Latest news with #Ahmed
Indian Express
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
A ‘Nasbandi Colony' and a ‘Mata Indira Sanjay Act': 50 yrs later, ghosts are vivid at Turkman Gate
Along the Delhi-Ghaziabad border, adjoining Loni, lies 'Nasbandi Colony'. The name has stuck, 50 years on after the Emergency's sterilisation and resettlement drives uprooted residents of Turkman Gate, located in the Capital's heart, and dispatched many of them here, to its fringes. There are other things that remain the same in this colony, since it got the first of its Turkman Gate evacuees in the Eighties. Open drains line bumpy, pothole-marked roads, where two-wheelers weave their way through cattle. The smell of open garbage is pervasive. Residents say the government gave land, but no livelihood or shot at a new life – not even a school. Around 16 km away, at Turkman Gate, located in Delhi's Walled City, other families whose houses were razed during the Emergency now live in DDA flats they got as compensation. The flats, built 48 years ago, are in need of repair, while the cramped lanes sport endless electrical repair shops. As many here make a living as scrap dealers, used air-conditioners and coolers crowd public spaces. As per the Shah Commission that went into the Emergency excesses, six people were killed when police opened fire in the Turkman Gate area on April 19, 1976, on protesters, days into a demolition drive. Over 1.5 lakh structures were pulled down across Delhi during the Emergency, but Turkman Gate remains the most vivid example of the drive. While the protests at Turkman Gate on April 19, 1976, were over the demolitions, anger was also bubbling over sterilisations. On April 15, a sterilisation camp had been inaugurated at nearby Dujana House by Sanjay Gandhi and then Lieutenant Governor Krishan Chand. Overall, as per the Shah Commission, over 1.1 crore sterilisations were carried out between 1975 and 1977, against the government's target of 65 lakh, and over 1,774 died during the sterilisation procedures. Amid the steady clatter of machines turning out envelopes at a small factory near the same Dujana House, Zakir Ahmed, 69, sits quietly at his dispensary unit. He first started working at the age of 7 at a wedding card workshop, which still exists across the road, and was not yet a teen when the sterilisation teams arrived. 'They targeted outsiders – labourers, beggars, construction workers… those just walking by,' Ahmed says. Officials offered inducements to meet their sterilisation targets – sometimes money, often a 4-litre tin of Dalda (refined oil), rarely a transistor. Ahmed remembers one incident in particular. On April 18, 1976, as a van carrying men and boys for sterilisation crossed the neighbourhood, a woman snuck up and opened the back door. 'Unko azad kara diya nasbandi se pehle (She freed them from sterilisation).' Ahmed adds: 'Nobody could be saved from nasbandi in those days. Those who said anything would be jailed under the MISA (Maintenance of Internal Security Act).' The very next day, April 19, came the bulldozers. 'Those months were very difficult,' Ahmed says. 'People were terrified… Families… Hindu, Muslim… all would beg their loved ones not to travel after dark, offer each other shelter. Every time one left home, one was scared.' To ward off action, 'many put up photographs of Indira Gandhi at their shops'. Such was the contempt for the PM and her son, says Muhammed Shahid Gangohi, one of the founding members of the Turkman Gate Welfare and Coordination Committee, that 'people referred to the MISA Act as Mata Indira Sanjay Act'. If there is another name that invites similar derision, it is Rukhsana Sultana, a socialite and boutique owner who had risen quickly within the Congress in Delhi due to her proximity to Sanjay. Safi Dehlvi, 75, a former Congress leader, says Sultana took the lead in implementing Sanjay's sterilisation targets in the Walled City, as the one overseeing the camp at Dujana House. 'In April 1976, Sanjay came here and received a hostile reception… He looked around and said he saw a 'mini-Pakistan'. Within a few days, bulldozers were at Turkman Gate's doors.' The afternoon of April 19, Gangohi recalls, he was on his way for his BA first-year exams at Zakir Husain College. 'Around 4.30 pm, there was an announcement that students from our area should meet the Principal. We sensed something had happened… We were told that at 1.45 pm, police and military had come, there was a lathicharge as well as police firing. Around 500 people were arrested… beaten so brutally that it was equivalent to being killed.' Gangohi's family house shared a boundary wall with a mosque; they thought that gave them some immunity. 'But it was also demolished.' Most of the displaced were sent to Trilokpuri initially, while a few were moved to Nand Nagri, Ranjit Nagar and Shahdara. Gangohi says that the two appeals the displaced made were that 'families not be split' and that they get 'built-up area' as compensation. 'But the accommodations at Trilokpuri and Nand Nagri were completely barren… with no roads. It was a jungle.' Mohd Rizwan, 75, points to a spot along Asif Ali Road near Turkman Gate: 'This is where Sanjay Gandhi addressed the public, telling them the benefits of the sterilisation programme… After four-five days, the demolitions started.' One of his relatives, Abdul Malik, 23, was among those killed, Rizwan says. Another old-time resident of Turkman Gate, who was in school then and is now a senior government official, says on the condition of anonymity: 'Teachers would pressure us (on the issue). Near Chandni Chowk Market, we would run into Youth Congress volunteers raising slogans of 'Hum do, hamare do (Us two, ours two).' Government employees were afraid their promotions would be stalled if they put up resistance, he says. Historian Sohail Hashmi, who was himself a witness to Emergency crackdowns as a student at Jawaharlal Nehru University, talks about the experience of his mother, the headmistress of a government school in Kidwai Nagar. 'Teachers were expected to present two sterilisation certificates every month… It were the poor, the rickshaw-pullers, the drug addicts, who bore the brunt of this policy.' Santosh Gupta, who was among the first settlers at the 'Nasbandi Colony' and continues to live there, says his mother Sashi Bala was among those who volunteered for sterilisation. His father, who earned a living as a tailor, his brother and he never discussed the subject, Gupta says. 'I was too young to ask, and she never told us anything.' He wonders though if it was for land. In exchange for undergoing the procedure, Bala received a 90 sq yard plot in 'Nasbandi Colony'. In 1985, the family moved there. In 1998, Gupta opened a small shop on the plot, and lives in an adjoining house with his wife and four children. Bala and her husband are now deceased, as is Gupta's elder brother. He is now thinking of moving, perhaps to Karawal Nagar, which offers at least better amenities as well as connectivity, Gupta says. His 'Nasbandi Colony' plot could fetch Rs 55 lakh, he says. But could the ghosts of Emergency end with that? Ahmed, who has lived his lifetime in the shadows of it, still recalls the lifting of the provision, and their anticipation of a new start. 'The streets erupted in celebration, Delhi felt as joyous as Eid or Diwali. Outside the Tiz Hazari court, there were such long queues that shops ran out of liquor,' he says, before he breaks into a cough that has become chronic, a reminder of decades spent inhaling paper dust.
Observer
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Observer
Omani flavours captivate Mark Wiens
It began with a brief visit in 2016, but something about Oman lingered in the memory of Mark Wiens, the world-renowned travel and food vlogger and a full time travel eater. Known for his passionate reactions, on-the-ground street food adventures and a deep respect for culinary traditions, the American-born YouTuber has documented food cultures from across the globe. Years later, it was Muscat-based foodie and culture enthusiast Ahmed al Lawati who convinced Mark to return — this time, for an immersive gastronomic journey that would spotlight the heart and soul of Oman. 'Oman has incredible natural beauty, but remains one of the Gulf's best-kept secrets,' said Ahmed, who personally curated the itinerary. 'I wanted to show Mark the side of Oman that's not about luxury hotels, but about wadis, hidden villages and food that tells a story.' Mark Wiens helping to make Omani halwa in Nizwa Their journey took them from Salalah's green landscapes in the south to the golden deserts of Dhofar and all the way back to the bustle of Muscat's traditional eateries. Along the way, they sampled shuwa — a festive, slow-cooked lamb delicacy buried underground and cooked for hours — as well as madhbi, rice and grilled meat served hot off stones. Mark was visibly moved. 'The word that comes to mind is 'genuine',' he said. 'Omani people are genuinely friendly and hospitable. And the food? It's incredible.' Known for drawing millions of views per video, Mark captures more than just food — he tells stories. And in Oman, he found one worth sharing. Guided by Ahmed's local insight, he participated in age-old cooking traditions, joined villagers in preparation rituals and tasted spice-rich dishes influenced by centuries of trade and heritage. 'Food is food,' said Ahmed. 'But the preparation journey, the story behind it, is what makes Omani cuisine unforgettable.' One of the most unforgettable moments was preparing shuwa outdoors in the desert. 'It's not just a dish — it's a celebration,' said Mark. 'The variations of shuwa across Oman are astounding. Each has a unique flavour profile, yet all carry the essence of togetherness.' They also explored lesser-known dishes like paplo, a comforting rice-and-meat blend and maleh salad, made from dried, marinated fish. 'Paplo deserves international recognition,' Ahmed remarked. 'It's simple yet layered with flavour.' Mark, who has tasted everything from Thai street food to Tanzanian nyama choma, was especially impressed by Omani ingredients like dried lemons and date syrup. 'Dried lemons are my favourite. They perfume the dish in a way nothing else does,' he said. 'And Omani halwa — its complexity and craftsmanship blew me away.' The trip wasn't just about food — it was a cultural exchange. At every stop, Omanis recognised Mark, stopping him for selfies and thanking him for spotlighting their country. 'It showed us how powerful storytelling can be in promoting tourism and culture,' Ahmed noted. Global food blogger Mark Wiens and Ahmed al Lawati with freshly caught kingfish at Muttrah fish market Their collaboration aligns naturally with Oman's tourism vision: showcasing the Sultanate of Oman not just as a scenic escape, but as a living, breathing archive of traditions, tastes and tales. 'Videos like these are not only visual treats but tools for education and cultural exchange,' said Ahmed. Back in Bangkok, Mark reflects on the journey with warmth. 'You travel for food, but it's really about the people you meet along the way,' he said. 'Sharing meals, stories and laughter — that's the real journey.' And Oman? 'I brought back dates and halwa,' he smiled, 'but I'm already planning my return. There's so much more to discover.'
Indian Express
16 hours ago
- Health
- Indian Express
Asked to ‘trim' his beard, Kashmiri doctor loses seat at Coimbatore hospital
A Kashmiri doctor – Zubair Ahmed — has accused Kovai Medical Centre and Hospital located in Coimbatore of forcing him to 'quit his super speciality seat'. The doctor, who was allotted a seat at the nephrology department of the hospital after he cleared the NEET-SS was allegedly told by the hospital administration that he will have to either shave or trim his beard if he were to take admission. The doctor who had grown his beard for religious reasons refused the same, even as he agreed to abide by the hygiene requirements of the hospital including wearing a mask to 'hide his beard'. He decided to forgo the seat at the hospital, because the administration was refusing to budge. 'They clearly told him to shave or trim his beard or not take admission at all,' a source at the hospital told the Indian Express. When contacted the hospital administration clarified, 'We have not denied admission to anyone. We were allotted the candidate and we have to take admissions based on their rank given by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences'. The hospital administration asked Dr Ahmed to 'merely trim his beard', the hospital clarified. 'He was wearing a beard which reached his chest and we wanted him to trim it because in the nephrology department which he was planning to join he will be dealing with several patients whose immunity is low. Personal hygiene in such cases is absolutely important,' a spokesperson of the hospital told the Indian Express. According to sources at the hospital, Dr Ahmed had written to NBEMS 'accusing the hospital of discrimination'. NBEMS asked him to take admission by June 26. 'He had approached for admission on June 19, which was more or less the last day for admissions. His date of joining was extended to June 26, considering the special request he had made. But he did not turn up to take admission,' the hospital's spokesperson said. Doctors at the hospital said that the administration follows a strict attire policy and does not allow 'doctors with beards'. The spokesperson, however, said, 'We have a policy of grooming which is essential in all hospitals for the sake of hygiene. We only request our doctors to abide by these rules of personal hygiene'. The spokesperson clarified that there are senior doctors at the hospital who keep their beards. 'We allow groomed beards at the hospital. There are senior doctors who have been keeping trimmed beards for years at the hospital,' the spokesperson clarified. When contacted, Dr Zubair Ahmed was not available for comment. However, the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association has written to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, on Dr Ahmed's behalf. The letter read, 'Dr Zubair was left with no choice but to withdraw from the programme, despite having earned the seat through an all-India merit-based examination'.
Al-Ahram Weekly
3 days ago
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Watching the destruction - World - Al-Ahram Weekly
On Sunday this week, hours after US President Donald Trump had announced that the US had joined Israel in its attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities, Ahmed, an attendant at a traditional coffee shop in Downtown Cairo, was keeping an eye on the breaking news as it appeared on the Arab satellite channel that the TV in the café was tuned to. While serving a coffee to one of his customers, Ahmed said in a loud voice Allahu Akbar, Aho Kida – 'God is great; Come on' – when he saw an announcement that the Iranian Parliament had agreed to block the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation for the strikes the US military had conducted against Iran in the early hours of Sunday morning nine days after the Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear and military facilities and individuals began on 13 June. Ahmed, in his early 30s with limited chances of education that did not go beyond the high school phase, said he did not know much about the Strait of Hormuz or how Iran could block it or for that matter how this would impact the region, especially Egypt. He said that he only knew one thing – that 'Iran has been giving Israel a hard time and is not lying down in front of the Israeli and [now] the American strikes without reacting.' According to customers having drinks in the café, there has been a sense of vindication with every image of the destruction caused in Israel by the Iranian missile strikes in retaliation for the 'Israeli war on Arabs and Muslims.' 'For two years now, we have been seeing Israeli brutality against the Palestinians in Gaza. Every day we have been seeing Palestinians killed and maimed while the world has not done anything to stop it. Now we see Israel suffering the same horror and the same destruction,' said Anwar, a lawyer in his early 40s. While agreeing that it is hard to compare the level of destruction that Israel has inflicted during its genocidal war on Gaza since 7 October 2023 to the destruction that the Iranian retaliatory military sorties have brought to Israel, Anwar said that it 'is not about the levels but about the pain'. 'The Israelis are now feeling the pain' that they have been inflicting on the Palestinians. 'They are fearing for their lives' in the same way as the Palestinians. The seven customers sipping their coffee in the café that afternoon were born well after the signing of the Egyptian-Israeli Peace Treaty in March 1979. None of them had much knowledge of the Egyptian wars with Israel over the Israeli aggression against and occupation of Egyptian and Arab territories. However, they said that they can all see what they called the 'Israeli hatred for Arabs and Muslims' demonstrated in the repeated attacks on Palestinians in Gaza. Their knowledge is mostly gained through TV and social media. Khaled, a salesman in his late 20s, put down his coffee and reached out to his smartphone to review items on his social media feed. He showed videos that were coming out of different Arab countries mocking Israel, the Israeli Army, and the Israeli Iron Dome defence system. He then showed 'a widely shared' video of Israeli targets coming under Iranian missile attacks with audio from popular Egyptian soccer commentators. He said that he had watched it repeatedly and that it had allowed him to see Lebanese, Tunisians, and Qataris making videos using audio from Egyptian dramas, including music from the well-known TV soap opera Raafat Al-Haggan that depicts an embedded Egyptian spy in Israel and quotes like 'tears in daring eyes' (domoua' fi oyoune wakeha). However, Khaled's favourite videos are those that depict long queues of Israeli men and women trying to find an exit out of Israel either on a boat across the Mediterranean to Cyprus or across the Egyptian borders where they either choose to stay in a Red Sea resort or move on through Egyptian airports to Cyprus or some other third destination. 'It is so ironic. They wanted to displace the Palestinians out of Gaza, but it is they who are being displaced now,' he said. He referred to press stories that he had read on X on the Israeli government's attempts to block the exodus. 'They are rushing out. It is not their land. They don't want to hold onto it,' he said. PUBLIC OPINION: Other social media sites have less-trending stories including quotes from interviews with Arab politicians and intellectuals. They include material about the 'irrevocable imperialist intentions' of Israel and the US towards the Arab and Muslim countries, images of the torture that Iraqis underwent at the hands of US soldiers at the infamous Abou Ghraib Prison after the invasion of Iraq in 2003, also 'on the same unfounded claims' of developing weapons of mass destruction, and stories of the killing of Afghan civilians during US airstrikes on weddings in Afghanistan, under the claim that these events were 'terror cells.' There are many other references to American and Israeli violations of international law and the international law of human rights. According to a European diplomat in his fourth and final year in Cairo, it was never hard to sense that Egyptian public opinion is never neutral about Israel. 'When I first arrived in Cairo, I often heard Israeli diplomats complain about their isolation despite decades of normalised relations,' the diplomat said. He added that when he compared the sentiments of Egyptians to those of Jordanians during the years he served in Amman between 2015 and 2019, he thought that despite the fact that the Jordanian-Israeli Peace Treaty came 15 years after the Egyptian-Israeli one 'the sentiments were similar.' 'In Amman, I thought it was about the fact that there is a segment of society that has Palestinian origins, but in Cairo I was not sure about the reason, especially as the majority of the population was born after the end of the last war with Israel in 1973,' he said. In October 2023, this diplomat was 'perplexed' by the level of public rejoicing that dominated in Cairo, and as he 'learned in some other Arab capitals,' including in the Arab Gulf, 'which has never been at war with Israel,' over the 7 October Al-Aqsa Flood attack launched by Hamas. He said that he was also 'surprised' at the wide popularity of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and the sadness that came with the assassination of Hizbullah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah in September last year. Today, this and other foreign diplomats in Cairo said that it was hard to see any serious prospects for Israeli integration into the Middle East. The 'massive' and 'surprising' military 'victories' that Israel has been making under the government of Likud Party leader and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have only led to more resentment of Israeli in Cairo like in other Arab capitals. In the words of another European diplomat who served in Israel at an earlier point of her career, 'Israelis always wonder about their perception in the region, and when I came here [three years ago] I told Israeli friends that unfortunately Israel is seen as the enemy.' 'Israel has been making considerable progress in its peaceful relations with the governments of the region, but in most Arab countries the people do not like Israel,' she said. For many Cairo-based foreign diplomats familiar with Arab-Israeli relations and Arab-Iranian relations or Arab-Turkish relations, the Israeli strikes on Iran and the Iranian retaliatory strikes on Israel and the subsequent US strikes on Iran would not have been of such great importance to Arab public opinion, aside from in countries that have large Shia populations, had it not been close to the two-year Israeli War on Gaza. Today, these diplomats argue that with the Israeli-Iran War, the situation is no longer just about Palestinians but is also about Muslims. Since its creation in 1948, Israel has not engaged in such open fighting with any country outside its immediate Arab surroundings. Its military attacks against Iran have changed this equation, even for populations that do not traditionally have much sympathy with Iran. According to the same diplomats, there is no telling how sentiments will flow in the case of a prolonged Israeli-Iranian confrontation, which would unfold in parallel with the Israeli War on Gaza and a possible Israeli annexation of the West Bank. If this confrontation were to expand with retaliatory Iranian attacks on US targets in the Arab Gulf countries, the diplomats argued, it would be hard to predict the impact of such an escalation on the image of Israel in the region. * A version of this article appears in print in the 26 June, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Business Upturn
3 days ago
- Health
- Business Upturn
Dr. Anosh Ahmed Announces Major Expansion of COVID Testing Contracts Across U.S. and International Markets
CHICAGO, June 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Dr. Anosh Ahmed announces an expansion of his COVID-19 testing services, with new COVID testing contracts now secured and under negotiation across the United States and in key international markets. The initiative comes as global demand continues for reliable testing solutions, especially in underserved regions and high-traffic infrastructure hubs. Dr. Anosh Ahmed Building on prior successes, Anosh Ahmed COVID testing operations have already delivered measurable results in major cities. In Chicago, Dr. Ahmed's team provided critical access to COVID testing for frontline workers and vulnerable communities. In Houston, the Anosh Ahmed Houston COVID testing project earned formal recognition from Mayor Sylvester Turner for providing efficient and compliant services during a vital stage of the pandemic response. The Houston coverage can be viewed here: KHOU article . The expanded Anosh Ahmed COVID testing efforts will now serve multiple sectors, including: State and municipal governments Large corporate entities and institutions International COVID testing partnerships with global health organizations Critical transit points, such as ports, airports, and refugee centers Dr. Ahmed's model prioritizes speed and scalability while maintaining strict COVID compliance at every level. A key element of these operations is the commitment to fraud prevention in testing—an area Dr. Ahmed has prioritized after observing gaps and risks across the healthcare sector. 'All our work is backed by rigorous auditing, transparent reporting, and unwavering compliance with regulatory standards,' said Dr. Ahmed. 'Given the public trust involved in COVID testing contracts, our goal is to deliver services with full integrity and accountability.' Amid ongoing pandemic concerns and the emergence of new variants, Dr. Ahmed remains dedicated to helping communities access accurate, trusted testing solutions. His leadership continues to set a high standard for ethical COVID-19 response in both U.S. and international markets. About Dr. Anosh Ahmed Dr. Anosh Ahmed is a Chicago-based physician, entrepreneur, and healthcare leader known for managing ethical and compliant COVID-19 testing programs in the U.S. and abroad. His work focuses on COVID compliance, fraud prevention in testing, and delivering trusted healthcare services through proven operational excellence. Media Contact: Meghan TrumpDr. Anosh Ahmed312-588-8000 [email protected]
