In the 18th and early 19th centuries, Urdu was the predominant language in those areas of the subcontinent that are today called the ‘Hindi belt’.
In the years immediately following the Independence of India, the literary genius Sadaat Hasan Manto wrote a short fiction commenting on the strange language dispute that had been simmering since the earliest days of the freedom struggle. The Hindi vs Urdu debate appeared odd to Manto. He compared it to an imaginary debate over lemon-soda and lemon water. “Why are Hindus wasting their time supporting Hindi, and why are Muslims so beside themselves over the preservation of Urdu? A language is not made, it makes itself. And no amount of human effort can ever kill a language,” he noted in his story titled ‘Hindi aur Urdu’.
Why has a Delhi court asked Amazon to stop selling Rooh Afza made in Pakistan?
The current issue is about the rights over ‘Hamdard’, a name associated in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh with rooh afza, having common origins.
Delhi High Court has directed Amazon to remove the listing of a drink manufactured by a Pakistani company under the name “Rooh Afza” from its platform in India.The order, passed on September 7, came on a plea filed by the Indian social welfare NGO Hamdard National Foundation saying some of the “Rooh Afza” listed on the e-commerce site in India are not manufactured by Hamdard Laboratories (India), but by Pakistani companies whose details are not mentioned on the packaging. The Rooh Afza sherbet concentrate, a Unani formulation containing ingredients that are believed to have cooling properties, has long been popular in North India during summer. It is said to have been invented in Delhi in the first decade of the 20th century as a cure for the summer heat. The court said: “‘Rooh Afza’ is a product which has been consumed by the Indian public for more than a century now, and its quality standards have to comply with the applicable regulations prescribed by the Food Safety and Standards Act and Legal Metrology Act. It is surprising that an imported product is being sold on Amazon without complete details of the manufacturer being disclosed.” One of the manufacturers whose product was being sold on Amazon was Hamdard Laboratory (Waqf), Pakistan. The manufacturer says on its website that Hamdard Pakistan was founded in Karachi “in a two-room rented clinic of Tibb-e-Unani in 1948” by Hakim Mohammed Said, under whose leadership “Hamdard soon became a success story with its respected and well-liked products, especially Rooh Afza syrup and effective herbal medicines”.
The origin of Rooh Afza
Rooh afza is a deep pink-coloured, sweet, concentrated syrup made of fruits, roses, and herbs that is typically added to chilled water or milk, or used to flavour desserts such as phirni and falooda. Its consumption is often associated with Eid gatherings in the subcontinent, where the iftar meal for breaking the fast includes a variety of dishes and often, Rooh Afza.
Goa: 8 Congress MLAs set to defect to BJP, reach Assembly complex
The defection of these MLAs would leave three MLAs in Congress and seven in Opposition parties.
Eight of the 11 MLAs from the Congress in Goa Wednesday reached the Legislative Assembly complex and are set to resign from the party after keeping the defection pot simmering for about two months. Congress MLAs, including former chief minister Digambar Kamat, leader of Opposition Micheal Lobo, his wife Delilah Lobo, and five other MLAs were set to “merge” the Congress legislature party with the BJP, said political sources. The other Congress MLAs, who reached the Goa Assembly, are Kedar Naik, Rudolfo Fernandes, former Goa power minister Aleixo Sequeira, Rajesh Phal Dessai, and Sankalp Amonkar. In 2019, 10 Congress MLAs and two legislators from the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) had similarly merged their legislature parties with the BJP. With the “merger” of the Congress’s legislature party with the BJP, the ruling party in the coastal state would then have 33 of 40 MLAs—including 20 who won the assembly election from the BJP, two from MGP and three Independents who extended support to it to form the government in March.
No local support, may suspend Agnipath rallies or shift to other states: Army to Punjab
While recruitment rallies were held in Ludhiana in August, there is an ongoing camp in Gurdaspur (September 1-14), and another is scheduled to be held in Patiala from September 17 to 30.
CITING “vacillating” support from the local civil administration, the Army’s zonal recruitment officer in Jalandhar has told the Punjab government that the recruitment rallies in the state, under the short-term Agnipath scheme, may either be “held in abeyance” or shifted to neighbouring states. In his letter dated September 8, addressed to V K Janjua, Punjab Chief Secretary, and Kumar Rahul, Principal Secretary, Employment Generation, Skill Development and Training, Major General Sharad Bikram Singh, Zonal Recruitment Officer, Jalandhar, has said: “We are constrained to bring to your kind attention that support from local civil administration is vacillating with no clear cut commitments. They are usually citing their inadequacies due to lack of directions from the state government at Chandigarh or lack of funds.” The first attempt at defection was foiled in July after the Congress party accused Micheal Lobo and Kamat of engineering a defection. Disqualification petitions against them are pending. The letter, seen by The Indian Express, points out that there are certain “inescapable requirements” which the civil administration must provide for holding the recruitment rallies, including “police assistance for law and order, security, crowd control, essential barricading to enable controlled and smooth entry of candidates”. The civil administration is also expected to arrange medical support, including a medical officer with a team and ambulances, to provide immediate assistance. Besides, arrangements have to be made for basic amenities like rain shelters, water, mobile toilets and food for 3,000 to 4,000 candidates per day for the 14 days that the rally is held at a particular venue, says the letter.
IMD issues ‘yellow’ alert over Mumbai; CM Eknath Shinde to launch 227 free health clinics, 50 on Oct 2
Mumbai, Maharashtra News Today Live Updates, Mumbai Weather Today Live: MahaRERA valuers to visit delayed real estate project sites; CM Eknath Shinde to introduce 227 free health clinics in Mumbai, 50 to be launched on Oct 2; and more
Mumbai News Live, Mumbai Rains Today Live Updates, September 14, 2022: After rainfall resumed in Mumbai last week, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a yellow alert for parts of the city, Thane and Palghar on all days till Thursday, indicating that heavy rain at isolated places is very likely. Rainfall in Mumbai over the week is due to the depression forming over South Odisha which will gradually move in the West Northwest direction, Skymet also said in its statement. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde Tuesday announced that 227 free healthcare centres will be set up in the eastern and western suburbs of Mumbai. The initiative will begin from October 2 with the launch of 50 centres. These clinics will be called Hindu Hriday Samrat Balasaheb Thackeray dispensary and polyclinic. According to officials, as many as 139 medical tests will be conducted free-of-charge at these centres, which will be run by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation In other news, The Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority (MahaRERA) is set to appoint valuers certified by the income-tax department or the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India to carry out site visits of delayed real estate projects, said an official from the authority. The official added that the valuers would carry out inspections suo motu or based on complaints received.
4 sadhus beaten up on suspicion of being child-lifters in Maha’s Sangli
11 killed, 25 injured as bus falls into gorge in Jammu and Kashmir
Medical student helps pregnant woman deliver baby on Duronto Express
I’d have picked Shami, Umran and Shubman for 2022 T20 WC: Vengsarkar
