Category: Achievers

Nasim Zaidi is the new Election Commissioner

FORMER Civil Aviation Secretary, Dr Syed Nasim Ahmad Zaidi, has been appointed as an Election Commissioner in the Election Commission of India. He fills the vacancy caused by the promotion of V. S. Sampath as Chief Election Commissioner. Sampath succeeded Dr S. Y. Quraishi.

Zaidi, a 1976 batch IAS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre, retired as Civil Aviation Secretary on July 31. He had earlier worked as Director General of Civil Aviation, represented India in the International Civil Aviation Organisation, and also served earlier as Commissioner of Bareilly Development Authority.

A Masters in Public Administration from Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Zaidi has been a Mason Fellow for Public Policy at Harvard Institute for International Development. He also holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Business Finance from Indian Institute of Finance.

Lord Hameed makes Lucknow proud

LORD Khalid Hameed who hails from Lucknow, India, has been felicitated with ‘Freedom of the city of London’ honour. He was rewarded for his contributions to medicine and inter-faith activities. He is currently Chairman of Alfa Hospital Group and London International Hospital.

Lord Hameed chairs the Commonwealth Youth Exchange Council. He is a board member of both the British Muslim Research Centre, and the Ethnic Minorities Foundation. Dr Hameed supports various charities and was awarded the Sternberg Award for 2005 for his contribution to further Christian – Muslim – Jewish relations. He is involved with interreligious matters and lectures on this subject.

He was appointed by the Queen as the first Asian High Sheriff of Greater London for the year 2006-2007. This office is 1000 years old and is the second oldest office in the country after the monarchy. He was also named British Asian of the year 2007.

Acknowledging his efforts the Government of India conferred Lord Hameed with the Padma Bhushan in 2009.

Brig. Mohammed Usman remembered

INDIAN Army organised a function today to celebrate the birth centenary of Late Brigadier Mohammed Usman. A war hero, Brig. Usman was the senior most Indian officer killed during the Jammu & Kashmir operations of 1947-48. He was 36 when he sacrificed his life for his country on July 3, 1948. Brig. Usman was awarded the Mahavir Chakra posthumously.

Invited as a special guest on the occasion, the Vice President of India Mr Hamid Ansari said that Brig. Usman, the hero of the Battle of Naushera is one of the most inspiring military leaders of Independent India, who demonstrated exceptional courage, devotion to duty and and love for the motherland in the finest traditions of our Army. Continue reading “Brig. Mohammed Usman remembered”

Asrar-ul-Haq Majaz – A Journey of Love, Hope and Nationalism

IT WAS 1935. The union hall of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) was brimming with excitement. A young man in sherwani stands up to recite a poem ‘Inquilab,’ in his inimitable style –

“KohsaaroN ki taraf se surkh aandhi aayegi
Ja-baja aabaadiyoN meiN aag si lag jaayegi
Aur is rang-e-shafaq meiN ba-hazaraaN aab-o taab
Jagmagaaega watan ki hurriyat ka aaftaab”

[A red storm is approaching from over the mountains
Sparking a fire in the settlements
And on this horizon, amidst a thousand tumults
Shall shine the sun of our land’s freedom]1

The hall reverberates with a thunderous applause. Asrar-ul-Haq Majaz by now was already making waves in the literary circles. Continue reading “Asrar-ul-Haq Majaz – A Journey of Love, Hope and Nationalism”

Mohd Azharuddin – The Rise And Fall Of An Indian Idol

The commentator on the telly said, “Ye naujawan kaafi dinon se bhartiye cricket team ke darwaaze pe dastak de raha tha. Aaj aakhirkaar inko mauqa mil hi gaya.” [This young man has been knocking on the Indian team’s door for quite some time. Finally, he has got the opportunity!] It was December 31, 1984. The English side was touring India.

The young man was a tall, lanky, and shy 21 years old working as a clerk at SBI in Hyderabad. The Englishmen had never heard of him. And so did I! The young batsman showed tremendous concentration and skills. The experts were reminded of the wristy Gundappa Viswanath! He went on to score a hundred in his very first match. A remarkable achievement by any standard. More was to follow. Continue reading “Mohd Azharuddin – The Rise And Fall Of An Indian Idol”