Hyderabad: Free tution to Muslims for SSC exams

DECCAN CHRONICLE | S.A. ISHAQUI

Published Dec 18, 2015, 6:45 am IST

3,000 students and dropouts would be provided coaching.

 Representational image. (Photo: PTI)

Hyderabad: South Zone police and the minority welfare department have decided to provide free coaching to Muslim students who are appearing for SSC exams or are attempting again after failing earlier.

South Zone DCP V. Satyanarayana mooted a proposal to Mr Syed Omar Jaleel, special secretary to the minority welfare department, stating that the police had noticed many Muslims students failing to clear the SSC exams due to lack of proper coaching in mathematics, science, English and Telugu. This was resulting in their dropping out altogether. 

Many such students were found loitering in the streets, which caused not only social problems but law and order issues as well in the old city.

The DCP felt that if the students were given special coaching in the four subjects, many of them could clear their exams and go for higher studies. Mr Jaleel said the department had accepted the proposal and released Rs 20 lakh for coaching through Minority Finance Corporation to start the coaching centres from Milad-un-Nabi, birthday of Prophet Mohammad.

He said 3,000 students and dropouts would be provided coaching. “We will use 43 computer training centres belonging to the Urdu Academy in the old city to offer coaching every day from 4 to 6 pm.”

Each teacher will be paid a honorarium of Rs 2,500 and the centres would offer two- to three-month coaching to prepare the students for the exams in March 2016.

Durbar behind MIM popularity

DECCAN CHRONICLE | S.A. ISHAQUI

Published Dec 16, 2015, 12:25 pm IST

Updated Feb 23, 2016, 2:43 pm IST

All MIM legislators hear public grievances daily, solve them.

 An elderly Sikh gentleman airs his grievance to MIM president Asaduddin Owaisi at Darussalam, the party headquarters, in Hyderabad on Tuesday. (Photo: DC)

Hyderabad: The daily durbar at Darussalam, the MIM headquarters, where the party’s elected representatives meet the people, is thronged these days by aspirants for party tickets for the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation polls. Traditionally, the daily durbar gives the people an opportunity to meet the party’s elected representatives, including the party president, on all days, except Fridays, from 11 am to 3 pm. 

 

The people’s grievances are heard, and steps taken to redress them. Most of the visitors seek ration cards, old-age pensions, water connections or highlight sewerage or road-related problems. According to Jaffar Hussain Meraj, Nampally MLA, on an average, about 500 people from various corners of the city and across the state, irrespective of caste and creed, visit the party office daily. They list various types of problems, mostly regarding basic amenities like water, power, roads and sewerage besides seeking help for ration cards, old age pensions, delay in sanctioning of scholarships and government welfare scheme etc. 

 

“We, including Asaduddin Owaisi and Akbaruddin Owaisi, are available in the office to hear their problems and resolve them by contacting the officers concerned, either on phone or writing a letter. If necessary, we personally visit the officers concerned to resolve the issues,” Mr Meraj said. He expects the number of visitors to increase after the announcement of the 2BHK scheme, especially in light of the forthcoming polls. 

 

MLC Altaf Hyder Rizvi said, “We also sit on Sunday for the convenience of the working classes so that they can visit the office to resolve their issues. This has been the practice since the party’s inception and after Sultan Salauddin Owaisi became an MLA, it gained more significance.” According to the party workers, besides the four hours at the party headquarters, every MLA, MLC and corporator has to be available at their local party offices in the evening for the public. 

 

Every day, 200 to 300 workers also visit the headquarters, apart from the public. Since elections are round the corner, the number of visitors has crossed over 1,500 per day, and is expected to increase after the poll notification is issued. “Interestingly, we are witnessing considerable increase in the number of non-Muslim visitors, who are aspiring for party tickets,” Mr Rizvi said. 

 

The party MLAs said that the MIM is prepared to face the elections and this time too, its is confident of living up to its slogan, “Shaher hamara, mayor hamara”. The party has decided to use the social media as a publicity tool for its election campaign. The MIM won 43 wards in the last elections and is expecting to better its performance to 55 seats and emerge as single largest party in the GHMC.

Hyderabad develops a taste for middle east food

DECCAN CHRONICLE | S.A. ISHAQUI

Published Dec 6, 2015, 6:53 am IST

Stephen of Deccan Engineering College also depends on shawarma for lunch during college hours

 Low fat food: Chicken pieces being scraped at Mataam-Al-Arabi restaurant in Barkas. (Photo: DC)

Hyderabad: Several new food joints are offering cuisine from the Middle East in areas like Mehdipatnam, Humayunnagar, Tolichowki, Banjara Hills, Mallepally, Falaknuma, Barkas and others parts of the city.

These food joints mainly serve dishes like Laham Mandi, Laham Khabsa, and Laham Majbooz, apart from the Shawarma, a Turkish starter familiar in the Middle East.

Mr Abdullah Bin Masood Bashadi, owner of Mataam-Al-Arabi restaurant, said Laham means meat in Arabic and Laham Mandi dish is prepared with lamb meat, or beef and rice.

He said Laham Khabsa is also prepared with meat and rice. Mandi is served with boiled meat and Khabsa is served with fried meat and Laham Majbooz is similar to biryani.

Time to binge: Customers relish Arabic food at Mataam-Al-Arabi restaurant in Barkas.   (Photo:  DC)

“We started our eatery about five years ago in Barkas. Software professionals, doctors, politicians, businessmen and film stars including actor-politician Jayasudha are our regular customers,” he added.

He said “We also serve a dish called Faham which contains either grilled or fried meat, fish or bater (quail). We serve Mandi either with grilled or fried fish (royal basa of Vietnam) or meat keeping in view the preference of Hyderabadis for spicy food.”

There is a dampener for vegetarians. He said that as of now many restaurants have not made an effort to introduce Arab vegetarian dishes in the city. 

A few restaurants are serving Masoub, a sweet banana-based breakfast dish made from a base of over-ripe bananas and ground flatbread, and Mutabbaq, a stuffed pancake or pan-fried bread.

Restaurants in the city are offering traditional Arab deserts like Aseed, a sweet dish made with jaggery and wheat flour, and Umm Ali, a bread pudding.

Shawarma is a meat (chicken, mutton and beef) preparation, where the meat is grilled for as long as a day rolled into flat bread called khubus (pita bread) or rumali roti and dressed with sauces, explained Mr Shaik Iliyas, a shawarma maker at MB Food Junction in Falaknuma of the Old City.

Mr Mohsin Alkaseri, a resident of Barkas, said, “Hyderabadis who returned from Saudi a decade ago first introduced shawarma here. Now it is easily available everywhere in the new city and also in Secunderabad.”

Health-friendly Arab foods hit among city youngsters

Many youngsters say they prefer Mediterranean cuisine as it is less oily and spicy. Jibran Asif Shareef, a student of MJ Engineering College, who is fond of Mandi, said, “It is less spicy and less oily when compared with our traditional Deccani non-vegetarian dishes.”

Yaser Shareef, a graduate from Anwar-Ul-Uloom College, said “I always finish my lunch during college hours with shawarma. I can buy it for just `50 along with a cola, which suits my pocket and the food joint id close to my college.”

Stephen of Deccan Engineering College also depends on shawarma for lunch during college hours.

The upscale restaurants located in Banjara Hills and Masab Tank have been serving Lebanese dishes like tabbouleh (a salad made with tomatoes, couscous and olive oil), fattoush (toasted pita bread salad),uzi (whole lamb rice), baklava (dry fruit filled pastry), and kunafa (cheese pastry soaked in sugar syrup) apart from mandi, khabsa and aham majbooz.

How it is done

Masoub

Ingredients
l 3-4 very ripe bananas
l 2-3 fla breads
l 10-15 sliced almonds
l 1 tbs golden raisins/ dates (optional)
l 1 tbs fresh cream
l 2 tbs honey
l 1/4 cup whole milk

Preparation
Peel, mash and place the bananas in a  bowl. Coarsely grind the bread using a blender or food grinder. Add to the banana mash and mix well. The ratio of banana to bread should be 50:50. Make mixture slightly stiff and add milk if it’s very thick. Spoon the banana mixture into a serving dish and smooth out on top. Add raisins, almonds, low-fat fresh cream and honey on top. Heat the Masoub in a microwave oven for 30 seconds if desired.

Masoub

Baklva