People Track

Miss K. P. S. K. Ilavenil, an author and a student activist from Chennai, has been adjudged the winner of the first prize for the Second Great Essay Contest held by the Forum for Faith and Fraternity (FFF) here. Ilavenil, a Dalit Panther activist and an author of several books in subaltern studies, is daughter of Mr. Kantharaj, a professor at the Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai. Mr. S. R. Vinod, an IT engineer from Bangalore has been adjudged second and Dr. Rakesh Calton, a Hospital Administrator from Ratlam in Madhya Pradesh and currently based in the United States has bagged the third prize in the non-Muslim students category.


In the Muslim students category, Dr. Tariq Shamsi, a pediatrician, from Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College in Aligarh Muslim University has been declared the winner of the first prize. Mr. Reshamwala Shamlan, doing Ph.D. in Biotechnology in Mumbai has carried the second prize. The third prize has been shared by Zahra Rizvi, B.Tech from Mumbai and Shazia Andaleeb, student of MA in English literature. Zahra Rizvi, daughter of an engineer at Bhaba Atomic Research Centre is currently teaching at a school in Mumbai while Shazia Andaleeb, daughter of journalist Maqbool Ahmed Siraj of Bangalore is currently based at Detroit after marriage.


In the non-Muslim teachers category, the first prize has gone to Delhi University lecturer Neelmani J. Bhatia. Pramod Kumar Tripathy, a college lecturer from Baripada in Orissa and Prof. N. Rajeswari, a retired professor from Madurai University have been adjudged the second and third prize winners respectively in this category.


The FFF spokesperson V. A. Mohamad Ashrof said the first prize carries Rs. 50,000 and the set of Encyclopedia Brittanica. The second prize in each category will carry Rs. 35,000 and a set of English Classics while the third prize will consist of Rs. 25,000 and a set of English classics.


Ashrof said the award will be presented to the winners at a public function to be held at Town Hall in Ernakulam on September 11. Noted historian Prof. K. N. Panicker, former vice chancellor of Sanskrit University, Kallady, will preside over the function. Over 400 student and teachers participated in the contest held last year.

Urdu writer Khalid Irfan passed away in Bangalore on August 18 after a brief illness. He was 72. Irfan taught Chemistry at St. Josephs College, Bangalore for over two decades and later engaged himself in writing. He wrote several pieces for the children’s monthly Khilona, Delhi, Aajkal, Delhi, and literary magazines such as Kitabnuma, Gagan, Shayar etc for several years. He also translated several books from Urdu to English for Furqania Academy. He is survived by his wife and three daughters.

Al-Haj Syed Shujauddin Hasan, founder, Syedina Tours and Travels passed away on August 16, 2005. He was 81. Family members confirm that he was born on August 16, 1924. Haji Shujauddin was with the Southern Railways Department as Class One Officer for 34 years. After retirement, he set up Syedina Tours and Travels. Well known in the community as a noble and self reliant individual, he was also the founder of Al-Syed Tours International. Haji Shujauddin was a pioneer in the field of private Hajj and Umrah Tour operations. He was endowed with the God-given blessing of performing Hajj 20 times and 55 Umrahs in his lifetime. He added this personal experience in bringing about many path-breaking improvements in the private Hajj and Umrah Tour operations.