Zard Bangla (yellow bungalow) located in the prime locality of Khairtabad area in Hyderabad has emerged as yet another example of Andhra Pradesh Wakf Board’s pathetic administration. In a pitiable usage of Wakf property, two cinema houses, Sun Shane and Sun Shine are running at the bungalow. This fact was brought to the notice of the public at a press conference, by the Muslim Wakf Properties Protection Society, last fortnight. Nawab Iqbal Yar Jung bought this property in 1899 and registered it as “yellow bungalow” as a Wakf property for the welfare of his family on 19th May, 1902. Syed Muneeruddin inherited that property, and after his death, his son and two daughters got rights over it. On June 5th, 1970, they leased out that property to the Andhra Pradesh Wakf Board for a period of 60 years to utilize the building for the service of the community. But later, the individuals to whom this property was given on rent by the Wakf Board began running theaters in the building which was located in the main area of the city. After this fact came to the notice of the Mutawalli of that property, he registered a complaint with the chief executive officer of the Wakf Board. The CEO of the Wakf Board had cancelled that agreement on 13th August 1999 due to the un-Islamic usage of the building and gave orders to take possession of that property before 5th September 1999. The order of the CEO was challenged in the Andhra Pradesh high court. After a long trial, the high court dismissed the petition and upheld the orders of the CEO of the Wakf Board. But even after the orders of the high court, no other steps were taken by the AP Wakf Board to get the Wakf property vacated from cinema halls and get back its leasing rights. The real problem lies with the shortage of employees in south India’s richest Wakf Board. The Board has got just one surveyor and three law officers for the entire State. In Hyderabad city alone, there are more than 1,500 Wakf tenants and the Board has just two people to collect rent. The government has employed a single inspector in each district to perform the duties of collecting rent, attending court cases, issuing notices to encroachers and protecting the Wakf property.

Hyderabad added another landmark with the formal inauguration of City Museum, said to be the first of its kind in the country. The Nizam’s Jubilee Pavilion Trust chairman, Prince Muffakham Jah launched the museum, which has come up adjacent to Nizam Museum at Purani Haveli in the old city.
The museum depicts the history of the city, its culture and heritage from the times before its inception to the times of the Qutub Shahis and then Asaf Jahis, popularly known as Nizams to the present times. The inaugural function was held at Jubilee Hall, which was specially constructed by the last ruling Nizam, Mir Osman Ali Khan for the silver jubilee celebrations in 1936 -37. The Trust came up with the idea of City Museum in view of the long felt need of the tourists to acquaint themselves with the rich history and cultural heritage of Hyderabad, and to project the history of the city. Muffakham Jah, grandson of the last ruler of Hyderabad state, said the history of Hyderabad was always over shadowed as most historians tended to focus on Mughal rule. The museum has brought nearly 4,000 years of history of the city, through archaeological evidence such as the neolithic pots, megalithic sites, European styled terracotta figurines, coins of Satvahana period, among others. On display for the first time, are seven specifically designed maps that trace Hyderabad’s fascinating journey from the 13th century to the present times.

Narayana Hrudayalaya of Bangalore and Safeer Al-Hussain Medical Complex were linked up on Telemedicine Network.

The city of Karbala in Iraq was connected with the world famous Narayan Hrudayalaya here on a telemedicine network in the first week of February, 2012. The network was jointly commissioned by Dr. Devi Shetty, chairman, and Dr. Sanjay Mehrotra of the Narayan Hrudayalaya in Bangalore and Dr. Ahmed Hyderi at Safeer Al Hussain Medical Complex at Karbala. The network came about with the active role played by social activist, Aga Sultan and Dr. P. Lakshman Kumar, Telemedicine Manager and a cardiac surgeon.
Karbala is the first location in the Middle East to be connected on the Telemedicine Network. Nearly 60 cities of Africa are already on the Network. The Network allows the heart patients in distant locations to consult cardiologists in Bangalore. Tele-diagnosis facilities enable doctors here to feel the pulse, heart-beat, read blood pressure and check other vital organs on the network. The patients need to travel only for surgeries to Bangalore while pre- and post-operative care can be administered and monitored through the Network. The Network has thus brought heart-care to lakhs of patients in several distant locations within India, South East Asia and Africa.
Aga Sultan and Dr. Lakshman Kumar visited Iraq during the third week of January in order to see the installation of the paraphernalia for the Telemedicine Network with the help of the local technician.
Sultan, who has been coordinating with the hospital authorities in Iraq told Islamic Voice that the link-up will save the patients huge expenses on travel for consultation and post operative care.
Narayan Hrudayalaya has emerged as the major heart-care centre in Bangalore. Under its affordable heart-care programme, it carries out nearly 60 bypass surgeries a month for patients from the poor and underprivileged sections of the society. (Report by Azmathullah Sharief).

Masood Akhtar who was in Bangalore recently has showcased the life and achievement of his mentor, M. S. Sathyu in a 72 minutes documentary which was screened at Rangashankara.

Masood Akhtar is a product of the Indian Peoples Theatre Association, Mumbai. He got himself initiated to theatre at a very early age. It was the iconic Hindi film Garam Hawa by M.S. Sathyu that deeply influenced Masood’s acting career that began with theatre. The posters across Kolkata were so impressive that it continued to influence his ambition about theatre art. For five to six years, he worked with M. S. Sathyu for the film, “Kahan Kahan Se Guzar Gaye”. He got his major break in Nukkad, a tele-serial by Sayeed Mirza and Azeez Mirza on Doordarshan, that took him to fame. He continued with his spree to work with accomplished directors like Satyajit Ray. It was the film Paar by Goutam Ghosh that gave a major boost to his acting career and people began recognizing his talent. He gives credit to theatre for his career in acting. He says, “ For theatre, you perform live before the audience and not a single shot is repeated, you have to perform to perfection and in films, you have time to rehearse and take repeated shots to make it perfect”. With nearly 50 films and 15 tele-serials, where he has appeared for both short and long slots, he ventured into making short documentaries since the last 10 years. The 72 minutes film throws ample light on the struggle, achievement and contribution of M. S. Sathyu.

The International Book Fair that concluded last fortnight in Delhi’s Pragati Maidan, brought 500,000 seekers of knowledge and 2,500 book-sellers and distributors from around 26 different countries. The Fair is organised after every two years under the aegis of the Ministry of Human Resources. For the first time, Salaam Centre, Bangalore set up its pavilion in the fair on a 600 sq. feet space by joining six stalls. Salaam Centre’s “Quran and Muhammad (pubh) for All’ pavilion had copies of the Quran and Follow Me—the recently-launched book on Prophet Muhammad’s life and mission, which was gifted to thousands of visitors, aspiring to know more about Islam. The book, Follow Me has been translated into Hindi. Over 35,000 non-Muslims got the Quran translation and the book on the Prophet at the Fair.

The Shillong Muslim Union (SMU) is organising its history, since it came into existence in 1905. Many people have been attached with and contributed to SMU since its inception, but it does not have records of all. “The present leadership of SMU has decided to collect information about all those – living or dead – who ever were part of the organisation. The Union is doing a lot of work in diverse areas and its thrust area is education, helping the poor people and homes for orphans. Now the Union is re-organising its history from the date of inception and so it has sought information about SMU members of the past,” said Sayeedullah Nongrum, MLA, and General Secretary, SMU. “If any person whether living or departed, whom you know, was a part of the union in the early period, but not in the written record, by holding some responsible post or taking up some important task in the work of the union at any point of time, you are requested to give us details,” says Sayeedullah, who is also Chairman, Meghalaya State Wakf Board. The SMU will incorporate the names of the people in its record. Write to:umshyrpicollege@gmail.com or Sayeedullah Nongrum, General Secretary, The Shillong Muslim Union, Eidgah Complex, Laban, Shillong – 793 004. Ph: 2220786, 250337 (Res.), 094361 00786 (Mobile). www.umshyrpicollege.org. (Twocircles.net)

The community kitchens do not discriminate between the privileged and the underprivileged sections.

A unique initiative ‘Community kitchen’, that brings two meals a day right at the doorstep of around 40,000 Dawoodi Bohra homes across Mumbai wass recently launched in the city.
“The idea was the brainchild of Dawoodi Bohra’s religious head, Dr Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin. The community high priest promoted this idea so that women could devote time for religious activities, focus on children’s education or even start small businesses.
The scheme works on a simple principle — families contribute a fixed monthly amount towards the food cooked by trained staff members of the community kitchens in their respective localities. The meals are then delivered either by dabbawalas or by volunteers from the community. “In South Mumbai alone, there are 15 such kitchens in the Bohra-dominated localities of Fort, Colaba and Bhendi Bazaar. Then there are several more in the eastern and western suburbs,” says community member Saifuddin Kopty.
In the first phase, 20,000 Bohri families living in the central zone (Kurla to Matheran), south Mumbai (Colaba to Dadar) and the suburbs (Bandra to Palghar) have signed up for the service.
The lunch packets comprise rotis, daal, rice, a vegetarian or non-vegetarian curry and a sweet dish. “The food service allows me to spend some extra time with my children every morning, outside the kitchen,” said Zarina Tankiwalawala, a resident of Bohri Mohalla in south Mumbai.
The food is provided free to people who cannot afford to pay. “No Bohri should go to bed on an empty stomach. The service will help bridge the gap between the rich and the poor. The community kitchens don’t discriminate between the privileged and the underprivileged sections, who too get the same good quality and hygienically-prepared food”, said Mustafa Campwala, head of the Jogeshwari unit. “Those who need jobs can help prepare and serve the food to their brothers. It is a self-sustaining scheme”.
The prices of tiffins vary from area to area. However, there are many people who contribute much more than their fixed sum so that some poor families get tiffins at subsidized prices. The tiffin or, as the Bohras like to call it, ‘barkati thali’ (dish of Allah’s bounty) have several courses, including starters and desserts. Community members say the kitchens operate across India as well in places in the world with a sizeable Bohra population.
One of the objectives of the scheme is to ensure that women get gainfully employed and become economically independent. Time now gained will motivate the woman to use it in starting small enterprises.
While some Bohris call the service “progressive”, there are others who believe the funds could have been used for education and healthcare. Every idea has its flip side: Women will feel the loss of the creative aspect that they feel every time a meal is prepared, for cooking is not all drudgery. It actually is enjoyable and therapeutic, and allows women’s creativity to come out in the form of various delicacies. Besides, the kitchen itself is a power centre of women, one area where they are in control and no male can ever presume to poach their preserve. It is also a safe haven for women in the house. They are likely to lose this sense of power.
Home cooked food is one important aspect which brings the family together. Providing tiffin to middle or above middle-class households, where the family can afford ration and groceries is actually a waste of community kitchen resources, because children and husbands demand their favourite dishes from women in their households.

The protest demonstrations against the arrest of senior journalist, Mohammad Ahmad Kazmi in the Israeli embassy car blast case were in full form, with students of Jamia Millia Islamia organising demonstrations in Jamia Nagar on 22nd March. The protestors demanded immediate release of Kazmi, an Urdu journalist who was with Doordarshan, IRNA and other media organisations. Addressing the demonstrators, Kazmi’s son Turab, urged people to stand up for truth and justice. Turab, 18, has skipped his board examinations to fight for his father. Protestors, carrying the ‘Save Kazmi’ placards and banners pledged their support to Kazmi and his family. Kazmi was picked up by Delhi Police’s Special Cell on March 7. He is accused of providing the ‘logistical support’ to those who attacked the Israeli diplomat’s car in New Delhi on 13th February. Kazmi’s family has refuted the charges. They say, Kazmi has been framed primarily because he is an outspoken critic of the US and Israel and appears on news channels regularly. The Delhi Union of Journalists has also come out in support of Kazmi. Many civil rights groups have held such protest demonstrations.

Police’s role often does not end with busting crime and jailing criminals. In a first of its kind initiative, Delhi Police has begun a coaching centre for students from economically weaker sections, particularly Muslims, to help them prepare for competitive examinations. The centre housed in the Jamia Nagar police station will provide free tutoring for competitive exams to students who cannot afford the high fees demanded by coaching centres. It is to start in May this year. “The motive behind opening a coaching centre for the aspirants, especially Muslims, is to encourage them for competitive examinations,” Ajay Chaudhry, Additional Commissioner of Police, told IANS.
“We are trying to change their assumption that they cannot get government jobs,” he added. The police station already has a library-cum-counseling centre for the aspirants which has been operational since February 22 and gets around 25-30 students every day. “We have been running a free-of-cost library in the premises in coordination with an NGO, Shikhar, which has been working for more than 12 years to provide better education, especially to the girls from the minority sections,” said Chaudhry. He said the initiative was also an effort to promote trust and harmony between the police and residents of Jamia Nagar, which witnessed the 2008 Batla House shootout. “The encounter has painted a wrong picture of the police among residents here (Jamia Nagar) and we want them to open up with us and not be scared of us,” said Chaudhry. According to Nadeem Akhtar, secretary of Shikhar, the aim is also to focus on school dropouts and girls. The Delhi Police has provided furniture for the library where the coaching centre is to be set up, while Shikhar would take care of the expenditure. If the response is positive, there are plans of expansion and the police may hire one or two more rooms outside the police station, said Chaudhry. “I come here every day as I can read newspapers, magazines and books without spending a single rupee. If the free coaching centre comes up, it will help me and my friends realise our dreams,” said Hemraj Kumar, 19, resident of Jamia Nagar. Abida, also a regular at the library, said: “I want to study, but my parents cannot afford my education expenditure. If the coaching centre opens here, I would be the first student.” - (IANS)

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