In year 1945, he was conferred with the title of “Khan Bahadur” by British Viceroy
Hyderabad:
In the 1920s after his father’s demise, Khan Bahadur Abdul Karim Babukhan took over the construction business and in later years attained remarkable credentials for his contribution towards the infrastructure and industrial development in the growth of erstwhile “Hyderabad State” during the rule of 7th Asaf Jah, Nizam Of Hyderabad, Mir Osman Ali Khan Bahadur.
He established “Hyderabad Construction Company” in the early 1930s under which, many architectural and engineering wonders were constructed under the rule and order of Nizam of Hyderabad as listed under.
Arts College – Osmania University, Hyderabad.
Hyderabad House – Nizam’s Palace, Delhi.
Gandhi Bhavan – Hyderabad, was his private property, later gifted to the Congress party for its headquarters.
Soan Bridge – Across the River Godavari , Adilabad.
Kadam Dam – Adilabad.
Tungabhadra Dam – Substantial part of it, presently in Karnataka State.
Ramagundam Power Station – First phase, Karimnagar.
A file photo of the Arts College building, which is considered to be the face of Osmania University.
Hyderabad House [Twitter]
Industries attributed and promoted by him
Nizam Sugar Factory – Nizamabad (He held a large portion of shareholding in it).
Sir Silk Mills
Sirpur Paper Mill
Hyderabad Vanaspati
Hyderabad Vegetable Oil Mill
Singerini collieries , etc.
In the year 1930, he was conferred with the title of “Khan Sahib” by British Viceroy “Lord Irwin” on behalf of King George V of England.
In the year 1930, he was conferred with the title of “KHAN SAHIB” by British Viceroy “Lord Irwin” on behalf of KING GEORGE THE V of England.
In the year 1945, he was conferred with the title of “KHAN BAHADUR” by British Viceroy “Viscount Wavell” on behalf of KING GEORGE THE VI of England.
“Khan Bahadur” title holds a higher rank and position and had superseded the earlier one “Khan Sahib”. It’s very rare to confer two titles to the same person.
Both titles were conferred for his recognition towards CIvil/Public services.
He attained high regard and respect, and maintained close relationships with prominent dignitaries, nobles, members of royal families, politicians, and businessmen.
He was appointed as Honorary Special Magistrate, Secunderabad. He was appointed as a Member of the Governer’s Staff as Oregon’s Ambassador to Hyderabad.
source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> News> Hyderabad / by Guest Contributor, posted by Sameer Khan / September 11th, 2022
Mr. Jamal has been writing Urdu poetry since 1987, many of his works were published in Urdu dailies and magazines like Saalar, Siyasat, Etemaad and Dabistan,
Poet and writer Syed Iftekhar Jamal of Kadapa, who has been named by the Urdu Academy for the ‘Yousuf Safi Lifetime Achievement Award’.
The Urdu Academy, Government of Andhra Pradesh, has named Syed Iftekhar Jamal of Kadapa district for the prestigious ‘Yousuf Safi Lifetime Achievement Award’ in recognition of his contribution as a prominent Urdu poet, writer, stage producer, director, actor, social and political activist.
Mr. Jamal has been writing Urdu poetry since 1987, many of his works were published in Urdu dailies and magazines like Saalar, Siyasat, Etemaad and Dabistan. He had conducted several ‘Mushairas’ (poets conclave), including the State-level ‘Riyasati Urdu Mushaira’, the first after bifurcation of the Andhra Pradesh.
He wrote his first drama in 1995, which was made into the first Urdu telefilm the very next year. Some of his notable works include ‘Mohabbat Aur Jung’ (1997), ‘Lagan’ (2002), ‘Koun Banega Ghar Jamaai’ (2003). Similarly, his directorial ventures include ‘Khwab Pather Mein’, which received acclaim in Hyderabad, Kurnool and Kadapa, besides ‘Padam Shiri’, ‘Dafeena’, ‘Dood-e-Chiraagh’ and so on.
Mr. Jamal is currently the State secretary of Minority Hakkula Parirakshana Samiti, Andhra Pradesh.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> India> Andhra Pradesh / by The Hindu Bureau / November 10th, 2024
Proddatur prodigy excels in sports while balancing academic commitments, with eyes set on the Olympics
New Delhi :
In a time when youth are often told to prioritise studies over sports, Mohammad Ubaid, a 15-year-old from Proddatur in Andhra Pradesh, is proving that both can be pursued successfully. Over the past three years, Ubaid has won nine gold medals in rifle shooting at state and national competitions, all while maintaining a strong academic record. His remarkable achievements are bound to inspire young athletes across India.
Ubaid’s journey in shooting began in 2021, when he attended a summer camp at the George Club in Proddatur. There, under the guidance of his coach Raghavendra, he discovered a passion for the sport. Despite being only in the seventh grade, Ubaid committed himself to hours of daily training, quickly rising through the ranks and gaining recognition for his skills.
“Balancing academics and sports isn’t easy, but I stay disciplined. When I’m not studying, I’m practicing,” Ubaid says, sharing the secret to his success.
His hard work paid off early, with Ubaid winning two gold medals in the open sight category at the Andhra Pradesh State Level Championships in 2022. That same year, he took home another gold in the under-19 category at the SGFI State Level Competition in Rajahmundry, earning a spot at the national competition. He went on to represent his state at the national level in Delhi.
Ubaid’s winning streak continued into 2024. At the Andhra Pradesh State Level Championships, he won four gold medals across multiple categories, including sub-youth, youth, junior men, and men’s divisions. He also claimed a gold in the under-17 open sight category at the SGFI State Level Competition in Rajahmundry, qualifying for the national competition in Indore later this year.
Despite his impressive achievements in shooting, Ubaid remains committed to his education. He trains for four hours every day but temporarily reduced his practice schedule to focus on preparing for his Class 10 board exams. He plans to continue his studies at Vishwa Shanti Junior College in Vijayawada, where he will pursue both his academic and sporting goals.
“I want to compete on the international stage for India at least once in my lifetime. My ultimate goal is to participate in the Olympics, and that drives me every day,” says Ubaid.
With his determination and impressive track record, Ubaid is quickly becoming an inspiration to aspiring athletes across the country. As he prepares for the Under-17 national competition in Indore this December, all eyes will be on this young shooting star who continues to defy expectations.
source: http://www.clarionindia.com / Clarion India / Home> Editors Pick> Indian Muslim / by Mohammad Alamullah, Clarion India / November 29th, 2024
Overcoming adversity to achieve medical excellence and serve society
New Delhi :
The life story of Dr. S.A. Ali is a testament to resilience and determination, illustrating how an individual can surmount varied challenges to achieve success. Born in a poor family in Andhra Pradesh’s Kadapa, Dr. Ali’s transformation from poverty to becoming a revered doctor and professor is truly inspiring.
Dr. Ali is now a prominent figure in the Uttar Pradesh city of Mathura where he runs a clinic. He previously served at the TB Sanatorium in the historic city of Vrindavan.
With an impressive array of qualifications including MBBS, MD, DNB, and MNAMS, as well as diplomas in ultrasound and cardiology, Dr. Ali, an expert in chest-related diseases, has treated over 150,000 patients with a remarkable 99% recovery rate.
Dr. Ali has not forgotten his childhood and the challenges associated with poverty. His encounter with hardships early on has instilled in his character a sense of compassion and magnanimity. And it shows: He does not charge anything from the poor and the needy and at times even provides the necessary medicines to them at no cost.
Reflecting on his childhood, Dr. Ali recounts the struggles his family faced due to his father’s modest income as a tailor. “Getting higher education was a dream,” he says. “I borrowed books and notes from friends, and often walked or borrowed a friend’s bicycle to get around.”
Despite these challenges, Dr. Ali studied tirelessly for over 18 hours a day. Initially aspiring to fulfill his father’s dream of becoming a lawyer, he eventually decided to pursue a career in medicine. “The challenges I faced in my childhood made me feel I should also help people. And now I work with this passion,” he explains.
Dr. Ali’s dedication and hard work earned him a prestigious status from the Indian Medical Association as a professor, a title awarded to only ten doctors for a five-year term, from 2021 to 2026. “The professors and teachers who taught me during my college days were very good. They helped me in every possible way,” he says with gratitude.
His commitment to serving others took him to Vrindavan. “Coming to Vrindavan was all about service,” he states. “Caste or religion had no place in coming here.”
Dr. Ali’s message to the youth is one of perseverance and community involvement. He advises them to “join the society and try to take it to a better state.” He encourages young people to walk or cycle whenever possible, both for health benefits and environmental conservation. “This will strengthen their health and the environment will also be protected by reducing fuel consumption,” he says.
Highlighting the importance of environmental conservation, he urges efforts to enhance water levels in rivers, streams, wells, and ponds. “Meaningful discussions on the environment should continue through political debates, political rallies, and social media,” he asserts.
Dr. Ali also calls on his fellow doctors to engage with the poorer sections of society and government schools to raise awareness about diseases. “They should connect with women groups because after becoming aware, women can give a healthy life to their entire family,” he adds.
In his journey from poverty to becoming a respected doctor, Dr. Ali exemplifies how adversity can be transformed into achievement through hard work, education, and a commitment to helping others.
source: http://www.clarionindia.net / Clarion India / Home> Clarion Special> Editors Pick / by Mohammad Alamullah, Clarion India / June 10th, 2024
Muslim representation has come down in Andhra Pradesh Assembly. Only three Muslims have been elected in the just concluded elections while four Muslims were elected in 2019.
All the three were elected on the tickets of Telugu Desam Party (TDP), which, along with its allies Jana Sena and BJP, has scored a landslide victory.
The TDP had fielded three Muslims and all of them have emerged winners.
YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) had fielded seven Muslim candidates, the highest ever in the state’s history and all of them were defeated.
TDP-Jana Sena-BJP alliance has won a whopping 164 seats in the 175-member Assembly. It also won 21 out of 25 Lok Sabha seats.
Senior TDP leader and former minister Nasyam Mohammed Farook was elected from Nandyal constituency. He defeated Silpa Ravi Chandra Kishore Reddy of YSRCP by a margin of 12,333.
This is the fourth time Farook has been elected as MLA. He was earlier elected in 1985, 1994 and 1999. The senior leader had served as deputy speaker of the Assembly and a minister in united Andhra Pradesh.
Mohammed Naseer Ahmed of TDP has been elected from Guntur East. He defeated Noori Fatima Shaik of YSRCP by a margin of 31,962 votes. The YSRCP had denied a ticket to sitting MLA Mohammad Mustafa and fielded Noori Fathima.
The Congress party had also fielded a Muslim candidate Shaik Mastan Vali, who was elected on Congress ticket in 2009. He, however, finished a distant third.
This constituency had been electing Muslim MLA candidates since the 1980s.
The third Muslim to be elected to the Assembly is M. Shahjahan Basha. He defeated S. Nisar Ahamad of YSRCP by 5,509 votes in Madanapalle constituency. He was earlier elected from here as Congress candidate in 2009.
The YSRCP had not fielded Mohammed Nawaz Basha, who was elected from here in 2019.
In Kadiri constituency, YSRCP’s B.S. Maqbool lost to K. Venkata Prasad of TDP by a margin of 6,265 votes.
This was the second time that YSRCP has given Kadiri ticket to a Muslim. In 2014, Attar Chand Basha was elected from here.
Deputy Chief Minister and YSRCP leader Amzath Basha Shaik Bepari suffered defeat in Kadapa. She lost to Madhavi Reddappa of TDP by 18,860 votes. The fielding of a Muslim candidate by Congress party led to Basha’s defeat. T.K. Afzal Ali Khan of Congress secured 24,500 votes, spoiling the chances of the YSRCP candidate, who was seeking re-election for a third consecutive term.
Kadapa constituency in Jagan Mohan Reddy’s home district of YSR Kadapa has been electing Muslim candidates since 1994. TDP’s S.A. Khaleel Basha was elected in 1994 and 1999 while Congress party’s Ahmadullah Mohammad was elected in 2004 and 2009.
In Kurnool, retired IAS officer MD. Imtiaz lost to TDP’s T.G. Bharath by a margin of 18,876 votes. Congress party’s Shaik Jeelani Basha finished third and secured 9,022 votes.
The YSRCP has denied renomination to sitting MLA Hafeez Khan to field Imtiaz, who took voluntary retirement to join the ruling party in February.
A state-cadre IAS officer of 2009 batch, Imtiaz hails from Kurnool, which has a sizable Muslim population. He had topped Group-I examination and opted for the commercial taxes department.
Khaleel Ahamd of YSRCP lost to TDP candidate P. Narayana in Nellore city constituency by a margin of over 72,000 votes. Khaleel was the first Muslim candidate from the constituency since its formation in 1952.
YSRCP’s Shaik Asif also suffered defeat in Vijayawada West. He lost to former union minister and BJP candidate Sujana Chowdary by a margin of 47,032 votes.
YSRCP claimed to be the only party which gave political reservation to Muslim community. While defending four per cent reservation for Muslims in jobs and education, Jagan Mohan Reddy had said that they gave four per cent of 175 Assembly seats to Muslims.
In 2019 when YSRCP stormed to power with a landslide majority, four Muslims were elected to the state Assembly on its tickets. It had fielded five Muslim candidates.
source: http://www.radiancenews.com / Radiance News / Home> Latest News / by Radiance News Bureau / June 08th, 2024
Dr. Azra Nalatwad’s forefathers were from a tiny town named Karnul in Andhra pradesh and had migrated to Karnataka. Behind her success of becoming a doctor is an incredible story of hard work and grit that lifted a poor family of weavers to a family of doctors. Dr Azra Nalatwad shared her and her parents’ inspirational story with Awaz-the Voice.
“My parents were extremely hardworking, poor, and struggled to make ends meet, particularly my father, Abdul Khader Karnu used to manually weave traditional saris through wooden looms, as machines had not yet arrived at that time. During his early 20s, after a lot of labour, he would make one saree.”
His family was living hand-to-mouth existence. Though Abdul Khader struggled with poverty, he dreamed big – he was determined to become a doctor. Without any prodding or help, he studied by himself while weaving sarees. Back then, there was no societal help, counselors, or family push to improve his lot. With sheer grit, he started to excel in his studies. He was so brilliant that he was sponsored for his studies in a boarding school. During holidays, he would return home and help with the business of his father and brothers.
“With great tenacity, he finally finished his studies to complete his MBBS and achieved his goal of becoming a doctor, specializing as an ENT physician. He was the first in the family to be so. Our father paved the way to help us all come up as a family.”
Her mother was a schoolteacher when she married Abdul Khader, who persuaded her to complete her MBBS and she became a gynecologist.
Dr. Azra who teaches anatomy at Karnataka Medical College says, “On seeing my parent’s hard work and toil, I resolved to study hard as well. Early in my school days, I wanted to become a doctor. So, I focused on getting admission to MBBS, which I managed to get in the area without going to a hostel to my relief.” Dr. Azra says that her life was made smooth due to the hard work of her parents.
Describing the life around her, she explains, “Around my neighbourhood, most of the girls would do some BST course, and then get married, but my parents spurred me on to do something significant and not hurry to get married. My parents always had a vision that we as a family should not just study and stay at home to be engrossed and wrapped up only in our lives but use our enlightenment to serve the community.”
Dr Azra Nalatwad during her PG course
Azra’s family is a family of doctors. “My eldest sister is a dentist, her husband is a Pathologist (MD) and younger brother Dr. Adil is a neurosurgeon, his wife is a doctor with MBA and MBBS degrees.”
Interestingly, Azra’s husband is the only non-doctor in the family and it was deliberate. She explains: “When it was time for me to get married, my father told me that since there are many doctors in their family, it was better to find my prospective husband in another field. As a family, our conversations revolved around patients and their cases, so my father felt it would be better to get a non-medical groom.”
She married an engineer who working with one of India’s leading software companies.
To follow their father’s advice to his children that they must pay it back to society, Dr. Azra says, The siblings often organize free health checkup camps at Gulbarga.” (Gulbarga is now known as Kalaburagi and has developed to become a city).
She continued, “After writing my entrance test for the post-graduation, my father encouraged me to take the course wherever I get it. He taught me never to throw away opportunities. I was selected for anatomy and it took me to teaching. I did a course to learn ultrasound technology, and in the hospital where my mother was working, I was appointed as a sinologist.”
Dr. Azra Nalatwad’s father died during the COVID surge. “He continued to see patients even during the pandemic; never isolated them and eventually caught the virus and succumbed to it while during his duty in Gulbarga.”
Azra worked at different places like Kadapa in Andhra Pradesh, Ernakulam in Kerala and now she is in Bengaluru. Mother of two growing-up boys, she travels in her car from Bengaluru to Kolar daily for her anatomy teaching classes.
She explains, “I took up the teaching line in anatomy and was interested in ultrasound, so I went towards the clinical side for one and a half years, I also worked in Manipal Hospital as a senior resident doctor. Night duties in the hospital became problematic with my son as my mother-in-law was not there with me, so I quit that job and came back to teaching.”
She however loves her teaching job, “The new generation of doctors do not talk to their patients because of the long queues of people waiting to see them and they want to see as many patients as possible in a day, so impatiently, they quickly write something out for the patients and push them out to directly go for CT scans, ultrasounds without noting the signs and symptoms in the patient. There is no personal touch or caring. Once again, after their illness is diagnosed, they do not convey to the patient properly what was the problem and what steps to take, nor do they serve the patients their options. The doctors need to show them different modalities of treatment which and required them to communication properly.
“Therefore, I encourage my students to develop doctor-patient communication skills with more empathy and compassion, some emotional attachment is necessary. A patient needs to feel trust in a doctor to return to them. In the early days, a patient would only go back to their favourite doctor holding him in great esteem. These days it is sad to see patients changing the doctor midway during the treatment while complaining that the previous one was noncommittal and indifferent or even rude. These days, most of the doctors are cold and detached.
Dr Azra Nalatwad at the hospital (wearing a black Abayya)
She says her students are becoming aware of the bad doctor-patient cases as newspapers report about incidents of people assaulting doctors. “We guide them so that they will not learn through bitter experience but rather as we say, prevention is better than cure, so we teach them that when they are checking female patients, they need to take their consent and explain why they need to touch her body.”
I tell students, “You suddenly cannot ask her to lift her clothes without her consent, even if one is checking the wrist, the patient needs to be informed what the doctor is doing.” Thus, we teach our students to inform the patient before doing even a tiny procedure or even checking the pulse or temperature as a form of respect between the doctor and the patient and leave the lines open for good communication. Just directly touching the patient does not work nowadays. Teaching is a great responsibility where one does not just teach and go but has to inculcate empathy, sensitivity, communication skills, and other qualities in our students.”
Brightening up, she said, “One thing I am looking forward to is I am going to open my clinic very soon working as a family physician, serving my residents, and treating small illnesses, which do not require complicated procedures.”
She continued, “Why I want to start my clinic in Bengaluru is to ease the burden of the poor in a modest area. Nowadays, for simple sicknesses, people are going to big hospitals and get embroiled in unnecessary expenses and procedures. The OPD fees will be more than Rs. 500 or Rs. 750, an outrageous amount not required for small illnesses which is ripping the pockets of the poor. Things like a common upper respiratory tract infection, ear pain, or other little illnesses do not need an OPD visit but rather a small affordable clinic with a small fee such as Rs. 50 or Rs. 100 to make it very light and easy for them.”
She explained, “In big health centers, there is a lot of corruption going on where they hoodwink patients into paying large amounts of money for unnecessary tests, procedures, and treatment. I feel if I can help the poor in a smaller way such as this evading all the bribing that happens in big clinics and enabling health care at their doorsteps, figuratively. I want to ensure that they get immediate help and cure for their illness without running to mega hospitals to give large amounts of money which they cannot afford, to get treated.”
To pay tribute to the man who worked hard and changed his destiny, Dr Azra says she would name her hospital after her father. That she says would take a little time. Right now, besides taking care of her parents-in-law and husband, she has to look after her 12-year-old son and four-and-a-half-year-old daughter.
Rita Farhat Mukand is an independent writer
source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Stories / by Rita Farhat Mukund / May 14th, 2024
Purdadtoor Town (Kadapa District), ANDHRA PRADESH:
Dr Khadar Vali, the Millet man of India
Coarse grains or millets are ancient foods which contain key nutrients like vitamins, zinc, beta-carotene, and magnesium. These foods keep blood sugar under control and reduce obesity. If one eats healthy food one can simply avoid disease and medicines.
This is the message from India’s leading agronomist Dr. Khadar Vali, who is also called the Millet man of India.
Dr. Vali is an independent scientist and food expert. He has brought back five species of millet that had disappeared from the world. Today, at 66 years of age, Vali is one of the leading proponents of millet cultivation in the world. He has made world realize the importance of grains.
Millets are available not only in India but everywhere in the world. These are known by different names in each country. To date, people around the world have eaten 200 different types of whole grains.
It’s important to note that the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) declared 2023 as the International Year of Millets at the insistence of India.
Khadar Vali says that the cultivation of millets can solve problems of soil erosion and irrigation also. The food we eat creates an imbalance in blood glucose levels. It makes people sick. But all this can be avoided if we use coarse grains. If you eat millet, you never need medicine.
He says it’s a misconception that coarse grains are food for animals and birds. He says these are super foods that can prevent disease as these contain fiber that cleanses the body. These grains protect the human race and other species. Millets are food for the whole planet.
Fox millet or Bajra
Dr Khadar Vali hails from Purdadtoor town in the Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh. He has been working for 20 years to revive Sridhanialu, an Indian concept about food habits that are in sync with the nature and the human body.
Earlier, he worked in a good position in the USA. Dr Vali is a post-graduate from the Regional Institute of Education, Mysore, and did his PhD on Steroids from the Indian Institute of Sciences, Bengaluru.
Vali did his postdoctoral research on a fellowship in Environmental Science from the United States. His research focused on the inactivation of deadly chemicals such as Agent Orange and dioxins. His research came at a time when food was becoming increasingly commercialized.
Around 1986-87, Dr. Khadar Vali raised the issue of food-related consequences in society when he came across a case of a girl who started menstruating at the age of 6. He decided to return to his country.
He returned to India in 1997 and worked hard to revive five different varieties of millets in Mysore that were rapidly disappearing. More than two decades later, India’s ‘Milletman’ Dr. Khadar Vali was awarded the Padma Shri on the occasion of the 74th Republic Day celebrations.
Dr. Khadar Vali says that millet has long been part of the mainstream diet but over the past 75 years, corporations marketing rice and wheat have Institutions subjected them to “systematic destruction”.
He has told the world about the benefits of coarse grains along with the negative effects of other grains from his long research on millet. Some points of his research are as follows. His research on food grains has led him to categorized them as negative, neutral, and positive.
Negative: These Grains cause diseases and include paddy rice and wheat. The fiber content of these grains is below 2 percent.
Neutral: Grains don’t cause new diseases, however, can’t help to cure health disorders and diseases. These are jawar, bajra, finger millet, proso millet, etc which carry fiber content from 3 to 6 percent.
Positive: Grains, which help to cure health diseases and disorders. These are Foxtail millets, Barnyard millets, Browntop millets, Little millets, and Kodo millets; which have fiber content from 8 to 12 percent. He named these millets Siri Dhanyaalu. Siri means wealth, which is indirectly health. .
Based on Dr. Khadar Vali’s research and findings, below are the diseases and disorders cured by the positive millets (Siri Dhanyaalu)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given the name Shree Anna to coarse grains.
The year 2023 was declared by the United Nations as the International Year of Coarse Grains, after which the Grammy Award-winning Indian-American singer Fallo prepared a song, saluting the efforts of Prime Minister Modi.
In one of his tweets, Fallow mentioned the Prime Minister’s support in producing the song. This song has been prepared with the aim of promoting coarse grains and helping farmers to cultivate them and encouraging efforts to eradicate hunger from the world.
source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Story / by Mansooruddin Faridi / October 07th, 2023
A woman has made her village proud by reviving the dying art of Wooden Cutlery of Udayagiri in Nellore District of Andhra Pradesh.
Inheriting the craft from her father, Shaik Gousia Begum has trained 400 artisans in woodware. She has now been selected for YSR Award 2022.
Why is Udayagiri famous?
Situated 100 km from Nellore district headquarters, Udayagiri is known for its intricate wooden cutlery, soap cases, and bowls. More than a hundred years ago Sheikh Abdul Bashir was impressed by the softwood cutlery art of Dadasahib, a carpenter. Sheikh Abdul learnt the art and sold his products locally. He soon began improvising with intricate designs and carving. His cutlery caught the eye of tourists visiting Udayagiri and the Handicraft Department, which subsequently began training artisans, particularly women in the craft.
Shaik Gousiya Begum who is the third generation artisan, took up this job after her father fell sick. She trained many craftsmen. Later she also trained her son Zakeer Husain who is now a fourth-generation artisan.
“After my father fell sick in 2005, I took up the profession and started teaching people. From a batch of 5-6 members, now we have 400 artisans who work in the cluster at the village. Everyone is from a poor background. We used to make products and sell them in other states,” said Shaik Gousiya Begum.
She also received the State Award in 2005.
Her son takes it to social media
Begum’s son always wanted to become a police constable. But she wanted him to pursue business and keep the tradition alive. Zakeer Husain who learnt the work from his grandfather also trained other women. However, as time passed, Udayagiri Cutlery saw a downfall due to a lack of marketing. It was Hussain who promoted the products on social media platforms. “Now, my son is responsible for sales and promotion. We send our products to Lepakshi stalls in Hyderabad, and Andhra Pradesh. My son also travels to other countries to sell products in exhibitions”, said Begum.
Much Demand
Begam says their wood cutlery has a great demand. People book their products online. They have designed 150 different products. These include wooden spoons. forks, salad bowls, trays, and combs influenced by Persian motifs and patterns, earrings, toys, lamps, and many more.
How do they make it?
Wood cutlery takes a lot of time and patience for perfection. The local wood of Devadari, Nardi, and Khalidi is sourced from Durgampalli hills and dried for ten days. The wood is then soaked in water for 2 days, and then dried again in the shade for 3 days. The process of making cutlery then begins and takes time depending on the design.
Take it around the globe:
“I want to take this art form to other countries and make my grandfather proud. Previously, my grandfather used to make and sell locally. But later, I started to run the business on social media and set up stalls in every exhibition hosted by the government”, said Zakeer Hussain.
GI tag
Wood cutlery of Udayagiri got its significance when the village was granted Geographical Indications (GI) tag for being the only region with such a craft form in 2016. Then they started selling out at famous exhibitions such as Shilpararnam in Hyderabad. The women later set up the Udayagiri Cutlery Mutually-Aided Cooperative Society.
Need for development
Tucked away in a quaint corner of the Nellore district, the artisans said there is a need for the development of their cluster. They have been regularly asking the government for better space that can accommodate 400 workers.
. “Udayagiri has a great future and many prospective buyers. However, we need better manpower and machinery. Currently, 90% of the work has to be done by hand. Schemes and opportunities for training more people on this craft form are what we need” said Hussain.
source: http://www.m.dailyhunt.in / Daily Hunt / Home / NewsMeter / November 2022
Society helps us directly or indirectly, we’ve decided to give it back the best’
Daily tuition classes being taken up at the ASK Foundation in Viskahapatnam
Visakhapatnam :
After they lost their brother to Covid-19, Abdul Ahad Ashraf and Abdul Muneer Mushhad vowed to keep his spirits alive by serving the poor in whichever way they can.
“Society always helps us directly or indirectly with achieving our goals in life. It shapes us to be a better person and stays with us throughout our journeys. So, post retirement, I decided to give back to the society to the best of my capacity and also to take forward the legacy of my late brother Abdul Raqueeb, a lawyer and a social activist,” ASK Foundation Chairman Ashraf expressed.
Established in 2020 and named after their parents, Abdul Sattar and Khairunnisa, ASK runs without any donations. While Ashraf (60) is a retired BSNL employee, his 56-year-old brother, Mushhad is an investor relations manager with LIC.
Recently, a child welfare community from Telangana approached them seeking financial help for the education of an orphan girl. “These are the kind of calls we look forward to. Irrespective of caste, creed, religion and region, we want to serve children in need,” Ashraf added.
The Foundation helps financially weak students and school drop-outs to pursue further education, provide medical relief to the poor, arrange shelters and assist the downtrodden, particularly people from below poverty line (BPL). They also help the poor set up small units to improve their livelihood and extend free legal aid.
“Our main priority is to provide quality education to children from poor financial backgrounds. We do not sponsor their school fees. Rather, we take up free tuition classes at our office every day for these children. A retired B.Ed teacher teaches the children,” secretary of the Foundation, Mushhad explained.
ASK even conducts awareness programmes on legal services for more than 4,000 people in collaboration with the District Legal Services Authority. The foundation provides free medical services every Saturday from 2 pm to 4 pm based on the availability and requirements. “Professional doctors from across the city conduct medical camps. We do not compromise on the quality of our services. Irrespective of the service we provide, we make sure it helps the poor,” Mushhad said.
Every Monday, campaigns offering free legal services are conducted from 10 am to 1 pm, while career guidance counselling for students is held from 2 pm to 4 pm. The brothers firmly believe that everything they are blessed with has a purpose and their purpose is to share at least a small amount of what they have to keep up the spirit of humanity.
RUNS WITHOUT DONATIONS Established in 2020, ASK runs without any donations. While Ashraf (60) is a retired BSNL employee and his 56-year-old brother, Mushhad is an investor relations manager with LIC. Recently, a child welfare community from Telangana approached them seeking financial support for an orphan girl.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Good News / by Usha Peri, Express News Service / October 30th, 2022
Five professors and lecturers of different universities and colleges in the undivided Anantapur district and three in the undivided Kurnool district have been selected for Best Teacher Award 2022.
Five professors and lecturers of different universities and colleges in the undivided Anantapur district and three in the undivided Kurnool district have been selected by the State government to receive the ‘Best Teacher Award 2022’ out of the 24 Statewide on Teachers’ Day on September 5.
Government Arts College Anantapur Botany lecturer E. Sreedevi, who has been selected by the State government for the Best Teacher Award 2022. | Photo Credit: R.V.S. Prasad
While Government Arts College, Anantapur Botany Department in-charge lecturer E. Sreedevi got selected, others include Sri Krishnadevaraya University Rural Development and Social Sciences professor M. Muninarayanappa, JNTU Anantapur Mechanical Engineering professor M.L.S. Devakumar and V. Venugopal Reddy from the same department and T.S. Syam Prasad, lecturer in Political Science, Government College for Men, Anantapur.
In the Kurnool district, those selected for the award are K.V.R. Government College for Women, Kurnool, Urdu Department lecturer Irfana Begum, Biochemistry lecturer B. Dhanashree from the same college, and A. Vimala Rhode of Silver Jubilee Government Degree College.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> India> Andhra Pradesh / by Ramesh Surla / Anantapur-Kurnool / September 03rd, 2022
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