and all. So guys read on:
There is a tremendous growth in Muslims foraying into Entrepreneurship in the country. Amid the World celebrating the International Women’s Day, Hello Mumbai News is taking the privilege to interview the Muslim Entrepreneurs from Mumbai and so forth in their Series International Women’s Day.
As of now Women Muslim Entrepreneurs have defied this stereotype even as cashing in on the rapidly growing market for Muslim-focused Business.
Muslim Women Entrepreneurs are and have proved they are nothing less. Today they are into varied businesses and are growing with it on their own merits.
They have adopted the business and labour practices of global capitalism.
Muslim Women Entrepreneurs have made a mark in Mumbai and they have emerged as successful at entrepreneurship.
Sana Khatri:
Famous As: Business Entrepreneur
Hello Mumbai News: Could you please Introduce yourself to our readers?
Sana Khatri: Hi. I am Sana Khatri, I was born and brought up in Mumbai and hail from a Muslim Menom Community. Though I was an housewife earlier, presently, I am the Founder of Grace Network Event and Exhibition Company.
Hello Mumbai News: What Inspired you to venture into your own Business?
Sana Khatri: Well, being a Muslim Woman I observed that there is a lot of potential and talent in our Muslim Women but there is no specific platform for them to explore their talent. Hence decided to do it. Moreover, I belong to a business family background, so business is in my blood. And in a bid to empower and promote Women Entrepreneurs, I decided to start this business.
Hello Mumbai News: What Challenges you faced as a Woman Entrepreneur and how did you overcome them?
Sana Khatri: Look, In every business challenges occur and it is very common. So for me to create a network of women professional and Entrepreneurs was a Big challenge. I became very active on social media and did hard work on ground level. From person to person i created this platform.
Hello Mumbai News: Tell us something about your Start-up and how people can benefit from it?
Sana Khatri: My startup company name is Grace Network which provides a platform to MSME and women Entrepreneurs to showcase their products. We organise Exhibition twice a month in different parts of Mumbai. Women Entrepreneurs participate in this Exhibition display their products and get benefits. In last five years and as of now, we have organized more than 24 Exhibition across Mumbai.
Hello Mumbai News: Where did your Inspiration come from?
Sana Khatri: I was inspired by my Family members and my Husband
Hello Mumbai News: Do you feel that in India there are enough structures and facilities put in place to assist women to expand their Startup Journey?
Sana Khatri: Yes. India is a Very huge Market and our present Government is doing good to support MSMES and small Startup.
Hello Mumbai News: How you balance your professional and personal life .
Sana Khatri: Well, though quite difficult, yet, I managed. In this, I always had the support from my Husband.
Hello Mumbai News: What advice would you give to someone who is aspiring to be a Women Entrepreneur?
Sana Khatri: My sincere advice is to be positive and increase confidence. Y will definitely get success.
Hello Mumbai News: Which Woman Inspired you?
Sana Khatri: Quite obviously my Mother.
Hello Mumbai News: What is your message on International Women’s Day?
Sana Khatri: Yes.To Empower Women Empower Nation. Happy Women’s Day.
Hello Mumbai News: Being a Muslim Woman Entrepreneur what type of challenges and difficulties you faced.
Sana Khatri: Frankly speaking my biggest challenge is to bring Muslim Women Entrepreneurs under one roof. Our Community Women follow Pardhaa still now. And being a Muslim Woman Entrepreneur, Networking among Women is the biggest challenge
Hello Mumbai News: What’s your vision and future plan about your startup?.
Sana Khatri: Well, I want to make Grace Network a big platform across India and to promote Women Entrepreneurship culture among Muslim women. Very soon I will be organising an Exhibition in every district of Maharashtra and Big Metro cities of India.
Hello Mumbai News: Do you agree Mumbai being a financial capital a good Market for Startup and Entrepreneurs?
Sana Khatri: Yes of course. No doubt about it. In Mumbai Entrepreneurship culture is growing day by day among women Entrepreneurs.
Sanaubar Aijaz Malik:
Famous As: Business Entrepreneur
I am Sanaubar Aijaz Malik the owner of Glamour and Style a well-known clothing brand in Mumbai. I was born and brought up in a Muslim family in South Mumbai.G
I graduated in psychology from St Xaviers College and postgraduated in counselling psychology. My life’s journey was so very professional as a psychologist to begin with. I then got the opportunity to join a special school run by an NGO as principal and administrator and dedicated nearly 15 years for the upliftment of underprivileged women and children with special needs. This was a different level of contentment altogether for me. I have such precious and unforgettable memories of these days of my life.
Alhamdulillah born in a well educated Muslim family, all my family members were professionals, I did not have to face any societal pressure. The school where I worked was run by an NGO run by broad minded women themselves. Being a psychologist, I knew the importance of mother’s role in the development of children so I left my ideal and secure job to give time to my two kids, Anam and Jawaad, thanks to my supportive husband Aijaz and in laws. My hobbies were reading, handicraft making, stitching, embroidery, painting, dress designing and so much more… During this time my husband had to shift to Pune for work and our kids started growing up. As a result I now had few hours free for myself. I then started giving voluntary vocational training to underprivileged women and children with special needs, helping them to lead independent self reliant lives. Suddenly, my life turned upside down with my mom’s death due to cancer, my own and my husband’s ill health. It was during this phase that I started selling self created handicraft items and dress material to keep myself busy and distract myself from such circumstances. Alhamdulillah, we overcame this depressive phase and grew stronger. Then came the lockdown that changed the lives of so many people. It affected my life too but in a positive way. My online sales improved Alhamdulillah. I also got involved in a lot of charitable work. I noticed that a few karigars and tailors were out of their jobs. Some even left the city. I then thought of getting suits stitched and selling so that they could feed their families. I participated in a lot of exhibitions where I met a lot of other women entrepreneurs especially those who organized exhibitions and encouraged small business owners. No act of goodness and hardwork goes wasted. Blessings of all those who were helped led to the brand called GLAMOUR AND STYLE today. Glamour and Style grew into a successful brand in a significantly short span of time. Today, we have a team of karigars each expert in their own forte, team salesgirls, team of photographer and models, a team handling my social media, a graphic designer and so on. From an individual person handling business, glamour and style is benefitting so many people, both men and women who work from home. Another major aim is satisfaction of customers. We are continuously striving to make the best exclusive designs at affordable rates especially for middle class families. Thanks to my supportive husband Aijaz Malik, my family and friends, who always encourage and motivate me, i have been able to reach here. During lockdown many businesses failed and women came to the forefront supporting the family. The only advice that i can give someone who is an aspiring women entrepreneur is to never give up. Allah taala is watching. If your intentions are good, you will get success. Faith, willpower, hardwork and perseverance pays.
I take inspiration from wife of our beloved Prophet(pbuh) Hazrat Khadija (r a) who was a successful Muslim woman entrepreneur. Fashion is a signature of your unique style and it has a lot of scope. Today, Sanaubar Aijaz Malik’s Glamour and Style is a well known ladies clothing brand boutique located at Dongri, Mumbai. The place vibrates with hues and sophisticated designs….a candy to the eyes. It deals in ready to wear Indian attires, keeping in mind the customers budget and latest trends. The price range is super affordable without stooping on the quality. You can pick a lovely casual wear cotton outfit @ just Rs 1200/- Each suit made is exclusive. One of its kind. They have sizes from Small( S or 36) to 5XL (or 50). Available at our outlet are Stitched and semi stitched Kurtis/tunics. Casual cotton and lawn suits embellished with laces. Festive collection with embroidery and patch work. Premium and designer party wear collections. and much more. You can WhatsApp on 9833873378 Website www.glamourandstyle.in Instagram glamourand.style Address: 233, Bundar bldg, SVP Rd, Next to Buland Darwaza, opp. Khoja Kabrastan, Dongri Mumbai 400009. There are over 1000 suits available to select from. Shop is open 11am to 9 pm Monday to Saturday. Courier facility is also available all over India. Best quality at affordable prices. We match style and class with luxury and comfort. With the changing mindset, Inshaallah Muslim women will continue to make great strides in the business world in the days to come. In future, I see myself continuing my endeavour of helping the needy and impacting the lives of people so that the world could become a better place to live in. Inshaallah I plan to expand my business to cater to the needs of more and more people. On women’s day the only message that I want to give to all women entrepreneurs is to maintain quality of life. You need to balance your family, career, health as well as friends. This will automatically lead you to success. If I could do it, you can do it too. Happy women’s day.
Sanaa Gaazi:
Famous As: Mehndi Artist
Hello Mumbai News: Could you please Introduce yourself to our readers?
Sanaa Gaazi: Hi. Privileged to connect with Hello Mumbai News. I am Sana Gazi, born and brought up in Mumbai and hail from a Muslim Community. Though I was an housewife earlier, presently, I am the Founder of Sana Gazi Mhendi Artist Beauty Startups.
Hello Mumbai News: What Inspired you to venture into your own Business?
Sanaa Gaazi: Well, Since my child i was interested in Beauty Industry specially in Mhendi Design. From the day one my mother supported me a lot and i joined Mhendi classes done course. After this i decidedly to make it a professional. and decided to start this business.
Hello Mumbai News: What Challenges you faced as a Woman Entrepreneur and how did you overcome them?
Sanaa Gaazi: Look, In every business challenges occur and it is very common. So for me to create a network of women client was a Big challenge. I became very active on social media and did hard work on ground level. From person to person i created this platform.
Hello Mumbai News: Tell us something about your Start-up and how people can benefit from it?
Sanaa Gaazi: My startup company name is Sana Gazi Mhendi Artist which provides a Mhendi designing specially Dubai flavour.our speciality is Designing which women like it very much.
Hello Mumbai News: Where did your Inspiration come from?
Sanaa Gaazi: I was inspired by my Mother Family members and my Husband
Hello Mumbai News: How do you balance your professional and personal life .
Sanaa Gaazi: Well, though quite difficult, yet, I managed. In this, I always had the support from my Husband.
Hello Mumbai News: What advice would you give to someone who is aspiring to be a Women Entrepreneur?
Sanaa Gaazi: My sincere advice is to be positive and increase confidence. Y will definitely get success. Work hard belives in your self
Hello Mumbai News: Which Woman Inspired you?
Sanaa Gaazi: Quite obviously my Mother.
Hello Mumbai News: What is your message on International Women’s Day?
Sanaa Gaazi: This International Women’s Day, is very special for me, because it was on this auspicious day that I got married. This women’s day marks my 4th Marriage anniversary. I want to give special message to all women to support and help each other grow together and Make Nation strong.
Hello Mumbai News: Being a Muslim Woman Entrepreneur what type of challenges and difficulties you faced.
Sanaa Gaazi: Frankly speaking my biggest challenge is to create good quality client because Mhendi is an Art and its difficult to convince the client about Designing.
Hello Mumbai News: What’s your vision and future plan about your startup?.
Sanaa Gaazi: I want to make Sana Gazi Mhendi Artist a Big beauty Startup through this platform i want launch Mhendi classes want to teach poor and needy girls.Through my Mhendi art i want to support my society.
Hello Mumbai News: Do you agree Mumbai being a financial capital a good Market for Beauty Startup and Entrepreneurs?
Sanaa Gaazi: Yes of course. No doubt about it. In Mumbai Entrepreneurship culture is growing day by day among women Entrepreneurs.
Farzana Imran:
Famous As: Makeup Artist
Predominantly Business is a male-dominated world, and in the Muslim community, where female modesty is held at a premium, one might assume that was doubly the case.
But as of now Muslim Women Entrepreneurs are making a Huge impact they have defied this stereotype even as cashing in on the rapidly growing market for Muslim-focused Business.
Like other Non-Muslim women entrepreneurs who have conquered the Male Counterparts in every field of profession, so too Muslim Women Entrepreneurs are and have proved they are nothing less. Today they are into varied businesses and are growing with it on their their own merits.
One such ambitious charismatic and vibrant is Farzana Imran recognised as Zaana Make-up Artist.
Hello Mumbai News took the opportunity to catch up with the enterprising Make-up artist for an exclusive interview on International Women’s Day. Excerpts of the interview.
Hello Mumbai News: Hi. Farzana, welcome to Hello Mumbai News. Could you please introduce yourself to our readers.
Farzana: Hello. This is Farzana Imran, a Make-up artist.
Hello Mumbai News: Farzana, how did u foray into the beauty business?
Farzana: Well, I forayed into the beauty business way back 4 years ago as makeup artist and a subsequently an hairstylist.
Hello Mumbai News: How would you Describe your Signature Look.
Farzana: I have always attempted to enhance one’s inner beauty, Pakistani bridal look and elegant party makeups are my signature looks. It has been my passion towards makeup and engaged in beauty industry is all that I had always wanted and it was my cherished dream.
Hello Mumbai News: What made you come up with your Own Make up line.
Farzana: Beauty is endless and one doesn’t need to look fair as far as beauty is defined, but just that you need to be a good hearted person to look beautiful…..(but a lil mascara never hurts)
Hello Mumbai News: Please throw light on your speciality and services you provide.
Farzana: It has always been my priority to provide with the best of service to my clients. I also visit venues where there is a need for makeup. And also visit accept destination wedding makeups
Hello Mumbai News: Which elements of job that attracts and you most enjoy?
Farzana: Well, I just love doing eye makeup and enhance eyes. As a saying goes “Keep going and never stop your bank account has more numbers than your mobile number”.
Hello Mumbai News: What type challenges you have you encountered amid your professional Journey.
Farzana: Yes. I did have had to face lot of hassles but by the grace of God I could hustle, bustle fight and bounce back. Let me tell you that Women are blessed with power if whatever they decide they will ultimately succeed in life
Hello Mumbai News: Whom have you looked up for inspiration?
Farzana: Yes, amid peels of laughter, Parul Gurg a seasoned Makeup artist is my inspiration and touchwood I am fortunate to have a very supporting husband so everything gets managed. Am accessible on @zaana_makeup_artist and on Mob No. 9022696457
Fatima Qureshi:
Famous As: Beauty Entrepreneur
Hello Mumbai News: Could you Introduce yourself for our readers.
Fatima Qureshi: I am Fatima Qureshi, Beauty Expert by profession.
Hello Mumbai News: What Inspired you to venture into your Business?
Fatima Qureshi: It was the need of the hour and an Urge to be self-dependent.
Hello Mumbai News: What Challenges have you faced as a Woman Entrepreneur and how did you overcome them.
Fatima Qureshi: Well, amid taunt from the society as this profession was not appreciated in those days. Then traveling to places for work. Maintaining balance between home and work
Hello Mumbai News: Tell us something about your Start-up and how people can benefit from it.
Fatima Qureshi: For venturing into any business one has to invest a lot of money. Hence, I started giving tuitions and then utilized that money as a freelancer beautician.
Hello Mumbai News: Where Did your Inspiration come from?
Fatima Qureshi: It was a safe job as I had to deal with females.
Hello Mumbai News: Do you feel that in India there are enough structures and facilities put in place to assist women to expand their Startup Journey?
Fatima Qureshi: No
Hello Mumbai News: How do you balance your professional and personal life.
Fatima Qureshi: I organize my work as per priority. It’s difficult but I systematically manage it.
Hello Mumbai News: What advice would you give to aspiring Women Entrepreneur?
Fatima Qureshi: Just go for it. Achieve your dreams. Make the Impossible possible.
Hello Mumbai News: What Women Inspire you.?
Fatima Qureshi: To be Enthusiastic Positive Confident
Hello Mumbai News: What is your message on International Women’s Day.
Fatima Qureshi: Nothing is impossible for a WOMAN. Stand up for yourself.
Hello Mumbai News: Where can our readers find you and keep in touch with you.
Fatima Qureshi: On Instagram and Facebook @Femsglamour
Hello Mumbai News: Being a Muslim women Entrepreneur what type of challenges and difficulties you faced?
Fatima Qureshi: Too much restrictions on work timings and travel
Hello Mumbai News: What’s your vision and future plan about your startup?
Fatima Qureshi: I am a self-starter who intend to make the most of every opportunity that life offers me I want to become an inspiration for all the women who want to become an inspiration for others I want to help all those to achieve their goals.
Hello Mumbai News: Tell us in brief about your services.
Fatima Qureshi: We deal with all types of skin and beauty services.
Hello Mumbai News: Do you agree Mumbai being a financial capital a good Market for Startup and Entrepreneurs?
Fatima Qureshi: Yes, by all means.
Aisha Tabrez Chinoy:
Famous As: Food Entrepreneur
Hello Mumbai News: Could you Introduce yourself for our readers.
Aisha: I am a mother of 2 lovely kids, housewife and an entrepreneur who loves to hustle and wants to make an identity for myself in the society and be an inspiration for a lot of females to do something on their own.
Hello Mumbai News: What Inspired to start your Business.
Aisha: the challenge that I was going through in the kitchen specially while making birista where we had to peel onions, cut, chop and fry them to make birista inspired me to make kitchen life easy for a lot of kitchen queens and also my passion for cooking.
Hello Mumbai News: What Challenges have you faced as a Woman Entrepreneur and how did you overcome them.
Aisha: There have been end number of challenges that I have faced… Taking care of joint family, kids, household chores, staff, sales, manufacturing and many more challenging… But I am fortunate enough to have my husband who is the strongest pillar of my life and also for S.A Foods. He has a lot of experience in the corporate world dealing into sales and customer service. He’s always ensures to share and implement his experience in S.A Foods…
Hello Mumbai News: Tell Something about your Start-up and how people can benefit from it.
Aisha: Firstly all our products are all made using the finest ingredients and we offer premium quality marinades, birista, ginger garlic paste, chutneys, mayos to make kitchen life easy and zaikedaar for kitchen queens. We have more than 5000 customers and they all share their feedback that our products have made their kitchen life very easy and zaikedaar.
Hello Mumbai News: Do you feel that in India there are enough structures and facilities put in place to assist women to expand their Startup Journey.
Aisha: It is only the will, passion and persistence that helps you achieve your goals whether it is India or any location in the world. Make use of the resources available and looking for solutions to your problem is the key to success.
Hello Mumbai News: How you balance your professional and personal life .
Aisha: It is difficult and challenging… But when your husband and your family support understands you passion and you dream you can do wonders. I am fortunate alhamdulillah to have a strong family with very strong values and also my staff who are more like my family… Then it becomes easy to distribute your work load. Special thanks to my entire staff of S.A Foods.
Hello Mumbai News: What advice would you give to someone who are aspiring Women Entrepreneur
Aisha: Only 1 advice… Understand what makes you happy and work on your product/service daily… Love what you do and also be consistent… It’s you persistence and determination that will give you name and then everything falls in place.
Hello Mumbai News: What’is your message on International Women’s Day.
Aisha: Love yourself, be confident about the work you do. Make your own identity not to compete with anyone, but just to discover your strength and discover yourself.
Hello Mumbai News: Being a Muslim women Entrepreneur what type of challenges and difficulties you faced.
Aisha: A challenge is a challenge when you don’t have anyone to support you… But alhamdulillah I am blessed with best husband, parents, in-laws and my entire S.A Foods family who have been my strength and never made me feel if there’s any challenge. I see a challenge and alhamdulillah my husband comes up with a solution and my entire staff supports to complete those challenges.
Hello Mumbai News: What’s your vision and future plan about your startup.
Aisha: Ek hi vision hai… Make life easy and zaikedaar for all the kitchen queen… #hargharsafoods
Hello Mumbai News: Tell us brief about your services.
Aisha: We offer home delivery services and any customer can book their products through our website, Instagram and WhatsApp. We also keep on uploading new recipes on Instagram for our customers so that they know how they can prepare some yummy recipes for their own family easily. We also share more than 150 recipes through WhatsApp to make their kitchen life easy and zaikedaar.
Hello Mumbai News: Do you agree Mumbai being a financial capital a good Market for Startup and Entrepreneurs.
Aisha: I was born and bought up in Mumbai… There is always a lot of scope to start your own business and make a name for yourself. Just believe in yourself and make small progress daily. Naam ke liye kaam karo… Kaam khud ho jayega…
My mom and my mother in law who coincidentally has same name Sabera n of course my name Aisha and that’s the initial in S.A Foods… Their never to give up attitude inspires me and I am blessed to have them in my life.
Nikhat Khan:
Famous As: Makeup Artist
Hello Mumbai News: Could you introduce yourself for our readers.
Nikhat Khan: Nikhat khan as makeupbykhan I am professional makeup and hair artist
Hello Mumbai News: when and how did you get into beauty industry
Nikhat Khan: Makeup is my passion and in makeup industry I am since 3 yrs
Hello Mumbai News: How would you Describe your Signature look.
Nikhat Khan: The best way to create a signature look is to think about what is you want to accentuate about your natural beauty and then play around and see what makes you feel best
Hello Mumbai News: what made you come up with your own makeup line
Nikhat Khan: It’s my passion which made me come up with my makeup line
Hello Mumbai News: What is beauty for you
Nikhat Khan: It’s our strength and self confidence to know that with or without makeup the real beauty is “you”
Hello Mumbai News: Tell something about your specialty and service you provide
Nikhat Khan: We provide makeup that should look soft elegant and natural
Hello Mumbai News: which elements of job do you most enjoy
Nikhat Khan: As a makeup artist you have the power to make beautiful when ur clients see them in the mirror after your final touch the smile that you see on their face is “princeless”
Hello Mumbai News: Do you have any tips or advice for Aspiring makeup artist
Nikhat Khan: You should have a strong passion for the makeup industry and you should be creative
Hello Mumbai News: What type challenges have you faced during your professional Journey
Nikhat Khan: We all have to accept a challenge in every job how to balance it it’s up to us
Hello Mumbai News: What’s your message on International Women’s Day
Nikhat Khan: Happy Women’s day to all the incredible women ! “Not just today but everyday “
Hello Mumbai News: who is your favourite makeup artist
Nikhat Khan: Mine favourite makeup artist is Nasreen ma’am coz she’s the one where I am today she’s my makeup guru
Hello Mumbai News: how you balance your professional and personal life
Nikhat Khan: We should be very calm in both personal and professional life
Hello Mumbai News: when our readers can find you and keep in touch with you
Nikhat Khan: I m on Instagram as makeupbykhan3 WhatsApp on 9082958822
Yasmin:
Famous As: Makeup Artist
Hello Mumbai News: Could you Introduce yourself for our readers.
Yasmin:My name is yasmeen i am a professional makeup artist
Hello Mumbai News: when and how did you get into Beauty Industry.
Yasmin: I just love to do makeup right from my childhood but I tried it as a profession after my marriage by getting inspiration from all the ladies out there in the industry who just want to pursue something on their own.
Hello Mumbai News: How would you Describe your Signature Look.
Yasmin: As I said I just love doing makeup but my clients and friends love how I do box liner and nude makeup a lot as it enhances the natural beauty of the person irrelevant of their ethnicity.
Hello Mumbai News: what made you come up with your Own Make up line.
Yasmin: Nothing just a passion for makeup and a love of sharing the knowledge which I have.
Hello Mumbai News: What is Beauty for you.
Yasmin: To me, beauty is all about being comfortable in your skin, its about knowing and accepting who you are.
Hello Mumbai News: Tell Something about your speciality and services you provide.
Yasmin:My specialty is makeup and knowledge in it and that is the service that I provide, by the grace of Allah I am very good at it
Hello Mumbai News: which elements of job do you most enjoy.
Yasmin:you know, when we are done with our work and we receive a beautiful smile and positive feedback from the client, that’s it that’s the best part of the job which I enjoy
Hello Mumbai News: Do you have any Tips or advice for Aspiring Make up Artist.
Yasmin:Do what you love and love what you do, and follow your passion blindly don’t run after fame make your work shout out your name and fame will come running after you.
Hello Mumbai News: What type challenges have you faced during your professional Journey.
Yasmin:Nothing can be achieved without any challenges as being a married woman and a mother the difficulty level for starting a career at this time of life is way up high and the list is way long enough from the tension of who’s gonna look after the children to how well everything will be managed. But as they say, where there is a will there is a way, everything will be managed gradually.
Hello Mumbai News: What’s your message on International Women’s Day
Yasmin:A woman can do anything she is willing to do, the only thing she needs is just a small backing from the family and people around her. She may not be strong physically but strongest emotionally and mentally.
Hello Mumbai News: who is your favourite Make up Artist.
Yasmin:The makeup artists who inspire me and whom I admire a lot are Khushi Virani, Sheena Kaur, and Meenakshi Dutt. No comments the best in the industry.
Hello Mumbai News: How you balance your professional and personal life.
Yasmin:My personal and professional life are way more different and wide apart but we have to balance between them like they both are connected with a rope of family support, sacrifices, passion, and enthusiasm for the work and you have to balance yourself on it, the stronger the pull is the stiffer the rope gets and so it gets easier to balance between them. Just ignore the “char log” who are always behind your back and come to disbalance your life.
Hello Mumbai News: when our readers can find you and keep in touch with you.
Yasmin:my instagram id Yasmeen–makeup–artist Makeup by yasmeen86 My youtub id Yasmeen shaikh Yasmeenshaikh4230
Mehvash Arfat shaikh:
Famous As: Business Entrepreneur
Hello Mumbai News: Could you Introduce yourself for our readers.
Mehvash Arfat shaikh: Mehvash Arfat shaikh Owner of Selfcare_station21 I deal in Oriflame Company products. Oriflame guarantees the quality of any Product which carries the Oriflame name and certify that they are manufactured by, or for us to meet the highest standards of quality. We are confident that our Customers will find our Products satisfactory in every way.
Hello Mumbai News: when and how did you get into Beauty Industry.
Mehvash Arfat shaikh: One year back Wanted to help & empower women to work with zero investment at their own time like work from home. We help all women and teenagers to be entrepreneurs…with zero loss…and zero investment..
Hello Mumbai News: How would you Describe your Signature Look.
Mehvash Arfat shaikh: You’re never going to get your best work done if you’re not satisfied with all aspects of your life.
Hello Mumbai News: What is Beauty for you.
Mehvash Arfat shaikh: A beautiful person is someone who stays true to themselves and their spirit; someone who is self-confident and can make you smile.
Hello Mumbai News: Tell Something about your speciality and services you provide.
Mehvash Arfat shaikh: When you register as Oriflame Brand Partner you will be one of our partners. You can take advantage of the opportunities we offer to make money by selling our products to others and to potentially build its own network of advisers.
Hello Mumbai News: which elements of job do you most enjoy.
Mehvash Arfat shaikh: Make people belive in themself …. And start earning from their own business. Being successful doesn’t just mean making a lot of money. It means achieving success in all aspects of life
Hello Mumbai News: What’s your message on International Women’s Day
Mehvash Arfat shaikh: Women are an inspiration to everyone. Cheers to all women on Women’s Day 2023! There is no limit to what we, as women, can accomplish.
Hello Mumbai News: How you balance your professional and personal life.
Mehvash Arfat shaikh: Organising your day and making a schedule for yourself will help in having a stress-free day. working from home can actually be the most efficient way to get things done.
source: http://www.hellomumbainews.com / Hello Mumbai News / Home> Mumbai Local / by Aleem Shaikh / March 08th, 2023
Unpacking the politics behind the Indian fashion industry’s biggest—but unsung— shareholders
Photo: Bikramjit Bose
At first glance, Indian jewellery brand Olio’s Instagram feed looks like any other of its kind: a visually resounding moodboard of sorts, chock full of Bollywood references, 90s nostalgia, and whimsical photos of its maximal, statement jewellery that is unforgettably cool.
But dig just a little deeper and you’ll find that beyond the beautiful aesthetics and jewellery accents, Olio isn’t afraid to make a cultural, social, or political statement. Case in point, when user ‘Shreya’ left a review for Olio’s website accusing them of ‘misinformation’ for attributing the origins of the haath phool to the Mughals “who brought it to the country by way of Persia,” as per Olio. But ‘Shreya’ claimed that the haath phool “is a Hindu jewellery that has nothing to do with Mughals”. So, Olio dedicated a post as ‘a history lesson for Shreya’ on how the Mughals played a pivotal role in shaping the art of jewellery-making in India. More on that later in the story.
In a country with over 5,000 years of history, the rise and fall of countless civilisations, the reign of rulers from all over the world, and 200-year-long colonisation, to deem something purely from one cultural corner is an abject erasure of aspects of the history of one the world’s oldest civilisations. “It’s just so crazy that people just want to rewrite history. We are so multicultural, and it comes from our history; there’s beauty in this diversity,” exclaimed Aashna Singh, one-half of Olio’s founding duo.
This might seem like any other incident of someone confusing their facts about history, but the erasure of the part of history that Singh is referring to is specifically that of Mughal and Islamic influence on India.
As represented by ‘Shreya’, there seems to be an increasingly divisive and communally charged sentiment amongst people bent on homogenizing what is a polychromatic amalgamation of cultural influences on our clothes, jewellery, art, culture, culinary history, among others, and in effect, risking the oblivion of its colourful tapestry of heritage, something Singh witnessed first hand with her brand. “That was the first time we took a strong stance about something, and it was very interesting to see the reaction to that. I mean, you also get a lot of love, and people who appreciate it appreciate it a lot. But then there have been customers who wrote to us saying they’re not going to shop with us again because they were just so upset by it, which is scary.”
But what does jewellery, and its design history, have to do with the country’s current inflamed state of religion-based viewpoints? According to Umair Shah, co-founder of a creative studio that works with lifestyle brands, and an amateur historian, a lot. “We need to understand that most of the ancient craft we cannot simply call ‘ours’ because everything has a nuanced historical aspect.
If you talk of silk that is used to adorn idols in the temples, it came through the Silk Route from China.
If we talk of carpet weaving in Kashmir, it came with Shah Hamdan, a Persian saint, scholar, and religious leader of the 14th century AD.
Zardozi came with the Safavid empire in Iran; what Suzani is in Central Asia just became Sozani in India.
All of these arts and crafts that are now celebrated in India have a cross-cultural, cross-boundary relation or derivation. And you will find that often the people who are carrying forward these traditional skills today in India may have ties that originated from those regions.”
“It serves as an element of forming your identity. One of the biggest reasons behind that was the absence of a caste system that could be related to any profession, whereas a majority of the population in medieval times were working as per their caste. But with a lot of Muslims, they were doing any kind of job that was fitting for them. Incidentally, one of the most important industries for India happened to be textile.” Shah further added that when we erase the association of religious identity, its ensuing history and heritage, with the karigars, we risk losing the identity and the history of the craft itself.
Make no mistake, India appreciates, celebrates, and continues to buy what is commonly known as ‘Mughal’ art and design, but Shah pointed out that’s only the case until something starts looking “too Muslim”. “A lot of crafts that we see in the market are popular because we have a tendency of fetishising anything that’s ‘Mughal’, so to speak. But the fetishisation is for the craft only, and not for the karigar. You don’t want to be associated with their religious identity.”
Last year in October, an Indianwear brand was forced to remove its ad after online outrage poured in over using an Urdu phrase, ‘Jashn-e-Riwaaz’, meaning ‘celebration of customs’ for their Diwali campaign. “Deepavali is not Jash[n]-e-Riwaaz. This deliberate attempt at abrahamisation of Hindu festivals, depicting models without traditional Hindu attires, must change. And brands should face economic costs for such deliberate misadventures,” tweeted a political leader. A year prior to that, in October 2020, a prominent jewellery brand’s ad faced similar outrage, this time for supposedly promoting “Love Jihad” in an ad that showed a pregnant Hindu woman escorted by her Muslim mother-in-law for her baby shower ceremony. The jewellery giant eventually took the ad down from all its digital platforms.
Kallol Datta, a Kolkata-based clothes-maker and finalist of the Jameel prize, is of the opinion that the root of the problem doesn’t lie in the lack of awareness of Persian and Mughal design influences. The problem is in a different ballpark and, as Datta predicts, is set to snowball into something of a different scale in the future. “Right now, you have fascists posting instructions on social media on how to do away with Urdu words in your vocabulary and substitute them with Hindi words. This could soon also include instructions on design language.”
Amidst Indic and Mughal influences, and the black and white of what’s ‘our’ history, and what’s not lies a line that is extremely blurred. The line being of who influenced what, and at exactly what point in time, or if a ruler’s reign affected change in the architecture or design of the era. When an idea is inspired by somewhere else it is often transformed into something new.
That’s why Pramod Kumar KG, who is the managing director of Eka Archiving Services, founder director of the Anokhi Museum of Hand Printing, and the first director of the Jaipur Literature Festival, emphasizes the importance of looking at the history of design, in all its forms, from a much more nuanced lens. “We look at something and we assume that this is Mughal design. We don’t realize that this is an assimilation of different things over the centuries which has come down to us in a certain form. We have brilliant portraits of, say, Jahangir wearing a bandhani patka waistcloth, bandhani being a technique that is more indigenous to the country or to the subcontinent. So this constant moving back and forth existed. Sometimes it’s convenient for us to look at something and say, ‘That’s Mughal, this is Rajput, this is Hindu, this is Muslim’. But the fact of the matter is that all of them are incredibly layered – designs, motifs, and even garments. It’s not a blanket answer and I really wish people would look at it that way and realize that we are far more than just one or the other.”
When I asked Sarthak Kasliwal, the youngest partner at Jaipur’s iconic jewellery institution, The Gem Palace, what he makes of such ‘influence’, he replied with a much more simplified version: “Artists always get inspired from different places. There’s no originality in anything in the sense that the first was also created by getting influenced by something else. So no one can actually own it. You date back in history, you say it because you know that part. You can trace it back. But to what date? And what about before that?”
Beyond debates and discussions of history, heritage, and lineage of craft forms, something much more tangible lies at stake – the livelihoods of generational Muslim karigars if their art is disassociated from their identity. But why should the fashion industry care? As per Datta, “The pattern cutters, sewing machinists, hand embroiderers, weavers, dyers and printers – a majority of people engaged in fashion production are Muslims. Fashion gets to profit off of culture and craft. But you cannot profit off the labour of an entire community and stay quiet when the same community is subject to intimidation, diminished access to education and livelihood.”
But as Kumar pointed out, “Everybody’s just too scared to speak up at all, to say anything contrary that’s also important. Be it celebrities or designers, nobody wants to toe that line. But by being silent, you’re equally a party to the problem.” That is why Shah thinks that designers and design houses hiring Muslim karigars need to step up. Beyond fair pay and regular work, Shah insists that they need to be given assurance that they work in an unprejudiced environment. “Beyond getting their work done by the karigars, designers need to be aware of the situation in the country and the realities of the lives of the people who are working for them. All these people don’t have a voice today. If they are getting humiliated or threatened, they will likely not know what to do about it. They need reassurance that the brands they’re working with will at least be their voice if something untoward happens.”
The way ahead is, undoubtedly, a more inclusive and diverse design and cultural sentiment wherein every influence is celebrated as part of the country’s fabric, agreed Kasliwal who envisions the same as a young businessperson and the heir of a prestigious design institution.
Singh and her partner Sneha Saksena, too, shared that they intend to use their privilege and Olio’s platform “to do the right thing”, even if it costs the brand a few angry customers or negative reviews. “ Fashion can be very frivolous sometimes. It’s just jewellery at the end of the day. Like, what am I doing? I’m just trying to sell jewellery. But if we can have an impact by using our privilege and our platforms to protect the most vulnerable, then why not? Because otherwise, what’s the point of it all?”
source: http://www.vogue.in / Vogue India / Home> Fashion / by Shubhangana Das / September 23rd, 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
Anam Rais Khan is the first female and first ever Muslim from Aligarh Muslim University to qualify the prestigious Delhi Judicial Services Examination 2018, securing 71st rank to become a judge in Delhi.
She completed her B.A.LL.B (Hons) from AMU in 2015 and did LLM from National Law University Delhi in 2016. She was the University Gold Medalist and also received Gold Medal in Constitutional Law. Socially active on campus, she organised several legal literacy awareness programs, donation camps and environment campaigns.
She qualified UGC NET and got enrolled with Bar Council of Delhi in 2017. Then she moved to Australia with her husband, who is a software engineer at TCS, and started working at a reputed Immigration consultancy firm in Sydney. But her strong desire for competing judicial services exams was always there and she kept preparing for it for around 1.5 years and then gave it a shot in January 2019 and cleared the most coveted judicial services exam of India at the young age of 26.
Her husband, Adil Khan always stood by her, supported her and encouraged her, come what may. Her father, A.R. Khan, Retired Station Superintendent in Indian Railways always wanted to see her daughter adorn this respectable post, and Rahul Yadav, her mentor at Rahul’s IAS Coaching, guided her throughout the journey.
She also thanks her mother Prof. Samina Khan and sister Alvina Khan and her in-laws for being so supportive always. Anam says she always wanted to be a judge because being a judge gives one the power and also the responsibility to correct so many injustices in society. She says now she will be able to contribute to the evolution of law, serve the nation, and become a better student of law and at the end of the day sleep with a clear conscience by making a difference in the society.
Her advice to the aspiring candidates would be not to become bookworms and try to think out of the box.
source: http://www.radiancenews.com / Radiance News / Home> Latest News > Markers of Excellence / by Radiance News Bureau / October 03rd, 2024
The record for making the longest cotton banner on drug abuse was set by Muslim High School in association with JRC Coordinator Ramla Beebi (born on May 15, 1968) of Palakkad, Kerala.
A total number of 2000 people wrote messages on drug abuse on the banner (measuring 1220 m in length) on July 4, 2022 at 10:30 am, as confirmed on July 23, 2022.
source: http://www.indiabookofrecords.in / India Book of Records – IBR / Home> Culture & Creativity / by ibr editor / November 01st, 2022
This is just not another memoir of a politician happily or unhappily bounds to look back; the author, instead, talks like a grandmother narrating a story of post-independent India somewhat interlinked with the Congress.
Mohsina Kidwai, author of the book ‘My Life in Indian Politics’
Book Review: Non-fiction (Memoir)/2022; My Life in Indian Politics by Mohsina Kidwai (As told to Rasheed Kidwai); HarperCollins, 300pp (Hardback)
Indian politics is a sort of ‘wonder’ and its unique existential positioning can’t be imagined without people behind its ups and downs. Reading the memoirs, especially of those who served in public life for long, is amongst the rewarding pastimes of a reader. I read Mohsina Kidwai’s memoir as a manuscript, and of course, I reread it even more carefully in its print version. Here is a candid account of a prominent political figure of India who dispels the stereotyped traditional notions that are usually expected to be self-centred and being extra boastful in the first person narrative.
Mohsina Kidwai has been in public life as a member of the Indian National Congress for over six decades. A cabinet minister in several successive central governments and a senior office-holder in the Congress, she has had a ringside view of Indian politics for almost the entire span of independent India’s existence. She has witnessed, and been a participant in, the tenures of prime ministers from Jawaharlal Nehru to Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, and was a member of parliament until 2016, one of only twenty Muslim women to have been elected to the Lok Sabha since 1951. She has had a prolific track record that can’t be compared with her fellow women politicians, more so, from the Muslim community.
My Life in Indian Politics by Mohsina Kidwai
The book reflects well on her long and eventful life in politics and covers quite skilfully her contributions to public life, and also succeeds in providing an honest appraisal of the turn in fortunes of the political party she has remained a loyal member of over the decades. The author along with co-author and senior journalist Rasheed Kidwai, endow the readers with rare glimpses to homes, lives and hurly-burly of election campaigns from bygone era when Congress dominated the political landscape at centre and in the states.
One such memorable one was the Azamgarh bypoll in 1978, which Mohsina Kidwai won as Uttar Pradesh Congress Chief, and which signalled a revival of the Congress’s fortune after its spectacular defeat in the post-Emergency general elections of 1977. The book’s cover informs you and inside, the details and rich and beautifully presented.
We get to see little known facts about India’s Prime Ministers Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and P V Narsimha Rao. Similarly, she is forthright in accepting that her move to join the breakaway Tiwari Congress in 1995 was a mistake.
Here is a quick recap of a few of them:
Mohsina Kidwai talks about an incident which happened when Lal Bahadur Shastri had visited Barabanki sometime in the early 1950s. “A few years after marriage, I saw Shastriji, who had come to meet my father-in-law. Jameel ur Rahman Kidwai Saab had stood for elections and Shastriji was canvassing for him. Shastriji was a simple man. Our domestic help, who did not recognize him, asked him where he was from. Shastriji, by then already a Union minister, replied that he had come in connection with the election and wished to meet Jameel Saab.
“He will return home in the evening,” the domestic help told Shastriji and asked him to wait. Shastriji waited. The servant served him tea.
In the evening, when my father-in-law returned, he saw Shastriji waiting.
A little embarrassed, my father-in-law scolded the servant for not informing him about the guest. After that Shastriji became a member of our extended family.” Some rarest accounts on Indira Gandhi:
“Indiraji was extremely caring and attentive. I can go on talking about many instances. Sometime after the 1977 Lok Sabha polls when Indira ji was in opposition, she planned to visit Badrinath for puja. I and Narayan Dutt Tiwari and I accompanied her. It was an October month. We were told that puja starts at 4 am. Asking us to wait, she went to the temple for Puja. We were to start at 6 am on the return journey to New Delhi. At 5 am, Indiraji returned from the temple and checked whether all the vehicles of our convoy were ready. The pundit of the temple offered us breakfast. When we were having breakfast, the drivers were heating the engines of their respective vehicles. I told Indiraji, we had breakfast but poor drivers must be hungry. They have not even had tea as they were busy heating vehicle engines. I suggested we stop at the first tea shop in return for the drivers to have tea. She agreed.
Indiraji had the habit of carrying some snacks with her in a basket during travel. After a while I saw her taking out some biscuits from the basket kept beneath her seat. She tore the biscuits in four pieces and asked the driver to pick the pieces one by one from her hand while driving. She extended her hand carrying biscuit pieces and the driver did what he was told to do. Indiraji used to enjoy such affection and spontaneous display of it that it often stunned me and used to fill my heart with admiration and pride for my leader.”
“Indiraji could also sense what people around her were feeling. Once we were traveling by an overnight train to Gorakhpur and I suddenly realised I was alone with the Prime Minister in the first-class coupe. She sensed that I was a little uncomfortable and directed me to turn my face towards the wall and go off to sleep,” adds the author.
Undeniably, the book is written with honesty and simplicity, and should be better known as a work to assess an entire era in Indian politics. This is just not another memoir of a politician happily or unhappily bound to look back. She, instead, talks like a grandmother narrating a story of post-independent India somewhat interlinked with the Congress. The book is essential reading for anyone interested in knowing India, its democracy and the foundational stories of a remarkable journey.
(The author is a policy professional, columnist and writer with a special focus on South Asia. Views expressed are personal.)
source: http://www.outlook.com / Outlookindia.com / Home> Culture & Society> Book Review / by Atul K Thakur / January 07th, 2023
Hyderabad, known for its grandeur and the unique confluence of Hindu-Muslim culture, found itself at a crossroads of political and religious tensions. Afsar Mohammad sheds light on the brutal military campaign, where the ordinary citizens of Hyderabad became casualties in a political power play between the Nizam and the Indian government. The book emphasizes that…
Book: Remaking History: 1948 Police Action and the Muslims of Hyderabad
Author: Afsar Mohammad / Publisher: Cambridge University Press / Published:June 2023 /Hardcover: 320 pages
Afsar Mohammad, a renowned poet, scholar, and expert on South Asian literary cultures, brings forth a deeply researched and compelling narrative in his book Remaking History: 1948 Police Action and the Muslims of Hyderabad. As a professor of South Asian Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, Afsar has extensively studied the intersection of politics, religion, and literature in the Indian subcontinent. His previous works have explored themes of religious identity and cultural expression in the context of Hyderabad. With Remaking History, he delves into one of the most tragic and often overlooked episodes in India’s postcolonial history – the 1948 police action in Hyderabad.
The book addresses the military operation launched by the Indian government from September 14 to 18, 1948, to forcibly integrate the princely state of Hyderabad into the Indian Union. As India was celebrating its newfound independence, the state of Hyderabad was caught in a violent struggle. The operation, commonly referred to as the “police action,” resulted in immense bloodshed, with the Muslim population of Hyderabad suffering disproportionately.
Hyderabad, known for its grandeur and the unique confluence of Hindu-Muslim culture, found itself at a crossroads of political and religious tensions. Afsar Mohammad sheds light on the brutal military campaign, where the ordinary citizens of Hyderabad became casualties in a political power play between the Nizam and the Indian government. The book emphasizes that while the Razakars, a military group loyal to the Nizam, escaped across borders, it was the common Muslims of Hyderabad who bore the brunt of the violence that followed the military intervention. Thousands of lives were lost, and many more were displaced during the five days of turmoil.
One of the pivotal aspects of the book is its reliance on the Sunderlal Committee Report, an investigation commissioned by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in the immediate aftermath of the operation. This committee traveled across Hyderabad and the Deccan region, gathering firsthand testimonies from survivors. The report revealed shocking truths: thousands of Muslims were massacred during the police action, and the violence forced many others to flee to Pakistan and other countries. However, the report was suppressed for decades under the guise of “national security,” only surfacing in recent years thanks to the persistent efforts of historians. This suppression of critical historical evidence is a central theme of the book, as Afsar Mohammad argues that official narratives have long ignored or downplayed the extent of the violence.
In addition to exposing the atrocities committed, Remaking History explores how this dark period shaped the literary and cultural landscapes of postcolonial Hyderabad. The traumatic events of 1948 found their way into novels, poems, memoirs, and personal narratives written by survivors and their descendants. Afsar Mohammad highlights how literature became a means for the people of Hyderabad to process their grief, remember their dead, and make sense of the immense suffering they endured. The book documents the ways in which Hyderabad’s writers and poets used their work to preserve the memory of the police action, even as the official narrative sought to erase or obscure these painful truths.
Afsar Mohammad also critically examines the political reframing of the police action in later years. In 1998, L.K. Advani, a key figure in India’s Hindutva movement, proclaimed the police action as a “liberation” of Hyderabad, casting it as a moment of triumph rather than tragedy. This reinterpretation of history, the book argues, was part of a larger effort to further a communal agenda, obscuring the fact that the violence was largely directed at Muslims. Afsar Mohammad challenges readers to question whether the police action was truly a moment of liberation, or if it was a tool used to suppress the region’s Muslim population and further political interests.
One of the most striking aspects of Remaking History is the emphasis on the role of personal stories in reconstructing the past. Afsar Mohammad stresses that official documents and reports can only go so far in revealing the full picture. The true history, he argues, is often found in the personal memoirs, oral histories, and forgotten novels of those who lived through these events. Many of the eyewitnesses and survivors of the 1948 police action are no longer alive, their stories lost to time. However, the book insists that these personal accounts are essential to understanding the true scope of the violence and its lasting impact on Hyderabad.
The book also highlights the lasting cultural and social shifts that emerged from the violence. Despite the bloodshed, Hyderabad’s centuries-old legacy of Hindu-Muslim unity endured, and the city’s cultural landscape continued to evolve. In the years following the police action, a wave of literary and artistic movements arose, particularly in the Telangana region, shaping the social and cultural identity of Hyderabad for generations to come.
Afsar Mohammad’s Remaking History is a crucial work that brings much-needed attention to a neglected chapter in India’s postcolonial history. It challenges the sanitized narratives of Indian nationalism and raises important questions about the consequences of political violence. By combining rigorous historical research with a deep understanding of Hyderabad’s literary cultures, Afsar Mohammad presents a nuanced and powerful account of the 1948 police action and its aftermath. The book serves as both a historical investigation and a tribute to the resilience of Hyderabad’s people and culture in the face of adversity.
In conclusion, Remaking History is an essential contribution to the historiography of postcolonial India. It calls on readers to confront the uncomfortable truths of the past and reflects on how history is often manipulated to serve political agendas. Afsar Mohammad’s work is a timely reminder that the trauma of violence and suppression should not be forgotten, but instead, recognized and remembered in its entirety, for the sake of future generations.
source: http://www.radianceweekly.com / Radiance Viewsweekly / Home> Book Review / by Ayesha Sultana / September 24th, 2024
