Moti Masjid gets back its view

This was a story by chance as I was roaming the streets of Bhopal to get some offbeat and stand alone pictures that I noticed the workers of the BMC clearing the front view of the Historic Moti Masjid. After a few discussion with the workers, went back to the office only to be told by my Editor to file a small piece on what happened there at the spot.

The front (eastern) entrance of the historic Moti Masji and its park, was virtually closed for general public from the past about two decades, were finally reopened on January 8th, 2001, after the removal of a nursery in the mosque’s park.
According to Syed Aftab-uddin alias Tabbu Miyan, the nursery run by one Munne Miyan in the park of the mosque had partially blocked the mosque’s view and totally prevented the people’s entrance.
The land belonging to Shahi Auqaf had been leased to Munne Miyan who established a nursery and paid Rs 30 per day to the Auqaf.
Because the nursery occupied the whole park, the Muslims were forced to offer prayers on roads on both sides of the mosque on the occasion of Eids.
This will not happen on the coming Eid thanks to the BMC’s effort.
The BMC, on the direction of the Chief Minister Digvijay Singh (according to the residents) removed above 100 truckloads of plants and trees from the nursery to give back the view of the magnificent building to the general public.
Moti Masjid was constructed by Bhopal’s second ruler Sikander Jahan Begum around 1850. it is built of red stone and marble and a fine piece of Islamic architecture.

A Rescue act at the Upper Lake in Four Frames

Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) employee jumps into Upper Lake to save woman

These pictures were taken just by an accident and a fate of virtual dame luck for me on September 6, 2002 in Bhopal as I was heading towards the airport to see off the former President A P J Abdul Kalam who was returning back to New Delhi after his one day visit to the city of lakes. As I passed about 5 meters from this lady standing on the edge of the barricade I heard a big splash and that made me to stop and look over. To my shock I saw the lady struggling to swim back and asked a BMC water tanker which was passing by in the opposite direction to stop and asked the driver and cleaner to rescue her as she was fighting for life in the water only to know later after her rescue that she was trying to commit suicide. This appeared in the Hindustan Times -Bhopal Live issue on September 7, 2002 issue.

A Twenty six year old married woman attempted to commit suicide by jumping in the Upper Lake today.Identified as Shaheen Bi of the Shahjahanabad area, she was rescued by Ghafoor Ali, a Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) who was passing from the spot in a BMC vehicle.
Our Deputy Chief Photographer S Shiv Kumar who was passing by stopped and got the BMC employees to rescue her. Even as the crowd started to gather at the spot Ghafoor jumped into the water. He was able to locate her but was himself getting dragged into the water as Shaheen latched on to him.
Seeing this the driver of the BMC tanker jumped into the water and tried to rescue the two.
Meanwhile, the people standing on the spot stopped a fire tender that was coming from the airport. The driver of the fire tender threw his hosepipe into the water and the two BMC employees held on to it with Shaheen in their arms. Later, the fire tender threw a ladder into the water and the two BMC employees took Shaheen out of the water.

Shaheen Bi, Intent on committing suicide, jumped into the Upper Lake on Friday. (1) Ghafoor Ali (in red shirt) dragging her towards the bank.

(2) The Driver of the BMC tanker who joined in to the rescue holds up Shaheen Bi as Ghafoor gets a grip on the hosepipe thrown down to them by a passing fire tender.

(3) Shaheen Bi sent up with the help of the hosepipe and ladder.

(4) A Dazed Shaheen Bi out of harm's way.

She was immediately rushed to the Hamidia Hospital where she recovered and was declared out of danger. Police said Shaheen's husband Ibrahim works as a labourer in the vegetable mandi and the couple has four children.
Shaheen in her statement to the police said she was ill and that she suffered fits and felt like killing herself. Police said Shaheen's husband was also questioned and found that there was no tension between the couple.