COMMUNITY ROUND UP

Karnataka IT, BT Secretary Mr. Ashok Kumar Manoli launched the innovative product ‘mPire’ at a function here on June 25. The product developed by technologist, M. P. Ahmed Hasan of mPower transIT Labs brings in automation in software code writing. Mr. Manoli lauded the effort by mPower Labs and said at a time when the IT industry was looking for cutting down cost of software development, the mPire product would greatly help the industry. He said, ‘According to my knowledge there are 30 to 40 thousand software engineers waiting to be suitably employed. In a situation like this, mPower is out with a tool mPire which saves processing time, beats the cost, improves business opportunity to the country as a whole and saves power which is something very important to us. The state would also think in terms of how we can be a part of it in being some sort of a support for you in terms of your innovation.” Mr. Sharad Sharma, CEO of Yahoo India said mPire is a great help for the upcoming portals for the emerging markets.

Mr.Subash Menon, Managing Director & CEO of Subex, quoting a NASSCOM finding said the potential opportunity that can be addressed by Indian Software Product Comp-anies is about a $ 100 billion. ‘However what we do now is about a $ one billion. This is not the global business I’m talking about. I’m talking about the opportunity for the Indian Software Product Companies like mPower, he added.

Sherif Kottapurath, CEO, iCalibrator, Ex-CTO Sun Microsystems also spoke at the occasion.

The Karnataka State Minorities Commission’s Directory of NGOs working for Minorities in Karnataka was released during a one-day seminar held on July 5 here. The Directory documents nearly 600 NGOs working among the NGOs or run by them in various sectors. Releasing the Directory, Dr. Mumtaz Ali Khan, Minister for Minority Welfare, Hajj and Wakf said the NGOs should bring about accountability and transparency in their functioning. He said evaluation and monitoring of the services and funds was key to the credibility of the NGOs. He appreciated the Christian NGOs who demonstrate a high degree of dedication.

Welcoming the participants, Commission Secretary, Syed Tahsin Ahmed said the Directory will be constantly updated as it could not encompass all the organisations. Mr. Ahmed said Christian and Jain NGOs cover a wide variety of activities, while Muslim NGOs were mainly centred around wakf institutions. He said the Directory includes nearly 280 central schemes and laws and regulations pertaining to the NGO registration, filing of returns and tax exemptions etc. Others who spoke at the occasion, included Rajini Srikumar, principal secretary, Minority Welfare Department, social activists Sheema Mohsin, Kaleemullah, Mushtaque Ahmed, journalist Maqbool Ahmed Siraj, M. B. Badbade, N. M. Panali, Director of Minorities Welfare, etc.

The Directory of NGOs Working for Minorities is available from Karnataka State Minorities Commission, 5th floor, Visveswaraya Towers, Vidhana Veedhi, Bangalore-560001, Ph: 22864204, 22863400, 98441-98510.

Leading citizens of Ahmedabad paid rich tributes on July 2, to Vasant and Rajab who sacrificed their lives for communal harmony 62 years ago.

A memorial programme, organised by the Movement for Democracy (MSD) and other organisations, was attended by Mayor Kanaji Thakor, Deputy Mayor Kalpanaben Bhatt and civic officials. A number of activists from NGOs like Sanchetna, Aapna Mandal, Rashtriya Seva Dal, Drishti Media, and St. Xaviers Social Centre also participated.

MSD convenor Prakash N. Shah recalled the supreme sacrifice of Vasant Rao Hegishte and Rajab Ali Lakhani who on July 1, 1946, a rath yatra day were killed by a mob during communal skirmishes.
“These martyrs are to be remembered as icons of struggle for justice, equality and socialism. The responsibility of fulfilling their unfulfilled dreams is to be carried by us, the present generation,” he said.

Shah recalled that Ahmedabad was up in flames that day and Vasant and Rajab were engaged in saving Hindu and Muslim families and their houses and properties throughout that day.
They rescued a Muslim driver from a rioting Hindu mob and a Hindu owner of a washing company from a Muslim mob.

When they reached Khand-ni-Sheri in Jamalpur area to save a Dalit family, the mob threatened to kill them, but they did not budge and lay on the road to prevent the rioters from going ahead.
The fanatics killed Vasant and Rajab, but spared the Dalit family. The pair of a Hindu and a Muslim became martyrs and an icon of communal harmony, Shah said.

A street play on communal harmony was also staged by activists of Drishti Media on the occasion.

The Beary Institute of Technology is the latest to join the growing band of engineering colleges in Karnataka. Coming up on a 32 acre plot of land at a hill at Konaje, 25 kms east of Mangalore, the  Institute has received the go-ahead from the All India Council for Technical Education. The Institute, being set up by builder and philanthropist Syed Mohammad Beary, will impart instruc-tions in four disci-plines namely Mec-hanical, Information Technology, Electr-onics and Comm-unication and Infor-mation Science. Mr. Beary told Islamic Voice that the Institute would be developed into a deemed university. It will acquire faculties of Architecture and Design in future.

The Institute overlooks the Nethravati river. It will admit 60 students in each of the four disciplines during the academic year.

The Beary’s Group, a leading building and construction company based in Bangalore has set us as many as 16 educational institutions including several montessori schools (mainly attached to housing complexes), and two high schools in Mangalore and at Kodi in Kundapur, 90 kms north of Mangalore on the Arabian sea coast.

Indian Union Muslim League president Ghulam Mehmood Banatwalla passed away here on June 26. He was elected to the Lok Sabha for seven times from either Majeri or Ponnani in Kerala, the pocket boroughs of the Muslim League.

Banatwalla was born on August 15, 1933 into a middle class Kutchi Memon family in Mumbai. A gifted student, he obtained his B.Ed. and M.Com., from S.T.College and Sydenham College of Commerce and Economics, Mumbai, respectively.  After graduation he worked as a teacher and lecturer. He was married to Dr. Ayesha Banatwala in 1960.

From an early age, he showed a natural acumen for social activism and participated in several related activities. He was elected the head of the Cutchi Memon Jamat. Throughout 1950s and 60s he served in various capacities in organizations as diverse as Muslim Ambulance Society, Anjuman-i-Islam Board for Commercial Education, Aligarh Muslim University Court, Maharashtra State Integration Committee, Bombay Metropolitan Regional Development Board, and Justice of Peace.
He served two terms as a councillor of the Bombay Municipal Corporation.

He was elected to the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly in 1967 on the Muslim League ticket  and remained an MLA until 1977. He was a vocal, and often the lone, advocate of Muslim issues there. When a resolution to make family planning compulsory was introduced in the house, Banatwala was the lone member to oppose it. He said no one should be forced to undergo sterilization and that only Muslims would be made the special targets of such schemes.  A motion to introduce the bill passed unanimously with only Bantwala in opposition. But due to the uproar over the barbarity of such campaigns in North India the proposal was quietly buried.

Banatwala always highlighted the dire straits that the state’s Muslims had fallen since independence. Armed with statistics, he made impassioned pleas for the welfare of the community.

While being a staunch advocate of Muslim causes he was equally concerned about Hindu-Muslim unity. He once told in the parliament that Hindus and Muslims are like the Hindi alphabets “ha” and “ma” in the word “hum.” If “hum” are united, no doubt, the country will remain united.

In 1979, he reacted positively to an overture by Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray for negotiations. In February of that year, the Muslim League and the Shiv Sena formed an electoral alliance. On that occasion, Thackeray gave a speech at Mastan Talab in the Muslim dominated Nagpada area where he showered praise on Muslims. He told the audience that his party has always been friendly to Muslims, but deplored the fact that the community had never trusted his party.

The alliance, however, did not last for long as Thackeray began reverting back to his anti-Muslim rhetoric. The two parties did not win a single seat and the whole experiment collapsed in less than a year.

In the parliament, Banatwala worked overtime and was one of the few members who drafted their own speeches and questions. His oratory impressed everyone.  He was often seen studying in the library. “Once he would be seized of any single matter, he would seek whatever book or reference material we would have on it,” a library employee told the Indian Express about Banatwala. He took active part in restoration of the Aligarh Muslim University’s minority character and the Muslim Women’s Protection of Right (on Divorce) Bill in 1986. 

He was also one of the first MPs to seek a ban on Rushdie’s Satanic Verses in India.

In the aftermath of the demolition of Babri Masjid, the Muslim League split with Banatwala’s friend and colleague Ibrahim Sulaiman Sait forming his own Indian National League. Banatwala stayed put with the Muslim League and worked to strengthen it. In 1993, he assumed the mantle of presidency of the league. In those trying times, he helped the organization navigate its way and served as a role model for the emerging young leadership.

In his last stint in the parliament as an MP of the 13th Lok Sabha, Banatwala continued his work. He presented a total of 25 private member’s bills, 141 starred and unstarred questions and 182 interventions during debates. His advocacy was not just limited to Muslim issues, but included universal issues like right to work, custodial deaths, and protection of farmers.

Banatwala was denied a ticket in last general elections which he accepted gracefully. Outside the parliament he presented the Muslim cause on various forums including the India Today conclave in 2006 in which he squared off with the likes of Subramanyam Swamy and Pravin Togadia.

Banatwala’s presence is felt even after his death. A mere half an hour before his death he issued a press note in which he said that the India-US civil nuclear deal was not acceptable to his party.

“As such the (nuclear) deal is not acceptable to the Indian Union Muslim League. The imperialism of Bush administration cannot be given quarters. The Congress needs to reconsider its views,” the note read.

A voracious reader and a gifted writer, Banatwala was the author of several books, booklets, including Religion and Politics in India and Muslim League: Azadi Ke Baad.

Syed Abdul Zahir, astronomical scientist and advocate of induction of astronomical data in ruyath hilal (sighting of crescent) for Islamic Hijra calendar passed away on July 10 here. Death was due to a cardiac arrest. He was 73.

Dr. Zahir, a medical surgeon, followed astronomy with passion and for the last 12 years had been writing for Islamic Voice forecasting appearance of crescent (ruyath hilal) for the purpose of various Muslim festivals that follow Hijra calendar. He fervently pleaded for determining the visibility of the crescent rather than going by its physical sighting. He was a member of the Kuala Lumpur based Islamic Astronomical Society and was on the panel of the Karnataka  Board of Wakfs for sighting of the moon. He also advised on accurate direction of qibla for the construction of mosques and was an expert in conversion of dates between Hijra and Gregorian Calendars.

Dr. Zahir did his MBBS and MS from Mysore Medical College and taught surgery at Government Medical College at Mysore, Bangalore and Hubli between 1959 and 1979. Following this, he took up a teaching assignment in Saudi Arabia. A car accident in 1983 rendered him a quadriplegic for the rest of the life requiring him to visit United States every alternate year for treatment. It was during this period that he took up research in astronomy and developed several papers on the subject.
Dr. Zahir was also a soccer player and was a member of the Karnataka Football Association for all his life. He led the Mysore football team as captain for several years.

His wife, Maryam Zahir died in 1998. Dr. Zahir is survived by one son Taha, an engineer in Toronto and two daughters. He was buried at Shantinagar graveyard in Bangalore after funeral prayers at Basavangudi mosque.

Dawoodi Bohra manufacturers, industrialists and traders from across 30 cities of India and from Far East, Middle East, Europe and North Africa participated in the Burhani Expo-2008 International Dawoodi Bohra Industrial and Trade Exhibition. The 3 - day Exhi-bition was inau-gurated on July 12 at the World Trade Cen-tre in Mu-mbai by M. N Chaini, President Corpo-rate Affairs, Reli-ance Industries.

The exposition was organised by Burhaniyah Business Counse-ling Centre (BBCC), an economic institute established by Dr. Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin, Head of the Dawoodi Bohra community.
“I have known the Dawoodi Bohras to be honest and hardworking business men” said Chaini in his brief speech.

Dawoodi Bohra entrepreneurs strictly adhere to interest-free transactions. The participants as claimed deal only in what is permitted in Islam. “Both men and women are encouraged and supported in conducting business,” said an exhibitor”. Free business counseling and guidance was provided to small and medium businesses participants, apart from special incentives and facilities.
“It is amazing how much faith and love the community has for its spiritual leader and hence, this particular phenomenon eventually brings out the exceptional business acumen that Bohras possess,” commented French visiting writer Christelle Bruns.

In keeping with the objective of the Syedna for the upliftment of the community, the focus of this exposition is to help the Dawoodi Bohras prosper in their busin-esses.

The unique Upliftment Section at the Burhani Expo, 2008 has spe-cifically prov-ided small and upcoming Dawoodi Bohra businessmen special facilities with space rentals at highly subsidized rates as to get an opportunity to show their products and get international exposure.

The expo had jewellers like Motiwala & Sons and shipping major Sunrich to confectioner giants Mongines, all run by Dawoodi Bohras participating in the event. A wide variety of consumer goods, products and services were also showcased at the exposition.

Dawoodi Bohra food is famous for its variety and the exposition had a food court hosting the Dawoodi Bohra Food Festival, where people indulged in the exquisite Dawoodi Bohra cuisine while forging business networks as well.

The Burhani Expo 2008 is the fifth expo organised by BBCC, the first being in 2001. This year in February the centre had also arranged an expo in Dubai.

An ordinary electrician from Tumkur, a town 75 kms north of Bangalore, has designed a cane for the visually challenged people that can signal wet surfaces, obstructions and locations. Electrician, Wazeer took about 10 years to come up with the cane after he saw a blind man slipping over a wet surface. It has been designed in eight different models. All of them are electrically charged and can work for 75 hours after being charged for one hour. Another is fitted with a voice box which asks passersby to make way. A third alerts the user about the wet surface. Yet another is equipped with locators which even gives landmarks for the convenience of the user.  He was helped by several friends who invested Rs. 2,800,000. Of the eight models, seven have been patented.  These can be folded too. The canes range from Rs. 800 to 8,000 depending on the sophistication. Wazeer is even working on a cane which can alert the user with an approaching bus with the number and route it is plying.  He plans to set up his own factory although he has studied only up to 4th standard. 
The cane was unveiled at the Annual General Body meeting of the Indian Red Cross Society last month by Karnataka Governor, Mr. Rameshwar Thakur in Bangalore.

The Foundation For Economic and Educational Development (FEED) and the Hyderabad Zakat and Charitable Trust (HZCT) supported 20,236 students during 2007-08. It disbursed Rs. 10 crore to these students during the year. Of the students who received scholarships during the year, 7,672 were in Plus Two (Intermediate), 3,161 are doing engineering courses, 730 are in MBBS or other courses in medicine, 1,508 took up teachers training course of degree level, while 154 were pursuing chartered accountancy or cost and work accountancy. Of the Trust supported Plus Two students, about 500 scored more than 90 per cent marks. Among the total students, 389 were handicapped and 3,511 were orphans.

The two Trusts intend to support 25,000 students during 2008-09 with outlay going up to Rs. 13 crore. The Trusts are also helping 61 Urdu medium schools in the interior Telengana region with 198 teachers. These enroll a total of 10,000 students. An annual budget of Rs. 88 lakh has been allocated to these schools. They also support six English medium schools in Hyderabad city slums and semi urban areas. The Trusts would soon be taking up a drivers’ training school, micro finance credit society and housing projects too. The FEED and HZCT can be contacted at HUDA office, Begumpet, Secunderabad-500003, www.feed-hyd.org, ph: 27907680, 27901239, email: support@feed-hyd.org

The Salam Centre here has distributed tarpaulins to 1,000 families who were living in dilapidated houses in South Bangalore areas. The scheme was initiated after a survey of several thousands of families in collaboration with the Humanitarian Relief Society. The Centre has also issued stipends to 1000 students to the tune of Rs. 7 lakh. The Centre is also taking up a scheme whereby the drop-outs from these families could restart their education. Physically handicapped persons could be provided with mobility aids and also non-formal training for children working in auto garages. These schemes have been sponsored by businessman and philanthropist, Mr. Hamid Mohsin. More information can be had from: Salam Centre, 65/1-First Main Road, Krishnappa Garden Jayanagar, Bangalore-560041, Ph: 99451-88488, 26639007.

The Bharath Pratibha Puraskar Academy will be conducting its State Level Talent Search Competition (SLTSC) on November 10, 2008. The exam will test the students competence in General Knowledge, Science and Mathematics. The test wil be held for four levels i.e., lower primary, higher primary, high school and PUC in English, Kannada and Urdu medium. A total of 27 scholarships will be awarded to toppers in all categories. For more information contact: S. G. Sonnekhan, President, Talent Search Foundation, 22- Taanya Towers, Ist main road, Pampa Extn., Hebbal-Kempapura, Bangalore-560024. 080-40908687, 97419-10200, 93427-03171

Humane Touch, the NGO working in the Mysore Road slums of the city organised a mass wedding of 16 couples from the underprivileged sections of the society. Imam of City Jama Masjid, Maulana Riyazur Rahman Rashadi solemnized the marriages by reciting the Nikah sermon. The ceremony was organised in the Muslim Orphanage grounds in the backdrop of the newly constructed Masjid-e-Noor on Dickenson Road.

Humane Touch’s secretary, Tazaiyun Oomer thanked US based NRI, Nishat Ahmed who has been contributing Rs. one lakh for every such mass wedding. She said the NGO has been conducting mass weddings since 2002 and has so far united 450 couples into the wedlock. She said the weddings are held twice a year.

The Al-Ameen Public School here will hold Noor e Ilahi Inter School Islamic quiz Copntest and Literary competitions in several Islamic disciplines like Quran recitation, Quran reading, elocution, calligraphy, essay writing etc on August 23, 2008 at the Al-Ameen Silver Jubilee Auditorium of the school at Edappally. Aspirants could contact Vice Principal, Shefeena Nizam, at Al-Ameen Public School, Edappally, Kochi-682024, Kerala, 0484-2801034, 2801997. email: alameen@sancharnet.in

A state committee assigned to study reasons for backwardness amongst the minorities wants the government to reserve a percentage of low-cost housing for Muslims.

The 6-member Committee appointed by the Maharashtra government has suggested that the State reserve a percentage of low-cost housing for Minorities. The Committee headed by Mahmudur Rahman studied the reasons for backwardenss among minorities and has also recommended educational and employment opportunities for these sections.

The Committee which visited Muslim-dominated townships across the State submitted its interim report to Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh recently. It has made a series of recommendations calling for improvements in education, healthcare and housing for minorities.

In Bhiwandi and Malegaon towns, a large proportion of Muslims live in sub-human conditions lacking even basic civic facilities. The Committee has suggested that the State reserve low-cost houses for Muslims and also that the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority should develop affordable housing in Bhiwandi, Malegaon and areas like Govandi, Kurla, Dharavi and Chembur in Mumbai.

The Committee in its report has observed that the community lacks educational and employment opportunities and has asked the government to increase number of schools and girls hostels in Muslim-dominated areas, fill vacant posts in schools, support madrasas and start anganwadis in Urdu and Hindi.

The Committee noted that the percentage of drop-outs after 8th standard amongst Muslims was high and this was due to economic reasons and could be controlled by initiating schemes like mid-day meals, distribution of free books etc.

Calm and social harmony in J.C. Nagar area of Bangalore was shattered on July 11, evening as irate mobs of Muslim youth were tear-gassed and lathi-charged  following protests after a pig-head was found thrown in the Jamia Masjid. Tension was building all through the day in the locality where the offending piece of meat was detected soon after Fajr prayers.  The Secretary of the mosque, Mr. Mahmood Sheriff had the mosque cleaned soon but some youth began to demand police action against the mischief mongers. Despite appeals by the mosque imam not to pray outside the mosque, some youth laid out the mats on the main road for Friday prayers and blocked the traffic.

After the Friday prayers, a group of youth went in a procession to the police station. Most of those who were protesting, had come from a locality known for harbouring social malcontents. Meanwhile a local group of Muslim youth went inside the station and cooperated with the police in pacifying the mob. Deputy Commissioner of Police Ulfath Hussain who was deputed by the new Commissioner (who took charge the same evening) used maximum restraint against the irate youths. Yet a few stones broke the glass panes of the police station. A lot of rowdy elements made a bonfire of discarded tyres on the busy traffic circle and blocked traffic to pass for four hours. This put the general public to great inconvenience as the road links the route to the new Bangalore International Airport. However, when the crowd misbehaved with a woman driving a car on the route, the police sprang into action and teargassed and lathicharged the mob.  Calm was restored soon after they were chased. The police arrested eight youth for rioting. A constable was hit by a stone and was operated upon to save the eye.  

Local BJP MLA and minister Katta Subramania Naidu, who has robust secular credentials, visited the area and also pacified the crowd.

Till July 20, no one had been arrested for keeping the pig-head in the mosque. A similar pig-head was also found kept in the Masjid in Hebbal area around the same time. The imam and the committee of the mosque tackled the situation deftly and called the police to report the matter. The police themselves cleaned the mosque and the committee cooperated in keeping the calm.

There was a general feeling that mischief makers are out to provoke religious sentiments and the communities should not play into their hands. They should, instead of suspecting each other, should cooperate and refuse to be provoked. A few months earlier, some stones were thrown on temples in the J. C. Nagar area.   The leaders from all the communities condemned the action and visited the temple. Calm was retained. People should also shed the tendency to blame some particular political group for the situation.  It is not uncommon in such situations that parties considered innocent, play the mischief. 

Dr. Syed Akheel Ahmed has been appointed the first vice chancellor of Yenepoya Deemed University here by chancellor Mr. Yenepoya Abdulla Kunhi. He will hold the post for five years.

Dr. Akheel brings in vast academic experience to the newly set up Yenepoya University. He had been teaching chemistry at Mysore University since 1974. He became a reader in 1986 and was upgraded to professor in Analytical Chemistry in 1994. He held the Head of the Department position for two years.

Dr. Akheel earned his Ph.D. at Sorbonne University in France in 1981-82 and has also worked with University of Grenoble University in France as associate professor of chemistry. He was conferred with Young Scientist Award in 1989 for his contribution to chemical sciences and was later honoured with H. H. Singegowda Research Award. He has contributed several articles to noted scientific journals and is member of a number of societies and associations working for the advancement of chemical sciences. He is also on the board of the Aligarh based Muslim Association for Advancement of Science (MAAS).

Sarah Rizvi has cleared the IAS exam, ranking 86th among 734 successful candidates. More remarkably perhaps, she has achieved the feat with Urdu literature as one of her optional subjects.
Urdu is my mother tongue. I learnt Urdu and Persian from my late grandfather, Khalid Hussain Khan, who was a lawyer in Uttar Pradesh. I have read Urdu poems and novels since childhood. My Urdu writing speed was bad, but I wrote a page a day and that improved my pace of writing,’’ Sarah said. Allama Iqbal was, for her, the most difficult poet to understand. But his shayeri is fabulous,’’ she said.

After finishing B.Com from MMK College, Mumbai in 2003, Sarah tried twice, but could not clear even the preliminary stage. This was her third attempt and she passed. The 25-year-old said that her success was the outcome of 10-12 hours of study a day.

While doing her B.Com, Sarah also completed her foundation course in chartered accountancy. I wanted to become a CA, but later I decided to study for the IAS exam instead. I was clueless about the exam procedure and the requisite study material, but my family supported me,’’ she said. Sarah is now posted as section officer in the Haryana Accountant-General’s office.

Sarah’s father, Afzal Ahmed, a science graduate, and mother Nigar, an arts graduate from Aligarh Muslim University, run a small garments business. I feel more Muslims, especially women, should go for the competitive exams. Many women don’t even know what these exams are about, but awareness is spreading,’’ Sarah said.

Lalu Prasad might be the champion of minorities, particularly Muslims in politics, yet his profit making railways is not doing enough for the community. In fact, Lalu Prasad has forgotten the community that made him a top leader of the country. Railways’s report card on minority employment is abysmal, despite the fact that he heads the high-profile ministry. Railways, one of the largest employers hired only 3% minority workforce in the last one year.

The fact came to light during a meeting of the group of secretaries (GoS) early this month.

The government of Bihar , in collaboration with the Union human resource development ministry has launched an innovative special scheme called “Hunar”, to educate Muslim girls and make them economically independent.

The Union HRD minister, Arjun Singh, inaugurated the programme in New Delhi, while Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar formally launched the scheme in Patna recently.

As many as 12,000 girls would be selected from Bihar, to be trained for the first phase in seven courses — gram sakhi training, jute production, tailoring, course in early childhood care, education and basic technology and beauty culture. They will be provided free skill training and education through the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS).

In the beginning, the skill-development scheme would be implemented through madrasas, maqtabs, and other educational centres. Over 50,000 girls would be trained in a specific skill by the next year.
NIOS has created the blueprint for this scheme and has agreed to provide concessions, including free food and boarding for girls at the centres.