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The Wire
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Wire
Their Shrines Demolished, Muslims in Gujarat's Gir Somnath Have Nowhere to Look for Hope
Menu हिंदी తెలుగు اردو Home Politics Economy World Security Law Science Society Culture Editor's Pick Opinion Support independent journalism. Donate Now Top Stories Their Shrines Demolished, Muslims in Gujarat's Gir Somnath Have Nowhere to Look for Hope Tarushi Aswani 35 minutes ago Eight months after large-scale demolitions in the area, local Muslims said their existence has been entirely destabilised and their lives reduced to both literal and metaphorical rubble. The site of the demolished shrines in Veraval. Photo: Tarushi Aswani Real journalism holds power accountable Since 2015, The Wire has done just that. But we can continue only with your support. Contribute now Gir Somnath (Gujarat): Javed Hussain Banva, a 12th-generation caretaker at Gir Somnath's Pir Silar Shah Dargah, recently lost his eyesight. Banva has lost partial vision without any genetic or medical predispositions that could have led to the condition. 'After I witnessed the bulldozing of the shrine of our saint, our Sufi, nothing made sense to me. The doctors told me I lost my vision because of my anxiety and stress,' said Banva, recalling the bulldozing of the Pir Silar Shah Dargah and eight other structures of Islamic significance in September 2024. Banva's home, life and memories of childhood lie under the rubble that neighbours the rubble of the Pir Silar Shah Dargah. Seven months ago, at four in the morning, when Muslims begin waking up for dawn prayers, Muslims in Gir Somnath district were jolted out of their sleep by hundreds of policemen who made way for bulldozers. The day when the police orchestrated the demolition is deeply etched in the minds of Gir Somnath's Muslims. That day, over 200 Muslims saw the state crush their lives and livelihoods using hydraulic cranes, at least 60 excavators, 50 tractor trailers, five dumpers and about 1,400 policemen. On September 28, 2024, the Dargah, along with eight other religious structures associated with Muslims and 47 mostly Muslim-owned houses in the Veraval area of Gir Somnath district in Gujarat, were demolished by authorities in a six-hour drive. As many as 200 locals were affected, said Banva. While the demolitions took place, police detained around 150 locals, it is alleged. Legal battle for faith For the last eight months, Ismailbhai Chhel, a resident of Veraval, has been waging a war against what he calls the arbitrary razing of Muslims' sentiments – the demolition of the nine shrines. In Prabhas Patan, after several historic shrines such as the Haji Mangrol Dargah, Shah Silar Dargah, Garib Shah Dargah, Mayapuri Dargah and Jafar Muzaffar Dargah were bulldozed, Chhel, as the president of the Auliya-E-Deen Committee – a committee founded for the shrines' maintenance in Gir Somnath – vowed to avenge the desecration of the shrines legally. The matter was heard at the Supreme Court as a special leave petition (SLP) filed by the Auliya-E-Deen Committee against a Gujarat high court order of October 3, 2024, that refused to order status quo on the demolition. Pir Shah Silar Dargah before demolition. Photo: Special arrangement Appearing for the Committee, senior advocate Kapil Sibal had questioned the demolition, arguing that the shrine being labelled 'illegal' dated back to 1903 and was previously registered in the Committee's name. Sibal also argued that the demolitions were carried out without respect for the legal, religious and historical status of the land. He said that the land was registered under the Waqf Act and questioned how the government could proceed with demolition without resolving ownership. The case was last heard on January 17, 2025 and was adjourned for the respondents to file their documents. The respondents are the State of Gujarat, the District Collector (Gir Somnath), the Deputy Collector (Gir Somnath), City Survey Superintendent, Prabhas Patan, Mamlatdar (Veraval City), Gujarat State Waqf Board and the Somnath Trust. The case will be next heard on July 15. 'Better to be under the rubble' Khatuna Abdul Qadir always knew she had a special spiritual connection with the Pir Haji Mangroli Shah Dargah. After she lost her husband a decade ago, Khatuna, 60, frequented the shrine in search of peace and patience. This year, when she could not attend the Urs at the shrine, her whole life flashed in front of her eyes – especially September 28, 2024 when the shrine was desecrated by State authorities. Followers of the shrine had even appealed to the Supreme Court seeking permission to conduct the Urs at the Pir Haji Mangroli Shah Dargah, among the alleged encroachments removed from government land in Gujarat's Gir Somnath district. But on January 31, the court turned down the plea, disappointing Gir Somnath's Muslims who have been fighting for their faith. Khatuna could not see the Urs take place, for the first time in her life. 'They attacked our shrines, mosques and homes. I ask them, why didn't they crush us too? It would be better to have been under the rubble of our homes and shrines,' she lamented. Several Muslim families ousted from the shrines which were demolished now live in makeshift tents. Photo: Tarushi Aswani Khatuna is not alone in her anger with the life she lives. Her former neighbour, Safina Bano, is with her – as are 200 other locals who say their lives have lost meaning. Bano remembers her world falling apart when she was made to evacuate her house, clutching her then three-month-old daughter to her chest. 'They told us to move out or get crushed under the bulldozer. They didn't even give us time to take food items for my child. It was raining and my child was shivering in my arms when I tried to keep her covered with my own soaking wet headscarf,' Bano told The Wire. Affected locals say they were left out of their rubbished homes with all their belongings, even food trapped under the rubble. Many of them had to borrow money from their relatives to feed their family. Bano and mother's like her did not have answers when their kids questioned them about their lost homes and why their stomachs would constantly growl under tenements. Even after eight long months of homelessness and hunger, several victims of demolition that The Wire met with claimed that while the authorities have maintained in court that they had informed all residents in the area about the demolition, there was no such notice issued. Muslim-free Gir Somnath? During its visit to the district, The Wire noticed that all the nine demolished structures now constitute of mountains of rubble guarded by Gujarat Police. Every mountain of rubble has a police tenement in front of it, with at least one police personnel guarding it. Demolitions are becoming a regular occurrence in the Gir Somnath district. Despite the Supreme Court's September 17 interim order which stayed demolitions across the country without its permission till October 1, Gujarat authorities demolished not one but nine Islamic structures. Issa Patel, a local, believes that this is a calculated move across the country to reduce Muslims to homeless beggars. 'They don't want Muslims in this holy district. From our position of helplessness, we can see how the law is different for Muslims and different for Hindus,' he said. In March 2025 as well, Gujarat government authorities demolished another Islamic shrine in Junagadh amid an operation that was carried out late in the night amid heavy police deployment. Amid this repetitive and rigorous pattern geared towards toppling the sites of worship belonging to one particular religion, an RTI filed by the editor of a Gujarat newspaper has exposed the biases that manifest in the form of demolitions orchestrated at the behest of the BJP government. View of the Somnath Temple from the site of the razed shrines. Photo: Tarushi Aswani After the demolitions that disturbed the Muslims of Gir Somnath district, Mir Khan Makrani, the founding editor of Lekhmala News, filed a RTI (Right to Information) application questioning the Gujarat Directorate of Archaeology on its standpoint regarding the demolitions. In its RTI reply, the Directorate responses made it sound plainly 'Hindu', Makrani said. The Wire accessed the RTI responses filed by the Directorate to Makrani's application – but the responses give rise to even more questions. Upon Makrani seeking a response as to why the Haji Mangrol Dargah was demolished, the Directorate claimed that the said Dargah was in a residential area and had recently been renovated, with tiling work and cement flooring. Despite the Dargah being registered under the Waqf Act in 1964, the Directorate called it a new construction, suitable for being demolished. In the same manner, when asked about the demolition of Mayapuri Dargah and Pir Silar Shah Dargah, registered under the Waqf Act in 1965, the Directorate stated that both of them appeared to be newly constructed buildings and lacked any marker of historicity. While all three shrines had been registered with Gujarat Waqf Board at least four decades ago, the Directorate used their renovation to declare them unfit as sites of historical and religious significance. Meanwhile, the Directorate itself has called for the renovation of Rudreshwar Mahadev Mandir, Prachin Jain Mandir, Veneshwar Mahadev Mandir and Veraval Darwaza in Gir Somnath district. The office has also shown concern for their historicity and decaying structure, calling for renovation and preservation of damaged portions as it feels their historicity is visible despite certain portions being newly cemented and renovated. Make a contribution to Independent Journalism Related News The Gujarat Evictions and the Weaponisation of National Security Leaders' Silence Questioned After Gujarat Dalit Man Allegedly Killed Over Addressing Teen as 'Beta' 8,000 Homes Demolished in Gujarat's Siasat Nagar, Government Cites 'National Security 'Gujarat Samachar' Co-Owner Bahubali Shah's Arrest and Bail: Here's What Happened Gujarat Samachar Owner Held by ED, Congress Says Critical Writing Against Modi Govt Led to Arrest Cops Arrest Gujarat Minister's Second Son in Alleged MGNREGS Funds Scam Raj Rachakonda's '23' Takes a Hard Look At Caste and Social Justice Police Arrest Gujarat Minister's Son in Rs 71-Crore MGNREGS Funds Scam Manipur: 'Ready to Form Government,' NDA MLAs Meet Governor, Claim Support of 44 View in Desktop Mode About Us Contact Us Support Us © Copyright. All Rights Reserved.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Renowned 1960s nasi padang spot at Kampong Glam opens new food court stall in the West
Sabar Menanti along North Bridge Road near Kampong Glam is a renowned nasi padang spot that first operated as an unknown street stall in the 1920s. It later transitioned into a dine-in eatery in the 1960s. Current owner, Iszahar, a 3rd-Gen who took over his mother's business in late 2022 has just opened a new food court stall over at Apex @ Henderson called Surya. Iszahar, an ex-shipping broker with 15 years in the industry, traded his sharp business suits and cologne for casual wear and the aroma of rendang after hours spent in the kitchen. 'Setting up Surya, which I named after my late sister, has always been on my mind,' he shared. He added, 'She meant a lot in our family and her legacy and spirit will continue to live on through Surya.' Iszahar wanted to ensure that Sabar Menanti was stable and running properly before proceeding to make Surya a dream come true. 'Coincidentally, my late sister was staying at Henderson and teaching at a school nearby. When there was an opportunity to open at Apex @ Henderson, I grabbed it!' He exclaimed. Another reason he opened Surya was to keep up with the times and veer away from old, traditional cooking methods his mother still practices to this day at Sabar Menanti. Iszahar partners with Rudy who also owns ASAP & Co, an award-winning Halal steakhouse at Far East Square. Muslim-owned Surya features the same signature dishes from Sabar Menanti, but at lower prices. Feast on their signatures like the Beef (S$5), (S$5), and (S$5). To promote healthier eating, Iszahar has future plans to offer more greens on the menu which will be rolled out in the upcoming months. You can also choose an array of chillies to add some heat to your plates of nasi padang like sambal balado and belacan. For the first plate, I chose Beef (S$5), Stingray (S$5), (S$1.70), and (S$1.70). The stingray was exceptionally tender and the tangy, spicy notes of the sauce was well balanced. It was my first time trying stingray prepared this way, and I highly recommend it! Though the beef rendang was rich in flavour and the spices were well-balanced, I found myself wishing the meat had been a touch more tender. We also tried their (S$5), (S$6), (S$1.70) and (S$1.70). If you're like me and have no idea what Ayam Kolio is, it turns out to be a dish similar to Thai red curry, infused with the warm, earthy notes of turmeric. It was creamy and reminded me of a more robust version of ayam kurma — 2 thumbs up! Seafood fans will love the tasty Sotong Sambal and I loved how textural the pucuk ubi (cassava leaves) was. Bukit Merah residents who find North Bridge Road a bit too out of the way can now enjoy Surya at the more convenient Chill Bar food court, located at Apex @ Henderson. Do note that Surya only opens from Mondays to Fridays (8am to 4pm). You're advised to drop by early to avoid disappointment. Happy feasting! We tried Singapore's best-rated nasi padang The post Renowned 1960s nasi padang spot at Kampong Glam opens new food court stall in the West appeared first on
Straits Times
16-05-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
From Johor Bahru to Bukit Panjang: Hiap Joo Bakery's banana cakes sold via vending machine
Hiap Joo Bakery & Biscuit Factory's famed banana cake will be sold at a vending machine in Senja Hawker Centre. PHOTO: HIAP JOO BAKERY & BISCUIT FACTORY SINGAPORE – There is no need to cross the Causeway anymore for the famously moist banana cakes from Hiap Joo Bakery & Biscuit Factory in Johor Bahru. Just head to Senja Hawker Centre in Bukit Panjang from May 17 for your cake fix, with a touch of a button from a vending machine. Each box – priced at $8.60 – contains 10 pieces of banana cake. The chilled vending machine can hold 48 boxes at one time, and will be restocked twice a day at 11.30am and 4.30pm. For its opening promotion, each box will be priced at $6.50. For comparison, in JB, each box is priced at RM13, or about S$3.90. Currently, the focus is on selling the iconic banana cake, says Ms Serene Ong, 41, the founder of Singaporean company Hypha Vending Retail, which supplies and operates the vending machines. Ms Ong is no stranger to Hiap Joo Bakery as she has been in touch with it for many years to import its cakes for group-buy consumption during the Covid-19 pandemic. She approached the owners in April, with the intention to resell the cakes via the vending machine. She does not rule out bringing in Hiap Joo Bakery's other products in the future, and is also exploring more locations to set up these cake vending machines. Her Hypha Vending Retail company is behind the popular Butter Town bakery's 'shio pan ATM' and Uncle Lee Confectionery cake machine. Both machines, which are located at Woodleigh Village Hawker Centre, sell out these products every day, she adds. Home-grown company Hypha Vending Retail is also behind the popular 'shio pan ATM' at Woodleigh Village Hawker Centre. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG She also has another Uncle Lee Confectionery dispenser at Bukit Batok West Hawker Centre, and a panna cotta vending machine at Buangkok Hawker Centre in Sengkang Grand Mall. The latter stocks panna cotta from Muslim-owned business Rohmini. While her current batch of vending machines are all located in hawker centres, Ms Ong is looking to expand into shopping centres and other communal spaces with high footfall. In the long run, she hopes to push out more unmanned machines vending products not just from local businesses, but 'overseas delicacies' from countries such as Thailand and China too. She says: 'The aim is to be the platform for small businesses to have a physical presence. I benchmark what to sell from my group-buy experience – people tell me about things they want to try and I will review to see if they are worth bringing in.' Eunice Quek is STFood online editor at The Straits Times. She covers all things trending in the food and beverage scene. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Express Tribune
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Singles seek love at capital meetup
Whether it is the best of times, or the worst of times – or as some would say both – the marriage matchmaking market in Pakistan stays in business. Curated meetups for singles in the city appear to be the latest creative take on finding rishtey. Muzz, the matchmaking app for Muslims, recently hosted a Baat Pakki event for single candidates looking for a marriage partner in Islamabad. Around 70 eligible men and women attended along with their mothers, who were also invited to the event. The meetup was more than just a gathering; it was styled like a reality TV game show where attendees were given name tags that specified only their name and age, before they were divided across zones based on age groups. To start off, candidates who were closer in age were seated at the same table with nudges from the staff and icebreaking prompts to encourage discussion. Prompts included intriguing questions such as "Which of your five senses would you give up?" which had candidates agreeing with each other and more divisive ones like "What are your thoughts on dressing modestly?" Every 20 minutes or so, candidates were asked to switch tables, ensuring that they got a chance to meet the different people at the event. At the same time, the mothers, who were differentiated by Team Boy and Team Girl stickers, socialised with each other in a separate zone. The staff remained hands-on throughout the event, facilitating matches by providing interested candidates with a space to chat one-on-one and informing candidates of any potential matches their mothers had identified. "This is actually much better than the arranged marriage rishta process," said the mother of a male candidate. "I personally do not like going to people's houses and giving them an evaluation on whether we liked their daughter. It's better that youngsters meet and decide for themselves." Maheen, 27, who was able to find a match at the event and has continued talking to him since then, said, "My mother kind of forced me to come here. I don't even use the app. I just downloaded it to purchase the tickets, so, I didn't have high hopes, but it was actually a nice experience." Several candidates remarked that the in-person meetup was a more effective alternative to finding matches through the app. Requiring participants to bring their mothers and purchase tickets priced at Rs7,500 made it more likely that serious candidates attended the event. It was also apparent that the Muzz team had vetted the profiles of the participants beforehand. "We have introduced a number of changes to our app to ensure the candidates' legitimacy. We now verify their identity, age and salary, and we have added a lot more filters, so that people can find genuine connections based on their own preferences," Muzz CEO Shahzad Younas, who was in Pakistan for the Baat Pakki event, told the Express Tribune. Muzz, the Muslim-owned app for matchmaking, is active in over 190 countries and has 12 million users. "We have had a lot of new users join the app lately, and thousands have reached out to us in 2024 to share that they got married through the app," said Muzz PK Marketing Lead, Nayab Nazir, pointing towards her sister-in-law who had found her husband through the Muzz app. "What's most amazing is the cross-regional matches we have seen as people from different cultures and backgrounds, like those from the Middle East and the UK, are able to connect despite their differences," she added.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Caitlin Clark can make the entire WNBA rich
The 2024 WNBA season was historic, enjoying unprecedented growth. Much of this attention is attributed to Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark. In college, she single-handedly elevated college basketball. Her transition to the WNBA was remarkably smooth, setting multiple WNBA records en route to being named WNBA Rookie of the Year. The numbers tell a story that places Clark among some of the most influential players ever to play not only in the WNBA, but also in the same stratosphere as NBA players who left indelible marks on their game. Prior to the 2024 season, the highest average home attendance ever for any WNBA team was 16,202, set in 2002 by the Washington Mystics. This record was not eclipsed until 2024, with the Fever averaging 17,036 per game. To put this number into perspective, the second-highest average home attendance in 2024 was 12,729 for the New York Liberty, the reigning WNBA champion. In addition, the Fever's average home attendance in 2023 was 4,066, ranking it second-to-last amongst all WNBA teams. This means that the Fever's 2024 average home attendance was over four times higher than their 2023 average home attendance. This captures the Caitlin Clark Effect. It follows the Fever on the road. Their 2024 average road attendance was 15,131, over 4,400 more people than the second-highest road attendance average (for the Chicago Sky, 10,676, with rookie phenom Angel Reese on their roster). Not surprisingly, the largest home attendances for eight of the other 11 WNBA teams occurred when they played the Fever. The scarcity of tickets for Fever games has pushed ticket prices in the secondary market to unprecedented levels. How can a single person have such an enormous influence on a team, let alone an entire sport? Anyone who has watched Clark play knows why. She thrills fans with creative passing and a willingness to take long-range threes. Every possession has the potential to be magical. Opinion: Why Muslim-owned coffee shops are Indy's best late-night hangouts The Caitlin Clark Effect extends beyond the Fever and even the WNBA. Women's basketball is already very popular in high school and at the college level. Clark will give even more young girls and women a reason to pursue the opportunity to 'play like Cait." Yet, Clark's arrival has highlighted several issues of fairness. Objectively, arguments that WNBA and NBA players should be paid the same are misguided. Salaries ultimately come from revenue streams, and if revenue streams for the NBA are 100 times higher than for the WNBA, then salaries will be similarly affected. The gap is so large that the highest paid WNBA player earns less money than the lowest paid NBA player. Such a disparity cannot be overcome in one season. Clark has the potential to make a dent in this situation, though, as she is single-handedly moving attendance numbers for the Fever to be on par with average home attendance for NBA teams. In fact, the 2024 Fever average home attendance was higher than the average home attendance for five NBA teams (Hornets, Pacers, Grizzlies, Wizards, Hawks) in the 2023-2024 season and seven teams in the 2024-2025 season (Hawks, Kings, Pelicans, Wizards, Grizzlies, Pacers, and Clippers). As more revenue flows to WNBA teams, it will lead to higher contracts for all players. Then there are endorsement deals. Clark had numerous NIL contracts while in college that netted her an estimated $3.1 million. Such deals accelerated once she jumped to the WNBA. Of course, NBA teams play twice as many games as WNBA teams. NBA ticket prices are also higher than WNBA ticket prices, and the NBA has lucrative television agreements, all providing tailwinds for higher player contracts. It remains to be seen if the Caitlin Clark Effect is sustainable for the Fever, and most importantly, for other teams. Professional sports, including women's basketball, is entertainment, with grownups playing a child's sport. If the entertainment level can be enhanced, then the rising tide will benefit all teams and the league. Right now, Clark is carrying the weight of the WNBA on her shoulders. If she can get some help to ease her burden, the WNBA is in store for a wild ride. Sheldon H. Jacobson is a professor of computer science in the Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He applies data-driven, risk-based decision-making to evaluate and inform public policy. He is the founder of Bracketodds, a STEM learning lab showcasing the mathematics of March Madness. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Caitlin Clark Effect will lead to more WNBA sellouts, cash | Opinion
