A labourer’s son in West Bengal defies all odds to achieve his dream of becoming a doctor
New Delhi :
In an era where mobile phones are often criticised for their harmful impact on society, the story of 21-year-old Sarfaraz from East Medinipur, West Bengal, shines as a beacon of hope. Once a labourer carrying bricks under the scorching sun, Sarfaraz’s remarkable journey to gaining admission into the prestigious Nil Ratan Sarkar Medical College for an MBBS degree showcases grit, determination, and the transformative power of education.
Born into a family with limited financial resources, Sarfaraz’s childhood was marked by hardships. His father, also a labourer, earned a meagre daily wage, barely enough to feed the family of six. Despite these challenges, Sarfaraz excelled in his studies, harbouring the dream of joining the National Defence Academy (NDA).
An unfortunate accident dashed his NDA aspirations, but Sarfaraz did not let despair consume him. “Life was never easy, but giving up was never an option,” he said.
The COVID-19 pandemic brought a glimmer of hope in Sarfaraz’s life. With financial assistance from the government, his family bought a smartphone. This device became Sarfaraz’s lifeline, as he used free YouTube tutorials and online ed-tech platforms to prepare for the NEET, India’s highly competitive medical entrance exam.
“I studied through free YouTube videos initially and then enrolled in an online course with a concession in fees. It changed everything for me,” Sarfaraz said.
For three years, Sarfaraz juggled gruelling physical labour and relentless academic preparation. His daily routine involved carrying 400 bricks under the blazing sun for a wage of Rs 300, followed by seven hours of uninterrupted study.
“My father and I would work from morning until afternoon. After that, I would come home and dive into my books. It was difficult, but I never lost sight of my dream,” Sarfaraz explained.
In 2023, Sarfaraz’s NEET score qualified him for a dental college, but the prohibitive costs forced him to forgo the opportunity. Undeterred, he decided to make a final attempt at NEET in 2024.
“I thought, I’ve worked so hard — let’s try one more time. This was my last chance. If I hadn’t succeeded, I would have given up,” he said.
Sarfaraz scored an impressive 677 out of 720 in NEET 2024, securing his place in Nil Ratan Sarkar Medical College.
Behind Sarfaraz’s unwavering determination was his mother’s dream of seeing her son become a doctor. Her sacrifices inspired him to push through every obstacle.
“My mother always wanted me to be a doctor. I promised myself that I would make her dream come true,” Sarfaraz said, his voice filled with emotion.
Now donning a white coat and stethoscope, Sarfaraz is a source of pride not only for his family but also for his entire village.
Sarfaraz’s success has brought hope to his village, where many children often abandon their studies due to financial difficulties. Determined to give back, he has started mentoring young students.
“When I become a doctor, I want to work among the poor. My village folks have supported me throughout this journey, and now it’s my turn to support them,” he said.
Sarfaraz’s story has inspired countless people. His former teacher, who guided him in his early years, remarked, “Sarfaraz always had a spark. Despite his circumstances, he was determined to learn and grow. His success is a testament to his perseverance.”
A fellow villager, moved by his journey, said, “He has proven that no obstacle is insurmountable. He is the pride of our village.”
Sarfaraz’s journey from a labourer at a brick kiln to a medical student serves as a reminder of the potential within every individual, regardless of the circumstances. His story resonates deeply, offering hope to those who dream big despite the odds stacked against them.
“Dreams do come true if you work hard enough,” Sarfaraz said with a smile.
As Sarfaraz begins his medical education, his journey is not just a personal victory but a source of inspiration for countless others. It proves that with determination, resilience, and the right opportunities, even the toughest challenges can be overcome.
source: http://www.clarionindia.com / Clarion India / Home> Editors Pick> Indian Muslim / by Mohammad Alamullah, Clarion India / November 26th, 2024
City author Salil Gewali received Dr. APJ Abdul Kamal award recently during the release of Urdu edition of his book — ‘Great Minds on INDIA’.
The book was released by the Governor of Assam Gulab Chand Kataria at Raj Bhavan, Guwahati.
The function was attended by scholars and guests from Assam, Kolkata, Meghalaya and Manipur.
During the programme, Gewali was awarded “Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Rashtra Gaurav Samman” by a Muslim organisation, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Foundation of Howrah, West Bengal for Gewali’s contribution to the nation.
The governor formally presented the award to the author and lauded him for his contribution to the country through his research-based book highlighting the profound impact of ancient Indian literature on Western luminaries.
Great Minds on India” was translated into Urdu by Dr. Syed Hussain of Hyderabad and edited by Abdul Khalique of Kolkata.
The book published by Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Foundation, Howrah, has so far been translated into thirteen languages, including German.
The secretary of the organisation Abdul Khalique has also promised to distribute the Urdu edition to a minimum of sixty countries worldwide, ensuring its global reach and impact.
Gewali extended his appreciation to each member of the organisation for their support in translating and publishing his book in Urdu. He acknowledged the organisation’s dedication and commitment to its cause.
Gewali was honoured with multiple Ananda Sammelan Puraskars and Bhanu awards. In 2011, his contribution was further acknowledged with the prestigious Thomas Jones Award from the United Christian Writers’ Association.
Also having been prescribed as a study textbook in several academic institutes in India and Virginia in the USA, ‘Great Minds on INDIA’ stands as a testament to the rich cultural heritage and intellectual contributions of India to the world. It is an inspiring read that bridges the ancient wisdom of India with modern scientific and philosophical discourse, Gewali said.
“Know Your India” is Gewali’s another patriotic book, released by the Chief Minister of Sikkim in 2022. This title has recently been approved for higher classes in one of the prestigious schools in Kolkata. Gewali is also credited with a series of school textbooks prescribed by the Meghalaya Board of School Education (MBOSE).
source: http://www.meghalayamonitor.com / Meghalaya / Home> State / by Reporter (headline spell corrected) / June 25th, 2023
Shagufta Hanaphie’s story is incredible, starting from a child as a shy girl who could barely speak, chronically ill with many complications to the point she would fall unconscious. Yet, at one point in her life, a “magic wand” touched and transformed her. She rose to become an Event Curator, Storyteller, Digital Creator, Author, Womenprenuer, Award Curator, and Philantropist.
She is also the co-founder of Best Friendz Society along with her friend Rajiv, and founder of SHE – Shagufta Hanaphie Events – which is a PR and event boutique, and many other organizations.
A turnaround came during COVID 19 – pandemic when Shagufta along with a team provided food for a village of 400 people in Ernakulam, Kerala.
Post Cyclone Amphan that hit Bengal, she and her team also traveled to places in Sundarbans where they provided food, dry rations, and clothes to the needey persons.
Again, during the Covid-19 pandemic, Best Friendz Society reached Sundarbans.
She started a campaign with her team called Hunger Free Bengal. She coaches people who are emerging with startups and does personal counseling for the lonely, and divorcees, and on occasions, has even match-fixed singles. She works with suicidal people and conducts counseling sessions with young girls and boys.
Titled with many monikers such as Event Organizer, Author, founder and Director, CEO at Teacher’s Excellence Award, Founder Director, Owner of SHE Founder, Director, CEO at Inspiring Women Achievers Awards – IWAA, she tells Awaz-the Voice, “I am not a brand but I want to honour, felicitate people for their outstanding work. While I may not be able to give a formal award, I want to prize people for the recognition for their incredible work and dedication which otherwise gets overshadowed by other giants.”
Shagufta Hanaphie
Shagufta lived with her parents and three sisters in a joint family of 17 members in the 100-year-old bungalow-style British-styled house in Kidderpore, South Kolkata.
Her uncle and aunt adopted her. As a little girl, Shagufta was emotional and shy, she hid behind her mother; and never spoke to people outside the family circle. She struggled with illnesses, and due to this could not study well.
“We say bhagwan ka ishara alag hota hain, maybe if a person does not do well in early life, perhaps later in life he will do something different or great.I was a very sick child right from the beginning making me heavily pampered and if I didn’t want to study, they would say don’t put pressure on her. My mom was very strict but others were soft on me. We lived in an extended family, Baarey Papa, Baari Ma used to lavish love on me, to the point that I became lethargic. I had a ligament injury in class 6 which affected the left side of my body. I sometimes even became unconscious.
“When I was 9, I underwent surgical removal of gall bladder; it had 72 stones.This story was reported by newspapers. When I was in class 8, I did not take my exams so I lagged one year. At that time, an angel in the form of my Dad’s friend, Uncle Junaid took the imitative to help me to study saying, “Let us bring back her motivation to study and let me teach her.
“Bedridden, with traction around my neck, my body aching, lying down, he taught me Maths and I started to like the subject. After being bedridden for three months, I returned to school in a robotic dress. My principal called my father and asked him to take me home saying, “You don’t understand, she is going through a mental trauma right now.
Glimpses of events organised by Shagufta’s NGOs
“I repeated classes, and with mocking classmates around, I changed the school and got an A. I could not believe it and thought the mark sheet got mixed with someone else!
“The talk of marriage exasperated me and decided to go to Ranchi and stay at my Aunt’s home to do college.
“After Baari Ma had a fall, I returned in 2002 and refused to go back to Ranchi. Dropping out of college, one day I attended a workshop where Ruby Bhatia and Michele Pinto came to Kolkata. That was a defining moment in my life because I never knew what the other world was.
“This workshop was a beautiful learning experience where I met these amazing people who told me, “Since you don’t want to study higher, help us, since your English is good.” With them, I learned oratory skills. Earlier, I never spoke to anyone outside, but presently, not only am I doing public speaking but now everyone meets me and I am well known.
“My first salary was Rs. 3200 and I spent more money going by taxi to reach my workplace. My Baari Papa used to say, “Let her travel so at least she will learn to talk and mix with people.” All these were life-learning lessons. It falls into place later on in life.
“After this, Rajiv, a good friend and I launched a new brand called Launchers. I have worked with Rajiv for 17 years as a PR Director in a partnership firm.
“My parents got hold of a very handsome boy, who is my husband now. My husband works the whole day; he is very supportive, most of my photographs are clicked by him, travels with me to all the places, and my parents stand right behind me.
“My life changed in October 2018 when my Baarey Papa was diagnosed with cancer. We spent long hours talking till he passed away in 2019. I was shattered.I felt uprooted and disconnected and took a break from work. It was a break tha my Baari Papa used to encourage me to take.
“In 2020 I did my first event and soon went on to do 5 events. On March 22, 2020, lockdown closed everything. People say lockdown was bad, for me lockdown was a boon. Our NGO called Best Friendz Society was helping people.
A wall celebrating women from dfference backgrounds in Shagufta’s office
“One day, one of my friends Nisha, a fashion designer, asked me to help people in an area in Kerala during the COVID 19 Pandemic. I was into PR and media. First I wondered how could I reach out to people in Kerala. I told myself: Okay, we will find a way to them even though we are not into this.
“At first, we heard there were four people, turned out to be 40, and finally they turned out to be 400 people stuck in Bengali Para in Ernakulam. While the BSF was providing food in the general area they were not reaching out to the red done. We had to locate the exact place and then Nisha and I arranged for food for 400 people for a month. I felt new energy and joy rising in me. I started gathering people, and communicating with them.
“While people speak up for daily wagers, I started to have a burden for a class of people that are largely ignored such as models who barely get Rs. 2,000 for an assignment which may be all they have for that month, photographers, and even school teachers. I started to post about and for them and personally WhatsApp them telling them if they need help, let me know. I assured them help will reach theirplace, they don’t have to let anyone know about it.
“I got a huge response from many photographers and models.I learned that many people were on the verge of suicide, and sitting at home. I started helping them and listening to their woes. Under the umbrella of Best Friendz Society, we started a campaign called Phone a Friend.
“I am blessed to have amazing clients. I would message PR clients who were on Facebook and tell them, “Sir, I am going to this area to help so-and-so, if you can help me out, it will be a big support to this person. They were responsive and kind, some sent sacs of rice, dal, and many other goods. They told me that they wanted to help but had no idea what to do. Here, many NGOs are misusing funds and are running corruption rings. They told me that they knew could trust me and that I would use their money honestly. They stood behind me while I ran around with their help. This is how our connection happened.
“I organize a philanthropic club, which is a virtual club and I tell our helpers that they don’t have to go around; just help us with money or goods. Those days, I used to get out of the house at 4 a.m. and visit Sundarbans, and other areas during COVID-19 almost 18 times in 2020, and attend to everyone. Sanjay Mondal, a photographer and boat owner told me point blank that he doesn’t want money, only cash for the diesel tu run his boat. He travelled with us. He had three boats. We went to the village where we found their homes submerged under water. We helped the boat owner families.
“We returned from Sundarbans at 11:30 night, reached home by 12:30 night and my mother woke me up at 3:30 a.m. to tell me to catch the vehicle going for another trip for the COVID team. She said, “They are waiting for you. Since you promised, you have to go, whether it is raining or whatever it is, even if you are sick, you have to go.”
“You need parents like that. While we went out so much during COVID, by the blessings of Allah we never got COVID, but people in 5-Star Hotels got COVID. Believe in yourself, believe in your God who has that specific blessing on you, keep doing good to others, and good will return to you and you don’t have to look back, all blessings are there, and people’s prayers are on your life. Just keep doing your work. When the government is doing 98 percent, I am doing my 2 percent.”
On the difficulties they face, she said, “Bengal is a politically disturbed area so to meet the right person is very difficult. In the last five years since 2020, I have opened small centers in every place I have worked with around 20 people or more in each center. We have adopted 23 orphans, senior citizens, teachers, and daily wagers who sum up to over 70 people and every month we send them food and other goods to help them run their daily lives. Nothing is fixed on what we send, but it is enough to ensure them good nourishing food and other commodities so that they can sleep peacefully without going to bed hungry.
A Poster of the event of Shagufta’s NGO
“In October 2020, the Phone a Friend campaign opened our lives to many people. Each night, we got calls from senior citizens- 65 or 70 years old – or young girls or men, and I listened to and counselled them over the phone. One woman did not even have time to have a cup of coffee and was always serving others suffering mental and physical abuse. Due to this, I launched my new campaign called Abuse Durga, which became Amar Durga, Amar O Durga, with a question mark. I asked the public a lot of questions, such as, “If this is my Durga, who are you to ask me a question whether I should celebrate or not?” Being a Muslim, people found it unusual.
“I felicitated people who had running cases against them for 15-20 years who were not guilty and celebrated 11 people. Last year, we held an exhibition to give table space to NGOs which cannot invest; awarded the LGBT community and single mothers. We will be holding another event for the LGBT community soon.
“My NGO is my charity partner. I did this because I was feeling bad to keep asking people to fund my NGO, so I decided to promote my events, and whatever money I got would go to my NGO so I could help the maximum people with the blessings of the Almighty. I do not want to work to mint money, want to work to make my stand.
“My breakthrough came when an old client called and invited me to his office. He is Rajendra Khandelwal, MD, Dhanwantary. During my meeting, he kept saying, “Very nice, very nice,” I asked him, “Who are you speaking about and he answered, “The event you held, the Teachers Excellence Award, I am going to support you,” and to my amazement, he handed over a cheque. At that moment, I knew I was doing the right thing. He asked me, “Why did you choose this topic, I replied, I am alive because of my teachers. Uncle Junaid who taught me how to hold a pencil and I want to do something in his memory. Without teachers’ investment, I would not be where I am today.”
“I do not work with an experienced group of people because there are a lot of young people looking for work, always take new people and give them scope, If they say, we cannot speak, I tell them you will learn to speak, If they are graphic designers, content writers, etc, I take them on board.
‘While we are a modern family, where I used to wear sleeveless and backless clothes, and my father even took us to Trincas to get us on the dance floor, I got to wearing hijab permanently unexpectedly. On my birthday in 2013 or 2014, my Baari Maa gifted me a hijab. I wore it to my office that day and since then, I have been wearing it. I changed as a person totally after that. While earlier, I was highly strung and emotional, I started to calm down after wearing the hijab believing it was my symbol of strength. My family was cool about my hijab.
“My dream is to meet 10,000 people with their inspiring stories and lift them on all my platforms. I highlight lives through events or writing about them. During the lockdown, I started to write in 2020. While my target is global, I also want to cover the map of West Bengal. I believe everyone can do anything but they just need a spark inside with a belief they can conquer the world, and they end up doing great things. Sometimes, to create that spark, that road is blocked so I just need to push these people and bring that change within them.”
Rita Farhat Mukand is an independent writer and author
source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Story / by Rita Farhat Mukund / August 24th, 2024
On Sunday, around 2,000 of them assembled at a meeting convened by the Nasya Sheikh Unnayan Parishad, an association of the community, at Rabindra Bhavan in Cooch Behar.
The meeting of the Nasya Sheikh Unnayan Parishad at Rabindra Bhavan in Cooch Behar on Sunday Picture by Main Uddin Chisti
Members of the Nasya Sheikh (Rajbanshi Muslims) community in north Bengal have raised a slew of demands for their socio-economic development and the effective functioning of a development board that the state government constituted for them.
On Sunday, around 2,000 of them assembled at a meeting convened by the Nasya Sheikh Unnayan Parishad, an association of the community, at Rabindra Bhavan in Cooch Behar.
Aminal Haque, secretary of the central committee of the Parishad, said in 2021, the state had announced the creation of the Nasya Sheikh Development Board.
“However, the board has not been constituted in a full-fledged manner and is not working effectively for our development, unlike other development boards which the state has formed in north Bengal. The district magistrate of Cooch Behar has been the chairman of the board and none from our community has been put in the post,” he said.
At the meeting, Haque and other speakers also underscored that most of them are migrant workers and belong to weaker economic sections of society.
“There are school dropouts in our community and yet, funds allocated for the development of minorities are not being spent. We want the board to take appropriate initiatives and will wait for a month. If our demands are not met, we will launch protests from August,” added Haque.
Shaukat Ali, the South Dinajpur district secretary of the Parishad, said around 60 lakh Nasya Sheikhs live in north Bengal. “Being minorities, we belong to the OBC category and want the state to announce that women of our community will get monthly assistance of ₹1,200 under the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme like SCs and STs. As of now, they get ₹1,000,” said Ali.
Farid Akhtar Gazi, the Jalpaiguri district secretary of the forum, said the state should announce that they are the “sons of the soil” in north Bengal.
source: http://www.telegraphindia.com / The Telegraph Online / Home> West Bengal / by Telegraph India / July 01st, 2024
Around 20 Muslim candidates were runners-up in the 18th Lok Sabha elections. Of them 7 lost to other Muslim candidates and the rest to other candidates.
Two of these were knocked out by Muslim candidates which made a cakewalk for BJP. In Amroha, UP, Danish Ali of INC secured 447836 votes against BJP’s Kanwar Singh Tanwar who got 476506, just 29670 more votes. Whereas BSP’s Mujahid Husain secured 164099 votes and finished third. Another four Muslims were also in the fray as independent candidates who together poled only 4503 votes.
Hafiz Rashid Ahmed Choudhry of INC from Karimganj, Assam lost to BJP’s Kripanath Mallh by just 18360 votes. Whereas the third in row was a Muslim from United Front, Shahbul Islam Choudhry who secured no less than 29205 votes. There were another 10 Muslims in the fray as independent candidates who secured 20162 votes combined. This invites the apolitical Muslim influential individuals’ and organizations’ role in making one strong Muslim candidate winnability bleak.
Shahnawaz of Rashtriya Janata Dal, in Araria, Bihar lost to BJP candidate by 20094 votes. There were five Muslim independent candidates totally scoring 39992 votes.
Mohammad Badruddin Ajmal, AUDF, in Dhubri Assam lost by 1012476 votes. He secured 459409 against the winning candidate Rakibul Hasan’s 14,71,885 votes. There were other eight Muslim candidates from seven different outfits and one independent. All of them put together pooled 486319 votes. Zabed Islam of Asom Gana Parishad who stood third alone secured 438594 votes.
The former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Mehbooba Mufti lost to National Conference candidate Mian Altaf in Anantnag-Rajouri by a margin of 2,81,794. Another 18 candidates were there to fish in the troubled waters.
Omar Abdulla, National Conference, Baramula lost to Engineer Rasheed, an independent who got 268339, lost by 204142. There were another 19 candidates in the fray.
Waheed ur Rehman Para, Peoples Democratic Party, Srinagar finished second 168450, lost by 188416 votes to Aga Syed Ruhulla of National Conference. Another 19 candidates tried their luck.
Mujahid Alam, Janata Dal (United), Kishanganj, Bihar, ranked second position against Tariq Anwar of INC who secured 343158 votes, lost by 59692 votes. There were another five Muslim candidates who together could not score beyond 45000 votes.
Md Ali Ashraf Fatmi, Rashtriya Janata Dal, Madhubani, Bihar, 2nd position. Lost to BJP. Secured 41483 votes and lost by a margin of 151945 (other Muslim candidates – Md. Waquar Siddiqi of AIMM and Sarfaraz Alam of Akhil Bhartiiya Parivar Party).
Hena Shahab was the only Muslim candidate among the 16 in the fray in Siwan, Bihar. An independent candidate, she scored an impressive figure of 296351 votes but lost to JD(U)’s Vijaylakshmi Devi by 92857 votes.
Mansoor Ali Khan, Indian National Congress, Bangaluru Central, Karnataka finished second, lost to BJP, secured 626208 votes still lost by 32707 votes. It was a straight fight and laser finish despite there were around 21 candidates who together could not cross 45000. In his first attempt, Mansoor has made a tremendous dent in the citadel of three-time BJP MP, Mohan.
AM Ariff of CPI(M) from Alappuzah, Kerala gave a tough fight to one of the general secretaries of Congress, KC Venugopal and secured 341047 votes only to lose by a margin of 63513.
Elamaram Kareem, CPI(M), Kozhikode, Kerala finished second against INC, got 374245 but lost by 146176 votes.
Vaseef and KS Hamza of CPI(M), from Malappuram and Ponnani in Kerala respectively lost to IUML candidates.
Mohammed Faizal PP from Nationalist Congress Party – Sharadchandra Pawar in Lakshadweep fought against Hamdulla Sayeed of INC and lost by 2647 votes.
Imtiaz Jaleel Syed, All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen, Aurangabad, Maharashtra, lost to Shiv Sena, by 134650 votes.
Mohammed Mubarak from All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Dindugal, Tamil Nadu stood second against CPI(M) candidate.
Md Salim, CPI(M), Murshidabad West Bengal, lost to Abu Taher Khan of TMC by 164215.
source: http://www.radiancenews.com / Radiance News / Home> Latest News> Report / by Mohammed Atherulla Shariff (headline edited) / June 10th, 2024
Sajda Ahmed of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Iqra Munawwar Hasan Chaudhary of the Samajwadi Party are among the 24 Muslim members who have been elected to the 18th Lok Sabha in the just concluded election.
The entry of 24 Muslims in the Lok Sabha is seen as a positive move towards the participation of India’s second-largest religious community in Parliamentary democracy.
While the 27-year-old year Iqra is a law graduate who won from the Kairana constituency in Western Uttar Pradesh on the ticket of the Samajwadi party Sajda Ahmed is a veteran leader who has won for Lok Sabha election a third time.
Sajda Ahmed has been re-elected from the Uluberia constituency where she secured 694,945 votes and defeated her nearest rival of the BJP Arun Uday Pal Chaudhary.
Iqra, a debutant defeated her nearest rival BJP’s Pradeep Kumar by 69,116 votes in a closely contested election.
Iqra, an alumnus of the Lady Sri Ram College of New Delhi – she also graduated in law from the UK – hails from a political family of Shamli.
The number of Muslims elected to Lok Sabha doesn’t look as low as was feared by the Community. Muslims have been complaining about their diminishing presence in India’s political spectrum.
However, this time political parties had fielded only 78 candidates from the Muslim community as against 115 in the 2019 election.
The most well-known Muslim who successfully contested elections is cricketer Yusuf Pathan. He not only won his maiden political battle as the candidate of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) from the Baharampur constituency of West Bengal, he also turned out to be a giant killer as he defeated Congress veteran Adhir Ranjan Chaudhary.
Muslim leaders like the two former Chief Ministers of Jammu and Kashmir – Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah – were defeated in their respective constituencies. Omar was defeated by an independent candidate Abdul Rashid Sheikh who is known by his nickname of Engineer Rashid, whose campaign was run in absentia by his two sons.
Engineer Rashid, whose real name is Abdul Rashid Sheikh won the Baramulla seat by securing 4.7 lakh votes against his main rival Omar Abdullah, former Chief Minister and vice-president of the National Conference. He too is a giant killer in this election.
Interestingly, Engineer Rashid’s campaign was carried on by his two sons as he has been in Delhi’s Tihar Jail for five years facing trial for his alleged involvement in supporting terrorists in Kashmir.
In Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag-Rajouri seat, National Conference’s Mian Altaf Ahmed defeated Mehbooba Mufti by 2,81,794 votes, and in the Srinagar constituency, NC candidate Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehndi got 3,56,866 votes against PDP’s Wahid Para.
From Ladakh, Independent candidate Mohammad Hanifa won by a margin of 27,862 votes.
In Uttar Pradesh, Samajwadi Party’s Maulana Mohibullah fought the election for the first time and he won on the ticket of the Samajwadi Party from the Rampur seat by securing 4,81,503 votes.
Ziaur Rahman of the Samajwadi Party from Uttar Pradesh has been elected from the Sambhal constituency.
Afzal Ansari has won from the Ghazipur on the ticket of the Samajwadi party. He is the brother of the gangster Mukhtar Ansari who died while serving a sentence for murder in the jail.
Imran Masood of Congress won against his BJP rival Raghav Lakhanpal from Saharanpur.
From Hyderabad (Telangana) Asaduddin Owaisi of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen(AIMIM) won against BJP’s K. Madhavi Latha. He has won the Lok Sabha election for the fifth time.
In the 16th Lok Sabha, there were only 22 Muslim Members while the highest number of Muslims elected to the lower house – 49 – was in 1980 and most of them were from Congress. In the last General election 115 Muslim contested while only 22 won.
As against this, in the 2024 elections, only 78 Muslim candidates were fielded and 24 of them won.
West Bengal has elected the highest number of Muslim MPs in the just concluded elections. They are: Khalilur Rahaman, Jangipur, Yusuf Pathan, Baharampur, Abu Taher Khan, Murshidabad, S K Nurul, (Basirhat), Sajda Ahmed, (Uluberia), Isha Khan Choudhary, (Maldaha Dakshin).
Bihar: Muhammad Javed Kishanganj and Tariq Anwar Katihar (Congress)
Assam: Raqib Hussain Dhubri
Kerala: Shafi Parambil (Vadakara), ET Muhammad Basheer (Malappuram) and Dr. MP Abdul Samad Samdani (Ponnani)
Lakshdeep: Muhammad Hamdullah Saeed
Tamil Nadu: Nivas Kinis Ramanathapuram
source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Story / posted by Aasha Kosa / June 05th, 2024
Hailing from Kaliachak in Malda, Shahnawaz Ali Raihan has emerged as a promising candidate for the Malda Dakshin Constituency under the Trinamool Congress (TMC) banner. With an impressive academic background, Raihan’s journey from journalism to academia has been marked by activism and social service.
After obtaining degrees in journalism and mass communication from prestigious institutions, Raihan pursued postgraduate studies in comparative religion, demonstrating his commitment to knowledge and understanding diverse perspectives. Raihan’s involvement in campus activism and mentorship programs showcases his dedication to fostering academic and professional growth among students.
His research at Oxford University on the relationship between Marxism and Islam reflects Raihan’s intellectual curiosity and his stance against divisive politics. Throughout his career, Raihan has been vocal in advocating for unity and social harmony, earning recognition from leaders like Mamata Banerjee.
With a pristine record, Raihan stands out as a candidate in the Lok Sabha elections 2024, embodying integrity with zero criminal charges. His modest financial profile, devoid of personal assets or financial liabilities, distinguishes him as a symbol of ethical governance, as he stands out with a spotless record and a commitment to representing the interests of the marginalized. With his oratory skills and activism, Raihan is poised to become a voice for change in the Lok Sabha elections 2024.
source: http://www.radiancenews.com / Radiance News / Home> Latest News> Report / by Syed Azharuddin / Radiance News Bureau / April 29th, 2024
Farheen Masood with her family.The Telegraph Online Edugraph
Summary
In the heart of bustling Kolkata, where the cacophony of life reverberates through narrow alleyways, there lies a tale of grit, determination and unyielding hope.
Meet Farheen Masood, a champion of resilience whose journey from humble beginnings to corporate corridors is as inspiring as it is extraordinary.
In the heart of bustling Kolkata, where the cacophony of life reverberates through narrow alleyways, there lies a tale of grit, determination, and unyielding hope. Meet Farheen Masood, a champion of resilience whose journey from humble beginnings to corporate corridors is as inspiring as it is extraordinary.
Chapter 1: A Dream Ignited
She was raised in a modest household by hardworking parents who were filled with aspirations – her father a security guard and her mother a homemaker.
“My mother could not complete her schooling although she was a good student. That is why she was always keen on us (she and her two siblings) completing our education. Despite our financial struggles, she instilled in us the belief that education was the key to unlocking a better future. My mother became my source of inspiration,” reminisced Farheen, her voice reflecting the unwavering resolve that would come to define her journey.
Farheen giving tuition to a child in her neighbourhood.The Telegraph Online Edugraph
Chapter 2: Echoes of Empowerment
As the days unfolded, Farheen found inspiration within the corridors of AK Fazlul Haq School and Khalsa English High School. It was there that she discovered her passion for public speaking. “What I am today, in terms of my confidence in speaking and everything else, is due to the education I received in my schools. I used to participate in monthly debates and extempore competitions and my teachers would always motivate me. That helped sharpen my communication skills,” she shared with us in words that echoed the profound impact of her formative years.
Busy with her art and craft engagements.The Telegraph Online Edugraph
Chapter 3: A Path Revealed
Today Farheen stands tall empowered with a Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM) degree with specialisation in Analytics and Marketing from Praxis Business School and working as a Management Trainee (Operations) at DHL Global Forwarding. So what inspired her to pursue studies in this field?
She recalled, “Though I initially opted for the science stream in my plus 2, I soon realised that my heart was not in it. That is when my uncle guided me to consider management studies. He told me about all the career opportunities that would open up for me if I did a PGDM/ MBA degree; and that would help me achieve the success I had always dreamed of.”
A shot from her convocation ceremony day.The Telegraph Online Edugraph
Chapter 4: Praxis: A Journey Within
At business school, amidst the nurturing learning environment, Farheen’s metamorphosis began. “After joining , I was made a Placecom member. I was responsible for coordinating the students’ placement process, acting as a bridge between them and our college’s placement cell. It gave me the opportunity to connect with various HR heads, thereby helping me make connections. I felt more confident through meeting and speaking with new people. Moreover, I learned management skills which gave me the confidence to handle challenging situations,” she said while recounting the perks of studying in a truly enabling educational environment.
Farheen posing with her teacher.The Telegraph Online Edugraph
Chapter 5: The Tapestry of Experience
Further into the conversation we learned that, in her bid to craft a successful career path, alongside excelling in her PGDM programme at Praxis, Farheen had also gained real world experience through an array of internships with reputable brands spanning fundraising, sales and digital marketing. “Internships gave me practical training before entering the corporate workplace. I had done fieldwork too. That opened up different aspects of business management to me. I met new people and expanded my network. Also, I learned that if one has an idea, one needs to voice it. Not wait for the person on the other side to ask,” she affirmed, emphasising the importance of hands-on learning.
Farheen with Charanpreet Singh, Co-founder and Director, Praxis Business School, Kolkata.The Telegraph Online Edugraph
Farheen with Praxis management.The Telegraph Online Edugraph
Chapter 6: Words of Encouragement
While Farheen gazed upon the gamut of her achievements, we asked what would her advice for young people who are striving against life’s challenges be.
“One should not stop dreaming!” she proclaimed, her words infused with the determination of a go-getter. “Always be eager to learn, stay kind and just keep going. The avenues will open up sooner than later,” she said confidently.
As the sun set over the city of Kolkata, casting its golden hues upon the distant horizon, Farheen Masood appeared before us as an embodiment of the indomitable human spirit!
From humble beginnings to soaring heights, Farheen’s journey reinforces the transformative power of education yet again and serves as a source of hope for generations to come, irrespective of their challenging circumstances!
source: http://www.telegraphindia.com / The Telegraph Online / Home> Edugraph> Career / by Sejuti Roy / April 17th, 2024
Professor Badiur Rahman, former Head of the Department of Arabic and Persian, University of Calcutta, a well-known educationist, celebrated writer, accomplished journalist, prominent Islamic scholar and a beloved teacher passed away in Kolkata on September 19, 2023.
He was scion of an illustrious and religious family of district Hooghly of West Bengal. His father Abdur Rahman was also an MBBS and associated with Tablighi Jamat.
He got his basic education at Darul Uloom Pandua, Hooghly, West Bengal. Thereafter, he did Alim in 1967 and Fazil in 1969 respectively from Madrasa Alia, Calcutta. He derived considerable benefits from a galaxy of eminent Islamic scholars over there. Especially, he achieved immense academic gains from noted Islamic scholars like Maulana Abu Mahfuz Karim Masumi and Maulana Rahatullah Azhari. After that, he did his B.A. (Hons) in 1974 and M.A. in 1976 respectively from University of Calcutta. He also did L.L.B and Ph.D therefrom.
Professor Badiur Rahman was an institution in himself. He was a familiar figure among the intellectual circles throughout India. Due to his extraordinary knowledge and being a paragon of morality, he carved a niche in the temple of fame. He had a say at the University of Calcutta. Despite being an Islamic scholar, he considerably impressed all faculty members, including VCs of University of Calcutta. Because of his profound knowledge of different languages, noble qualities and sublime norms everyone held him in high esteem.
Visiting Professor of Alia University, Kolkata, Dr. Rahman was also on the Senate and Syndicate of Calcutta University and Ph.D. Communities, Calcutta University and Alia University. He was also Ex-Chairman of PG Board of Studies in Arabic, Calcutta University, and U.G.B.O.S in Arabic, Kalyani University.
My acquaintance with Professor Badiur Rahman I think it was during the summer of 2009 when I first met him. The meet was actually regarding my Ph.D admission at University of Calcutta. Dr. Masihur Rahman, now professor at Alia University, Kolkata introduced me to him. Since then till his last breath, I remained in touch with him. I am fortunate enough to have done my Ph.D. under his supervision and guidance. He always treated me like his brother. Whenever I met him, I gained immense inspiration from him. Despite being a celebrated scholar, he was devoid of arrogance.
As a Teacher Professor Badiur Rahman started his teaching career as a lecturer at the University of Calcutta in 1983 and retired in 2016. Even after his retirement, he kept on teaching as a visiting faculty in the University of Calcutta and Alia University, Kolkata. He always proved himself as a selfless and dedicated teacher. He was an embodiment of all sublime qualities and virtues necessary for a good teacher. His method of teaching was unprecedented. It was his sword which he wielded so effectively that very few persons could match him. During lectures he pointed out such subtle points as students could not help without being impressed with him. He left an indelible mark in the domain of the teaching profession.
Undoubtedly, he was a beloved teacher. He was fondly described as B.R. Sir by his students. Scores of students quenched their thirst for knowledge from him. His talk was very touching. He met everyone cheerfully. His deep knowledge of comparative studies made him popular among his contemporaries. His learning was varied and profound. His personality was many-sided and balanced.
Right from the beginning, he was laborious and punctual. He was a man of transparent heart. No doubt, his extraordinary scholarship and erudition brought him wide reputation and fame. His main mission was to spread education. He left a galaxy of pupils behind him who impart education and work in various fields in and out of India. In fact, it is an everlasting tribute to him.
Dr. Badiur Rahman and Dr. Taha Husayn Dr. Rahman was an ardent admirer of Dr. Taha Husayn. He had vast knowledge about Dr. Taha. He did not only study all his books but he digested them. He also wrote a book titled, “Essays On Dr. Taha Husayn” published by Mazhar Education and Welfare Society, Malda.
Maulana Alauddin Nadwi, Head of the Department of Arabic, Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama, Lucknow wrote in the Preface of the said book, “To a great extent Dr. Badiur Rahman tried to introduce Dr. Taha Husayn in the Introduction to his book. The author regards Dr. Taha as a born critic. He presented Taha’s thoughts in a lucid way. To clear his viewpoints, he propounded various references from Dr. Taha’s books. Besides, he holds Taha as a moderate critic to the core.”
He had also done several research works on the first Nobel Laurate in the Arabic language Dr. Naguib Mahfouz.
Dr. Badiur Rahman and Rabindra Nath Tagore
Like Dr. Taha, Dr. Rahman was also a fan of Rabindranath Tagore. He wrote various articles and short stories on Tagore’s life and works in Arabic. And thus he introduced him in the Arabic World.
It should be noted that Dr. Rahman participated in different national and international seminars and exhibited his scholarly caliber there.
Because of his outstanding and remarkable services to the Arabic language and literature, he was conferred the President Award in 2018.
As a Writer Dr. Rahman was a prolific writer. He wrote several books on different subjects. Some of his major publications are:
History of Arabic Literature (Pre-Islamic Period)
Textbook for B.A. Arabic (Hons.) Calcutta University
Textbook for B.A. General, Calcutta University
Essays On Dr. Taha Husayn
Besides, he had 31 research articles in Arabic, English, Urdu and Bengali published in different literary journals. He had earned distinction in Belles Letters, short stories, poetry in English, Arabic and Bengali. He had long experience of research guidance in Arabic. He had examined about 26 theses and 15 M.Phil dissertations of various universitas of India and abroad.
Truly speaking, the comprehensive knowledge and intellectual brilliance of Dr. Rahman had been acknowledged by his contemporaries.
Describing his yeomen services, Professor Mohammad Noman Khan, former Head of the Department of Arabic Delhi University stated that the passing away of Dr. Badiur Rahman was a personal loss to him. He played a leading role in spreading the Arabic language in West Bengal. He gave new impetus to the students of W.B.
Professor Sanaullah Nadwi, Head of the Department of Arabic said, “Dr. Badiur Rahman was a highly qualified person and he was an emblem of morality. Everyone who observed him very closely would testify it. He also described his outstanding contribution in the field of education.
Similarly, Professor Ashfaq Ahmad Nadwi Head of the Department of Arabic Banaras Hindu University stated that Almighty Allah bestowed upon him different qualities. His personality was a marvellous amalgamation of teacher, writer and guide par excellence. Besides, he was a righteous, God-fearing and pious personality.
Dr. Rahman’s death caused a great vacuum. His myriad contributions to promotion and propagation of the Arabic language and literature will always be remembered. He is survived by his wife.
Thousands of his admirers thronged to attend the last rite of the departed soul. He was buried at Ghobra-1 Graveyard, of Park Circus Kolkata. May Allah adorn his grave with luminosity and refulgence and grant peace to his soul. Aameen!
[The writer is Faculty Member, Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama, Lucknow]
source: http://www.radiancenews.com / Radiance News / Home> Latest News / by Dr. Obaidur Rahman Nadwi / Radiance News Bureau / September 24th, 2023
Rukhshi Kadiri Elias (Third from left) with her team of Taajira
“Empower the men to empower the economically empowered women,” jokes Rukhshi Kadiri Elias, an articulate lady with her mellow voice igniting the conversation. She is the founder of Taajira – (The Businesswoman), a massive network of entrepreneurial women creating a revolution, not only in Kolkata but in other places bringing two different kinds of women together, to work together and empower each other.
Warm eyes, glowing skin with her royal demeanour, and her energy kindles hearts, which is probably why she was able to garner a massive community of thousands of women that all started in 2019.
Born and brought up in a caring home, Rukhshi helped her father with his business, looked after his office in his absence attended to his phone calls, and set up his appointments. At that time she was in the college. During her school and college days, she always stood up for friends.
Good at maintaining humans relationships, she remains in touch with her schoolmates at the Loreto School in Bowbazar and today 35 of her childhood friends are joined in by a WhatsApp Group.
Since 1974, the friends have encouraged each other, and met each other’s emotional needs, and financial difficulties, where some were going through midlife crises. Rukhshi made a special effort to initiate these get-togethers.
At the Taajira exhibition Titliyaan
Speaking to Awaz-The Voice, she recounts one of Taajira’s inspiring stories, “One incident shook me. One day, a girl reached out to us on Facebook. She was a victim of domestic violence and in a state of shambles. As I shared this with some of the administrators in our group “Taajira-The Businesswoman”, having now reached over 32,000 members, I was hesitant to approve her post publically. Some of the legal advocates said she needed immediate legal help. While that was right, I said that she presently needed strong emotional support, because she would have to pay a lawyer if she went the legal way.
“We decided to reach out to her and we reached her home and counseling made the husband realize his mistake. I finally approved her Facebook post and I was stunned to find a rush of support for this girl from hundreds of other women with similar stories. This was a big eye-opener to me that domestic violence is a huge unspoken issue in many homes. Most of the women do not know their legal rights and continue to live in abusive situations for years, incapacitating their ability to even work.
“After this incident, Anuradha Kapoor who founded Swayam, a feminist organisation dedicated to advancing women’s rights did an online talk on Taajira’s Facebook group which was a great success. The happy end of this girl’s story is through Taajira, she got into a flourishing resin art business and her husband changed realizing his failings, and supports her now, and she is a transformed woman – what a miracle!”
I asked her who her greatest inspiration to start Taajira was, she replied, “Way back then in my college days, Noor Jahan Shakil, President, of All Bengal Muslim Women’s Association used to take me along with her on her outreaches to the slums of Kolkata which jolted me out of my comfort zone. I suddenly realized there was a big world out there where millions were still suffering and living in deplorable unhygienic conditions. She had two centers – one for vocational training, tailoring, and fashion designing, actively involved with Muslim women, bringing them out of the four walls of their homes into the world, and teaching them about hygiene and health. I still connect with them helping them to create events.
“Noor Jahan Shakil is an amazing lady, now way beyond 90 years, still very agile and interested in what we are doing, coming forth with suggestions and it was her life that inspired me to think beyond the limitations of my home.”
Rukhshi Kadiri Elias
The story of the inception of Taajira was set in 2019 when Rukhshi Kadiri Elias found herself being added to many WhatsApp groups all seeking some sort of sense of identity apart from their homes. It was at that point that Rukhshi said, “Instead of adding me to different WhatsApp groups, let us get together on one platform, let’s set up a Facebook group.” The group aimed to help women set up businesses that networked together because the seller is also the consumer, so in some way, they all needed each other. The biggest challenge of this group was getting women, who were not tech-savvy to learn to use social media and basic skills.
Their first meetings started in Rukhshi’s home, later, went on to be hosted in their newly formed restaurant, and later, also others offered their halls.
There was a conglomeration of all kinds of women from different strata of society with different needs, from restaurant owners to maids.
There are two groups in Taajira, one group is an elite group who made brand names for themselves through Taajira, and the other group is the economically deprived.
The Elite group helps the economically weaker women with startups, not with money but with goods to the other group to help launch their businesses and out of the profits of the retail rates, they pay back the elite group only at the wholesale rates so that they make a large marginal profit.
There are also intense training programs at the Tajara Elite Club where makeup artists, teams, stylists, bridal packages, ladies who make their organic herbal products, sari drapers, henna designers, masseurs, seamstresses, and even taught driving, grooming, polishing, and other crafts.
At their monthly meet, they pair up, and here the weaker women are imparted skills. During the pandemic, garments were sold online, but they now have their showrooms and stores, so the elite group needed salesgirls, managers, accountants, chefs, and other staff.
She said,”50% of our staff from our restaurant Shaikh’s is from Taajira. While we started as a group to financially empower women, even men were getting jobs. Husbands, sons, and brothers as chauffeurs, chefs, cooks, and other such help so the entire family gets help.”
She said, “We have a legal panel with lawyers and advocates, another panel for counselling for those who need emotional help, doctors who help women with their illnesses, lady police officers who help women with their paperwork, food licenses, and advice.
We have a marvelous doctor who runs The Soul Clinic, Dr. Shabtab Elahi who unlocks the healing power of yoga, with her set of yoga trainers, and focuses on weight loss.
Rukhshi Kadiri Elias with Taajira members
Taajira members from the Wellness Center hold nutritious tea parties with healthy snacks. The focus on hygiene, health, mental well-being, and financial stability is a big boost to Taajira’s growth because we are not just a workforce but a caring community and like a large family with a very personal touch.”
Mysteriously, as Taajira was established in 2019, it seemed a divinely appointed timing as they helped hundreds of families during COVID-panic-driven days in 2020 and beyond to tide through this rough season and come across safely. She says that Taajira was the only online portal open those days for help to the public. Food was the biggest need during COVID-19, and home-cooked food was delivered directly to homes. Since there was no bread in the markets, the ladies in Taajira started baking bread, making thalis (meals) supplying the ones trapped at home and without food.
In one instance, a member of Taajira from the UAE send an SOS message to Taajira to reach out to her septuagenarian parents stranded without food. The Taajira chef delivered food for free until a maid could look after them. Incredibly, the Taajira team delivered not only food, but also medicines, and other assistance to families, and college students were given money and food. In this great season of caring, Taajira grew to be a more community-focused and family-hearted organization.
Taajira’s recent big venture was Titliyan, an annual big exhibition, held once a year, with 111 stalls in the year 2022 and 175 stalls in 2023 and close to 10,000 people visited it.
Rukhshi said with a note of pride that many exhibition curators are now getting their ideas drawn from Taajira members getting 90% of their income through their wares in these exhibitions. She said, “I am, after this appointment on my way to an exhibition in Khidirpur.”
Rukhshi’s journey to create Taajira also required her supportive family, husband, and two sons, who incidentally are great sportsmen, swimmers, footballers, and hockey players, and her wonderful daughter-in-law. She proudly shares the addition of her grandson to the home, now six months old whom she is very involved in taking care of while her daughter-in-law, who is a counsellor in Loreto, goes to school.
All family members proudly pat each other’s backs for their accomplishments. Their recent achievement was their famous restaurant, Shaikh’s, a 42-seater lavish but affordable restaurant launched three years back by her sons, with its cutting-edge culinary excellence seated in the Park Circus area in Beckbagan, near Quest Mall, famed for its aromatic rich Indian, Middle Eastern flavors drawing flocks of people.
As a graduate of Fine Arts and a diploma holder in fashion design, she honed her skills to help the processing of Taajira smoothly. Rukhshi says that the journey to making Taajira a reality has only been possible with the assistance and dedication of her panel of moderators, such as Zainab Saigal, Shumaila Khalid, Ifra Nadeem, Sujata Latif, and Sumaiya Munir applauding the strength of networking together. She said, “We have a strength of 33000 women, now, so we need at least six women to herd them!”
An encouraging moment arrived when the globally connected Calcutta University asked Taajira to suggest a few names of their women to train guide and support them technically. These ladies were picked up and it was a good venture of collaboration to bring profit to both.
Shaikh’s restaurant
On another occasion, a lady who makes chocolates got a huge order from the American Consulate to supply them with 500 boxes of chocolates during Christmas, another lady got a massive order for jute bags and a lady who makes momos and other delicious nutritious snacks now gets regular orders from The American Consulate, business avenues that transformed their incomes and lives.
Recounting one amusing incident, Rukhshi said, “One day, I received a call from a lady announcing that she wanted to work on an online business, but she was not tech savvy. The lady also mentioned that due to her arthritis and other problems, she was unable to work outdoors but needed the money to maintain herself and pay for her medicines. After giving her some ideas, I asked her, “Ma’am, how old are you?” and she replied brightly, “I’m only 73!” I visited her and got her in touch with an Anglo-Indian seamstress who used to stitch nighties, so the lady was able to get into an online trading business and sell nighties to meet her financial needs.”
While membership to Tajeera is free, there is a fee to join the talk shows. She mentioned that there are women who broke away from Tajeera and started their businesses for their reasons, but this was never the aim of Taajira whose power lay in massive networking to support thousands to lakhs together. She said, “Everything is changing fast. Eating habits changed where people now are more into fast foods, apparels changed from saris to most women now in jeans and kurtis, society is transforming quickly.”
She said, “In a strange twist of fates, the men who once mocked the efforts of Tajeera exclaiming it was a taboo for their women to work outside the home are now accepting women working outdoors, and even standing alongside and helping them, and some are even staying at home and looking after the children while their wives are out selling their wares at grand exhibitions,, isn’t it incredible! Things have changed so much in just a few years. Each day, we are moving towards a brighter light and now society is changing so much that when women don’t work, people ask, “How come you’re not working?”
She said emphatically, “Taajira has two ideologies – to help the poor and to economically empower women and we are starting to network a revolution!”
The day is too short for her and she said, “I still have not arrived, we are still on the way, one target is related to another and then it opens another dimension.”
Rita Farhat Mukand is an independent writer.
source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Story / by Rita Farhat Mukund / February 24th, 2024
