Latest news with #Mushtaq
India Today
3 days ago
- Politics
- India Today
How Kashmir's aspiring doctors demand rescue from an alien war
As missiles fly overhead and smoke billows from the ruins all around, all that Moin Mushtaq, a third-year MBBS student at the Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences holed up with six colleagues in a deserted dormitory, can see through the smashed windows are scenes of agony and devastation caused by the Israel-Iran conflict. 'This is hell, literally, with power outages and the internet going down,' the 22-year-old medical student from north Kashmir's Kupwara says on the phone late in the night on June 16, trying to speak over the noise of a missile attack on Iran's Ahvaz city. 'We're the only ones left behind. The locals and students from UAE and Pakistan have been evacuated.'Iran caters to a modest chunk of Kashmiri students—around 1,500 by unofficial estimates—mainly because the Valley's significant Shia population finds a cultural resonance of sorts in the Shiite-dominated Islamic Republic and students seeking an overseas education find its offerings affordable, especially in medicine, often with attractive scholarships. Now, with the Iran-Israel conflict spiralling into a full-blown war, Mushtaq's doctor dreams are teetering on the brink as he desperately seeks evacuation to India. 'We've been weeping and calling the Indian embassy for help but they only tell us to wait or travel 1,500 kilometres on our own to safety. How can we cover such a distance with the missiles, shells and drones over our heads?' he are four Kashmiri female students in the nearby girl's dormitory. Their internet is down; there is no electricity and the only line of communication is the phone—also in its last gasp as the recharging facilities are in ruins. Students in Ahvaz say the attacks are now directed at the city as it is the hub of oil-refineries and Iran's energy centre. 'We're counting our days, and each one feels like a year as we stare at our phones for help to come our way,' says another student in university, students say, is now making them sign an undertaking that they are staying in the dormitory even after all the academic activities have been shut. According to the declaration, a copy of which is with India Today, the students' decision to stay back is their own and the university is not accountable for Capital city Tehran has been the worst-hit due to Israeli missiles so far. Two Kashmiri students ended up with injuries to their arms and legs and scratches on their faces after a shell landed in the street beside the Hujjat Dost dormitory of the Tehran University of Medical Sciences on the evening of June the nearly 10,000 Indian citizens in Iran, in 2022 there were around 2,050 students, mostly in the medical domain, according to Ministry of External Affairs data. Since June 16, the Indian government has set the evacuation process in motion, prioritising the relocation of students from Tehran to the Qom and Ramsar cities 150-250 kilometres away. In Qom, over 600 students have been assembled in big halls with no connection to their families as the internet is unavailable.'We don't want to be huddled like this here while fearing for our lives,' says a 21-year-old medical student. 'No place is safe here. Our parents are worried and we just want to be home. The government should arrange special flights for us like it did during the Russia-Ukraine conflict.'Not everyone, though, can afford to return home. Many students, nearing the completion of their degrees, are desperately praying for a ceasefire to prevent their careers from plunging into uncertainty. 'I'm in my last year of MBBS and a ceasefire could save my career,' says Aayat, a third-year MBBS student at the Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran, who was relocated to Qomb on the evening of June 16. 'Otherwise, no one knows what the future holds.'advertisementThe considerable number of Indian citizens, especially students, are keeping India's evacuation efforts racing against time as Iran and Israel pummel each other with missiles and drones in a major conflict that shows no signs of ebbing. Back home in Kashmir, the panicking parents are requesting the government to facilitate their children's return. 'Please evacuate our children. They've been getting panic attacks,' says a weeping Rehana, whose daughter studies medicine at the Shahid Beheshti University. 'They're having sleepless nights and we here lie helpless and in distress.'On June 16, a group of parents held a demonstration at Srinagar's Pratap Park, opposite the Press Enclave, seeking speedy evacuation of their children from Iran. In a statement on June 17, the Ministry of External Affairs said the Indian students have been moved out from Tehran, while advising other Indian citizens in the capital city to move out in view of the 'developing situation'. Some Indians, it said, have been facilitated in leaving Iran through the Armenian border from where, say sources, a direct flight to India will be to Armenia via the border route are 110 students, including 90 Kashmiris,' says Nasir Kheuhami, national convenor of the Jammu Kashmir Students Association (JKSA). 'We're in touch with all the stranded students on WhatsApp groups.'' On June 16, the JKSA wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, appealing for 'urgent intervention and evacuation' of students in the wake of a 'humanitarian emergency'.While the Union ministry has set up a round-the-clock control room for the Indian citizens in Iran, the J&K government has also set up one in Srinagar. Chief minister Omar Abdullah has spoken to external affairs minister S. Jaishankar for the 'welfare and safety of Kashmiri students' in Iran. 'The Hon Minister assured me that @MEAIndia is in close contact with their counterparts in Iran & will take all necessary steps to safeguard all Indian students in Iran,' Abdullah said on X on the evening of June relocation efforts, since the morning of June 17, have been heightened by the Indian Embassy in Iran but there are still many, especially in high-risk areas in the outlier cities, awaiting help. Questions also loom over the government's evacuation plans for its citizens in the conflict-torn had stocked some eggs, potatoes and lentils that will last two more days,' says Mushtaq, stranded with his six colleagues in the dormitory. 'We have nothing to survive on thereafter.' Subscribe to India Today Magazine
Express Tribune
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
I have to say what's necessary for society: Banu Mushtaq
All writers draw on their experience, whether consciously or not, says Indian author Banu Mushtaq – including the titular tale of attempted self-immolation in her International Booker Prize-winning short story collection, as reported by AFP. Mushtaq, who won the coveted literature prize as the first author writing in Kannada – an Indian regional language – said the author's responsibility is to reflect the truth. "You cannot simply write describing a rose," said the 77-year-old, who is also a lawyer and activist. "You cannot say it has got such a fragrance, such petals, such colour. You have to write about the thorns also. It is your responsibility, and you have to do it." Her book Heart Lamp, a collection of 12 powerful short stories, is also her first book translated into English, with the prize shared with her translator Deepa Bhasthi. Critics praised the collection for its dry and gentle humour, and its searing commentary on the patriarchy, caste and religion. Mushtaq has carved an alternative path in life, challenging societal restrictions and perceptions. As a young girl worried about her future, she said she started writing to improve her "chances of marriage". Born into a Muslim family in 1948, she studied in Kannada, which is spoken mostly in India's southern Karnataka state by around 43 million people, rather than Urdu, the language of Islamic texts in India and which most Muslim girls learnt. She attended college, and worked as a journalist and also as a high school teacher. 'Confused' But after marrying for love, Mushtaq found her life constricted. "I was not allowed to have any intellectual activities. I was not allowed to write," she said. "I was in that vacuum. That harmed me." She recounted how as a young mother aged around 27 with possible postpartum depression, and ground down by domestic life, she had doused petrol on herself and on the "spur of a moment" readied to set herself on fire. Her husband rushed to her with their three-month-old daughter. "He took the baby and put her on my feet, and he drew my attention to her and he hugged me, and he stopped me," Mushtaq told AFP. The experience is nearly mirrored in her book – in its case, the protagonist is stopped by her daughter. "People get confused that it might be my life," the writer said. Explaining that while not her exact story, "consciously or subconsciously, something of the author, it reflects in her or his writing". Books line the walls in Mushtaq's home, in the small southern Indian town of Hassan. Her many awards and certificates – including a replica of the Booker prize she won in London in May – are also on display. She joked that she was born to write – at least that is what a Hindu astrological birth chart said about her future. "I don't know how it was there, but I have seen the birth chart," Mushtaq said with a laugh, speaking in English. The award has changed her life "in a positive way", she added, while noting the fame has been a little overwhelming. "I am not against the people, I love people," she said, referring to the stream of visitors she gets to her home. "But with this, a lot of prominence is given to me, and I don't have any time for writing. I feel something odd... Writing gives me a lot of pleasure, a lot of relief." 'Patriarchy everywhere' Mushtaq's body of work spans six short story collections, an essay collection and poetry. The stories in Heart Lamp were chosen from the six short story collections, dating back to 1990. The Booker jury hailed her characters – from spirited grandmothers to bumbling religious clerics – as "astonishing portraits of survival and resilience". The stories portray Muslim women going through terrible experiences, including domestic violence, the death of children and extramarital affairs. Mushtaq said that while the main characters in her books are all Muslim women, the issues are universal. "They (women) suffer this type of suppression and this type of exploitation, this type of patriarchy everywhere," she said. "A woman is a woman, all over the world." While accepting that even the people for whom she writes may not like her work, Mushtaq said she remained dedicated to providing wider truths. "I have to say what is necessary for the society," she said. "The writer is always pro-people... With the people, and for the people."
The Hindu
09-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Booker Prize winner Banu Mushtaq feted in Shivamogga
Leaders of various progressive organisations, activists, elected representatives and officers of Hassan joined hands together here on Monday to felicitate writer and advocate Banu Mushtaq, who recently won the International Booker Prize for her collection of stories, translated into English, Heart Lamp. Baragur Ramachandrappa said the International Booker Prize was an honour to the Kannada's intellect. 'Ms. Mushtaq wrote stories in Kannada, and Deepa Bhasthi translated them into English. Both writers deserve appreciation,' he said. The district enjoys the distinction of contributing the first Kannada inscription found at Halmidi village in Belur taluk and the first International Booker Prize for Kannada. 'Ms. Musthaq wrote stories that she picked from the world around her. The prize she won is recognition of her involvement in struggles for the emancipation of the working class, women, Dalits, and all downtrodden sections. She has been actively involved in the Bandaya movement in the State', he said. Ms. Musthaq said that India is known for diversity, and it was the duty of every individual to uphold this (diversity). 'Literature is one of the forces that celebrates diversity and, with that, it keeps the country united,' she said. The prize, she said, was not only for her contribution to literature. 'I have participated in the protests and struggles for social justice and equality. My writing is not separated from my these activities. I consider this prize as a recognition of all such activities,' Ms. Mushtaq said. H.S. Anupama, writer, spoke about the contributions of Ms. Mushtaq. Lok Sabha member Shreyas M. Patel, MLA Swaroop Prakash, Deputy Commissioner C. Sathyabhama, Superintendent of Police Mohammed Sujeetha, Dharmesh of CPM, Kannada Sahitya Parishat district president H.L. Mallesh Gowda, and others were present. Earlier, the writer was taken to the programme venue at Hasanamba Kalakshetra in a procession from the Deputy Commissioner's office.
New Indian Express
08-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Petals and thorns: India's Booker prize author Banu Mushtaq
HASSAN: All writers draw on their experience, whether consciously or not, says Indian author Banu Mushtaq, including the titular tale of attempted self-immolation in her International Booker Prize-winning short story collection. Mushtaq, who won the coveted literature prize as the first author writing in Kannada, said the author's responsibility is to reflect the truth. "You cannot simply write describing a rose," said the 77-year-old, who is also a lawyer and activist. "You cannot say it has got such a fragrance, such petals, such colour. You have to write about the thorns also. It is your responsibility, and you have to do it," Mushtaq added. Her book "Heart Lamp", a collection of 12 powerful short stories, is also her first book translated into English, with the prize shared with her translator Deepa Bhasthi. Critics praised the collection for its dry and gentle humour, and its searing commentary on the patriarchy, caste and religion. Mushtaq has carved an alternative path in life, challenging societal restrictions and perceptions. As a young girl worried about her future, she said she started writing to improve her "chances of marriage." Born into a Muslim family in 1948, she studied in Kannada rather than Urdu, the language of Islamic texts in India and which most Muslim girls learnt. She attended college, and worked as a journalist and also as a high school teacher.
France 24
08-06-2025
- Entertainment
- France 24
Petals and thorns: India's Booker prize author Banu Mushtaq
Mushtaq, who won the coveted literature prize as the first author writing in Kannada -- an Indian regional language -- said the author's responsibility is to reflect the truth. "You cannot simply write describing a rose," said the 77-year-old, who is also a lawyer and activist. "You cannot say it has got such a fragrance, such petals, such colour. You have to write about the thorns also. It is your responsibility, and you have to do it." Her book "Heart Lamp", a collection of 12 powerful short stories, is also her first book translated into English, with the prize shared with her translator Deepa Bhasthi. Critics praised the collection for its dry and gentle humour, and its searing commentary on the patriarchy, caste and religion. Mushtaq has carved an alternative path in life, challenging societal restrictions and perceptions. As a young girl worried about her future, she said she started writing to improve her "chances of marriage". Born into a Muslim family in 1948, she studied in Kannada, which is spoken mostly in India's southern Karnataka state by around 43 million people, rather than Urdu, the language of Islamic texts in India and which most Muslim girls learnt. She attended college, and worked as a journalist and also as a high school teacher. 'Confused' But after marrying for love, Mushtaq found her life constricted. "I was not allowed to have any intellectual activities. I was not allowed to write," she said. "I was in that vacuum. That harmed me." She recounted how as a young mother aged around 27 with possible postpartum depression, and ground down by domestic life, had doused petrol on herself and on the "spur of a moment" readied to set herself on fire. Her husband rushed to her with their three-month-old daughter. "He took the baby and put her on my feet, and he drew my attention to her and he hugged me, and he stopped me," Mushtaq told AFP. The experience is nearly mirrored in her book -- in its case, the protagonist is stopped by her daughter. "People get confused that it might be my life," the writer said. Explaining that while not her exact story, "consciously or subconsciously, something of the author, it reflects in her or his writing". Books line the walls in Mushtaq's home, in the small southern Indian town of Hassan. Her many awards and certificates -- including a replica of the Booker prize she won in London in May -- are also on display. She joked that she was born to write -- at least that is what a Hindu astrological birth chart said about her future. "I don't know how it was there, but I have seen the birth chart," Mushtaq said with a laugh, speaking in English. The award has changed her life "in a positive way", she added, while noting the fame has been a little overwhelming. "I am not against the people, I love people," she said referring to the stream of visitors she gets to her home. "But with this, a lot of prominence is given to me, and I don't have any time for writing. I feel something odd... Writing gives me a lot of pleasure, a lot of relief." 'Patriarchy everywhere' Mushtaq's body of work spans six short story collections, an essay collection and poetry. The stories in "Heart Lamp" were chosen from the six short story collections, dating back to 1990. The Booker jury hailed her characters -– from spirited grandmothers to bumbling religious clerics –- as "astonishing portraits of survival and resilience". The stories portray Muslim women going through terrible experiences, including domestic violence, the death of children and extramarital affairs. Mushtaq said that while the main characters in her books are all Muslim women, the issues are universal. "They (women) suffer this type of suppression and this type of exploitation, this type of patriarchy everywhere," she said. "A woman is a woman, all over the world." While accepting that even the people for whom she writes may not like her work, Mushtaq said she remained dedicated to providing wider truths. "I have to say what is necessary for the society," she said.
