Foreword. is Somaiya ground, Sion (East), Mumbai, India.

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1 Vol.1, No.2 October-December, 2009 Editor: Dr. Siraj Mohammed Bijle ISSN: Dr. Manmohan Singh is King at the G-20 Summit. Please see page 11 Inside this issue: Foreword 1 Kokani Muslims 2 Kokani Community, Riyadh Alphanso Mango 4 3 Foreword Environment and Climate Change has become an urgent and pervasive preoccupation across the globe. It is a global challenge which requires an ambitious global response. India and other developing countries would be among those most seriously impacted by the consequences of Climate Change. It is for this reason that India, along with its partners, has been playing an active and constructive role in the ongoing multilateral negotiations under the UN framework convention on Climate Change. We have the moral responsibility to bequeath to our children a world which is safe, clean and productive, a world which should continue to inspire the human imagination with the immensity of Blue Ocean, the loftiness of snowcovered mountains, the green expanse of extensive forests and the silver streams of beautiful rivers. Let us pledge that we will protect our beautiful green belt of Kokan [Please see page 8 and 9]. Dr. Siraj Mohammed Bijle kokan.news@yahoo.com Center of Learning: Ismail Yusuf College, Jogeshwari 6 ميرا چمن Yugratna Srivastava on Climate Change 8 10 Ten days International Islamic Conference and Exhibition will be held in Mumbai Insha Allah from 30 th October to 8 th of November, 2009 from 10 am to 10 pm. The venue is Somaiya ground, Sion (East), Mumbai, India. The Theme of the Conference and Exhibition is presenting the proper understanding of Islam and its message of Peace for the entire humanity in an effective and objective way. For further information please visit the web site: theme.htm 1

2 Page 2 Topography of Kokan Kokani Muslims The Kokan also called the Konkan coast is the name given to a stretch of rugged and beautiful section of the western coastline of India from Thane District to Goa. Konkan is also one of six divisions of the state of Maharashtra. The Arabian Sea is the main key role player in the development of the Konkan region. The Konkan division of Maharashtra comprises the entire coastal region of the state. The Districts names are: Thane, Mumbai, Mumbai Suburban, Raigarh, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg. The Literacy is: 81.36%. The Area is: 30,746 km² and population is (2001 census): 24,807,357. Maharashtra literally means Great Nation is India's third largest state in terms of area and second largest in terms of population after Uttar Pradesh. It is bordered by the states of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Goad and the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli. The Arabian Sea makes up the state's western coast. Mumbai (Bombay), India's largest city, is the capital of Maharashtra. MAP OF KOKAN DIVISION: Kokni Muslims originate from the area on the West Coast of Maharashtra in India. The Kokni Muslims are a seafaring people and their main sources of livelihood are farming and fishing. The Arabs had been trading with the Costal Indians long before the coming of Islam and in time a trading relationship was established. By the time the Arabs preached the word of Islam in Arabia, links between the Kokni's and Arabs were centuries old. The Kokni's retained their rich cultural heritage and continued to live in peace and harmony with other communities. At the turn of this century many Koknis had moved out of India in search of employment, mainly to the new British colonies in Africa where they became successful traders, businessmen and skilled workers. Many Koknis took up British citizenship and settled down in these new colonies mainly Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Rhodesia. However, after two generations in the 1960's and 1970's these colonies started gaining their Independence. The Independent countries started their own Africanisation programmes and some of these settlers because of political reasons, immigrated to other parts of the world. Koknis who migrated to the United Kingdom form the bulk of the community and are mainly settled in the big cities. Some who migrated to Britain from the Indian Sub-Continent for further education, settled there after completing their education because of the demand in their professions and skills. Kokani Muslims speak Kokani, a Marathi dialect, peculiar to the community. They are descendants of Arab traders. Kokani Muslims are heavily involved in the merchant navy, shipbuilding, and textile industries in India. Most in villages are also involved into farming and fishing, whereas many work as expatriates in Gulf countries. They trace their ancestry back to the Arab traders who arrived on the Western coast of India during the medieval era. The Diaspora spread out around India and the rest of the world but maintains their strong sense of community and identity. The Kokani Muslims possess most of the important attributes of an ethnic group. Like the Moplas of Malabar, they are the progeny of Arab immigrants and Indian women, they speak the same dialect of Kokani language, and marry among themselves, in anthropological terms they are generally endogamous. Yet, according to Dr. A.R. Momin, "the Kokani Muslim community has a well defined system of ranking and stratification. They frequently have fair skin, and light eyes. 2

3 Page 3 Kokani Community in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia calls for Educational Help to Needy Students Founders of Kokani Community Riyadh, Saudi Arabia have stressed the need to help the needy students of Kokani Community back home in India. Speaking at a Special Event of Iftar party organized by Kokani Community Riyadh on 28 th of August, 2009; Dr. Abdul Ghani Dalvi, Researcher, SWCC said, Community must invest in Education of Children for the welfare of the society. Mr. Nasir Khan the President said the society have highlighted the cases of those workers who are stuck up here in the Kingdom because of lack of resources. The society will help the poor Kokanis who are caught up in various legal wrangles and provide emergency help to workers in distress. According to Mr. Nasir Dalwai, Chairman of the society, the meeting is organized to bring Kokanis under one roof. He said the contribution collected from its members will be used wisely in the interest of the community. The society was established on 24 th April, 2009 by likeminded Kokanis to build strong and vibrant community. The idea is to promote educational, cultural and social aspirations of the Kokanis. The founding members of the Kokani Community in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia can be reached through the official website: & info@riyadhkonkani.com Some view of the meetings Call for Papers Kokan News invites research papers in all fields e.g. Agriculture, Aqua Culture, Dairy Technology, Disabilities and related issues, Education, Food Technology, Health Sciences, Information Technology, Language and Literature, Medicine and Science & Technology with reference to Kokan Region. Please send the information on below mentioned as a word document. Please follow the Publication Polices [page 16]. Editor, Kokan News smbijle@yahoo.co.uk 3

4 Page 4 Alphanso Mango The traditional name of Alphanso Mango is Ratnagiri Hapus. It is also known as Alphonso, Alfanso, Hapoos and Bombay variety. The scientific name is Magnifera Indica. Major Cultivating Areas: Ratnagiri District, Sindhudurg district, Raigad district, and parts of Pune district in Maharashtra State. Valsad: Gujarat State. Parts of Karnataka and Tamilnadu. Nutritional value of mangoes: It is universally considered as one of the finest fruits in the world, and is aptly called, King of the Fruits Ratnagiri Alphanso Mangoes are very rich in nutritional value. Mango is one of the most popular crops in the tropics, adapted to a wide range of soils and relatively easy to cultivate. It is universally considered as one of the finest fruits in the world, and is aptly called, King of the Fruits ". If there was a competition to decide the best fruit in the world for taste and aroma, the Ratnagiri Alphanso would certainly be one of the frontrunners. It is the "national fruit" of India where it accounts for 42% of fruit crop land. In a year, India harvests more than 12 million tones of mangoes. Its taste combines the delicious with the exotic, with a range of flavours. Mango is not only delicious; it is also full of nutritional value. It is high in beta-carotene, a precursor of vitamin A, and is a rich source of the vitamin B complex. Mangoes are mainly consumed fresh. How to Ripe Mangoes: Mangoes are best ripened in Rice Straw. The mangoes are plucked and placed in crates in Rice straw interleaved between two layers and top and bottom. It normally takes between 7 to 10 days for the fruit to ripe. The mango starts to change its color from green to faint green to yellowish green to yellow and finally a golden yellow or 'mango' color. There is a distinct and a beautiful smell around this stage. Varieties Ratnagiri is well known for Alphanso mangoes. The Alphanso mangoes from Ratnagiri are the most sought after mangoes, and have a cult following among the mango lovers throughout the world. There are more varieties of mangoes from the Kokan region and all over the world. 4

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6 Page 6 Center of Learning: Ismail Yusuf College Perched on a palm-girt hillock, dominating the surrounding rural terrain, the Ismail Yusuf College [IY College] has a picturesque natural setting. Far from the crowd and the noise of city life, this centre of Islamic Study and culture in Kokan area provides an ideal atmosphere for serious study and the pursuit of scholarship and research. Because of the cosmopolitan culture which permeates the College. One hardly, thinks of its origin as a Muslim foundation. The broad-based culture and wide sympathies which have characterized its successive principals and teachers have enabled it, while keeping intact its central purpose as a seat of Islamic learning, to harmonize that purpose with the growing needs of a heterogeneous student population. Self-contained and compact, and fortunate in the possession of a campus, rare for a constituent College of a city university, this institution has an ethos of its own. Its seclusion, however, has not kept the life and spirit of this educational centre confined to its immediate vicinity. 6

7 Page 7 The Ismail Yusuf College is in many ways a unique institution. It is not just one of the many colleges in Bombay. It has a distinct atmosphere, its special subjects, and characteristically picturesque surroundings. Though it owes its existence to the princely donation of 8 lakhs of rupees made by Sir Mohamed Yusuf, Kt., as far back as 1914 for the higher education of Muslims, the Ismail Yusuf College has, right from the beginning, been a cosmopolitan, not a segregate, institution where the young men and women of different communities learn to live and work together in perfect harmony and mutual trust during the most impressionable years of their lives. While the College provides a large number of scholarships to enable the poorer Muslim students to have the benefit of higher education, and while it specializes in classical Arabic and Persian and Islamic Studies. The College is a full-fledged Arts, Commerce and Science Government College whose portals are open to all who seek an all-round university education. Under the wise guidance of its first principal, Dr. Bazlur Rehman, a man of wide sympathies and broad vision, the College had laid well and truly the foundations of a broad-based cosmopolitan and humane culture. Even during the most trying days of communal tension the serene atmosphere of this institution was unclouded by any communal bitterness. Today the College has expanded into a model institution catering to the ever-increasing educational needs of the Kokan area. The College has provided a platform to men as varied and eminent as Mahatma Gandhi, Netaji Subhash Bose, Mr. M.A. Jinnah, Pandit Nehru, Justice M.C. Chagla, Mr. Liaquat Ali Khan, Shri S.K. Patil, Shri Morarji Desai and Dr. M.R. Jaykar, Dr. Rafque Zakaria and Barrister A. R. Antulay. Unlike the other colleges, it is self-contained; it is lucky enough to have a campus that accommodates its hostels, playgrounds, and gymkhana, gymnasium and N.C.C. head-quarters. The College activities, however, are not restricted to its campus. It has tried to foster inter- Collegiate contracts by organizing competitions in elocution and dramatics in English and Urdu. Vision 2020: Washishti Welfare Society for the Disabled 1. Boat hospital in Washishti and Jagbudi River 2. Primary Care Clinics in four Talukas with well equipped ambulances and first aid. 3. Special Training Schools for job oriented courses for disabled children [girls and boys] from age 14 and above. 4. Old aged homes in Chiplun and Khed Taluka. For the vision to be a reality, Washishti Welfare Society for the Disabled plans to coordinate the efforts of four above mentioned Talukas in first phase to achieve the following common minimum objectives which the partners/friends have agreed to work for. I. Total literacy by 2020 particularly in target Talukas and complete inclusion of the disabled Community. II. Mobilizing the daily earners, woman and poverty ridden disabled in the target Talukas to form Self Help Groups (SHG) and taste the prosperity so earned. III. IV. Introduce Community Counseling Centers. Mobilize and organize health caravan for popularizing in the masses the idea of good health and making them aware of the needs and significance of health care, and helping them to make use of government health schemes and facilities available. V. Introduce in the disabled community cultural and sport activities which develop healthy and competitive spirit and make use of government facilities available for this purpose. VI. Publish materials to promote the mission. 7

8 Page 8 يھ ميرا چمن ھے ميرا چمن 8

9 Page 9 ميں اپنے چمن کا بلبل ھوں 9

10 Page 10 Indian girl asks for urgent action on climate change Yugratna Srivastava from Lucknow at United Nations [UN] A 13-year-old Indian girl, speaking on behalf of the world s three billion children, asked world leaders at UN, including the Presidents of United States and China, for urgent action on climate change. I am so much concerned about climate change because I don t want our future generations to question us just as I am questioning the need of more concrete action on climate change today, Yugratna Srivastava from Lucknow said at the Summit on Climate Change in the United Nations. The Himalayas are melting, polar bears are dying, 2 of every 5 people don t have access to clean drinking water, earth s temperature is increasing, we are losing the untapped information and potential of plant species, Pacific s water level has risen, Is this what we are going to hand over to our future generations? Please...no! The ninth grader from St Fidelis College spoke at the high-level summit convened by the U.N. Chief Ban Ki-moon. 10

11 Page 11 Dr. Manmohan Singh is King at the G-20 summit The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh addressing a press conference regarding the G-20 Summit, in Pittsburgh, USA on September 25, PITTSBURGH - Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh has welcomed a decision to make the Group of 20 as the premier forum for global economic decisions, saying the views of fast growing developing countries like India, China and Brazil have to be taken into account for optimum impact. With the rise of Asia, with growth of India, China and Brazil, the economic decision-making has to take into account the views of these countries if it is to have an optimum impact, Singh said at a post-summit news conference. The prime minister said the Group of Eight, the once elite club of rich industrial nations, was ill-equipped to handle all global issues. Interdependence in a globalised world means that no country, however powerful it may be, can take on the entire burden of economic adjustment and economic decision-making, he said. It is that perception and that reality which has, I think, persuaded many people in Europe and the United States that this G8 is ill-equipped to handle all the global issues, he said. The just concluded G-20 summit of world s top economies, reflecting 90 percent of global economic output, agreed to make the group the premier forum for decisions affecting the world economy, eclipsing the G8. 11

12 Page 12 More Centers of Learning in Kokan Region BOMBAY UNIVERSITY FORT BHABHA ATOMIC RESEARCH CENTER SNDT WOMEN S UNIVERSITY Kokan Region is blessed with natural resources and all types of education is available. The Kokani Community must grab this opportunity and come forward in all walks of life. Tata Institute of Fundamental Research JJ HOSPITAL KOKAN AGRICULTURE UNIVERSITY, DAPOLI INDIAN INSTITUTES OF TECHNOLOGY, POWAI The Bombay Textile Research Association [BTRA] Central Institute of Fisheries Education, Versova, Mumbai 12

13 Page 13 Marathi Language मर ठ भ ष मर ठ भ ष आम च म यब ल - म हणज म त भ ष. लह न म ल जन मल य प स न आईजवळच असत. त व ह त ज य भ ष त ब लत त म ल च भ ष ह ण स व भ वक आह. मह र त ल मर ठ भ ष पर त य क पर त च नर ळ. त त थ ल ल क च ह त आ ण त आवडत. आपल मर ठ भ ष स स क त भ ष त न आल. तश भ रत तल य बह त क सवर भ ष स स क त भ ष प स न नम र ण झ ल य. आपल मर ठ भ ष सवर मह र च जर एक असल तर तच दर ब र क स वर बदलत. ल ख भ ष त च असल तर ब ल भ ष त फरक ह त त. तच ह ल व गळ ह त त. मर ठ भ ष तस अस व गळ पर क र ह त त. क कण तल क कण, घ ट वरच म हणज द श वरच व गळ, घ ट भ ष व गळ, वऱ ह ड भ ष व गळ मध यपर त तल, मध यपर द श तह हद म शर त आ ण ग कड ल क कण व गळ असत. मर ठ भ ष लव चक आह थ थ फरक न शब द च अथर बदलत त. म बईच मर ठ भ ष हल ल खचड भ ष झ ल आह. श मर ठ र हल न ह. तच य त हद, मर ठ, इ गर ज य च भ सळ झ ल आह. हद आ ण इ गर ज सन म प ह न भ ष अश झ ल आह. प व मर ठ ल र जभ ष च म न नव हत, पण आत क ह पर म ण त आह. ख प तल र गड आ ण अश, अपभर श असल ल भ ष असत. कश ह अस त मर ठ च म हण न मर ठ म णस ल आवडत. आपल य भ ष च आपल य ल आ भम न असत. पण अ लकड आपल य तर ण म डळ ल इ गर ज भ ष च ज स त आकषर ण! त य त त य च द ष न ह. क रण त य च मह व लय न आ ण उच च शक षण सवर इ गर ज त न ह त असत. पद मळव न तर न म डळ परद श त उच च शक षण स ठ ज त त. तथ इ गर ज भ ष च ब ल व, लह व ल गत. स ह जकच त य भ ष च स स क र घडत असत त. त य वक सत द श त आपल य ल क न दर पर भ रत त ल ल क प क ष ज स त पर म ण त ह त. त य म ळ त य न तकड च रह ण स ख च ह त. त य च स स र तथ च ह त त. त य च य म ल न मर ठ य त न ह, त तथल च ह त त. सवर चजण न ह पण क ह तथ च स थ यक ह त त. त य म ळ त य म ल च म यब ल तकडच ह त. ह वषय जर व गळ असल तर मर ठ भ ष वर, रह ण वर, आच र वच र वर ख पच फरक ह त. त य च शक षणह तकड च ह त. त य म ळ मर ठ च त य न गर थ, म हत व त र न ह. स स क रह तथल च, अस तकड र हल य म ळ ह त. पण भ रत त र हण ऱ य तर ण न आपल य भ ष च अ भम न न ह आ ण त य न स वत च क त कह व टत त व ह त म ह शक न म ठ व ह. उच च शक षण स ठ परद श त ग लत तर हरकत न ह, पण क म झ ल य वर परत आपल य भ रत त य. मह र ल आपल य ज ञ न च, अन भव च फ यद कर न. परभ ष जर अवगत झ ल आ ण परद श त ग ल त तर आपल य मर ठ ल वसर नक. पर त य क मर ठ म णस ल मर ठ भ ष ब लत, ल हत -व चत आल प हज.आपल य मर ठ तस ख प वषय वर ल खन झ ल आह. श - 13

14 Page 14 Reader s Views regarding the first issue of Kokan News. [1] Dear Dr. Bijle, Salam Alaikum, first I would like to congratulate you for bringing such a beautiful newsletter which I found on kokaniz.com. It is really nice to know how our people are organizing themselves to serve our community. It is a good job done. Few weeks back I have launched a small Kokan blog in an intention to make it into a community portal, however my work schedule is limiting me on this but Insha Allah I will try my best to archive this objective. I would like to request you to allow me to add your newsletter on my blog also let me know if you have any advice for me concerning Kokan blog. The blog is under development and will take some time to gear up. Regards, Wasim Chougle kokantimes.com Dubai 2] Dear Siraj, Assalaamu Alaikum Many thanks for contacting me. My first reaction is that I like the name Washishti. I will Insha Allah get back to you soon. Best wishes to you and the family. Salaams to Dr. Abdul Ghani Dalvi. Wish you great success in your efforts. Yours affectionately Kasim Dalvi London [3] Masha Allah. A great piece of work indeed. I am sure all Kokanis will like it and will definitely give their comments. I ll arrange to upload it on the website. Regards, Faisal Tungekar Riyadh [4] Assalam Alaikum Mohtaram Janab Dr. Bijle Saheb, Indeed this is an excellent work. I was sincerely impressed and give me an immense pleasure to congratulate you and all your other team members on this commendable job..kindly accept my congratulation and best wishes for continuity of this mission. My best salaam, Rafiq Dalwai, Riyadh 14

15 Page 15 [5] Dear Siraj, I am glad to see the "Kokan News", Insha Allah it will be soon on its high prosperity and you will get success in your sacred mission. I have forwarded your to so many of my friends and relatives. Waiting for your topic "Kokani Muslims & Their Culture", it may be a very vast series. Best of luck and Regards to you and all of participants. Regards, Abdulghani A. Patel (Q.C. Dept.), SABIC-Yanpet Co. (Ext.: 5642) Yanbu Industrial City Saudi Arabia [6] Dear All, Attached please find a small newsletter about the "Kokan News" started by Brother Siraj Bijle. May Almighty Allah reward him for his bounties and social endeavors, Aameen. This is a first edition, just a beginning, but our support in all aspect will definitely bring success. My request is to circulate this edition within your contacts to reach as many as possible, and hopefully our Kokani community will join hands with each other for its improvement and success. Best regards Maqsood Ismail Riyadh [7] Dear Br. Siraj, Assalaam Waaleykum, Masha-ALLAH!! This is a remarkable achievement. Good effort. I am happy that people in Saudi Arabia have joined for a very noble cause. Similarly, we too have same in Kuwait (check recently started and working for socio-economic development of Kokani Muslims. I would like to upload it to News Section on ikokani Website. The newsletter has a professional look and I am sure it will draw more people to the website. Kindly provide your permission for uploading it on the net. I am in re-process of changing the look of the ikokani website soon and I hope that this news would be of a very much interest to Kokani Muslims around the globe. I will also forward you some of the interesting news that comes across to me regarding the Kokani Muslims so that all of us share and benefit at the same time. I would like to devote a Section for your Newsletter and hope that you will be able to upload the content yourself directly whenever you have a new issue coming). Also if you would like to get a free address from ikokani ( e.g. sirajbijle@ikokani.com) which will be configured to yahoo address, I can send you one. I am not sure if you have registered in ikokani, but I hope that you will register and bring more people so that we can have a good database of Kokani Muslims worldwide. Jazaak-ALLAH Khair, Admin@iKokani Kuwait 15

16 Zahra Apartments Enron Bypass Guhaghar Road, Chiplun City, Dist: Ratnagiri Contact: Dr. Siraj Mohammed Bijle Tel: Mobile: Honorary Members of Kokan News Dr. Abdulghani Dalvi Mr. Rafique Dalwai Mr. Nasir A. Khan Mr. Nasir Dalwai Mr. Abdulkarim Kurawle Mr. Tahir Hasan Anware Mr. Irshad Edroos Mr. Ahmed K. Chougule Mr. Maqsud Ashtikar Mr. Abdulghafoor Nadkar Mr. Abdulrauf Sable Mr. Firoz A. Chougule Publication Policy for Authors / Contributors The Editor of the Kokan News welcome contributions of research articles from our readers. The Newsletter will consider for publication manuscripts of interest to readers with special reference to Kokan. All submissions are subject to review by the Editor and by refer in appropriate specialties. Submission of Manuscripts: Manuscripts are received with the understanding that they are not under simultaneous consideration by another publication. An abstract published prior to a full report is not regarded as a duplicate publication. The author s transmittal letter must accompany the manuscript and contain these statements. The manuscript has been seen and approved by all authors involved and is neither being published nor being considered for publication elsewhere. The authors transfer copyright to the Kokan News. Accepted manuscripts may not be published elsewhere without Kokan News permission. Responsibilities of Authors: The authors are entirely responsible for accuracy of all statements and data. The Statements expressed in the in the signed articles reflects the views and opinions of the authors and not the policies of the Kokan News. The Kokan News does not accept responsibility for statements made by the contributors/ authors. The other important points must be followed by the Authors are: 1. Articles must be in ENGLISH, HINDI, MARATHI AND URDU 2. DO NOT submit the same article more than once 3. We don't accept articles for publication against our government, organizations or individuals. We will include articles about development with special reference to Kokan and Kokanis and in the interest of our nation and humanity only Editor Please note these guidelines are subject to change without notice. Submit manuscripts to the Editor: - KOKAN NEWS - smbijle@yahoo.co.uk & kokan.news@yahoo.com 16