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India.com
6 hours ago
- Health
- India.com
Real Life Raksha Bandhan: Her Hand Once Held His Sister's, Now A Mumbai Teen Ties Rakhi To A Brother She Never Knew
Ahmedabad: Dressed in a soft pink salwar suit edged with delicate lace, 16-year-old Anamta Ahmed leaned forward and gently tied a rakhi around the wrist of Shivam Mistry. He looked at her with affection and smile on his face. The room filled with applause. A few eyes glistened with tears, while the familiar melody of a beloved Raksha Bandhan song played in the background. The scene carried a meaning far beyond than a simple festival ritual. The very hand tying the rakhi had once belonged to Shivam's younger sister, Riya, a nine-year-old girl who passed away in September 2024. The emotional meeting was made possible by a Surat-based NGO. The Mistry family lives in Valsad, while Anamta is from Goregaon in Mumbai. After Riya's passing, one of her hands was transplanted onto Anamta, creating a bond that neither family could have imagined before. For Shivam's father, Bobby Mistry, the first time he touched Anamta's transplanted hand was overwhelming. His voice still shakes as he recalls the moment. 'It felt like Riya was still here with us. She was the only girl in our family. In that moment, it was as if our daughter had come back to life,' he told The Indian Express. Two years earlier, life had taken a harsh turn for Anamta. Then a Grade 10 student, she was visiting her relatives in Aligarh (Uttar Pradesh) when she accidentally came into contact with a high-tension electric wire while playing on a terrace. The shock left her unconscious, and doctors were forced to amputate her entire right arm. Severely damaged, her left arm retained only 20 percent of its function. Riya's story began to change in September last year. One afternoon in Valsad, she suddenly began vomiting and complained of an intense headache. Several hospitals could not identify the problem. Her parents rushed her to Surat's Kiran Hospital on September 15. A CT scan revealed that she had suffered a fatal brain haemorrhage, leaving her brain-dead. The diagnosis stunned her family and the hospital staff. At that moment, the NGO Donate Life stepped in. They spoke with Riya's parents, who decided to donate her organs. A registration was made with the State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (SOTTO). On September 17, Riya's right hand, which was amputated from the shoulder, was transported to Mumbai, where surgeons transplanted it onto Anamta. Nilesh Mandlewala, president of the NGO, said this made her the youngest person in the world to undergo a shoulder-level hand transplant. Riya's kidneys and liver were also donated, saving the lives of other recipients. The two families finally came face-to-face a day before Raksha Bandhan this year. Nilesh described the gathering as 'an auspicious occasion', with relatives and friends from both families present. Bobby had no idea a rakhi ceremony had been planned. The NGO had arranged it as a surprise. 'I was at work when my wife, Trishna, called and asked me to come home early. My son and I arrived together. The house was full of people. I saw Aquil Ahmed, his wife and their daughter. And then I saw Anamta. I was stunned. They told me they had come to tie a rakhi to Shivam. It was a moment we will never forget,' he said. For Aquil, the day brought back memories of the accident in 2022. 'After the electric shock, she became unconscious. We brought her back to Mumbai. Dr. Nilesh Satbhai at Global Hospital told us that her right arm had to be amputated, and her left arm was only partially functional. She was in Class 10, and her board exams were coming up. The amputation was done from the shoulder. A few months later, her left arm was operated on,' he recalled. Recovery was slow but steady. He remembered how his daughter turned to YouTube videos for physiotherapy exercises, gradually improving the strength in her left hand. She practised writing every day despite the pain, returned to school and scored an impressive 92 percent in her Grade 10 board exams in 2023. Her name was later registered with Maharashtra SOTTO. On September 16, 2024, Dr. Satbhai called the family with news of Riya's donation. The transplant surgery went ahead, and today, Anamta can use both hands with confidence. 'We thank Bobby and Trishna from the bottom of our hearts,' said Aquil. Now in Grade 12 at Mithibai College, Anamta uses her free time to create videos encouraging people to overcome adversity. She has appeared on podcasts, spoken at events and even delivered a TEDx talk to inspire others with her extraordinary story of connection, loss and renewal.
Indian Express
20 hours ago
- Health
- Indian Express
Months after transplantation gives her a new hand, Muslim teen from Mumbai ties Rakhi to brother of Hindu donor in Gujarat's Valsad
Dressed in a pink salwar-suit set with lace detailing, 16-year-old Anamta Ahmed ties a rakhi around the wrist of Shivam Mistry. Her rakhi brother, Shivam, looks at her indulgently and the entire room breaks into applause. A few people have tears in their eyes. Someone plays the popular Raksha Bandhan number 'Behna ne bhai ki kalaai pe pyaar baandha hai…' and everyone present begins humming along. This is not merely a story of communal harmony, though. Until last year, one of the hands that Anamta is using to tie the rakhi belonged to Shivam's sibling Riya. The nine-year-old died in September 2024. With the help of a Surat-based NGO – the Mistrys are based in Valsad – one of Riya's hands was transplanted on Anamna, who lives 180 kilometres away in Goregaon, Mumbai. 'We touched the hands of Anamta and felt like it was Riya. She was the only girl child in our entire family. We felt like our daughter was still alive,' says an emotional Bobby Mistry, Shivam's father. Anamta was in Class 10 when, after coming in contact with a high-tension wire, her entire right arm had to be amputated by doctors in 2022. Even her left arm was working at 20% capacity. Two years later, on the afternoon of September 13, Class 4 student Riya fell sick in Valsad. She began vomiting and complained of an unbearable headache. After trying at several hospitals, her parents admitted her at Surat's Kiran Hospital on September 15. A CT scan showed that she was brain-dead due to a haemorrhage – a revelation that left Riya's family and entire staff shocked. Around this time, Donate Life NGO approached Riya's family and counselled them, following which they agreed to donate her organs. A registration was made on SOTTO (State Organ And Tissue Transplant Organization) and Riya's right hand, starting from the shoulder, was amputated and sent to Mumbai. It was transplanted on Anamta on September 17, making the teenager the youngest in the world to undergo the procedure at shoulder-level, says Nilesh Mandlewala, the president of Donate Life NGO. The kidneys and liver of Riya were also donated to different beneficiaries. Along with her parents, Anamta came down to Valsad, a day before Raksha Bandhan, on Friday. Mandlewala said, 'It was an auspicious occasion today as families of Akil Ahmed (Anamta's father) and Bobby Mistry met each other along with their friends and relatives.' Bobby says he had no idea about the Rakhi celebrations planned by the NGO on whose request, the Ahmed family came down to Valsad. 'It was a surprise for us. I was out at work when my wife Trishna called me and asked me to come home early. My son and I arrived home at the same time on Friday afternoon. I found my house crowded with relatives, friends, and Donate Life members. I saw Akil Ahmed with his wife and daughter, and Anamta was also present. Seeing them, I was shocked. They told me they had come down to Valsad to tie the rakhi to Shivam. This was a memorable moment for us,' he adds. Describing the fateful day of November 2022 when Anamta was injured, her father Akil says, 'Anamta had gone to our native place in Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh to stay with our relatives. While playing on the terrace of a house, she accidentally touched a high-tension electric wire passing nearby. She became unconscious and was admitted to the hospital. We brought her back to Mumbai, and Dr Nilesh Satbhai of Global Hospital told us that her right hand had to be amputated. Her left hand, too, was only 20% functional. She was in Class 10 at the time and her Board exams were approaching. We got her right hand amputated from the shoulder. After a few months, her left hand was operated upon.' Describing Anamta's recovery process, Akil says, 'Anamta watched exercise videos on YouTube and started working on her left hand. After continuous exercise, we could sense recovery. She felt pain but did not give up. Simultaneously, she also started practising writing. She resumed school and confidently attended her classes. In her Class 10 Board exams in 2023, she scored 92%.' Meanwhile, Akil got her name registered with Maharashtra SOTTO. 'On September 16, 2024, Dr Satbhai called and informed me about the donor – Riya. The operation was performed in Mumbai. Now, Anamta is more confident and uses both her hands properly. We thanked Bobby Mistry and his wife Trishna profusely,' says Akil. Anamta is now a Class 12 student at Mithibai College in Mumbai. In her free time, she makes social media content encouraging people to face adversities head-on. She has featured in several podcasts and is also a TEDx speaker.
Economic Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Economic Times
‘Harrowing night for us; trade in state of shock': Exporters recall moment US imposed 50% tariff
Synopsis Exporters across India faced late-night calls from US buyers cancelling or pausing orders after President Trump doubled tariffs on Indian goods to 50%. Apparel, seafood, gems and jewellery sectors are hit hardest. Buyers refuse to absorb the added costs, forcing some orders to shift to lower-tariff countries. Exporters warn of job losses and production halts amid mounting uncertainty. AP Exporters didn't get much sleep on Wednesday night with their phones ringing off the hook as frantic US buyers kept calling. The conversations weren't pleasant. Orders were put on hold or cancelled after US President Donald Trump doubled the tariff on Indian goods to 50%.At the receiving end were garment, textile, shrimp and gems and jewellery exporters. 'In the dead of night, one US buyer is asking, why do you need the Russian oil?' said the Indian CEO of a ₹600 crore garment exporting company. 'The buyers had asked us to take a burden of 15% tariff when it was at 25% level. Now they say they can't take any of the 50% tariff load. We are not making some unique products which can't be sourced from elsewhere,' said the CEO, his voice heavy with worry, given that the business is at risk as is the livelihood of about 8,000 factory workers. He didn't want his identity to be revealed as the banks he's borrowed from could be next on the phone. ALSO READ: Indian FMCG giants mull new manufacturing units for exports to US as tariffs bite Thomas Jose, a third-generation exporter of shrimp products to the US, was on calls with buyers late into the night with most of them asking him to stop shipments. This was the refrain, he said: 'We can't accept anything that has even 1% higher duty above 25%, accepting 50% duty is out of question.' Jose is a director at Kerala-based Choice Group, which clocks annual exports of ₹900 crore, most of it to the US. India's seafood exports to the US were worth ₹24,000 crore in FY25ALSO READ: US tariffs may cost India's electronics sector up to $30 billionVijay Kumar Mangukiya, managing director of Surat-based export house Dhani Jewels, was also on the phone until late.'Last night I got calls from my US buyers asking whether we could renegotiate prices of diamonds, despite knowing the Trump government has put an extra tariff of 25%. We told them that had the tariff been only 25% we would have negotiated and absorbed a portion of the cost. But at 50% tariff it is impossible to do that,' Mangukiya said. 'The US buyers told us that they will have a discussion with the retail jewellers and customers, whether they are ready to pay extra for diamonds. However, if they pressurise us, we will have no choice but to cancel the order.'Some orders went to a neighbouring country on which the US has imposed a lower tariff.'I was about to get a purchase order for 2 lakh pieces of trousers from a US buyer. He called me around midnight and asked me if I will be able to bear this additional 25% increase in tariffs. When I said no, he decided to shift the order to Bangladesh,' said one of the country's top 10 apparel exporters who wanted to remain be sure, US buyers are also caught in a bind as the festive season for that country is approaching, so shifting orders is fraught with US accounts for 28% of the annual apparel and textile exports from India, worth a total of about ₹87,525 crore in 2024.'With 50% tariff, it is period. The trade is in a state of shock,' said Vijay Agarwal, chairman, The Cotton Textile Export Promotion Council (Texprocil).Manufacturers at the garment hub of Tiruppur in Tamil Nadu export goods worth about ₹21,000 crore annually to the US. They've got merchandise worth about ₹3,000 crore, including fabric, finished and unfinished goods, in their inventory that could soon become a liability.'The patient is in a coma--no treatment is available,' said Kumar Duraiswamy, joint secretary of the Tiruppur Exporters' Association (TEA). 'Ship only those goods that you can load by August 27. Put on hold everything else,' Duraiswamy cited buyers as the initial 25% duty takes effect on August 7, the additional 25% levy will come into force after 21 days, according to Trump's Executive Order issued on Wednesday.'We have started slowing down production, we can stop cutting fabric. But the goods which are in the pipeline and in the sewing process, must be produced,' said Premal Udani, managing director, Kaytee Corp. and former chairman of the Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC).'This was not expected. It is an astronomical rate. A tariff of 50% is backbreaking.'Adil Kotwal, president of the Seepz Gems & Jewellery Manufacturers Association, said that US buyers put orders on hold immediately after the 50% tariff announcement.'Some said that they are hopeful of the tariff coming down on August 27, others said going ahead they will make selective buying,' he said.'All are seeking clarity at the moment. However, there are no orders for September and October from the US at the 200 exporting units in Seepz (Santacruz Electronic Export Processing Zone), which employs 100,000 people and exports jewellery worth ₹20,000 crore to the US.'The 800,000 people who work in the diamond centre of Surat are nervous about the future.'It had been a harrowing night for us when we came to know about the 50% US tariff,' said Vinay Patel, a worker at a Surat diamond cutting and polishing unit.'All of us went to our factories early in the morning to know whether our jobs were there or not. Till now, the units have not informed us of anything, but the tension continues.'
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Indian Express
Surat jeweller booked for duping South Mumbai diamond merchant of Rs 1.81 crore
The Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) police on Wednesday booked a Surat-based jeweller for allegedly cheating a South Mumbai-based diamond merchant of Rs 1.81 crore. The suspect has been identified as Rajeshkumar Sharma, 50, proprietor of Krishna Jewellers in Surat, and his firm has been in the diamond business for the past three years, the police said on Thursday. According to the police, Sharma was the client of the complainant, Rajesh Vithani, who runs a company in Bharat Diamond Bourse in BKC, Bandra (East), dealing with the purchase and sale of diamonds. Vithani is in the business of giving the precious stones to traders, dealers, and brokers in the diamond market on a receipt. The suspect won the confidence of Vithani, since Sharma's firm had bought diamonds from the complainant in the past, the police said. Sharma had contacted Vithani's office in March and said that he had a reputed client interested in purchasing high-quality diamonds. Based on his previous business relation with Sharma, Vithani supplied him two consignments of cut and polished natural diamonds, weighing 444.86 carats worth Rs 1.31 crore, and a second consignment of 475.82 carats worth Rs 49.9 lakh. Sharma had signed the receipt in the presence of the complainant under the promise that he would make the payment in 15 days. In his complaint, Vithani stated that when he contacted Sharma after two weeks, he claimed that he had met with an accident and was undergoing an operation, and required more time to pay the amount. After a month, Sharma gave another excuse that his daughter had undergone a heart operation and that he would complete the payment soon, said an officer. Later, when the complainant tried to contact Sharma, his number was initially found switched off and then out of service, the police said.
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Indian Express
25 CCTV cameras, patrolling men with walkie-talkies to evade arrest: Luck runs out for Surat ‘drug lord'
As many as 25 CCTV cameras in a 500-meter radius, three patrolling men with walkie-talkies on the narrow roads leading to his house and a special room on the ground floor of his three-storey house to see the CCTV feeds. These, according to police, were the measures taken by a Surat-based drug lord to evade police arrest. Shiva alias Shivraj Zala (28) has given police a slip whenever his house was raided by police. His luck, however, ran out on Tuesday night when police arrested Zala from his house, the only tall property surrounded by single-floor pucca houses in the Bhatena area of Surat city. Police also seized Rs 16 lakh, 120 grams of mephedrone (a synthetic drug) and two pistols from his house. After several failed attempts to arrest Zala, police sources said they devised a different strategy to arrest him. First, cops talked to local youths of the Bhatena area and learnt about the security cover placed by Zala. The police team did a recce of the area and found the CCTV cameras in 25 locations. On Tuesday, the Surat Special Operation Group (SOG) got information that Zala was present in his house. Acting on a plan, 25 policemen in plain clothes travelled on 15 bikes to the narrow roads near his house close to the overbridge built on Koili Creek. All six routes leading to Zala's house were screened by police. SOG police inspector A P Chaudhary said, 'We have earlier identified the escape routes of Zala and a group of police personnel were deployed on all six escape routes, including the way to Koli Creek and its bridge so that he could not give us a slip this time.' 'We parked our bikes at different locations around a 100-metre radius of his house. A group of policemen, led by me, reached the narrow lane leading to his house. The main door of his house was open and a police team barged in and overpowered Zala,' Chaudhary said, adding that he was arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act and the Arms Act. According to police, Zala was involved in various crimes including murder, attempt-to-murder, robbery and drugs trade. A total of 16 cases had been registered against him. 'Shiva had been known as a messiah in the Bhatena area, where low-income group families reside. He used to help the residents financially for marriage, medical treatment and other needs. The Bhatena area is dominated by people from the minority community. He has good clout among the locals and nobody dared to raise their voice against him,' Chaudhary said. Police sources said that Zala is the youngest son of a tempo driver, Bhupendrasinh Zala, hailing from Dhandhuka taluka in Ahmedabad district. Police said that long ago, his father migrated from Dhandhuka to Surat and settled in the Bhatena area. He has three other sons. Chaudhary added, 'Zala used to buy drugs from a person in Mumbai. Drug peddlers used to come to his place and buy drugs directly. He was selling drugs only to known peddlers and also kept watch of their movements. We are trying to dig out more information from him and identify the peddlers involved with him.'
