Iqbal Abdulla: Another Azamgarh cricketer makes his mark in IPL

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has given chance to a whole lot of youngsters to exhibit their talent and burst on the national sporting scene.

This year IPL has already thrown up players like Paul Valthaty, Manoj Tiwari and Ambati Rayudu who would have otherwise hardly got the opportunity to emerge at the top level.

Iqbal Abdulla, who is playing for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) is another cricketer who has so far performed well in the ongoing season of the IPL [2011].

The orthodox spinner who can made handy contribution with the bat hails from Uttar Pradesh's Azamgarh, a town which is known for producing litterateurs, leaders and countless other 'Azmis' who have earned a name across the world.

Iqbal Abdulla, who sports the purple jersey for KKR has finally been recognised as a cricketer. He is not a novice though. He was one of the heroes of the Indian Under-19 cricket team's world cup victory in Malaysia. Fortunatel for him, the KKR is finally winning matches in IPL4.

In Azamgarh, Iqbal's father ran a small kirana shop. Worse, he hated cricket. But it was his coach's persuasive skills and the teenager's hard work, who slept in go downs and lived off a paltry sum in Mumbai, that he finally managed to get selectors' attention and was selected to play in the Ranji trophy.

The all-rounder who bowls left-arm orthodox spin had taken ten wickets at 13 apiece in the Under 19 world cup. Indian Express had then termed him 'real Iqbal' who scripted the young Indian team's victory on lines of Nagesh Kuknoor's critically acclaimed movie Iqbal, in which a Muslim boy overcomes disability to be part of the national squad.

With IPL, Abdullah is finally a recognizable face. Before him, Kamran Khan, another raw speedster, from Azamgarh, had earned name for himself. For a short while, a section of media had defamed Azamgarh, terming it a den of underworld shooters and nursery of terrorism.

Earlier it used to be poets, now its players like Khan and Abdulla who bring fame to the Uttar Pradesh town. They may not have got spectacular success as yet but the fact that players from humble backgrounds are making it to top teams and earning money, that is changing their families' lives, is a positive trend. More importantly, for Azamgarh.

Hindu saints' solidarity for man fasting for Batla House judicial inquiry

A large number of Hindu saints, sadhus and mahants are expressing solidarity with Ahsan Khan, who has been on a fast unto death demanding institution of a judicial probe into the Batla House encounter case.

Khan, whose condition is now critical, on the 25th day of his fast, has got support from all cross-sections of society. Religious figures of both the communities, Hindu and Muslim leaders, intellectuals and writers have expressed their solidarity with him.

Strangely, it seems that such news get lost somewhere on way from Azamgarh to Delhi. It fails to reach even Lucknow. Khan has been urging UPA government to institute a judicial inquiry, which is a genuine demand in case of any encounter death.

Further, the point that when personalities ranging from Maulana Imran Falahi to Mahant Baba Somnath visit him, pledging their support for his cause, should such a news be blacked out?

Meetings are being organised and residents cutting across social strata are voicing concern over his deteriorating health, as also about the apathy of the Centre towards the agitation in Azamgarh.

If there is Arabic Teachers' Association's Abdul Qadir who is speaking for Ahsan Khan, there is also Bar Council's head Rajendra Prasad who held a meeting for the cause. Social activist Krishna Kumar Pandey is also holding programmes just like Maulana Muzaffar Islahi.

It again proves our pluralstic culture. When Azamgarh was termed Aatank-garh and four million Azamgarhis [80% of them Hindus] were demonised, then also the town had seethed with anger. Both Hindus and Muslims were equally pained as just because of suspicion of terrorist links on a few youths, a historical town and the entire district was defamed.

Did Delhi notice it then? When there is a man undergoing 'aamran-anshan', Hindu and Muslim religious leaders approach him. Once again Delhi will either ignore it or won't bother to see it. It doesn't fetch TRPs, perhaps.

It is not necessary that all of them consider the encounter at Jamia Nagar in Delhi as fake. However, as citizens of a democratic nation, they are concerned that demand for a probe shouldn't be pushed under the carpet by the Congress-led government, as it leaves a lot of doubts and also puts a question mark on the credibility of a state.

Azamgarh Ijtima: That's the photo of a grand Islamic congregation in India, not Bangladesh Muslims' gathering

The photo on the left shows a train on its way to Azamgarh [Uttar Pradesh].

The nondescript Sherwan village near Sarai Meer in Azamgarh district is hosting an Aalami Tablighi Ijtima.

Special trains have been run, cell phone towers installed, hundreds of makeshift eateries set up for the grand gathering.

Dispensaries have already been opened for the devout who will arrive here for the congregation. 

Here, you can see, how participants are standing on the space on either side of the railway engine.

Surely, the administration should have anticipated the arrival of the large number of people. The railway could have commissioned special trains and in process it would have earned money as well.

Till now we had seen photos of passengers sitting atop trains and hanging by the door of the compartments in Bangladesh where the Biswa Ijtema is held. This sort of overcrowding is not commonly seen in India. 

However, the trains on way to Azamgarh present a similar picture. The Tablighi Jamat is holding the meet which will purely be dedicated to self-improvement in the light of Islamic teachings. The Jamat's congregations are totally non-political.