Jaan Nissar Lone was graced with the illustrious global humanitarian award by the World Humanitarian Drive. He is mainly known for his song ‘Harmukh Bartal’ featured in Manoj Bajpai Starrer Webseries ‘The Family Man’. This momentous occasion, graced by esteemed luminaries, reverberated with the essence of his contributions to the realm of music, particularly his role in fostering a sense of unity among diverse populations, including those residing in the picturesque yet troubled valley of Kashmir.
Jaan Nissar Lone’s musical artistry has transcended geographical confines and tugged at the heartstrings of individuals from all walks of life. His melodious compositions served as a wellspring of inspiration, galvanizing countless souls to embark on a journey characterized by love and mutual comprehension, not just for their homeland but for the entire global community. Through his educational music videos, he has empowered a legion of youthful enthusiasts to partake in endeavors aimed at heightening awareness of human unity, thus laying the foundation for a more harmonious and all-encompassing world.
The World Humanitarian Drive lauded Jaan’s remarkable endeavors in employing music as a unifying conduit, capable of bridging divides between communities and nations.
The ‘World Humanitarian Drive’ founder Dr Abdul Basit Syed lauded Jaan’s remarkable endeavors in employing music as a unifying conduit, capable of bridging divides between communities and nations. Lone’s journey as a musician and humanitarian transcends borders, languages, and cultures to promote harmony and peace worldwide. His work resonates with people globally, earning him recognition as a symbol of peace and tranquillity.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> News> Times Entertainment> Hindi> Music / November 08th, 2023
In a heartening development, two Kashmiri girls – Sadaf Mushtaq and Farhana Imtiyaz Makroo – have topped the 10th class examination conducted by the J&K Board of Secondary Education (BOSE) by scoring 498 out of 500 marks.
While their achievements are similar their stories run on two different tracks.
While Sadaf comes from Srinagar’s well-off family, Farhana who is from south Kashmir’s small town of Bijbehara, (Anantnag district) has faced many challenges in life.
Farhana Imtiyaz told Awaz-the Voice on the phone from her home in Bijbehara that she had lost her father when she was in eighth standard. “My mother never let me and my siblings feel the pinch of economic deprivation this tragedy brought us,” she said.
Her mother Lateefa Akhtar has been supporting the family with her meagre income of Rs 5,000. She works with Anganwari (Integrated Child Development Services, ICDS) in her town.
No wonder Farhana hero-worships her mother. “She never lost hope and courage nor did she allow us, the children, to feel depressed. We continued to focus on our education.” Her elder brother is preparing for his medical entrance examination and has joined a coaching centre in Srinagar while her younger sister is in school.
Farhana has excelled in academics throughout her schooling.
Farhana said she believes in “the power of consistency and determination; these two have been the guiding principles in my studies. Nothing is impossible as long as one is persistent and focused.”
Inspired by her late father, who was an Ayurvedic doctor and had a clinic in the town Farhana says she wants to become a doctor and “carry forward his legacy.”
She says her father was a generous practitioner and would give medicines and offer treatment to the poor free of cost.
She wants to qualify for both the NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) and AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences) examinations for the MBBS course so that she can join the best Medical College.
Farhana says she believes that one’s financial circumstances should never hinder one’s pursuit of education and dreams.
Farhana with her younger sister
Farhana says her Mamu (maternal uncle) Mushtaq Ahmed Wani has been another source of her strength. “Her uncle had given the family’s apple orchard to her family for using the proceeds of harvest for their needs.
She said her uncle’s support saw the family through difficult times. Farhana expressed her gratitude to her Mamu, and his contribution to making her dreams come true is immense.
In her pursuit of excellence, Farhana advises aspiring students to display consistency in their studies. She firmly believes that unnecessary breaks and interruptions can impede one’s path to achieving excellent results.
Farhana emphasizes the importance of maintaining a steady focus and dedicating oneself to continuous learning and improvement. She encourages students to set clear goals, develop effective study habits, and remain committed to their educational journey.
His generosity and belief in her potential have alleviated the financial burdens that could have hindered her progress. Farhana expresses her heartfelt gratitude to her maternal uncle, recognizing his invaluable contribution to making her dreams a reality.
Her advice to those seeking to emulate her is: consistency and regular study are important; one must do proper time management and make daily study a compulsive habit.
source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Story / by Mehak Banday, New Delhi / July 01st, 2023
The midfielder played a crucial part in Simon Grayson’s BFC.
Bengaluru FC midfielder Danish Farooq Bhat has signed a 3.5-year deal with Kerala Blasters, Khel Now can confirm. “Earlier, the player agreed to sign a three-year pre-contract with Kerala Blasters, but injury concerns forced the club to cash out Danish Farooq before his contract expired with Bengaluru FC,” a source close to the development told Khel Now.
The source added, “Kerala Blasters have paid approximately 25 lakhs transfer fee to Bengaluru FC to obtain his service. Danish will earn approximately 90 Lakhs* per year as his salary.”
About the Player
Danish Farooq was born on May 9, 1996, in Jammu & Kashmir. He started his playing career at a very young age for a local team called Chinar Valley. At the age of 13, Danish joined the J&K Bank Football Academy where he perfected his game as a youngster. Danish had major success with this club as he went on to win 12 league titles for them.
In 2015, Danish signed a professional contract with Lonestar Kashmir and played for them in the 2015-16 I-League 2nd division. He helped his team to reach the final round, however, the team fell short and failed to qualify for the I-League.
Danish Farooq rose to fame in the latter half of 2016 when he signed for Real Kashmir. He helped the Snow Leopards to secure the championship of the 2017-18 I-League 2nd division and was also the joint top-scorer of the team with four goals. He helped his team to qualify for the I-League during his tenure.
In 2021, Danish Farooq made a big step in his career by joining Bengaluru FC as a free agent. He had instant success with the Blues and soon became a key player in their midfield. Danish has scored four goals and assisted twice for the Blues in the ISL.
Danish Farooq is a versatile player who can handle multiple positions on the ground. He can be deployed as a midfielder and winger at the same time. His versatility will certainly help Kerala Blasters who wished to add more depth to the squad.
Kerala Blasters in ISL 2022-23
Kerala Blasters are having a dream run under Serbian head coach Ivan Vukamanovic. The club was able to continue the heroics from the previous season and are currently doing very well. They’re currently a team who has a higher probability of qualifying for the playoffs. Even with so many outgoings before the start of the season, KBFC managed to top the game on several occasions.
This season has witnessed the rise of Nihal Sudeesh, Bryce Miranda, and Saurav Mandal among the Indian players. Their forward Dimitrios Diamantakos is currently in top form as he continues to score screamers for the side. The 2022-23 ISL season also witnessed the transfer of Puitea to ATK Mohun Bagan for an undisclosed transfer fee.
source: http://www.khelnow.com / Khel Now / Home> ISL – Indian Super League / by Sattyik Sarkar / January 31st, 2023
“In today’s world, if something goes wrong in our household, women are held responsible,” said Mubeena Ramzan, an iconic figure for women’s rights and upliftment in Kashmir. Featured in “The World’s 500 Most Influential Muslims of 2019” and born in the ‘apple town of Kashmir’, Sopore, she had always been a “sensitive” child who always looked around for people who were not so privileged. She had a strong desire to help the underprivileged but financial constraints made her helpless. Growing up, she aimed to change this and be instrumental in helping the lesser fortunate women around her.
“When I initially started, we were just a few people but the recognition of our Kashmiri people who stood with me and joined our cause made me happier,” she shared about being among the most influential Muslims of 2019. Mubeena completed her studies in her native town and joined a private college run by Anjuman Moin-ul-Islam which was the only college for women at Sopore then. “Whenever things are wrong at home, a woman is asked to do a job and support the family,” she recalled. Speaking about her immediate surroundings, she detailed how women were still suppressed “in the garb of religion as interpreted by the village elders and religious leaders.” Disturbed by such wrong interpretations of the status of women in Islam, she was motivated to get educated and work towards improvisation concerning women rights.
“There is an ayah in the Quran which talks about women to remain inside four walls of their homes but we have forgotten that every ayah had its own context,” Mubeena stated while defining her motivation to pursue Islamic Studies. “Our so-called maulvis used Islam as a tool to suppress women while Islam is the only religion which empowers women in every aspect of her life,” she added. Driven by this zeal, she went to the University of Kashmir for pursuing Masters in Islamic Studies. Her choice of studying the interpretation of Islamic teachings was aimed “to look inside the teaching which catered to women.”
“In Islam, women have been given property rights but whenever a daughter asks for her share she is abandoned and fought off,” says Mubeena. Her harrowing experiences of witnessing abandoned women with limited access to clothes, food or water motivated her to enrol for a B.Ed., M.Phil and PhD in Islamic Law. Her vision remained to challenge the deliberately flawed interpretations of Islamic teaching that caused Muslim women untold misery. After her studies, she initially started working as a research associate, looking for opportunities to educate, help and empower women through Islamic teaching. She feels that when people “want to truly empower a woman they should give her the share from the property.”
“In Islam, women don’t have any economic liabilities, men were created as the protector and guardian of women so it’s his responsibility to look after her,” Mubeena explained. She completed two theses on Islamic Law and Social Evils as well as on Shah-e-Hamdan and Orientalism. Her education has taught her that “there needs to be more resources for women’s empowerment and education.” To contribute to the cause, she continued working in various educational institutions as a contractual lecturer and research associate and went on to open her own institution for women, Jamia Islamia Mahdul Muslimaat.
“The vocational training in activities like cutting, tailoring, and computer skills here empower and helps us to support ourselves financially,” says Nahila Wani, a senior student at Jamia Islamia Mahdul Muslimaat. The school provides shelter, food, clothes, and education free of cost to all needy students. “Many students who have received an education from this institution have gone on to open their own schools, benefiting our society,” shares Nahila who added that the well-balanced curriculum “fosters independence and awareness among women, making them conscious of their duties and rights.”
“There were so-called preachers who said that I can’t run this institution as I am a woman,” she said while recounting the initial three years of starting the institution. She explained that initially the establishment faced many problems but over time they installed networks with professional teams including top doctors in the valley. The emphasis here lies in educating women in Quranic exegesis, science of Hadith, Jurisprudence, and History, while also training them in languages like Arabic, English, Urdu, and computer skills. “Our goal is to equip them with the necessary skills to become self-reliant and competent individuals,” said Mubeena.
In 2014, Mubeena also started Ansar-ul-Nisa, a socio-religious organization that provides special support to needy orphans, would-be-brides, and widows. Through the organization, she came across several cases of suicidal cases of women, especially among married women. According to the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report, there was a 15.62% increase in crimes against women in 2021 compared to the year 2020. Over 7,000 arrests were made in cases of women harassment in the union territory in 2021. In the 2011 Census, among 64 lakh women in the valley, the crime rate per lakh population in stood at 61.6% as of 2021. 315 cases of rape, 1,414 incidents of attempt to rape, and 14 dowry deaths were reported in 2021 wherein 91.4% of cases showed that the accused were known to the victims. Around 1,851 cases of physical assault on women with the intention to outrage their modesty was also caused. The figures clashed with the lockdown in COVID-19 when suicidal tendencies among Kashmiri women grew rapidly, the same time around Mubeena’s team was expanding women counselling activities.
The counseling cell works 24×7 hours to help Kashmiri women in such events wherein one of the cases she dealt with was involving a girl who was abandoned by both her parents who had separated and remarried and registered her as an orphan. Her organization fought on the social front against her father ultimately convincing the local elders to rightly grant some portion of the property in her name. The girl was married off soon after and is currently living happily with her husband and a daughter. Two more orphan sisters studying in Jamia Islamia Mahdul Muslimat received legal help to secure property share from their grandfather and are now living with their mother in their own house. Stories like this abound in Mubeena’s organizations.
“We believe in providing a safe space where newly married women, divorcees, and those suffering from mental health disorders can come to share their stories and find relief,” shares Mubeena. Through her institution’s counseling team of highly qualified professionals including top doctors and professors, they divert efforts to support them financially and emotionally. “As we look to the future, we aim to establish a helpline number to further expand our reach and continue to provide crucial support for those in need,” she said. At present, 600 girls are studying in the institutions and about 500 widows also receive financial assistance. Due to lack of funds, her plans of opening a college for skills-oriented courses are delayed.
Speaking about her future plans, she detailed that she aims to build an institution where all modern subjects are taught at par with Islamic education, alongside martial arts and vocational skills like cutting, designing, oratory, etc. “Our whole motive is to make women empowered through education,” Mubeena iterated her future plans.
Sadaf Shabir is an independent journalist. She tweets @sadafreports
source: http://www.twocircles.net / TwoCircles.net / Home> India News /by Sadaf Shabir / May 24th, 2023
Manzoor Wangnoo leading school Children during an environmental campaign in Srinagar
About two and a half years ago when Manzoor Ahmad Wangnoo, a prominent businessman of Kashmir was asked by the anchor during a television show that he must say in 20 seconds what inspired him to work for saving and restoring Kashmir’s water bodies, he replied “Ehsaas”.
His reply explained how realization and concern on seeing the water bodies of the Valley shrink and gets degraded due to human greed and official negligence became the key to his massive efforts to awaken the public and undertaking the work to restore the Lakes to health.
He remembers visiting the 1.6 km by 0.6 km Khushal Sar Lake located on Srinagar outskirts in February 2021 for the first time. “It was in bad shape, choked with solid waste and smelling foul”, he told Awaz-the Voice at his office in Kashmir Mahal Resorts in the Nishat area overlooking the Dal lake.
“When I told the residents that it needs efforts to clean up the lake, they laughed”, he said, as he was accompanied by his team of volunteers of the Nigeen Lake Conservation Organisation (NLCO), established in 2000. He remember his three counsins – Latief, Riyaz and Muzaffar also joining him from the beginning of his campaign.
NLCO started with cleaning up the Nigeen Lake, and is currently focused on Khushal Sar, Manzoor Wangnoo recalled the oft-quoted couplet from India’s 20th century famous Urdu poet, Majrooh Sultanpuri (Asrar-ul-Hassan Khan): Meein akela hi chalaa thaa janibe manzil magar’; Loag Saath aatey gaye aur karwaan banta gaya”.“That actually happened”, he said. The target of cleaning Khushal Sar was completed in 100 days under the “Mission Ehsaas” (phase 1), which began on February 21, 2021. With the help of SMC (Srinagar Municipal Corporation) and other agencies, NLCO removed “3000 truckloads of muck from the Lake till date”, Wangnoo said.
Wangnoo with local resident at Gilsur bridge
“Now this (Khushal Sar) is not a dustbin”, he said and appealed to the Government to provide a drainage system and demarcation on the lake peripheries. The traditional navigational route, Zadibal-Sazgaripora in the lake was restored in phase 2 of “Mission Ehsaas” last year. Wangnoo said that the lake was orphaned and had been neglected for the past 30 years.
Without the efforts of the Lake Conservation and Management Authority (LCMA), which keeps Nallah Amir Khan clean, the restoration work of Khushal Sar and Gilsar would not have been possible, Manzoor Wangnoo said. The authorities have prevented solid waste from flowing into the twin water bodies. He also praised successive Divisional Commissioners for supporting his work.
He called for a “competent authority” to take responsibility of the lake’s conservation, though J&K Lake Conservation and Management Authority (LCMA) looks after Dal Lake. “It (Khushal Sar) needs complete attention”, Manzoor Wangnoo told Awaz-the Voice, as phase 3 of clearing the muck began earlier this year.
“The mission received an encouraging response”, Wangnoo said and referred to its mention by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Mann Ki Baat last year. Lt Governor, Manoj Sinha also expressed his “gratitude” to Wangnoo at least on three occasions in the last two years. “The idea of cleaning the Khushal Sar was of a prominent businessman of Srinagar city, Manzoor Ahmad, and the cleaning process was started with the help of the administration coupled with the efforts of the locals. It is a great example of public participation,” Sinha commented on one occasion.
“People in the vicinity (of Khushal Sar) have started to realize the importance of the conservation of the water body. Administration lent its support for the cause, especially SMC has been there to collect the waste from day one”, he commented.
The restoration of choked Khushal Sar to its pristine glory is not the first venture undertaken by Manzoor Ahmad Wangnoo, who has established his business in carpet and Kashmir handicrafts over the last nearly five decades. The 70 years old businessman, who was educated at Tyndale Biscoe School and S P College, Srinagar, learned the trade from his father in his early childhood.
Wangnoo in his office
As a businessman over the decades, what concerned him was the need “to create awareness regarding environment and saving water bodies of Kashmir, endangered by pollution”. Thus, he constituted a local NGO, Nigeen Lake’s Conservation (NLCO) in 2000 for the restoration of water bodies. “I took the challenge to restore the glory of the lake with the active participation of peoples… it aims to save the (Nigeen) lake from becoming a cesspool”, he said.
“This is our (team’s) identity wherever we go with efforts of saving the environment”, the devout Muslim pointing towards his white round cap, commented. “NLCO has taken on the role of a watchdog organization, to check vandalism, create awareness about the importance of conservation of water bodies in particular and the environment in general”.
Speaking of challenges, Manzoor Wangnoo said “land mafia and encroachers tried their best to stop us. But when three people, administration and NGOs – join hands everything becomes possible.”
After several years there was a sea change in the Nigeen Lake as “the people became aware of the importance of the pollution-free lake”, he said. Wangnoo has also contributed to helping the 2005 quake-hit people of Uri and Tangdhar by constituting Kashmir Welfare Trust and in the education sector by setting up Bilaliya Educational Institute.
Educational Institute, Srinagar
Nigeen Lake is connected via a narrow strait flowing beneath the Ashai Bagh bridge on the Lal Chowk-Rainawari-Hazratbal road. It is further connected to Khushal Sar and Gilsar through Nallah Amir Khan.
While he was continuing with his mission “to help enrich the quality of life of the community and preserve ecological balance and heritage through a strong environment conscience”, the October 2005 earthquake posed another challenge to him.
With the support of the concerned persons to deliver, he initiated the relief measures in the quake-hit areas of North Kashmir, which led to the formation of Kashmir Welfare Trust (KWT), an NGO to undertake the relief operations. The KWT, which initiated with the adoption of 69 earthquake victims from Tangdhar in 2005 has set up the Bilaliya Educational Institute in Srinagar where 1900 boys and girls are today enrolled. Also, it’s one of the leading schools in Srinagar.
He proudly says that some of the students of the school have shown excellent results with scoring distinction in the board examinations.
It Trust has also contributed to the relief and rehabilitation of the 2014 floods in Kashmir.
source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz The Voice / Home> Stories / by Ehsan Fazili, Srinagar / June 26th, 2023
Capt Sami Ara, the first Muslim woman pilot of Kashmir to have a commercial pilot license (CPL), wants Kashmiri youth to aim higher.
Photo: Twitter/ @capt_samiara
Speaking at the conclusion of a two-day career counseling conclave for girl students at the mini-secretariat here, Ara, who hails from north Kashmir’s Bandipora district, said, “Hailing from a far-flung place like Sumbal, if I can fly a plane, students here are capable of achieving better heights.”
Also known as Sami Surury, Ara said, “The students studying in government schools are as capable as those studying in private schools but they need to aim higher and remain firm till they actualise their dreams.”
Urging parents to repose trust in their children, she said, “They should not restrict their children and stop them from actualising their dreams or else their confidence will be shattered.”
Talking of her own struggles, Ara said: “Since my childhood, I wanted to do something different, something good and something big. I wanted to qualify IAS or IPS but become a pilot by chance.”
Ara received her early education from a government school in her village.
She started her career by issuing air tickets at Srinagar Airport and later become a cabin crew.
Ara received her CPL after training for three months in the southern US state of Texas in 1994 and finally started flying as a co-pilot in 2004.
Expressing her love for her hometown, she said, “I love Bandipora, I keep returning here, and will continue to do so in future to talk to and to inspire more students till the time I see scores of Sami Aras coming out of this place.”
source: http://www.greaterkashmir.com / Greater Kashmir / Home> Editor’s Pick / by Owais Farooqi (headline edited) / November 06th, 2020
Sheikh Asif, founder, Thames Infotech, holding one of his books
Breaking the stereotype of a company chief, Srinagar’s Asif Sheikh, a school dropout, is the CEO and founder of Thames Infotech, a Manchester-based company with a turnover of Rs 5 crore! He has just turned 28.
“I believe that a person who works hard, with dedication and honesty is always successful; he can never give up even when many a time one loses the courage to carry on. There were setbacks and at the time I did seem to lose courage, but I did not give up,” Sheikh Asif told Awaz-the Voice in a telephonic interview.
Asif’s success is extraordinary given his poor educational background and reaching a position that many persons with degrees from top-end colleges aspire to.
Besides being a successful entrepreneur, Asif is also a professional web designer, developer, graphic designer, digital marketer, and writer. He also gives back to society by giving free tuition to students from all over the world.
Sheikh Asif’s work profile is interesting: he worked with a tour and travel company, sold medical equipment for a company, and with telecom companies like Airtel, Vodafone, and Aircel.
Sheikh Asif deliving a talk on business
In the year 2000, Sheikh Asif was 8 years old when his father’s health deteriorated. His father was a head constable. Due to his father’s illness, the family was reduced to penury. Sheikh Asif says that his father’s illness remains a mystery as the family consulted experts and eminent doctors but nobody could diagnose it.
Sheikh Asif told Awaz-the Voice that his mother sold most of the household assets and took loans to pay for his father’s treatment.
Recalling those days, Asif says that he can never forget one particular day when he was studying in the eighth grade and was to write his exam, but he had no pen. “I was leaving for the examination hall and was worried. My mother came to know the reason for my worry, she sold a copper dish from her kitchen to buy me a pen.”
He says that his mother often sold household goods for the family, especially to meet the needs of the children.
The conditions at home were not conducive for Sheikh Asif to continue his studies. He left school and started working to support his family.
“I went against my mother’s wishes, as she wanted me to become a doctor most parents in Kashmir do, but I gave up my studies to support my financially broke family,” said. He was 15 years old in 2008 when he started earning for his family by doing odd jobs.
Sheikh Asif
Sheikh Asif was always fascinated by computers and spent a lot of time on them. Due to this, he got his first job as a data entry operator with a local tour and travel company at the age of 16. He earned a salary of Rs 1500.
Sheikh Asif said seeing his interest his father took a loan from a bank to buy him a computer. The turning point in his life came as he watched an interview with Microsoft founder Bill Gates on BBC.
He took full advantage of his computer and yet the challenge was the lack of a high-speed broadband facility in Kashmir. While the rest of the world was running 4G internet, in his locality only 2G internet was available.
He left his first job within two months and started working in a local shop as a salesman for four years. Here he honed his skills and learned all the basics including graphics designing, web designing, etc.
Again there was a rough patch in his life as in the 2014 Kashmir floods, his house was washed away. He used all his savings in rebuilding his house. The family had to start from scratch as all their household belonging had got damaged and washed away.
In the year 2014, he quit his job and started his business, but it turned out to be a year full of troubles for him.
Sheikh Asif’s Srinagar office
However, fortunately, the next year Asif got an opportunity to work in Delhi, and the exposure there opened his mind to a bigger canvas.
“The 2014 flood severely damaged our house and we had to repair or renovate it periodically for four consecutive years after the flood and finally had to sell the house in 2018,” he said.
In the meantime, he worked with OLX from April 2015, and from there he was offered a job at Trimax Printing and Graphics, a UK-based company owned by Tajinder Singh. He was working for the company Hayes Harlington. The company runs an online general store and it had no element of graphic designing till then.
Sheikh Asif told Awaz-The Voice: “I worked for Chanda Trimax Printings & Graphics. Meanwhile, the killing of a militant in Kashmir saw the valley under lockdown for nearly three months. For this reason, I left for Delhi.”
When he met Tajinder Singh in Delhi, the latter was facing issues with his business. His business was suffering due to low sales. Having seen his latent, Tajinder Singh offered him a job at Hayes, Harlington, UK, where Tajinder’s brothers were already working.
Sheikh Asif says he consulted his mother before picking the UKL job. He signed an agreement to work for 18 months and an assured return flight ticket to India.
“They told me that they had changed the name of Trimax Printings & Graphics to Thames Infotech on June 6, 2016,” Asif said.
He set foot on foreign soil for the first time in the first week of November 2016. However, the business did not show positive results there either, thus Tajinder’s brother advised him to find a part-time job in the UK to meet his expenses.
“When I was looking for a part-time job, I met Rizwan, a Kashmiri man originally from Baramulla district in North Kashmir, who came to Manchester in 2000 and now runs a restaurant, Riz Spices.
Sheikh Rizwan offered him a space in his restaurant to set up a part-time business. “Two months later I met another man, Hamza Salim, a senior software engineer at Google, who asked me to build a website for his tech company, on the condition that only if he liked my work I would be paid,” he said.
After approving his website design, Hamza Salim offered him 50 percent equity in his firm.
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During this time, Asif meet many people including natives and others, and kept looking for opportunities.
One such person was Rudrigo Ruiz Karvajal, who frequented the restaurant. He offered me a place that was quite conveniently located. He told me that his father had started his business from there.
“I got my first order for a logo for which I was paid 500 pounds and I was only expecting 30-40 pounds. They gave me another order to build a website for which I was paid 7000 pounds.”
“I was wondering if it’s a dream. Never expected such high remuneration. This order was from the largest food chain in London called Zabka.”
On June 9, 2016, Asif took over the Thames Infotech Manchester UK company which has a current turnover of Rs 5 crore.
It has an office at Advent Colony in Naugam, Srinagar, Kashmir. He employs 35 locals including 32 in UK and 3 in Kashmir for website designing and development, digital marketing, graphics designing, personal branding, social media handling, etc.
Sheikh Asif told Awaz-The Voice that our company is a leading web designing company and has won the 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 awards as the Three Best Rated UK, and Best IT Service Provider Award 2018, 2019 organized by Top Developers USA, he claims.
Sheikh Asif said that he received the first award in the year 2003, less than one year after his launching of his company.
So far, Asif has trained around 1000 students, helped 40 businesses through the Covid-19 pandemic, and has published three books – Digitization In Business, Online Business Idea, and Start a Business.
Sheikh Asif was named Entrepreneur of the year 2022 by The Fireboxx. There he was honored by Google as a Digital Marketing Expert in 2018.
To the youth, Sheikh Asif says they must never lose hope and always keep their focus on business. Secondly, they must avoid drugs. They shouldn’t waste their lives by getting immersed in romantic liaison and heartbreaks; these are temporary phases of life and not a goal. “Your personality is your work,” he says.
source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Youth / by Shah Imran Hasan, New Delhi / December 17th, 2022
Phones have not stopped ringing at Tahir Ahmed Parray’s home in North Kashmir Hajin after his daughter Arbeen Tahir completed handwriting Holy Quran.
It took Arbeen six months to write the Quran using her calligraphic pen. With no formal training, she learnt calligraphy by watching YouTube videos before she tried her hand at writing the Quran.
“It was my childhood dream to write the holy Quran. I had no experience or training in calligraphy. I started watching videos and trying scribbling on paper before I learnt the art. I started writing the holy Quran in June and completed it in November. I was regularly showing manuscripts to my cousin for any correction,” she said.
Coming from a religious family, Arbeen’s father is a businessman dealing with fruits. She has a younger brother who studies in Class 10. Arbeen is living in a big joint family with all her uncles and cousins under one roof.
Arbeen received religious education from her childhood. Well versed in different languages, she developed an interest in reading theology and religious scriptures.
“I have written the manuscript on 900 pages. Now I plan to preserve this copy for posterity. I plan to bind it and keep it in my study. It is the prized possession,” she said.
Arbeen has become a role model for her clan and society. A student of class XII, she is now preparing for NEET and wants to become a doctor to serve humanity.
“I am working hard to crack NEET. My cousin is a doctor and she is my inspiration. I too want to become a doctor to serve mankind. I am preparing hard to achieve my goal,” she said.
The 18-year-old is also working on her debut book. “I am writing a book. `Tragedy of Innocence’ will soon hit the stands,” she said.
Arbeen is not the first student who has handwritten the Quran in Kashmir. Last year, Adil Nabi Mir of Srinagar completed writing the Holy Book in 58 days. Mir said he wrote the Quran in his handwriting purely for the ‘sake of Allah’ and to inspire the youth to follow Islamic teachings.
Coming from a humble background, Mir’s father is a mason. Mir said he received a lot of encouragement from his father and other family members.
He started writing on January 27, 2021, and it took him 58 days to complete the work. He used to write in his free time and spend 6-7 hours doing this. His fingers would ache a lot, but he persisted. Mir would rarely move out of the house barring visits to the mosque so that he could finish his task.
source: http://www.indiatomorrow.net / India Tomorrow / Home> Religion / by Ishfaq-ul-Hassan (headline edited) / December 13th, 2022
Ayeera Chisti, the first Kashmiri girl to win a medal at the World Wushu Championship
Ayeera Chisti, the Wushu wonderkid from the Kashmir valley added another feather in her rising career by winning a bronze medal at the World junior Wushu championship this weekend.
With this achievement she has become the first girl from Jammu and Kashmir to win a medal at this prestigious championship.
Among the first to congratulate her was JK Sports Council.
The 8th world junior Wushu championship was held in Banten, Indonesia from December 2 to 11.
Speaking to Awazthevoice.in, Ayeera’s coach, Asif said, “This is just the beginning. This is the result of years of hardwork, dedication, patience and discipline. There are many targets we have to achieve”.
Before departing for the championship, Ayeera had exuded confidence of doing well at the event. “I will come back with a medal”, she had told Awazthevloice.in.
The 11th class student of Amira Kadal Higher Secondary School, Srinagar had already etched her name in history books by becoming the first girl from Srinagar to represent the country in the world championships.
Khelo India congratulated Ayeera on becoming the first girl from JK to win a medal at this level.
Ayeera had lost to Malak Ossama of Egypt in the semifinal.
She had earlier defeated her rival from Macau in the last-eight stage.
The Indian contingent finished with a record eight medals, including three golds in the championship. Apart from the yellow metal, India also won three silvers and two bronze medals.
source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Sports / by Nakul Shivani, New Delhi (headline edited) / December 12th, 2022
Farkin Village (Kupwara District), JAMMU & KASHMIR :
In 2015, Dr Ruveda Salam became the very first woman IPS officer from Jammu & Kashmir. When Ruveda was growing up, her father often used to say that he wanted his daughter to become an IPS (Indian Administrative Service) officer. That’s when she first thought of becoming one. It inspired her and she decided to aim for it.’
“As I have cleared the UPSC (Union Public Services Commission) exam for the second time, I will have to go for training again depending on the cadre. I think I will be posted as a sub-collector. Last year, I was selected to the Indian Police Service cadre. I went for training to Hyderabad. The training was very strenuous. Physically it was very hard. I joined the IPS cadre in Tamil Nadu and was posted as an Assistant Commissioner of Police in Chennai,” Ruveda said in a report in Rediff.com.
Before Ruveda cleared the UPSC (for the first time), she got into medical college, but even while studying medicine she used to read a lot. Ruveda found time to clear the Kashmir State Administrative Service exam. Instead of doing a post graduation in medicine, Ruveda started preparing for the UPSC.
As a young ACP, Ruveda has given motivational speeches to the youth, particularly girls. She encourages them to appear for the IPS exams in Jammu and Kashmir. Ruveda’s role is challenging. It carries a lot of responsibility. “I am in a state where people respect the police. I like it here (Tamil Nadu). When girls see me in uniform they look at me with admiration. I had conducted a workshop for girls in Hyderabad. The girls who attended said they wanted to join the IPS, but were apprehensive about whether their parents will support them,” Ruveda shared.
According to Ruveda, development will lead to peace in Jammu and Kashmir. “Peace and development go together. We should look to the future. Living outside has helped me understand the situation better,” said Ruveda.
source: http://www.yourstory.com / Your Story / Home> Inspiration / by Think Change India / May 11th, 2016
