Sanskrit teaches you to become a good person: Kishwar Zubin Nasreen

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Records, All

Lucknow :

Kishwar Zubin Nasreen, the head of the department of Sanskrit at Allahabad University, on Tuesday became the first Muslim woman to receive the Uttar Pradesh Sanskrit Sansthan award for her immense contribution in the field of Sanskrit. The award, instituted in the memory of socialist leader Janeshwar Mishra, will be given annually to a Muslim woman scholar of the language.

Though Nasreen has been a professor of Sanskrit for 36 years, she has been closely associated with the language since 1963.

“Besides being a beautiful language, Sanskrit teaches you to become a good human being and also helps you learn a lot about Indian culture and moral values,” she said.

“My religion never came in my way. In fact, after I learnt Arabic, considered one of the most difficult languages, Sanskrit was a cake walk,” she said.

“The first thing I tell my students is that they should learn Sanskrit as a therapy. That gradually moulds the character of a student, making the person a good human being enriched with the right balance of moral values and patriotism,” she added.

Nasreen said besides parental support, her inspiration to learn the language were compilations of Kalidas, which strike a balance between ancient and contemporary messages.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Lucknow / TNN / August 06th, 2014

Commonwealth Games 2014: Asab Mohammed wins bronze in men’s double trap event

Amazing Feats, Records, All, Sports
Asab Mohammed
Asab Mohammed

Shooting contibuted yet another medal to India’s medal tally as Asab Mohammed Rizvi grabbed the bronze medal in men’s double trap event. Another Indian shooter Ankur Mittal, who was leading after the qualification round finished in 5th position.

Asab defeated Nathan Xuereb of Malta 26-24 in the bronze medal play-off. Both the Indian shooters started off very well in the qualification round as Ankur and Asab with 135 and 132 points finished on 1st and 2nd respectively in the qualification round to make it to the semifinals.

Asab’s start to the semifinal round was a bit shaky as he missed 3 of the first 10 targets, but after that he didn’t miss a single shot in his next 10 rounds and scored a good 27/30. Along with Asab, two Englishmen Steven Scott and Matthew French finished with the same scoreline as the contest ended in three-way shoot-off.

Asab unfortunately missed one target in the shoot-off as the other two shooters shot a perfect 2/2 to qualify for the gold medal match.

In bronze medal play-off, Asab was leading 8-6 at one stage but then the 17 year old shooter from Malta,Nathan Xuereb made a good comeback to level the scores to 14-14. The inexperience of the Maltian shooter came into play as he missed few shots towards the end of the match.

Steven Scott shot a perfect 30 to clinch the gold medal and his compatriot Matthew French with a score of 29 won the silver medal.

With this medal, India’s medal tally has now gone up to 19 medals which includes 5 golds, 8 silvers and 6 bronze. England, Australia and Scotland hold the top 3 positions respectively.

Final Standings:

Position / Name / Medal
1 Steven Scott (ENG) GOLD
2 Matthew French (ENG) SILVER
3 Asab Mohammed (IND) BRONZE

source: http://www.sportskeeda.com / SportsKeeda / Home> News> Shooting / by Vishal Kungwani / July 27th, 2014

Akharas come alive on Naag Panchami

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Sports, Travel

Allahabad :

While wrestlers kept the Tri-colour fluttering in Glasgow at the ongoing Commonwealth Games, their local brethrens on Friday got a chance to showcase their skills at dangals (wrestling competitions held in various akharas turned fitness centres of the city on the occasion of Naag Panchami.

Most of the akharas are decked up specially for the annual dangals held on Naag Panchami. For the rest of the year, these akharas act as fitness centres.

It is tragic change of fortune for the akharas of the Sangam City that still fondly remembers the famous wrestling match in which former world champion and legendary Gama Pehalwan defeated Rahim Sultaniwalla in an ‘akhara’ to become national champion. The match was held a century ago. Since then, much water has flowed in Ganga and even city’s landscape has undergone a sea change, robbing ‘akharas’ of sheen.

Senior wrestler Ram Dulare said that akharas get a new lease of life only in Shravan. “The traditional style of wrestling is one of the oldest discipline of sports but has now confined to an annual affair,” he added. Lamenting that local akharas had shunned Indian style of wrestling, he said “The drills include around 90% gymnasium techniques. Pure form of training involving dand baithak’ is missing as we lack mandatory equipments like Mugdals’, Gaddas’, Nals’ and Mallakhambs,” said Dulare.

As a result, the city has failed to produce even a single wrestler of repute in the last several years. In Friday’s dangals several local wrestlers won people’s applause. However, most of them lamented absence of expert trainers and equipments in akharas.

Sanu Dube, who won the dangal’ in Raghunathdas Vyayamshala said, “We don’t have the luxury of enjoying energy drink after hours of practice in akharas. Instead, we rely on tea. One cannot expect wrestlers practicing under such pitiable conditions to scale new heights.”

Shubham is a boatman and a practicising wrestler in middle-weight category. He still relies on age-old technique of Kala-jung’ and Dhaag’, while other wrestlers have turned to modern gymnastics techniques.

He was among two dozen wrestlers, including runner-up Ankur (18), Nitin (18) and Bikku Nishad (17), who won the annual traditional competition’ despite practicising in akharas (pits) that are devoid of even traditional equipment like like Mugdals (Indian Clubs), Gaddas’ (Maces), Nals’ (Stone Weights) and Mallakhambs (Wrestler Pillars).

“Energy drink and training under experts are luxury for wrestlers like us. We neither have the money to buy such expensive items nor any equipment to exercise,” said the wrestlers.

“In fact, the akharas’ (pits) have turned into gymnasium where dangals are held only in Shravan (July-August),” laments wrestler Suraj Kumar at contested at the dangal held in Loknath Akhara.

For another wrestler Kamal Singh, Shravan is the only occasion in which he and his disciples get a chance to display their expertise. For the rest of the time, the two akharas turn into a fitness centre.

Dangal was also held in Loknath Vyayamshala but there was no provision to declare winners. However, the topmost winners were feted.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Allahabad / by Vinod Khanal, TNN / August 02nd, 2014

A friendship bond stronger than steel

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Inspiration / Positive News and Features

Allahabad :

In the present time, when people are fast losing faith on each other and best of friends forgot each other while negotiating with the challenges of fast moving lifestyle, two friends of the city, Honorary Captain Dharma Deo Singh and Haveldar Paras Rai, are living together, along with their respective families, for the past 50 years, sharing ups and downs of life under the same roof and same kitchen.

If one listens to the story of their friendship, it sounds like a perfect script for a hit film. They belong to different caste, Singh being a Thakur and Rai a Bhumihar. They met in 1960 when Singh arrived at Deoria for getting admitted in class XI. “I met him outside a cinema hall and it was a spontaneous chemistry between us. The same strong bond is also among our children and grandchildren,” said Dharma Deo Singh.

Singh joined Indian Army in 1962. Rai followed his friend after around a decade and that too after Singh persuaded him.

After retiring in July 91, Deo wanted to settle down in his native village but when his elder brother and other relatives showed no interest to support him or his family. It was Paras who supported him and floated the idea of constructing their own a house with a common roof.

The house has a common boundary wall, common entrance and the common inner courtyard. The two half’s of the house are mirror images of every minute things, be it the tiles of kitchen or toilet, utensils, windows, water taps, electric fittings etc. Everything is located exactly at the same location and point as in the other portion of the house.

When a visitor comes, he or is often perplexed on identifying the real parents. “The children respond with the word ‘papa’ or ‘mummy’ irrespective of who had called them,” said Chanda, daughter of Singh.

These friends were born on July 1, 1944, and got retired from the Indian Army in 1991. It is not only the festivals which are celebrated together in this large family, even the marriage cards have the names of both the parents and members of two families.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Allahabad / TNN / August 03rd, 2014

Brace for London-like outing in Lucknow

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature, Records, All, Travel

Lucknow :

From Tuesday onwards, you can enjoy evenings in the idyllic settings of Janeshwar Mishra Park in Gomtinagar extension. The sprawling park, claimed to be Asia’s largest garden, will be thrown open to the public on August 5.

Initially, only one-third (96 acres) area of 376-acre park will be opened. The park, named after late socialist and Samajwadi Party leader Janeshwar Mishra, is being developed at a cost of Rs 168 crore. Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav will inaugurate it on Mishra’s birth anniversary on Tuesday.

The grand project will have beautiful landscapes, two huge ponds spread over 38 acres, golf course, horse riding trail, lakes, sports centre, gymnasium, cycle track, jogging track, theme gardens, children’s play area, lawns etc.

In the beginning, public will have access only to a pond spread over 11 acres and the green belt around it. The entire project has to be completed by May 2015.

Among the major attractions would be the boats resembling gondolas, which have been brought from a Noida-based mall for a trial run. “We have purchased two boats which will ferry visitors across the water body,” said an official. Around 2,500 trees have also been bought from Meerut and Saharanpur for the park. Ponds will be recharged through rainwater harvesting and the entire park will be fully solar powered.

LDA has deployed a huge team of executive and junior engineers to complete the work before deadline. Many new townships are also coming up around the site. Officials claim rates of these properties, especially LDA’s Riverview Phase II apartments, would escalate once the entire park would be ready.

“Just wait for six more months, these flats will sell like hot cakes as it will become the most prime locality (in the city) considering the large green space, public recreation facilities, golf course etc,” said an official associated with Janeshwar Mishra Park.

Janeshwar Mishra

Janeshwar Mishra, also known as Chhote Lohia, was a famous socialist leader. He represented Allahabad three times in the Lok Sabha and was elected to Rajya Sabha in 1996, 2000 and 2006. Mishra was first elected to the Lok Sabha from Phulpur in 1969-70 after defeating KD Malviya, then petroleum minister in Indira Gandhi’s Cabinet. He served as Union minister in the governments of Morarji Desai, Chaudhary Charan Singh, VP Singh, Chandrashekhar, HD Deve Gowda and IK Gujral. Mishra held key portfolios like petroleum, water resources chemicals and fertilisers, energy, shipping and transport, communication and railways. He joined the Samajwadi Party in 1990s.

LDA struggles to meet deadline

As the deadline approaches, LDA is struggling to meet the expectations of chief minister who wants the park to be modelled on the lines of famous Hyde park of London.

The grand inauguration will be held at the park’s entrance plaza but about 30% of construction work is still pending. Workers are still fixing the tiles and polishing marbles. The main pond at the entrance, which will have fountains, is under-construction.

Trees that were planted a few days back have started drying. Officials say these plants are special as they dry up on plantation and before growing into a green tree. The entire land had to be ploughed in a hurry before sowing grasses. This has led to loosening of soil particles and formation of sludge due to rains.

The last minute preparations have also led to the function being planned in absence of the statue of Janeshwar Mishra. Officials said the 25 feet statue is being sculpted by a renowned Australian sculptor. But it won’t arrive in time for inauguration, confirmed LDA.

Earlier, officials had claimed that gondolas would be imported from China or Japan or Venice, but instead LDA has bought boats resembling gondolas from Noida.

Interesting bits

Inauguration to be held without the statue of Janeshwar Mishra

Park to be developed on the lines of Hyde Park of London

Once park gets ready in 2015, rates of properties around the site to shoot up

Boats resembling gondolas to be run on trail basis

Hurried ploughing has loosened soil and led to sludge in the park

Civil work at entrance plaza still on, fountains missing

Entire focus on constructing walking, jogging and cycling track

In next phase, construction of sports facilities like cricket, badminton and lawn-tennis etc., will be done

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Lucknow / TNN / August 04th, 2014

The Mehedis of Aligarh – sherwani makers for presidents

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Records, All, World Opinion

Aligarh :

Mehedi Hasan of Aligarh has served as tailor to former presidents Sanjeeva Reddy, VV Giri and Fakruddin Ali Ahmed. He is reputed to have stitched 175 sherwanis for former president Zakir Hussain, who donned these in all his 17 years of political life.

Mehedi Hasan’s shop was set up in 1947, the year India became independent. These days, the renowned tailor’s sons Anwar and Akhtar Mehedi carry forward the sartorial legacy.

Vice President Hamid Ansari, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, former prime minister Manmohan Singh, actors Saif Ali Khan and Raj Babbar, RLD chief Ajit Singh and Somnath Chatterjee, formerly of the CPI-M, have all donned Mehedi sherwanis. Rahul Gandhi’s body is easy to design for, the tailors say, while Satpal Maharaj is rather “complex”!

This Eid, the brothers are hard at work. Anwar, an engineer by training, pursued his father’s trade and entered into tailoring as he finds it far more creatively satisfying. “I learnt from my valid (father) the secrets of making a perfect sherwani. The art lies in getting the right cut and fitting and a graceful fall. Tailors in Delhi are also making sherwanis but they cannot get the right fit, all of them are making free-size sherwanis!” Anwar says.

In the month of Ramzan, the sherwani assumes formal importance,

“That is because of iftar parties, which are formal. Sherwanis go with the feel of the get-together, and has a regal look. We can’t wear this and go for work. It is too formal to be worn at the workplace. Even today, I stitch sherwanis for the DIG, DMs commissioners for iftar parties,” Anwar says.

This Eid, orders have been pouring in from across the country. The Mehedis are catering to demand for sherwanis from Mumbai, Pune, Madras, Odisha and Jammu & Kashmir. Orders from the USA, UK, UAE and Australia are also received, the Mehedis say.

“There is slight change in the demand. Youngsters want modern elements in the sherwani, so we give them open collars. But the demand for the traditional style is higher,” Anwar Mehedi says.

Visitors to the shop can see the register, which has letters from the secretaries of presidents praising him or his father for their sherwanis.

The Mehedis prefer working with silk wool, polywool and terrawool – these fabrics give a nice fitting, they say.

“The art lies in the details, and in observing the body type – shoulders, back, chest and arms, and the grace of the fall. Everything needs to be taken care of.” Anwar Mehedi said, adding, “Fat people think it won’t look nice on them, but the sherwanis gives their bodies shape because they are made to fit the body frame.”

As for women, he says: “I have made some five sherwanis for women, and sent them to the USA. But then, which woman will spend between Rs5,000 and Rs15,000 on a garment that is not-too-embellished or fancy?”

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Agra / by Eram Agha / July 29th, 2014

Muzaffar Ali to get Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Leaders, Records, All
Renowned filmmaker Muzaffar Ali. / File photo: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar
Renowned filmmaker Muzaffar Ali. / File photo: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar

Noted filmmaker Muzaffar Ali, who had directed the Bollywood classic “Umrao Jaan”, has been selected for Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award for his outstanding contribution towards the promotion of communal harmony, peace and goodwill.

It carries a citation and cash award of Rs 5 lakh.

The decision to honour the 69-year-old film maker, social worker and sufi poet was taken at a meeting of the Advisory Committee of the Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award yesterday.

Born in Lucknow, Ali also directed over one-and-a-half dozen movies including “Gaman” and “Khizan”. He was awarded Padma Shri in 2005.

This will be the 22nd edition of the Sadbhavana award, which will be presented at a special ceremony at Jawahar Bhavan on August 20, the birthday of late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi has been presenting the award ever since it was constituted.

It was instituted to commemorate the contribution made by him to promote peace, communal harmony and fight against violence.

Recipients of the award include Mother Teresa, K.R. Narayanan, Ustad Bismillah Khan, Lata Mangeshkar, Sunil Dutt, Dilip Kumar, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and Maulana Wahiduddin Khan.

Others who got it were Jagan Nath Kaul, Mohd Yunus, Hiteswar Saikia and Subhadra Joshi (jointly), Kapila Vatsyayan, Teesta Setalvad and Harsh Mander (jointly), S N Subbarao, Swami Agnivesh and Madari Moideen (jointly), Nirmala Deshpande, Hem Dutta, N Radhakrishnan, Gautam Bhai, SPIC MACAY and D R Mehta.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> CinemaPlus / PTI / New Delhi – August 01st, 2014

Inauguration of Janeshwar Mishra Park: Kathak ballet to mark celebrations

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature, Travel

Lucknow :

A Kathak ballet in Sanskrit will be staged during the inauguration of Janeshwar Mishra Park on Tuesday.Chief of Sanskrit Sansthan, Shankar Suhail, said a Delhi-based kathak dance group headed by Neelakshi Rai will present the story of Amrapali, a courtesan in ancient India.

He added that it will be a delight for the audience because very few ballets in Sanskrit have been staged. On Wednesday, Shivram Sharma and his troupe from Varanasi will stage Sanskrit play, Dootvaakyam. “Dr Sharma is known to pick people from diverse walks of life and teach them Sanskrit language. The students pass their test only when they are able to act in a Sanskrit play,” said Suhail. Vandana Mishra of Faizabad will present a kajri recital on Wednesday evening.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Lucknow / TNN / August 04th, 2014

Urdu reflects love and affection: Uttar Pradesh CM Akhilesh Yadav

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links / Pre-Independence
Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav during the prize distribution ceremony of Urdu Academy at Chief Minister House in Lucknow on Monday (Photo: PTI)
Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav during the prize distribution ceremony of Urdu Academy at Chief Minister House in Lucknow on Monday (Photo: PTI)

Lucknow:

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav today said that Urdu has always connected hearts and when the language is used, it reflects love and affection. Speaking on the occasion of a book prize distribution ceremony of Uttar Pradesh Urdu Academy at his official residence, Yadav said a message of love and brotherhood would reach the society through this event.

Emphasising on importance of languages for the mutual understanding among masses, the Chief Minister said Hindi and Urdu were being used to take the society forward. He said it was the intention of the SP government that both the languages get promoted and compete with English. Referring to the efforts made by the SP government to promote Indian languages, he said the government has started felicitating Hindi, Urdu and Sanskrit scholars.

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Nation> Politics / Press Trust of India / August 05th, 2014

Lucknow resident proud first user of new I-T scheme in 1989

Records, All

Lucknow :

Lucknow – the city of nawabs may have some indirect and remote relationship with the country’s taxation system. But, when it comes to the new scheme for income tax assessment introduced in the assessment year 1989-1990, a Lucknow resident is the first person to avail the scheme in the country.

According to the framed copy of income tax return generated using a dot matrix printer, Jwala Prasad, a resident of 424/425 Rajendra Nagar enjoys the distinction of being the first person in India to file the income tax return under the new scheme. The lines below the framed copy of the income tax return reads, “First returns of income processed u/s 143 (1)(a) under new scheme for assessment year 1989-90 in India.”

As per the framed copy, the due date to file income tax return for the assessment year 1989-90 was June 30, 1989, while Jwala Prasad had filed his return on July 23 in the same year. The total income on which taxes were levied on Jwala Prasad was Rs 24400, and the total tax on Prasad’s income eventually worked out to be Rs 1600. Since Prasad had paid an advance amount of Rs 1750 in form of pre-paid taxes, he was eligible for a refund of Rs 150.

The official website of the income tax department also states that in 1989, an attached office of DGIT (Management Systems) to supervise Directorate of Income Tax (Research, Statistics, Publication & Public Relations) and Directorate of Income Tax (Organisation and Management Services) (from September 1989) was created.

TOUGH TIME FOR TAX PAYERS ON LAST DAY OF FILING RETURNS: The last date to file income tax returns witnessed last minute rush at different offices, where tax payers assembled to pay their taxes for the assessment year 2014-15. The worst nightmare was faced by tax payers who took the electronic route to avoid the manual glitches and humid conditions, which prevailed for a significant part of the day.

Interestingly visitors to the income tax office (located on Ashok Road) also complained about the problems plaguing the departmental servers and the apathy of the staff. Narrating his woes, two senior officials of UNICEF said, “We had been running from pillar to post to get the right person fix our problems, but the staff of this department is turning a deaf ear to our grievances. In these circumstances, it really becomes difficult for us to cope up with the department. As a result an angry outburst is bound to happen.”

However, officials said that the problem arose, as the two gentlemen had wrongly filled the assessment year as 2015-16 instead of 2014-15, which resulted in the mess. Another senior officials on a lighter note said that if a persons goes to a bank with a job meant for a post office or vice versa, this type of situation would definitely happen. He however, condemned the apathy meted out to the bonafide tax payers in the income tax office, and said, “It should not happen.”

Speaking to TOI, chartered accountant RP Tiwari, said, “Almost every year, the servers of the income tax department face technical snags, due to which the tax payers are able to file their income tax returns. When the department knows that this phenomenon repeats itself annually, then why it is not taking corrective steps.” Department officials when asked about this said that the online filing of I-T returns is just one of the facilities given to the tax payers. “The tax payers should also avoid last minute rush, as it puts unexpected burden on the server,” said an I-T officer. To expedite tax gathering, an extra counter was opened in each of six regional offices of income tax in Lucknow, said Prajesh Srivastava, public relations officer.

In the financial year 2013-14, the total income tax collected in UP East circle was Rs 7400 crore. “In the current financial year, the target tax collection is Rs 9566 crore, of which till now Rs 1833 crore (19.16%) has been collected so far (till July 30),” added another senior I-T official.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Time of India / Home> City> Lucknow / by Arunav Sinha, TNN / July 31st, 2014