Mumbai Muslims hold condolence meet for Haji Ajmal Ali

By Abdul Hameed, TwoCircles.net,

Mumbai: Several Muslim organizations today held a condolence meeting at Allana Multipurpose Hall of Anjuman-e-Islam in Mumbai to pay homage to eminent philanthropist and chairman of Ajmal Group of Companies Haji Ajmal Ali who died on February 17.

Hundreds of people representing social, religious, educational and political organizations from different parts of Maharashtra and Assam attended the meet. The gathering was called by Muslim organizations Jamiat Ulama-e Hind, Markazul Ma'arif, Ulama Council, Mumbai Aman Committee with Eastern Crescent.

While offering their condolences and sympathy to the children of Haji Ajmal and his other family members, people recounted many good attributes of Haji Ajmal and described him as an honest and frank businessman who will deserve Paradise according to the prophecy of Muhammad (saws). They mentioned his social services for the Assam people.

‘He would serve the humanity irrespective of religion and caste. Haji Abdul Majid Memorial hospital that is benefiting thousands of Muslims and non-Muslims is a clear evidence of that,' said a close friend of Haji Ajmal and professor of Hadees Maulana Shamshuddin.

A famous journalist Abdus Sami said that the pain for the humanity residing in the heart of the Haji Sahab is rare to be found. 'There were two Ajmals born in the country; Hakeem Ajmal and Haji Ajmal and both have contributed a lot in the field of serving for the humanity.'

'Haji Ajmal is one of the entities that Assam will ever be proud of. Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed and Haji Ajmal Ali are unforgettable for Assam people,' said the deputy commissioner of Assam Bhavan in Mumbai Dibashish Das.

Maulana Badruddin Ajmal Qasmi, son of Haji Ajmal said, 'My father Haji Ajmal Ali was the Wali of the time. He was very punctual of Tahajjud Ishraq, Chasht and Awwabeen prayers. Besides, he was crazy for the recitation of the Qur'an and would respect Ulama.'

He added due to his honesty in business Haji Ajmal was ever ready to take back his product if duplicate and reimburse it.

'Though he was hot-tempered but the poor ones of Assam would wait for his anger. Once he showed his anger on any one or slapped him out of anger he would go to him and ask his forgiveness and pay him some rupees in return.'

The other participants who expressed their condolence included Hafiz Nadeem, general secretary of Jamiat Ulama Maharashtra, Naseem Siddiqi, Maharashtra Minority Commission Chairman, Haroon Mozawala and Mustaqeem Ahsan Azmi.

Third Front formed in Arunachal to contest polls

ITANAGAR, Feb 19: Various political parties in Arunachal Pradesh today joined hands to contest the forthcoming parliamentary and Assembly polls under a common platform with an objective to oust the decades-old Congress regime in the state.
Constituted for the first time in the history of the state’s politics, the third front, under the banner of ‘Arunachal Democratic Alliance (ADA)’, is a conglomeration of various national and regional political parties, namely the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Janata Dal United (JDU), Lok Janashakti Party (LJP), Lok Bharati (LB), Arunachal Congress (AC) and Peoples Party of Arunachal (PPA).
The newly floated alliance would contest in both the Lok Sabha seats besides putting candidates in all 60 assembly seats, AC president C T Manpoong told a press conference here this afternoon.
“The alliance will finalise on February 23 its common minimum programmes and seat sharing for both the elections,” he disclosed and added that they would also elect the convener as well as the committee of the alliance on the same day.
When asked on the strategy on how to check the tendencies of elected MLAs to change allegiance and switch over to the ruling party, Manpoong made it clear that necessary measures would be adopted in this regard.
“The alliance would be the voice of Arunachal and work for the interest of the common people to improve their economic and social status,” Aath Kabak Tacho, president of state unit of NCP, commented while Kamen Ringu, president of PPA claimed that the ADA would take the people of the state into a new direction with a new vision.
Ringu also informed that the alliance would revive the old issues like Chakma-Hajong refugee imbroglio, besides infiltration and corruption, which was rampant in the Dorjee Khandu-led Congress government.
Referring to the present stand-off between the employees and government on implementation of Sixth Pay Commission (SPC) recommendations, Lok Bharati president Domo Boje alleged that such a chaotic situation was a result of mismanagement by the present government.
LJP state unit president Michi Tagio and JDU state president Kardu Taipodia, while criticising the state government for its alleged failure to redress the grievances of the striking employees, said the ministers and MLAs were ‘wasting’ public money for their luxury. (Agencies)

Nagaon Municipal Board selected as a minority cluster for entrepreneurship training

By TwoCircles.net staff reporter,

New Delhi: The Central government has selected Assam’s Nagaon Municipal Board as a minority cluster for organizing Entrepreneurship Development Programme (EDP) training.

Minority Affairs Minister A R Antulay today informed the Lok Sabha in reply to written question that Nagaon Municipal Board has been selected as a minority cluster for organizing Entrepreneurship Development Programme (EDP) training by the Assam Minorities Development & Finance Corporation (AMDFC) for 2008-09.

The proposal was received from North Eastern Industrial and Technical Consultancy Organisation (NEITCO) for conducting vocational training programmes, the minister told the House, adding that the National Minorities Development & Finance Corporation (NMDFC) has sent the proposal to its State Channelising Agency in Assam i.e. Assam Minorities Development & Finance corporation (AMDFC).