Mr Farhan Khan, an alumnus of Aligarh Muslim University has been awarded the prestigious Global Talent Visa (Tier 1) by the United Kingdom under the endorsement of Arts Council, England.
This coveted recognition honours the exceptional talent and leadership quality of individuals in their respective fields, and this award to Khan establishes him as a global icon in the field of fine art photography.
Khan’s inspiring academic journey began at the Syedna Tahir Saifuddin (STS) School, followed by his XII from Saiyyid Hamid Senior Secondary School, AMU, and his formative years at AMU cultivated in him a strong sense of discipline, creativity and excellence, which paved the way for his future success.
After graduating from Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI), in Architecture (B.Arch.), he developed a passion for photography and completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Still Photography and Visual Communication from JMI with a gold medal. Later, he developed advanced skills in photography and visual storytelling, with his works being featured in prominent exhibitions.
Khan earned a Master of Arts in Photography: Image and Electronic Arts from the prestigious Goldsmiths, University of London, with Merit and gradually excelled in photography and designing by working out at diverse photography projects across architecture, real estate, interiors, food, and product photography.
He is currently employed as a Photography Specialist and Brand Ambassador at Fujifilm House of Photography, London, where he drives innovation, delivers high-quality results, and engages in client training.
His work has been exhibited globally, including notable exhibitions like Nexus & Now (2022): Degree Show at Goldsmiths, London; International Art Exhibition 3D Gallery (2020): Berlin, Germany; Postcards to Gandhi (2020): A narrative on climate change, JMI, New Delhi and Freedom to Live (2019): Photo series at Modoo Gallery, Brazil.
His evocative art has garnered numerous accolades, including a Top 5 Shortlist for the Historic Photographer of the Year Award (2020) and the First Prize in the National Photography Competition on Urban Eco-Systems (2018). His works have also been featured in esteemed publications like The Week Junior UK, Outlook India, and Outlook Traveller.
Khan’s passion extends beyond photography to teaching and mentorship. He has conducted 44+ beginner photography workshops in London and delivered lectures on innovative topics such as surrealism and graphic design in photography. His interactive and student-focused pedagogical approach empowers young artists to thrive in creative fields.
source: http://www.radiancenews.com / Radiance News / Home> Art & Culture> Latest News / by Radiance News Bureau / January 12th, 2025
Tasneem Fathima Khaleel has had a successful career in academia. However, quite remarkably, she came back to where she started – teaching. M A Siraj reports.
Few people end their careers where they first began; Professor Tasneem Fathima Khaleel is among those few. “I am excited about the opportunity to finish my career in the classroom. And, with a little help, I will be teaching in a new state-of-the-art…facility,” says Tasneem, the first-ever woman to have obtained a doctorate in the State of Mysore in 1970. Prior to returning as a professor of Botany, she served as the dean of faculty at College of Arts & Sciences for a decade at the Montana State University at Billings (MUSB).
Paving a new path
Tasneem has been teaching Botany in the United States for over 40 years and has received many awards for her teaching and research. She has headed, or has been a member on as many as 23 different academic bodies or advisory councils in the US. For her contribution to research, with nearly 50 research publications on subjects ranging from cyto-embriology to plant reproduction, she was awarded the ‘Outstanding Research Award’ in 1995 by the Montana Research Academy and has also won the Faculty Excellence Award five times.
The year 2014 was a special year for Tasneem – she had the rare honour of an award being named after her, for mentoring at the MUSB. Reno Charette, director for American-Indian Education, was adjudged the winner of the first ‘Prof Tasneem Fathima Khaleel Award for Mentoring’.
Tasneem studied in Bengaluru, before heading to the US in 1975 after marriage. An alumna of Central College, Bengaluru, she has coveted every opportunity to visit her ‘City of Gardens’ – which she ruefully admits is more a part of nostalgia rather than reality.
A passionate researcher, she recalls that very few women could be seen in higher studies in those days. Only a couple of them were pursuing PhD while she was registered in Bangalore University as well as teaching biology as an assistant professor at the University of Agricultural Sciences at Hebbal between 1968 and 1975. Her study of ‘Flora at the GKVK Campus’ and ‘Weeds in Karnataka’ are still quoted as seminal works.
Writing her own destiny
Tasneem had finished her BSc and MSc by the time she was barely 19 years old. Wanting to be a teacher, she had put in her application, but was rejected, as the dean told her, “You look like a school girl, how would the students take you seriously?”
Instead, he directed her to register for a PhD programme, which had just been started in the Bangalore University. The Doctorate took longer than usual to complete because there was lack of guidance and direction, and the programme had several fits and starts.
Finally, at 26 when she got her her doctorate, she was being looked as ‘a confirmed spinster’ in her own cultural surroundings. Marriage was nowhere on her mental radar. It took her brother several sittings to convince her of getting married.
Tasneem travelled a long and twisted path – one shaped by her culture and her drive to excel, to become the distinguished professor that she is today. For most Americans who had only preliminary idea of Islam, a woman with covered head and such drive for excellence and perseverance was a combination of incongruities. “Women have rights in Islam. Muslim women didn’t even have to fight for those rights. The religion has given them those rights,” she says.
Dr Stn Waitr, her successor, says, “Dean Khaleel has raised the level of rigour, excellence and success in the College of Arts & Sciences to a standard that should serve as a model for the entire institution.” Interestingly, Tasneem even built a herbarium at the MUSB, which has around 17,000 specimens and is currently engaged in digitising it. She recalls with pride that she was the most productive member on the faculty of science at the MSU, which has nearly 22,000 students today in two campuses. Tasneem’s most significant discovery was the finding of mammalian steroids in plants, which she says, are responsible for sex expression in plants.
Author of four books, 10 external and 17 internal grants at the MSUB, Tasneem is excited about beginning her teaching career once again. “It had never ended. I had maintained a room in my department building, even while I headed the faculty,” she says.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Content / by M.A. Siraj / June 26th, 2015
After teaching for over 40 years, Dr. Tasneem Khaleel is retiring
MSUB readies to part with long-time Professor Dr. Khaleel
Retirement party in honor of Dr. Khaleel set for 2 p.m., April 26 in the Beartooth Room in the Student Union Building. Food and refreshments will be served.
MSU BILLINGS NEWS SERVICES — Hanging on the wall in Dr. Tasneem Khaleel’s office are the many awards and accolades marking the dedication and service she has given to Montana State University Billings over the past several decades.
Khaleel is retiring at the end of this semester and her presence and legacy will be with the science department and University for years to come.
Dr. Christine Shearer, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, said that without the dedication and perseverance of Khaleel, the College and its students would not be where it is today.
“Dr. Khaleel has devoted her professional career to Montana State University Billings in a variety of capacities. She has been a tireless researcher and developer of the internationally-renowned Herbarium, a deeply committed advocate for the sciences and science education, a leader of a complex and diverse unit, and has been a staunch supporter and mentor of female scientists and academic professionals in all disciplines,” Shearer said. “Her tenacity and resilience advanced the College of Arts and Sciences and its programs, including the establishment of the Women’s and Gender Studies Center, which serves the university and the community. Her involvement in Girls-n-Science impacted hundreds of young women planning STEM careers.”
Khaleel has been paving the way for women in STEM since the beginning of her career. She has the honor of being the first woman recipient of a Ph.D from Bangalore University, India, where she graduated with a degree in Botany in 1970.
In 1976, Khaleel would begin her tenure with MSUB, as would her signature project: the establishment, maintenance, and management of the internationally known MSUB Herbarium.
“The Herbarium is one of my professional accomplishments that I am most proud of,” Khaleel said.
Dr. Tasneem Khaleel, center, assists Heidi Carter, left, and an unknown student during a lab experiment. (Photo circa 1980)
Post-retirement, she will continue being involved in the herbarium, which includes some 16,000 vascular plant specimens, some of which date back to the late 1800s and early 1900s. The Herbarium serves as a tool for basic research in plant systematics, ecology, phytogeography, and evolution.
While Khaleel’s career is highlighted by the 11 years she served as dean for the College of Arts and Sciences, from 2004 to 2014, she has no regrets to returning to the classroom before retirement.
Throughout her time on campus, she moved up from an assistant professor to department chair and says coming full circle made her last two years with students, “the best.”
“I wanted to retire as a faculty member,” Khaleel said. “Having that time as Dean allowed me to hear so many perspectives that my focus shifted when I returned to the classroom. My focus shifted from teaching to learning, to becoming a mentor and being more supportive.
For the last eight years the Tasneem and Shafiq Khaleel Endowment for Scholarships to Science has provided $1,000 awards to two students.
source: http://www.msubillings.edu/ucam/releases.2017/2017apr19Khaleel.htm / University Communications and Marketing / April 19th, 2017 / Montana State Univeristy Billings
My Ph.D is from India, at Bangalore University and I was the first woman to get a Ph.D from that university. I started education at a very young age because I started school when I was about 3. In those days there was not an age limit to start school, when your parents felt you were ready they took you to school. From then on it was up to you. When I started off, there was no kindergarten or pre-school, it was first grade. I sat on the teacher’s lap most of the time because I was so little.
Why did you study botany?
When I was a student in India, botany was a man’s field. They did not really take women in graduate courses for botany because they look at botany as a field science. Since the graduate seats were so limited they didn’t take a whole lot of graduate students. They thought if they took in a girl student, the only option for her would be to teach botany, not go out to the field. They still looked at women in those days as better at home and in the classroom than in the field. That was a challenge for me. I just wanted to prove to them one could be in the field as well.
When did you know you wanted to become an educator?
Oh I loved teaching right from the beginning. One of the reasons you do your masters in any discipline in India was so that you can teach in college. When I graduated with my masters degree in botany, I was 19 years old at the time and so I went off to find a job. There was one person who was in charge of recruiting and allocating all of the lecturer positions. So I talked to him and said, I need a job but he took one look at me and said, you look like you just came out of high school. He didn’t think I would be impressive enough in front of a classroom and to be able to control a classroom, the kids wouldn’t take me seriously. So I sat there and cried, I wanted the job and he refused to give me something that I had a passion to teach. I didn’t want to keep all the knowledge to myself. So then he said how about if you went and did a Ph.D. and then came back a few years later and by then you will have grown up a bit. I took him up on that option but there was no Ph.D. program at the university so he said he would help start one, which he did. And then we got the university grant fellowship to support me and I did my Ph.D. By then I wasn’t interested in going to him anymore to teach because people were after me to come and teach being I was the first woman with a Ph.D. there.
Tell us about your passion, building the herbarium at MSUB?
The value of the herbarium is based on what plant collections you have in it. When I first came here there were just two wooden cabinets here, with maybe 500 specimens. And they said, this is your herbarium. It was shocking because where I came from there is a whole building dedicated to the herbarium. So I challenged myself to build a herbarium here. The very first grant I wrote was to buy herbarium cabinets. The next step I did was to call out to local agents here who had small collections to see if they were willing to consolidate to a central location. The US Forest Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Land Management and Rocky Mountain College were all very willing to give collections and we incorporated those in our herbarium. Over the years, the herbarium is a part of the national database with about 16,000 specimens.
Of the classes you teach, what is your favorite?
All of my classes are my favorite classes. I love teaching. I teach freshman biology, in fact that’s one of my most favorite classes to be honest. That’s when students are first starting out and I’m introducing them to biology for the first time and to get them excited about that. I really enjoy doing that and it gives me opportunities to mentor students because they’re just starting out. My second most favorite is plant systematics, they are both equally enjoyable classes for me. I just love teaching botany.
source: http://www.msubillings.edu/snapshots/2015-16/Khaleel.htm / msubillings.edu / by Cassie Winter, University Communications and Marketing / October 09th, 2015 / Montana State Univeristy Billings
Professor Tasneem Khaleel is an extraordinary educator, who has set the standard for excellence among her peers and captured the hearts and impacted the lives of her students through exceptional teaching and caring.
For four decades, Professor Khaleel’s leadership in the Department of Biological and Physical Sciences has been innovative and visionary, influencing generations of science students.
Her absolute passion for supporting her students as well as MSUB’s mission have been recognized with numerous honors and awards. But, this year Dr. Khaleel is the recipient of an award she says she is proudest of—the inaugural Faculty Award for Exceptional Support of Students with Disabilities.
Tasneem’s positive nature and friendly manner are a welcoming presence, explained by her student nominator.
“Dr. Khaleel’s guidance has helped me adapt to college life. She patiently taught me how to use lab equipment and spent extra hours in the lab helping me with my assignments. I have talked to other students with disabilities, and they agree that she goes the extra mile to assure they have a fair chance,” her student nominator said.
“This reward is very meaningful to me,” she said. “These students are special to me. Anybody can teach an ‘A’ student—they just need pointed in the right direction. But to bring a student who has no confidence in their abilities due to his/her disability, who has to compete with the ‘A’ students in class, and to have the courage to come to class everyday. I think this is the biggest reward of teaching.”
She adds that she thinks it takes more courage on the part of the student than that of the instructor.
“The least the instructor can do is be supportive and give these students the self assurance they need to perform. Nothing is beyond their abilities.”
She is an example of someone who does not treat her role simply as a checklist of duties, but a mentor who uses her position to educate, inspire and encourage those around her.
As one colleague notes, “Tasneem is an exemplary educator and leader: She is innovative, she thinks about teaching and learning far beyond her own discipline, and she inspires others to do the same.”
source: http://www.msubillings.edu/faculty/2016/khaleel.htm / Montana State University Billings
Giving back to the community that has supported them for over 30 years was so important to Tasneem and Shafiq Khaleel that they set up an endowed scholarship at MSU Billings in 2006. The Khaleels place a high value on education and where it can take you in life. From the moment Billings, Montana, became their home, they have reached out to the community to share their Indian culture and to offer help to those in need or educate those who would discriminate against them.
Since those early years at MSU Billings, Dr. Tasneem Khaleel has achieved full professor, was chair of the Biological and Physical Sciences department for many years, served as chair of Graduate Studies, and was Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Shafiq Khaleel has built a successful veterinary practice and a rose garden that is the envy of Billings. According to Tasneem, “We both came to this country with an education that has allowed us to be who we are today. If the scholarship allows even one student to achieve his/her goals, it will be one more educated citizen who will have the potential to make a difference.”
The Tasneem and Shafiq Khaleel Endowed Scholarship was designed to help motivated students achieve their goals and ease some of their financial burden in completing their education. The first scholarship was awarded in academic year 2008-2009.
Impact
I am humbled to have been given the opportunity to receive the special scholarship from you both. Dr. Tasneem Khaleel, you have been a role model for me since I had you as my first science class professor at MSUB. I was honored to meet Dr. Shafiq and shake your hand that one afternoon when you picked Dr. Khaleel up from work. The scholarship you both have provided will give me the opportunity to help pay for my college another year at MSUB; it will forever be remembered. Impacting my life to support one more year of school is a stepping stone that will forever support my future endeavors. Again, thank you.” — Sarah G., Biology and Pre-Professional Medicine major
The Haji KS Sayeed Karnire Charitable Trust handed over seven newly constructed houses and laid the foundation stone for fourteen more in Karnire on Sunday.
Assembly Speaker U.T. Khader, who inaugurated the houses, highlighted the significant impact of this initiative, noting that while owning a home is a universal dream, many are unable to realize it.
He commended the project as a model of compassion and inspiration, emphasizing that such achievements go beyond financial capability and reflect a commitment to serving marginalized communities. He expressed hope for more transformative projects from the trust in the future and wished the beneficiaries a life of peace and harmony in their new homes.
Managing Trustee K.S. Sheikh, presiding over the event, detailed the trust’s ambitious project to construct 50 houses on two and a half acres of land. Each house, valued at approximately ₹20 lakh, is fully furnished with modern amenities, including a kitchen, hall, two bedrooms, and a washing machine. Sheikh explained that these homes are provided to deserving families in Karnire who lack proper housing.
He further revealed that with the foundation stone being laid for the construction of 14 more houses. There is a plan to build 50 houses on this land again, on two and a half acres of land.
Kaup MLA Gurme Suresh Shetty lauded the trust for its compassionate service in sheltering the underprivileged.
Former MLA Mohiuddin Bava praised the legacy of Syeed Haji’s hard work, which has turned his family into a beacon of service and harmony. He remarked that the family’s actions have become a model for communal unity.
Federation of World Bunts Vice President Karnire Vishwanath Shetty said, “Even though I have added Karnire to my name, the credit for taking the small village of Karnire to the world level belongs to the Syeed Haji family. Karnire is a town where everyone lives in harmony, regardless of caste, religion or difference. While Hindus have helped in the reconstruction of the mosque here, the Muslim community has also joined hands in the construction of the Hindu temple.”
Speaking in the opening remarks, K.S. Ashraf recalled the guidance of his late parents, expressed his gratitude for their teachings of kindness and service, which continue to inspire the family’s charitable efforts. He said, “We should do good to people. Our father used to preach to wish others well. Seeing his preaching and service, we have continued it. It is a great loss that our father and mother are not with us today. If they were here, they would have been happy now.”
On this occasion, U.T. Khader honored K.S. Sheikh on behalf of Karnire Juma Masjid and Karnire Khidma Young Men’s Association.
Abdul Jalil MH of Design Plus Architects, contractor H.N.G.C. Hussain, and supervisor Ramesh Kotian were also recognized for their contributions.
Karnire Juma Masjid Qatheeb Umarul Farooq Saquafi performed the dua. Family elders M.K. Abdul Hamid Mulki, K.S. Aboobacker were present.
Also present during the program were Balkunje Grama Panchayat President Mamata D. Poonja, Harishchandra Shetty, Karnire Juma Masjid President Muhammad Ali, Adv. Bhaskar Shetty, Kote Shekhabba Kannangar, T.K. Muhammad Kote Palimaru, Karnire Harishchandra Shetty, Khidma Youngmen’s President Khidma B.N, Ismail, K.S. Ashfak.
K.S. Ashraf delivered the welcome address, K.S. Abdul Rahim offered a vote of thanks, and Muhammad Ali Kammaradi moderated the event.
source: http://www.english.varthabharati.in / Vartha Bharati / Home> Karavali / by Vartha Bharati / January 05th, 2025
In a first, the Thumbay Group has announced plans to establish the region’s first private Psychiatric and Rehabilitation Hospital in Sharjah Healthcare City. The Hospital is set to become the largest private facility of its kind in the region.
The hospital will focus on Innovation and Patient-Centered Care and the hospital is equipped to meet the highest clinical standards, offering Advanced Therapeutic Modalities, Comprehensive Rehabilitation Programs, Integrated Tele-health Solutions and Precision Medicine among others.
The hospital’s multidisciplinary model includes psychiatrists, psychologists, addiction counselors, family therapists, physical therapists, and occupational specialists, ensuring a holistic and individualized approach to patient care.
Thumbay Psychiatric and Rehabilitation Hospital will be developed in two phases. Phase 1 includes 60 inpatient beds and 12 outpatient clinics (OPDs) and Phase 2 adds another 60 beds, bringing the total capacity to 120 beds. Construction is set to begin in June 2025, with the hospital expected to be operational by mid-2026.
Key Features of the Hospital:
1. Psychiatric Care:
Diagnosis and Treatment.
Therapeutic Interventions.
2. Rehabilitation Services:
Substance Abuse Rehabilitation
3. Long-term Care and Aftercare:
Aftercare Programs
Inpatient VIP Villas.
4. Swimming Pool and Spa
5. A mosque (Thumbay Masjid) with a capacity for 500-600 worshippers, open to the public.
Commitment to International Standards
Thumbay Psychiatric and Rehabilitation Hospital seeks to achieve Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) certification, reflecting its adherence to rigorous global benchmarks in safety, quality, and effectiveness. The hospital will also comply with all UAE healthcare regulations, further emphasizing its commitment to ethical and evidence-based practices.
Dr. Thumbay Moideen, Founder and President of Thumbay Group, said, “This is the first private Psychiatric and Rehabilitation Hospital in the region, catering to regional and international patients seeking world-class care. Our goal is to make it the best facility serving the community.”
In a statement, His Excellency Dr. Abdelaziz Al Mheiri, Chairman of Sharjah Health Authority and Sharjah Healthcare City, lauded the initiative, saying, “This project aligns with our vision for Sharjah Healthcare City, where we prioritize all aspects of healthcare. Mental health is increasingly critical and often overlooked, and we are proud to host such a pioneering hospital.”
source: http://www.english.varthabharati.in / Vartha Bharati / Home> Gulf / by Vartha Bharati / December 26th, 2024
These slogans are painted at vantage points inside cantonments or army units. However, if you want to see how a soldier always lives up to these adages, meet Brigadier (retired) Dr. Mukhtar Alam, who lives in Pune, Maharashtra.
“Youth are the future of India and after serving my country I am now serving them,” says (Prof) Brigadier Dr. Mukhtar Alam, 80, Chairman, Department of Gynaecology, Ruby Hall Hospital, Pune.
Serving the Army for 35 years as a Professor in the Armed Forces Medical College, he became the Chief Consultant of Gynecology.
He is often called the father of the AFMC for his contribution to the development of this chain of prestigious Medical colleges run by the Military. As a student of the AFMC, Pune, he won 7 gold medals in MBBS and MD and became the first topper from AFMC in Pune University.
A multifaceted personality, Dr. Mukhtar Alam has been awarded the State Sahitya Akademi Award for 2013 by the Government of Maharashtra. He has published 21 books in Hindi, English, Urdu, and Marathi so far.
His book Youthology: How to Harness Age and Remain Young published by Power Publishers is a rage among the new generation.
His book seeks to connect man’s secret desire to attain eternal youth with amazing discoveries in the field of medicine and nutritional science and multidimensional explorations into the realm of Physiology.
Brig. Mukhtar Alam’s book
Speaking with Awaz-the Voice, Prof Brig (retd) Mukhtar Alam said that he has done extensive research in modern fields of endoscopy and oncology. He contributed to the medical world through his breakthrough work in assisted reproductive techniques at the Royal Postgraduate Medical College, University of London in the 1980s. His work has been recognized and published in medical journals around the world.
Brigadier Dr. Mukhtar Alam’s social work involves helping the youth. He said that he often visits the schools nearby and helps poor children in their education through scholarships. He also provides them with school uniforms and books.
He says that he does not want to be remembered and spoken of like a politician.
Brigadier Dr. Mukhtar Alam offers scholarships to students who score 80 percent marks. Already students whom he helped are busy studying for degrees like B.Tech. He remembers someone being the daughter of a barber and the son of a watchman, whom he could help and all are doing fine in life.
In literature, Dr. Mukhtar Alam is interested in spiritualism, philosophy, and humanism – elements that unite humans.
Some of his awarded works are: “ Majmuan Mazameen Quran Majeed ” in Urdu and “ Quran Majeed Ka Kavya Saar ” in Hindi, i.e. translation of the Quran in the form of poetry so that a common Indian person can understand the Quran in his Urdu/Hindi language.
Dr. Mukhtar Alam has published more than 50 research papers in national/international medical journals and has authored 21 books.
Brig. Mukhtar Alam
Dr Mukhtar Alam said, “Negativity is never a choice. It is a self-chosen suicidal tendency. Hatred cannot be eradicated by hatred. It can only be eradicated by love. Our nation is like a family. It demands a bond of love, compassion, and sacrifices to respect and celebrate diversity. We must be inclusive in our outlook, abilities, and disposition.”
Brig. Mukhtar Alam delivers motivational lectures in educational institutions. Speaking on “From Darkness to Light” at Aligarh Muslim University on 17 September 2016, Brig Alam emphasized the need to acquire knowledge and get rid of the darkness of ignorance.
He said knowledge, which is acquired as a result of educational pursuits, is the only way to pull society out of the mire of illiteracy and backwardness. He said only “truthfulness, determination, commitment and hard work can take a person from darkness to light”.
Dr. Mukhtar Alam is Professor and HOD (Academics) at Ruby Hall Hospital (Research & Referral), Pune, and Director of Dr. Brig. Alam’s Clinic and Infertility Treatment and Research Centre, Parmar Park, Wanowrie, Pune.
On religion, Brig. Alam said that “the goal of Islam is to eliminate the darkness of ignorance from the human world and it never approves of “hatred, anger and barbarism”. He said that Islam is a religion of peace and love and compassion towards all is the only way of life for a true follower of this religion.”
Brig Alam’s book being released at AMU
Discipline is one of the most important personality traits in everyone’s life. It refers to a set of rules and regulations that must be followed while going through any task or activity. It is a way of being honest, hardworking, and motivated while accomplishing a task.
Brigadier Alam said that the spiritualism is a prsonal journey, which introduces us to our true nature. It is a path to experience the eternal truth within by moving away from the outside world. Seek peace and balance within yourself every day. Consider meditation, sadhana and self-reflection as a part of your life. Keep your thoughts pure and fill your actions with service and love.
Remember, every event in life brings a purpose. Every intangible thing is a means to improve the soul. Have faith in God and complete your journey with devotion, patience, and documentation. This journey is the path to bliss and liberation.
Brigadier Dr. Mukhtar Alam believes that all the youth should follow the path of spirituality only then they will be able to achieve the right goal in their life.
Brig. Alam said, “Let us together build an India that enlightens the world through its spiritual richness and human diversity. India is humanity and humanity is India. Let us present ourselves before the global fraternity as a symbol and pinnacle of peace and religious harmony. Spirituality is the real strength of India.”
source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Stories / by Onika Maheshwari, New Delhi / January 09th, 2025
A legacy of craftsmanship is slowly fading into obscurity in the quiet lanes of Rajgarh, Madhya Pradesh. A family of Muslim jewellers, whose silver jewellery designs once captivated the rural heartland, have spent over six generations perfecting their art. Adored by countless women in villages, their intricate silverwork remains unmatched in the region. Yet, despite their unmatched skill and devotion, they have never been able to secure the recognition they deserve.
While they have brought distinction to larger jewellers, they struggle to establish an identity of their own. What began with hopes of creating a unique legacy now faces the grim reality of unfulfilled dreams, as the next generation begins to shy away from this art form.
Originally from Losal village in Rajasthan’s Sikar district, Eliasuddin moved to Rajgarh’s largest city of Biawara almost 55 years ago with his father and three brothers. They hoped to take their craft to new heights and believed that their unique art would bring them fame and success.
However, after more than half a century, they remain simply skilled craftsmen. Their work is limited to sustain their families. Seeking more secure and rewarding careers, the next generation is now stepping away from the family tradition. They say that the job only brings enough to survive, not thrive.
Eliasuddin explains that they specialise in ‘Pola’ work — a technique that involves crafting silver jewellery, particularly popular in rural areas. “We are from Losal village in Rajasthan’s Sikar district. We came from Jaipur to Rajgarh about 55 years ago and began our work in Biawara city. Local gold and silver traders provide us with work, and we design jewellery using our skills. We do not have logos or names on our designs. Most of our work is done by hand, with very little use of machinery. We even create our own tools by hand, as we often need specific designs that are not available in the market,” he says.
The family has been in this craft for six generations, with Eliasuddin’s sons and brothers continuing the work. Now 97, his father is still an expert in the art. Despite this legacy, their financial situation has remained difficult. “We dedicated our entire lives to this craft, but we have never been recognised for it. We never achieved the success we thought would come with our hard work. No matter how much we poured into it, we never got the recognition we deserve,” he says.
Altaf Hussain, Eliasuddin’s eldest son, adds, “We work hard, but we are just making ends meet. I am sending my son to pursue an MBA, and I hope the next generation steers away from this field. My father brought us here 55 years ago, and today, we still operate our business from a rented shop.”
Meanwhile, sharing his concerns, Eliasuddin’s younger son, Irshad, says, “I have two young children who go to school, but we cannot afford to send them to a private school because their fees are too high. Despite this, we continue to hope they will study and grow, as we never received the recognition or success, we feel we deserve from this work.”
All Photographs by the author
source: http://www.twocircles.net / TwoCircles.net / Home> India News / by Abdul Waseem Ansari, TwoCirlces.net / January 01st, 2025