Category Archives: Leaders

Swarup cremated with State honours

Leaders

Uttar Pradesh minister of state for urban development and minority welfare Chattaranjan Swarup, who died in a private hospital in Gurgaon on Wednesday was cremated with state honours here on Thursday.

The minister’s elder son Gaurav lit the pyre. Earlier UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, state PWD minister Shivpal Singh Yadav, urban development minister Mohammad Azam Khan, political pension minister Rajendra Choudhury along with several legislators and Samajwadi Party leaders paid their floral tributes at the residence of the minister.

Later Shivpal Singh Yadav, Mohammad Azam Khan and Rajendra Choudhury attended the cremation.

Swarup died after a prolonged illness at Medanta Hospital in Gurgaon. A three time MLA,Swarup was also minister in the previous Mulayam Singh Yadav government in 2003-2007.

source: http://www.dailypioneer.com / The Pioneer / Home> State edition> Lucknow / PNS, Lucknow / Friday – August 21st, 2015

Rahul De joins as Marketing Head of MTN

Business & Economy, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Leaders, Science & Technology

A boy from Uttar Pradesh Rahul De has been appointed as marketing head of MTN – Africa’s biggest multinational mobile telephone network – and would oversee the operation from Nigeria.

MTN Group’s President and CEO Raymond Sifiso Ndlovu Dabengwa made this announcement. He said that Rahul De would be the Chief Marketing Officer and would head the operation from Nigeria.

He is the first Indian to have been appointed at this level. Before shifting his base to Nigeria De was heading MTN’s marketing division in Ghana. “The new assignment would be a real challenge as MTN in Nigeria has been facing pressure in the market for some time now. Half yearly results of the group show that the Nigerian operation has not grown,” De communicated to The Pioneer through email..

Nigeria market is the largest for MTN in terms of subscribers. At 61 million subscribers and revenue of almost 4 billion dollars yearly it does 30 per cent of MTN group revenues.

MTN is the largest telecom operator in Africa with around 12 Billion dollars revenue and 231 million subscribers. It has operations spread across 22 countries in Africa and Middle east

Rahul has been widely recognised in MTN as having turned around its Ghana operations where worked for four years. “MTN Ghana has become the ‘data network of choice’, and has become a pioneer in ‘mobile money initiatives’. Having customers always at the heart of things the company has grown exponentially though their has been serious pressure due to depreciation of local currency (cedis) to dollars,” De said

“My priority would be to create a more youth centric organization, data network of choice, customer experience management and deliver on all brand promises,” De said.

De belongs to Allahabad. He did his schooling from B SC from Allahabad and did research on international marketing trade.

Prior to his assignment Rahul has held a number of senior roles in Reliance, Aircel, Maxis (Malaysia)

source: http://www.dailypioneer.com / The Pioneer / Home> State edition> Lucknow / Pioneer News Service, Lucknow / Thursday – August 13th, 2015)

Relic of finesse, hub of intellect buried in neglect

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Leaders, Travel

Lucknow :

Famous as ‘Shahji ki Deodhi’ or ‘Saat Aangan ki Kothi’ (mansion of seven courtyards), the residence of Amritlal Nagar is now in a dreadful state. Today, the kothi with a significant history is shadowed by past and broken with time. Not just family members, artists, neighbours and culturati want the mansion restored and declared heritage building.

The mansion is facing legal problems over property rights and encroachment issues. Put up for sale, a precious piece of history is on the verge of being lost. Daughter of the writer, Dr Deeksha Nagar said, “Government can transform the mansion into a live cultural museum.” In the maze of Old Lucknow there is a subtle presence of shredded memories woven by Nagar’s writings. “The mansion can be transformed into a place where literature can be created, reworked and performed as theatre,” she added.

When TOI contacted principal secretary culture Anita Meshram, she expressed inability to talk on the issue and said, “I cannot comment on this particular problem.” On tracing the forgotten house that Nagar lived in, it found to be actually a rented part of the kothi which originally belonged to Sharf-ud-Daula. It is said to have been the place where once Shahji had given refuge to Begum Hazrat Mahal, the night before she escaped to Nepal. The part of the kothi in which Nagar lived was the mardana (men’s) area of the Kothi’s original structure.

Saat Aangan ki Kothi may be lying in neglect but has not lost the resonance of beauty. Filmmaker Muzaffar Ali remarked, “Amritlal Nagar’s residence should be protected and marked as heritage of the City of Nawabs.” Some extensions of the kothi which earlier included a Thakurdwara, wooden doors and jharokhas with flawless filigree have slowly worn out over time, added Laavi Tikkha, neighbour of Amritlal Nagar from 1964-89.

Residence of Amritlal Nagar in those times used to attract lots of personalities from the Hindi film industry. “Shashi Kapoor, Shyam Benegal, Raj Babbar and K P Saxena were among the visitors and Junoon (1978) was shot here,” recalled Manoj Kumar Mehrotra, who resided in the house opposite Amritlal Nagar’s.

Though Nagar did not own any property, the kothi used to be an evening attraction of Mirza Mandi till a couple of decades ago. “The evening of courtly entertainment of poetry was part of his life in this kothi,” his neighbour Rahul Seth told TOI. Envisaging the past of 1980’s five and eighty years old Munendra Nath Mehrotra recalls that, “Amritlal Nagar’s kothi used to be a charm of this place but now it is surrounded by buildings on all sides.”

Blended with Lucknowi Tehzeeb and Nazakat, Amritlal Nagar was one of the renowned artistes of Lucknow’s literary repertoire. Former MP of Lucknow Lalji Tandon told TOI, “We tried to restore Nagar ji’s place a few years ago but didn’t make a headway. Government spending crores of rupees on development can easily restore this invaluable piece of history.”

Standing very differently from today’s world the work of Amritlal Nagar have transcended all boundaries compelling the reader to think. Made from ‘lakhauri’ and organic paste with Mughal architecture the mansion exudes an arresting aura of uniqueness. Wild grass growing on the 400-year-old building shrouds this relic of visual and oral arts of Old Lucknow.

(Compiled by Ashutosh Agarwal)

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Lucknow / TNN / August 23rd, 2015

Chitranjan Swarup mourned, House adjourned

Leaders

Lucknow :

UP Assembly was adjourned minutes after the Question Hour when news of the demise of minister of state for parliamentary affairs Chitranjan Swarup was broken by parliamentary affairs minister Mohammad Azam Khan.

Debate was on and Question Hour was about to end when Azam Khan informed the House about Swarup’s demise.

Swarup passed away after a prolonged illness at a hospital in New Delhi on Wednesday. Swarup (69), a three-time MLA from Muzaffarnagar, is survived by wife and three sons.

He was first elected MLA on Congress ticket and then on BSP ticket after which he joined the Samajwadi Party.

Azam Khan recalled his long association with Swarup saying, “He was my associate in the last government as also in this one. He had been a dear friend who made his contribution in setting up of Jauhar University (in Rampur) too.”

Speaker Mata Prasad Pandey also recalled his meetings with Swarup and said he visited his home in Muzaffarnagar to a warm welcome.

Leader of opposition Swami Prasad Maurya, leader of BJP legislature party Suresh Khanna, Congress legislature party leader Pradip Mathur were among others who recalled Swarup’s contribution, especially to the field of education.

A two-minute silence was observed in the honour of the departed soul following which House proceedings were adjourned until Thursday morning.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Lucknow / TNN / August 20th, 2015

Agra’s crucial role in freedom movement not documented: Historians

Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Leaders, Records, All

Agra:

As the political capital, first of the Mughals and later the British, Agra was always a key centre of political action. The city played a crucial role in the freedom struggle but poor documentation of records has failed to highlight the contribution of the freedom fighters, say local historians.

Syed Ikhtiyar Jafri, director of the Mirza Ghalib Research Academy, who recently released a paper on the contribution of Urdu journalists, said “for whatever reasons the authentic history of Agra`s contribution to the freedom movement, to arts and literature, suffers from poor documentation of records, and therefore the contribution under-valued.”

Hardly any documented history book on the `Braj region` is available that could provide a true picture though fragmented pieces, mostly in newspapers are there for study. “Interestingly, Agra was a major centre of Hindi and Urdu journalism, and we have a long line of fighters with the pen,” says Prof Amit Mukherjea, head of the history department at St John`s College.

The first call for freedom in 1857, ignited by the visits of Nana Sahab, Azimullah Khan, Maulvi Ahmadullah Shah and dozens of other revolutionaries to the city, drew passionate support from the local youth who targeted government installations. Thousands of Hindus and Muslims, particularly in the rural hinterland, rose in revolt which forced the colonial rulers to declare Martial Law in the area.

The rebels against the imperialists were more active in the rural areas than in the city till Tantya Tope shifted base to Agra and the mohallas around Agra College and Gokulpura became the hotbeds of unrest. The heroes of the 1857 revolt, Thakur Heera Singh, Thakur Govind Singh, Chand Baba and Thakur Prithvi Singh continued to lead the mutineers with rare valour.

With the introduction of the railway and opening of the Tundla station in 1862, the city became the transit point of revolutionaries from the East. In 1857 the family of Jawaharlal Nehru migrated and settled in Agra following disturbances in Delhi. Motilal Nehru was born in Maithan mohalla in 1861.

The visits of Tilak, Lajpat Rai and the late Mahatma Gandhi in 1920 and 1929 galvanised the youth and the city came into prominent focus.

Revolutionaries like Bhagat Singh, Chandra Shekhar Azad, Raj Guru and Sukhdev stayed here for days in the Noori Darwaza area, making bombs. A series of bomb blasts and conspiracies like the Hardy Bomb case, explosions in Sheetla Gali, Moti Katra, Barah Bhai ki Gali and other parts sent shock waves in British cantonments.

On the vanguard of revolutionary activities were journalists like Pandit Sri Ram Sharma, Mahendra Jain, Devendra Sharma, Goverdhan Das, Ganpati Kela and Hari Shankar Sharma, in addition to scores of poets and litterateurs.

Ram Chandra Bismil from Mainpuri had fired the imagination of youth with his revolutionary writings. Bismil`s “Shaheedon ki chitaon par lagenge har varash mele, watan par marne walon ka yahi namo nishan hoga,” rings an echo to this day.

Hindi daily Sainik of Sri Krishna Dutt Paliwal was the first to launch a frontal attack on the British colonists. Some of the best editors of the time including Ageya served as editors of this daily. The success of Sainik gave impetus to a long line of periodicals including Hanumant Singh Raghvanshi`s Swadesh Vandhav, Laxman Singh`s Praja Hiteshi, Taja Tar, Ujala, Citizen, Punch and dozens of others.

Women played a crucial role leading protest marches and participating in dharnas. Saroj Gaurihar, Parbati Devi, Bhagwati Devi Paliwal, Sukh Devi, Damyanti Devi Chaturvedi, Satyawati, Angoori Devi Jain, Shiva Dixit, Chandra Kanta Mishra, Vidhyawati Rathod and Heera Bahen Hemraj Betai of the INA were some of the leading figures of that era.

“So many others were there and there was absolutely no gender bias or differences,” says Saroj Gaurihar recalling her activities during those years, adding that “the boycott movement against foreign goods was recognized as the most successful by Motilal Nehru in Agra” in a speech.

Two stalwarts of the freedom movement, Thakur Ram Singh, the hero of Kala Pani, and Prof Siddheswar Nath Srivastav, died recently.

Officially, Agra witnessed 110 violent incidents that resulted in the death of British officials or destruction of property. The famous Hardy Bomb case, Postal Robbery case, Chamraua and Jaunia bomb cases at railway stations are still talked about.

Contrary to popular belief, the city played a very crucial and notable part in the hundred years preceding independence in 1947, but much of the record and documentation work has been lost.

“With more than 400 leaders arrested for varying terms in jail at different times, Agra`s contribution needs to be re-assessed and recognised,” says veteran media activist and former president of the press club Rajeev Saxena.

With railway connectivity to all parts, and situated on the borders of the Deccan plateau, the Thar desert and the Doaab region, Agra was naturally the key hub of revolutionary activities, says senior citizen Surendra Sharma.

IANS

source: http://www.zeenews.india.com / Z News / Home> News> India News> States News> Uttar Pradesh / Friday – August 14th, 2015

Making of ‘dhartiputra’ Mulayam to be documented in a feature film

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Leaders

Lucknow :

The struggle of ‘dhartiputra’ Mulayam Singh Yadav – from a schoolteacher to the chief minister of India’s biggest state – is all set to be documented on the celluloid. The full-length biopic, ‘Netaji – Mulayam Singh Yadav, directed by Vivek Dixit, would trace the Samajwadi Party supremo’s journey from the Etawah countryside in 60s to 5, Kalidas Marg in Lucknow in 1989 when he became the chief minister for the first time.

Mulayam’s younger brother and senior minister Shivpal Yadav will launch the film at a mahurat ceremony in Lucknow on Wednesday. Sources closely associated with the film production told TOI that ‘Massey Saheb’ fame thespian Ragubir Yadav has been approached to play the title role.

“Veteran actor Raghbir Yadav is being considered to play the lead role in the film,” says Ashok Yadav, a minister in Akhilesh cabinet who is also the chief of SP’s Etawah unit, the home turf of the SP’s first family. “We are also in talks with Amitabh Bachchan. Who will introduce the film,” he said.

Dixit, who has earlier produced and wrote ‘Sancha’ (Mould) starring Anupam Kher, told TOI : “The film ends with Mulayam’s first address after becoming the chief minister where he says Lohia ka sapna poora ho gaya .. aaj ek kisan ka beta mukhya mantri ban gaya (Lohia dream has come true. A farmer’s son has become a chief minister).”

Asked about Raghubir Yadav’s casting, he said: “Raghubir Yadav is fit to play Mulayam of today. However, playing his younger self will be difficult for him.” A final call would be taken in lead actors after after a final “look” test in make-up before the camera, he said, adding “The film will also have celebrated make-up artist and national award winner Vikram Gaikwad of ‘Mary Kom’ fame.”

On his inspiration behind making the film on Mulayam, Dixit said: “It was the thought that today parents want their children to become doctors, engineers and scientists but not political leaders. It was this urge to change the perspective that gave me the idea of making a film on a political leader.”

The invite sent for the mahurat ceremony mentions Shilpa Motion Works and Godfather Films as the two production houses handling the project which has a tentative budget of Rs 30 crore. The film is slated to be shot in most of the original locations in and around Etawah. “We have a research team working on the project for the past one year. We have visited the original locations and plan to retain them in the 2 hour 10 minute long film,” he said.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Lucknow / by Pervez Iqbal Siddique, TNN / August 12th, 2015

Wall of fame for UP’s brave women at GPO

Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Leaders, Records, All

Lucknow :

On the 69th Independence Day, Lucknow division of the department of Posts will commemorate contribution of women freedom fighters of Uttar Pradesh through a display of postage stamps. UP’s first philatelic museum at the General Post Office is coming up with a separate Lucknow gallery titled ‘Shaan-e-Awadh Lucknow’, where a wall would be dedicated totally to these brave women.

The centrally air-conditioned gallery exhibiting some rare stamps issued on Lucknow city in different frames will be open for public from August 15 and include postage stamps featuring Vijay Lakshmi Pandit, Subhadra Kumari Chauhan, Jhalkaribai, Begum Hazrat Mahal, Rani Laxmibai, etc.

“The idea behind this initiative is to not only showcase the rich culture, heritage, cuisine of the state but also to commemorate journey of UP’s women freedom fighters,” said Vivek Kumar Daksh, Director of postal headquarters (UP). “We are also planning to release a coffee book table of the collection on the day of inauguration which will include details of achievements of women who are role models,” he added.

Besides these stamps on women freedom fighters, special covers of Munshi Naval Kishore, Asrar ul Haq Majaz, Kathak maestro Pandit Lacchu Maharaj, stamps of academic institutions like Colvin Taluqdars, Isabella Thoburn College, La Martiniere, KGMC, Loreto Convent, 200 years of Hazratganj, Vidhan Sabha and other historical monuments will also be on display.

The philately museum will display around 140 postage stamps issued on UP, while 22 of these would be exclusively on Lucknow. Each frame will have stamps put up chronologically according to the date of issue.

Along with sorting out the rarest and most valuable stamps, postal department officials are also busy giving the gallery a unique heritage design. Wntrance of the gallery will be a replica of Rumi gate, while ceilings will bear images of rare and oldest stamps of Lucknow using acrylic paints.

“The idea is to show the rich culture and heritage of Lucknow so the gallery would display souvenirs for visitors which would define the historical relevance of postal services in India and its strong connect with Lucknow city,” said R K Prasad, chief post master, Lucknow GPO.

In addition to the collections available with philatelic bureaus across the state, the postal department will also invite Lucknow’s philatelists to donate their collection to the museum.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home News> City> Lucknow / by Uzma Talha, TNN / August 02nd, 2015

Lucknow had deep impact on Sanjiv Chaturvedi

Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Leaders, Records, All, World Opinion

Lucknow :

Shadowed under the heavy weight of numerous books for competitive examinations, Sanjiv Chaturvedi’s home in Lucknow’s Chandralok Colony in Aliganj also houses a rare collection of Urdu poetry from Ghalib to Majaz and Firaq Gorakhpuri. Ever since the family settled in Lucknow in 1995, Sanjiv who had then finished his engineering from National Institute of Technology (NIT), Allahabad, had developed an interest in Urdu poetry, a collection of which adorns his library shelf.

“I was startled when he started collecting poetry books, finding the hobby a little out of place. I told him sternly one day, that he would have been at great heights in the engineering field, had he put this much effort in it, instead of reading poetry,” recalled his father, Daya Shankar Chaturvedi, now laughing over the phone from Devariya. Making four attempts to the civils, each time after reaching the mains, his merit in the interview would drop. “But he was determined and got through IFS the next year,” shared the proud father who had tears of joy when he “got all emotional on the good news” after receiving the update from his son at around 10 am. .

Sanjiv belonging to a small village Baliawa in Devariya, was born in Allahabad but has a deep rooted connect with Lucknow. Building the foundation of his education from Saraswati Shishumandir in Gonda where he studied till V standard, he juggled between Basti, Gonda and Gorakhpur for the rest of his schooling.

It was in Lucknow and through self study that the Magsaysay awardee prepared for the IAS examination.

“Lucknow has left an indelible impact on me. I have imbibed the city’s value system and its simplicity that have given me strength from time to time. The city helps me unwind. Whenever I am in Lucknow, I hang out with friends who have stood by me and supported me all through my fight,” said Sanjiv.

Every time he visits Lucknow, ‘Chaturvedi’ as he is fondly called among friends, visits his favourite hang outs, gorging on Azhar Bhai ka Paan at Akbari Gate, Shukla Chaat Centre, Netram ki Puri.

“Fifteen days ago, when he was here, we had gone to eat at 11:30 in the night the old city area,” said Waqar Ahmed, who has been friends with Sanjiv since 1991, sharing a room at NIT hostel and being neighbours in Lucknow.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Lucknow / by Yusra Hussain, TNN / July 30th, 2015

Radha Kant Ojha elected HCBA president

Leaders

Allahabad :

Radha Kant Ojha and Ashok Kumar Singh were elected president and secretary of Allahabad High Court Bar Association on Sunday.

Ojha defeated Anil Tiwari by a margin of 1,012 votes for the post of president. Singh defeated Suresh Chandra Pandey by a margin of 237 votes for the post of secretary.

Daya Shankar Mishra was elected senior vice-president by defeating Mangla Prasad Tiwari by a margin of 22 votes.

Sudhir Kumar Chandraul has been elected as joint secretary administration and Ranvijay Singh has been elected as joint secretary (library). Janardan Yadav has been elected as joint secretary (press) and Rajiv Shukla as treasurer.

Himkanya Srivastava has been elected as joint secretary (women). The counting for five posts of vice-president was going and the result is expected to be announced late at night.

The polling was held on July 9 and the counting had begun on July 11

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Allahabad / TNN /July 13th, 2015

Lucknow zoo renamed after the last Nawab

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Green Initiatives / Environment, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Leaders, Records, All, Travel

In a “historic” decision, the Samajwadi Party government has renamed the Lucknow Prani Udyan, popularly known as Lucknow zoo, as “Nawab Wajid Ali Shah Prani Udyan, Lucknow,” making it the first official move-since Independence – to name a monument after a Nawab of Oudh, or Avadh (roughly corresponding with Central Uttar Pradesh ). Nawab Wajid Ali Shah was the last Nawab of Oudh before the province was annexed by the British under the policy of Doctrine of Lapse in 1856. He was banished to Matia Burj in Bengal.

Bird sanctuary too renamed

Another first was the decision to rename the Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary in Unnao district after revolutionary freedom fighter Chandra Shekhar Azad. The bird sanctuary will now be known as “ Shaheed Chandra Shekhar Azad Pakshi Vihar, Nawabganj.”

Though Chandra Shekhar Azad was born in Alirajpur district in Madhya Pradesh (July 23, 1906), his father, Sitaram Tiwari, belonged to Badarka village in Unnao district. It was on account of his parental ties with Unnao district that the bird sanctuary has been named after him.

These decisions were taken at a Cabinet meeting presided over by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday.

The Lucknow Zoo was established in 1921 and was named after England’s Prince of Wales as “Prince of Wales Zoological Gardens.” It was renamed as Lucknow Prani Udyan on June 4, 2001.

The State Cabinet further approved the cancellation of the agreement for handing over the power distribution in Kanpur city to Messrs. Torrent Power Limited, Ahmedabad. An official spokesman said the deal was called off through mutual understanding.

Laptops for bright students

The proposal to distribute laptops to meritorious students of high school and Intermediate examinations conducted by UP Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad, Central Board of Secondary Education and the Indian Council of Secondary Education in the year 2015 was also approved by the Cabinet.

Another important Cabinet decision pertained to the demolition of three temporary structures on the service road near bungalow Number 13 in Mall Avenue (former Chief Minister Mayawati’s official bungalow).

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Other States / by Atiq Khan / Lucknow – June 24th, 2015