Tag Archives: Muslims of Telangana

Hyderabad siblings create ‘Dovely’, bike taxies exclusive for women

Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Transport, Travel & Tourism, Women/Girls(since May26-2021), , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Hyderabad, TELANGANA :

Hyderabad siblings create Dovely, bike taxies exclusive for women
Team Dovely (from Left to Right Mohammed Obaidulla Khan, Zainab Khatoon, Uzma Khatoon and Masarrat Fatima)

Hyderabad:

How often do casual conversations on women’s safety get realised into full-fledged businesses focusing on women empowerment? One such conversation led to the creation of the ‘Dovely’ app by-city-based siblings Uzma Khatoon and Zainab Khatoon.

Concerned over women’s safety, Uzma and Zainab thought of coming up with a solution to address the issue. The Dovely app provides a bike taxi service exclusively run by and for women. Apart from ensuring women’s safety, the entrepreneurs also aim to make women financially independent.

The four-person run application comprises founder Zainab who is a final year B. Pharmacy student, Uzma, a final year B.com Computers student, and Masarrath Fatima and Obaidulla Khan who are final year B. Tech students.

As of now the platform has 20 riders and over 400 users and functions through its website and connects riders and passengers through WhatsApp.

The app is still undergoing improvements. “We will be able to develop a full-fledged app only after we reach a certain milestone like 200 rides,” said Masarrat.

She further added that the company can’t risk putting up the app on the app store or the play store since users may face challenges as it is manually operated at present.

Speaking to Siasat.com the founder and CEO of Dovely, Zainab Khatoon said, “The idea to create Dovely first struck me and originated from a conversation between me and my mom, who wanted to visit my granny and was looking for cost-effective and safe rides.”

The idea only came into existence following an unpleasant autorickshaw experience, aimed at ensuring women feel safe and secure during their journey.

“The idea struck me once again while I was travelling with my friend in an autorickshaw when the driver looked at us from the rear view mirror making me feel uncomfortable,” Zainab added.

“We sat down with our parents to discuss the name of the company. After going through about 400 names, our father came up with the name Dovely,” said Chief Operating Officer and co-founder Uzma.

“Apart from providing rides for women, the app also allows women to connect with us as Dovely partners. To access information regarding the platform one may visit the Dovely website. At the time of filing the story, Dovely successfully completed 37 rides,” Zainab said.

Addressing the query regarding profit sharing, Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Obaid Ulla Khan said, “Currently all the money earned is being kept with the riders themselves, and we aren’t earning any commission.”

Bootstrapping for funding Dovely:

Running a startup is not an easy task and requires consistent funding. However, Obaid believes in “Bootstrapping”, where entrepreneurs fund their own ventures. “Even if we approach venture capitalists at this stage they would set milestones based on which they would provide the money, hence it is better that we set a milestone for ourselves before we reach out to investors.”

“In order to pitch the business idea, we are collecting all the information ranging from the number of riders to the number of users along with the IDs of our riders in an excel sheet, this will make it easier for us to attract investors,” he explained.

With regards to the credibility of the riders, Zainab said, “I personally handle the onboarding process for Dovely. As part of the hiring process we ourselves take long distance rides with the candidates to test their driving skills.”

On Safety

Shedding light on the steps taken to ensure the safety of the riders and passengers, Uzma said, “One of us is constantly checking on the live location from the beginning to the end of the ride, and the riders are only supposed to switch off the live location after completing the ride.”

Adding to Zainab’s response, Obaid said “More than the candidate’s driving skills, we focus on their behaviour since we want to provide the best possible service to our customers”

Addressing the query on whether riders have to be logged in for a specific period of time on a daily basis, he said, “Keeping in mind the household responsibilities of our partners, we don’t have any specific login timings for now.”

A few Dovely partners were also present during the interview and they shared their experience with Siasat.com. Nahera Lohreen, one of the partners said,” The first ride was a bit challenging since I was hesitant as to how it would go, but after a while, I felt comfortable and it has been a great experience.”

Nahera is also the first partner to be roped in by Dovely.

Zareena Begum, another partner with the firm said,” It is a great opportunity since it gives us financial independence and I was looking forward to such an opportunity”

Speaking of future plans, the company’s CEO Zainab said, “As of now we are focusing on a minimum of 10 rides per day, we will gradually expand into three and four-wheeler markets.”

She further said, “Apart from bike taxis, we are planning to deal with transport and logistics which will also be led by women. The greater vision of the company is to empower women across India and make them financially independent.”

www.dovely.org

source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> News> Hyderabad / by Mohammed Baleegh / June 19th, 2022

‘My aim is to serve the underprivileged,’ says Muslim surgeon from Hyderabad after cracking UPSC

Amazing Feats, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Education, Leaders, Science & Technology, Useful / HEALTHCARE, , , , , , , , ,

Hyderabad, TELANGANA :

Dr Mustafa Hashmi is the only Muslim candidate from the south Indian state of Telangana making the UPSC list.

He is one among the total of 22 Muslim candidates who cracked the UPSC exams this year. 

After completing his MBBS in 2016, Dr Hashmi pursued his MS degree at Osmania Medical College, Hyderabad. He graduated in 2020 and joined the district hospital, King Koti, as a surgeon. | Picture by arrangement

Hyderabad :

Of the total 685 candidates who have cracked this year’s Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exams, only 22 are Muslim. 29-year-old Dr Mustafa Hashmi is one of them. He is the only Muslim candidate from Telangana who has cracked the prestigious UPSC, which is India’s highest civil services exam. He has bagged 162nd rank. 

Talking to TwoCircles.net, Dr Hashmi, who was a practicing surgeon at Government District Hospital King Koti, Hyderabad, said that he was very happy to crack UPSC. 

He said his motivation to crack UPSC came from seeing the experiences of economically backward people while accessing health care. “It dawned on me that the problems of these people are not confined to health alone and that I should do something else to ease their problems and serve the society in a much more beneficial way,” he said.  

Dr Hashmi cracked UPSC exams on his fourth attempt after preparing for more than a year without attending any coaching institute.  

“The first three attempts were like practice tests for me so I could get to know the pattern of the tests. I don’t have any regrets about that. It was only during my 4th attempt that I dedicated more time after my hours at the hospital,” Dr Hashmi said. 

Maintaining a balance between work and studying for UPSC wasn’t easy. After an exhausting day at the hospital, where he was sometimes posted in the intensive care unit (ICU), performing surgeries and treating Covid-19 patients, he would come home and devote the remainder of his time to studies. 

“I was determined and remained focused,” he said. 

Dr Hashmi said that during his studies, his parents supported him by running his errands and doing his chores. “It is not just my hard work but even my parents’ put in so much to ensure that I was not disturbed while studying. They took care of every little need of mine. I owe my success to them and their upbringing,” he shared. 

Born in an educated family, Dr Hashmi said that he was inclined towards science from his childhood because of his grandfather. “My grandfather was a Deputy General Manager in the Water Works Department, and used to advise me to become an administrative officer because he would say I could serve people better in that way,” he said. 

After completing his MBBS in 2016, Dr Hashmi pursued his MS degree at Osmania Medical College, Hyderabad. He graduated in 2020 and joined the district hospital, King Koti, as a surgeon. 

Besides excelling in academics, Dr Hashmi has memorized the entire Quran.

Eldest of the four siblings, who are also doctors, Dr Hashmi said his parents were working comfortable jobs in the Gulf before deciding to return to India. “My parents wanted me to serve the country. I am thankful to Allah for this result,” he said.  

Dr Hashmi believes that after counselling, it is more likely that he will be posted in the Indian Police Service (IPS).  

“Whatever is assigned to me, I will serve the people. I will be able to reach out to more people who are underprivileged and I am happy with that,” he said.

Dr Hashmi said that the youth of the country who wanted to pursue UPSC should not think of serving themselves but “serve society at large and contribute to nation-building.” 

“Youth (cracking UPSC) should think about improving the lives of the less privileged in whatever way they can. Understanding the larger purpose and working hard towards that is the key to success and satisfaction,” he added. 

Nikhat Fatima is a correspondent with TwoCircles.net based in Hyderabad, Telangana. She tweets at  @snikhatf

source: http://www.twocircles.net / TwoCircles.net / Home> Lead Story / by Nikhat Fatima / June 02nd, 2022

Telangana: Masiullah Khan takes charge as Waqf board chairman

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Hyderabad, TELANGANA :

Telangana: Masiullah Khan takes charge as Waqf board chairman
Masiullah Khan( Photo: Twitter)

Hyderabad:

Masiullah Khan on Saturday took charge as the chairman of the Telangana Waqf board for a period of five years.

Speaking of Khan’s appointment as chairman, the waqf board CEO Shahnawaz Qasim said, “Of the 10 board members, eight were present at the election.”

The election took place at the Haj House in Nampally. The government had appointed district magistrate L Sharman as the Election Officer for conducting and overlooking the process of the election process for the board.

AIMIM MP Assaduddin Owaisi, MLC Farooq Hussain, MLA Kausar Mohiuddin, Member of Telangana Bar council M Zakeer Hussain Javid, Sayed Akbar Nizamuddin Hussaini, and Abdul Fateh Syed Bandagi Badesha Quadri are members that have been elected to the board.

Additionally, the government decided to nominate four members of various categories to the board.

Mohammed Masiullah Khan, Sayed Nisaar Hussain (Shia scholar, also known as Hyder Agha), Malik Mohtashim Khan (Sunni Scholar), and Shaikh Yasmin Basha (Government Nominee) have been nominated as members of the board.

source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> News Desk / posted by Mohammed Baleegh / May 07th, 2022

‘The Greatest Telugu Stories Ever Told’ provide an insight into Telugu short fiction realm

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Books (incl.Biographies - w.e.f.01 jan 2018 ), Community Involvement / Social Issues, , , , , , , , , , ,

TELANGANA / ANDHRA PRADESH :

Anthologist and translator Dasu Krishnamoorty’s ebook ‘The Greatest Telugu Stories Ever Told’ gives a tapestry of Telugu experiences for readers.

The Greatest Telugu Stories Ever Told (Aleph Book Company) provides us a glimpse into the huge Telugu literary realm. Spanning virtually a century of literary works by a number of the most interesting writers of short tales, the gathering mirrors the Telugu-speaking individuals’s perspective of the world.

Co-authored by anthologist and translator Dasu Krishnamoorty along with his daughter Tamraparni Dasu, the anthology incorporates works of 21 writers, proper from Chalam and Kanuparthi Varalakshmamma to Vempalli Gangadhar and Vempalle Shareef.

The anthology

Influence on society

Elaborating on the factors in choosing the tales, the writers say they seemed for brokers of change. “Vempalle Shariff’s ‘Curtain’, for example, is a diatribe against the norms that keep Muslim women behind a curtain of patriarchy and prevent them from participating in the wider society. Sometimes, the story is so compelling in its cathartic message that it requires no other reason than its merit to be included.

‘Mother’s Debt’ (Mohammed Khadeer Babu) and ‘Predators’ (Syed Saleem) both highlight the wretched lives of those compelled to live in poverty at the edges of society,” says 93-year-old Krishnamoorty, connecting with us from New Jersey.

On selecting works of writers like Kanuparthi, Illindala Saraswati Devi, Achanta Sarada Devi and Chalam — who wrote about social inequity — Krishnamoorty says the brand new technology of writers continues to push that battle ahead in new instructions and develop into energetic devices of social change, as evidenced by Boya Jangiah, Jajula Gowri and others. “Writers alone cannot cause a change but are certainly a big part of the process,” he says.

 On being requested if some writers are both overrated or underrated, Tamraparni responds, “All the writers in the anthology, and many more that could not be included, deserve their reputation and accolades. The younger ones are perhaps underrated simply because the world doesn’t know of them yet. We hope that our anthology helps them gain the recognition they deserve.”

Diverse works

The anthology consists of works by six Muslims, 5 ladies and 5 Dalits. Krishnamoorthy says their goal was to provide a platform for the varied assortment of expertise significantly in underrepresented communities. “Telugu Muslims have always been a beacon of literary excellence. Only they can write with such passion and knowledge about their lived experience that comes through with such heart-wrenching intensity in ‘Adieu, Ba’ and ‘A Mother’s Debt’,” he provides.

Speaking of the challenges in translating, Tamraparni says, “Translation is inherently tricky; matching the idiom of the original with an equivalent one in English, rather than a literal translation; finding the equivalent of unique words, for example a word like ‘ thaayilam’ (a special treat, typically sweet, for a child) in Dada Hayat’s ‘The Truant’; retaining the voice of the original writer intact; avoiding the temptation to editorialise or tamp down unorthodox content as in Chalam’s ‘Madiga Girl’; how to preserve the musicality of the original language, as in ‘Molakala Punnami’.”

Describing working together with her father as a excessive octane expertise, Tamraparni says story choice was a degree of rivalry. “Some of the differences were generational, and some were temperamental. We agreed on most stories but there were four or five that needed energetic debate,” she provides.

Support system

Krishnamoorty had moved to the US to dwell along with his daughter’s household after he misplaced his spouse and there, he discovered translation a solution to keep engaged to tide over the powerful interval. “He brought an amazing level of intensity and enthusiasm to it even though he was almost 80 at that time,” says Tamraparni who alongside together with her father, launched a literary non-profit organisation, IndiaWrites Publishers, to assist the interpretation of up to date Indian short fiction into English. Together additionally they revealed a month-to-month on-line literary journal, Literary Voices of India, for a number of years. And 15 years later, the father-daughter duo revealed their second anthology The Greatest Telugu Stories Ever Told.


”I’m grateful that translation has given me such a stimulating and rewarding expertise to share with my father,” says Tamraparni. 

Source hyperlink

source: http://www.dksnewsonline.com / DKS News / Home> Entertainment> Art / by devanandsingh9199 / April 08th, 2022

Stranded Telugus in Ukraine make desperate appeal for evacuation

Amazing Feats, Education, NRI's / PIO's, Ukraine Updates, Students (Feb. 2022), World Opinion, , , , , , , ,

Hyderabad, TELANGANA / INDIA / UKRAINE :

Indian students who are in Kyiv appeal for their evacuation.

Hyderabad: 

Cook food in the confines of house in the morning and take refuge in the nearby bunkers all through the day. This has become routine for several Telugu students who are caught in the war-torn Ukraine for the past a few days. Worst is the situation for students who are staying in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, which has been witnessing heavy bombardment from the Russian forces.

“On February 23 at 3.30 am, we heard the first heavy explosion nearby our house that was deafening. The bombing was followed thereafter. Last night, an oil factory was bombed and fire could be seen from far of places. We are really scared for our lives. We are cooking in the house and staying in bunker,” says Sai Naik, a Warangal native who is staying in Kyiv with seven other students.

As the war-torn Ukraine announced martial law which includes curfew, all establishments have shut their shops. While some students had managed to stock-up, but needless to say, they do not last long.


“We bought groceries and other edibles for five days and we are already into the fourth day the food stock for one-day left. We have no idea what we will do now as all stores are closed since February 24.|

There is a shortage of water as well,” said Naik, who is a student of Bogomolets National Medical University, Kyiv.

Another student from Hyderabad, Gulam Ahmed Mohiuddin Salman who is currently taking shelter in Kyiv Medical University hostel said there were no responses from the Indian Embassy officials regarding their evacuation.

“There are 200 Indian students presently in the hostel basement. We are running short of groceries and other provisions. Given the situation with no transportation facility, it is impossible for us to travel to the Ukraine border which is 800 kms away from the hostel,” Salman said.

Naik, Salman and several other Indian students have made desperate appeals to the Indian government to at least transport them to the nearest border post.

Shoot at sight orders

“Shoot at sight orders was issued by the Ukraine government, so we cannot move out. We want the Indian government to help us reach the Ukraine border so that we can board a flight from neighbouring country,” Naik appealed.

source: http://www.telanganatoday.com / Telangana Today / Home / by Yuvraj Akula / February 27th, 2022